Grant Kirkhope

Grant Kirkhope is a British video game and film composer who is best known for working on games such as Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, GoldenEye 007, and Perfect Dark, among many others. Kirkhope has been nominated for various BAFTA, ASCAP, and IFMCA awards for his contributions to video game music.

Grant Kirkhope
Background information
BornEdinburgh, Scotland
OriginKnaresborough, North Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)Composer
InstrumentsKeyboards, guitar, trumpet
Years active1995–present
Websitewww.grantkirkhope.com

Early life and education

Kirkhope was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where his mother worked as a music hall dancer. Kirkhope's father was an avid music fan and exposed him to early influences such as Frank Sinatra and Glenn Miller. Kirkhope taught himself to play guitar at age 11 and is classically trained in the trumpet.[1] Kirkhope was brought up in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire from the age of five, and attended King James's School. Kirkhope played in various bands after leaving the Royal Northern College of Music, including Zoot and the Roots along with the saxophonist Snake Davis. Kirkhope also spent many years as part of "the Big Bad Horns" which were part of UK rock band Little Angels. Kirkhope joined Rare in October 1995,[2] he played for two bands called Syar and Maineeaxe where he played the guitar and already knew Robin Beanland, another Rare composer.

Career

Kirkhope is a BAFTA, ASCAP and IFMCA-nominated composer who has created the soundtrack for various video games.[3] Kirkhope's score for Viva Piñata was nominated by BAFTA in the Original Score category in its 2007 awards.[4]

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was nominated for Best Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media by the International Film Music Critics Association[5] and in the Cue Awards 2012 for Best Overall Score, Best Video Game Score and Grant was also nominated for Best Break Out Composer.[6]

Kirkhope was nominated in the 2015 ASCAP Composer’s Choice Awards for his work on “Civilization: Beyond Earth”[7] and also won the Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media 2015 from the International Film Music Critics Association for the same score.[8] Civilization: Beyond Earth also won Best Score: Video Game at the Cue Awards 2015.[9] He was nominated in the 2016 ASCAP Composer’s Choice Awards for his work on Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide and was also nominated for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media 2016 from the International Film Music Critics Association for the same score.[5] Civilization: Beyond Earth – Rising Tide was also nominated for Best Score: Video Game at the Cue Awards 2016.[9]

Work

Games
Company Title Year Notes
with Rare Killer Instinct 2/Gold1996Performed live guitar and trumpet
Donkey Kong Land 2Conversion of David Wise's Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest soundtrack
Project DreamCancelledRevamped into Banjo-Kazooie
GoldenEye 0071997With Graeme Norgate and Robin Beanland
Blast CorpsPerformed live guitar
Banjo-Kazooie1998
Donkey Kong 64[10]1999
Banjo-Tooie [11]2000
Perfect DarkWith Graeme Norgate and David Clynick[12]
Star Fox Adventures2002Performed live guitar
Grabbed by the Ghoulies2003
Conker: Live and Reloaded2005Performed live guitar
Viva Piñata2006With Steve Burke
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise2008
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & BoltsWith Robin Beanland and David Clynick
Freelancer Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning2012With Mark Cromer
Fart Cat!
CityVille 2[3]
Desktop Dungeons2013With Danny Baranowsky
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey MouseRemake of the original game's soundtrack by Shigenori Kamiya, along with original compositions
Puzzle Charms2014
Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
The Enchanted Cave 2
Civilization: Beyond EarthWith Geoff Knorr, Michael Curran and Griffin Cohen
Civilization: Beyond Earth - Rising Tide2015With Geoff Knorr and Griffin Cohen
Crypt of the NecroDancerSpecial thanks
Rare Replay
Ghostbusters2016
Dropzone2017
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Yooka-LayleeWith David Wise and Steve Burke[13]
A Hat in TimeGuest composer[14]
Tangledeep
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - Donkey Kong Adventure2018
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair2019With David Wise, Dan Murdoch and Matt Griffin[15]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate"Spiral Mountain" arrangement,[16] with various others.
Interstellar Space: GenesisWith Ryan McQuinn[17]
Cadence of HyruleSpecial thanks
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands 2020 With Neal Acree, David Arkenstone, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford and Jake Lefkowitz
Hex HeroesTBA[18]
LobodestroyoGuest Composer

Film
Title Year Notes
We Sit. We Drink. No Guns.2015Short film
Mulva Lends a Hand2017
How to Apply for a Sexual Position
Heavy Flow
Killer Charm
Roadmap Jerusalem2018
Hammer Jackson
The Wrong Rock
The King's Daughter2020With John Coda and Joseph Metcalfe
Shadows
The Handler2021

Voice acting
Year Title Role(s)
1998 Banjo-KazooieMumbo Jumbo, Jinjo, Klungo, Captain Blubber, Gruntlings, Gravestones, Flower Urns, The Jinjonator
1999 Donkey Kong 64Donkey Kong,[10][11] Kroc
2000 Banjo-TooieMumbo Jumbo, Jamjars, Klungo, Jinjo, Captain Blubber, King Jingaling
2003 Grabbed by the GhouliesCursed Mummy, Zombie Pirates
Donkey Kong Country (GBA version)Donkey Kong
Donkey Konga
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Mario Kart: Double Dash
2004 Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario Golf: Advance Tour
Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA version)
2005 Donkey Kong Jungle Fever
Mario Kart Arcade GP
2006 Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Donkey Kong Banana Kingdom
Viva PiñataBarkbark, Cocoadile, Elephanilla, Rashberry
2007 Mario Kart Arcade GP 2Donkey Kong
2008 Viva Piñata: Trouble in ParadiseBarkbark, Cocoadile, Elephanilla, Rashberry
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and BoltsJamjars, Jig-O-Vend
2009 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!Donkey Kong
2010 Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
2013 Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
2017 Macbat 64A Monkey! [19]
Yooka-LayleeCrazy Kirkhope
2019Super Smash Bros. UltimateMumbo Jumbo, Jinjo

Kirkhope was also involved in casting the voice actors for the Viva Piñata cartoon.[20]

Discography
  • Banjo-Kazooie Final Battle Theme – with FamilyJules (2019)[21]

References
  1. Chris Greening. "Game Music :: Interview with Grant Kirkhope (May 2010)". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  4. "2007 Games Original Score | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  5. "Knorr, Cohen, Curran, Kirkhope receive IFMCA Award for Civilization: Beyond Earth | IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association". filmmusiccritics.org. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  6. "2012 Cue Award Nominees". THE CUE AWARDS. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  7. "Vote for the 2015 ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards". www.ascap.com. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  8. "2014 IFMCA Awards". IFMCA: International Film Music Critics Association. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  9. "THE CUE AWARDS". THE CUE AWARDS. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  10. "Donkey Kong 64 Video Game Music Compositions". Grant Kirkhope. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  11. "Grant Kirkhope. Video Game Composer, Banjo Kazooie Video Games Music Compositions". Grantkirkhope.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  12. "Perfect Dark Dual CD Soundtrack - VGMdb" Check |url= value (help). Website. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  13. admin (March 2020). "Yooka-Laylee and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair Soundtracks Released". Playtonic Games. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  14. Acosta, J. "A Timeless Conclusion With the Man Behind A Hat in Time's Amazing Score". Talk Amongst Yourselves. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
  15. "NEW GAME: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair". Playtonic Games. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  16. Grant Kirkhope on Twitter: "Surprise!!!! Banjo-Kazooie are coming to Super #SmashBrosUltimate, and yes I wrote the music in the reveal and it’s going to be in the game!!!!!" Date: 11 June 2019. Twitter.
  17. "Interstellar Space: Genesis Soundtrack". Praxis Games. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  18. Schulenberg, Thomas (30 March 2014). "Hex Heroes is a five-player real-time strategy game for Wii U". Joystiq. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  19. Whitaker, Jed (22 March 2017). "Review: Macbat 64". Destructoid. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  20. "Interview with Grant Kirkhope". rare-extreme.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. "Video: Banjo Kazooie Final Battle metal remix". YouTube. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
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