I knew I would like 1000xRESIST. I didn't know it would be unforgettable.
It’s been a few weeks since I watched the end credits roll, and I’ve been thanking the heavens that I no longer work in the gaming press. Naturally, I would have fought tooth and nail to write a review of Sunset Visitor’s masterpiece—but what would I have said? I probably would have used elaborate words, the kind an insufferable cinephile keeps in their vocabulary. The fact is, I’m dying to talk about 1000xRESIST, but I simply can’t find the words.
Yet, listening to the incredible four-handed soundtrack composed by Line Katcho and Drew Redman, plenty of words come to mind. Melancholic, dreamlike, suspended, heartbreaking, haunting. Optimistic.
It was only natural, then, that I reached out to Line Katcho, the Quebecois composer responsible for the most meditative pieces on the soundtrack. Before you begin reading, I warmly invite you to check out the video recently published by Tombery Musical. Whether you’ve already played the game or already know you won’t, you’ll learn a great deal about the project and its thematic scope.
Hello Line, and thank you so much for accepting this interview. Would you like to start by introducing yourself and summarizing your musical journey for us?
Line Katcho : Hello everyone, and thank you for the invitation! Well, I am a composer and new media visual artist, trained in electroacoustic composition at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. I also have about ten years of study in theory and classical piano, although I don't really play it anymore. But certainly, those years of learning forged a large part of my musical aesthetic, which sits somewhere between those two schools of thought.
I compose music for other art forms (such as contemporary dance, circus, film, and video games), and I also compose or perform in real-time for my own shows. In addition to music, I create visual content for performances or audiovisual works where the music and visuals go hand in hand and evolve as a shared whole. I quickly became interested in this marriage, so I’ve since created work for 2D screens, 360-degree fulldomes, architectural projections, and virtual reality. Each genre or medium, whether artistic or technological, allows for a singular expression dependent on its own constraints and possibilities, which I appreciate and find very stimulating. It’s primarily the relationship and rapport between the two mediums that interests me—the way they evolve, dialogue, and transform each other.
Unless I'm mistaken, this is the first time you've participated in a video game soundtrack. It's also the first game from Sunset Visitor. I'd love to hear the story behind how you met.
LK : Yes, indeed, this is a first for me and for Sunset Visitor as well. But I had already met Remy Siu, the creative director of Sunset Visitor, since he also comes from the world of music and performing arts. He had actually seen me perform in 2018 in Montreal; having liked what I presented, he invited me to perform at a digital art festival he was organizing at the time in Hong Kong. That’s how the first contact was made, and later we met again at another music festival in Glasgow where we were both presenting a performance. So, we already knew each other—artistically, at least. When the time came for him to create 1000xRESIST, he thought my musical style would lend itself well to the atmosphere he wanted to evoke in the game.
I’m curious: have you played the game? And if so, what did you think?
LK : Yes, of course I’ve played it! I think it's a game that stands out and sets itself apart through its approach and narrative form. It's also a story that, despite being fictional, hides an important core message to transmit—a message that is felt and authentic, resonating with a deep sincerity. And then there's that blend of emotion and absurdity that I find refreshing.
The 1000xRESIST OST was composed as a collaboration with Drew Redman. Did you two know each other? How did you work together throughout the project?
LK : No, we didn't know each other. In fact, we each composed a portion of the game's music independently. Remy assigned us specific chapters or sections of the game to compose for. He liked the fact that our musical signatures were different, thereby bringing musical diversity and highlighting the contrasts between the different states evoked by the story.
You’re behind the most "ambient" tracks on the soundtrack. Having explored your discography a bit before this interview, it feels perfectly natural! Can you tell me about the brief or the instructions you were given?
LK : To be honest, I also composed a few rhythmic tracks, like "Old Town," "The Plan," and "Tear Gas." That said, there were very few instructions at the start; we were in more of an exploratory state, and I proposed music as the game's development progressed. Remy also shared music that he liked and that inspired him, which helped me pinpoint his expectations.
"Guests" is possibly my favorite track on the OST. The crescendo gives me chills, and that melody—almost dying—that we hear in the background from 1:37 brings tears to my eyes. Would you tell me more about the composition of this track?
LK : Ah, thank you!! I must admit it's one of my favorites too. That melody you mention at 1:37 was created with a synth sound that has become something of a fetish for me. I love it, and I reused the same patch several times in the game, but in different ways. It’s a sound that is singing and so expressive; it resembles a voice or rather a lamentation, a cry from the heart. And of course, the melody it creates is a big part of that.
For this track, I also focused heavily on the mixing and orchestration. I layer several musical voices that each have their own identity, and I make one or another emerge at specific moments. They sometimes seem to evolve independently, and other times they blend together to create a new identity.
These two musical ideas seemed relevant for the section of the game where "Guests" appears. We meet different "clans" and learn truths about them. I wanted to put a dramatic emphasis on what is revealed in the scene and express a deep existential unease intertwined with resignation.
Let’s step outside the world of 1000xRESIST for a moment. What are you listening to right now that our readers absolutely must discover?
LK : That's a difficult question to answer; I listen to all kinds of musical styles in phases, depending on my mood. There is so much good music being made… but to name a few artists that come to mind: Lorn is definitely one of my favorites. There's also Amnesia Scanner, Slikback, and Marina Herlop, whom I admire for their originality.
Will we have the pleasure of hearing your work in another video game soon?
LK : Yes, in the next Sunset Visitor game—but all the details are yet to come.
