If you want to learn more about the real-life experiences before the fictional band Old Gods of Asgard, now is your chance! This past week, Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen (keyboardist and producer) and Olli Tukiainen (lead guitarist) from Poets of the Fall joined Michael's Mixdown for an Alan Wake 2-themed episode.
In the episode (Ep. 39 - Old Gods of Asgard), they discuss the freedom and restrictions of taking on their alter-ego, revisiting the 1970s, the smooth transitions between music and player actions in the "We Sing" chapter, and launching the Old Gods' debut album. It's a packed interview that covers so much about their work on the game and their role with many hats.
The episode is out now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Official Synopsis: Warriors, torchbearers, come redeem your dreams! Joining me in this episode are Markus Kaarlonen (aka Captain) and Olli Tukiainen, who appear in Alan Wake 2 as Tor Anderson and Bob Balder respectively. Captain and Olli are the keyboard player and guitarist from Poets of the Fall, but they also make music as the Remedy Entertainment in-universe fictional band Old Gods of Asgard. We discussed how they make the switch from Poets to Old Gods, how interactive game songs like "Herald of Darkness" and "Take Control" are created, and their appearance at The Game Awards 2023!
Remedy x Poets of the Fall's History: Although two of the band members were involved in Remedy's original Max Payne title, officially, the band's relationship started back in 2003 with Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. For the game, Poets created their first song, Late Goodbye, based on a poem by Sam Lake, after a conversation between Marko and Sam about the formation of his new group.
Almost a decade later, the band returned for the studio's next game, Alan Wake, creating the custom songs, The Poet and the Muse and Children of the Elder God, under their alter-ego, Old Gods of Asgard. Their song War, from their album Twilight Theater, also made an appearance in the game. They returned again two years later for Alan Wake's American Nightmare, with the songs Balance Slays the Demon and The Happy Song (the latter also appearing in the album Temple of Thought). Around the same time, Can You Hear Me, created as an exclusive single to their Alchemy Vol 1 collection, also appeared in the studio's debut mobile game, Death Rally.
After Alan Wake, while they still worked alongside the studio, issues outside of both parties' control led to the absence of a unique track within Quantum Break. Although players can still hear elements in the reworked version of The Labyrinth, heard in the Clearview album. It was only in 2019's Control that the band and studio were able to work once again, bringing Take Control to the table, used during the Control's memorable Ashtray Maze sequence, along with Ultraviolet's The Dark Disquiet making an appearance.
For Alan Wake 2, the band is back with three unique songs, and the band taking on a more concrete form, stepping in as members of the Old Gods of Asgard band. Dark Ocean Summoning, Herald of Darkness, and Anger's Remorse all feature in the 2023 adventure, but fans were treated to the band's debut album, Rebirth - The Greatest Hits, which launched just after their live performance debut on The Game Awards stage.
Source & Image: Poets of the Fall's Twitter
Remedy x Poets of the Fall's History: Although two of the band members were involved in Remedy's original Max Payne title, officially, the band's relationship started back in 2003 with Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. For the game, Poets created their first song, Late Goodbye, based on a poem by Sam Lake, after a conversation between Marko and Sam about the formation of his new group.
Almost a decade later, the band returned for the studio's next game, Alan Wake, creating the custom songs, The Poet and the Muse and Children of the Elder God, under their alter-ego, Old Gods of Asgard. Their song War, from their album Twilight Theater, also made an appearance in the game. They returned again two years later for Alan Wake's American Nightmare, with the songs Balance Slays the Demon and The Happy Song (the latter also appearing in the album Temple of Thought). Around the same time, Can You Hear Me, created as an exclusive single to their Alchemy Vol 1 collection, also appeared in the studio's debut mobile game, Death Rally.
After Alan Wake, while they still worked alongside the studio, issues outside of both parties' control led to the absence of a unique track within Quantum Break. Although players can still hear elements in the reworked version of The Labyrinth, heard in the Clearview album. It was only in 2019's Control that the band and studio were able to work once again, bringing Take Control to the table, used during the Control's memorable Ashtray Maze sequence, along with Ultraviolet's The Dark Disquiet making an appearance.
For Alan Wake 2, the band is back with three unique songs, and the band taking on a more concrete form, stepping in as members of the Old Gods of Asgard band. Dark Ocean Summoning, Herald of Darkness, and Anger's Remorse all feature in the 2023 adventure, but fans were treated to the band's debut album, Rebirth - The Greatest Hits, which launched just after their live performance debut on The Game Awards stage.
Source & Image: Poets of the Fall's Twitter
