GameSetWatch conducted an interview with two of the guys responsible for the audio in Street Fighter IV. Masayuki Endou, who did sound direction and sound design and Hideyuki Fukasawa, who handled composing songs, arranging and programming audio.GSW: What kind of research went into giving the game an international musical palette?
Fukasawa: I listened to a lot of folk songs and popular music from Russia for that one theme. While the beat has a house and techno feel to it, Russian folk songs helped form the melody. Another important part of the background research involved immersing myself in the music of Street Fighter. My iPod was packed with fighting game tracks, and they brought to my attention the strong melody lines and well crafted arrangements that have characterized these games.
GSW: What characteristics did you feel were important to lend the stage music of the handful of characters that are new to Street Fighter IV?
Endou: A guideline that we kept in mind was to let each song act symbolically. That might not be expressed through the main melody. It could be as simple as a motif within the song that operates as a thematic hook, giving it a symbolic power. In terms of crafting songs that left a strong impression on the player, we felt that Street Fighter IV should share this characteristic as its common bond with Street Fighter II.
If you want to go further, you can check out the track list and a few other details here.
