Introducing: Ghostwood Empire

Aside from the main crew at Iron Gate, Valheim also benefits from the contribution of some talented freelancers. We want to give them a chance to introduce themselves and their work, and for you to get to know them a bit better!

You've already met lore writer Lee Williams, key artist Mats Minnhagen, and trailer makers Brikk Animation, but now we're tuning into Ghostwood Empire! The people behind the company – Dennis and Inez – create both the audio for Valheim and its trailers, as well as the trailer music.

Who are you? What’s your background?

We're a composer duo who run Ghostwood Empire Studios. A company that specializes in composing music for games, film and trailers as well as sound design for games and linear media. Our names are Inez Kontio and Dennis Filatov and we've been doing this for about a decade.

How did you get into making audio and music?

We both started out playing in different bands and that's where we got passionate about songwriting and music production. Eventually we both realized that being on stage wasn't for us, and being in the studio was way more fun.

Inez: After leaving the band I knocked on a few doors and behind one was Dennis. We immediately clicked and started writing music together and haven't stopped since. I still can't believe we get to do this every day!

Do you play a lot of Valheim yourself to get inspiration? Do you have other things that inspire you?

Dennis: I have about 250 hours in Valheim and definitely get back to that world when it's time to write new music or create new sounds for the game! As for the source of inspiration I think we both get inspired by so many different things. It could be a piece of lore, films, games or live concerts. For Valheim it's been especially fun to listen to artists perform with authentic Nordic instruments and get immersed in that soundscape.

Inez: I haven't played it yet but I heard it's a decent game. Might check it out sometime.

Could you tell us a bit about your creative process? What does it look like from the idea stage to the finished work?

Usually we start off by having a discussion together with the team or the creative director on a project and we spend time aligning ourselves creatively so we understand the vision and what is needed. Usually there's a brief involved with key words on mood and a general direction. After that we talk about what cool ideas we'd love to try and once we've decided we start working on the track. When we're finished with the first version that we feel matches the vision and is worthy of showing to the team, we present it. If the draft gets approved we continue working on it until it's done. Usually all it takes to start a piece of music is a specific sound that sets the mood or a melody. Sometimes even lyrics pop up in our minds that can get an idea going.

Dennis: One of the most exciting sounds to create was the Gjall for the Mistlands update. No one really knows this but the base of the sound is actually a sample of a female vocal. We were working on the trailer music during the same period and had been using this virtual instrument with female vocals. It was cool because I could control the pitch of the vocals and create short 1-3 note sequences. So if you want to know how the sound was made, read on!

The base layer is a female vocal, which I then pitched down. Then I added more low harmonics to make it bassy and boomy. At this point I felt that the sound was lacking a few things but mostly energy and movement so I added another pitch shifter, automated a few parameters and ran it through some really gritty distortion.

After that I felt that the sound needed some organic layers. I imagined a clicking, almost gurgling sound because of how nasty that thing looks. So I found some sounds of a seal grunting and started experimenting. As usual when working with creatures I listen back to a sound in different pitches and speeds to see if there is something interesting and usable that I can incorporate into the design.

The raw seal grunt was pitched waaay down. After that I enhanced the clicks and a bunch of other processing that I topped off with a formant filter. There were other layers and more stuff going on with the final sounds but the female vocals and the seal made up the majority of what you hear and recognize. You can watch the video to hear the process:

What piece that you have made for Valheim (so far) are you most proud of?

Definitely Deya Saga! It's the piece of music that started it all for us in the world of Valheim. With the score to the Ashlands Animated Trailer as a close second just because of how fun it was writing that to the intense visuals.

Is there anything you specifically like about working with Valheim? Is there anything that’s particularly challenging?

The fact that we get to write with more Nordic themes and instruments is really cool.

Dennis: As a sound designer I love whenever there's a new update and I get to create sounds for the new creatures. Working on Abomination and Fallen Valkyrie were highlights for me.

The biggest challenge is probably the balance of staying in the Valheim world sonically but still being able to add new and fresh ideas to the music.

If you were a viking, what would be your role in a village?

Dennis: I'd wish to be some cool bowman but in reality I'd probably be some form of Skald and maker of crappy instruments.

Inez: I would be some kind of viking party planner. Can't imagine how fun it would be to grab a few meads and have a good old viking party!

Find Ghostwood Empire on: Spotify | Instagram | Soundcloud