Phantom Blade Zero composer Caisheng Bo is known as a pioneer in Chinese experimental music. As the soundtrack for the critically acclaimed action game gets announced for release today – a four-disc, 81-track audio adventure published by Milan Records – the music publisher shares the intriguing backstory of this soundtrack. “The musical story of Phantom Blade Zero began 18 years ago, when Caisheng Bo and Soulframe Liang—one in high school and the other in graduate school—were working on their indie game Rainblood 2: City of Flames, which would later evolve into the Phantom Blade franchise.”
Bo, based in Beijing and a graduate of the University of Virginia in the US, spoke with IGN on the eve of the soundtrack’s release.
IGN: From what I’ve seen of Phantom Blade Zero, the music very much ties in with some of the folklore and cultural themes explored in the game. Can you discuss how you sought to express this through music?
Bao: In traditional Chinese music, each instrument has developed a rigid set of associations—what it represents and how it should be used. I see this as a form of stereotyped expression. The erhu, a Chinese two-string bowed fiddle, is most often used to depict heroic action and the sorrow of personal endeavour. The pipa, a Chinese four-string lute, is associated with a feminine image and with danger on the battlefield. Anything outside these conventions may seem out of context.
This is the narrative I want to challenge in the music of Phantom Blade Zero. For each Chinese instrument, I set up a polarity between its traditional associations and a new set of meanings.
In Phantom Blade Zero, the erhu represents heroic action, as in the traditional idiom, but it also represents “manipulation”—a key image in which red threads descend from the sky, pulling enemies upward and controlling them. The pipa is tied not only to danger and the crisis lingering in the dark, but also to “discordance,” an otherworldly realm where time stops and space distorts. The matouqin and Hoomai (throat singing), represent “mandate” and righteousness, while at the other pole they evoke megalophobia—the fear of vast objects. The xūn, a Chinese clay ocarina, is traditionally used to represent weeping, one of its signature playing techniques. In Phantom Blade Zero, the xun is also heard when Mu Tianmiao, a character of absolute authority, is present. These narrative polarities are among the design choices I made to enrich the game’s story through music.
Alongside this innovative use of Chinese instruments, there are stuttering sound designs in the cutscenes, especially when Zuo Shang is plotting his scheme. As the story progresses, the stuttering sound grows louder and more present. This building stutter suggests his growing ambition—his uncontainable “Sha Qi” (killing intent).
By incorporating traditional Chinese instruments alongside modern musical genres and elements, I hope the music can cross cultural barriers, reach players’ hearts, and offer them a truly distinct listening experience.
IGN: What other works of art inspired you for this project?
Bao: The music of the Phantom Blade series dates back almost 18 years to an indie game called Rainblood—that is where I began composing for this franchise. The music of Phantom Blade Zero is therefore built largely on what I have written over the years, though it has since developed into something uniquely its own. Most of the melodies have been carried over, but the stuttering sound design and the polarity between traditional and new meanings are entirely new.
IGN: How did your score evolve as you saw the game come together over the course of development?
Bao: Over the course of development, alongside a complete script, Soulframe would send me in-game footage of an area once they felt it was about 60% complete. They would play through the entire area—exploring hidden paths, defeating enemies, and finding treasures—just as a player would. As a result, I would regularly receive 4-hour-long video recordings for different areas of the game. I would then divide these areas into segments and plan the music for each one. In essence, I work as both music director and composer, which means I know where the music should start and what emotions it needs to capture. Once the team receives my music demo, they fine-tune the map, the combat, and the boss fights to match my music, ensuring that the game and the music sync perfectly with each other.
IGN: What are you hoping players take away from Phantom Blade Zero’s soundtrack?
Bao: In vague terms, I would describe the ethnic Chinese music most listeners are familiar with as beautiful ancient villages or sacred temples—something that looks as if it has come straight out of an ink-wash painting, surrounded by tall mountains, beautiful waterfalls, and tall, sharp parasol trees. Because of Phantom Blade’s unique concept of Kungfu Punk, I was able to make bold musical decisions to match the visuals. For Phantom Blade Zero, then, I want to introduce the modern side of Chinese music—think of Shanghai, a city of skyscrapers and flashy neon that is undeniably Chinese.
Beyond the question of the music’s origins, I believe music is a universal language we all speak. I wanted to show the endless possibilities of combining Eastern ethnic elements with Western modern genres such as pop, trap, and metal—and how we can all appreciate the aesthetically astonishing results, regardless of cultural differences.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, and a co-host of Next-Gen Console Watch. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.