Uploaded October 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Left 4 Dead, a zombie infested first-person shooter, went into new territory for Valve in 2008. Hinging on a dynamic AI Director, the game reacts to your skill and movements by procedurally generating enemies, events and several other elements. Importantly, music is a huge part of that unpredictability. Mike Morasky eschewed a traditional score in order to play to the game's strengths, constructing a complex system that organically constructs personalised soundtracks for each session. I spoke to Mike for this L4D 1 & 2 special, which also features the Witch herself (Ellen McLain) and Jonathan Coulton - a popular songwriter who contributed to L4D2.

Lee Tyrrell on Twitter
(twitter.com/GreenT128)

Mike Morasky on Twitter
(twitter.com/MikeMorasky)

Jonathan Coulton on Twitter
(twitter.com/jonathancoulton)

Ellen McLain on Wikipedia
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_McLain)

Also available on:
iTunes
(itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sound-test/id1418674203?mt=2)

Spotify
(open.spotify.com/show/0nt97mhg0PgE3pqUmDXmhC)

Audioboom
(audioboom.com/posts/7025004-left-4-dead-w-mike-morasky-jonathan-coulton-and-ellen-mclain)

Twitch
(twitch.tv/videos/320995951)

Stitcher
(stitcher.com/podcast/the-sound-test?refid=stpr)

…and many more!

Pledge to my Patreon to help support The Sound Test, and next year's second series.
(patreon.com/_secretcave)