David, the legendary sound guy at Nolimit City, sits down with Bigwinboard to have a few words about all his greatest hits, how they came about, and, of course, his background as a musician. Buckle up and let’s go!
Bigwinboard: Hi David, thank you for taking some time from your busy schedule to talk to us. It really has been a busy couple of years for you, hasn’t it?
David: Hi, thanks for having me! It sure has! To create music and sounds for one game each month is quite hectic.
BWB: So, you produce the music and sounds for Nolimit City. How long have you been with the company?
David: Time flies, I have been here for over five years now.
BWB: Can you tell us a bit about your background? How does one end up being a sound designer of slot games?
David: Actually, one of my best friends did the graphics for one of our first games and he asked me to create demo music and sounds for that game. And that was the beginning of a great ride here at Nolimit City.
I started to play the guitar at age of twelve and at age seventeen I started to compose music with computers and synthesizers. My first purchase was a Roland MC-505, which I still have here in my studio today. I have always been the type who loves to create and put things together, so I learned everything by doing.
Before I started at Nolimit City, music composing was only a big hobby of mine. I created all types of music and had a big problem sticking to one style, but that also gave me a huge advantage in creating music for all types of themes.
BWB: Online slots have evolved so much, becoming almost like video games in a way. One provider that has become extremely skilled at this is Nolimit City. You don’t just add some generic stock music, you pour your heart into every game with great passion to help elevate the whole gaming experience for us players. Deadwood is one fine example of that. The first time I heard it I got chills and still do when it comes on. It’s cinematic and fits the game so well. I personally rank it as one of the best slot soundtracks ever made along with classic’s like Immortal Romance. Can you tell us a bit more about how that one came about and what your inspiration was?
David: Thanks a lot for the nice compliment! Normally when I see the game for the first time I hear some music and sounds in my head. I try to get into the theme and start to imagine how that environment sounds like. When I try to look back on how I created these tracks, it feels like I jumped out of my own body and just put them together haha. The things I remember from the Deadwood bonus track was that I wanted to create an action-packed feeling and uptempo. Actually, the first melody I created for that track had too much ethnic feeling to it, but after twisting and turning, it made its purpose.
“Yes, that’s my first real attempt to rap. I tried to get into the role as a real gangster rapper.”
BWB: Another one that sticks out is East Coast vs West Coast. How can a Swede capture the US Hip Hop feel so well? Is that you doing the vocals as well? Because that’s another thing with NLC slots, they often feature vocals, something that sticks out.
David: Hehe Yes, that’s my first real attempt to rap. I tried to get into the role as a real gangster rapper and in my head, I heard Mos Def rapping. I really like old school hip hop, so creating these tracks was really fun but also nerve-wracking. I don’t settle with lame samples and stock beats, if I’m going to create real hip hop it should be real hip hop. Almost every hip hop song created has samples from old songs, and since I didn’t want to mess with some copyright laws I tried to create these tracks to sound like old samples.
BWB: Punk Rocker is another banger that we need to bring up. Sounds quite Ramones inspired. What can you tell us about that one?
David: These tracks came alive quite quickly. I have never listened to any punk music, but after listening to some tracks that my team sent me I got the feeling. In Punk Rocker, we initially only have guitar, bass and drums, and after putting those instruments together I felt it was something missing. Listening to punk music without vocals will soon be very boring and monotonous, so I gave it a try. Luckily no one hears me going crazy in my studio.
BWB: You’ve created so many epic soundtracks in such a short amount of time. What’s the secret? Obviously, you’re a musical genius and a legend, but do you also get the freedom to do your thing, or how does it work? Is it more of a collective process, or?
David: Thanks a lot! The short time that I have on each game always gives me some anxiety. The pressure to get the right feeling on the first demo is high, if that fails, I’m behind. But soon we will have a second sound designer joining on full time. Then we will get more time on each game and more time to make even better tracks and sounds.
Normally I just start to create, and once I have a good demo I send it to the team. The team’s input for me is important; they have been working on the game for months before I show up and they already have a good idea of what will fit the game. More or less we are always on the same page.
BWB: Let’s talk a bit gear. I hear a wide range of instruments in your music, from bass and guitar to violin and drums. What do you use to record the music and sound effects? Cubase? VST? Real instruments or plugins?
David: I work in Ableton Live and got many VST like KOMPLETE and sound libraries. But I also have real instruments like guitars, bass and drums. Nowadays the digital instruments are really good so no need to hire a full symphony if your name isn’t Hans Zimmer.
BWB: Do you also mix and master everything yourself or do you send the stuff to a mixing studio?
David: Here is the tricky part. I do it myself, but it’s hard. I always listen to the music in different speakers and headphones to make sure it sounds good everywhere. But if I would make a soundtrack for a huge Hollywood movie I would probably send it off to a super pro!
“The most challenging thing is to create short music loops that will not be boring after a while.”
BWB: What would you say are the defining constraints or challenges of composing music for online slot games?
David: I would say game size. Sounds and especially music takes up a big space of the total game size. The most challenging thing is to create short music loops that will not be boring after a while. If the game size wouldn’t matter I would make longer and more variations on each track. Nowadays we also have normal bonuses, super bonuses and so on, therefore we need more tracks to make each bonus more exciting and fun.
BWB: Of all the soundtracks you’ve created, which one is your personal favorite, and do you have any favorites from other slot providers?
David: I must say that East Coast vs West Coast big win music is my favorite. I put it on in my car quite often hehe. Also the Coast to Coast bonus track, which I have some lyrics prepared for. Let’s see if I get the time to release it as a bonus track on Spotify in the future. From other slot providers I like the Hotline soundtrack from Netent, it has a good vibe and sets a great 80’s feeling to the game.
BWB: Cheers David, thank you so much for talking to us. We really enjoyed it and thank you for keeping us all entertained!
David: Thank you!
Editor’s note: for those interested to hear more of David’s work, Nolimit City has an official Spotify channel.
