Since 2020, the Composers Society of Singapore (CSS) has been releasing a monthly series for our Musings section, Composer of the Month! The Composer of the Month for Aug 2024 is Avik Chari. Avik is a Singapore-based composer and designer for games, visuals, spaces, and performing ensembles. His compositions blend orchestral and traditional Asian instruments, synths, organic beats, and ambient sound design, transporting listeners on journeys of self-reflection and exploration. Avik is one of the featured composers in the Singapore Composers Festival, with his piece Cities I performed by local ensemble WeirdAftertaste.
Avik Chari
Interviewer: Mok Peck Yim
1. What are some of your favourite sounds that you've created or experimented with your sound designs so far?
One of my favorite sound design experiences was working with the Asian Civilisations Museum for their permanent exhibition on the Pedra Branca shipwrecks. I was given audio recordings of divers exploring and excavating the wrecks and was asked to incorporate these into the piece. I processed the recordings by time-stretching and pitch-shifting them, creating subtle melodies from the sound effects. You can listen to more of it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DOVpwbHvQk
2. Share with us about your inspiration and compositional process for your piece 'Cities I' that was recently showcased at the Singapore Composers Festival.
"Cities I" was originally written for musicians Samuel Phua and Ng Pei-Sian. I wanted a piece that showcased their skill as performers while also being memorable, not just as a showcase for soloists. I drew inspiration from the cities I’ve lived in, such as Singapore and Boston, and recorded Samuel and Pei-Sian's performances. I then used these recordings to create the backing track, with chords made from saxophone sounds and grooves formed from cello bow attacks.
3. As a composer that writes music for indie games as well, are there any similarities and/or differences in composing music for this genre as compared to contemporary music? Could you elaborate more on this?
There are several key differences, primarily because you're composing for another medium. In games, the gameplay and visuals take precedence, and the music's role is to support these elements rather than steal the spotlight. Another crucial aspect is that game music needs to be adaptive. Players experience games differently and take varying amounts of time to complete tasks, so the music must adjust accordingly. This often means creating soundtracks with multiple layers or variations that algorithmically adapt to the game’s logic and the player’s progress. It’s a fun challenge to organize a score in a way that enhances the user experience!
For example, I recently worked on a mixed reality app for the MetaQuest that featured adaptive music. As players painted and designed crafts to share with friends, more layers of the music would gradually emerge. Once they approved their design, the music transitioned to a new piece, reflecting their progress.
4. What are some of your upcoming projects/works that we can look forward to?
I’m currently writing music for two shows!
The River of Life project with the NP Collective:
Ding Yi ensembles EConcert:
Additionally, I just wrote music and designed sounds for the Doodle People’s game ‘Artisoul’ which will be out on Beta soon.
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