Sound Byte: Civilization IV's Composer Christopher Tin Interview

We talk to Grammy winner and composer Christopher Tin about his process, the future of game music, and his love of Katy Perry.

[@NicolasdeFontenay]

Christopher Tin Is right. I remember turning Civ IV on and the music over the spinning planet and the rising sun is burned in my memory forever. It was a mix of emotion. There is pride to be part of the human race and see the achievements of mankind. The music and the planet with no signs of civilization on it yet represents the dawn of civilization. It was awesome!

[@KlausbergerYT]

The answer of Christopher Tin at 3:32 is just perfect. It is because of this picture he draws with the Music that works together with this beautiful sunrise. Had the startup screen sometimes running for 30 minutes before actually playing the game.

[@AnjaliSmith.]

I remember when I first booted up a borowed copy of Civ IV. When the song started my jaw dropped and for the very first time I didn't rush to get started with my new game. I listened to the song at least 2 or 3 times before finding it in me to continue on. Later on I bought the game just because of intro song 😄

[@soulsole4466]

I am from the future and this guy got it right

[@PacifistDungeonMaster]

God bless you, Sorin Johnson! You brought this genius into Civilization IV!

[@storieswithauntyogeswaog1430]

I had listened to the song over 300 times before i knew it had anything to do with a video game. It's simply awesome and captivating

[@Sorenzo]

I think I might've cried when Baba Yetu started on the opening screen the first time... I remember listening to the full song every time I booted up the game. I know I cried multiple times. I send Tin 100 dollars for the album and he wrote me a really nice note. 🥰

[@dynamicmaxwell120]

I love his album. Bought it twice.

[@carphi_piano]

Thats the most insightful interview I have ever seen. Thanks GameSpot and Christopher Tin!

[@metallica04100]

some of the best advice i've heard on writing music i've heard

[@Silentbreez1]

Great interview. Thank you.

[@kidkoryo]

Also, this interview was very well done. Props to gamespot for asking the right questions with no unnecessary distractions. Chris Tin actually provides knowledgeable answers that will help any people who are interested in writing music.

[@musicislove5113]

I met him! :D

[@Mrjakey4444]

Julia Knight no I did lol

[@Tuiteyfruity5756]

Man, that song, is the best thing I have heard all year, and I first heard it in January! it led me hear. Baba Yetu is BOSS!

[@edwnx0]

Very informative video. Much appreciated!

[@brodiger]

I Love you Christopher Tin

[@edwardpark247]

I love this guy so I'm gonna necro it for the lulz. Awesome interview. Deserves more views. 4.38M subs for GameSpot and only about 20k views? Cmon party people, we can do better than that.

[@nextlifeonearth]

I remember starting up civ4 the first time and not pushing the start button right away and just listen to the entire thing multiple times. I've never done that before or since to any other game. I wouldn't just call it just catchy, the depth drew my attention as the chorus took over from the soloist and just kept me there listening to the song on loop while I could have just played a perfectly good game.

[@siddislikesgoogle]

What a likeable guy!

[@abdulmalik2824]

11:09 my favourite from the album Hamsafar 🙏

[@Rusty511]

One of the most talented and creative people I have ever seen. Though he wont get off his fkn phone in the library.

[@edwardpark247]

you went to school with him? awesome!

[@chadmtt6375]

The smartest musician probably of all time.

[@barbatvs8959]

I was an atheist concerning this creator because I thought that a tornado brought in all of the instruments and composed the song Baba Yetu, even drawing in the Swahili speakers. But now I believe in intelligence.

[@edwardpark247]

@BARBATVS 89 I love your comment. Reminds me of Infinite monkeys on infinite typewriters... ok then, I want The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Arden edition, full footnotes, too. Oh wait, right... the chances of that happening are infinitesimal, not infinite... I've been in heated arguments over it, with people who say the monkeys will succeed. LOLLLLLLLLLL

[@DifuntO_O]

great song

[@howardleekilby7390]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@mardini]

i also love total annihilation sound tracks, amazing epic music for futuristic war game.

[@piotrkaminski6731]

Great staff :)

[@fredwaxaklahun]

2022.01.Mestre!

[@HalfLifeHalfDead]

For the record it's a 4X game. Sometimes instead of strategy I type in RTS, even though it's not the same thing.

[@srfrider1973]

an excellent , unsigned band too, Making April. 2 self made put out cds, broken up now, sad.

[@3333218]

genius.

[@niconicokoibito]

Dear fans of gamemusic, ihaveonewordfor you all, ZUN

[@outlawkelb]

@CJ2GAME i didnt say consoles have exclusive genres, i said pc's are genre-less gaming, all the pc gets is a rts or mmo's once in a while.

[@kidkoryo]

I hate that every comment here is about consoles vs. pc's. That said, I admit that I didn't truly appreciate 'Baba Yetu' at first, but have come to recognize it as a genuinely amazing piece. I write stupid songs on FL Studio in my free time, and can only begin to imagine how much of a creative strain this guy is under when trying to compose songs for entire orchestras. Amazing guy. I hope he has another breakthrough piece in the near future. I'll be keeping my ears open for him.

[@edwardpark247]

In the last 9 years Tin has been on an extraordinary journey. Isn't his life amazing?

[@dgsl491]

for the record, civilization isn't rts; it's turn-based strategy

[@WrathWithinMe]

He´s right, alot of games has great music. Like Red Dead Redemption, Total Annihilation and all Blizzard games.

[@VKOp1No3]

He's a part of "Stereo Alchemy" Isn't he?

[@TheBraden1996]

@Suhybobo Both have a GREAT soundtrack, but I still vote for Civ 4; Very close.

[@TheBraden1996]

Civ 4 by far has the best soundtrack in a game ever.

[@jan-lukas]

From the future: Civ VI is as good as IV (because it's also Christopher Tin, and he really made a great song)

[@outlawkelb]

@CJ2GAME every console exclusive did not come out on pc, there is allot of them, when comparing console exclusives to pc exclusives, its a landslide. specially when you think about how genre-less pc gaming is, its either rts/mmo.

[@Suhybobo]

@TheBraden1996 u mean after shogun total war

[@delbomb3131]

@TheBraden1996 i dunno ive been listening to the hack gu soundtrack thats pretty alright

[@inceptionsd]

Respond to this video... Did he mention Hans Zimmer?!

[@outlawkelb]

@CJ2GAME woop di doo, 1 game genre

[@Theowne]

@kidkoryo he is very well spoken

[@outlawkelb]

@CJ2GAME more power to ya if ya can cope with next to nothing exclusives, and being forced to play 2 genres all the time. cheers,

[@srfrider1973]

if you like his composing, then please listen to my other half, who is a piano composer like Chopin, his name is Eddie Covarrubias , and his page is on myspace. look it up by his name, he is the BEST,

[@benjaminspengler8177]

Hoodwinked 2??? Was the first on so successful that they could afford a Grammy winning artist?

[@HalfLifeHalfDead]

Not by a long shot. BUT it just might have the best main theme ever. The actual in-game score is good, but nothing special.

[@xerone10]

@TheBraden1996 Halo 3

[@WOOHOJEHA]

@CJ2GAME I have a console and a pc, use both of them for gaming but I hate RTS games.

[@inceptionsd]

@CJ2GAME Thats ur personal opinion XD

[@HalfLifeHalfDead]

That's probably why the genre is almost dead. How many good RTS games have come out in the last couple of years exactly? Thankfully, Civilization is an exception to this rule and seems to be very successful commercially.

[@noelgundul]

is that a hickey?

[@outlawkelb]

@CJ2GAME the 20$ are pirated games mate, another huge problem why developers dont want to make games for the PC, and do tell me about the 15 triple A games for the PC, and yeah strategy only games, as a proper GAMER i'de rather Play EVERY kind of game and NOT be forced to rts's and mmo's and the once in a decade fps. do you get the point of this arguement? cuz i feel like you are rambling on about a completely different topic.

[@Swdgame]

Is he a Chinese? OMG!

[@Davosemi]

cherry pie

[@Swdgame]

@flyingemuzZZ Well, I happens to be a non-racist native Chinese :P

[@abc4free]

banana

[@ak137lg]

fourth

[@TheScubaSteveO]

Dicks pooooooooooooo banana fourth

[@mrsonyfreak]

@CJ2GAME no your mom is lol u mad

[@fluffynuggets98]

U think he does anything cool

[@charlesbwilliams]

yup

[@mrsonyfreak]

@CJ2GAME i laugh at pc gamers who think they r better than console gamers ( i can run crisis 1 on max and all i have too do is pay 800 $ on sum shit that i will replace in 2 to three years).

[@HalfLifeHalfDead]

You literally just mentioned every RTS game that has come out in the last 2 years. Literally... In any case, Anno 2070 is not a RTS in the normal sense (like StarCraft and WarCraft), it's a city building game, but yeah, still belongs here I guess... King Arthur 2 was a buggy and unfinished mess. Dawn Of War 2 : Retribution was a good expansion pack, and well... That's it for 2 years...