South Of Midnight’s Music Transforms Trauma Into A Soundtrack

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Video game music often fades into the background unless it’s connected to powerful, memorable moments that really resonate with players – moments that can make you feel joy, sadness, excitement, or wonder. Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight is different. Its story and music work together seamlessly, creating many of these unforgettable experiences throughout its 10-12 hour game.

South of Midnight is set in a magical reimagining of the American South, filled with people and creatures haunted by difficult pasts. You play as Hazel, a Weaver who can see ghosts and learn from memories. She uses a mix of magic and empathy to help others overcome their emotional pain. As you uncover the stories behind these characters’ struggles, their trauma manifests as music, enriching the game’s themes and creating a lasting impact.

I interviewed lead composer Olivier Derivière and audio director Christopher Fox individually to get insights into the impressive music and sound design of South of Midnight.

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Neither Derivière nor Fox grew up in the American South. I mentioned this to them because I was curious about how the game’s sound design developed, considering their backgrounds. Derivière admitted he had the same question when he first started working on the project.

Initially, I questioned why they were hiring me, being French and not from the American South. I felt it wasn’t my place to portray that culture. But they explained they weren’t looking for strict accuracy. They wanted authenticity – a feeling inspired by the South, not a precise recreation of it. Once they clarified that, it all made sense. They weren’t trying to create something from the South, but something inspired by it, recognizing it was a fantastical setting.

Although Derivière and Fox are European, the creative director, David Sears, is from the American South, and that’s true for many of the singers and musicians working on the music for South of Midnight. Derivière says Compulsion Games encouraged him to create something genuine for their fantasy world, rather than simply copy existing styles.

Derivière explained that they collaborated with talented musicians from Nashville, Paris, and London to create the orchestral sound. He would present his interpretation of a song, and then the musicians, drawing on their own backgrounds – whether from New Orleans, Nashville, or elsewhere – would add their authentic touch. After reviewing the music and melody, they’d immediately begin playing, instantly infusing the piece with culture and artistry.

He explained that the music was a mix of African and European traditions, and that this blend was what made it special. He believes it helped shape American culture, drawing influences from many different places.

Fox told Derivière he’d created a playlist of Southern music, but ultimately chose not to share it, hoping it would give Derivière more freedom to explore their own ideas.

I aim to foster a space where Olivier can be truly creative and develop something unique. That’s why I didn’t offer him a pre-made playlist. If you ask for something similar to an existing work, you’ll just get a copy – like the difference between Coke and Coke Light. True innovation requires taking risks and accepting the possibility of failure. But I believed Olivier had a high chance of creating something exceptional, and that risk was worth taking.

Fox also pointed out something many, particularly those from the Deep South, noticed: the film truly captured the atmosphere of the region. He believes this was largely due to the on-location sound recordings made in the swamps and mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. That realistic sound design provided a solid foundation, allowing the music to be more creative and experimental.

The game’s creativity is really highlighted by the use of children’s voices, both while you’re playing and in the music. A particularly memorable audio cue happens when you follow the Guiding Strand—a shimmering line that shows you where to go next.

Whenever you use the game’s navigation, you’ll hear a child’s voice softly say “Hazel,” guiding your way. The game’s soundtrack often includes children’s voices, and these ethereal figures feel like supernatural companions who offer guidance, encouragement, and even fight with you throughout your adventure.

I remember the creators really wanting to avoid all the usual tropes when they were developing this. They didn’t want to label what was happening as spirits, ghosts, or even magic – they wanted something fresh. What they landed on felt more like an energy, almost like threads surrounding everything. And the really cool part? They figured out that using children’s voices was the key to making that energy – those ‘strands’ – feel real. They acknowledged that there’s often a connection with ghosts in these kinds of stories, but they wanted to show that connection happening through these strands, and the kids were the source of it all.

You know, Derivière kept saying the kids are really the heart of this game. He meant they’re with you the entire time, through everything, no matter what you’re doing or where you are. Fox added to that, explaining how they actually used these four girls – they’re from a gospel choir in Nashville – in the sound design. It’s pretty cool how integral they are to the whole experience.

The four girls not only sang for the game’s soundtrack and musical parts, but also recorded lots of different sounds for gameplay – everything from giggles and whispers to shouts and other noises.

Fox explained that a particularly talented group of five girls from their local Gospel church really stood out. Olivier had previously highlighted them as the show’s stars, and for good reason – they were prominently featured throughout. Fox praised Olivier’s creative approach, noting how he used sound to create a sense of proximity and power. The closer you get to something in the production, the more intense the sound becomes, enhancing the feeling of approaching something significant. Overall, Fox described the collaboration with Olivier as a fantastic and innovative project focused on the power of voice.

According to Derivière, the significant role of music and vocals in South of Midnight nearly didn’t happen – it wasn’t originally planned that way.

We initially had no plans for music in the game,” explained Derivière. “Then, David Sears, the creative director, decided he didn’t want any music at all. It was a bit surprising, as he was actively discussing it with the composer and telling him the same thing.

As we talked more, it became clear we needed songs. This was partly because music is deeply rooted in Southern culture, but also because we wanted the songs to help tell the story. That’s when David and the narrative team started writing lyrics.

These discussions happened during the first year of planning, while the game was still in its initial development stages. Fox also shared some insights into how the team was thinking at the time, explaining that the music was finished well before any other parts of the game.

We never expected there to be music in the game when we first started working on it.

It was challenging because we wanted the 2D artwork to guide the creation of the 3D environments, and we even explored if the music could be similarly inspired by the songs we were writing – a fairly unique approach, as Fox described. For a long time, the songs were all we had while we waited for the game to reach a point where we could start incorporating them. Working closely with the narrative team was crucial, and they actually helped write some of the lyrics, along with David Sears.

South of Midnight uses a clever approach to music. Instead of playing complete songs right away, it reveals pieces of them as you explore. As you uncover more about the story and characters’ pasts, lyrics are gradually added to a song. By the end of each level, the complete song plays, creating a powerful and emotional experience.

As I played, I noticed this really cool thing happen repeatedly: the game used music to dive into what different characters were feeling. Like, you really felt Benjy’s guilt, or Two-Toed Tom’s anger, through the soundtrack. It was amazing how these little, unfinished melodies would gradually build up, eventually becoming the full-blown theme song for each chapter’s boss. But what I loved even more was how subtle it all was – the music perfectly captured each character’s story without being overly obvious or cheesy. It really added a lot to the experience!

We didn’t want the song to simply tell a story chronologically,” Derivière explained. “Instead, we aimed for something more abstract, but still relevant to the overall theme and events.

Derivière explained that they changed the song arrangement so that children’s voices play during gameplay, while the creature or character sings at the end. The children’s singing is intentionally distorted and unsettling, reflecting the dark nature of the character, David. They didn’t want a pleasant-sounding song during gameplay, as the levels themselves are meant to be frightening.

Fox explained that they envisioned a contrast between a ‘corrupted’ and ‘uncorrupted’ state for the level’s atmosphere. They wondered if it would be compelling to begin the level with a sense of mystery, obscuring the history of the area and its creatures. The idea was that as players progressed and experienced the story, they would gradually uncover fragments of a haunting melody, revealing the zone’s trauma.

When I spoke with Christopher Fox about the memorable moments in South of Midnight, we started talking about what makes game music stick with players. I explained that I usually don’t pay much attention to a game’s soundtrack unless it’s linked to something significant happening in the game or if it makes me feel something.

“I understand what you’re saying,” Fox explained. “It’s similar to the Ashtray Maze in the game Control. It also makes you think about how often something can happen before it loses its impact. Those little moments in Remedy games – the ones we remember – stand out because they aren’t constant. I think we created something that avoids becoming repetitive by always keeping things fresh and changing.”

I didn’t get tired of South of Midnight’s music because each powerful song explores a unique struggle and character backstory. I found myself hooked by the mystery surrounding what happened to the creatures and characters, and how that was reflected in the music itself, making me eager to hear more.

According to Fox, the music aimed to capture the emotional pain each creature experienced. Things like overwhelming guilt and grief were central to each character, and these core feelings were established from the beginning. The hope is that the music effectively conveys those emotions.

I particularly loved the songs “Huggin’ Molly,” “Rougarou,” and “Altamaha-Ha” on the South of Midnight soundtrack, as they really brought the stories of those creatures to life. “Altamaha-Ha” was especially powerful – it tells the heartbreaking story of an enslaved woman who lost her child while fleeing captivity, and Stacy Subero’s vocals are stunning. Fox agreed with this assessment.

Fox shared that their favorite song from the game is ‘Altamaha-Ha’ because it’s incredibly moving – they’ve seen many people cry when it plays, which is rare for a video game soundtrack. They were especially impressed with the song, written by Olivier and performed by lead singer Stacey and the backup vocalists, saying they never expected to encounter such a powerful song within a video game.

Derivière complimented the performances on both the Rougarou and Altamaha-Ha projects. When I asked about the recording process, he described the experience of hearing Joey Richey play on Rougarou and Stacy Subero on Altamaha-Ha.

Derivière recalled a particularly striking performance, saying, ‘He really let loose, shouting things like ‘I break my bones!’ It was incredible, especially considering he hadn’t yet performed with the orchestra – it was just him and the piano. I told him he needed to give it everything he had, because that was his chance to shine.’

The experience with Stacey at Altamaha-Ha was incredible. She was truly amazing. And the adult choir was phenomenal – their sound was rich, deep, and moving. When you heard them sing, you could feel it happening right then and there. Moments like that always make you worry the sound engineer remembered to hit record – you’re just hoping they captured it!

The soundtrack for South of Midnight, created by Compulsion Games, is full of heartfelt and impactful music that stands on its own, even outside the game. It beautifully enhances the game’s themes of loss, struggle, and hope, and combined with clever sound design, creates a truly exceptional audio experience that unfortunately didn’t get the attention it deserved.

I’m excited for even more players to enjoy the amazing sound design in South of Midnight when it launches on PS5 and Switch 2 in Spring 2026.

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2025-12-25 00:12