VGA QUESTION ZONE: Serge Bulat
Serge Bulat is a Moldovan-American multidisciplinary artist, composer and sound designer, who has been contributing to both European and American art scenes, exploring various mediums: from music and visuals to video games, radio and theater productions. He is interviewed by Mick R.
This article is being co-published on Mick’s music blog, I Thought I Heard A Sound.
Serge Bulat
What does your musical background look like and how did you develop your style?
It looks bumpy!
I went to music school for piano, finished in 5 years then took a big break.
At some point, decided to move to Chisinau (the capital of Moldova), and got involved in radio.
I dedicated a few years to it, producing different things from programs to concerts. Then, there was the Academy of Music Theater and Fine Arts stage, more fun things; I tried pretty much everything art-related.
I come from a family of musicians but felt discouraged by lack of opportunities in my town, basic needs like instruments or equipment... so it took a long time to find my way back to music, and more importantly make music I want, with no compromises whatsoever.
And then New York.
Sort of a reroute, I jumped from one random project to another and then realized that music should be my main focus.
I can't be objective when it comes to describing my music, but, I guess, I got anywhere by trial and error and also brought different elements into my art.
Your style has a strange familiarity to it. Almost like it is emerging from the subconscious of the listener's mind. Is this intentional, and if so, how do you go about achieving this effect?
Thank you so much!
I suspect music is my way of figuring out the world and understanding myself. I try to make stuff that I'm majorly passionate about.
Music, I think, should stimulate the brain; the more you do to help it, the better is the effect.
I do not have any expectations nor do I limit myself when working on sound; I welcome ideas, any information, concepts, tools, and just explore. Whatever comes, comes... and the unexpected is always welcomed.
The last few projects are indeed about the territory of the mind. The goal was to get on a "trip", explore imagination, discover selves by encountering both new and somewhat familiar things and places, sounds, beliefs, cultures... and also expand our understanding of reality.
No secret that music is a powerful tool, but we tend to discount its' many qualities, such as the ability to shed light on our personality and what it's made of.
There is a psychological side to my music, and, with the last two albums, it is definitely the main focus. I reference to Rorschach test a lot since I think It is an awesome tool for accessing imagination with major potential for research.
I do my own research too, and bring what I learn or take from data into projects; neurology, neuropsychology, anthropology, philosophy...
I also enjoy collaborations, with artists from other disciplines, thinkers, doctors, etc.
Approaching sound from different angles and through interaction with other disciplines has become my approach.
Do you consider yourself much of a gamer?
Funnily, I do not!
It is a newly discovered pastime and I love it.
(I can see myself becoming a legitimate gamer one day.)
I enjoy the games that are more "out of the box" since I have a major interest in arts and go there for an experience. So it is always an exploration and research for me.
What was your introduction to video games as a medium of expression?
Michael and I were thinking about a way of presenting my new album, looking for an interesting form. Both of us were not into making just another music video.
At that time, I was all about finding new tools for music interactivity with a psychological twist, and Michael wanted an all-claymation experience, a dream project of all sorts. He wanted to produce a video game for a very long time. Then, we organically came to an idea to make a game based on music.
Gaming offers interactivity that no other medium can deliver.
We knew that we wanted an interactive cartoon or installation that will challenge the format and tickle imagination.
It was an experiment, with no guarantees or results expected, and, we didn't know it'll end up being a real thing. We trusted ourselves and each other and purely had fun!
I think it reflects the concepts of the album quite efficiently and also leaves space for imagination.
When we put out "Wurroom", we realized this is a very unique way to deliver music. We both felt it fully represents our art at the moment.
At what point did you realize your music could work as a soundtrack within other mediums such as video games?
Hm... There wasn't a specific moment, but I see the path in retrospect.
There was an interest in that kind of musicianship but I wanted to set my playground rules first.
I tried different things in sound, approaches, figuring out what I like or don't, finding exciting tools, and ultimately made some material that was satisfying (if that's even possible). If one starts exploring, that process never stops.
I love instrumental and fusing styles; creating an atmosphere is as important as having a good tune.
Once the music started forming I looked for additional ways of expression. Audiovisual work followed, writing, experimental pieces, "Inkblot" project...
Video games were fascinating as a medium and also a challenge that I was eager to take.
What are your criteria for selecting collaborators for your work?
It's all about authenticity and having a vision.
When you experience somebody else's work and can't place it anywhere, just pure joy of discovering a rare talent... then you know.
Always gratifying to collaborate with someone who inspires you to create differently; a new perspective, flexibility, and willingness to explore. When artists are willing to try, get out of their comfort zone, and unconditionally experiment then it becomes dreamy!
I cherish a generous collaborator and was lucky to work with this kind of people so far.
The last projects involved collaborators from around 10 countries,
such as harpist Katie Buckley from Iceland, vocalist Miriam Garcia with multi-instrumentalist Rumbo Tumba from Argentina, percussionist Nino Errera from Italy, saxophonist Hirokazu Ishida from France, folklore band Oyme from Russia, flutist Pavel Vit from Ukraine, and harmonicist Dai Sekiguchi from Japan.
All very different but immense talents that joined me on this odyssey.
How did you get connected with Michael Rfdshir?
We were cyber buddies for a very long time!
Interestingly a lot of friendships and frequent collaborations have a similar start.
Michael and I are into writing; we initially connected on that level, shared ideas, and even worked together on a few pieces. I lived in Moldova and he in Vladivostok, Russia.
Then I moved to the USA, but we still kept in touch.
Sometime in 2014, I asked him to make some art for my first album "Queuelbum" and since then, we have never stopped collaborating.
How do you feel that Michael's work compliments your own?
In it, we can see each other's reflections. We are different in some things, and, very alike in others. When it comes to creating I think we usually instantly understand each other, since both have similar preferences in art, literature, science, etc, and love trying new things. We do debate too, but it is always exciting.
Both generate ideas, and when having a 100% idea resonance, one can express in sound and the other one visually. I can't speak for him, but in my case, "Wurroom" was such a direct hit, I felt like I've been inside my own head while playing the game.
It is an odd feeling.
How do you approach creating the soundtrack for a project like Wurroom knowing that it will need to be in conversation with such expressive visuals?
With "Wurroom" it was easy since the game was inspired by "Wurmenai" and the album's mythology. Michael created a world with its creatures based on his response to music.
Colors came to be also as a reaction to the sound.
With the design, I had to make sure the material felt authentic to the created world. Luckily I collected a lot of sounds and field recordings over the years. Some of it was quite interesting and came in handy.
Since the album displayed a lot of design and sounds in the first place, the material was appropriate and it was just a matter of complementing the narrative.
With "Isolomus" it was quite the opposite. It happened spontaneously.
Michael picked an older track of mine as a prominent theme, so it was challenging to recreate that musicality in other pieces, certain quality if you like.
I had to build every theme and sound effect that he had in mind. It also had a completely different mood and aesthetic.
He would send me super metaphoric requests, sometimes without showing me the scene, and I had to trust my intuition.
What sources of inspiration do you have in terms of other video games? Are you more inspired by the visuals or the sounds of these games?
Michael is surely more of authority here since he is a legitimate fan of the medium.
He often mentions how much of the atmosphere depends on the sound. The games make a stronger impression on the gamer when the soundtrack efficiently compliments it. It takes the whole experience to the next level.
I certainly care for both sound and picture but I do think sound in gaming is underrated. It has as much power as the visuals.
I understand people who are there just for the gameplay but, many many others equally care for a sound experience. When we presented a demo of our next project "Ultra Strangeness", the community emphasized the importance of the music and looked forward to listening to the soundtrack standalone.
When it came to inspiration, we talked about mythology, culture, psychology, art. Referenced to the surrealists of the era, Eastern European modernists, and quite random creatives. We also both enjoy a good cinema, so there was a lot of sharing of films. We got inspired by a variety of things, from life to art, and I doubt we had a direct reference to an existing game.
What are the etymological origins of Wurroom, and what does it mean in the context of both the album and the visuals that you created with Michael?
Often in our projects, the titles are code names.
In my case, there is always a meaning, and even if the word is made up it has a story and somewhat logical explanation.
The title refers to "Wurmenai" (hence Wur), and since the album is about encounters with versions of reality, "Wurroom" is one of the rooms/spaces on this adventure.
Michael's first project was named "Protein Motel" so we also thought this could be one of the stories told in it.
"Wurmenai" in turn is a word I misread on a street sign in New York. I clearly saw Wurmen although the real word was very different.
Thus, the whole concept, of perceiving reality, confusing things, and experiencing glitches appeared. Individual interpretation became the motto for both the album and the game.
Interestingly, once you give this new "thing" a proper thought it becomes a living concept, and its' existence is as real as any real object's (including fish, chairs, and other random things)…
What are the unique advantages of working on a game whose animations are entirely stop motion?
We both think it is an extremely efficient embodiment of imagination (not trying to sound too Jungian). It is flexible by design and demonstrates transformation the best. It is quite limitless.
Plasticine allows the creation of complex models, and this is crucial to the ideology of the project.
What limitations, if any, did Michael and yourself encounter while attempting to realize your goals for your Wurroom and Isolomus?
Time is the enemy!
Due to the format, it takes a lot of time to finish each project.
Sometimes it takes a month to complete just one scene.
One thing is to make a plasticine figurine and another one is to actually animate it. If we talk about sophisticated scenarios and gameplay we are looking at years in making. "Wurroom" only took 6 months, and the game is 10-12 minutes.
I think we are both getting more productive with each project but still, time is the main concern. It does affect how we approach the story.
It also could be difficult synchronizing the music with the animation.
Isolomus
How important is narrative to the way that your structure your songs?
It depends on what is needed from music. Often the music becomes the narrator.
I think what I care for is the feeling, an imprint of a certain idea, fixed in audio.
I enjoy concept albums quite a lot, and my last 2 were exactly that.
At the same time, I like pieces that are just a vibe, ambient in nature, and take you places.
Those follow whatever narrative comes to mind.
When it comes to scoring, I try to make music as personal as possible.
Kind of like the Stanislavsky system, you look for an appropriate memory or thought that will make you act in the desired way. It is easier to connect to any project via this trick.
Many times the music becomes more powerful than the circumstances depicted on the screen (and that tells me that we all feel very differently). I'm not just talking about fear, joy, or sadness (these emotions could be achieved by a formula as well). The music takes over and you give in to it.
Some simple stories get a musical heartbreak, but that's what the composer felt.
And those are my favorite scores.
Do you feel that both video games and musical compositions are uniquely suited to facilitating non-linear narratives?
Michael thinks the whole point of interactivity is in the game's response to the player's move.
Only non-linear narratives can truly be called Interactive.
We experimented with this approach in "Isolomus", where one can play the game repeatedly and have a different experience each time. Although it minimized the scale of the game, the gamer's choice was worth it.
The non-linear narrative is exciting and yet super difficult to execute. We are planning on producing more games, besides point&click adventure, in which we can depart from the linear storytelling and give the player more freedom in interacting with the game.
Music is essential in creating atmosphere and conveying the game's character. Current tools allow building the soundtrack "brick by brick", which is beneficial to non-linear storytelling. It helps to adapt sounds and themes to the gameplay.
This technique could be seen in "Wurroom", and also in the upcoming game "Ultra Strangeness", in which we expanded the concept.
Why is it important for you to tell stories that do not have an immediately recognizable structure?
Wurroom
Tough one. Maybe because life is never just one thing.
The story depends on who is telling it, and each time perspective changes.
Art comes from the reaction to the world around us, either we deal with it directly or create an escapade. Both are a dialogue, so it is a matter of preference I suppose.
It is quite boring when the music is predictable, the brain loves stimulation and enjoys both familiarity and unexpectedness. The space in art is as important as any structure. This way you encourage participation and it becomes a joined experience.
The form is less important when conveying a feeling, it's quite the opposite. Feelings are complex and have different stages. Such could be music. Or anything else.
What are some game soundtracks that you have been particularly impressed with recently?
There is a lot of good music out there... "Ghost of Tsushima" was pretty amazing. I love the scale of it. Michael recommended "Inside" - the sound-driven video game.
I genuinely wish I had more time to explore!
How is a chair like a fish?
Both exist only when you observe them, or, both a hologram hahaha!!!
The idea is that the reality of a chair is a legitimate as yours, mine or fishes'.
We are all made of atoms and the same particles.
The paradox here is how do we define reality and claim the "real" thing. It also refers to ideas from all 3 projects ("Wurmenai, "Inkblot" and "Similarities Between Fish And A Chair"), the notion of memory, perception, normality, and quest for the "individuality gene".
We tend to look for labels and think that giving an object one, makes any difference. At the end of the day, those are just words and don't contribute to objects' reality.
Symbols are symbols if one doesn't have the knowledge to back them, so what is the point in labeling anything?
