If you've ever played on a Nintendo 64, you've probably heard Grant Kirkhope's music. Grant is one of the most prolific video game composers of all time and the mastermind behind the music in some of Nintendo's biggest and best-selling titles: Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark – you name it. He's also the only Western composer to have his music featured in Super Smash Bros and was trusted by Nintendo and Ubisoft to handle the music in Mario Rabbids.
But Grant never intended to end up as a composer working for Rare. Before he was making music for video games, Grant played guitar in a variety of rock and metal bands, touring with the likes of Bon Jovi and Van Halen.
In this very special episode, Grant tells us about his early days as a rock star, what it was like to tour with one of the biggest rock stars in the world, some of the secrets behind his infectious N64 melodies and how he ended up having a very strange encounter with Mr Miyamoto in the toilers.
We'd like to say thank you to Grant for sharing these amazing stories with us. In addition to scoring for video games, Grant is also creating music for a variety of films, and recently scored the soundtrack for Bringing Back Goldeneye – a full-length comedy film telling the story of Glenn, a Goldeneye fan who sets out on a mission to learn more about the Goldeneye World Championships. Go and check it out!
