Interview with Composer Kamil Orman-Janowski

Thanks for taking the time to sit down for an interview! Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Kamil Orman-Janowski, and I'm a music composer.

How long have you been creating music for? Did you always want to be a composer?

I've listened to soundtracks for as long as I can remember, but never planned on making music. In high school, I started using simple audio software and tried to make EDM (electronic dance music) tracks. That was a lot of fun, so I took one step forward and I made some trance and progressive house music and sent them to a british dance music label.

Everything started with my first official release. My journey with EDM is another story, but it opened a door for orchestral music as well as electronic and finally brought me to the soundtrack, and I instantly realized that that is the right path for me. The EDM was only a warm up.

How did you get in contact with the Grinding Gear Games team?

That was more than two years ago. Erik got in contact with the company for which I composed music as a freelancer, and ever since then I've been composing the score for Path of Exile.

What is the hardest part about making music for Path of Exile?

The problem of making music for PoE is not specific to PoE itself but rather the RPG/Hack-n-slash genre. Music needs to fit the constantly changing intensity of fights, as well as any breaks (like sorting your inventory on the battlefield or chatting with other players). It was quite difficult for me at beginning because I wanted to bring a much more varied dynamic, which was more suitable for linear imagery like movies and cutscenes where you know exactly what's going to happen.

Also Path of Exile is set in a much darker and more violent world than other dark fantasy games i know, but it's not a problem; it's rather a challenge to keep music darker, deeper and more adult or enigmatic, and of course bring a lot of fire ;)

What is the easiest part about making music for Path of Exile?

Boss fights and encampments, since the action is easier to predict. Also game universe itself makes my work easier because I love making music for fantasy settings. I like all the cultural influences from ancient Greek and Roman empires too. I have a lot of opportunities to use my favorite instruments in PoE.

Recently you joined the Path of Exile team at their offices in New Zealand. How will this affect the music in Path of Exile?

I think it's an opportunity to spend more time working towards better and more complete music with none of the compromises that I ordinarily have to face as a freelance composer. It's also a great way to improve communication and teamwork.

What’s the difference between a track used in the game and a track used in a trailer?

I sort of started to answer this in one of the previous questions! Music designed for locked imagery is often different in construction (but not always), which somewhat changes the entire process of composing, producing and even mixing.

Arrangement is different, but of course there is also common ground like instruments, melodies, and climax.

What is your favourite track in Path of Exile, and what was the inspiration for it?

That's a good question. I don't like to listen to my own music so it's hard to say which one makes me smile when I listen it. I had a good time composing the latest "Solaris Mystery Box" track. I would also pick the music for Izaro's Labyrinth Interior, or the Belly of the Beast.

The last one is a good example for a few more words about inspiration. I wanted to bring something really deep, organic, ethereal, and depressive, but with a little spark of hope. Inspiration comes mostly from the game itself; not only from that specific level but from the entire game. It's a long journey to reach Malachai and we wanted to make the player feel lost so close to the "last" stage.

What can we expect from future music in Path of Exile?

Expect the unexpected :D

A lot of experiments, a lot of new sounds and instruments, and richer content. Also we have plans to bring some freshness not only with new stuff but also with some old tracks :)