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!
Signs of the Sojourner - Original Soundtrack now released!
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.
Three Busy Debras
Episodes are rolling in! I loved working on the score for this show with Josh Moshier! SO funny.
Stream it now here!
First Person Blog
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.
Nominations for GANG Awards 2017
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!
Berklee - Music & Sound Production for Games
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.
Northwestern Sound Arts and Industry - Industry Advisory Board Member
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.
Sound on Sound Interview
Steve was interviewed for a feature on Rock Band VR's audio technology in their September 2017 print issue.
MIT/Berklee - VR & AR Workshop - Fall 2017
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.
Northwester EPICS Speaker Series
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.
Patent Granted for Rock Band VR's Improvised Guitar Simulation
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.
2016 GANG Award Nominee - Best Pop Vocal Song
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.
NYU Practice 2016 Conference
Steve gave a talk named "Music Games and Music for Games" for the NYU Game Center's Practice conference on November 16, 2016.
For more on PRACTICE, visit gamecenter.nyu.edu/practice
Oculus Connect 2016
Steve chatted with Naomi Kyle about Rock Band VR at Oculus Connect 2016 in San Jose.
Jump to 29:00 to hear Steve's interview.
