The Music of Flynn with Composer Jacob Lincke

In a few weeks, we’ll be celebrating one whole year of Flynn, but it’s not just Flynn, Dex and the other Rosanticans who have brought you joy since last September – the Flynn: Son of Crimson soundtrack has been a pretty big part of that experience for most of you too (and for good reason!)

As most of you will know, we had the honor of working with composer Jacob Lincke on the Flynn: Son of Crimson OST, and as you’ve all heard, the finished result was more than we could have ever dreamed of. A huge chunk of the game’s reviews mention the pure perfection of each track and how each one complements specific areas of the game so well, and that’s exactly what we wanted to express.

We asked Jacob to reminisce about the early days of Flynn all the way to the game’s release and beyond, and we discuss the influences that shaped the sounds of Rosantica that you all know and love.

How did you know you wanted to work on Flynn in the early days?

Back in 2016 I was contacted by the Thunderhorse team and the game looked quite different from what it eventually ended up becoming. But what was clear to me was how much love and work was going into creating it. Their passion of making something fun and with a lot of heart resonated with me, and we shared similar visions of what the music should sound like. I just knew this was a team I wanted to work with, again and again!

How do you feel knowing it’s been a whole year since Flynn’s release?

It’s been a wonderful year in so many ways! Being a part of a new release is always very fun and honoring and it’s been a joy hanging out with streamers playing the game over the year. Seeing people still discovering the game is just further acknowledgment that we made something cool!

What are your thoughts on seeing all the great comments on Flynn’s soundtrack?

Even after years of doing this I’m still overwhelmed by the comments about my music. It feels a bit weird creating something at home in a dark studio and having people from across the globe listening and enjoying it. Weird, amazing and it fuels my passion!

What are your biggest influences? (Instruments, other games?)

To give a bigger picture I’d say my biggest influences for music in general are Koji Kondo and Thomas Bergersen (Two Steps from Hell). Kondo for his iconic compositions and Bergersen for his orchestral sound. But the foundation of my work probably comes from listening to a lot of metal and folk music in my earlier days. When it comes to Flynn, I gathered lots of inspiration from TLoZ: The Wind Waker, Breath of the Wild and the Ori games. I also have a fondness for flutes… so… I used a lot of flutes.

What’s your favorite Flynn track/location and why?

It stands between the “End Credits Medley” and “Unleashed”, the release trailer track. I think this is because all the other music had already been written and these were among the final tracks I did. Having so many melodies and themes to choose from gave me a strong foundation to build something new upon. The medley gave me an opportunity to be playful with everything I had written over the years, and I wanted the game to end on a high note!

Listen to the full Flynn: Son of Crimson soundtrack here:

Praise for the Flynn: Son of Crimson OST:

The tracks are wonderfully evocative and eclectic; it’s difficult not to stop the action for a spell to listen. – Rowen Cameron, Thumb Culture

The music is sooo good. I’m not one for listening to game soundtracks, but Flynn: Son of Crimson is superb. – Vulgar Knight

It’s incredibly catchy and fits the tone of the game PERFECTLY. It’s just a really lovely looking and sounding game throughout. – Use A Potion

It has a sumptuous soundtrack that sticks in your head long after you’ve stopped playing. – Game Spew

Flynn: Son of Crimson is full of great songs that match each of the individual areas wonderfully. Absolutely stellar work from Jacob Lincke. – WayTooManyGames

Flynn: Son of Crimson is yet another indie title with a heck of a soundtrack as well. It’s one I found myself bopping to every time a new track came on when I entered a new set of levels. – Console Creatures

Strangely enough, what stood out most for me was the music: If I’d just heard the soundtrack, I would have sworn that I was listening to some of Octopath Traveler’s more chill tracks. Does the style of pseudo-orchestral music that I loved so much in an epic JRPG still work in a cute 2d platformer? As it turns out, yes. Yes it does. – Sprites and Dice

The past few years I’ve been blown away by lots of super talented people who’ve been producing stellar soundtracks for just small indie games but what’s prompted this tweet right now is ‘Flynn: Son of Crimson’ I’m playing thru & woah! Simply beautiful music on this by Jacob Lincke 👍 – @mpholden78