Little Big Planet 3

The Project

We worked with Sony on Tearaway and they enjoyed the result so much, that they (along with Sumo Digital) reached out once again for Little Big Planet 3. It was the third installment in one of the most popular video game series in PlayStation history.

The Little Big Planet series is renowned for its outstanding music. For this reason, they approached us to see if we were up to the challenge. Ecstatic, we accepted and began working remotely with Sony’s creative service team based out of the UK.

Sony asked us to create seven interactive music layers that could stand alone as their own musical composition, but could also all be worked into one master creation. This was done to allow users to customize their gameplay, but still enjoy a cohesive experience no matter which option they chose. No small feat for a game of this scale.

To match the eclectic feel of the previous instalments, Sumo and Sony asked for a mix of Italian folk (heavy accordion and acoustic guitar influence) and renaissance music that felt like a vintage 1960’s recording. The unique qualities of this request got us very excited.

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Our Angle

This tall order would have been almost impossible to produce with samples. We just wouldn’t be able to produce the correct feel on the sound if authenticity was our main goal.

We looked to our extensive collection of renaissance and baroque instruments that were a perfect pairing for this brief. To top it off, we chose vintage microphones from the 1960’s to give it the unique flavour which really took the project to the next level.

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The Nuts and Bolts

After three initial versions and iterations, Sumo and Sony picked their favourite and we began adding the finishing touches to the sound. The entire process was incredibly fast due to our companies’ mutual alignment on vision. The execution was complete within a matter of days, the entire process lasting only two weeks.

A few months later, we were asked to work on another piece for the expansion pack, Little Big Planet 3: The Wedding. We were tasked with the Day of The Dead Level, whose themes were a haunted house, latin disco, and a touch of mariachi. Another challenge that we weren’t going to shy away from.

We really rose above and beyond client expectations with this delivery. We infused voodoo rhythms and vintage 1970’s disco with our large synthesizer collection to get exactly the right vibe; it’s amazing how unlikely combinations can create such distinct and polished results. Overall, the real challenge for this project was ensuring that all seven pieces would work both together and separately, yet still align with the overall creative vision for the game.

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The Result

Little Big Planet 3 was released in November of 2014 on PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 with over 1.98 million units sold worldwide.

After our work was completed, one of our tracks was also turned into a fun music video for promotional and marketing purposes.

It was very natural for us to produce work for this project. Making special and unique sounds is what we do best and the collaboration with Sumo and Sony was a fantastic experience.

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