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NEW YORK DAWN™ > Blog > Technology > How Mixtape reminds us that your mixtapes have been your life | Johnny Galvatron interview
How Mixtape reminds us that your mixtapes have been your life | Johnny Galvatron interview
Technology

How Mixtape reminds us that your mixtapes have been your life | Johnny Galvatron interview

Last updated: June 16, 2025 2:17 pm
Editorial Board Published June 16, 2025
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It took Johnny Galvatron and his small group of neophytes six years to make The Clever Escape, a musical narrative sport that debuted in 2021. With Mixtape, the group has been engaged on it for about two years.

Annapurna Interactive revealed the sport from Galvatron, a former star from the Australian band The Galvatrons, despite the fact that it centered on a considerably cursed style of music video games. It did properly sufficient for Annapurna, regardless of its current troubles, to publish Galvatron’s second sport.

With Mixtape, Galvatron is again with a zany title that in all probability nobody else would dare to make. I performed a 20-minute demo of the sport on the current Summer season Recreation Fest Play Days after which I interviewed Galvatron. The demo concerning the coming-of-age music sport begins with a trio of youngsters on their final day collectively earlier than they separate and head off on their very own adventures after highschool.

They’re skateboarding down a mountain highway of their hometown, which they name “Big Suck,” and should yell out “Car!” once they see an approaching automobile. To the tune of a Devo tune, they make it down the hill — an excellent portion of which you because the participant should information the skater to security. After which they cease on the important character’s home.

There’s a scene when two teenagers kiss and you need to take management of their tongues and ensure they’re appropriately mixing collectively. That half was hilarious, and made me really feel like I actually wanted to play the remainder of the sport. Of all of the video games I noticed at Summer season Recreation Fest, this was one of the vital pleasant.

It options music from Devo, Roxy Music, Lush, The Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Pleasure Division, the Remedy and plenty of extra. You get to play via a mixtape of reminiscences, set to the soundtrack of a technology.

The sport will launch quickly on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X|S. It will likely be accessible day one via Xbox Recreation Cross (Collection X|S, Home windows). Mixtape was a part of the Day of the Devs: Summer season Recreation Fest 2025 choice and was exhibited on the Tribeca Video games Pageant in New York.

Right here’s an edited transcript of our interview.

Johnny Galvatron is founding father of Beethoven & Dinosaur, the creator of Mixtape.

Johnny Galvatron: Mixtape is our second sport as Beethoven and Dinosaur. We made Clever Escape, which was one other music sport. Extra about performing music. We wished to do a sport–mainly I simply wished to indicate folks “That’s Good” by Devo, which is my favourite Devo tune. We began with the monitor record, initially. I wished to have this actually good, deep lower mixtape, after which attempt to weave this narrative via the songs and the feelings of the songs. Attempt to use the medium, attempt to use gameplay to precise issues that I normally specific via video games, like betrayal or teenage freedom. It’s extra about utilizing the medium to attempt to evoke these sorts of emotions, relatively than one thing that’s tough.

GamesBeat: In some way I believed there was one thing after Clever Escape.

Galvatron: Nope, simply this one. Spherical two. We’ve been engaged on this for 2 years, possibly a bit greater than two and a half.

GamesBeat: Clever was longer, proper?

Galvatron: Clever was like six years. I had no concept what I used to be doing. I’d by no means made a sport earlier than. Nobody on the group had made a sport earlier than. Annapurna held our arms the entire method and allow us to get the sport executed, get it to an area the place we beloved it. Huge because of Annapurna.

mixtape 4Three teenagers on their final night time collectively in Mixtape.

GamesBeat: After I first noticed it I believed it regarded like Life is Unusual. However you then see the motion, and it’s very totally different. How did you give you that form of model?

Galvatron: With a triple-A sport you can begin with a clean slate and construct up what your artwork model goes to be. In indie dev, when you’ve gotten a small, devoted group of simply 4 or 5 artists, you begin with them. They kind the core rules, and you then begin to construct. It’s necessary with narrative video games, story-based video games, that you simply perceive the sum of the components. How the music goes to work, how the cinematography goes to work, the gameplay. You may convey the artwork model to sit down in that. You may lower it like a diamond going right into a becoming. That’s the artwork model try to be aiming for. Begin together with your group, construct on what they’re good at, after which finesse it into one thing that helps the story. It’s form of golden and nostalgic. I feel it’s very fairly.

GamesBeat: Have been there any explicit inspirations for it?

Galvatron: Clearly the music, initially. Loads of motion pictures, like Wayne’s World and Dazed and Confused. Loads of hangout motion pictures. I wished to not solely present these nice moments of the teenage expertise, but additionally the idleness. Gamers name it “The Big Suck.” If you will get simply the hanging out proper, if you will get the pacing of that to really feel good, then I feel that’s an enormous a part of getting the sport proper.

If I may draw any comparability in video games, it could be What Stays of Edith Finch. One thing that was like a collection of vignettes. And you may go all the best way to the opposite aspect with Wario Ware, the place you’ve gotten a set of small video games. However I don’t know if I’ve a direct comparability.

GamesBeat: You didn’t have as darkish a imaginative and prescient for this one.

Galvatron: No. I like making video games which might be hopeful, which might be variety and candy. Hopefully we will get that throughout.

GamesBeat: What sort of reactions have you ever seen to it?

Galvatron: It’s been ridiculous at the moment. Folks have actually beloved the demo. It’s a extremely tight demo. I felt good about it coming in. It’s been wonderful to see folks play it, to see them do a horrible kiss. That’s been hilarious to look at. It’s been nice.

Teens plotting their last night before parting ways.Teenagers plotting their final night time earlier than parting methods.

GamesBeat: It’s three or 4 hours, the total expertise?

Galvatron: The playthroughs we’ve been doing, when you go round and have a look at all the things, it’s about 5 hours.

GamesBeat: How did you discover a story to inform in that point window? There aren’t that many video games which might be simply 4 or 5 hours. Possibly Journey?

Galvatron: To me that’s one of many greats of all time. I feel it’s about beginning with music. Since you’re taking a look at it extra of a musical sense, pacing it in additional of a musical sense, you’ll be able to have these stretches. You may have this time of idleness, which is difficult to get proper, however I feel we now have gotten it proper in Mixtape. We might draw the narrative beats from the mixtape. We might swap them round. Generally we’d have this little bit of the sport right here. Then we’d attempt altering the mixtape. All of these emotional beats, getting that in the best order and paced properly. The story was at all times continually shifting. It will be like when you have been making a mixtape.

GamesBeat: How did you choose the music? Have been you capable of get a license for all the things you wished?

Galvatron: It’s all simply music I really like. I bought each tune I requested for. There have been some that I simply didn’t trouble asking for, although. I didn’t trouble asking for Pink Floyd. I wasn’t going to get “Wish You Were Here.”

GamesBeat: However your style in music was what it match to. You weren’t on the lookout for the preferred stuff.

Galvatron: No. You don’t compromise on what your musical style is. Generally we’d look and resolve that we wanted a special tune for a sure emotional beat, however more often than not it was simply the best hits of my playlist.

GamesBeat: Did you concentrate on attempting any new songs, unique songs?

Galvatron: We thought of it, however I beloved that the character, Stacy Rockford, the protagonist, is so caught up within the music. She talks concerning the music, when it was recorded, and it’s nearly–she’s like a VH1 presenter typically. I wished to have that historical past there for it to be real, to have that real musical love and connection via utilizing actual songs. Not at all times, however typically it may be off-putting to have made-up acts.

GamesBeat: Is there something specifically that Annapurna helped you with this time round?

Galvatron: There’s at all times joys in being with Annapurna, the alternatives they offer you. Look, that’s my sport up there. That’s loopy. Going to Summer season Video games Fest and Day of the Devs. They at all times give me notes. There’s outdated and new Annapurna, and clearly they’ve unbelievable groups. I’ve stated this about Annapurna earlier than, however it’s like this little library of individuals you’ll be able to try. You want a technical individual to come back aid you, otherwise you want somebody who is aware of financing to come back aid you. When you’ve got an issue with character artwork there’s another person you’ll be able to discuss to. They’ve been improbable for us. They’re the one folks we’ve made video games with.

GamesBeat: What was the pitch like for this one? Earlier than you had something to indicate, what have been you capable of talk to persuade any individual?

Galvatron: We had some good esteem there after Clever Escape. Clever Escape had executed properly. We rapidly put collectively what we name a horizontal slice, which was the entire sport with me doing the entire voices. Generally it could simply say what was going to occur. Generally it could simply be probably the most primary skateboarding downhill, simply to get the vibe proper. It was an attention-grabbing pitch, the horizontal slice. It was like an animatic storyboard, nearly.

unnamed 3That appears just like the arm of a mum or dad, or a cop.

GamesBeat: It’s so uncommon that I simply surprise how somebody would get it.

Galvatron: Earlier than they play it?

GamesBeat: “This is what we intend to do.” “Wait a minute, I don’t get it. There’s never been a game like this.”

Galvatron: Effectively, thanks. Please write that.

GamesBeat: What made you decide on the skateboarding scene as the start of the sport?

Galvatron: I’ll let you know a reference at the beginning. The reference at the beginning, once they’re strolling towards the digicam, strolling sideways and stuff, that opening cinematic? That’s undoubtedly a tough reference to the top credit of Buckaroo Banzai, the Peter Weller film from the ‘80s. That’s my first reference.

I do exactly love having somewhat window of time in video games to introduce the participant to the world in a really informal method, to allow them to expertise it. There are some video games that do that actually properly. The one which involves thoughts is Arkham Asylum. You simply have this gradual stroll at the beginning as they’re taking the Joker in and also you meet all of the totally different characters. I really like somewhat introduction like that. I simply wished folks to take heed to Devo and cruise into the world, get that vibe.

GamesBeat: I’m sufficiently old to have found what CDs have been for the primary time. I made mixtapes. That resonated with me. That these songs are you.

Galvatron: Additionally, if you’re 17, how a lot you outline your self and different folks by the music they like. It appears so necessary on the time.

GamesBeat: Do you’re feeling like video games and music is your specialty now? The music sport house, or music-related.

Galvatron: We’ve made two video games and so they’re each fairly musical video games, I’ll offer you that. I toured loads after I was younger man, toured the world. I hated it. Hated touring. I favored the music facet. The factor concerning the music I favored probably the most is being within the studio. That’s what making a sport is like. I really like being locked away round all of the analog gear. Now it’s digital. However that’s the expertise I like. I suppose there’s a homebody to many artists and to many sport builders. I undoubtedly match that class.

GamesBeat: How large did your group develop to over this venture?

Galvatron: It was 12 folks.

GamesBeat: That’s a query everybody has at the moment. How are you going to make a sport with a small variety of folks? We’re getting a bunch of video games developing which might be astoundingly made by small teams.

Galvatron: It feels very very similar to when music studios got here out of those $200,000 desks, to out of the blue all being on your private home laptop. You get new genres popping up, new artists popping up because the medium is democratized. You’ll see that an increasing number of with video games. You’ll see that extra with AI. You’ll see new concepts popping out. You’ll see a greater variety of tales that maintain rising, which is why it’s such an thrilling house to be in.

GamesBeat: Did AI aid you in any method with this?

Getting into trouble.Moving into hassle.

Galvatron: No. By no means say by no means, however I really feel like–we work with a variety of conventional artists. I don’t really feel nice about AI. However I’m no skilled.

GamesBeat: What do you’re feeling has been totally different about launching this venture versus your final one?

Galvatron: The sport itself is much more marketable than Clever Escape. Clever Escape was this bizarre side-scroller. Possibly some persons are turned off by that originally. We’ve had much more engagement on Mixtape. It’s turn out to be much more widespread, and extra rapidly, than Clever Escape.

GamesBeat: I solely bought to see 20 minutes right here. What else do you assume goes to attraction to folks about the remainder of the sport? With out completely spoiling something.

Galvatron: What I get pleasure from in video games loads is selection. I feel there’s some nice selection within the sport – the music, the moments, the mini-games. There’s a extremely good stage the place you toilet-paper a home. I feel persons are going to love that stage.

GamesBeat: Are you involved a couple of form of Ferris Bueller impact, the place they get extra executed in 24 hours than any individual may usually do in a 12 months?

Galvatron: Completely! It’s extra dreamy than Ferris Bueller. Ferris Bueller presents itself as caught in actuality, whereas I feel that is extra of a music video. You may bend the foundations of time and house somewhat. Hopefully we don’t Ferris Bueller it fairly past that.

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