HITMAN composer Niels Bye Nielsen reflects on 10 years of the World of Assassination

From 2016’s HITMAN to 2021’s HITMAN III and beyond, IO Interactive crafted a compelling World of Assassination that sees Agent 47 infiltrate Parisian high society, Miami race meets, and English stately manors, among others. Serenading these deadly missions is Niels Bye Nielsen’s vivid original score. 

As we mark 10 years since 47 first took down Viktor Novikov and Dalia Margolis in “The Showstopper”, the composer looks back over the trilogy that has sold over 25 million units and reached over 85 million players.

HITMAN World of Assassination (Original Score) is now streaming and downloadable on music services including Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and YouTube.

Check availability of the 4LP vinyl box set, including the Laced Exclusive Edition colour variant.

What struck you while you reviewed your World of Assassination scores for this soundtrack project?  

Niels Bye Nielsen: “In listening back to the music for the three HITMAN games I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of, I was surprised by the scope and variety of musical genres I’d somehow managed to produce. From EDM and German underground techno to Argentinian tangos, solo piano sonatas, and South American guitar. Orchestral score, rock score, synth score and a mixture of it all. It’s been a fun ride!”

What was the high-level brief for 2016’s HITMAN when you first started on the project? How did that brief evolve?  

Niels Bye Nielsen: “The music for HITMAN was intended to never be too dark or too frightening. We always wanted a somewhat playful tone as 47 goes about his work. 

“With HITMAN 2, we started to introduce a bit more maturity and seriousness in both the music and the story. Pick any cut scene for an example of this.

“Colombia is a great example of a darker and more serious tone in-game, and a level where even the location itself has a solemn and reflective soundtrack played by a nylon-stringed guitar.”

“For HITMAN III, much of both the musical palette and the story itself are veiled in darkness with a side of purpose and drive. The gameplay and the cutscenes are interconnected to an extent that they weren’t in the previous two games. It’s a more cinematic experience that allowed me to develop musical themes throughout the game, foreshadow events, and give the music more weight. 

“And, when 47 finally took down the ICA and destroyed Providence, I got to wrap up the trilogy arc by revisiting our main musical themes in a lovely final cinematic. That was a good day.”

Did you always have in mind that it would be a hybrid score, instrumentally?

Niels Bye Nielsen: “There were no rules regarding the instrumental palettes. Whatever worked for any given situation and geographical location went. Sure, in Mumbai you gotta have some tablas and a sitar. In Argentina one must employ the Bandoneon for added color. But in the end, it was “anything, everything and the kitchen sink” goes.”

Club Hölle is a highlight of the HITMAN III score in particular. How did you approach that?

Niels Bye Nielsen: “The German Underground Techno track in Club Hölle was the main musical mood-setter in the Berlin level. 

“The location and set design artists had done a bang-up job, and I now had to do my very best to nail the vibe on the musical side of things. I took a day to absorb some extended playlists featuring the genre, learned about the importance of the ‘verb kick’ and then just started to sketch out ideas. 

“One sound designer in particular had expressed a certain amount of trepidation at the thought of a non-raver and techno newbie like myself, being handed such an important task. I’m happy to report that the end-product was approved by an authority in the field, so back then I gave myself a rare pat on the back :)”

Are there any levels where you knew you could nail the vibe from the start?

Niels Bye Nielsen: “Usually, [work on] every level starts with a few days of absolute panic as you convince yourself that you’ve got nothing left and that you’ll surely be revealed as a fraud this time around. 

“But HITMAN III’s Dartmoor level [for mission ‘Death in the Family’], with its gorgeous environment design and classic Hammer Horror-esque aesthetic, was a no-brainer. The level has an optional murder mystery, which I chose to colour with music inspired by the great Bernard Hermann. It might be my favorite HITMAN level.”

Any parting words?

Niels Bye Nielsen: “I’d love to take the opportunity to thank all the people who took the time to write me words of encouragement over the years.

“Knowing that some people out there in gamerland were digging the tunes has been a great source of confidence and inspiration.”