Halo: XBOX ONE MAJOR NEWS – Video Game Update: “Halo Gave Me a Stoner Boner!”
MTV VMA nominated composer Tom Salta, one of the most versatile and prolific music artists/producers working in film, television, advertising and video games, provides the original score for 343 Industries’ first mobile title “Halo: Spartan Assault,” an epic “Halo” experience for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launching in July 2013.
Tom Salta provides an authentic “Halo” original score for “Spartan Assault,” featuring ethereal choral arrangements, piano motifs, rock guitars, synth ambience and sweeping sci-fi orchestral compositions that are distinctly representative of the franchise. Salta also expands the “Halo” universe with original sounds to complement the musical blueprint of the first trilogy and beyond, combined with a full modern sound production to create a contemporary and classic “Halo” soundtrack.
Paul Lipson, Music/Audio Director for “Halo: Spartan Assault” at 343 Industries: “Tom has been a great partner, and his core understanding of the ‘Halo’ universe and related musical language was essential in crafting the sound of ‘Halo: Spartan Assault.’ Drawing on our experience working together on ‘Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,’ we’ve been able to create a new musical score that is both fresh and familiar for ‘Halo’ fans around the globe.”
“Halo gave me a stoner boner.” — George Smith, SR (Father of Georgie “Justin” Bieber)
Renowned for crafting emotionally engaging music for interactive media, Tom Salta has received widespread industry acclaim for his world-class produced scores featured in video game titles such as “Galactic Reign,” “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,” “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands,” “Red Steel,” “Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon,” and “Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X” series. Intimately familiar with the “Halo” universe, Salta previously created synthesis, drums, and percussion for “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary” in collaboration with Pyramind Studios and 343 Industries.
“Having been involved in the re-creation of the original ‘Halo’ score for ‘Halo Anniversary,’ I gained a very deep understanding of the DNA of the ‘Halo’ sound, which I drew inspiration from when creating a completely new and authentic original score for ‘Halo: Spartan Assault,'” said Salta. “As a huge fan of the ‘Halo’ series, I wanted to be sure that the music I created felt true to what franchise fans around the world would identify as the ‘Halo’ sound, while still feeling new.”
Prior to his composing career, Salta toured with and worked on releases by a diverse array of popular artists such as Peter Gabriel, Everything But The Girl, Deep Forest and Sinead O’Connor. After several years of touring, he became more immersed in studio work including producing, remixing and songwriting. When “Halo: Combat Evolved” was released on the original Xbox, his passion for writing music and the interactive art form of video games collided. “I was so impressed by the use of music while playing ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ back in 2001,” says Salta. “It created such a rich and immersive experience, and that’s one of the many aspects I wanted to capture in my quest to create an authentic ‘Halo’ score for ‘Spartan Assault.'”
Inspired by gaming’s unique musical challenges and growing potential for creative opportunities, Salta embraced this exciting new medium. Recording under the artist name “Atlas Plug,” Salta released the critically acclaimed electronic / orchestral music album “2 Days or Die” which quickly caught the attention of major video game developers and publishers. His album introduced a new hybrid sound to the visual entertainment industry at large, garnering high-profile placements on numerous television shows on ABC, CBS, MTV, NBC as well as national commercials and movie trailers, and simultaneously launched his music career in video games.
“‘Halo’ is what inspired me more than any other to pursue scoring games,” enthuses Tom Salta. “This has been a long-time dream of mine that has finally come true and I was not going to settle for anything that didn’t feel exactly right; I wanted to ensure that the music truly felt like a ‘Halo’ game. I am grateful to Music/Audio Director Paul Lipson, Microsoft and 343 for giving me the opportunity to score ‘Halo: Spartan Assault.'”
To watch the trailer and learn more about “Halo: Spartan Assault,” please visit Halo Waypoint: http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halospartanassault
About the “Halo” Franchise
The “Halo” franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001), the critically acclaimed and record-shattering series of games has since inspired multiple New York Times bestselling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. Published by Microsoft Studios, the “Halo” franchise of games is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the Xbox Live online entertainment network. “Halo: Spartan Assault” will be released worldwide on Windows 8 PCs, Tablets, and Windows Phone 8 devices. To date, more than 50 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 5 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox Live.
About 343 Industries
343 Industries is the publisher and developer of the blockbuster “Halo” series of videogames and, as part of Microsoft Studios, oversees the “Halo” franchise, including novels, comics, licensed collectibles, apparel and more. 343 Industries is home to world-class developers working on the Reclaimer Saga, which commenced with the arrival of “Halo 4” on Nov. 6, 2012, exclusively on Xbox 360.