Gamemusic.net

Amanita Design, an independent Czech studio, are the makers of a variety of flash adventure games – most notably, the two-part “Samarost” series. The studio represents a consistently high level of quality, and the success of their latest project, the low-budget “Machinarium”, attests to this fact.

The professionalism and care put into Machinarium’s production extends to its music, as well. Composer Tomas Dvorak (Floex) has created an outstanding soundtrack for the game. The game’s musical backdrop is particularly extraordinary for this type of production, and surpasses that of similar works.

Tomas DvorakTomas DvorakMachinarium’s soundtrack is characterized by minimalism, and will definitely attract ambient music fans. We had the opportunity to chat with Tomas Dvorak, where we ended up discussing his passion for Japanese music.

 
GameMusic.net: How did you begin working with the people from Amanita Design?

Tomas Dvorak: Jakub knew my debut album, "Pocustone", and he simply wrote me with the offer to cooperate on Samorost II. I knew the project already, as one of my friends had shown it to me.  I really liked it, and decided to join the team. Back then, it was just four of us: Jakub Dvorsky, Vaclav Blin, Tomas Dvorak - aka Pif (we both have the same name, which often causes misunderstandings)  and me...

 
GameMusic.net: Your first project for Amanita Design was the music for the second installment of "Samorost". What are your memories from that time?

Tomas Dvorak: My first project was Samorost II. It was kind of a lively time, with a lot of expectations placed upon me. It was also a small project, so the development didn't take as much time as my work for Machinarium. I started composing for Samorost II  in summer. So my memories are sunny.  I remember I was eating lots of melons, as it was a pretty hot summer. I was trying to experiment a lot with the sounds. On one occasion, I was trying to make a “water tune,” so my room was full of pots, caps and glasses filled with water. I was also trying to blow through the flute into water, which was generating very animal-like sounds. Also, I would drum on the metal radiator. I wasn’t always too nice to my instruments - once I used a hammer on the cymbalon, which made a great sound that I later used on the bass drum in the “Lesik” song.

 
GameMusic.net: "Samo Samorost II Original SoundtrackSamorost II Original Soundtrackrost" is quite a unique game, as it resembles a fairy tale. They say you were inspired by Japanese movies. One of these movies was "Funky Forest". Why have these kinds of films had such a big influence on your work? Do you happen to know any composers from the Eastern genre? If so, do you have a favorite one?

Tomas Dvorak: I like this kind of work, this kind of fantasy. Works that surprise us because their ideas go beyond the border of our own imagination. Generally said, I enjoy people who think in different ways. Additionally, it’s playful - and that's something that Samorost, Machinarium or other projects of Amanita has in common with these films. While I don't think it has a direct influence on my work, I would be very happy to cooperate on those types of projects. In the game field, I see works like those by Keita Takahashi somehow resonating with this direction. As for Amanita, I think Questionaut is the work that comes closest to this feeling. I like how it connects something very rational like school topics - grammar, mathematic, physics -  with something very irrational, like one’s subconscious. Generally said, I think Europe is more conservative in this sense of experimentation. As for the composers, I am a big fan of Ryuichi Sakamoto, especially his collaborations with electronic musicians like Fennesz and his other projects from the last decade. Also, Lulatone are sweet. Another favorite is Dj Krush, his album Zen greatly influenced me. ... Or Rei Harakami, he’s a really interesting guy, and his works are the epitome of electronic music.