Frank Klepacki

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Frank Klepacki (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPA) is an American musician and video game composer, best known for his work on the Command & Conquer series. Having learned to play drums as a child, he joined Westwood Studios as a composer when he was 17 years old. He has scored several games there, including the Lands of Lore series, Westwood Studios' Dune games, The Legend of Kyrandia series, Blade Runner, and the Command & Conquer series. His work in Command & Conquer: Red Alert won two awards.

He lives in Las Vegas, where he has shaped a solo career and played and produced for several local bands.<ref name="lvlife">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="thebittersband">Template:Cite web</ref> His personal and band work touches upon several genres, including orchestral, rock music, hip hop music, soul music, and funk. He has dubbed the style of music he writes as "Rocktronic".<ref name="creatingrock">Template:Cite web</ref> His work has appeared in various media, including the Spike TV program The Ultimate Fighter.

Klepacki is currently the audio director of Petroglyph Games, where he scored Star Wars: Empire at War.<ref name="videogamesheet">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki was contacted to score Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, but was too busy with Petroglyph to take the project, and declined to mention the offer.<ref name = "pcgamerpodcast"/><ref name="klepackinews">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki composed three songs for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 by EA Los Angeles. His solo CD entitled Viratia is packaged with a comic he helped produce.<ref name="klepackinews" />

Early life and career

Klepacki was raised by a family of musicians of Polish and Italian descent who played on the Las Vegas strip.<ref name="944magazine">Template:Cite news</ref> He drew art as a hobby, but music prevailed in his early interests.<ref name="gamingeyeinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> He received his first drumset at age 8 and began performing professionally by age 11.<ref name="logbookinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> Among his early influences were electronica and heavy metal groups, including Depeche Mode, Afrika Bambaataa, AC/DC, and Iron Maiden.<ref name="morphscape">Template:Cite web</ref> Seeking to master guitar, bass, and keyboards, he formed local bands and created a demo tape of original material by age 17. His impetus for diversifying his instrumental abilities was "not being able to communicate with other band members on ideas...for original songs."<ref name="twistedinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> His first piece of audio gear was a TASCAM 4-track cassette recorder, which he used to record demos, band practices, and live shows.<ref name="music4gamesinterviewinthestudio" />

After learning to program BASIC on a Tandy 1000 and becoming interested in computer and video games, he applied for a job as a game tester at Westwood studios.<ref name="logbookinterview" /> He submitted his demo tape—described as "an acoustic guitar song with electric guitar leads and keyboard strings, and raining sound effects"—to the company's audio director.<ref name="944magazine" /><ref name="gameplaymag">Template:Cite journal</ref> The growing company enlisted him as a composer for the NES port of DragonStrike and the computer game Eye of the Beholder II.<ref name="944magazine" /> He later composed with MIDI sequencing for several other Dungeons & Dragons games.<ref name="behindcc">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1992, he helmed the audio of Dune II, attempting to complement the music of the original Dune.<ref name="avaultinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> He later noted that he pushed the sequencing program on his Amiga to the limit while scoring the game.<ref name="gwjinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> While working on Disney's The Lion King in 1994, he and the Westwood team were shown sketches of the unfinished feature film.<ref name="interviewfaq">Template:Cite web</ref> Film composer Hans Zimmer later praised Klepacki for reworking his scores.<ref name="music4gamesinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> After finishing the third entry into The Legend of Kyrandia series, Malcolm's Revenge, Frank Klepacki met with Westwood leaders to discuss the upcoming game Command & Conquer, the first in a series which would bring him wider fame and critical acclaim.<ref name="behindcc" />

Command and Conquer series

In 1994, Klepacki met with Westwood Studios developers to discuss the soundtrack of the company's next project, Command & Conquer. To define the game's style, Klepacki listened to a number of bands, including Nine Inch Nails and Ministry,<ref name="twistedinterview" /><ref name="behindcc" /> which would supply the iconic industrial style found in the majority of the songs. He combined various elements of this music and added his own touch to create a unique sound. With the company's recent shift to 22 kHz audio, Klepacki composed with an Ensoniq ASR-10 sampler, a Roland S760 sampler, a Roland JD-990 synth module, and an electric guitar.<ref name="behindcc" /> The first few songs he composed for Command & Conquer contained voice samples, including the notable pieces "Act on Instinct" and "No Mercy" (which featured wild declarations from Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey). The samples were later found to interfere with the game's spoken audio, and were replaced with versions lacking the voices, although the original versions (and several other unused pieces) can still be found on the DOS C&C and Covert Operations discs. Complete versions of the songs later appeared on the game's commercial soundtrack.<ref name="behindcc" /> He would continue to sample clips from film and other media throughout his career, using a quote from The Brain from Planet Arous in the Yuri's Revenge track "Brainfreeze", for example. Klepacki next composed instrumental pieces for Command & Conquer, drawing influences from orchestral, house, heavy metal, and hip hop music. For the credits, Klepacki wrote "Airstrike", featuring a hook later used in Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun for the Global Defense Initiative. Conversely, the Brotherhood of Nod ending used the song "Destructible Times", written by Klepacki's local band, I AM. The developers requested the song because it "reflected the war aspect and bad-ass vibe of Nod's side."<ref name="behindcc" /> The C&C expansion pack The Covert Operations featured seven new ambient pieces, all of which were also included on the disc in high quality CD Audio format.<ref name="behindcc" /> Though the soundtrack was not released through retail, Westwood sold it by special order through its website and in game catalogues.<ref name="westwoodcatalogue">Template:Cite book</ref>

While working on Covert Operations, Klepacki composed "Hell March", from the idea of "a rock tune to marching boots," finishing the song in one day after inventing the guitar riff.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> Upon listening, director Brett Sperry insisted this song be used as the signature theme of Command & Conquer: Red Alert.<ref name="behindcc" /> Originally intended for use with the Brotherhood of Nod, it features militaristic samples—including marching, industrial sounds, and a commander shouting orders. Klepacki initially scored Red Alert with sci-fi camp in mind, but early songs were shelved. He switched gears to write gritty pieces, prompting the Red Alert team to expand upon the style of Command & Conquer.<ref name="behindra">Template:Cite web</ref> In preparing to compose, Klepacki acquired new sample libraries for unique and strange sounds. Particular creative moods would result in a few songs at a time. He first wrote heavy songs like "Workmen" and "Crush", then composed neutral, synthesizer-laden music, such as "Vector" and "Roll Out". Klepacki also composed "Fogger" and "Mud", one of his personal favorites, before finishing with "Militant Force" and "Radio 2". He took breaks from working to make cameo appearances as a Soviet soldier killed by Kane and an Allied commander in the cut scenes of Red Alert. He previously appeared as a Nod soldier and the voice of the commando in Command & Conquer and would voice bit parts in future Westwood games.<ref name="actingcameos">Template:Cite web</ref>

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After completing Red Alert, he took a short break to review his work. He concluded that some songs could be enhanced, but Red Alert had already gone gold, precluding new versions.<ref name="behindra" /> These remixes later appeared on the unsuccessful Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor. Red AlertTemplate:'s soundtrack was voted best video game soundtrack of 1996 by PC Gamer and Gameslice magazines, defeating Trent Reznor's score for Quake.<ref name="music4gamesinterview" /><ref name="behindra" /> Reviewers called it "fun to listen to" and "second to none."<ref name="gamespotredalert">Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2005, Red Alert was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for selling several million units, bringing Klepacki his widest audience.<ref name="guinness">Template:Cite book</ref> He wrote additional music for the game's expansion packs, Counterstrike and Aftermath. He attributed the success of Red Alert to an infusion of modern styles not found in other games.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki initially wrote off the popularity of his music, assuming that his music "must only appeal to die-hards."<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> He considered it "very surreal" to realize his soundtracks had gained him fame, and has since embraced his fans and critics.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" />

Later Westwood games

A musician's office with a solid wall and a wall containing windows shown, a microphone stand, an electric guitar, a mixing board, a keyboard, two computer monitors and a computer, a poster of the Transformers franchise
Klepacki's last office at Westwood

In 1997, Klepacki scored a Blade Runner adaptation. Though Westwood acquired the rights to use the original film score by Vangelis, the company was not allowed access to the original master recordings, and Klepacki had to recreate the themes by ear.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> Developers were satisfied by his attention to detail, feeling that his digital recreations sounded clearer than the originals.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> In 1998, Klepacki composed the soundtrack for Dune 2000. He attempted to update the music from Dune II into "this non-blip stuff," and worked in homages to the original style of the films as composed by Toto.<ref name="avaultinterview" /><ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> Dune 2000 was panned by critics, though Klepacki's score was praised for adhering to the traditional Dune style.<ref name="gamespotdune2000">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki considered 2000 to be a more definitive work than Dune II, which was constrained by software and hardware limitations.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> He then composed the soundtrack for Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun with Jarrid Mendelson, with whom he would later collaborate on Emperor: Battle for Dune.<ref name="videogamesheet" /> He began by writing "Stomp", an energetic rock piece intended to recreate the effect of "Hell March" for the new game.<ref name="tscommentary">Template:Cite web</ref> Coincidentally, one of the trailers for Command and Conquer 3 featured "Stomp" as the soundtrack. Westwood instead wanted Tiberian Sun to feature darker, more moody music, and "Stomp" was shelved in favor of the current sound. Bereft of ideas due to the stark change in direction, Klepacki asked Mendelson to collaborate; he regards tracks they both worked on as the best. Tiberian Sun ultimately featured dark, ambient techno music and ambient space music suited to the game's post-apocalyptic and futuristic setting.<ref name="tsreview">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki cited the piece "Mad Rap" as his favorite. An avid Star Wars fan, he enjoyed scoring cut scenes featuring James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> The scenes also allowed him to integrate the "Airstrike" and "No Mercy" themes into the game's score, despite the aforementioned shift.<ref name="tscommentary" /> With the expansion pack Firestorm, he attempted to "set things right" by writing more upbeat songs and including "Stomp", which would also appear in Command & Conquer: Renegade.<ref name="tscommentary"/>

He next scored Lands of Lore III and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2. Klepacki defined Red Alert 2Template:'s style with heavy metal guitar and fast-paced beats.<ref name="ra2review">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki scored the game with a Korg TR Rack, Novation Nova desktop, and Roland XV-5080.<ref name="westwoodnetinterview">Template:Cite web</ref> Red Alert 2 included a remix of "Hell March". The return to high-energy songs was owed in part to fan criticism of Tiberian Sun.<ref name="avaultinterview" /> Klepacki maintained the energetic style in Red Alert 2Template:'s expansion pack Yuri's Revenge. For Command & Conquer: Renegade, the next entry in the series, Klepacki tried to update the style of the original Command & Conquer by making it "hipper and more elaborate."<ref name="avaultinterview" /> Several Command & Conquer mainstays appear as reworked versions, including "Target (Mechanical Man)", "Industrial", "Act on Instinct" and "No Mercy". The main theme's melody comes from "C&C 80's Mix", a piece composed for Covert Operations, but which was scrapped before release.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki's last contribution to Westwood Studios was the music of Earth & Beyond, comprising four albums of material.<ref name="music4gamesinterview3">Template:Cite web</ref> Acquired by Electronic Arts in 1998, Westwood was liquidated in 2002 and the remaining employees were relocated to EA Los Angeles.<ref name="mobygames">Template:Cite web</ref> Several Westwood founders left the company. Though Klepacki offered to score Command & Conquer: Generals, and submitted a demo to EA, he was not offered the job.<ref name="interviewfaq" /> When asked in 2002 whether he'd continue scoring music after ten years in the business, he exclaimed, "ten down, next ten to go!"<ref name="westwoodnetinterview" /> After Westwood's closure, he reflected on his past work at a dinner held by Joseph Kucan and other former employees.<ref name="dinner">Template:Cite web</ref>

Petroglyph Games

Klepacki took a brief hiatus to work on solo albums, then joined Petroglyph Games as full-time audio director in 2004.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> He prepared by becoming versed in the job's requirements and demands.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> His first task was scoring Star Wars: Empire at War, Petroglyph's launch title; he also helped select voice actors.<ref name="askpetroglyph1">Template:Cite web</ref> A die-hard fan of the Star Wars franchise, Klepacki enjoyed complementing John Williams's style as he worked with sound effects used in the feature films.<ref name="music4gamesinterview" /> He worked closely with programmers to ensure perfect aural functionality. Though most of the game's score is John Williams's work, Klepacki estimates that he contributed 20% original material. Apart from the main theme, he aimed to minimize his editing in order to retain the classic Star Wars sound.<ref name="music4gamesinterview" /> He chiefly composed for new areas of the Star Wars universe only found in Empire at War. He calls his work on the game "the peak of my career,"<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> and felt he had spent his entire life grooming his abilities for that soundtrack.<ref name="gwjinterview" /> As a perk of composing, he visited the Skywalker Ranch and Industrial Light and Magic, and took pride in having his name associated with an official Star Wars product.<ref name="twincities">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="readerswrite">Template:Cite web</ref>

Musician Frank Klepacki holding the neck of his guitar to the camera wearing sunglasses, collectibles on shelves in the background
Klepacki at his Petroglyph office (c. 2009)

For the Forces of Corruption expansion pack, he took greater creative liberty with the Star Wars feel by writing an original theme for the new criminal faction.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> In attempting to compose this piece, he wrote several preliminary hooks that were later integrated into the game's battle themes.<ref name="gamespotdiary5">Template:Cite web</ref> He composed six pieces for the expansion total, including the finale theme. In line with the criminal theme of the game, Klepacki borrowed motifs and recreated the mood from scenes involving Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi.<ref name="music4gamesfoc">Template:Cite web</ref> His score for the expansion pack was accepted upon first submission to LucasArts.<ref name="music4gamesfoc" /> As Petroglyph's audio director, he also selected sound effects, a tricky process due to the issue of making the criminal faction's sounds a "little different, without straying too much from the original signature sounds."<ref name="gamespotdiary5" /> Klepacki worked with LucasArts to select voice actors, and contributed his own talents to the role of IG-88 and other minor characters.<ref name="gamespotdiary5" /> A blooper reel of his voice acting was released on Petroglyph's forums after the one-thousandth member registered.<ref name="focblooper">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki was contacted to score Command & Conquer 3, but was too busy with duties at Petroglyph and declined to mention the offer publicly.<ref name="pcgamerpodcast">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="klepackinews" /> Electronic Arts hired Steve Jablonsky to score the game instead;<ref name="c&c3composer">Template:Cite web</ref> an EA community manager at C&C 3Template:'s forums suggested that the audio team studied Klepacki's music and tried to recreate his style.<ref name="eaforum">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Klepacki feels that Command & Conquer is a significant part of his life and that he would like to return to the Tiberian era.<ref name="gamingeyeinterview" /> He conceded that employment at Petroglyph games would probably prevent him from working with Electronic Arts.<ref name="klepackinews" /> Years later, in 2018, he would have that opportunity due to EA partnering with Petroglyph to remaster the games since many of the former developers from Westwood Studios had started, and continue to work at, Petroglyph.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Klepacki's next project was a game collaboration by SEGA and Petroglyph named Universe at War: Earth Assault.<ref name="gwjinterview" /> As of December 2006, he had composed several songs for various factions and enjoyed the "opportunity to create something new again, not based on...existing intellectual property.<ref name="petropo2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="gamespotuaw">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki "began by taking into account what songs were identified as fan favorites in...past related work".<ref name="gamespotuaw" /> He was interviewed about the creative process on 27 March 2007 by Kevin Yu, a Petroglyph community manager, and provided a detailed tour of his studio at the company.<ref name="pgvideointerview">Template:Cite web</ref> His office included one of the fastest computers at Petroglyph and a vocal booth where unit responses and other vocalizations were tested and tweaked before voice actors performed finishing work.<ref name="pgvideointerview" /> Klepacki was glad that Universe of War did not demand strict obedience to a particular style. He declared that surprises were in store for Command & Conquer fans waiting for him to return to his "roots" and "adrenaline-pumping soundtrack style", and suggested that they "imagine my mindset...when Command & Conquer first came out, and add about fifteen years experience to that."<ref name="gamespotuaw" /><ref name="pgvideointerview" /> Klepacki summarized the game's main styles shortly before release:

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As audio director, Klepacki also created many sound effects for Universe at War. For the alien Hierarchy, he cultivated an "unnatural" aesthetic through an "arsenal of mangled noises".<ref name="gamespotuaw" /> Klepacki used a "combination of heavy cranes recorded with overdriven impacts" to give the faction's walkers a "menacing machinelike breathing sound", and made up his own language to record "various grunts, growls, mannerisms, and strange vocalizations.<ref name="gamespotuaw" /> Since Hierarchy heroes needed to communicate to the player in English, Klepacki engineered dialogue to seem as if the aliens were "telepathically speaking to you, with a back-masking effect on their voices...as if the words are being channeled straight to your brain".<ref name="gamespotuaw" /> The Novus effects were usually phased and involved "mechanical movement, electricity, and metal sounds". He invented yet another language for two characters Viktor and Mirabel, who occasionally speak to one another. Lastly, he drew on weather and other natural sounds for the Masari, describing their ambience as having "more weight, thunder, heavy bass rumblings, vortex gusts..."<ref name="gamespotuaw" /> Klepacki directed the voice-acting to have a "noble and strong" feel without appearing typically medieval or overly dramatic.<ref name="gamespotuaw" /> He ultimately felt he did the work of "three people" with Universe at War, as the game's audio requirements changed constantly, requiring vigilance and programmer support.<ref name="music4gamesinterviewinthestudio" /> Divine Intervention was later nominated for a Game Audio Network Guild award, and the soundtrack was released as a free download after Petroglyph's efforts toward a traditional release were frustrated.<ref name="gangaward">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="evobloginterview">Template:Cite web</ref>

Klepacki next composed three songs for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, including "The Red Menace", "Grinder 2", and "Hell March 3". "Hell March 3" was recorded with the aid of a four-piece rock band alongside the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra and Choir at the Skywalker Sound scoring stage; the choir also sang in Russian for an updated version of "Grinder" from Red Alert 2.<ref name="m4ghm3">Template:Cite web</ref> He remarked in 2008 that he would never grow tired of "Hell March", and was thankful it had resonated with so many fans.<ref name="evobloginterview" /> Around this time, he composed using Cubase, Kontakt, a MOTU 2408 audio interface, and several instruments.<ref name="music4gamesinterviewinthestudio" /> Collaborating with Video Games Live, Klepacki performed "Hell March" and its Red Alert 2 version in Las Vegas in 2008, and later performed "Hell March 3" in the Netherlands with a choir and orchestra through the Games in Concert series; he wore a Soviet army conscript uniform for the song.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" />

Solo and band work

File:FrankKlepackiMagfest2019Drums.jpg
Frank Klepacki at Magfest 2019 playing a drum set

Klepacki has also played in and produced albums for several Las Vegas bands. I AM's There's a Home is his first full-length CD appearance. The band featured Greg Greer on vocals, Rod Arnett on bass, Dan Ryan on guitar, and Klepacki on drums.<ref name="iam">Template:Cite web</ref> Formed from the rhythm section of local band Shatterbone, I AM released one album in 1995 and broke up.<ref name="iam"/> Described as alternative progressive rock, the band's music drew influences from Tool and Soundgarden.<ref name="iam" /> The song "Destructible Times" was used for the Brotherhood of Nod ending in the original Command & Conquer.<ref name="behindcc" /> After the break-up, Klepacki joined Home Cookin', a ten-member ensemble which played funk and soul in the tradition of Tower of Power.<ref name="lvweekly0">Template:Cite news</ref> Founded in 1989, Home Cookin' commercially debuted with Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, in 1997 (which featured a number one hit) and released a second album (Pink in the Middle) in 2000 before disbanding following a tour in California.<ref name="lvweekly3">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Towards the end of its run, the band played at Quark's Bar in Star Trek: The Experience and at the Boston Grill and Bar.<ref name="lvweekly1">Template:Cite news</ref> The group sometimes opened shows with a four-member funk act named Junkfood.<ref name="lvweekly2">Template:Cite news</ref> Home Cookin' was popular by readers of Las Vegas Weekly, winning several awards over its history—including "Best Horns" in a band.<ref name="lvweekly6">Template:Cite news</ref> Klepacki boasted that turnout for the band at clubs was usually above four hundred people.<ref name="lvweekly4">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2003, he formed The Bitters, a trio composed of Klepacki, bassist Vinny Moncada, and guitarist Jeff Murphy. With a style described as metal and jazz fusion, the group has released one album as of August 2006.<ref name="thebittersband" /> Klepacki is also a member of the group Mo Friction, supported by former Home Cookin' members. Their debut album will mark Klepacki's first outing as a band's lead vocalist.<ref name="mofriction">Template:Cite web</ref>

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Klepacki's solo work debuted in 2002 with Morphscape. Production began in 1996 with the song "Cybertek", though an album was not planned at this time. The rest of MorphscapeTemplate:'s songs were composed after Red Alert 2. Klepacki composed the album's title track while working on Command & Conquer: Renegade, and feels the game's style is visibly present in Morphscape.<ref name="morphscape" /> Klepacki released the final product after Westwood's dissolution. His biggest inspiration in creating solo works is the legion of fans interested in Command & Conquer.<ref name="music4gamesinterview2">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki took a hiatus from composing video game music to write two other solo albums, the first of which is entitled Rocktronic. Released in 2004, the album was described as dark, edgy, and heavy in a way that will appeal to Command & Conquer fans.<ref name="personalprojects">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki sought out specific samples and instruments used in the Command & Conquer soundtrack for use in the release; the title "Rocktronic" was an attempt to name his style of music.<ref name="creatingrock" /> Featuring live drumming in certain songs, the album is Klepacki's best-seller. Following Rocktronic was Virtual Control, released in 2005. Klepacki complemented his usual style with experiments in hip hop on the album. Tracks from each release have been periodically used in The Ultimate Fighter, along with certain custom themes written for the show.<ref name="twistedinterview" /><ref name="personalprojects" />

On 1 August 2006, he revealed his next solo project would be named Awakening of Aggression and confirmed the music would be "heavy" and "hard-hitting."<ref name="klepackinews" /> When interviewed, Klepacki said that he channeled stress into the heavy music of the new album.<ref name="music4gamesfoc" /> Aggression was released in October of the same year, and was made available on iTunes on 7 December. He filled the liner notes of the album with the names of several supportive fans who had purchased his music.<ref name="klepackinews" /> As of April 2007, he speculates that a new solo release will be ready by the end of the year.<ref name="twistedinterview" /> After establishing recognition on Ultimate Fighter, Klepacki began scoring themes for HDNet's Inside the MMA and HDNet Fights in autumn 2007.<ref name="klepackinews" /> Around this time, he made it to the district finals of the Guitar Center "drum-off" competition after winning two store challenges in Las Vegas but was eliminated.<ref name="drumoff">Template:Cite web</ref> His solo album Infiltrator was released in April 2009. According to Klepacki, the album was inspired by his recent work on the Red Alert series.<ref name="klepackinews" /> Klepacki enjoys Las Vegas thanks to its diversity of musical talent and prolific number of shows and attractions.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> He attributes his showmanship to being raised in the city, noting that one has to "stand out" to be noticed among the entertainment atmosphere of Vegas.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> The city's Las Vegas Weekly honored him as a "badass composer" in its mid-April 2009 issue, highlighting his prolific fan-base and work as producer for various local bands.<ref name="lvweeklybadass">Template:Cite news</ref>

Work and beliefs

When composing for video games, Klepacki spends a few days to compose and master one song on average.<ref name="imperiuminterview">Template:Cite web</ref> He feels writing music for games is somewhat difficult as only early software builds are available to play; he sometimes must compose songs based on vague descriptions.<ref name="westwoodnetinterview" /> Composing for cut scenes is easier by comparison, and Klepacki enjoys drawing inspiration and direction from game design art.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /><ref name="westwoodnetinterview" /> Nonetheless, he prefers to compose for a game throughout its development rather than write songs for a finished product.<ref name="petropo2" /> He feels that game music has been harder to compose than film or solo music as he must compose for all situations a player may discover or engineer.<ref name="gameplaymag" /> Klepacki maintains templates with a base of common instruments prepared for sudden bursts of inspiration, as he resents "having technical issues...as an obstacle."<ref name="gameplaymag" /> When asked how the composing process begins, Klepacki related:

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Klepacki has said that the most rewarding part of composing video game music is working with a team—which he compares to chemistry between band members—and knowing he is part of a greater cause.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> He believes that game music could improve if artists focused on quality and derived inspiration from playing games.<ref name="music4gamesinterview" /> He has expressed interest in having Electronic Arts sell his soundtracks in retail stores, preferably next to video games in electronic departments.<ref name="music4gamesinterview4">Template:Cite web</ref> He advises those wishing to get in the video game business to attend conventions and investigate developer companies.<ref name="petroglyphpodcast" /> He also noted in 2008 that "composition and engineering skills are now required," advising upstart composers to ensure their work is film-quality.<ref name="gameplaylistinterview" /> Klepacki is happy to see older games offered on the Wii, hoping that gamers are "recognizing once again that simple, short fun experiences are just as good as...long, huge-production experiences."<ref name="gameplaymag" /> Klepacki listed several influences for his style of composition: "John Williams naturally for my love of Star Wars and his style in general, Michael Kamen for his composing diversity, Metallica for sparking my metal influence, Vince Dicola who in my opinion is way under-rated for his great work, Sly & The Family Stone for inspiring funk, syncopation, and positive energy, Larry Graham for inspiring me to play funk bass, Nine Inch Nails for their unique uses of mangled sound, and Rob Zombie for combining music with a theme and persona."<ref name="music4gamesinterviewinthestudio">Template:Cite web</ref>

Stylized image of Frank Klepacki at his office wearing sunglasses and sticking his hand to the camera, red and green neon glow effects around his hair, hand, and sunglasses
Image of Klepacki from Rocktronic (2004)

Klepacki runs a personal website featuring a biography, archived interviews, and a playlist of songs streamed in 128 kbit/s mp3. His music is also available from iTunes. As a Star Wars fan, he has extensively written about the film premieres of the last two prequels on his website.<ref name="klepackistarwars">Template:Cite web</ref> He maintains an account at YouTube and has posted three videos of his work with other bands.<ref name="video">Template:Cite web</ref> He is an ardent supporter of digital cinema, believing the medium to be the pinnacle of quality.<ref name="digitalcinema">Template:Cite web</ref> He has scored two short films, and won a CineVegas award for his work with Unreel Invasion.<ref name="aboutme">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki believes that the genre of video game music is more respected than it has ever been. He notes that complex and quality music comes at a higher cost, prompting certain producers to simply "get somebody who could cop the Hollywood sound" instead of nurturing original style.<ref name="gwjinterview" /> When asked about his career low-point, he named Order of the Griffon for the TurboGrafx-16, citing difficulties with the system's limited musical capabilities.<ref name="gwjinterview" /> Concerning his solo career and Westwood, Klepacki regrets "not having attended more of the fun company functions and parties while I was instead playing club gigs with bands with the mentality of trying to get signed or discovered."<ref name="gameplaymag" /> When asked to reflect on his career, he replied:

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Klepacki is not seeking a record deal, citing a "horrible chain of steps to getting famous." Scathingly critical of the recording industry, he blames MTV—described as a "teenage reality show channel"—for putting a pretty face on music and destroying the independent valuation of actual sound.<ref name="gameplaymag" /><ref name="klepackirecorddeal">Template:Cite web</ref> Klepacki has declared pop music as having become the "largest farce in music history—soul-less, mechanical, and only made for the sole purpose of making the fastest dollar possible, with more emphasis on imagery than the music."<ref name="gameplaymag" /> He's also criticized lip-synching and the repackaging of music genre through different labels—such as Nu metal for rock music and Neo soul for soul music.<ref name="klepackirecorddeal" /> He believes that signing a deal does not guarantee profits, and would rather keep his day job as audio director. These sentiments were echoed in a special feature on the band Home Cookin'; in 2000, Klepacki said the group wanted to "work with a label, not for them."<ref name="homecookin0">Template:Cite web</ref> Stating that he would not compromise his work for popularity, he believes that "the only artists that have any longevity are the ones that pioneer a movement—not follow one."<ref name="gameplaymag" /> He enjoys working independently, as he does not have to "change...music for the sake of pop radio."<ref name="music4gamesfoc" /> He champions the internet as a medium through which creative and original artists can be found. Klepacki believes it is the preferred avenue for music when compared to radio airplay—where one hears "the exact same songs 3 months at a time."<ref name="klepackirecorddeal" /> When interviewed about file-sharing, he expressed mixed emotions.<ref name="westwoodnetinterview" /> Holding that compact discs are "just too damn expensive", Klepacki believes that a few dollars' reduction in price would "deter people from downloading for free."<ref name="napsterklepacki2">Template:Cite journal</ref> Conversely, he notes that artists—who "don't get as much money as you think"—need to be compensated for their work.<ref name="westwoodnetinterview" /> His favorite artists by decade, starting with the 1960s, are Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station, Metallica, Home Cookin', and Bob Schneider.<ref name="favorites">Template:Cite web</ref>

Frank Klepacki & The Tiberian Sons

The band consists of:

  • Frank Klepacki – guitar, keys, drums
  • Tony Dickinson – guitar, keys, bass, frontman
  • Connor Engstrom – guitar
  • Travis Moberg – drums
  • Max Noel – bass

The Tiberian Sons minus Klepacki have released the albums Conquering MAGFest (2015) and Collateral Jammage (2016). In 2020, they all collaborated to produce Frank Klepacki & The Tiberian Sons: Celebrating 25 Years of Command & Conquer for the remastered collection.

Works

File:Frank klepacki gdc 2019.jpg
Klepacki at the Game Developers Conference 2019, as part of a Command & Conquer retrospective panel

Video game music

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Band, film, and solo music

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  • There's a Home (I AM, 1995)
  • Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, (Home Cookin', 1997)
  • Unreel Invasion (short film, 1999)
  • Pink in the Middle (Home Cookin', 2000)
  • Essence of the Force (short film, 2002)
  • Morphscape (2002)
  • Rocktronic (2004)
  • Virtual Control (2005)
  • The Bitters (The Bitters, 2006)
  • Awakening of Aggression (2006)
  • Grudgement Day (The Bitters, 2008)
  • Infiltrator (2009)
  • Viratia (2009)
  • Conquering 20 Years (2012)
  • Digital Frontiers (2016)
  • Game On! (Tina Guo, 2017)
  • Transform (2018)
  • Coded Number (2020)
  • Quarantine Sessions (2021)
  • Initiative (2023)
  • Greetings from 1986 (2024)

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Commercial music

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See also

References

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