SID and Amiga Audio
Music of Novagen
Paul Woakes composed the SID music for the C64 versions of his games himself, adding original composition to his roles as programmer and game designer. His C64 compositions are preserved in the High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC).
C64 SID Compositions
Paul Woakes wrote the SID music for all C64 versions of his games in 6502 assembly, programming the SID chip's three voice channels directly. The Mercenary title theme became one of the distinctive sounds of the 1985 C64 software scene -- a taut, atmospheric piece that matched the game's cold wireframe aesthetic.
Title Theme
Mercenary: Escape from Targ (C64, 1985)
In-Game Theme
Mercenary: Escape from Targ (C64, 1985)
Loading Theme
Mercenary Compendium (C64, 1986)
Title Theme
Damocles: Mercenary II (C64, 1990)
In-Game Theme
Damocles: Mercenary II (C64, 1990)
HVSC path: /MUSICIANS/W/Woakes_Paul/
Play in Browser via DeepSID
The SID files below are hosted in the High Voltage SID Collection (HVSC) and can be played directly via DeepSID, an in-browser SID chip emulator:
Paul Woakes -- Composer, Programmer, Designer
Paul Woakes wrote the code, designed the games, and composed the music for every major Novagen title. His C64 SID compositions are notable for their restraint -- atmospheric pieces that use the SID chip's three voice channels efficiently rather than showcasing technical complexity. The HVSC preserves his full C64 catalogue. See the People page for his full biography.
Amiga Tracker Music
The Amiga versions of Novagen's games used tracker-format audio, taking advantage of the Amiga's Paula chip and sample playback capabilities. Unlike the C64 SID compositions, the Amiga music uses sampled instruments in module format.
Damocles: Mercenary II (Amiga, 1990)
The Amiga version of Damocles includes tracker module music composed to accompany the game's expansive open-world solar system. The audio contributes to the atmospheric sense of exploration across the game's five planets. Amiga tracker modules for Novagen titles are preserved at the Modland archive.
Backlash (Amiga, 1988)
Backlash, Novagen's scrolling shoot-em-up, features Amiga tracker audio that matches the game's faster-paced, action-oriented format -- a contrast to the atmospheric exploration music of the Mercenary series.
Note: Amiga tracker music is not playable via the SID player above, which is specific to C64 SID format. For Amiga module playback, use OpenMPT, Winamp (with the XMPlay MOD plugin), or an Amiga emulator such as FS-UAE.