In the third issue of Behind the Mark of Odin we bring you an interview with the Norwegian composer, Knut Avenstroup Haugen, responsible for the main theme of the saga’s soundtrack and known internationally for his work on the music of the massively multiplayer online game Age of Conan. In it you can learn more about who Knut is, how he got involved in the project and what was the process he followed to create the musical theme.

HELLO, WHO IS KNUT AVENSTROUP HAUGEN? CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND IS?

Hello! Knut is a composer and music producer from Norway 😉

I studied classical music (piano and composition) for 9 years at conservatories and universities in Norway and Holland. I have been working professionally as a composer for over ten years. My biggest project by far is the online game Age of Conan from game developer Funcom, for which I did three jobs: Hyborian Adventures, Rise of the Godslayer, and Savage Coast of Turan. I also compose concert music. I made the music for the opening ceremony of the 2011 World Ski Championships, the 200th Anniversary of the University of Oslo and the Oslo Opera Festival, among other things. I’ve done pop music, commercials and short films too. But now I’m mainly focused on making movie soundtracks. I made one this spring and have another one on the way this fall, and another planned for next spring.

2.- HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE MARK OF ODIN PROJECT? WHAT CONVINCED YOU TO BE THE COMPOSER OF THE SAGA SOUNDTRACK?

I was contacted by Xavier, who wanted me to do the music, so naturally I said yes 😉 He sent me a synopsis of the book and a translation of different fragments of the book in English. I had the time to do it and it seemed like a very interesting project to participate in, so of course I wanted to do it.

3.- THE COMMUNITY LOVES YOUR MAIN THEME OF ‘THE MARK OF ODIN’, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US WHAT WAS THE PROCESS YOU FOLLOWED FROM THE TIME YOU WERE ASKED TO DO IT UNTIL YOU FINISHED IT?

It makes me very happy to know that the community likes my music! The creative process began with Xavier explaining to me what the project was about, the story, the characters, the setting and everything else. We agreed that we wanted a mix between a science fiction and contemporary approach with elements that could connect to the mythological aspects of the story. As far as I can remember, it was Xavier who wanted a song that was music that went in crescendo. I think a song like this should always have a very recognizable and iconic melody that people can remember.

That was the basic concept. From there I started working on the music to give it more detail: I normally work with a draft, a skeleton of the complete piece based on the melody, structural and harmonic development. From there I move on to orchestration and production (referring to trying to make the piece sound as good as possible). And then, it’s finished!

4.- WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO READ THE ENTIRE FIRST BOOK YET, BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROJECT?

It’s true that I’ve only been able to read small fragments of the book, but Xavier has told me the story as a whole, so I feel like I have an understanding of what it’s about. I think it’s a very exciting story and that the project is unique, especially in terms of the creative paths it has been set on. I’m a big fan of both fantasy and science fiction, so it fits my tastes perfectly. In fact, I would love to be able to read the book if it were ever translated into English.

5.- MANY OF THE READERS OF ‘THE MARK OF ODIN’ KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN AWARDED FOR YOUR WORK ON THE AGE OF CONAN MMO, DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO GET A NOMINATION FOR YOUR WORK ON THE THEME OF ‘THE MARK OF ODIN’?

I don’t know of any awards for something like this. It is truly a one-of-a-kind project. But I imagine that somewhere there is someone who gives awards for website music or something, but I don’t really have any certainty. Let me know if you find out about any 😉

6.- WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMPOSE MORE THEMES BASED ON THE MARK OF ODIN SAGA? THE MAIN THEME CAN BE CONSIDERED EPIC MUSIC, BUT THE PLOT OF THE BOOK IS SET IN THE PRESENT DAY. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LOVE TO DO OR EXPERIENCE IF XAVIER ASKED YOU FOR A NEW TOPIC?

Yes, I would definitely love to do it. Even if the music had to differ in style from the first theme, it’s not like that’s something that really matters. It is true that I have made a lot of orchestral music that sounds old, but I have also made all kinds of cinematographic styles and I always adapt to the needs of the project. My last film was a contemporary drama/dark comedy that was very different from anything I had done so far. So if they ask me to do more music for ‘The Mark of Odin’, I’m convinced it’s going to be a lot of fun!