David Wise
Encyclopedia
David Wise is a British
video game music composer
. He was one of the in-house composers at Rare, and his music appears in many Rare-developed titles. He started his career there in 1985 and was the company's sole musician up until 1994. He is known for his atmospheric style of music, mixing natural environmental sounds with prominent melodic and percussive accompaniment.
His most famous work is that of the soundtracks for the Donkey Kong Country
series of games, which are widely considered to be some of the best soundtracks to ever appear on the SNES
. In addition to the percussive and ambient 'jungle' influences that serve as a thematic undercurrent for much of the series, the games feature a wide variety of different musical styles that are reflective of the various areas and environments they appear in. In the January 1996 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
, Wise stated that his traveling experiences largely shaped the sound and mood of each Donkey Kong soundtrack, further saying that the music for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
was composed during what he called his "experimental Paris phase". More recently, he's done the soundtrack for the Game Boy Advance
port of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
.
Wise has said that he has had a wide range of musical influences, though the first instrument he learned to play was the piano, before later learning the trumpet, and then learning to play drums during adolescence. He played in a few bands during his youth, and was still active in a band as of 2004. His career working for Rare began when he happened to meet its two founders, as he explained in response to a question posted on its company website: "I was working in a music shop demonstrating a Yamaha CX5 Music Computer to a couple of people, Tim & Chris Stamper
. I'd written and programmed the music for the demonstration material. They offered me a job."
In late October 2009, it was announced by the OverClocked ReMix
community that Wise was remixing a track for Serious Monkey Business, an unofficial Donkey Kong Country 2
remix album. Grant Kirkhope
and Robin Beanland
also collaborated on this track, playing guitar and trumpet, respectively. On March 15, 2010, Serious Monkey Business was released and Dave Wise's track, 'Re-Skewed', is track #33 on the album.
Much like he contributed to Serious Monkey Business, Wise will be remixing his own composition, the GBA version of "Jungle Jitter", for an unofficial Donkey Kong Country 3 remix album titled Double the Trouble. The album is tackling both the SNES and GBA soundtracks of the game, the latter which Wise himself composed specifically for the GBA port.
On October 30, 2009, Wise announced his resignation from Rare. He will continue working as a freelance composer/sound designer.
As of December 2010, Wise has a new personal studio called 'David Wise Sound Studio' which was mentioned by him in a recent interview.
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
2000
2002
2004
2005
2007
2008
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
video game music composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. He was one of the in-house composers at Rare, and his music appears in many Rare-developed titles. He started his career there in 1985 and was the company's sole musician up until 1994. He is known for his atmospheric style of music, mixing natural environmental sounds with prominent melodic and percussive accompaniment.
His most famous work is that of the soundtracks for the Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
series of games, which are widely considered to be some of the best soundtracks to ever appear on the SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. In addition to the percussive and ambient 'jungle' influences that serve as a thematic undercurrent for much of the series, the games feature a wide variety of different musical styles that are reflective of the various areas and environments they appear in. In the January 1996 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
, Wise stated that his traveling experiences largely shaped the sound and mood of each Donkey Kong soundtrack, further saying that the music for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an adventure platform game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Rareware and published by Nintendo. It stars Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong...
was composed during what he called his "experimental Paris phase". More recently, he's done the soundtrack for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
port of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is a platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo and was the third and final installment in the Donkey Kong Country trilogy until Nintendo announced Retro Studios would be developing the next installment, Donkey Kong Country Returns...
.
Wise has said that he has had a wide range of musical influences, though the first instrument he learned to play was the piano, before later learning the trumpet, and then learning to play drums during adolescence. He played in a few bands during his youth, and was still active in a band as of 2004. His career working for Rare began when he happened to meet its two founders, as he explained in response to a question posted on its company website: "I was working in a music shop demonstrating a Yamaha CX5 Music Computer to a couple of people, Tim & Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
. I'd written and programmed the music for the demonstration material. They offered me a job."
In late October 2009, it was announced by the OverClocked ReMix
OverClocked ReMix
OverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...
community that Wise was remixing a track for Serious Monkey Business, an unofficial Donkey Kong Country 2
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an adventure platform game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Rareware and published by Nintendo. It stars Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong...
remix album. Grant Kirkhope
Grant Kirkhope
Grant Kirkhope is a British video game music composer, known for writing the soundtracks for numerous games by Rare, such as Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark and Donkey Kong 64.-Biography:...
and Robin Beanland
Robin Beanland
Robin Beanland , sometimes credited as R. Beanland or simply "The Bean", is a British video game music composer for numerous Rare titles, such as the Killer Instinct franchise, Conker's Bad Fur Day , and many others...
also collaborated on this track, playing guitar and trumpet, respectively. On March 15, 2010, Serious Monkey Business was released and Dave Wise's track, 'Re-Skewed', is track #33 on the album.
Much like he contributed to Serious Monkey Business, Wise will be remixing his own composition, the GBA version of "Jungle Jitter", for an unofficial Donkey Kong Country 3 remix album titled Double the Trouble. The album is tackling both the SNES and GBA soundtracks of the game, the latter which Wise himself composed specifically for the GBA port.
On October 30, 2009, Wise announced his resignation from Rare. He will continue working as a freelance composer/sound designer.
As of December 2010, Wise has a new personal studio called 'David Wise Sound Studio' which was mentioned by him in a recent interview.
Video game credits
1987- SlalomSlalom (video game)Slalom is a skiing video game made by UK-based video game company Rare. It was first released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Vs. System in 1986. It was then released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987...
(NES) - Wizards & WarriorsWizards and WarriorsWizards & Warriors is a platforming video game developed by UK-based company Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was published by Acclaim and released in North America in December 1987 and in Europe on January 7, 1990. It was also released in Japan by Jaleco on July 15,...
(NES)
1988
- R.C. Pro-AmR.C. Pro-AmR.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game developed by United Kingdom-based company Rare. It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Nintendo at North America in February 1988, and then in Europe on April 15 that year. Presented in an overhead isometric perspective, a single player...
(NES) - Wheel of Fortune (NES)
- Jeopardy! (NES)
- AnticipationAnticipation (video game)Anticipation is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Rare that was released in 1988. It is playable as a single player with computer-controlled players or multiplayer with support for up to four players....
(NES)
1989
- Marble MadnessMarble MadnessMarble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...
(NES) - World Games (NES)
- WWF WrestleManiaWWF WrestleMania (video game)WWF WrestleMania is an NES game created by Rare and published by Acclaim Entertainment in 1988.-Summary:...
(NES) - Sesame Street 123 (NES)
- John Elway's Quarterback (NES)
- California GamesCalifornia GamesCalifornia Games is a 1987 Epyx sports video game for many home computers and video game consoles. Branching from their popular Summer Games and Winter Games series, this game consisted of some sports purportedly popular in California including skateboarding, freestyle footbag, surfing, roller...
(NES) - Taboo: The Sixth SenseTaboo: The Sixth SenseTaboo: The Sixth Sense is a video game developed by Rare and published by Tradewest for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 that gives users a tarot reading where the "dealer" automatically shuffles the cards...
(NES) - Sesame Street ABC (NES)
- Hollywood Squares (NES)
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (NES)
- Jordan Vs. Bird: One On One (NES)
- Cobra TriangleCobra TriangleCobra Triangle is a single-player game developed by Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment System following the success of their previous game, R.C. Pro-Am....
(NES) - Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors IIIronsword: Wizards & Warriors IIIronsword: Wizards & Warriors II is a platforming adventure video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by UK-based company Zippo Games for Rare. it was published by Acclaim and released in North America in December 1989 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. It is the sequel to...
(NES) - Wheel of Fortune Junior Edition (NES)
- Jeopardy! Junior Edition (NES)
- Silent ServiceSilent Service (video game)Silent Service is a 1985 submarine simulator computer game. It was designed by Sid Meier and published by MicroProse for various 8-bit home computers, and in 1987 for 16-bit systems like the Commodore Amiga...
(NES)
1990
- Double Dare (NES)
- Wheel of Fortune Family Edition (NES)
- Jeopardy! 25th Anniversary Edition (NES)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (Game Boy)
- Captain SkyhawkCaptain SkyhawkCaptain Skyhawk is a single player video game developed by Rare and released in 1990 by Milton Bradley Company for the Nintendo Entertainment System.It features music by acclaimed composer David Wise.-Story:...
(NES) - Pin Bot (NES)
- Snake Rattle 'n' RollSnake Rattle 'n' RollSnake Rattle 'n' Roll is a platforming video game developed by Rare. It was published by Nintendo and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in July 1990 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. It was ported to the Mega Drive and released by Sega in June 1993...
(NES) - Wizards & Warriors Chapter X: The Fortress of FearWizards & Warriors Chapter X: The Fortress of FearWizards & Warriors X: The Fortress of Fear is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed by UK-based company Rare for the Game Boy. It was published by Acclaim Entertainment in January 1990 in North America and as a launch title for the system in Europe in 1990...
(Game Boy) - NARC (NES)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (NES)
- Super Glove BallSuper Glove BallSuper Glove Ball is a game made by Rare in 1990 for the NES, specifically designed to be played with the Power Glove controller. However, it can also be played with a standard NES controller. It came packaged with the Power Glove....
(NES) - Cabal (NES)
- Time LordTime Lord (video game)Time Lord is a side-scrolling platform action video game released by Milton Bradley and developed by Rare. The game was sold in the United States in 1989. It plays on the Nintendo Entertainment System.-Story:...
(NES) - Arch Rivals (NES)
- WWF WrestleMania ChallengeWWF WrestleMania ChallengeWWF WrestleMania Challenge is a professional wrestling video game based on the World Wrestling Federation, released in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System by LJN....
(NES) - Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden WarpshipSolar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden WarpshipSolar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship is the third video game in the Jetman series. It was designed and developed by Zippo Games for Rare and released in the US by Tradewest in 1990, and in Europe by Nintendo, for the NES...
(NES)
1991
- Digger T. RockDigger T. Rock: Legend of the Lost CityDigger T. Rock: Legend of the Lost City is an NES game developed by Rare, and released by Milton Bradley in December 1990.-Gameplay:The player is in control the title character, who is searching for treasure hidden in various caverns....
(NES) - WWF Superstars (Game Boy)
- BattletoadsBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
(NES) - Battletoads (Game Boy)
- BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice (video game)Beetlejuice is the title of three different video games. The original Game Boy and Nintendo Entertainment System were created by Rare and published by LJN. Another version was released for the PC DOS in 1990...
(NES) - Super R.C. Pro-AmSuper R.C. Pro-AmSuper R. C. Pro-Am is a racing video game developed by UK-based video game company Rare for Nintendo's Game Boy handheld console. It was released in North America in June 1991 and in Europe on April 23, 1992; it was re-released in 1998 as part of Nintendo's Player's Choice series, which...
(Game Boy) - High Speed (NES)
- Sneaky Snakes (Game Boy)
- Sesame Street ABC & 123 (NES)
1992
- Wizards & Warriors IIIWizards and Warriors IIIWizards & Warriors III: Kuros: Visions of Power is a platforming and adventure video game for the for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by UK-based company Zippo Games for Rare; it was published by Acclaim and released in North America in March 1992 and in Europe on...
(NES) - Beetlejuice (Game Boy)
- Danny Sullivan's Indy HeatDanny Sullivan's Indy HeatDanny Sullivan's Indy Heat is a arcade racing game developed and published in the arcades by Leland Corporation. It is based on a three-player arcade game of the same title...
(NES) - R.C. Pro-Am IIR.C. Pro-Am IIR.C. Pro-Am II is a racing video game developed by Rare and released by Tradewest for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in December 1992 and in Europe on September 23, 1993. The game is the sequel to the 1988 title R.C...
(NES) - Championship Pro-Am (Mega Drive)
1993
- BattletoadsBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
(Mega Drive, Game Gear) - Battletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is a 1993 beat 'em up developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the NES and later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy....
(NES, Mega Drive, SNES, Game Boy) - Battletoads in BattlemaniacsBattletoads in BattlemaniacsBattletoads in Battlemaniacs is a game released by Tradewest in 1993 for the Super NES. It is a sequel to Battletoads.-Story:The story opens with the 'Toads visiting the Gyachung-La fortress in northern Tibet, where the Psicone Corporation is demoing their new virtual reality game system, TRIPS...
(SNES) - Battletoads in Ragnarok's WorldBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
(Game Boy) - X The Ball (Arcade)
- Snake Rattle 'n' RollSnake Rattle 'n' RollSnake Rattle 'n' Roll is a platforming video game developed by Rare. It was published by Nintendo and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in July 1990 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. It was ported to the Mega Drive and released by Sega in June 1993...
(Mega Drive)
1994
- Monster MaxMonster MaxMonster Max is an arcade adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Titus for the Game Boy handheld game console in late 1994. The game was written by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond. It is very similar in both graphics and gameplay to Ritman and Drummond's 1987 title Head Over...
(Game Boy) - Battletoads (Arcade)
- Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
(SNES) (with Robin BeanlandRobin BeanlandRobin Beanland , sometimes credited as R. Beanland or simply "The Bean", is a British video game music composer for numerous Rare titles, such as the Killer Instinct franchise, Conker's Bad Fur Day , and many others...
and Eveline FischerEveline FischerEveline Novakovic is a British video game music composer who composed some of the music for Donkey Kong Country, most of the tracks for Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, and did voice acting and sound effects for a number of other Rare games...
)
1995
- Donkey Kong LandDonkey Kong LandDonkey Kong Land is a video game developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. This game was first released in June, 1995. It is a completely original follow-up to the original Donkey Kong Country. The game was later followed by Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III which...
(Game Boy) (with Graeme NorgateGraeme NorgateGraeme Norgate is an English video game music composer, who has composed music for a variety of video games developed by Rare. His first project at Rare was writing the music for the Game Boy game, Donkey Kong Land. He also contributed to the soundtracks of Blast Corps and GoldenEye 007...
) - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an adventure platform game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Rareware and published by Nintendo. It stars Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong...
(SNES)
1996
- Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is a platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo and was the third and final installment in the Donkey Kong Country trilogy until Nintendo announced Retro Studios would be developing the next installment, Donkey Kong Country Returns...
(SNES) (with Eveline FischerEveline FischerEveline Novakovic is a British video game music composer who composed some of the music for Donkey Kong Country, most of the tracks for Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, and did voice acting and sound effects for a number of other Rare games...
)
1997
- Diddy Kong RacingDiddy Kong RacingDiddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware. 800,000 copies were ordered in the two weeks before Christmas 1997, making it the fastest selling video game at the time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It is the first game to spin off from the...
(N64)
2000
- Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
(GBC)
2002
- Star Fox AdventuresStar Fox AdventuresStar Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
(GCN)
2004
- It's Mr. PantsIt's Mr. PantsIt's Mr. Pants is a video game for the Game Boy Advance. The starring character, Mr. Pants, is the result of a poorly drawn image from Rare's website, who was used as a mascot for the site survey....
(GBA) (additional sound effects)
2005
- Donkey Kong Country 3Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is a platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo and was the third and final installment in the Donkey Kong Country trilogy until Nintendo announced Retro Studios would be developing the next installment, Donkey Kong Country Returns...
(GBA)
2007
- Diddy Kong Racing DS (DS)
2008
- Viva Piñata: Pocket ParadiseViva Piñata: Pocket ParadiseViva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is a life simulation game developed by Rare, for the Nintendo DS video game console and based on the original Viva Piñata, rather than being an all-new game in the series....
(DS) - War WorldWar World (video game)War World is a 3D mech combat simulator game developed and published by Australian company Third Wave Games...
(Xbox 360)
External links
- Profile at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Artist profile at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...
- Artist profile at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....
with downloadable tracks