Rob Hubbard

Rob Hubbard (born 1955[1][2] in Kingston upon Hull,[3] England) is a British composer best known for his composition of computer game theme music, especially for microcomputers of the 1980s such as the Commodore 64. His work showcased the potential of the Commodore 64's sound hardware and provided many examples of how appropriate music can improve the gaming experience.

Early life

He first started playing music aged seven. Whilst at school he played in bands. After leaving school he went to music college.[4]

Early career

In the late seventies, before scoring games, he was a professional studio musician. He decided to teach himself BASIC and machine code for the Commodore 64.[5]

Music on the Commodore 64

Writing a few demos and some educational software for learning music, he approached Gremlin Graphics in 1985 with samples of his work, in an attempt to market his software. Gremlin was more interested in the tunes than the software, and he was asked to create the soundtrack for Thing on a Spring, a platform game.

Hubbard went on to write or convert music for a variety of publishers on over 75 games between 1985 and 1989 such as Monty on the Run, Crazy Comets, Master of Magic and Commando. Some of his most popular tunes include also Warhawk, Delta, Thrust, Lightforce, Spellbound, Sanxion, Auf Wiedersehen Monty and International Karate. The game Knucklebusters includes Hubbard's longest tune: a 17-minute opus. Hubbard has mentioned his personal favourites are Kentilla, WAR and Sanxion. His least favourite was Sam Fox Strip Poker which he admitted to have done purely for money. He went under John York as an alias on the game credits.[3] He has stated that he had many musical influences including Jean Michel Jarre, Larry Fast and other synth bands.[6]

During this time Hubbard mainly composed for the Commodore 64's SID sound chip. He worked freelance and turned down some offers from companies to work in-house.[4]

Move to Electronic Arts and the USA

After working for several different companies, he left Newcastle in 1988 to work for Electronic Arts in America as a composer.[4] He was the first person devoted to sound and music at EA, and did everything from low-level programming to composing.[7] One of his most famous compositions during his period at EA is the music featured in the loading sequence of the C64 version of Skate or Die, which features samples of an electric guitar. Playback of samples was facilitated by exploiting a flaw in the SID sound-synthesizer chip: altering the volume register produced an audible click, and altering the register thousands of times per second enabled a crude form of sample playback.[8] He eventually became Audio Technical Director,[9] a more administrative job, deciding which technologies to use in games, and which to develop further.

After the Commodore 64 period he wrote some soundtracks for games which appeared on the Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC and Sega Mega Drive.

Recent activities

Hubbard recently contributed a few re-arrangements of his themes to Chris Abbott's C64 tribute Back in Time Live. Hubbard has performed several times with the Danish C64 cover-band PRESS PLAY ON TAPE who have covered many of his early tunes using a full rock-band arrangement. Hubbard has also performed his old music on piano with the support of violinist and fellow chiptune composer, Mark Knight aka TDK.

Hubbard left EA in 2002 and returned to England. He has recently resumed playing in a band, and has even revisited his past game music work in concert. Recent composition jobs have included music for mobile phone games.

In 2005, music from International Karate was performed live by a full orchestra at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert. The event took place in Leipzig, Germany. Hubbard arranged and orchestrated the piece.

In 2014, Hubbard appeared in and composed music for the documentary feature film From Bedrooms to Billions, a film that tells the story of the British video games industry.

In November 2016, Hubbard received an honorary degree from Abertay University for his contributions to video game music in the 1980s.[10]

Works

Title Publisher Release Notes
Commando[11]Elite Systems1985based on theme from Commando arcade game
RasputinFirebird1985features traditional Russian songs
Monty on the Run[11]Gremlin Graphics1985partially based on Devil's Galop by Charles Williams
Thing on a Spring[12]Gremlin Graphics1985
Confuzion[12]Incentive Software1985Cover of the song "Confuzion" by the band Private Property which was also on side B of the game cassette.
Crazy Comets[11]Martech1985
Chimera[13]Firebird1985
Master of Magic[14]MAD/Mastertronic1985partially based on "Shibolet" and "An End to History" from the Synergy album Audion
The Last V8[15]Mastertronic1985
Action Biker[12]Mastertronic1985
Formula 1 SimulatorMastertronic1985interpretation of "Hard Times" by Human League[16]
Hunter PatrolMastertronic1985
One Man and His Droid[17]Mastertronic1985
Battle of BritainPSS1985
Harvey Smith ShowjumpingSoftware Projects1985
Up, Up and AwayStarcade1985cover of a song by The 5th Dimension
Deep StrikeDurell1986
Bump Set SpikeEntertainment USA1986
NinjaEntertainment USA1986
Gerry the Germ[11]Firebird1986
ProteusFirebird1986based on two separate songs from John Keating´s album Space Experience ("The Unknown Planet" and "Space Agent")
Thrust[18]Firebird1986
WarhawkFirebird1986the same song as "Proteus", just an intro added
Lightforce[19]FTL1986
Geoff Capes Strongman ChallengeMartech1986
Samantha Fox Strip PokerMartech1986credited as John York because as he said "[it] was such a cheesy title and they wanted that cheesy lame music along with it - I didn't want to admit that I did it just for the money". Contains "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin
TarzanMartech1986Based on the theme from 1960s TV show "Tarzan"
W.A.R.[20]Martech1986
Zoids[21]Martech1986based on the track "Ancestors" from the Synergy album Audion
Flash GordonMAD/Mastertronic1986
Spellbound[22]MAD/Mastertronic1986
Hollywood or BustMastertronic1986Covers of "12th Street Rag" by Euday L. Bowman and "Dill Pickles Rag" by Charles L. Johnson
Human Race[23]Mastertronic1986
Kentilla[24]Mastertronic1986
Phantoms of the AsteroidMastertronic1986
Video PokerMastertronic1986contains "Easy Winners" by Scott Joplin
KnucklebustersMelbourne House1986Hubbard's longest composition, lasting 17 minutes[25]
International KarateSystem 31986parts are a pastiche of Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Forbidden Colours" from "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence"
SanxionThalamus Ltd1986in addition to Hubbard's famous loader song,[26] this contains "Dance of the Knights" from Prokofiev's ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
Jet Set WillyTynesoft1987Atari 800 version
ACE IICascade1987
BMX KidsFirebird1987the sampled voice saying "Go!" is actually Hubbard himself!
Saboteur IIDurell1987
Sigma 7Durell1987Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
ThanatosDurell1987Commodore 64 arrangement by Hubbard; Amstrad original by Julian Breeze
ThundercatsElite1987
Arcade ClassicsFirebird1987
I-BallFirebird1987inspired by "Whip Blow" and "I Want You" by Cabaret Voltaire[5]
HydrofoolFTL1987
Shockway RiderFTL1987
Auf Wiedersehen MontyGremlin Graphics1987with Ben Daglish
Chain ReactionKele-Line1987
Mega ApocalypseMartech1987Re-arrangement of "Crazy Comets"[27]
Nemesis the Warlock[28]Martech1987
WizMelbourne House1987
Bangkok KnightsSystem 31987
IK plus (International Karate plus)System 31987
Dragons Lair Part II[29]Software Projects1987
Star PawsSoftware Projects1987
DeltaThalamus Ltd1987The title music is inspired by the title track of Koyaanisqatsi soundtrack by Philip Glass. Other songs inspired by Pink Floyd[3]
Trans Atlantic Balloon ChallengeVirgin1987
GoldrunnerMicrodeal1987contains the same song as "Human Race"
19 Part One: Boot CampCascade1988an interpretation of Paul Hardcastle's "19"
Jordan vs. Bird: One on OneElectronic Arts1988
Kings of the BeachElectronic Arts1988
One-on-One 2Electronic Arts1988
Power Play HockeyElectronic Arts1988
Skate or Die!Electronic Arts1988
PandoraPSI Soft Design/Firebird1988
RicochetFirebird1988
688 Attack SubElectronic Arts1989
Budokan: The Martial SpiritElectronic Arts1989
Indianapolis 500: The SimulationElectronic Arts1989
Keef the ThiefElectronic Arts1989
Kings of the BeachElectronic Arts1989
Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA PlayoffsElectronic Arts1989
PopulousElectronic Arts1989
Low BlowElectronic Arts1990
Ski or DieElectronic Arts1990
The ImmortalElectronic Arts1990
John Madden FootballEA Sports/Imagineer1990
Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double TroubleElectronic Arts1990
PGA Tour GolfElectronic Arts1991
Road RashElectronic Arts1991with Michael Bartlow
Desert Strike: Return to the GulfElectronic Arts1991with Brian L. Schmidt
Road Rash 2Electronic Arts1992with Don Veca and Tony Berkeley
The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated ScalpelElectronic Arts1992
NHL Hockey '95Electronic Arts1994
The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose TattooElectronic Arts1996
From Bedrooms to BillionsGracious Films2014

References

  1. ↑ ZZAP! 64, October 1985
  2. ↑ Happy Computer 7/86
  3. 1 2 3 "For the best in C64 nostalgia". C64.COM. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  4. 1 2 3 "For the best in C64 nostalgia". C64.COM. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  5. 1 2 "Interview with Rob Hubbard". Sidmusic.org. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  6. ↑ "Interview with Rob Hubbard". Trondal.com. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  7. ↑ "Interview with Rob Hubbard". Karsmakers.nl. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  8. ↑ Paulie's SID Music Page (A Fourth Channel section) (6 April 2008). "SID Music".
  9. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html
  10. ↑ "Abertay announces honorary graduates". abertay.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Profile - The Master Of Micro Music". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 "View a Scan". Zzap64.co.uk. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  13. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html
  14. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/20/1/Profile---The-Master-Of-Micro-Music/Page1.html
  15. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/3/Rob-Hubbard/Page3.html
  16. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/3/Rob-Hubbard/Page3.html
  17. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html
  18. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html
  19. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/5/Rob-Hubbard/Page5.html
  20. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/5/Rob-Hubbard/Page5.html
  21. ↑ "Profile - The Master Of Micro Music". The-commodore-zone.com. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  22. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html
  23. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/3/Rob-Hubbard/Page3.html
  24. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html
  25. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/4/Rob-Hubbard/Page4.html
  26. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/5/Rob-Hubbard/Page5.html
  27. ↑ http://www.the-commodore-zone.com/articlelive/articles/19/2/Rob-Hubbard/Page2.html
  28. ↑ "Issue 26". Zzap64.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
  29. ↑ http://www.sidmusic.org/sid/rhubbard.html


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