Hi everyone, my name is Tomoki Kameyama and I worked as a composer for Bayonetta 3. This game is the first game I have ever worked on! I composed the music direction for the side chapters, as well as the main stage music and some boss music.
In this entry, I will give you more insight into the music of Bayonetta 3 as the composer of the battle theme GH()ST for the new playable character Viola.
GH()ST
- Vocals: Mikaila Delgado
- Lyrics: Cody Matthew Johnson, Gina Kouyoumdjian
- Composition: Tomoki Kameyama (PlatinumGames)
The Concept Behind GH()ST
The first keyword that came to mind when creating this tune was “punk rock.”
The concept behind the song was inspired by Viola’s character and her fashion sense. At first, we thought that the punk rock genre would be a perfect fit for Viola. We started off by creating music like this but we found that the punk rock tempo could not keep up with the stylish high-speed action of the game. We also found that the bright, punk-tinged music did not match the atmosphere of Bayonetta 3 and this led us to revisit the concept behind the song. Ultimately, we landed on a musical style reminiscent of 2000s emo/alternative rock.
GH()ST took us about six months to complete…after many retakes. This song was initially meant to be an instrumental song without any vocals.
At one point, we implemented and tested the instrumental version in-game. As the importance of Viola’s existence increased toward the end of development, we decided that Viola, like Bayonetta, would have a battle theme that had vocals.
We suddenly had to turn an instrumental song into a vocal song, but that didn’t mean we had to completely rearrange it.
This was because the prototype of the current vocal melody already existed in the instrumental stage, as we used the “vocal chop” technique, in which a cappella vocal material is cut up and arranged to create a new melody.
As a result, we were able to smoothly transition to vocal recording.
The Vocalist
The vocalist for GH()ST is Mikaila Delgado from the Australian band “Yours Truly”. Her voice is powerful enough to not be drowned out by the band’s sound of distorted guitars and high-speed drums.
Vocalist of Yours Truly, Mikaila Delgado
GH()ST was rather difficult to sing because of its fast tempo. However, the recording session was completed in no time at all. It was a great collaboration between Steve Knight, who produced the vocals, and Mikaila Delgado, who did an amazing job with singing the song!
On the day of the recording, Steve’s idea was to change the melody of the second verse “~ unfinished business” and I was truly impressed by the very cool melody into which GH()ST was transformed as a result. That part is now my personal favorite bit in the song!
The Lyrics
Cody Matthew Johnson and Gina Kouyoumdjian wrote the lyrics for GH()ST.
In writing the lyrics, we communicated to Cody and Gina that we wanted the lyrics to express Viola’s ‘straight and energetic personality and the roughness brought forth by her immaturity.
The end result, I believe, are wonderful lyrics that beautifully expresses the emotions of Viola, who, unlike Bayonetta, is still very rough around the edges.
Mixdown
The mixing engineer for GH()ST was Andrew Scheps.
I still remember the excitement I felt when I heard the first sound file that came up for the first time.
The unnecessary parts were stripped away, and each part played a leading role without interfering with the other. It was truly the work of a master. This song was completed by a legend who has produced numerous masterpieces with renowned artists.
In Closing
GH()ST was completed with the support of many musicians in addition to those introduced in this article. If you listen to the song again after reading this article, perhaps you will experience it differently. I do hope that you enjoy the music of the game in your next playthrough of Bayonetta 3!
Bayonetta 3 Original Soundtrack
The Bayonetta3 Original Soundtrack is now available to stream and purchase digitally! Look back on your journey with the beautiful melodies that helped shape it.
Listen Now: https://lnk.to/bayonetta3
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Tomoki Kameyama Joined PlatinumGames in 2020. Worked as a composer on Bayonetta 3. This was his first game title. |