Music and Audio Studio, Pressure Cooker Studios created the full soundscape for the highly anticipated medieval strategy game Manor Lords, which was released on 26th April 2024 to wide acclaim.

The project became a record-breaker after amassing over 3.2 million wish lists on Steam (a platform record) and topped 1 million sales within 24 hours of its early access debut. The Original Soundtrack is now available on all major streaming platforms.

Pressure Cooker Studios is a full-service Music and Audio Studio based in Cape Town, South Africa. But being based in South Africa does not limit them to only creating African soundscapes. A fine example of this is their work on creating the Original Soundtrack for Manor Lords.

Manor Lords was hand-crafted by independent game developer Grzegorz Styczeń of Slavic Magic. It features in-depth organic city building and large-scale tactical battles amidst complex economic and social simulations.

Hooded Horse (Manor Lord’s Game Publisher) talk about their experience working with Pressure Cooker Studios on the Game’s Original Soundtrack:

“Pressure Cooker Studios are easy to work with and amazingly talented. The music for Manor Lords is beautiful and fitting for the game. It absolutely enhanced the immersive experience the developer was going for in his design and won the hearts of many players.”

Composer Elben Schutte talks about the brief for the score, which he started working on in the very early stages with the developer:

“The score needed to be authentic to the medieval time period and setting, and also incorporate strong cinematic elements to heighten the gameplay experience and the epic visuals”

He gives more insight into the process behind creating the authentic soundtrack:

“We really dove deep into exploring music that was written back in the 12th-14th centuries.

Our first big challenge was all about breaking free from our modern musical habits and trying to think and create like the musicians and composers of that time. We also wanted to ensure we had the real deal when it came to the sound, so it was essential we use instruments that were used during that period, played like they were back then.

We got to team up with some seriously talented medieval musicians from all corners of the world. It’s like we brought a slice of history back to life in the most authentic way possible!”

This was truly a project centred around collaboration. Elben Schutte collaborated with Creative Director Daniel Caleb on the score composition with additional instrumental performances from Simon Ratcliffe (Sound and Motion) and Enrique Pastor Morales. Shaun Crawford and Peter Davison made critical contributions to orchestration and arrangement. There were also numerous other specialised musicians from around the world wielding medieval instruments to cement a truly authentic experience.

Although based in Cape Town, South Africa, Pressure Cooker Studios sent their key team to AIR Studios Lyndhurst in London to capture the performances of some of the world’s best string players and the acclaimed RSVP Voices choir. The hauntingly beautiful acoustics of AIR Studios, combined with the stellar performances of the musicians, resulted in the timeless score we have today.

Developer Grzegorz Styczeń believed strongly in the value of recording live:

“I think the value of real musicians versus just using a bunch of libraries is huge. Personally, I think real performances are the very thing that makes the game soundtrack stand out in a sea of “inspiring cinematic” stock music, especially in today’s music world where it’s more and more about unique texture and instrumentation and less often about hummable themes.”

Danny Kelleher, CEO, Laced Records, who handled the release of the OST says:

“The Manor Lords original soundtrack by Pressure Cooker Studios is sublimely meditative, and perfectly complements the game’s 14th Century Franconia setting. Haunting choral passages add rich — but not overwhelming — texture to the game. The quality of the performances and recordings sound flawless; unhurried and never compromising on dynamics. It’s a rare video game score that can pivot from cues that revel in stillness to intense battle music without undermining overall aesthetic cohesion.”

Pressure Cooker Studios Creative Executive Office James Matthes says:

“We always ensure we pair the right talent with the right project to achieve the highest quality final product. We had a wealth of resources and people onboard the Manor Lords OST to bring it to life and ensure it was a success.

We brought our passion and experience for storytelling to the gaming world with our offering of through-the-line music and audio services for this ever-evolving industry. And with a team full of gamers, we also have a deep understanding of the need to create cinematic quality music for games to enhance the players’ experience.”

The Manor Lord’s OST has been receiving high praise on various online platforms from the playing community already:
“Man… I don’t know about you guys but the music in this game is just perfect. At times it feels so lonely and distant, but also comfortable like being home. Mournful violins weep as winter comes and you only have but 2 loaves of bread for the settlement. It will be a hard winter. To me, music in a game makes a massive deal to the feel.”

“Props for the composer and artist who created this beautifully orchestrated music! Really well done and a huge factor why this game is such a success!”

“It’s beautifully done. Insane how a great score can bring a game to a whole new level.”

Listen to the Manor Lords OST here so you can stay in the game even when you’re not playing it!

Pressure Cooker Studios is pioneering the African Audio Arts and building a platform for talent to flourish, elevating the local industry to a global standard.

You can see more of their world-class work here.