‘Palia’ Composer Steffen Schmidt Gave Us a Look Behind the Scenes at the Cozy MMO’s Music

Palia is still in its open beta, but already, it has wowed a lot of people, myself included. As I’ve written previously, this “Stardew Valley meets Animal Crossing” MMO is pretty laid back. There’s a huge emphasis on taking things slowly, enjoying the farm life, building out your home, going hunting, hanging out with people, and building social relationships with the many wonderful NPCs in the game.

But one thing that has impressed me considerably is the game’s music. With beautiful songs like “Maji Market,” this game’s scoring is lush and vibrant, and I recently got the chance to chat with Palia‘s soundtrack composer Steffen Schmidt to learn about his creative process. Schmidt normally works in film, and this project is his first time creating something for video games.

Schmidt draws from a wide variety of influences and sources for his music. Some of his biggest influences include Nobou Uemastu, the legendary composer behind the Final Fantasy soundtracks. “I know this being my first video game, I reach back into my memories playing the various Final Fantasy games composed by the legendary Nobou Uematsu,” Schmidt told me. “His command of melody and having it not be fatiguing to listen to for long periods of time has always been inspiring to me.”

A lot of that influence rings clear as day in Palia’s soundtrack, which strikes a nice balance between cozy vibes and engaging textures. Uematsu’s work involves a lot of themes and motifs as well, such as the poignant soundscapes of Final Fantasy VII. Schmidt himself also managed to work a few themes into Palia:

“Palia’s Main Theme which you hear on the login screen showcases a theme/motif that you will hear a few times throughout your experience in the game. The goal with this melody was to have something simple, memorable, and easily recognizable when it emerges elsewhere in the game, creating a true feeling of being welcomed home.”

Schmidt also takes influence from the great Joe Hisashi, the composer of many Studio Ghibli movies, such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. “The same goes for Joe Hisashi,” Schmidt said, “his magical melodies as well, but also harmony that makes nostalgia feel so emotional, I wanted to pull some of that inspiration but of course being original to my true self.” Howard Shore, the composer for the Lord of the Rings movies, also had an impact on Schmidt’s creative process for Palia.

For the bubbly fun song “Maji Market,” Schmidt looked towards Asian cultures. “For the Maji Market, I wanted to connect with a country and culture I have been closely tied to most of my life, South Korea,” Schmidt said. “I had the great opportunity to record an orchestra and a solo percussion artist specialized in Korean traditional music in Seoul for the Maji Market.”

Video games are a fairly unique medium, combining aspects of film, visual art, music, and more into one interactive vehicle. Palia presented its own differences and obstacles for Schmidt to tackle in his own unique way. He talked about the different expectations and challenges composing for video games has in comparison to composing for film or TV.

“In film or TV, you write mainly in a format that moves from left to right in a set of events on picture,” he said. “In gaming of course, it is important to note that the music has to set a mood but also be experienced based on many things that the player might be doing in game.”

Palia does a lot of things right both mechanically and musically, and as long as a talented musician like Schmidt is at the helm, the game’s future soundscapes are sure to delight.

(featured image: Singularity Six)