International Digital Music Festival 2022: Review

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3月14日米哈游音乐制作人/HOYO-MiX成员苑迪萌，用《原神》游戏音乐创作心得分享——以团队视角迎接挑战为主题，通过一些具体的案例，并结合自己的工作经历，分享了HOYO-MiX团队如何在游戏场景与角色不断丰富的过程中，将多元的音乐元素进行融合与创新，以及在市场中实践后的思考与沉淀。
On March 14th, Yuan Dimeng, a music producer and member of HOYO-MiX from miHoYo, shared his insights on game music composition in *Genshin Impact* under the theme of embracing challenges from a team perspective. Through specific examples and his own work experience, he shared how the HOYO-MiX team integrates and innovates diverse musical elements in the constantly evolving game world and characters, as well as their reflections and insights gained from market practices.

苑迪萌说HOYO-MiX一直致力在音乐上不断地探索与创新，这样的做法也得到了世界各地玩家的认可，同时也与米哈游“超出用户预期”的产品理念不谋而合。
Yuan Dimeng mentioned that HOYO-MiX has been committed to continuous exploration and innovation in music, which has been recognized by players worldwide and aligns well with miHoYo's product philosophy of "exceeding user expectations."

## The Importance of Unified Musical Elements

《原神》以全球元素为参考，每一个城邦都有自己的文化背景。如蒙德呈现欧陆风情，璃月以中国元素为主导。因此这些标志性元素是创作这一地区音乐风格的基调。随后苑迪萌以战斗音乐动机的创作为例，讲解同一音乐动机，在不同城邦的变奏处理。让玩家在不同地点都能听到熟悉的旋律，以此来加深印象。在角色音乐主题上也有动机的统一性，苑迪萌列举了“魈”这名角色的两个过场动画和一个角色演示视频来讲解。
In *Genshin Impact*, each city-state has its own cultural background, drawing inspiration from global elements. For example, Mondstadt presents a European style, while Liyue is influenced by Chinese elements. These distinctive elements serve as the foundation for creating regional music styles. Yuan Dimeng used the creation of battle music motifs as an example to explain how variations of the same motif are applied in different city-states. This allows players to hear familiar melodies in different locations, deepening their impression. In terms of character music themes, Yuan Dimeng discussed the unified motifs by presenting two cutscenes and a Character Demo video for the character Xiao.

## Integration and Innovation in Music

尝试不同方式的融合，才有可能产生新的声音。比如“钟离”的角色演示曲《尘世闲游》，以二胡为主奏乐器，融合民乐与Trap风格。最后在Trap的808音色中加入了中国大鼓，二胡上加入电吉他效果器，形成了不错的效果，在视频网站上收获了不少人气。另一个例子是“雷电将军”的角色演示音乐，尝试融合了日本民乐、Trap、Drum&Bass，直观地展现角色动静切换。又如“若陀龙王”的战斗音乐，融合了管弦乐、中国民乐、重金属摇滚以及原创的楚辞唱段。苑迪萌通过这些案例告诉大家，打破常规是很有必要的，而融合就是打破常规的方法。
New sounds can be generated through experimenting with different forms of integration. For instance, in the Character Demo track "Rex Incognito," the erhu takes the lead, blending traditional Chinese music with trap style. The addition of Chinese drums to the trap's 808 sound and the use of guitar effects on the erhu create an impressive result, gaining popularity on video platforms. Another example is the Character Demo music for Raiden Shogun, which combines Japanese traditional music, trap, drum and bass, effectively showcasing the character's dynamics and transitions. Additionally, the battle music for Azhdaha combines orchestral music, Chinese traditional music, heavy metal rock, and original Chu Ci singing sections. Through these examples, Yuan Dimeng emphasizes the importance of breaking conventions and that integration is a means to achieve that.

## Aligning Music with the Market

很多经典的游戏和影视音乐都让人印象深刻，当使用这些元素时，常常能唤醒人们的记忆。而《原神》就使用了游戏音乐中最常用的管弦乐作为基调，适当利用这种“刻板印象”，让《原神》的音乐带给大众熟悉感。其次，了解当下最新的音乐流行趋势，如Billboard榜单、地下音乐等等，并以微创新的方式融入到音乐中去，尽可能地与玩家审美保持一致。艺术性和商业性的平衡，并非不可调和。
Many memorable game and film soundtracks evoke strong impressions and can trigger people's memories. *Genshin Impact* uses the commonly used orchestral music in game music as a foundation, making use of this "stereotype" to create a sense of familiarity among the audience. Furthermore, understanding the latest trends in music, such as Billboard charts and underground music, and incorporating them into the music in a slightly innovative way helps to align with players' aesthetics. Balancing artistic and commercial aspects is not an irreconcilable conflict.

最后苑迪萌表示《原神》还留给他们很多的挑战，只有与项目组保持高度沟通，自我的不断成长，才能有所突破。
In conclusion, Yuan Dimeng expressed that *Genshin Impact* presents them with numerous challenges. Only through effective communication with the project team and continuous personal growth can they make breakthroughs in their work.

## Notes

1. ↑ Yuan wore the same blazer during the lecture. This portrait can be traced back as far as 2019.