Atomizer, a song from Delhi-based electronica band Midival Punditz's third album, will feature in the official game of the Fifa World Cup 2010. FYI finds out what this means for aspiring musicians in the country
Atomizer, a song from Delhi-based electronica band Midival Punditz's third album, will feature in the official game of the Fifa World Cup 2010. FYI finds out what this means for aspiring musicians in the country
Naysayers who believe that Indian Electronica acts lack global appeal, might want to meet the Midival Punditz.
u00a0
Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj of the Delhi-based band have licensed Atomizer, a song from their critically acclaimed album Hello Hello, to the official video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
"We didn't create the song with the intention of having it featured with a game. You can't be thinking "local" or "global" while creating music. You have to keep things honest," says Gaurav Raina.
"In Atomizer, we've used dhol with the understanding that the sound can be as appealing to a New Yorker as it is for an Indian, depending on its treatment," adds Gaurav.
ADVERTISEMENT
Other than that, the band has had its music used in popular TV shows including Six Feet Under and Prison Break, as well as the Hollywood film Closer.
The game, being developed by EA Sports, will also feature London-based House music duo Basement Jaxx, Florence and the Machine, led by 23-year-old Florence Leontine Mary Welch, a group whose sound is a combination of Soul, Pop and Rock, and Michael Franti and Spearhead, which fuses Hip-Hop with Funk, Reggae, Jazz, Folk and Rock. The demo of the game is available on the PlayStation and Xbox 360 platforms.
Bob Duskis of Six Degrees, the US-based music label that bagged the agreement for the Midival Punditz, says, "Whenever EA gets to work on a game that needs music with an international flavour, they ask us to send them suggestions.u00a0
I thought Atomizer was perfect, with it's intense dhol beats and modern, Electro Rock sound. The guys at EA agreed too. The Midival Punditz create a unique mix of electronic and Indian sounds."
Big Business
"Choosing music for games is serious business. Indian music is popular abroad, especially in countries like Germany, UK, and the USA," says Ajay Khanna, independent gaming consultant, who also headed the Indian chapter of EA Sports.
Songs are chosen according to the brand of the gaming label.
"At EA, there's a separate wing that selects the music.
They either pick an existing track or request the musician to create it. In most cases, however, the music companies who own the tracks are approached and a license to use them is solicited," says Ajay, adding: "FIFA, and not cricket, is the game that sells the most in India.
The inclusion of an Indian track in the game will only help push sales further, because gamers will have something desi to relate to."
| Get Into The Groove |
| Musicians who want to create music for video games must keep in mind that it very different from scoring "regular" music. |
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
