Tim Follin Interview about Video Game Music 1 of 2

Industry legend Tim follin talks to Re:Loaded about his excellent back catalogue of video game scores.

[@andym0908]

Tim Follin's music was 95% of the reason that I purchased games. He is an absolute ground-breaking genius when it came to writing sound-generating code. Not only was his code thinking outside the box, but the actual compositions were memorable and addictive. I owe Tim a hell of a lot for inspiring me to become as passionate as I am with music AND coding.

[@aroyen]

+++++++++++++

[@andrewcollier3359]

I sometimes use the bass line of Agent X II as warm-up exercise.

[@DirkIronside]

+Andy Monk Sometimes I turn on Silver Surfer on just to dance around to the epic music while doing chores.

[@scifyry]

RIP Geoff Follin. Tim's FB post regarding his brother is a tearjerker. Seems like they had a great relationship.

[@SanFranCrisko]

Follin is a complete legend. Ecco the Dolphin is one of the most beautiful soundtracks I've ever heard. Emailed him a track I composed and he liked it! Was so chuffed!

[@GoneFishingAway]

How do you still feel after 14 years and counting after making this comment.

[@olsonbryce777]

@@GoneFishingAway huh

[@rpe7418]

Wait what that was him too?? Jesus this man is like the hans Zimmer of old-school games

[@sanfrancrisko9962]

​@rpe7418 The Dreamcast version, for sure. The original Sega CD one was composed by Spencer Nilsen (best known for the US Sonic CD soundtrack). Megadrive / Genesis version I'm not sure about

[@woot000]

Who put the dislike bot here? Whats so wrong with him?

[@Moonfreeze]

+woot000 Was wondering the same. Maybe because the 240p quality?

Could be that the interviewer interrupted Tim quite a bit.

[@llegax3066]

Don't worry, there's no dislike now 😃👍

[@doopdee]

@@llegax3066 I have an extension that lets me see dislikes and there's 165 as I write this.

[@1.4142]

175

[@knickymax]

Fascinating the games people like him for. For me, it's Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future. Perhaps the most beautiful, haunting, enchanting video game soundtrack ever composed.

[@swinetastic]

Silver Surfer, Solstice, Wolverine, Bionic Commando, Ghouls n Ghosts, Scumball, Plok, Thomas Tank Engine, LED Storm and X-Men to name of few! Awesome work :D

[@l0rdm0rd]

please don't forget Rock n' Roll Racing. Just ... don't.

[@RedTsarOldChannel-INACTIVE]

Thomas The Tank Engine and Wolverine was done by his brother Geoff.

[@azrael-labs]

And Plok! and fucking PICTIONNARY !

[@averageo2343]

Follin and Hubbard are probably my top two old school game composers.

[@zaytoony]

this man is a genius, he is by far my fav. video game composer, i've contacted him several times, he is do down to earth.

[@sup3rsmash8]

Those 100 fake dislikes...

[@EYTPS]

They just want to hate on composers who don't graduate from a music college, I'm assuming

[@darosleao5834]

110*

[@retrovertigo2006]

Plok has some of the greatest music of all time. Not to mention how he got those tracks sounding so good in Rock N Roll Racing. Amazing guy.

[@aki_128]

Thanks for this video! Tim Follin is the best Spectrum 48K musician EVER! His play routines are so complex that even you are a master of the Z80 assembler, you only guess what does he do with the sound at the moment.

[@kabutops87]

why has this interview got some many dislikes ??

[@plasmaastronaut]

Why does the universe exist? Why do we live in 3 dimensions, and not 4? Why does Tim Follin's interview have so many dislikes? its one of the great unanswered questions in life.

[@DeMOSic465]

@@plasmaastronaut bots

[@xiushobird8732]

nice fake dislikes

[@matthewcannon9699]

Where are you Tim? Can I forgive you for not composing anymore? Damn you Follin!!!

[@stonethemason12]

Lol you sound like a villain "DAMN YOU. FOLLIINNN"

[@marcelbmusik]

He made the games Contradiction: 'Spot the Liar!' and brand new, 'At Dead of Night'. He made basically everything, including the soundtrack

[@Leonardo-iz4qu]

Wow, I wasn't even born in those years and I have tremendous nostalgia when listening to genius composers of video game music. I wish I was born in those years and composed for consoles.

[@DJ.PaulyP]

Echo the Dolphin - Defender of the Future... PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@bornacesljarevic4002]

i think this is the best musician / composer in the whole video game industry.

[@EvilMaxWar]

He is one of the best non Japanese for sure. Tim certainly has that proggish style which sets him apart.

[@Velatoget1]

Max War I know his music progresses and it has that "prog" type of sound... but when I hear prog I assume odd meters. Do you know if he uses them? I'm not familiar with ALL his music, mostly just Silver Surfer and Solstice :)

[@xiushobird8732]

I agree with you about Tim being one of the best VMG composers out there. I also agree with you and Velatoget regarding the "prog" *type* sound. I definitely hear it in a lot of his tunes.

[@redwallchannel]

Woah slow down there. Definitely One of the best, but there's lots of different styles so... best?

[@SuperGGtm]

David wise please

[@4ynaka6p]

Chronos(by gremlin`87) on ZX Spectrum 48k had outstanding intro music.

[@aroyen]

[Tim Follin - The Tick] The track of my life.

[@MasterLinkuei]

Timetrax and Rock n Roll Racing rockz!!!

[@swordghoti]

The dude's an artist, outstanding individual style, he's combined such a broad variety of influences, but he streamlines his arrangements so they stay tight and taut for a gameplay dynamic. Awesome.

[@WSS_the_OG]

This guy was the Shakespeare of those modest sound chips back in the 80s. An amazing fusion of gifted composer and binary wiz-kid.

[@Williamsalinas14]

Tim you're music is amazing.

[@DamienRoweArts]

The Man. The music to ghouls n ghosts on the c64,especially Level 4 is classic. I never knew he was that young when composing those tunes either. Legend. Led Storm had great music aswell.

[@acgamesonline]

he's a legend of chiptunes!

[@cameroncorrosive925]

i'm here in 2024 to say we're still talking about him, and loving his stuff. Pictionary's music is awesome.

[@germansnowman]

Same here! I first heard of Tim Fallon a month ago via Charles Cornell’s video about the Pictionary soundtrack.

[@gwell66v2AnimeReviews]

I KNEW IT! Thank you for putting up this interview. For DECADES I've been thinking that they just really went full on cheesy and charmingly over the top with the spider man xmen game! Just hearing that screaming guitar intro to the title theme let me know exactly what they were going for even as a kid living an ocean away. That's one of my fav video game OSTs of all time. Such a hidden gem. You could really feel how much fun they had dipping into various influences and matching them to the campy, over the top comic book aesthetic. I just started a series reviewing game music and I know Ill be covering that game and maybe the entire Follin library eventually

[@jippyjester]

just listened to it - absolutely brilliant - the man has talent

[@MrLandale]

Tim Follin's music for the Amiga version of Ghouls'n Ghosts is one of my favorite VGM sound tacks of all time. It sounds so beautiful and great!

[@simonebernacchia]

Very sad the treatment that Graphic and musician workers receive in the videogame industry, if you think Tim had to quit because composing music for games was not paying enough to make a living :( btw not that better for coders...

[@simonebernacchia]

They don't redistribute properly though

[@stunthumb]

There are options. Programming in the industry is an industry job, you get paid the going rate. There is a big difference between programming to a spec, and designing a game. Game developers can always try the indie market if they want more freedom, but to be honest there aren't a great deal of professional programmers out there who would even attempt their own project. In a lot of ways the industry has changed a great deal, and in a lot of ways its exactly the same... we can't really waste time feeling bad for people who get to create videogames for a job - they have options just like all of us... if you chose to make your passion your career, then don't expect the same benefits as a job that people might not want to do.

[@adorenu1338]

Maybe because he composed godly soundtracks for awfully shitty games. His only mistake was not being born as a japanese.

[@Autumnblueskies1]

Tim is an absolute legend and a genius! His music forms a lot of the soundtrack of my youth!

[@stevecenteno8304]

I do not dance in public, but if the place plays the intro to SOLSTICE. Dude...I will get down, like nobodies business!

[@codytsmith5678]

Ecco the dolphin brought me here!!. Tim Follin you are the G.O.A.T🐐🐐🐐. The game world needs you again.

[@timoloef]

I'll never forget my first experience with an Amiga 500... the intro music of Led Storm blew me away... and still does!

[@wakeupfist]

I just viewed it again. Tim! You should come to America! Out here you're loved by many!

[@VagrantChildOfficial]

Tim, you and Geoff are both amazing composers! I’m amazed that you guys weren’t hired for more games!

[@wakeupfist]

My exact thoughts - word for word!

[@swordghoti]

Time Trax, Super Off Road, Solstice 2, Spiderman/Xmen. 'Nuff said, the man's an artist. Due respect. Love his work. I'd love him to make a 70 minute mega funk CD. He'd go silver in the UK alone, purely from Snes fanboys. Super Off Road title tune, badass Whitesnake riffing, if only the rest of the game had sounded as good. Better than the arcade version! What this guy did to create Time Trax on Megadrive I can barely fathom. Genius. Never has a Megadrive sounded so good.

[@SRDhain]

his work on the c64 and amiga were the MAIN reasons i decided to chance my arm at film and tv soundtrack work. he IS a legend, and i think its grim he hasnt made the money some of the others int he scene have. He's from a really musical family, apparently.

[@equinoxfan82]

Tim Follin.... the greatest composer of all time! We'll miss ya' Tim, your video game music creativity that is!

[@marcelbmusik]

He made the games Contradiction: 'Spot the Liar! (2015)' and, brand new: 'At Dead of Night'. He made basically everything, including the game soundtrack. Well, Contradiction is 5 years old and your account is probably abondend now, but I spreaded the words

[@slimgrim3607]

@@marcelbmusik thats interesting to know, and im glad that you didnt have to wait another 14 years for somebody to stumble upon your comment xD

[@marcelbmusik]

@@slimgrim3607 I am happy too. Thanks for sharing your opinion ob my message one year ago I totally forgot, hehe :) Have a nice christmas

[@AlexWalkerSmith]

Silver Surfer is the most amazing music on the NES. Hands down. Mega Man has great tunes, but it doesn't even touch Silver Surfer.

[@braveinsanity6843]

This man is an absolute legend.

[@Kytk7]

Grande Tim ❤❤

[@Golbez634]

Solstice was released 8 years before I was born but I only listened to the main theme for the first time 1 week ago and it's brilliant! One of my favourite sections of the song is the part right after the breakdown when it changes key (at 1 minute and 38 seconds into the music video) because that's when I start to conceive images of a simple and friendly time like the 90's! That song is possibly my favourite NES song, maybe even my favourite main theme ever!

[@SJReid82]

Spider-man and the X-men will forever have one of the SNES' greatest soundtracks. And its thanks to this man. Just full on disco/funk/prog rock splendor in 16-bit.

[@sfu0]

i like how the video is so old but at the same time is a different size and coincidently youtube makes the video fit in the same location videos were like back in the old days of youtube

[@BigAngryPhil]

Thanks for uploading this. These guys SNES music was some of the best, particulary Plok and Spider Man Anxiety

[@longtallshorty5791]

They didn’t do Spiderman & Venom : Separation Anxiety. They had left Software Creations by then. They did Spiderman and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge.

[@BigAngryPhil]

@@longtallshorty5791 you're right, I get those 2 mixed up

[@patrickhawthorneLS]

Tim is a legend Instead of him worrying about his music fitting the game,let's make a game fit around his wild and free music !!!!!

[@stonethemason12]

2021 comment

[@RobynVids]

Love him

[@yoshimitsu1977]

a genius

[@monx84]

Kinda nice of them to give you a game with tim follin's music.

[@elig9401]

Humbling to see someone who is objectively a genius-level creative mind, speak so self-effacingly at times.

[@porcorosso81]

You are probably referring to the fast appregios. This was a common technique on the C64, so it means it was probably done by a former C64 composer. Tim Follin is usually associated with Software Creations, Interplay, Malibu Games.

[@TheBroDotTV]

Wow this is too awesome. Total total legend.

[@jfs2761]

Listen to goulh n ghost amiga intro, and if you don't cry you are just not a human.

[@Meteotrance]

this guys was a genius he do solstice but not only is responsable of the transcription of deep purple and stepen wolf music in rock n roll racing, and do the awesome music of echo the dolphin on the dreamcast 3d version.

[@videogameobsession]

Tim was one of the best composer/programmer's in gaming. He was able to push the hardware and get better sound than most others. Some of the SNES music that he produced was so good I actually have it on my mp3 player! My favorites are Plok and Equinox. Good stuff! Some very different styles in both of those. I detect some Rundgren influences in Plok.

[@batlin]

This chap and his brother Geoff made some ridiculously good soundtracks, especially IMO some of the C64 games - the C64 port of Sly Spy had a much better and more interesting soundtrack than the arcade version, even with only 3 channels and no sampled instruments. The intro to Gauntlet 3 was another amazing one!

[@dextrusdalabassistan]

Music on LED Storm, Bionic Commando on the c64, was got me into Tim's stuff back in the day. amazing.

@ScrewLimbBizkit I've been in contact with him. He has an mp3 up on his site listed as the High Score music from Spiderman and the X-Men. However, it was a piece of unused music from the game. I mailed him the actual track and got a reply.

[@porcorosso81]

Solstice was published by Imagesoft (in Europe, it was Nintendo itself). The game was developed by Software Creations.

[@Williamsalinas14]

I love his soundtrack for wolverine for the NES

[@SuperKokuJin916]

Wolverine was apparently written solely by Geoff! Another great soundtrack regardless of which brother composes... Just fantastic!

[@porcorosso81]

Probably one of the most versatile music composers. Pushing any platform he has written music for, so check out his complete portfolio. Hey, I even like the spectrum music!

[@umop3plsdn]

doesnt even mention solstice the most epic soundtrack to a game EVER. christ the title sequence just blows you away

[@PuuberZ]

Plok's boss music > the rest. Dude is awesome.

[@azshaw123]

Can anyone please tell me who composed the music for ghosts 'n goblins on the commodore 64..Was it Chris butler..I have been told but i am not sure.

[@Th3ba1r0n]

< :C This interview fills me with both interest and dread. What in the world is it with these musical and artistic geniuses dropping out of college. I almost didn't graduate high school, I minored in music, and am a graduated graphic desiger and I WISH I had half the talent of these people...

[@dingus_bingleton_the_3rd]

ITS HIM!1!1!

[@Meteotrance]

i was impressed by his skill's for doing impossible thing with 8 bit nes on solstice and on silver surfer and on snes rock n roll racing blew me away thanks to the soundtrack of Tim Follin but he's not just a programmer of music i can play very well guitar on Ecco the Dolphin on Dreamcast and it's also blew me away again.

[@markwrightrf]

Amazing - so modest - I remember telling a friend of mine back in 1990, on the subject of getting married - and if I ever came into serious money, I'd pay Follin to play at my wedding! Ah, memories.. not sure Ghouls 'n' Ghosts would fit the bill. Was probably thinking more "Netwood Forest" from LED Storm!

[@gaywest4298]

This guy's musical compositions on the 64 were awesome! I still listen to them on Droidsound.

[@cubecast1]

Why the dislikes?

[@PeacePeaceGawd]

Amazing!!!!

[@videogameobsession]

@Malkalypse777 Oh yeah. I am familiar with them. I believe they composed all the music for Scott Pilgrim Saves the World on PSN (and I think XBL). I also like some of the tunes in Castle Crashers. They have that old school chiptune sound to them.

[@Kris_A]

Absolutely!

[@nikamota]

I was STUNNED by his music on the Spectrum 48k. Future Games from Mastertronic was the first game i had heard the incredible 5 channel music on the spectrums beeper. How did he do that? To this day i still cant fathom how such complex tunes were achieved....

[@iloveesr]

LOLLOL "Print HELLO 20 times in Boots" omg I remember those days!!

[@MMasterDE]

True, they made totally different music for totally different games in a totally different part of the world.

[@lanch5986]

TIM IT WAS ONLY PICTIONARY

[@artman40]

He even did a great work for NES games too. Remember Silver Surfer or Treasure Master songs?

[@ChrisWalshZX]

One of my all time fav 1-bit tracks was Imagine's 3D Vectrron which Tim did the music for. Used to play it on the piano at school!

[@Abrimaal]

I always wonder if he played in a prog rock band or performed his game music live.

[@Zyborggian]

Sakuraba did at least thank GOD

[@Abrimaal]

Motoi? or the boxer? I hear the name for the first time.

[@batlin]

This guy and his brother wrote the Sly Spy C64 soundtrack, which had some seriously great tunes on it. Interesting to hear that he felt his music wasn't always suited to the games - not sure I totally agree!

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

T2 on NES

[@PauloSGM]

Batman Forever --Arkham Asylum Thanks, man!

[@swordghoti]

The cheesy Spiderman soundtrack is amazing. Even the game over enter your name screen has ridiculous Miles Davis/Hendrix style funk wah wahs playing on it, you just don't want to put your name in. That game soundtrack is actually sexual. It should have been a Pegi 16. Too goddamn fonky for the chillun, :) I'm gonna find all my fave Follin tunes now...

[@ronaldhenson9170]

SUPER OFF ROAD & SUPER OFF ROAD THE BAJA ARE MY 2 FAVORITE RACING GAMES FOR SNES

[@9um9um9um]

Did he play a musical instrument ? Or was the music program?

[@AFancyHippo]

Basic was just for people who wanted to print 'hello' 20 times on a screen.... in Boots. Clasic.

[@witchhuntergeneral5178]

Великий музыкант

[@tomdevos6309]

This is great but is there a Jonathan Dunn interview anywhere?

[@asilum7172]

più geniale di un supereroe! UN MITO!

[@arciks11]

@Doommaster1994 No he didn't compose Dragons Lair

[@videogameobsession]

@gatemaster15 lol. I thought it was cool that Tim used my Plok SNES box on his website. He didn't ask permission, but he's an amazing composer/programmer so I'll let it slide. :P I miss the old chip music. There's something exciting about seeing how much they can cram onto a tiny cartridge board and have it sound like real instruments. Redbook audio may sound better, but it's just not as impressive to me.

[@MMasterDE]

Yes, it's fan art from Tombi!. :)

[@DARKELLAKEL]

your SOLSTICE sdtk was awesome!!!

[@AcEoMaTiK]

Follin's musical versions of Bionic Commando (Europe) and Sky Shark (USA) were excellent. The original scores were quite boring once you've heard his take on them.

[@yerzmyeychiptune]

His music for ZX SPECTRUM 48K is *BRILLIANT*. Was he 17 while making it? Did I understand OK? Scandalous.

[@SpongeMagic]

Oh my god, he sounds like Pyrocynical.

[@eunaoseibrother8902]

destroyerofcomedy HSUSHUA HOLY FUCK, IS ACTUALLY TRUE DJSBDKA