Greetings, my name is Joff. I’m a music composer, soundtrack artist, musician, professional daydreamer, and passionate advocate of the arts.
I write video game soundtracks infused with evocative soundscapes, the intimacy of a solo performer, and a cinematic sensibility that lifts narrative gaming experiences.
Joff Winks Video game Music Composer & Soundtrack Artist
Arctic Awakening
SOUNDTRACK REVIEW
“... before I begin summing up my final thoughts [about Arctic Awakening] – that soundtrack. Goddamn, these tracks are stunning. Every single one of the ambient tunes is emotionally evocative and deeply introspective. I adored the music at every turn, and the very second it hits the internet, I’ll be listening to it with the Zen of a master monk living atop an isolated mountain. Unbelievably great stuff.”
It's been more than three and a half years since I joined forces with Goldfire Studios to make Arctic Awakening, and after five years of development by the team, I can finally write the two words I've been dreaming of... Available Now!
Arctic Awakening is a remarkable project. From the game art and writing, voice acting and sound design, every department has given it their all. And for me, it's been an epic journey for which I have written over three hours of music!
The music has been part of my life for so long that I feel nervous letting it go. But music needs to be listened to if it is to fulfil its own journey, so with some trepidation and much elation, I am also pleased to announce, alongside the game, the release of the Arctic Awakening soundtrack.
The soundtrack album features 30 tracks carefully selected from the game's five episodes, with a running time of just over one and a half hours. It is a collection of works that I am incredibly excited to share.
The soundtrack is now available on my Bandcamp page, Arctic Awakening's Steam page, Apple Music, Spotify and all major streaming platforms.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the music as much as I have enjoyed writing it, and I cannot wait for you to experience the game!
“You’ll definitely fall prey to the soundtrack of Arctic Awakening. It’s deeply instrumental, evoking the feeling of being in the actual Arctic, with the unsettling cold, but also the alluring beauty of naked nature. Inhaling the fresh air, as the moody atmosphere brings it all together.”
“Sometimes subtle, sometimes powerful, the music swells at key moments before retreating into silence... when the score kicks in, it heightens the sense of discovery and loneliness… Arctic Awakening isn’t just a highlight of the year—it’s a genuine Game of the Year contender.”
“The audio design deserves particular praise, with an ambient soundtrack that perfectly complements the emotional journey. Every musical cue feels carefully crafted to enhance the introspective mood, creating memorable atmospheric moments throughout the experience.”
“The music is... top-notch too, it’s dangerous and lonely and matches the visual tone of the Alaskan wilderness well. One particular scene involving a homemade ukulele is beautiful, and probably my favourite moment in the game.”
Video game music composer -
Earlier this year, Arctic Awakening was selected to participate in the Save & Sound festival, an online music festival celebrating the talents of game music composers and unique audio implementations in video games.
As a composer who writes for video games, I was thrilled to have been selected! With hundreds of applications pouring in, the competition for places was fierce, making it a true honour to have my score for Arctic Awakening stand alongside such exceptional titles as Pathologic 3, Tiny Glade, Europa and Pacific Drive.
Successful entrants recorded 5-10 minute videos showcasing the music from their games with live performances or technical deep-dives. For our entry, we chose to weave together both elements to showcase some performances, unique instrumentation and technical aspects of the implementation.
Check out Arctic Awakening's soundtrack in this specially recorded video for Save & Sound 2024!
To learn more about previous collaborations and earlier projects, please visit my work page for more details. Thanks!
Work With Me
Choosing a composer for your video game is a big decision.
I believe music is one of the most vital tools a game developer has to create compelling, memorable experiences that leave a lasting impression; getting it right is important!
I also believe that working with like-minded people who share a desire to craft brilliant, original work is a recipe for success!
If this resonates with you, why not stick around, check out some music, and if you like what you hear, get in touch.
“I’ve worked with Joff on three projects now. Joff worked incredibly hard and nailed all three projects. Not just composing all the music but also doing the final mixes of the soundtracks. He’s very, very talented, has terrific attention to detail and brings personal integrity and sensitivity to all his work.
It would be hard to imagine duckrabbit (my company) working with anyone else now.
All our sound mixing will now go through Joff.”
Testimonials
“Joff’s enthusiasm and creative input far surpass what was expected. He strives to uncover the essence and finer details of a project to create work of tremendous quality and depth. He is an extremely capable and professional composer for filmic and atmospheric scores and comes with my highest recommendation.”
“Joff is a truly creative and inspiring musician. The score for our Straight 8 film was written and produced by him, not only does it sound fantastic but it was turned around in an incredibly short time scale. He is a pleasure to work with and we hope to be joining forces again soon.”
To help answer some common questions, I've written a few posts about various aspects of game music, covering topics like the positive physiological effect music has on gamers and game sales, the cost of commissioning an original game soundtrack and the benefits of working directly with a composer that specialises in music for video games. Here are a few articles to get you started. Enjoy!
“To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.”
Work Reel
Welcome to my work reel. Choosing music to share with people is hard. It's tough to sum up or accurately represent musical inclinations with a few tracks, but I've chosen the following examples to make a start.
The music in this playlist represents many different projects. Some tracks, like Wander or The Wave, belong to soundtracks I've composed for video games. Others like Abri represent work written to demo new sample libraries for Soundpaint and 8Dio, and some tracks that never made it into projects are here just because I like them!
Along with the soundtracks I compose for video games and other media, I also make music with my band, Sanguine Hum. Over the years, we have recorded six studio albums, live records, and a series of ambient cinematic EPs under the pseudonym Nunbient. To dig a little deeper, check out the albums page or visit my work page for details on current and previous projects.
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I believe music properly utilized is one of the most vital tools a game developer has to create a lasting impression on players.
In this blog, I want to share some objective evidence that supports my instinct about why music is a uniquely valuable asset in video games.