Ben Daglish

Ben Daglish Interview by Mark Hellewell and Peter Ward

Music CV 

What did you want to do for a career when you were at school, and what was your first job?

My first ever “job”, and the only work I’ve ever done that didn’t involve computers or music, was as a caddy at the local golf club! Up until the age of about 15, I always wanted to be a marine biologist, until it became obvious that I was a lot better at maths and physics than biology! From then on, I didn’t really have any idea – I did a year of maths, physics and computing at university, before I realised that I could earn proper money writing music.

When did you realise you wanted to get into the game industry, and how did it happen?

What computer did you first own? Would you say this was your favourite computer?

What is you most favourite music you worked on?

TRAP

Which other composers did you like? we have interviewed Matt Gray, Barry Leitch and Allister Brimble

What music that you composed are your favourites?

Again, TRAP, but there are many others – always difficult to pick a favourite though – like picking your favourite child!

Tell us about W.E.M.U.S.I.C? 

(Mark Hellewell Questions)

When the Amiga came along, again I’d usually write the C64 version first, but then “upgrade” it for the Amiga, although, as it used samples, it was never quite as much fun as programming the sound chip directly.

Tony Crowther programmer who we interviewed recently you went to school and worked with do you have any amusing stories about him or the two of you?

In 1987 you worked on the soundtrack to Auf Wiedersehen Monty with Rob Hubbard.

Yes I did.

Please tell us about this. Two ‘big name’ musicians working together on a C64 game soundtrack was fairly unusual at the time, and indeed since. I’ve often wondered how this colaboration came to be?

And how the process of composition differed working alongside another musician as opposed to writing solo.

We just jammed – it was extremely easy.

Who did what when it came down to the nitty gritty of the writing & programming.

Also, as this was a follow up to one of Rob’s breakthrough tracks, along with Thing on a Spring, was the prospect of matching and topping the original Monty on the Run soundtrack daunting at any stage?

Not at all – it didn’t feel like that in the slightest – there was no pressure that I recall at all.

An epic game with an epic soundtrack, 1987’s The Last Ninja from System 3, was a step up in many ways for C64 game soundtracks, not only for yourself but for the 64. Stepping away from the title-screen / in-game ‘ditty’ to a fully blown ‘movie style’ soundtrack. Co-produced with a Anthony Lees, what are your memories of this work?

Was writing music part of your life before the 64, and if so in what form, did you imagine you could have made money from music before the 64 came along ?

*Playing* music was a large part of my life before the 64, and remains so. I was already earning as an orchestral percussionist, and thought that may be my career.

The ‘demo-scene’ was heavily inspired by the C64’s musical pioneers such as yourself, Rob Hubbard, Martin Galway, Fred Gray, Tim Folin etc. Did you follow the demo scene at all during your time on the C64 or the Amiga and did you ever find yourself then being influenced by the works it produced or surprised by the musical references to yourself?

Sorry to say, I found it a bit dull – stitching together samples wasn’t as enjoyable as actually programming a chip.

The dawn of the internet brought together what became to be known as the ‘retro gaming community’; passionate fans of the machines they grew up with. Did you ever think possible that more than 30 years ago people would still be listening to the tunes you made on what is now rather humble yet endeering hardware and what does it mean to you?

No – live performing every time, I think. I’ve always been a pretty average composer, I think – but I’m a bloody excellent performer 🙂

What games did you work on? Please include a list of titles and some details about the music?

Awww – man. That’s your research, not mine! There were 100’s. Try Wikipedia 🙂

There wasn’t really a “process” as such – I’d just lie back, hum to myself, maybe play around a bit on a keyboard or guitar, hum a bit more, and then have the basis of the piece in my head, at which point I’d turn on the computer and start typing notes into a text editor – simple as that.

Tell us what you are currently working on?

My day job – programming network device backup software.

I enjoy some modern games but feel more love for the smaller teams of the past. I feel the fun factor has gone in modern games and are more like movie productions; games can be bug ridden now as patches can be made.  In the past we didn’t have updates and in-app purchases. What is your view of our industry now?

Favourite what – machine? If so, then, as I said earlier, probably the BBC. The Defender/Pacman clones on there were absolutely perfect.

Do you still game on the current consoles? If so which is your favourite game?

Whats the worst game you have ever played?