Olivier Deriviere on His Career, Resonance, A Plague Tale & Interactive Game Music

In this episode of Bonfire Conversations, I sit down with award-winning composer and music designer Olivier Deriviere, known for his work on Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, A Plague Tale: Innocence, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Vampyr, Remember Me, Get Even, Dying Light 2, GreedFall, and South of Midnight.We talk about Olivier’s career, his approach to composing for video games, and what makes interactive music fundamentally different from traditional film scoring. He explains how he thinks about music systems, player interaction, game design, and the relationship between composition and gameplay.We also discuss the creative process behind Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, including its musical identity, cultural influences, collaboration with traditional musicians, and the importance of authenticity when working with music from another culture.Olivier also reflects on his career, the challenges of working on games that don't become commercial hits, his decision to move away from conventional AAA scoring, and why experimentation and collaboration have remained central to his work.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:56 Interactive Music & Olivier's Creative Philosophy04:25 Talent, Emotion & the Human Condition11:12 Why Interactive Music Is Different16:20 Music, Game Design & Multiplayer20:21 The Music System Comes First22:45 Designing the Music for Dying Light 224:27 Why Olivier Quit AAA Games27:21 Failure, Success & His Career34:50 Lessons From 25 Years in Games38:57 Creative Collaboration & Trust42:51 Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy48:21 Cultural Influences & Musical Authenticity54:37 The Future of Music & AI59:07 Art, Emotion & Surprise01:04:25 Resonance & the Psychology of Vampyr01:07:37 Olivier's Favorite Games & Scores01:11:27 Favorite Films & What He's Playing01:13:59 Final ThoughtsBonfire Conversations is available on all the major podcast streaming services.#OlivierDeriviere #VideoGameMusic #GameMusic #InteractiveMusic #APlagueTale #Resonance #Vampyr #GameAudio #GameComposer