Frank Klepacki Frank Klepacki ( born May 25 , 1974 ) is an musician , video game music composer and sound director best known for his work on the . Having learned to play drums as a child , he joined as a composer when he was only 17 years old . He scored several games there , including the , the , the , " " , and the " Command & Conquer " series . His work in " " won two awards . He lives in , where he has shaped a solo career and played and produced for several local bands . His personal and band work touches upon several genres , including orchestral , rock music , hip hop music , soul music , and funk . He has dubbed the style of music he writes as " Rocktronic " . His work has appeared in various media , including the program " " . Klepacki is currently the audio director of Petroglyph games , where he scored " " and . Frank Klepacki was contacted to score " " , but was too busy with Petroglyph to take the project , and declined to mention the offer . Klepacki ' s next composing project was for a game called " " by Sega and Petroglyph . His most recent solo CD is entitled " Awakening of Aggression " . Early life and career . Frank Klepacki was raised by a family of musicians of & Italian descent who played on the Las Vegas strip . He drew art as a hobby , but music prevailed in his early interests . He received his first drumset at age 8 and began performing professionally by age 11 . Among his early influences were electronica bands and heavy metal groups , including , , , and . Seeking to master guitar , bass , and keyboards , he formed local bands and created a demo tape of original material by age 17 . His impetus for diversifying his instrumental abilities was " not being able to communicate with other band members on ideas . . . for original songs . " After learning to program on a and becoming interested in computer and video games , he applied for a job as a game tester at Westwood studios . He submitted his demo tape to the company ' s audio director . The growing company enlisted him as a composer for the NES port of " " and the computer game " " . He later composed with sequencing for several other " " games . In 1992 , he helmed the audio of " " , attempting to complement the music of the original " " . He later noted that he pushed the sequencing program on his to the limit while scoring the game . While working on " " in 1994 , he and the Westwood team were shown sketches of the unfinished feature film . Film composer later praised Klepacki for reworking his scores . After finishing " " , Frank Klepacki met with Westwood leaders to discuss the upcoming game " " — the first in a series which would bring him wider fame and critical acclaim . Command and Conquer series . In 1994 , Frank Klepacki met with Westwood Studios developers to discuss the soundtrack of the company ' s next project — " Command & Conquer " . To define the game ' s style , Klepacki listened to a number of bands , including and . He combined various elements of this music and added his own touch to create a unique sound . With the company ' s recent shift to 22 kHz audio , Klepacki composed with an ASR - 10 sampler , a S760 sampler , a Roland JD 990 synth module , and an electric guitar . The first few songs he composed for " Command & Conquer " contained voice samples — including the notable pieces " Act on Instinct " and " No Mercy " ( which featured wild declarations from " " ) . The samples were later found to interfere with the game ' s spoken audio , and the voices were removed . Complete versions of the songs later appeared on the game ' s commercial soundtrack . He would continue to sample clips from film and other media throughout his career , using a quote from " " in the " Yuri " song " Brainfreeze " , for example . Klepacki next composed instrumental pieces for " Command & Conquer " , drawing influences from orchestral , , heavy metal , and hip hop music . For the credits , Klepacki wrote " Airstrike " , featuring a hook later used in " " for the . Conversely , the ending used the song " Destructible Times " written by Klepacki ' s local band , . Developers requested the song because it " reflected the war aspect and bad - ass vibe of [ Nod ' s ] side . " The " C & C " expansion pack " Covert Operations " featured new pieces . Though the soundtrack was not released through retail , Westwood sold it by special order through its website and in game catalogues . While working on " Covert Operations " , Frank Klepacki composed " Hell March " . Upon listening , director insisted this song be used as the signature theme of " Command & Conquer : Red Alert . " Originally intended for use with the Brotherhood of Nod , it features militaristic samples — including marching , industrial sounds , and a commander shouting what sounded like " we want war , wake up ! " — but actually a German drill instructor shouting " Die Waffen – legt an ! " , roughly translated as " Bring rifles to fighting position ! " Klepacki initially scored " Red Alert " with sci - fi camp in mind , but early songs were shelved . He switched gears to write gritty pieces , prompting the " Red Alert " team to expand upon the style of " Command & Conquer " . In preparing to compose , Klepacki acquired new sample libraries for unique and strange sounds . Particular creative moods would result in a few songs at a time . He first wrote heavy songs like " Workmen " and " Crush " , then composed neutral , synthesizer - laden music , such as " Vector " and " Roll Out " . Klepacki scored " Fogger " and " Mud " , one of his personal favorites , before finishing with " Militant Force " and " Radio 2 " . He took breaks from working to make cameo appearances as a Soviet soldier killed by and an Allied commander in the cut scenes of " Red Alert " . He previously appeared as a Nod soldier and the voice of the commando in " Command & Conquer " and would voice bit parts in future Westwood games . After completing " Red Alert " , he took a short break to review his work . He concluded that some songs could be enhanced , but " Red Alert " had already gone , precluding new versions . These remixes later appeared on the unsuccessful " Command & Conquer : Sole Survivor " . " Red Alert " soundtrack was voted best video game soundtrack of 1996 by and Gameslice magazines , defeating score for " " . Reviewers called it " fun to listen to " and " second to none . " As of 2005 , " Red Alert " was listed in the for selling several million units , bringing Klepacki his widest audience . He wrote additional music for the game ' s expansion packs , " Counterstrike " and " Aftermath " . He attributed the success of " Red Alert " to an infusion of modern styles not found in other games . Later Westwood games . In 1997 , Frank Klepacki scored a " " adaptation and in 1998 composed for " " . He attempted to update the music from " Dune II " into " this non - blip stuff . " " Dune 2000 " was panned by critics , though Klepacki ' s score was praised for adhering to the traditional " Dune " style . He composed for " " with — with whom he would later collaborate on " " . He began by writing " Stomp " , an energetic rock piece intended to recreate the effect of " Hell March " for the new game . Westwood instead wanted " Tiberian Sun " to feature darker , more moody music , and " Stomp " was shelved in favor of the current sound . Bereft of ideas due to the stark change in direction , Klepacki asked Mendelson to collaborate ; he regards tracks they both worked on as the best . " Tiberian Sun " ultimately featured dark , ambient techno music and ambient space music suited to the game ' s post - apocalyptic and futuristic setting . Klepacki cited the piece " Mad Rap " as his favorite . An avid " Star Wars " fan , he enjoyed scoring cut scenes featuring James Earl Jones , the voice of Darth Vader . The scenes also allowed him to integrate the " Airstrike " and " No Mercy " themes into the game ' s score despite the aforementioned shift . With the expansion pack " Firestorm " , he attempted to " set things right " by writing more upbeat songs and including " Stomp " , which would also appear in " Command & Conquer : Renegade " . He next scored " III " and " " . Klepacki defined " Red Alert 2 " style with heavy metal guitar and fast - paced beats . Klepacki scored the game with a Tr - rack , , and 5080 . " Red Alert 2 " < nowiki > < / nowiki > included a remix of " Hell March " . The return to high - energy songs was owed in part to fan criticism of " Tiberian Sun " . Klepacki maintained the energetic style in " Red Alert 2 " expansion pack " Yuri ' s Revenge " . For " " — the next entry in the series — Klepacki tried to update the style of the original " Command & Conquer " by making it " hipper and more elaborate . " Several " Command & Conquer " mainstays appear as reworked versions , including " Target ( Mechanical Man ) " , " Industrial " , " Act on Instinct " , and " No Mercy " . The main theme ' s melody comes from " C & C 80 ' s Mix " , a piece composed for " Covert Operations " but scrapped before release . Klepacki ' s last contribution to was the music of " " , comprising four albums of material . Acquired by in 1998 , Westwood was liquidated in 2002 and the remaining employees were relocated to . Several Westwood founders left the company . Though Frank Klepacki offered to score " " and submitted a demo to EA , he was not contacted to compose . When asked in 2002 whether he ' d continue scoring music after ten years in the business , he exclaimed , " ten down , next ten to go ! " Petroglyph games . Klepacki took a brief hiatus to work on solo albums , then joined Petroglyph games as full - time audio director in 2004 . He prepared by becoming versed in the job ' s requirements and demands . His first task was scoring " " , Petroglyph ' s launch title ; he also helped select voice actors . A die - hard fan of the Star Wars franchise , Klepacki enjoyed complementing John Williams ' s style as he worked with sound effects used in the feature films . He worked closely with programmers to ensure perfect aural functionality . Though most the game ' s score is John Williams ' s work , Klepacki estimates that he contributed 20 % original material . Apart from the main theme , he aimed to minimize his editing in order to retain the classic " Star Wars " sound . He chiefly composed for new areas of the " Star Wars " universe only found in " Empire at War " . He calls his work on the game " the peak of my career , " and felt he had spent his entire life grooming his abilities for that soundtrack . As a perk of composing , he visited Skywalker Ranch and Industrial Light & Magic , and took pride in having his name associated with an official " Star Wars " product . For the " Forces of Corruption " expansion pack , he took greater creative liberty with the " Star Wars " feel by writing an original theme for the new criminal faction . In attempting to compose this piece , he wrote several preliminary hooks that were later integrated into the game ' s battle themes . He composed six pieces for the expansion total , including the finale theme . In line with the criminal theme of the game , Klepacki borrowed motifs and recreated the mood from scenes involving Jabba the Hutt in " " . His score for the expansion pack was accepted upon first submission to LucasArts . As Petrogylph ' s audio director , he also selected sound effects — a tricky process due to the issue of making the criminal faction ' s sounds a " little different , without straying too much from the original signature sounds . " Klepacki worked with LucasArts to select voice actors , and contributed his own talents to the role of IG - 88 and other minor characters . A blooper reel of his voice acting was released on Petroglyph ' s forums after the one - thousandth member registered . Frank Klepacki was contacted to score " " , but was too busy with duties at Petroglyph and declined to mention the offer publicly . Electronic Arts hired to score the game ; an EA community manager at " C & C 3 " forums suggested that the audio team studied Klepacki ' s music and tried to recreate his style . Klepacki feels that " Command & Conquer " is a significant part of his life and that he would like to return to the " Tiberian " era . He conceded that employment at Petroglyph games would probably prevent him from working with Electronic Arts . Klepacki ' s next project was a game collaboration by Sega and Petroglyph named " " . As of December 2006 , he had composed several songs for various factions . He was interviewed about the creative process on March 27 , 2007 by Kevin Yu , a Petroglyph community manager , and provided a detailed tour of his studio at the company . His office included one of the fastest computers at Petroglyph and a vocal booth where unit responses and other vocalizations were tested and tweaked before voice actors performed finishing work . Klepacki remarked that he enjoyed having creative freedom again , as Universe of War did not demand strict obedience to a particular style . He declared that surprises were in store for " Command & Conquer " fans , and suggested that they " imagine my mindset . . . when Command & Conquer first came out , and add about fifteen years experience to that . " Klepacki revealed that the Hierarchy faction would be themed with " energized rock " to contrast with the Novus faction ' s electronic music . Solo and band work . Frank Klepacki has played in and produced albums for several Las Vegas bands . " " is his first full - length CD appearance . The band featured Greg Greer on vocals , Rod Arnett on bass , Dan Ryan on guitar , and Frank Klepacki on drums . Formed from the rhythm section of local band " Shatterbone " , I AM released one album in 1995 and broke up . Described as , the band ' s music drew influences from and . The song " Destructible Times " was used for the Brotherhood of Nod ending in the original " Command & Conquer " . After the break - up , Klepacki joined , a ten member ensemble which played funk and soul in the tradition of . Founded in 1989 , Home Cookin ' commercially debuted with " " in 1997 ( which featured a number one hit ) and released a second album ( " " ) in 2000 before disbanding following a tour in California . Towards the end of its run , the band played at Quark ' s Bar in and at the Boston Grill and Bar . The group sometimes opened shows with a four member funk act named " Junkfood " . Home Cookin ' was popular by readers of Las Vegas Weekly , winning several awards over its history — including " Best Horns " in a band . Klepacki boasted that turnout for the band at clubs was usually above four hundred people . In 2003 , he formed " The Bitters " , a trio composed of Klepacki , bassist Vinny Moncada , and guitarist Jeff Murphy . With a style described as metal and , the group has released one album as of August 2006 . Klepacki is also member to the group " Mo Friction " , supported by former Home Cookin ' members . Their debut album will mark Klepacki ' s first outing as a band ' s lead vocalist . Frank Klepacki ' s solo work debuted in 2002 with " " . Production began in 1996 with the song " Cybertek " , though an album was not planned at this time . The rest of " Morphscape " songs were composed after " Red Alert 2 " . Klepacki composed the album ' s title track while working on " Command & Conquer : Renegade " , and feels the game ' s style is visibly present in " Morphscape " . Klepacki released the final product after Westwood ' s dissolution . His biggest inspiration in creating solo works is the legion of fans interested in " Command & Conquer " . Klepacki took a hiatus from composing video game music to write two other solo albums , the first of which is entitled " " . Released in 2004 , the album was described as dark , edgy , and heavy in a way that will appeal to " Command & Conquer " fans . Klepacki sought out specific samples and instruments used in the Command & Conquer soundtrack for use in the release ; the title " Rocktronic " was an attempt to name his style of music . Featuring live drumming in certain songs , the album is Klepacki ' s best - seller . Following " Rocktronic " was " " , released in 2005 . Klepacki complemented his usual style with experiments in hip hop on the album . Tracks from each release have been periodically used in " " , along with certain custom themes written for the show . On August 1 , 2006 , he revealed his next solo project would be named " Awakening of Aggression " and confirmed the music would be " heavy " and " hard - hitting . " When interviewed , Klepacki said that he channeled stress into the heavy music of the new album . " Aggression " was released in October of the same year , and was made available on iTunes on December 7 . He filled the liner notes of the album with the names of several supportive fans who had purchased his music . As of April 2007 , he speculates that a new solo release will be ready by the end of the year . Work and beliefs . When composing for video games , Frank Klepacki spends a few days to compose and master one song on average . He feels writing music for games is somewhat difficult as only early are available to play ; he sometimes must compose songs based on vague descriptions . Composing for cut scenes is easier by comparison . Nonetheless , he prefers to compose for a game throughout its development rather than write songs for a finished product . He has said that the most rewarding part of composing video game music is working with a team — which he compares to chemistry between band members — and knowing he is part of a greater cause . He believes that game music could improve if artists focused on quality and derived inspiration from playing games . He has expressed interest in having Electronic Arts sell his soundtracks in retail stores , preferably next to video games in electronic departments . He advises those wishing to get in the video game business to attend conventions and investigate developer companies . Klepacki runs a personal website featuring a biography , archived interviews , and a playlist of songs streamed in 128 mp3 . His music is also available from iTunes . As a " Star Wars " fan , he has extensively written about the film premieres of the last two prequels on his website . He maintains an account at YouTube and has posted three videos of his work with other bands . He is an ardent supporter of digital cinema , believing the medium to be the pinnacle of quality . He has scored two short films , and won a award for his work with " Unreel Invasion " . Klepacki believes that the genre of video game music is more respected than it has ever been . He notes that complex and quality music comes at a higher cost , prompting certain producers to simply " get somebody who could cop the Hollywood sound " instead of nurturing original style . When asked about his career low - point , he named " " for the , citing difficulties with the system ' s limited musical capabilities . Klepacki is not seeking a record deal , citing a " horrible chain of steps to getting famous . " Scathingly critical of the recording industry , he blames MTV for putting a pretty face on music and destroying the independent valuation of actual sound . He has also criticized lip - synching and the repackaging of music genre through different labels — such as for rock music and for soul music . He believes that signing a deal does not guarantee profits , and would rather keep his day job as audio director . These sentiments were echoed in a special feature on the band in 2000 — Klepacki said the group wanted to " work with a label , not for them . " He enjoys working independently , as he does not have to " change . . . music for the sake of pop radio . " He champions the internet as a medium through which creative and original artists can be found . Klepacki believes it is the preferred avenue for music when compared to radio airplay — where one hears " the exact same songs 3 months at a time . " When interviewed about file - sharing , he expressed mixed emotions . He believes that the high price of compact discs could prompt one to download music . Conversely , he notes that artists — who " don ' t get as much money as you think " — need to be compensated for their work . His favorite artists by decade , starting with the 1960s , are , , , , and .