As you travel through Faelduum, meet intriguing characters, and battle ferocious monsters, you will hear the music of Christos Antoniou. Every track is unique. One may seek to boost your morale during a tough battle, another may inhibit sadness during an emotional moment on your adventure, and another may convey conflict as you wrestle with your choices.
We chatted to Christos Antoniou, the composer for Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree and founding member of symphonic metal band Septicflesh, about composing for video games, creating a world of music, and dove deep into what it takes to create truly special pieces.
Q: Your career has been so varied, from metal with Septicflesh, to composing for TV series and documentaries, and now video games with Mandragora! How did your love of music evolve into composing for video games?
A: To be honest, I'm not very familiar with video games. I love film scores and movie soundtracks, but I don’t play a lot of games myself. I connected with Primal Game Studios through LinkedIn. They knew my music from Septicflesh and Chaostar and asked if I would like to compose the score for Mandragora. I immediately said yes. I found it very challenging, it was a new world for me, and I put in all my effort to create something with a strong identity that would support the game.
With Mandragora, I had freedom to create, I didn't have any limits, and I wanted to create something new. I didn't want to listen to many video game soundtracks. I wanted to study a lot of concert music, composers like Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, and others. Of course, Primal Game Studios provided some references, but my main inspiration came from outside that realm.
I believe the soundtrack has a unique atmosphere. It has a lot of themes. It has a lot of effects. It's a world I would say between concert music, film score, and video games.
Q: When creating the Mandragora soundtrack, how did you approach capturing the tone and atmosphere of the game’s world, especially in the multiple locales? Were there any specific themes or emotions you focused on while composing the music for Mandragora?
A: I read the script Primal gave me, and I also read some articles about the Mandragora plant. I was fascinated by the sound that can be created from this plant. You know, it has a very distinctive, very high-pitched sound, and I tried to recall this kind of effect. I have used many effects from the orchestra and from synths in order to create the distinctive scream element of Mandragora. I had to compose a lot of themes, different ones for each boss. It was very hectic, you know, but also very challenging because the battle music has a lot of notes, and this is not so easy. I didn't have any creative block moments, and I wanted to create a unique theme for each boss and a main theme for Mandragora that has been repeated throughout the soundtrack.
It was very challenging, very hectic, difficult sometimes, but I had a team also that helped me. I had an orchestrator, a MIDI arranger, and transcription assistants. You need a team because it's a very tough job to do.
Credit: Septicflesh
Q: What do you think makes a game soundtrack memorable, and how do you strive to achieve that in your work?
A: I think the main theme of Mandragora has the potential to be memorable, but only time will tell. It can touch people, because it has an emotional element. It has heroic, sad, and optimistic elements all at once. Each boss has a distinctive theme, that probably will touch some people, as I said, and hopefully will be memorable.
Q: You were on-site for the recording of the soundtrack with a live orchestra, can you tell us what it was like to hear your compositions performed live by a full orchestra? Did hearing your compositions performed feel different from when you originally composed them?
A: Well, the equipment and the orchestra are the same as I have used with my band. I have recorded many times with the orchestra in Prague. The gear was similar, but the compositional process was different from my band. With my band, I have to compose a song that lasts four minutes that has an intro, bridge, refrain, another bridge, refrain, and so on. But with Mandragora, I had more freedom. I could move in different paths during the song.
I had this freedom from Primal to create something that expressed myself. I composed around I think 120 minutes, like nearly two hours. I didn't have any limits, and this helped me a lot, which is totally different from the compositional process of my band.
When I was a student, my dream was always to listen to my music from an orchestra, and it’s a unique feeling. I was lucky, and I want to also thank the production for this luxury and opportunity to record with an orchestra. It's always great to score for an orchestra, and especially for a soundtrack.
Q: With the growing trend of video game soundtracks being released as standalone albums, how do you approach writing music with that potential audience in mind?
A: I never write music solely for others, I write for myself first. If my music resonates with people and evokes emotions, that’s amazing, but I believe an artist must create from the heart and not just compose something to sell. Staying true to your artistic vision is essential for creating something unique.
An artist has to develop and create something that comes from his soul, his heart, and only then think about how it will be approached from the point of a listener. I follow my inspiration, I follow my heart, and this is the most important thing for an artist. If the soundtrack goes well and I believe that it can go well, as well as the game, I will be super happy if we can release it as an album. The most important thing is to be honest with your listeners. This is the most important thing.
Q: In your opinion, how important is music in influencing the emotional response of players?
A: I think music plays a vital role. When you are playing a game, Mandragora, for example, you’re in this world, and the music can help you understand the world better—the environment, the battles, and the bosses. All these elements can help you to understand the game better and to perform better, because there are themes that give you a motivational element. Some themes are victorious and motivational, while others are more emotional. Music immerses the player in the game’s universe. You get into the role of the character, and this plays a vital role for the player.
Q: Can you think of a moment from your work where the music made a huge impact?
A: Creation is always unique to me, and my perspective changes. Right now, I am immersed in the mood of Mandragora. In six months, I will start composing new music for my band. You always have to develop and search for evolution in your work. Of course, you have great moments from past projects, but you have to move forward. I sometimes listen to the soundtrack. I'm very proud of the game.
Q: Did you get to play the game in its early stages to understand its atmosphere better? How does experiencing the game influence your music?
A: No, I was composing while on tour in North America, working on my score in the tour bus. I didn't have any time to breathe. Two days after returning from North America, I had my second session in Prague. It was a really tough period for me, but it's something that I love to do. I didn't have time till now to play the game, I would love to play it. I'm not a person that plays a lot of games, but it's something that I have to do for sure.
Q: How do you balance creating an iconic and memorable melody versus something that fits seamlessly into the gameplay without distracting the player?
A: Balance is something you always have to fight for in music. I don’t want to use words like “iconic”, time will tell, and the listener will ultimately decide if something becomes iconic. I’m very proud and optimistic about the themes I’ve created, but at the end of the day, it’s up to the audience to decide if the music fits the game.
Balance is always a challenge. You have to know when to leave the player and let the music breathe. You don’t always need to say too many things, sometimes you need a pause or something more subtle in order to achieve the moment of the game. As composers, we constantly face this challenge. Enthusiasm can sometimes mislead you if you don’t have the proper filter to make the music work.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring composers?
A: Have a vision and follow it. Study and research a lot. Filter your influences so that your sound becomes distinctive. Although it's a very difficult era to be a musician, if you follow your dreams and your vision, I think you will manage to find your way. It's a difficult world, very difficult, I can see that every day, but you need to have a sound in order to have an impact in the music industry, because everything has been saturated. We live in an era where a lot of rubbish music exists. You need to somehow develop yourself and follow your heart and your vision.
Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.com. It is also coming to Nintendo Switch on September 4, 2025.
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