Be a Better Artist

Seth Tsui has written music heard by hundreds of millions of people — League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics at Riot Games, fifteen films across Vietnam and China, and sample libraries like Jade Ethnic Orchestra and Arabian Ethnic Orchestra. Earlier this year he left, because the job on offer was management and the job he wanted was writing music. We cover the whole arc: the trombone kid who walked away from the orchestral audition track, the all-nighter that got him hired at Remote Control Productions, why he's building his own sampler at Nomad Sounds, how piracy reshaped what libraries he could afford to make, and the jazz improvisation game about birds of paradise he's making entirely alone.

🔗 SETH TSUI LINKS

Website: https://www.sethtsui.com/

Nomad Sounds: https://nomadsounds.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sethtsui

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Bangkok heat, hospital bracelets and mystery symptoms

(00:04:15) The lounge-chair studio and the composer's ergonomics problem

(00:14:37) Best known for League of Legends, best known for Jade

(00:16:07) Nomad Sounds, Kontakt's limits, and the Key Engine sampler

(00:19:31) Piracy, subscriptions, and pirated on day one

(00:26:07) Selling software in China, and making customers feel heard

(00:29:43) What happens to Kontakt now that NI has been acquired

(00:33:01) Owning samples vs owning a 100-year-old trombone

(00:38:42) Cincinnati, trombone, and an indie rock album with ten genres

(00:43:51) LA, the Logic technician ad, and the all-nighter that got him hired

(00:48:07) Remote Control Productions: no sleep, endless conforming, knowing when to quit

(00:51:16) Stress, introversion, and which relationships actually work

(00:55:40) Breachway, space games, and meeting Elon Musk at a game jam

(01:01:12) Birdland: birds of paradise, jazz, and an improvisational rhythm game

(01:11:50) Big band jazz for birds, and a three-year solo build

(01:15:42) Two career tracks at Remote Control, and waiting for the magic wand

(01:20:21) Joining Riot, the manager track, and the $120 air conditioner button

(01:25:07) Shared vision, egos, and whether a project needs one boss

(01:27:52) Five composers, one band: making Remix Rumble

(01:31:18) Leadership is sacrifice: "You don't count, you're the leader"

(01:37:44) Selfishness, love, and why it has to be demonstrated

(01:43:54) Two kids, imperfect parenting, and how to introduce music

(01:49:42) Piano at three, nine years in a boy choir, and where a style comes from

(01:54:43) Pressing one key isn't music: the F1 car problem

(01:57:00) How much should a sample library hold your hand?

(02:04:46) How Jade Evolutions was actually built

(02:07:31) Buying down to a single instrument, and why there's no demo

(02:13:18) Hong Kong, Norway, and emigrating from America for a better life

(02:19:36) Parents who knew nothing about music — the greatest gift

(02:24:12) Why game scores become part of people's souls

(02:26:06) Nintendo 64, and the teacher who deleted his game

(02:31:02) Why film scores inspire him more than game scores

(02:33:20) Markus's one album, and why Seth resisted becoming a composer

(02:37:25) Jamming as a superpower, and the worst career advice he ever got

(02:41:03) The hardest creative decision: leaving Riot

(02:44:34) Does creativity fade with age?

(02:48:36) The plan to win Riot a Tony: a musical about Jhin

(02:52:18) Advancing the art, and writing an arrhythmia into a trauma song

(02:56:44) Hardware synths, modular, and boutique pedal regret

(02:59:46) Sci-fi, Childhood's End, UFOs and Area 52

(03:04:15) What is an artist?

(03:05:36) A message to every lock screen on Earth

(03:08:19) The guest he wants next, and the ideas still stuck in his head

(03:13:45) Advice for young composers in the age of AI

Greg Schlaepfer is the founder of Orange Tree Samples, where he's spent seventeen years solving a strange problem: how do you take an instrument with six strings and two hands doing completely different things, and make it playable from a keyboard?

We talk about the magic trick that gave the company its name, why he pays royalties to every musician and engineer who works on a library, and what it actually costs to spend eleven years finishing a single project — three scrapped interfaces, several rounds of burnout, and 376 instruments later.

Along the way: chasing realism versus loving lo-fi sounds for what they are, why impressing people is the weakest way to move them, and what it means to be an artist on the days you feel like anything but.

🔗 ORANGE TREE SAMPLES LINKS

Website: https://www.orangetreesamples.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/orangetreesamples

X: https://x.com/OTsamples

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orangetreesamples/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orangetreesamples

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Night owls, kids and the creative sleep problem

(00:07:32) Filming your children, AI cameras and privacy

(00:18:24) Cargo bikes, thieves and California drivers

(00:30:36) Welcome: who is Greg Schlaepfer?

(00:33:42) Making a guitar playable from a keyboard

(00:42:54) Why "Orange Tree"? A magic trick from the 1800s

(00:55:45) Developers Greg admires, and conducting your DAW

(01:06:32) Brainwave MIDI, MiMU gloves and the VR that never arrived

(01:14:28) Are the tools good enough? Osmose, Seaboard and MPE

(01:23:28) Born in Austin: Greg's parents, teaching and music

(01:29:28) Recording from a keyboard, Breachway and game music

(01:34:51) Starcraft, Commander Keen and growing up with computers

(01:40:52) Siblings, kids young vs late, and piano as a family rule

(01:50:21) Almost quitting piano — and the keyboards that hooked him

(02:01:57) SoundFonts, dial-up and the free Ultimate Guitar Kit

(02:09:20) Chasing realism vs loving lo-fi sounds for what they are

(02:16:53) Hired at 17, a jazz piano degree, and no obvious path forward

(02:24:26) Kontakt 2 and founding Orange Tree Samples in 2008

(02:27:24) Scrappy forum marketing and self-promotion

(02:39:20) Royalties, ethics and why Greg won't be a CEO

(02:46:30) AI instruments, who gets paid, and the early Orange Tree years

(02:55:24) Breakthrough releases and 11 years of Latitude percussion

(03:06:23) Drums, room mics and great recording engineers

(03:13:02) What's next: modernising the engine, bespoke samplers and R&D

(03:22:54) Film and game scoring: ego, restraint and every note

(03:31:47) Greg's own music, and the instruments he still wants to sample

(03:38:47) What is an artist? Night work, curiosity and closing questions

(03:57:07) Wrap-up and where to find Orange Tree Samples

In this episode, I talk with George Strezov about how imagination, world-building, and instinct shape the way he writes music. We dig into growing up in Bulgaria, discovering film and game music through RPGs and early PC games, and why “vibe” often matters more than rules or theory. George shares how he thinks about atmosphere, writing to picture, and creating music that places the listener inside a world rather than explaining it. This is a conversation about how music works on a felt level — how it creates space, meaning, and immersion — and what happens when you trust instinct over formulas.

🔗 GEORGE STREZOV LINKS

Website: https://www.strezov.net/en

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/george-strezov/958294122

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2DNnA9F0OrEmC80UWEwrMi?si=jQrJ7S9HQcCPyP47jkEyNw

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Strezov

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strezov/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/George.Strezov

🎻 STREZOV SAMPLING LINKS

Website: https://www.strezov-sampling.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StrezovSampling

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strezov_sampling/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrezovSampling/

X: https://x.com/StrezovSampling

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Introduction & meeting George Strezov

(00:03:30) Bulgaria, culture, and creative roots

(00:10:30) Family, upbringing, and early artistic influences

(00:18:30) Discovering film music & formative listening

(00:27:30) Art vs commerce and creative identity

(00:38:00) Childhood, curiosity, and non-linear learning

(00:50:00) Role-playing games, imagination, and world-building

(01:02:00) First steps into music production and game music

(01:15:00) Education, self-teaching, and musical foundations

(01:30:00) Entering the professional world of composing

(01:55:00) Large-scale projects, orchestras, and collaboration

(02:20:00) Burnout, balance, and sustaining a long career

(02:40:00) Philosophy of music, success, and the future

(02:58:00) Final reflections and closing thoughts

I talk with composer and sound designer Ian Boddy about curiosity, sound, and building a creative life without a roadmap.

We cover how Ian moved from studying biochemistry to discovering analogue synthesis by accident, teaching himself through experimentation, and falling in love with sound as art rather than rules or theory. We also talk about working jobs you don’t love, protecting your creative energy, finding your own tribe, and why solitude and patience matter more than visibility.

Ian shares practical insight into sound design, library music, and how writing hundreds of small pieces over time quietly became the foundation of his career. This is a grounded conversation about sticking with what fascinates you—and letting the long game do its work.

IAN BODDY LINKS:

Website: http://ianboddy.com/

DiN Records Bandcamp: https://dinrecords.bandcamp.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/theianboddy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theianboddy/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theianboddy

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/ianboddy.bsky.social

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Introduction and life in Northeast England

(00:06:30) Childhood, family background, and early creativity

(00:13:30) Lego, imagination, and thinking in systems

(00:20:30) Discovering sound, synthesizers, and Spectro Arts

(00:29:30) First concerts, albums, and creative obsession

(00:38:30) Working life vs artistic life

(00:46:00) Akai, technology, and entering the music industry

(00:58:00) Sound design, sampling, and early libraries

(01:12:00) Library music and sustainable creative careers

(01:28:00) Technology shifts and changing tools

(01:43:00) Creativity, aging, and long-term perspective

(01:58:00) Advice for artists and industry realities

(02:13:00) Meaning, fulfillment, and artistic philosophy

(02:32:00) Reflections, lessons learned, and closing thoughts

In this episode, I sit down with Gitae Kim (aka Gimgi), the composer behind Ogu and the Secret Forest, for a long, honest conversation about creativity and the cost that sometimes comes with it.

We talk about discipline, hyperfocus, burnout, physical health, and what it’s really like trying to sustain a creative life. Gimgi shares how mandatory military service, learning instruments under pressure, and losing himself in flow states shaped the way he approaches music and game scoring today. We also get into the thinking behind the Ogu soundtrack — world-building, leitmotifs, and making music that serves the game rather than draws attention to itself. A grounded conversation about sensitivity, survival, and why we keep creating.

GITAE KIM / GIMGI LINKS:

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gimgi2974

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gimgi_tae/

X: https://x.com/Captain_Gimgi

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

https://markusjunnikkala.com/membership/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Opening meditation and restless creative minds

(00:04:30) Finally meeting after Tokyo Game Show

(00:07:40) Korea vs Finland seasons culture and daily life

(00:12:10) Mandatory military service in Korea

(00:21:30) Learning trumpet in the army band under pressure

(00:31:00) Discipline control and emotional survival

(00:43:20) Hyperfocus paranoia and losing track of time

(00:55:50) Overworking on Ogu and the limits of flow

(01:07:40) Physical consequences spine pain and burnout

(01:21:10) Standing desks ergonomics and creative health

(01:39:30) Responsibility family and structure as an artist

(01:56:40) Stress nervous system overload and sensitivity

(02:15:00) Health crisis and long-term recovery

(02:32:10) Reset after interruption continuing the conversation

(02:35:40) Early musical life and discovering instruments

(02:54:30) Bands guitar and finding a creative identity

(03:12:20) Music technology DAWs and self teaching

(03:28:40) Falling in love with game music

(03:45:50) How Ogu and the Secret Forest happened

(04:02:30) Composing Ogu themes structure and hidden ideas

(04:21:40) Real instruments vocals and production choices

(04:39:20) Working with developers and creative trust

(04:50:40) What’s next reflection and closing thoughts

Composer Geoff Knorr — known for his work on the Civilization series and other large-scale game soundtracks — joins us for a deep conversation about creativity, discipline, and what it really takes to build a life in music.

We discuss learning to accept criticism, letting go of ideas that don’t work, why good music can still be the wrong music, and why some composers grow while others stay stuck. Drawing from Geoff’s experience composing for major games, teaching at the Peabody Institute, and collaborating with musicians across diverse musical traditions, the conversation explores humility, perspective, and long-term creative growth.

The episode also touches on health, sustainability, and discipline — from staying physically active as a composer to recognizing that music is simply too hard to pursue unless you genuinely love it.

GEOFF KNORR LINKS:

Website: https://www.geoffknorr.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KnorrMusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OFCjpSAsyIOWWzIAYb3OI?si=_eoobKhuQTSmDIWa4DYmjg

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/geoff-knorr/411130469

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoff.knorr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Geoff-Knorr-Composer/174736382555080

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

https://markusjunnikkala.com/membership/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:08) Introduction

(00:02:16) Growing Up, Family, and Early Influences

(00:08:32) Sports, Discipline, Health & Longevity as a Composer

(00:13:19) Failure, Hard Work & Lessons From Sports

(00:16:37) Subjectivity, Criticism & Facing Reality in Music

(00:23:14) Letting Go of Music That Doesn’t Work

(00:27:19) Teaching, Mediocrity & Why Some Musicians Don’t Improve

(00:34:15) Game Music Reality: Serving the Vision (Beyond Earth)

(00:38:19) Technology, Early MIDI & Audio Foundations

(00:45:33) Collaboration, Culture & Working With Musicians

(00:51:35) Childhood, Encouragement & Learning to Love Music

(00:56:05) Classical Foundations, Bach & Musical Identity

(01:01:04) Why Music Is Too Hard If You Don’t Love It

(01:05:11) Video Games, Direction & Choosing a Career Path

(01:16:10) Studying Composition, Recording & Wearing Both Hats

(01:30:10) Composing Process: Score, DAW & Sample Libraries

(01:46:00) Improvisation, Structure & Non-Western Traditions

(02:02:10) Trust, Sensitivity & Recording Real Musicians

(02:18:40) Sound vs Notes: Where Music Actually Lives

(02:36:00) Experience, Speed & Long-Term Creative Thinking

(02:57:30) What Keeps You Going (Final Reflections)

I sit down with Dave Fraser, co-founder of Heavyocity, one of the most influential companies in the modern virtual instrument and cinematic sound design world. Dave opens up about his earliest musical memories, the wild gigging years, studying at Berklee, his unexpected detour into the medical field, the grind of composing for TV and advertising, and the origins of Heavyocity. This episode is packed with wisdom for composers, producers, sound designers, and anyone navigating a creative life.

HEAVYOCITY LINKS:

Website: https://heavyocity.com/

Heavy Melody Music: https://www.heavymelodymusic.com/

Youtube: @Heavyocitymedia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavyocity/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heavyocity-media-inc-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Heavyocity

X: https://x.com/HeavyocityMedia

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

https://markusjunnikkala.com/membership/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) – Intro, tech setup & the new Heavyocity instrument (“Aftermath”)

(00:12:31) – Reflections on 9/11, kindness & personal philosophy

(00:54:13) – Early musical beginnings & rediscovering the piano

(01:00:28) – First bands, gigging, and life as a young performer

(01:06:41) – College decisions, pre-med detour & finding Berklee

(01:21:06) – Touring life: reality checks, burnout & self-discipline

(01:33:52) – Leaving the road & entering professional composition

(02:09:20) – The Heavyocity origin story & creative philosophy

(02:28:03) – How Heavyocity instruments are made: ideas → prototypes → releases

(03:25:49) – Art, creativity, and Dave’s message to the world

In this episode, we speak with Nataliia Hera, co-founder of Voger Design, the studio behind some of the most recognizable virtual instrument interfaces in the world. Nataliia shares her journey from post-Soviet Ukraine to building a global creative business, the role of luck and collaboration, and why design isn’t just cosmetic — it’s essential to how we make music.

VOGER DESIGN LINKS:

Website: https://vogerdesign.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@voger_design

Voger Design Blog: https://vogerdesign.com/blog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vogerdesign/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voger/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vogerdesign

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

https://markusjunnikkala.com/membership/

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https://www.reddit.com/user/markusjunnikkala/

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Subscribing, sharing, and liking helps the podcast.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Intro — Creative life and war in Ukraine

(00:03:00) What Voger Design does & why UI for audio matters

(00:07:00) From poetry to design — discovering beauty in bleakness

(00:11:00) Building Voger from scratch with $80 and a dream

(00:16:00) Early community work, Reaper themes & first clients

(00:21:00) How collaboration fuels creativity

(00:26:00) The philosophy of teamwork — “Skyscrapers aren’t built by solo people”

(00:31:00) Mentorship, proximity, and luck in creative careers

(00:37:00) Leadership lessons — hiring, structure & humility

(00:43:00) Balancing motherhood, time, and entrepreneurship

(00:50:00) Psychology of design — why looks do matter in plugins

(01:00:00) Developers, ego, and the empathy gap

(01:10:00) Lessons from building for humans, not markets

(01:18:00) The illusion of objectivity in design decisions

(01:22:00) Oversaturation in the plugin industry & design sameness

(01:28:00) Nataliia’s YouTube journey — teaching design philosophy

(01:35:00) Speaking uncomfortable truths about the industry

(01:42:00) Ideology bubbles & resistance to feedback

(01:48:00) Learning to collaborate with difficult personalities

(02:01:00) Facing the future — AI, identity & human meaning in design

(02:10:00) The deeper philosophy of empathy and beauty

(02:20:00) Closing reflections — art, family & creative balance

Composer Jordan Chin (Monster Train 1 & 2) joins me to explore what it means to create with vulnerability, curiosity, and purpose. We talk about the courage to be a beginner, the balance between exploration and deadlines, and why great game music must serve both the artist and the larger world it belongs to. A conversation for anyone walking the creative path.

JORDAN LINKS:

Website: https://www.jordanchinmusic.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5FqaQ5TCnpKQCFJNyzrQJX?si=DbzIaktYSgO3boMn3cd5og

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jordan-chin/1046850267

Bandcamp: https://jordanchinmusic.bandcamp.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClF_ljAEbAs1wL6B3Rci5vA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanchinmusic

X: https://x.com/jordanchinmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JordanChinMusic

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

https://markusjunnikkala.com/membership/

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Subscribing, sharing, and liking helps the podcast.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) Intro & greetings

(00:01:02) Warhammer 40k – Factions, lore & painting as meditation

(00:11:01) The art of being a beginner & practicing discomfort

(00:16:47) Lessons from the gym – health, judgment & resilience

(00:25:01) Vulnerability in music & creating beyond validation

(00:30:06) Serving the larger whole in game music

(00:34:23) Music + medium magic – Ghibli, Final Fantasy & Monster Train

(00:38:42) Monster Train 2 soundtrack, guitars & band influence

(00:41:17) Drummers, rhythm, and the foundation of energy in composition

(00:49:28) The value of space, restraint & arrangement in music

(00:58:38) Curiosity vs. practicality in the creative process

(01:07:40) Origins – growing up in San Jose & family influences

(01:20:00) First bands, instruments & discovering composition

(01:36:00) Breaking into game music & career lessons

(01:54:00) Creative workflow, iteration & collaboration

(02:15:00) Monster Train 1 & 2 – writing process & challenges

(02:40:00) Finding your own sound & balancing influences

(03:05:00) Tools, production & mixing philosophy

(03:30:00) Reflections on vulnerability, judgment & creative growth

(04:17:19) What your dog can teach you

After 100 episodes of Be a Better Artist, this milestone isn’t about views, likes, or follower counts—it’s about meaning, persistence, and the impact you create. In this episode, I share the biggest lessons from the journey so far: why chasing numbers is a trap, how to keep going when you want to quit, the power of persistence, learning to be proud of your work (even when it’s not perfect), and why real connection with people matters more than metrics.

If you’re a creative struggling with motivation, battling self-doubt, or feeling stuck in the numbers game, this episode is for you.

Markus Junnikkala is a Composer from Finland.

https://www.markusjunnikkala.com/

Support this podcast by becoming a member:

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/markusjunnikkala/

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro & Episode 100 reflections

(01:32) Why chasing numbers leads to failure

(03:25) Expectations vs. reality of the podcast

(05:01) Persistence, setbacks & staying consistent

(08:09) Finding meaning and building resilience

(13:49) Quality, perfection & being proud of your work

(18:49) Real connection, trust & audience impact

(25:01) Wrap-up & how to support