Joe Henson and Alexis Smith, collectively known as The Flight, say composing the soundtrack for Assassin's Creed Odyssey was a dream project. They were able to spend 18 months immersing themselves in discovering and recreating the sound of ancient Greek music and instruments and adapting it to fit the massive story and landscape of Assassin's Creed Odyssey. As they told me, their first step was to go shopping for authentic instruments – one of their favorite pastimes.
Joe and Alexis carefully crafted a palette for each of the cultures represented in the game: war-like Spartans, learned Greeks, and rough-and-ready bandits. Each geographical area of the game also had a distinct sound. Joe and Alexis say defining musical identity first actually saved them time as they wrote the massive amount of music needed for Odyssey's huge world.
The Flight's London Studio is a space that's evolved from making barrels to making music, and it's not entirely soundproof. In many cases, that would be a problem, but for one of the cues, Happy Family, the birds outside the studio joined in the music, adding some authentic real-world sound that works perfectly with the springtime setting of the game. And Joe and Alexis said, "Thanks, birds!"
Episode tracklist
All tracks composed and performed by The Flight, with Mike Giorgiades, bazouki, and Fanny Perrier-Rocher, vocals.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Korinth; Kephelonia Island; Legendary Heirloom; Legend of the Eagle Bearer; Odyssey (Greek version); Myrrine; Sokrates; Phoibe's Fate; Athenian Fighters; A Spartan Fight; Medusa; One-Eyed Monster; The Cult of Kronos; Conflict on the Sea; Pirates, Thugs & Bandits; A Happy Family; Markos; Enter the Animus; Assassin's Creed
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Thanks to Dick Roberts for production assistance and
Greg O'Connor-Read, Top Dollar PR