How Harry Holmwood Created the Iconic Music for Demo 1 and Official PlayStation Magazine UK
When a family trip to the town centre in July 1997 resulted in me owning a Sony PlayStation, three games came in a bundle with the console: Formula 1, Ridge Racer, and Pandemonium. But there was another disc that came with the console, and I had no idea what this was.
Upon starting the disc up, my eight-year-old self was shown a barrage of 3D transitions, flashing lights, and the tease of so many games to come. Instantly, it changed how I thought games were supposed to look. At first, I wasn't sure how to get past the ever-transforming title screen, with the words 'Demo 1' pulsating like Homer Simpson's heart before his bypass. But soon after, I was playing games such as Battle Arena Toshinden 2, Lifeforce Tenka, and Tekken 2. I was in awe. And, arguably, still am, all these years later.
Eventually, I'd collect a few Official PlayStation Magazines, which came with their own demo discs, and they were just as good, highlighting games I'd never have considered owning before, such as Rosco McQueen and Wild 9. But throughout all of this, the music, as you browsed through the playable demos and videos, always stood out to me. To this day, the tracks haven't aged, and still sound like you could put them into a club today, and no one would notice these tracks being 30 years old.
A few weeks back, I came across a post on Bluesky, where Harry Holmwood, the composer of the Demo 1 theme and others, now Co-Founder and CEO of Magicave, a games studio, thanked someone after sending him a link to his iconic tracks.
I reached out to see if he was up for a quick chat about how they came to be, and he gladly said yes.
