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Music Style
contemporary classical, electronic, ecclesiastical, interactive |
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Similar Artists
Tod Machover, Laurie Anderson, Paul Lansky, Elvis Costello, John Adams, Wayne Horvitz, John Cage, Thomas Dolby... |
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Artist History
Ben Houge is a Seattle-based composer active
in a variety of genres. Since 1996, Ben has
been working for Sierra Entertainment in Bellevue,
WA, composing music and designing sound for
computer games. He has contributed audio to
eight games, including King's Quest: Mask of
Eternity and Half-Life: Opposing Force, and
numerous promotional projects and trailers.
Recently, Ben completed the soundtrack to the
role-playing game Arcanum: Of Steamworks and
Magick Obscura, which was scored for string
quartet and performed by members of the Seattle
Symphony. Ben has also been active as a composer
of choral and liturgical music.
In 1998 he completed settings of Morning Prayer,
Evening Prayer, and several Psalms on commission
from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. Excerpts from these settings were
published by Augsburg Fortress in 1999. In 1996
Ben earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music
Theory and Composition from St. Olaf College in
Northfield, MN. Ben is a member of the American
Music Center, the American Composers Forum,
the Seattle Composers Alliance, and the
Washington Composers Forum. |
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Instruments
piano, synthesizer, and voice |
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Press Reviews
Ben's score for Arcanum has been garnering
acclaim for its fresh approach to computer game
music. RPG Planet states that "the
musical score is truly unique. Rather than the
typical sweeping orchestral soundtrack as in
Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale, Arcanum
features cellos, violins, and other instruments
that are meant to evoke an atmosphere appropriate
to the Industrial Revolution that Arcanum is
undergoing. The music is pleasantly different
from the norm in RPG music these days."
Gamerush.com called the music "brilliant, very
atmospheric," while IGN PC describes it as
"classic" and "mature." BlueSmoke sums it up:
"In short, the music of Arcanum is fantastic." |
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Location
Seattle, WA - USA |
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