This summer I’m once again supporting Vanderbilt University in their MusicTech program for young folks interested in interactive music and audio for games, led by my friend and composer/pianist extraordinaire, Pascal Le Boeuf. It’s always such a great hang!
Here’s a write-up on it via EIN Presswire.
Coming soon! I had the privilege to score, as well as serve as Audio Lead, with Tilting Point/MGM/Eon on the Apple Arcade exclusive Cypher 007! The team at SkewSound crushed the audio treatment for this, and I’m stoked to dive into the process for music making on it.
This is certainly exciting, and I can’t wait to share more! For now, congrats to all that worked on it and stay tuned for the release later this month.
Here we go! I’ve been welcomed onto the team at ProbablyMonsters, alongside my SkewSound teammates, helping bring music to their suite of upcoming AAA games! On top of composing for upcoming titles, I’ll be directing and executing music strategy across the board, as well as helping other composers fully realize their music for their respective titles.
Looking forward to an incredible season of life with this team!
Steve is currently working on the music for the upcoming game by Unknown Worlds and Krafton: Moonbreaker!
Much more news to come on it, but for now, look forward to the Early Access release in late September on Steam!
Just released on Steam Early Access is Crate Entertainment’s Farthest Frontier!
I really enjoyed scoring for this one, wholly connecting with the spirit of the environment and pace of the gameplay. It was a joy to continue working with the fine folks at Crate.
As well as enlisting the incredible string talents of Jeremiah Barcus, Avery Bright, and Liz Estes, I was also happy to have my mom, pianist Julie Chapman, on every track on the soundtrack!
OST is currently on the ole youtube for now :)
Happy to say that SkewSound has been nominated for a number of GANG Awards this year! It is incredibly humbling to be included among these titans - we snagged four nominations this round!
Risk of Rain 2:
* Best Audio for an Indie Game
Terrible Posture Games "3 out of 10"
* Best Dialogue for an Indie Game
* Best Ensemble Cast Performance
VR Video Games and Music Composition: an Interview with SkewSound by Andrew Cheek
* Best Game Audio Article or Publication!
Got to write music for a super cool mobile AR experience by Mike Mandel celebrating Hanukkah!
Check it out here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/jarts-gallery/id1536830685
Also featuring sound design by Nick Kallman (SkewSound) and Nick Bartel.
Now out everywhere! Check out Amy’s site for more details!
From Amy:
“Songs of Wonder is a collection of songs spurring on children and adults alike to notice the beauty in nature all around us. We all share the stars, the moon, the birds, the clouds, and all of creation. It’s just waiting to be taken in and cared for by the big human heart we all share.
Thanks so much for all those who helped us put this together! First of all, Steve Pardo, who always takes what is in my heart and makes it into sound. I'm so thankful to have a collaborator as my best friend and spouse. I couldn't have done any of this without him!
Take a good peek at the album art by Bonnie Fitch! Our family has been very blessed by nature journaling, and the album art might help you start one with your family. Journaling helps us to really *see* and hold memories in our minds that last a lifetime.
Jon and Elizabeth Estes added strings that, to me, reinforce the sound of the tender care of loving parents. Extra thanks to Jon who also mastered the album. My sister-in-law Cara Pardo added more familial love with her background vocals throughout the album. My sister Lindley Cameron co-wrote "Humble Flight of Love" with me a few years back on a very memorable visit to Boston. William Austin Whitney added warmth to the tune "Wonder" with his brass artistry.
We hope these songs take what may seem ordinary in the world around you and turn it into a glimmer of hope we all long for.”
Jonathan and I were featured on the Everything Virtual Podcast! Check it out for the latest updates on SAXOPHONE, the debut VR project from The Pardo Brothers LLC. We had so much fun!
What a privilege it has been working on music for this game and helping to tell this story. To Dyala, Zach, Holly, and everyone else at Echodog that’s helped bring to life the experience of Signs of the Sojourner, thank you so very much for asking me (and all of us at SkewSound) to be a part of it. This one has been special.
Listen now on all the digital platforms, including Bandcamp, Spotify, or Apple Music.
I really appreciate the thoughtful words from Dia Lacina over at Paste Magazine:
It takes a whole lot of soundtrack to contain all the possibilities of something after this. And a lot of media doesn’t try. Picking and choosing, reducing humanity to its basest, most desperate existence. Not here. Pardo links the isolation with the fullness, giving exhilaration to the places beyond.
Episodes are rolling in! I loved working on the score for this show with Josh Moshier! SO funny.
Stream it now here!
A place to sit in my studio. Cozy.
I’m going to stop pretending this site is run by someone else and I’ll start writing this in first person. Sorry.
The “News” section of this website, while it is a bit obsolete since one can simply follow me either on Twitter or Instagram for all the breaking news, is a nice way to collate some of the “big” stuff that goes on from time to time. I guess that’s enough validation, for now.
Since I last updated this, my family up and moved to Nashville. That was in October 2018. Since then, I helped ship Dance Central (I was audio lead) as a launch title for the Oculus Quest, after which I made the big move-on from Harmonix Music Systems as a full or part time commitment (I had been part time since January 2019).
So, for the last month or so, I’ve been fully independent working through the company I co-founded, SkewSound. It’s great to be fully committed alongside by Skew-brothers Dan, Chris, and Nick. They are all very handsome and are actually (surprisingly) a joy to work with. We also re-designed the logo so it’s a little less embarrassing when folks stumble upon us. But, yeah, this last month, June, was the first time that all I did was make music for various projects. Nuts.
Wrapped up my full-time Harmonix stint with Dance Central for Oculus Rift/Quest.
Also, starting last January, I up and started a game audio class at Belmont University here in Nashville. It was kind of perfect timing: they were looking for someone who actually knew some game audio in order to build a curriculum and, well, teach it, and I needed an excuse to move to Nashville. Perfect.
Oh, and my brother Jonathan and I are also making SAXOPHONE. You probably have already heard about this. Sorry. It’ll be out soon, we hope.
Some games Steve audio-led were nominated for some G.A.N.G. - Game Audio Network Guild awards!
http://www.audiogang.org/g-a-n-g-2017-finalists/
Rock Band VR - Best VR audio
Super Beat Sports - Best Sound Design in a Casual/Social Game
Steve Pardo: Creating Rock Band VR (Sound On Sound) - Best Game Audio Article, Publication, or Broadcast.
Huge congrats to the audio teams at Skewsound & Harmonix!
Steve is teaching MTEC-321 as an Assistant Professor for the Electronic Production and Design department at the Berklee College of Music this winter semester 2018. It is his first semester teaching at the college and he is excited to join a talented faculty and vibrant young sound community.
Steve is now a member of the Industry Advisory Board as of late 2017. Last year, Steve gave a talk to the students on music interactivity and VR audio design as a part of their EPICS speaker series, and got to know students and faculty of the program.
Steve will play an active role in helping shape the young program, and will continue making periodic visits on campus in order to share his experience and guidance to the talented students at Northwestern.
Steve was interviewed for a feature on Rock Band VR's audio technology in their September 2017 print issue.
Steve is co-teaching a class on VR & AR design and audio in a collaboration between Berklee and MIT. Along with being a crash course on game and VR audio design best practices, students are encouraged to discover new ways to solve problems and invent experiences that will push the medium forward.
Steve participated in the MA in Sound Arts and Industries EPICS Speaker Series on May 18, 2017, giving a talk on game audio and music design. He met with students afterwards for hands on demos with Harmonix games like Rock Band VR and for one on one discussion/Q&A on music game design and game audio.
The US Patent Office has granted Steve and his colleagues at Harmonix a patent for Improvised Guitar Simulation for their groundbreaking music technology utilized on Rock Band VR for the Oculus Rift.
Steve and his brother, Jonathan Pardo, were nominated for Best Pop Vocal Song at the 2016 GANG Awards at the GDC conference in February. Listen to the song nominated, Cut Her Down, below, and check out the game Knee Deep by Prologue Games, with audio design and music by SkewSound.
Music and lyrics by Jonathan Pardo and Steve Pardo. @skewsound vocals and acoustic guitar - Jonathan Pardo instruments/production - Steve Pardo