Ted Poley is the talented musician who helped compose and write such Sonic music favourites as ‘Big the Cat’s’ theme ‘Lazy Day’s’ and ‘Escape from the City’. I caught up with him the other week to quiz him on life while working with SEGA and Jun Senoue. I also managed to clear up a couple of rumours regarding Ted and the Sonic community while I was at it.

Starting off with a few general questions before moving onto Sonic matters, here is the interview in full:

What for you important in life? A good career or to live unique? Or something really different?

Personally, I have never catered to any trend good or bad. Which may have been not the smartest move financially, but i think its better to stay true and stick with what you and the fans love. I’m very happy with my sound and that I never strayed from it. Life styles of the unique and famous, not rich and famous! <* Ted laughs *>

How would you describe your music style? Is there any style you really do not want to be compared to?

I can’t honestly say there is a style. I am too close to the music to be a judge I think. In general I like to think I appeal to people with sense of melody, with a sense of good music and chords. I always like to have great rock beats and drumming but I couldn’t put a style tag on the music. I have a consistant style, I do what I do, and hopefully people will like it.

Has working in the games industry taught you anything about how to write music in general?

I can’t say it has helped. I would say it’s different and it is definitaly a skill. Basically it’s music ‘on-demand’ and too specification. In the old days I probably wasnt up to the level of doing it. Your job is to follow the original style and theme to bring the game to life. You have a set of blue prints that you have to use to please the games company. So I can say I have learnt how to do that.

Music in games is getting bigger all the time. Have you noticed any changes in companies’ attitudes towards game composers and people in the audio processing business?

I think now with the success of games like Guitar Hero there has been a change in the attitudes. The focus is really on the music a lot more. Normally the music is just confined to the user playing it, but in places like Japan the music makes it onto audio CD. The music is standing more on its own these days.

What I found great about the music standing on its own is that people hear my music in the game, they then go out and find my personal music and start listening to that as well. I have to thank the video game world for a lot of my fans, especially the younger fans. I really enjoy it all.

You had such an illustrious 80’s metal career, how did you get into working on Sonic Adventure?

Ah, Big the Cat, that was fun! It was all opened up by my good personal friend Jun Senoue from Crush 40. Jun intiated the contact and invited me to help out with the SEGA team and produce some music. He probably contacted me after hearing my ‘Danger Danger’ stuff.

Have you ever played or watched the Sonic-Games where you’ve been featured?

Actually, the only time I have seen the game in action is when I have to sign a lot of confidentiality paper work and SEGA send me a video of the game in action for inspiration use. So I have seen the charaters, the graphics, and gameplay. Other than that I saw my friend’s kids playing the game when I went round to visit.

Apprantly, you worked with Jun Senoue at the start of the year? What was this for?

I did, I don’t think I can say what the game is. It’s probably a hand held… All I can say is there is something coming. It’s probably not a Sonic game, I believe it’s sports related.

Can you remember how long it takes to work on the tracks with Jun Senoue?

By the time I have gotten the track a lot of the music is already created. The concept is already there and normally a title is provided with a demo. I then come up with the lyrics sticking to Jun’s concept and title. Sometimes I will then add the melody and lots of harmony parts. I like adding the singing and harmonising parts that’s fun to do, and a challenge to stick to Jun’s ideas.

A length of time… funnily enough one of the Sonic tracks took only two days!

This was another of my questions actually. There was a rumor going around that the Sonic Rivals 2 Main Theme song took just two days to produce?

Yea, that’s the one! They needed a track really quickly. We started from scratch! It had to be writen, recorded and handed in within two/three days. It worked well because I had to concentrate on the music and not think about anything else. It helped because I didn’t have all the worries about things like ‘will everyone enjoy this’. It was an experient that could have gone wrong. However, ended up working and working really well!

Normally though two days is not the standard length of time. But the video games industry does not move slowly so these tracks to get produced quickly, generally two weeks I would say.

On your MySpace there is a song called Takoyaki Rock that reminds me of the video game work you have done in the past. Did you by any chance make this with Jun Senoue?

I did work with the SEGA guys on this one! I was inspired by the food Takoyaki when I was over there and the ‘SEGA All Stars’ helped me record it. ‘SEGA All Stars’ is what I like to call Jun and the crazy, talented guys who do the music over at SEGA. They had about 10 minutes left in the studio when Jun showed them my track. They then learnt and recorded it in the little time they had left, all in one take! The end result is a rocking track which sounds great.

Funnily enough, it sounds like the video game music because of the ‘All Stars’ that worked on it for me. I think Jun is going to include it on one of his CD’s and I am going to add to my next greatest hits track. I think the video game fans will really like this track.

How did this track come to being created?

I ate a lot of Takoyaki when I was in Osaka. With all respect, I just thought it was a fun word and a great food. So I made this track and Jun helped me out with it.

I have a small dream about this track actually. They love songs about food in Japan, so this could still happen! I thought it would be great if the Takoyaki industry would come to me and make this song the official song for Takoyaki in Japan! So I am waiting for the phone call Takoyaki phone call! <* Ted laughs! *>

You said on Jun Senoue’s community forum that you would love to tour Japan with him. Is this something that is possible?

We have talked about it and I would love to go on tour with Jun. Playing live with the ‘SEGA All-Stars’ is a dream! I would really enjoy bringing the fans favourite music into a live arena and bringing them too life for them.

Do your fans ever talk to you about your works with SEGA and Jun Senoue?

Oh yea! Especially my older fans who have heard my voice on their kid’s games console. They then come down to the shows and mention that to me. I also get fans who have never heard of ‘Danger Danger’ who come down to see me just from listening to the music from the Sonic games.

How critical is Jun Senoue during the process of producing video games music?

Oh, Jun is the team captain, he’s in charge. He is the most important person. He is the conduit to the whole process and without Jun and his work ethic the tracks wouldn’t sound like they do.

To me Jun is just a really nice guy and a friend. It’s hard to think of him as this genius musician who is so in touch with the scene. Without Jun however I would not have been introduced to this whole world. So I have a lot to thank him for.

Have you ever heard of the event called ‘Summer of Sonic’?

I can’t say I have, please enlighten me!

<* I explained SOS and what it is about. *>

Oh! I wish I had known! That’s so great that all the guest like Richard Jacques could go down. If there’s anything I could ever do for these sorts of things I would love too! I’m not the top A-list musician so I don’t have my private jet or anything. But if it was logisitcally possible I would love to get involved!

Brilliant! Thanks for talking to me Ted and good luck with the future!

Well there you have it! The man behind some of our favourite tracks laid out. Rumours cleared up and even a bit of excitment at the prospect of hearing Ted and Jun together in a new game. Wonder what game it could be?

Ted is always updating his MySpace with what gigs he is doing. So check that out if you want to go see him. He also sells CD’s of his work through his website. Just announced is Ted’s ‘Greatest Hits vol. 1’ be sure the have a look at that. He told me to say that if anyone wants to buy a CD and have it signed he would be more than happy to do so. Just email him at TEDPOLEY1@aol.com.

Ted Poley’s Sonic Music Biography:

• Big the Cat’s theme from Sonic Adventure – Lazy Day’s
• Wrote the melody and the lyrics for, as well as sang the ‘Escape from the City’ from Sonic Adventure 2
• Sang and co-wrote the Team Sonic theme, ‘We Can’, from Sonic Heroes.
• Worked with Jun Senoue on the composition and production of the Sonic Rivals 2 theme, ‘Race to Win’.

Ted Poley on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/tedpoley
Ted Poley’s Official Website: http://www.tedpoley.com

My interview time with Izuka-san had to be shared with two other sites, SEGANerds and NiGHTSintodreams.com. This didn’t bother me too much as I was incredible nervous ahead of my first ever professional interview, and I was also relishing my chance to meet such a great game designer.

We’ll that’s the background to my story, here is the interview in full:

Nintendo Life: When did development for Journey of Dreams start?

Takashi Iizuka: The idea came about 2 Years ago. Development began 1 and a half years ago

Nintendo Life: Years ago rumors came about, for a game called Air NiGHTS, a proposed sequel for the original game. Motion control was rumored to be the main idea for the game back then. Was Air NiGHTS a real game, and did it have any bearing on Journey of Dreams?

Takashi Iizuka: At the time SEGA had been playing with the idea of motion control on their consoles. Air Nights was a prototype game testing out the technology. Nothing came of it, and development stopped.

SEGANerds: Where did you come up with the idea for the My Dream segment of the game?

Iizuka-san conducting the press conference pre-interview.

Takashi Iizuka: It was developed from the A-Life system in the original NiGHTS. While the original only allowed you to interact with A-Life in the missions. You now have a separate, small world, the beauty of A-Life, is it creates a place where the developers will not be able to predict what will happen.

SEGANerds: Why did you decide to give NiGHTS a voice? And why did you choose a female voice?

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS] Well the original game had voice clips for NiGHTS, but in Journey of Dreams I wanted to use more voice acting. The voice helps to add depth to the game play, and tell the story in the cut scenes.
NiGHTS is neutral, and therefore has no gender. The impressions of the character with regards to gender are totally up to the player.

SEGANerds: Will there be any unlockable content in Journey of Dreams? Like with Christmas NiGHTS -€“ you could unlock Sonic.

Takashi Iizuka: There will be some unlockable features, but I cannot say what they are. They are meant to be a surprise. But if players get high rankings, they will unlock features.

SEGANerds: Is there anything you would have liked to have changed or added to the final release of Journey of Dreams?

Takashi Iizuka: No, nothing more. I feel that we have implemented everything we wanted to. I think we did everything we could do with the Wii’s features.

Nintendo Life: [JOKES] Nothing more you could do. Perfect!

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS]

SEGANerds: Which control method do you prefer?

Takashi Iizuka: I personally prefer the Wiimote controls, as you get the feeling of free flying with these controls.
But I suggest that fans of the original may wish to use the GameCube controller, as it is more like the Saturn controller, and is what players will be used to, at least at first.

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: Some people say that Bell Bridge (the games fictional setting), resembles parts of London. Is there any truth to this? And if so, why did you choose this setting?

Takashi Iizuka: Well like the character of Sonic is designed to be more like American style, NiGHTS has been designed to be more like that of European. So that is why the stages have the look of a more European setting.
It is also why the characters in NiGHTS have English accents.

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: How many people worked on NiGHTS Journey of Dreams?

Takashi Iizuka: There were 26 developers from Sonic Team USA working on the game. With the sound and CG developed in Japan.

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: Why was Jackal not included in Journey of Dreams? Is the Chameleon boss meant to be a replacement? In addition, will we see Jackal again?

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS] Well really I like the character, but if we created all the characters again we would be looking at the same game. We only wanted to keep Wiseman. [LAUGHS] It is a new game.

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: The second biggest mystery of NiGHTS! What did the deleted boss Selph look like? Apparently there was a deleted boss from the original game called Selph.

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS] How do you know about Selph?

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: “They”™ know.

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS] They, who is they?

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: Fans.

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS] Ah, ok.
Well the idea for the character existed, but he was never actually created.

Nintendo Life: In Journey of Dreams, NiGHTS has different masks, which he can use. What is your favourite mask?

Takashi Iizuka: It depends on the situation; I like the Rocket mask because you can use it to create your own strategy.
But my favourite will have to be the Dragon mask.

Nintendo Life: While we were having a play of your game a little while ago, we noticed that there is a counter in the game. The counter seems to change with each night you play. Does this have any effect on the game at all?

Takashi Iizuka: No. It is just there as a counter, for you to know how long/many times you have been playing.

SEGANerds: NiGHTS used the Saturn’€™s internal clock to add new game play/secrets to the game, depending on the date. Will the same feature be used in Journey of Dreams?

Takashi Iizuka: No. For the Saturn, it was a new feature and a new challenge.
With the Wii, the Forecast Channel is the new challenge. However there will be seasonal events within the game, which will appear in the My Dreams section.

Nintendo Life: It has recently been announced that NiGHTS is being remade for the PS2. Will the game be released worldwide? In addition, are there any plans for a Wii version, perhaps on the Virtual Console?

Takashi Iizuka: There are currently no plans for the PS2 version to be released outside of Japan.

Nintendo Life: [TUTS]

Takashi Iizuka: [LAUGHS] It is being released in Japan, due to the high demand for the game. So there are no plans for a worldwide release… for now. As for Virtual Console there are no plans for a release either… for now.

NiGHTSintoDreams.com: For gamers who played NiGHTS into Dreams obsessively, you could unlock rare Nightopians called King or Superpians. Will there be any rare Nightopians in Journey of Dreams?

Takashi Iizuka: In the My Dreams section of the game it is possible to mix Nightopians with the Marens (baddies) to create new creatures.
There will also be Superpians.

Nintendo Life: Thank you very much, for your time and for making a new NiGHTS game.

Takashi Iizuka: Thank you.

I also have an audio copy of the interview in full (above is edited in places). Click Here to download it.