Jonathan Sloate

How did you become the music composer for Mortal Kombat Conquest? Did they find you or did you find them?

I composed the music for both MK: The Journey Begins and MK: Defenders of the Realm and the producers wanted to work with me again on MKC.All MK fans are looking for MKC soundtrack. Why isn’t it released?
I think it would be great if they released the soundtrack, but that is up to the studio.Not only did you create the original music for MKC, but also for Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (the Animated series). Which one was more intensive project?

Both were very intensive projects, though MKC perhaps gets the edge.Did you use the same software and other equipment or was there something different or new in MKC?

I used some of the same pieces of equipment and software on both shows (Digital Performer, Macintosh computer, Roland JV-1080s, Kurzweil K2000, Lexicon Verbs, Roland Verbs & FX, Mackie mixers), but since MKC went into production a few years after Defenders of the Realm there were many pieces of newer technology that I used on those episodes (NordLeads, Roland JP-8080, Roland S-700s, Roland JV-2080, Mutron, Kurzweil K2500s, Access Virus, SPL FX processors and EQs). However, today my studio is entirely virtual made up of software synths as I do not own nor use hardware synthesizers and FX processors anymore.

How did the music composing process for MKC look like? Where did you get the ideas what kind of music to make? Did someone tell you what type music to create depending on the scene or the mood in MKC or did you have pretty much free hands?

The producers wanted an aggressive techno/rock feel as the predominant energy for the series, so I knew going in what style the score would be. Because I have worked with these producers multiple times on other MK productions, they gave me the freedom to spot where the music needed to be in each episode and what type of feeling/mood should be expressed by the score. This is an ideal way to work since having that kind of trust in the composer makes it easier for me to allow my creativity to come thru and shine in each episode.

Was the series already completed without music first or did you have to create the music before they started filming?

I did create the theme to the show before they began filming the first episode, but as each episode was shot and edited I scored to video as the production unfolded.

How long did it take to create all the music for MKC?

Most episodes were shot in 1 week, so most of the time I only had 1 week after they edited a show to spot, compose, perform, record, mix, master and deliver the music to each episode. Every once in a while I was given 2 weeks to compose for an episode, but this was the rare exception.

Where did you get inspiration?

That was easy as the stories behind all the MK projects are so rich with adventure, action, drama and suspense. Plus, the directing, writing, editing, special FX, and acting were so excellent on each episode that I gained a lot of inspiration just from watching the performances each week.

Are you satisfied with when and how your music was mixed in MKC? Did you like the results or do you think something could have been better?

Yes, I thought they did a great job.

Would you like to create music for the next Mortal Kombat movie if it was ever going to be made?

I loved working with the producers on MKC, so yes I would love to compose the music for a MK movie if they film another one.

Is there anything else you want to say to the fans?

I really want to say thank you to all the fans of the show. Knowing how passionate the fans are for Mortal Kombat made my job so much more exciting when creating all the music, since I knew how important it was for me to live up to the high expectations the fan base has for this franchise.

 

Jun 1, 2007

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