Gamertell

When Electronic Arts’ music department selected Norwegan band Datarock for its upcoming game, FIFA Street 3, it was a match between gaming and music made in heaven. Datarock’s unique sound, created by Fredrik Saroea and friends Ketil Mosnes and Kevin O’Brien (O’Brien left the group in 2000), has been featured on the soundtracks of games including Need for Speed and Madden NFL 08.

In an exclusive interview with Fredrik Saroea (Ketil Mosnes was not available at the time), I had a chance to ask him about his group’s unique brand of music. Despite a few language hurdles, there was plenty of fun and laughter as we tried to find the right words to understand what Datarock music was all about. He said that the band is inspired by a lot of different styles ranging from 1977 to the ‘90s although the origin of Datarock’s sound came about quite by accident.

“We didn’t really have a plan. We just started making music at home with a shabby PC, microphones and keyboards,” Saroea explained. “[W]e started by playing a tribute to a specific band or musicians we liked. We compiled [our songs using] bands from 1977 to 1982, then Manchester bands from the late ‘80s and alternative house from the ‘90s.”

Some of the band’s influences include the Kings of Convenience, Royksopp, Annie and Ralph Myerz. He described his own music as more of a club act at first, but as the band grew, so did the influence and sound.

“When we started, we did our shows in clubs, so the dance element we used [was there] from the beginning,”  Saroea explained. Although it was fun in the old days, the band members are certainly still enjoying themselves. In Datarock, Saroea sings the vocals while playing guitars, drums and keyboards with help from Mosnes who handles programming, plays bass, keyboards and provides back up vocals.

“We started off as a something you would do in a shabby studio or in your bedroom to a big festival,” he said. “Sometimes I miss those days. In the beginning the shows we played were not very well attended but we could relate to everyone that was there. The starting years were fun. [Now] we play for up to 17 thousand people.”

“It is so massive you don’t even know what you are looking at. But I can’t complain because we’re having lots of fun. We’re more of a club act than a rock act. But over the years we began to play more rock shows and, for the first four years, we didn’t have many musicians on the stage. So it evolved from time and space.”

Saroea said Datarock has played more than 400 shows in at least 28 countries including Australia, Japan, Brazil, United States and Canada. Their act usually focuses on Saroea and member Ketil Mosnes as the performers.

I asked Saroea why it was just the two of them. “Datarock is a marketing strategy really with the duo thing. Presenting as a duo is a marketing strategy to re-invent the duo-style bands,” he said with a chuckle.

Their music is simply easy to get into and before you know it, your toes will tap to the beat without a care. It’s no wonder the music was so catchy that it caught the attention of EA and landed in high-profile game soundtracks.

“I think it started with someone working for EA in Norway pitching our song. I don’t remember what game the song was being pitched for. I think Madden. But then we hooked up with the [EA] music department in Austin, Texas at the southwest festival,” Saroea said. “We hung out for a couple hours and then it started going wild. Someone said it was unprecedented that one band had many songs in many high profile games. The number I heard that something between 50 and 100 million people will be exposed to Datarock through gaming. That’s pretty crazy. Insane.”

Saroea said it was an enjoyable experience working with EA, and that the company seems to look for different sounds and styles rather than hire a band and ask them to create something that fits the game.

“If I was supposed to write a song for a specific game then it would be more difficult than it would in an album because then we would be making the song for a specific consumer which we don’t care to do,” he said. “We don’t think about potential sales or making it fit for a specific consumer. The thing with EA is those guys and the music environment. I don’t think they care about the market value of a band at all. I’m really happy with the music environment. They don’t program these games as a commercial kind of consumer strategy, they just look for interesting new sounds.”

Saroea also appreciates that videogame soundtracks, besides being part of an expanding market, are an excellent outlet for unique music.

“If you looked at EA games, it’s very much alternative compilations that most people have never heard of unless they’ve played the games. The fact is some of these games sell by the millions and some of these have acts you have never heard of before. They present opportunities for bands to get exposure. Maximum exposure and if its true that these games are exposed to that many. Then physical record sales are decreasing, but its great the physical product of video games are still being picked up and they work for music to find new listeners.”

Saroea said their song “I Used to Dance with my Daddy” seems to be one of three that stick out, including the remixed version of the song.

“Its one of our songs that has the most individual signature,” Saroea said. “For that same reason that song has been well-received in many places by a broad age group. It’s a question I’ve asked many times. Because the lyrics has no inspiration behind that, the music and the whole vibe are supposed to be a tribute to Happy Mondays because they have always been a big influence for Datarock. I think EA liked the general vibe of the song, because it has a nice medium to slow bpm [beats per minute] with a Manchester psychedelic-feel about it. They came to us and ask if they could use the songs. We didn’t have to change anything.”

He said he didn’t have to change much to cater to EA’s games since, if the company wanted a different variation of a song, there was always a remix.

“The only song they wanted us to re-record is we had to create “Fa-Fa-Fa” for a Sims game,” Saroea said and added that it was no problem. “Instead of creating it for a different language, they came up with this gibberish language that makes no sense ... It’s called Simlish. It doesn’t offend anyone, I guess, and artists have done it before. We just re-record and take away the language that means something and replaced it with gibberish. We even had to bring in girls to do the background. They were so happy they wanted to release it as a single. But overall, they liked the songs as they are.”

At the beginning of our conversation he told me that he wasn’t a gamer, but as we talked and began to joke, I had to ask if he were able to create a song for a specific game, what would he create? His answer revealed the gamer inside.

“If I had to create a song for a videogame I would make a song for the old Amiga 500 game called Rockstar Ate My Hamster. It was a game where you were a manager of a band that you had to put together from a selection of people and make them rehearse, play gigs and take them as far as they could go,” he said.

The game Rockstar Ate My Hamster was released in 1988 for the PC, Commodore 64 and the Amiga systems developed by Colin Jones and published by Code Masters.

“I would have been happy to write the songs [for the virtual] bands to work on and I would record it with unlimited variation possibilities. It could be a new rave, indie rock, punk or even a country song. I would love to make ‘the’ song the bands would have to work on in this game. Another game I wouldn’t mind doing is if they ever create a re-release of the original Skate or Die.”

He chuckled at the idea as we talked about old classic games. Then I asked if he sees Datarock writing songs that will be a part of future games.

“I really don’t know. I hope so,” Saroea replied. “Like, for instance, we’re working on new material so we don’t think about stuff like that at all. I hope we get picked up for a video game because it’s a privilege and it happens to those who create new and exciting stuff. I don’t see us ending up in new games but I hope we do.”

Of course, there is always ROMSVELEN, Datarock’s own homage to a classic game, available on their Web site. He said it’s pretty hilarious to play and he still finds it funny.

“It’s Datarock’s version of Space Invaders except it’s pancakes and the pancakes are dripping on you,” Saroea said, laughing. “I won’t tell you what makes it hard but it will test your endurance. We will put more games on there soon. I encourage everyone to try our game.”

Read [EA’s FIFA 08] Site [Datarock] Site [Datarock’s Myspace Page] Also Read [Gamertell]