BIO
With over 15 years supporting award-winning games and culturally-recognized franchises, Steve Pardo composes and directs emotional and expansive music and audio for linear and interactive media. He is co-founder of game music & audio production house SkewSound, Composer/Music Manager at ProbablyMonsters, founder/game developer at The Pardo Brothers, and an active saxophone/woodwind recording and performing artist in Nashville, TN. With a background in jazz, and a professional career that began at legendary music-game studio Harmonix Music Systems, Steve brings his professional background in generative audio to his love for rich and inventive soundtracks for games.
In addition to his creative and audio direction contributions to the world’s most recognizable music gaming titles, such as Rock Band VR, Dance Central, Fantasia: Music Evolved, and Fortnite Festival, Steve has composed the interactive soundtrack for games such as Cypher 007, Moonbreaker, Gigantic, Signs of the Sojourner, Farthest Frontier, Grim Dawn, Chariot, Fated, Beat Sports, and The Magic Circle, and has scored music for networks such as Netflix, Adult Swim, and IFC. He has collaborated on generative and/or AI-driven projects for partners such as Mastercard, Warner Music, Youtube, Tribeca Film Festival, Lollapalooza, and Universal Music Group. As a game developer, Steve released the music-album-platformer DOS and is developing the VR comedy-simulator game SAXOPHONE.
Steve studied at the University of Miami, FL, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Studio Music and Jazz, and master’s degree in Studio Jazz Writing.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
PATENT - Improvised Guitar Simulation (Nov. 2016) - US 20160343362 A1
MEDIA APPEARANCES AND PUBLICATIONS - Sound on Sound (Sept. 2016) - Steve Pardo: Creating Rock Band VR, Level with Emily Reese (2017, 2018, 2021, 2023), The Verge (Sept. 2016) - How Harmonix put Rock Band into a virtual reality world, Origin Story (2024) - Steve Pardo (Signs of theSojourner) on the Sounds of Home, Cinelinx (2020) - Behind the Music: Talking with Steve Pardo about SkewSound and the Music of Video Games, Music Respawn (2020) - Steve Pardo Composes A World Of Music For 'Signs Of The Sojourner'
G.A.N.G. AWARD NOMINEE - Best Vocal Pop Song (2016) - (Knee Deep); Best VR Audio (2017) - Rock Band VR; Best Social/Casual Sound Design (2017) - Super Beat Sports; Best Game Audio Article, Publication, or Broadcast. (2017) - Steve Pardo: Creating Rock Band VR (Sound On Sound)
Specialties
Original music composition, orchestration, performance, recording, and mixing/mastering for interactive and linear media. Audio production tools such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live, Max MSP, and Sibelius. Comprehensive interactive audio and generative music systems design. Audio discipline leadership. Implementation and game engine scripting in Unity (C#) and Unreal (Blueprints). Full-scale Wwise and FMOD Studio implementation. Multi-channel, spatial audio, and Atmos music and game audio preparation and mixing. Orchestration and arranging for big band, orchestra, and chamber groups. Professional caliber studio and live multi-instrumental music performance. Game audio education, advocacy, and lectures.
STUDIO
Steve’s home studio in Nashville, TN features an array of instruments and hardware, including a 7.1.4 Atmos surround speaker array, a suite of outboard gear, boutique microphones, and synthesizers.
