Alright, folks, talk about something that hits you right in the gut (in a good way!): the sound and music of [i]Trolls Reborn[/i]! From the very beginning, we knew that the music needed to [b]stomp, roar, and shake the very foundations of Viking longhouses![/b]
So, when we started plotting [i]Trolls Reborn[/i], one of the first things we did was reach out to the legendary [b]Aleksandar Dimitrijevic[/b], our original composer who lives close by our office, and ask, [i]“Hey, want to remaster the old tracks?”[/i] And what does he do? He pulls a full-on Troll move and surprises us with, [i]“I got really inspired over the weekend, so I made you a whole new Troll track.”[/i] [u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f92f.png[/img][/u]
Boom! That’s how [i]Trolls Forever[/i] was born. Not only are we bringing back all those glorious tunes, but we’ve also got [b]brand-new music[/b] just for [i]Reborn[/i], as well as adding a whole set of freshly remastered music from Trolls 2. So, new, not new!
[h3][b]Meet the Maestro [/b][b][u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1fa84.png[/img][/u][/b][/h3]
If you don’t know Aleksandar by name, you [b]definitely[/b] know his work. He’s contributed music for [b]Avatar, Star Wars, Lord of The Rings, Marvel, Wall-E, Pirates of The Caribbean, Narnia, Harry Potter, Stranger Things, Terminator, Game of Thrones, X-Files, Simpsons, 1917, Free Solo, Spiderman, Wolverine, Batman, Hunger Games, Jurassic World[/b]… I mean, stringing up all those titles. It’s almost otherworldly!
(Full list? Knock yourself out: [url=https://aleksandardimitrijevic.com/index.php/trailers/]Aleksandar's Trailer Work[/url])
Now, before you start thinking we somehow roped in a Hollywood composer for fun—plot twist! Aleksandar actually doesn’t compose music [b]for[/b] those movies. Nope. He makes [b]the epic trailer music[/b] that gets your blood pumping before the movie even starts. You know that moment when the bass drops in a trailer, and you instantly want to ride into battle and order that movie ticket? Yeah. That’s him. And, he’s bringing that same fire to [i]Trolls Reborn[/i].
[h3][b]Trolls, Gnomes & a Very Real Orchestra [/b][b][u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f3bb.png[/img][/u][/b][/h3]
When we first started working with Aleksandar, we thought, [i]“Hey, what if we didn’t just make a soundtrack? What if we went full madness and hired actual Trolls and Gnomes to play it?”[/i] And, well… that’s [i]kind of[/i] what we did.
We brainstormed what it would actually sound like if a Troll tried to play a human string instrument. (Spoiler: [b]wonky[/b].) So, naturally, we [b]went into the woods[/b] to find the right creatures for the job. And lo and behold—[b]we found real Trolls who wanted in![/b]
Okay, maybe not [i]actual[/i] Trolls, but we had an absolute blast recording with musicians and sound designers who helped craft this otherworldly, stomping, clanging, rumbling [i]Trolls Reborn[/i] soundscape.
[h3][b]When Vikings Show Up, You Better Have Guitars [/b][b][u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f3b8.png[/img][/u][/b][/h3]
[i]Trolls[/i] aren’t just about [b]Trolls[/b]—we’ve also got [b]Vikings and gods[/b] to contend with! So when you’re facing off against Odin or Thor, you better believe the soundtrack is going [b]hard.[/b] We’re talking [b]rolling guitars, booming drums, and that intense “Oh sh*t, I’m fighting a god” kind of music.[/b]
[h3][b]The Original Madness (with a Touch of Chaos)[/b][/h3]
It’s not just Aleksandar, though. Back in the day, our [b]audio director Tord Digranes[/b] and a whole bunch of amazing sound designers, friends, and devs lent their voices, shouts, grunts, and other [i]Trollish[/i] noises to the original game. For [i]Trolls Reborn[/i], we’ve kept a lot of that magic but updated the tech to make sure everything sounds [b]as good as it can.[/b]
I’ll never forget those recording sessions—[b]friends, devs, and actors crammed into a studio, taking turns growling, grunting, and howling into a mic[/b] while trying not to laugh. We went all in to make [i]Trolls[/i] sound like nothing else out there. And honestly? It was just [b]so much fun[/b]. We hope that shines through in the game.
[h3][b]Wanna Hear [/b][b][i]Trolls Forever[/i][/b][b]? [/b][b][u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f3a7.png[/img][/u][/b][/h3]
You don’t have to take my word for it—check out the brand-new [i]Trolls Forever[/i] track for yourself! I uploaded a sample to SoundCloud, so go have a listen:
[u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f50a.png[/img][/u] [url=https://on.soundcloud.com/KUK5mAYYoSBXr27j9]Listen Here[/url] [u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/1f50a.png[/img][/u]
You also find some other Trolls track on that page if you search. Alas; if you search Aleksandars webpage you find a very gifted composer, making music not only for Trolls and Hollywood, but also his very own awesome albums. Do check him out!
Until next time, keep your battle drums pounding and your war horns blaring! [u][img]https://a.slack-edge.com/production-standard-emoji-assets/14.0/google-medium/2694-fe0f.png[/img][/u]
All the best,
[b]Jørgen Tharaldsen[/b]
[i]Game Director, Trolls vs Vikings[/i]