PROLIFIC ARKENSTONE REFLECTS ON VIDEO GAME GIGS, `HOBBIT BANGERS'
Five-time Grammy nominee has made over 60 albums
David Arkenstone is one of those musicians you've probably heard, but didn't know it.
The five-time Grammy nominee has more than 60 albums to his credit as well as composing everything from NBC Sports' Kentucky Derby theme to History Channel incidental scenes and many others. He has even had his music used as the background tunes for Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
But chances are good that his most recognized works are his computer game soundtracks for such massive releases as World of Warcraft, Lands of Lore 2 and 3, Beyond Emperor: Battle for Dune and Space Siege.
Clearly, this is a composer who made the right choice transitioning from trying to become a prog rock star leading the band Arkenstone to penning primarily instrumental music in the genre typically referred to as New Age.
The multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for Celtic-tinged tunes is on one of his rare concert tours promoting his latest albums, Music Inspired by Middle Earth, Vol. II and Native Heart.
He chatted in advance of his Vancouver performance from his California base, where he was engaged in the difficult algebra of putting together a set list from his extensive career catalogue.
Q Many artists are on record talking about the productive woodshedding they did during the pandemic shutdown, but you are the only one I've talked to who recorded and released 10 albums between 2020 and 2022. Can you explain how that is even possible?
A I wish I could say I had a team that was behind me, but I do it all on my own. My method is to do some every day and if it's good, put it out there, and if it isn't, you won't hear it. During the pandemic, I had a lot more free time than usual, which meant a lot of writing and recording.
Q You were one of the early composers to begin working on composing for video games. How do you feel about those who say it's just incidental music, not actual compositions?
A I would totally disagree and hold up the fact that there is a Grammy category for game music now. Game companies have a lot of money and that means you can afford to use a real orchestra, which is beyond the reach of most regular composers who aren't scoring for a film with a big budget.
Q You are practically a symphony in yourself. How many instruments do you play?
A Ten — and violin and saxophone are not part of that list. But because I play keyboards, I have access to endless selections of samples that enable me to access those instruments. I particularly love playing all of my different flutes, from bamboo to silver and from across the world.
Q New Age is a weird category that hard to define, isn't it?
A It's a very hard category to define which, at the core, encompasses beautiful instrumental music in a myriad of forms. When I came out of a rock background and signed with my first label using that definition, it was still relatively, well, new.
Q I can only assume your live show is quite different from your precise and meticulous studio recordings?
A It's certainly not a notefor-note thing and I like that, because the show is not a quiet sit-back-and-listen like an album. I always bring along a diverse group of excellent musicians to give the music something special, and this crew is perfect for recreating this most recent release illustrating some of my favourite aspects of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings rendered in song. There is one track called Green Dragon that is a real hobbit banger.