A Hollow Knight boss fight found its groove thanks to a 17th-century violinist

polygon.com:

In Hollow Knight, you explore a world gone to ruin, where structures are left to rot and plants and fungus reclaim what’s left. This haunting, tragic insect kingdom — and its unforgettable, challenging fights — took hold in my imagination thanks to Christopher Larkin’s soundtrack. His melodies seemed to embolden prideful enemies, like during the battle against the boastful Dung Defender, or his songs would sink me into melancholy as I explored crumbling structures accompanied by “City of Tears.” The soundtrack hints at a sense of curiosity too, at least to my ears, and the possibility of rejuvenation.

As we keep waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for more information on Hollow Knight’s sequel Silksong, Polygon asked Larkin some questions about his process as part of Polygon FM, our theme week celebrating the intersection of music and games.

Polygon: Was there a game soundtrack or song that inspired you to pursue creating game music? Can you set the scene of what that felt like for you, and why the music was so effective?

Christopher Larkin: The music for The Legend of Zelda series, especially that of Ocarina of Time was a big influence. I found the music for the different areas of the game really captivated my imagination. I was inspired by this for sure.

I also took a lot of inspiration from the music of Final Fantasy, particularly VII and Crystal Chronicles.

While as much as I’d like to say it was a singular piece or soundtrack, the reality was that it was a process of growing up playing games while exploring the possibilities of music. This exploration was a kind of continuous flow. I do recall one point where I heard the piano version of “Those Who Fight” which was used in Final Fantasy Advent Children. When I heard this piece I remember thinking, “Why don’t they use that version in the game?” The sound of it also provided a gateway into the idea of combining a modern classical sound with videogame music, and soon after I decided to pursue studying at a music