Robert Wolf is composer at Hexany Audio, an audio post studio based in Los Angeles that provides custom sound, original music, voiceovers, audio programming and sound branding for video games, virtual reality and interactive media.
Wolf graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) Thornton School of Music Screen Scoring program and is now writing music for multiplayer games such as Honor of Kings, Call of Duty: Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Arknights. Apart from games, he also wrote music for the Dungeons & Dragons show Critical Role.
Robert Wolf
Wolf acknowledges that “composer” is pretty broad title for a range of different tasks but says it’s mostly about writing music for many different forms of media — film, games, trailers or even radio and podcasts — often on a strict schedule.
While many composers work as independents, Wolf is a staff composer at Hexany, which is not a traditional role in this industry. “Most of my industry colleagues are freelancers and work in home studios,” he explains. “I really enjoy being part of a well-organized company, having colleagues and being able to focus mostly on writing music.”
Let’s talk process. How do you begin on a project, and what is the first thing you did for the Arknights “Immutable” track?
So, normally we get assigned a new track and then get the design documents for it. In the case of “Immutable,” the design document was extensive, but in a nutshell, it introduced the character’s backstory and the style of music. I was tasked with writing an electronic/ambient hybrid track with vocals.
How did you go about that part? Can you walk us through your workflow?
First, I discuss the concept of the track with our lead composer, Matthew Carl Earl. Our studio audio director, Richard Ludlow, then reaches out to a vocalist (if the track requires one) while I write a one-minute instrumental demo, which is sent out to the client for approval. If it gets approved, I compose the rest of the track, conceptualize the vocal melody and produce the track to an almost finished state. This version is sent to the client for approval. If all goes well, we send our material out to the vocalist.
In the case of “Immutable,” we worked with the amazing Melissa Kaplan, who also wrote the lyrics for the track. I think I received the lyrics from her first, got that approved by the client and then finished the track by mixing in the vocals.
Do you write based on project — spot, game, film, TV — or do you just write?
My workflow can vary greatly depending on the medium. In the case of game music, I can often write a track out based on reference tracks and general parameters, and I don’t have to worry about making it fit a certain cut of, say, a trailer or short film. I enjoy being a bit freer in that way, which is one reason I prefer writing video game music over other genres.
(Other music produced by Wolf and his colleagues is posted on the Hexany Audio website.)
Is there something that players of the game might not realize about how the “Immutable” track was made?
I have been amazed by just how much the Arknights fans have already analyzed the track, debated the meaning of the lyrics and even cross-referenced other tracks of mine. It’s honestly very exciting to see how much people care about it.
What are your favorite instruments to write with?
I like writing on the piano. But I play several other instruments, which can be helpful with different aspects of the writing process. If I’m looking for a good melody, it can sometimes help to grab my clarinet or saxophone, since I sometimes just come up with a neat melody by improvising a bit. But, in general, I construct most of my tracks in the form of a piano sketch and then produce the track afterwards.
You were recently nominated for a Game Audio Network Guild Award for the Arknights track “Immutable.” How does it feel?
It is very humbling. It was a fascinating process to see this track slowly take shape, and then have fans be so excited about it after release. It’s really all you can hope for with a piece of music — that it reaches people and they enjoy listening to it. The nomination came as a huge surprise to me — and a very welcome one — but I also hope that it directs more attention toward the music of Arknights in general, since there are so many fantastic tracks out there.
If you weren’t composing for video games, what would you be doing instead?
Great question. Well, I hope I’d be writing music for a different form of media, but if you are asking what I’d do apart from composing music, I would probably be teaching. I have a bachelor’s degree in music teaching and worked briefly as a high school music teacher in Germany.
Did you come from a musical family?
Absolutely! Both of my parents play guitar, my mom also plays piano, and my dad even writes his own songs. They signed me up for music classes in kindergarten, and very early on, I was performing in local concerts. Additionally, my uncle is a professional musician and music teacher in Berlin. When I was a teenager, he introduced me to music production, which had a big influence.
Finally, do you have any advice for people trying to break into the video game composing world?
I always encourage younger composers to share their knowledge and skills with each other. Connect with a lot of people and freely share what you know. I think this helps everyone involved; it gets you talking about your craft and improves it at the same time.
I have learned a tremendous amount from talking to colleagues at Hexany and from USC, and I hope I was able to give back, too. I think sharing your passion with people and learning together is a healthy way to get over the feeling of intense competition.
