I think the most interesting part of writing this album was discovering what the horror genre means to me. It’s funny that I ended up composing a soundtrack for a genre I never really loved. I never watched horror films or played horror video games—except maybe for a couple like Silent Hill, which actually had a strong influence on me while working on Season of Ghosts.
By the end of the album, I realized there were also strong influences from the Diablo game series. After listening to the album, one of my friends told me it felt like stepping into Tristram (from Diablo I & II) for the first time. I was honestly surprised to hear that—because Diablo was also one of the games that inspired me during the writing process.
An Amazing Discovery Journey
I don’t think I’ll dive too deeply into the album’s narrative, just to avoid spoilers. I’m like Tom Holland with Marvel movies—I’d love to talk to you about every character and scene, but I might end up spoiling everything. So you’ll just have to take that journey yourself, haha.
It was a real inward journey—exploring new aspects of fear and learning what it truly means to be afraid. In the end, I realized the scary parts and jump scares were exactly what I wanted to avoid. Instead, I tried to translate depression through harmony. That feeling of being lost is deeply tied to the story of this adventure path. Once I figured out the narrative direction I wanted to take, the answers began to appear, and the writing process—and the first motifs—followed.
Ever since I discovered music, I’ve always loved Asian culture—the music, history, ethnic spirituality, and the subtle movement of the mind. It was a dream come true to write a soundtrack inspired by a story rooted in the beautiful mythology of these regions. Naturally, I started exploring all the instruments I had—or could get my hands on—to compose this album.
Great Variety of Cultural Instruments
As many of you know, not all of us composers have the budget to rent massive orchestras, so we turn to VSTs (Virtual Instrument Libraries). These days, you often can’t even tell the difference between a sampled instrument and a live one. Technology has come a long way, and I see that as an absolute win for creators working on a budget.
For this project, I used a beautiful-sounding library from Strezov Sampling called JADE Ethnic Orchestra. It provided a wide range of traditional instruments from various East Asian regions. To achieve authenticity, I spent a lot of time exploring its sounds. Some of the instruments I used include:
- Shakuhachi
- Erhu
- Zhonghu
- Jinghu
- Guqin
- Soprano Dizi
- Tenor Hulusi
- And more…
Of course, I also wanted this album to sound epic. So choirs (with some beautiful Mongolian undertones), string sections, and traditional taiko drums were essential.
True Horror in Each Track
But when it came to true horror, I went outside and recorded a bunch of ambiences that I later edited and engraved into the soul of each track. Each sound effect—whether vocal textures or ethereal drones—has its own identity.
In many tracks, you’ll hear beasts, creatures, children, whispers, and other elements that helped me shape the atmosphere. And in the end—I wasn’t wrong. I was happy with the result. There’s still plenty of room for you to combine these tracks with ambiences in your own gameplay sessions.
If you need quality ambiences and SFX, check out Michael Ghelfi Studios on Patreon! I can’t believe I just said that. I think Michael would be proud.
Speaking of Michael—he also provided me with an excellent selection of his personal SFX, which proved incredibly useful. Thank you, Michael—you’re a trooper and a true bard. Anyway, back to the topic…
Depth in Harmony and Context
When it comes to harmony, I stuck with open chords—almost jazz-like—to give the album a sense of grandness. You can hear this best in the track The Hinterlands. My goal was to convey the vastness of the Shenmen region in players’ minds. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to illustrate every location in the Hinterlands, but I think I did a solid job writing one theme to rule them all. (And yes—it’s meant for exploration only)
There’s also something very playful about the lighter parts of the soundtrack. There are moments when things begin to fall apart, and I tried to reflect that with musical runs and sustained dissonance. Honestly, that chaotic energy probably drives half the album.
But then, there are moments of beauty—when everything stands still. You wish you could remain there forever, just roaming the land, meeting NPCs, and completing side quests. Exploring this stunning region that my fellow writers and artists at Paizo created was incredibly inspiring. That’s why I tried to illustrate those serene, magical moments using string movements, especially string quartets, which you’ll hear in a few tracks. It often felt like the fewer instruments I used, the more powerful the message became. If that doesn’t make much sense—I’ll just let the music speak for me.
On a side note, I’m currently in talks with a good friend of mine—an orchestral arranger—and we’re planning to record a few tracks from Season of Ghosts with a live quartet. We’re not sure when it’ll happen yet, but the recordings will definitely be released through Michael Ghelfi Studios when they’re ready. We’ll keep everyone posted!
A Personal Homage
Now, to address the elephant in the room: this album was supposed to be the first one I wrote when we began our amazing adventure with Paizo. But due to personal challenges in my life, I wasn’t able to finish it until now. And oh boy—what a journey it has been. I like to think it paid off, because it helped me grow as both a person and a musician, in soul and in mind. I overcame a lot of anxiety and learned a great deal about facing the real horrors of life.
This soundtrack is essentially an homage to everything good in this world—and to everyone who creates from a place of love and passion. After all, where ego dies, art begins.
I know I certainly enjoyed writing this album—and I hope you enjoy listening.
Happy gaming, adventurers!
