Hi everyone, this is Rubén, Audio Director at ZA/UM. I'm so happy to share with you today a glimpse into the creative process behind the music and soundscape of ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies.
SET THE SCENE
ZA/UM’s audio department is still quite young, made up of four sound designers who have been working together for around two years. This means ZERO PARADES was our first opportunity to define how we want to tell stories through sound as a team.
For ZERO PARADES, we wanted the soundscape to become an emotional and narrative vehicle in its own right. By soundscape, I mean the totality of sound design and music. I don't see them as separate disciplines operating independently; they need to speak the same language and work toward the same emotional goals.
From the earliest stages of development, we prioritised game feel and the overall player experience. That meant audio and music had to constantly evaluate their role within a scene.
Sometimes they should step forward and guide the player's emotions; at other times, they should leave space for other elements to take the spotlight, whether that's the narrative, the visual storytelling, or the atmosphere of the world itself: music drifting from a nearby stall, distant conversations, birds crossing the sky, or the subtle rhythm of the city.
Our goal is not to overshadow the game's main protagonist. Instead, we strive to support the narrative and artistic elements through the judicious use of audio and music, ensuring they are synchronised with the story and visuals to enhance immersion and emotional resonance.
To achieve this, we broadly divided the experience into two gameplay states:
Spy Gameplay: this is when players explore Portofiro: gathering information, speaking with characters, investigating and absorbing the city's stories. The soundscape here is more atmospheric and restrained, allowing the world and its characters to take centre stage.
Action Gameplay: these are the moments when Hershel is pushed into action, what we internally called Dramatic Encounters and Narrative Events, such as Prisoner Exchange or Escape the Bazaar. During these sequences, the soundscape deliberately steps forward and demands more attention.
The mix becomes more dynamic, diegetic sounds and foley take on greater prominence, and the music assumes a more active role. This is where leitmotifs emerge most clearly, where tension is heightened, and where audio becomes a driving force in the player's emotional experience. Afterwards, we return to exploration. The mix opens up, and the soundscape becomes more ambient, allowing it to breathe again.
Several films and games were particularly influential in shaping the audio identity of ZERO PARADES:
The Handmaiden was perhaps our most important reference from a sound-design perspective. I find its soundscape delicate, elegant, and extraordinarily detailed. It may well be the most beautiful film soundtrack I've ever experienced.
Decision to Leave was another major influence, and one frequently cited by the writing team. Its careful balance of emotion, mystery, and atmosphere resonated strongly with what we were trying to achieve.
For the game's mechanical and technological sounds, we often looked to Blade Runner and Alien: Isolation.
Finally, Society of the Snow was an important reference for ambience and environmental storytelling. The way it uses organic sounds to create emotion, presence, and a sense of place is truly remarkable.
THE MUSIC
When we first approached composer Fernando Cabrera, our creative brief was: “atmospheric jazz.” It was an abstract concept more than a genre description, yet Fernando immediately grasped the feeling we were trying to capture and translated it perfectly into the soundtrack.
Music is essentially another operant in the gameplay experience: it’s always there with Hershel. But it reacts to the gameplay and narrative depending on two situations: explorative Spy Gameplay and Action Gameplay.
SPY GAMEPLAY: EXPANDED
The music is there to support the exploration phases, where players gather information from other characters, investigate locations, and uncover clues in a non-intrusive way. The tracks for these instances were composed based on narrative notes provided by our talented writers, which described the mood and atmosphere of each location and biome for different times of the day.
Additionally, we wanted to give space to other elements in the soundscape, such as radios and positioned music in the game (after all, Portofirans like to listen to music quite a lot). During exploration, the music stays more in the background. It moves at a slower pace, sometimes making use of silence, and avoids taking on a leading role. Instead, it supports the game's mood and tone.
During these moments, the focus is on worldbuilding, storytelling, narrative, and voice-over performances. We want players to enjoy these sections, read the dialogue, and listen to the voice cast without the music constantly demanding their attention. At the same time, I didn't want the soundtrack to contribute to audio fatigue. Players may spend many hours exploring Portofiro, so the music needed to support that experience without becoming exhausting.
Music often works passively, fading into the background while still shaping how we feel over time. My goal was to create something that supports the experience rather than drawing attention to itself. In these moments, other elements should take priority.
ACTION GAMEPLAY: EXPANDED
On the other hand, when Hershel springs into action during the game's Dramatic Encounters, the music takes centre stage. Players must rely on their skills to overcome the challenges before them, and the soundtrack becomes a more active part of the experience.
These sequences occur frequently throughout the game, giving the music a more prominent role. It highlights themes associated with EMTERR, your crew, Hershel, and other key story elements, while different leitmotifs are used to reflect the characters involved and the interactions taking place.
MUSICAL DIRECTION
ZERO PARADES required a very bespoke musical approach. During exploration, we focused on sonority, texture, and layering rather than memorable melodies. I'd describe it as a more avant-garde or modern approach to game scoring. Elements such as leitmotifs, melodic development, and a stronger musical presence are reserved for moments of action.
One moment I'd particularly like to highlight is Karolina's theme. Warning: spoilers ahead regarding Karolina for the rest of this section!
Karolina is based at the Old Cinema, and her theme exists in two versions: one before, and one after, the major narrative event in which the player discovers what really happened to her in the past.
It's an incredibly powerful moment in the story, and Fernando suggested changing Karolina's theme once the player experiences that revelation. After all, nothing feels quite the same afterwards. The emotional context has fundamentally changed, and the music reflects that shift.
The first version of the theme is melancholic and sorrowful. The second remains sad, but it carries a greater sense of intimacy and understanding. As the player's relationship with Karolina deepens, the piece feels more personal, more connected to her, and, in its own way, more beautiful.
THE SOUND
Much like the music, the ambient soundscapes were built on the narrative notes provided by the team. We wanted to bring Portofiro to life through sound, which is why the soundscape changes depending on the time of day, weather conditions, and other environmental factors. Activity naturally shifts throughout the city, and we wanted the audio experience to reflect that.
We also incorporated a variety of cultural references from our home country, Spain, since the game draws heavily from Mediterranean cultures. For example, in Party Alley, you can hear the distant sound of a knife sharpener, a sound that is quite iconic in many Spanish cities, along with local bird species and other familiar environmental details.
At the same time, ZERO PARADES embraces a strongly musical approach to sound design. You'll hear jingles from vending machines, payphones, tram stations, and other interactive elements, all written in the same key as the background music to preserve a cohesive musical language throughout the game. Music is also woven into the world itself, playing from radios, speakers, and various locations across Portofiro, helping the city feel more alive and connected.
For example, if you visit the diner behind the Bazaar around midnight, you'll hear a unique track playing from inside, as if people were simply relaxing, eating, and listening to music together.
Our sound direction draws inspiration from the nostalgic tones of the 80s and 90s while incorporating a more contemporary flair. We aimed to emulate the clarity and precision of hi-fi mechanics without falling into sci-fi territory. The overarching soundscape is intended to be organic, creating a soft, subtle, and elegant atmosphere.
Ambiences play a pivotal role, with detailed ambiences including not just background layers but also dynamic positional audio: responding to weather conditions and the time of the day, aiding players in orienting themselves within the game world. Music serves to complement the mood, with strategic use of silence to underscore moments of tranquillity, presenting a soundscape devoid of music, where ambient and diegetic sounds as main characters.
The team poured an incredible amount of love and care into these processes. I’d especially like to thank Eli Forster, Mirella Díez Morán, and Katharina Bär for all the hard work, dedication, and passion they brought to this project.
Thank you so much for reading and for playing ZERO PARADES! You can listen to the Original Game Soundtrack now on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
