Detective Dotson's Shalin Shodhan & Indian Ocean's Nikhil Rao Want You To Take Notice Of Video Game Music, One Note At A Time

'If musicians can be alert to the huge opportunity coming our way with more and more quality Indian games being made, I think sab ke ghar mein roti hoga aur struggle kam hoga," Rao told ABP Live.

Rao and Shodhan are childhood friends and the 'Detective Dotson' collab was years in the making.

Source : Masala Games

When I think of music in video games, the 8-bit-y tense beats of 'Super Mario Bros.' underground theme is the first thing that pops up in my mind. I remember a tense, sweat-drenched me trying to navigate Luigi (yep, I always got the brother since my elder sister had dibs on Mario) through the many pitfalls of the level. Matter of fact, the level wasn't that hard. However, the nail-biting music created such an eerie atmosphere that I simply believed there was danger in every footstep. 

As I grew older and tried out different games, video game music continued to move me in unimaginable ways. Be it the gangsta-cool 'GTA: San Andreas' theme song that made you feel like a Ballas member, or the heart-wrenching guitar twangs of 'The Last Of Us' that made you feel like you were watching a film festival drama rather than playing a zombie game. 

Now, Indian developers have been bringing out excellent games of late, but none of them were able to cut a mark in my heart in terms of music. You have your battle royales or ancient epics and the music was just... there. They didn't move. They didn't elevate. They were mostly there to suit the genre and that's it.

Now, enter 'Detective Dotson', an upcoming homegrown mystery platformer from Masala Games, which recently released its demo on Steam. While the game itself was very "fresh", thanks to its acute attention to design details (characters as well as environments), smooth gameplay, and crisp take on everything 'Indian', what left me awestruck was the music. 

A mix of very video-game-y bass lines and street-style drum-based funky grooves that stay true to the overall 'mystery adventure' aspect of the game, the music of 'Detective Dotson' soars to a near-spiritual ecstasy when the raga-based melodies enter the mix, thanks to an eclectic mix of traditional instruments such as flute, sitar, or even santoor. 

So, suffice it to say that when I heard the music of 'Detective Dotson' in a demo, the first thing I did was reach out to the studio with a request to speak with the music composers. It turned out that the lead guitarist of fusion rock pioneers Indian Ocean, Nikhil Rao, and developer Masala Games' director Shalin Shodhan (alongside Noida-based producer Sharad Joshi) were the minds behind the music. 

Shodhan has over two decades of experience working in games and films. He had previously worked for Pixar Animation Studios, working on films like 'Finding Dory' and 'Toy Story 3', winning multiple Oscars. He had also worked on Spore for Electronic Arts, winning a BAFTA for technical achievement. 

What Is Detective Dotson?

Detective Dotson, an upcoming mystery-adventure game from Indian developer Masala Games, has just released an expanded demo as part of Steam’s Wholesome Games celebration. Launched on Independence Day, the demo invites players to delve deeper into Dotson's 3D world, taking on side quests and tackling a quirky case titled “Mrs. Sengupta’s FOMO-mergency.”

'The Great Big Unknown'

In an exclusive Q&A with ABP Live, Rao and Shodhan shed light on their creative process and what went into crafting the unique soundscape for 'Detective Dotson'.

When asked how he approached composing music for 'Detective Dotson', Rao revealed that his collaboration with Shalin was deeply personal. "Shalin Shodhan is a close childhood friend and someone we were all proud of since he attended Carnegie Mellon and worked at Pixar. Shalin showed me the preliminary work they had done on Dotson and I loved it, and I also appreciated how clear he was, both as a creator and a project manager," Rao said. 

Unlike many musicians, Rao admitted to not being an avid gamer. "Ironically I've hardly ever taken to video games myself! Snake on my Nokia phone and Temple Run on my first smartphone was my maximum peak. When I was in the engineering hostel my pals would have serious Counter-Strike parties all night long. I would practice guitar for hours on end and watch the gamers outlast my practice sessions," he joked.

Yet, the chance to work on something so different from his usual gigs piqued his interest. “We had to adapt quickly to the hybrid model of working with myself in Delhi, Sharad in Noida and Shalin in Ahmedabad. Every few days Sharad and I would get together in person and jam on a few ideas. We'd send these to Shalin for feedback and he would give us detailed notes on what he liked. Then we would work separately for a few days and come together once again in person for final touches.”

Shodhan, the mastermind behind 'Detective Dotson', had a clear vision for the game's music. "I had a pretty distinct palette in mind with 3 things in it. First: Indian street drums - think the intro to 'One-Two-Ka-Four' from 'Ram Lakhan'. Second, funky bass lines - think Daft Punk. And third, raga-based melodies are rendered on flute/sitar/guitar/santoor. But beyond the suggested ingredients I wanted Nikhil and our other collaborator Sharad to go crazy and express themselves."

'You Get A Little Greedy'

Rao explained that creativity often starts from a blank slate. "You need something. A single line, word, phrase, motif, chord progression, hook, riff, thought, idea, argument, philosophy," he mused. "That first idea is fundamentally mysterious and bubbles up into conscious awareness from the great big unknown. But once it is there, you slowly start building a foundation, set up games, patterns, callbacks and references."

When asked how video game composition differs from other visual arts, Rao pointed out that curbing musical instincts was key. “What I mean is, you get a little greedy for the music now and then but the music is there to serve the visual and the plot. So that's the master you have to serve. Luckily Shalin is a musician himself so he encouraged us to take a run if we found a great idea. The entire process was truly collaborative and even when we disagreed, the discussions were always healthy and illuminating."

On how music composition for a video game differs from other media, Shodhan noted that while the planning process remains similar, the arrangement is quite different. “This is because in the game we generally have a loop. The challenge is to make the loop enjoyable on hundreds of listens and hide the loop-ness of it! In cinema, there is more burden on music to do storytelling. In both media, the music has to play very well with sound effects. We don’t give enough limelight to SFX, but boy are they important in making games and cinema feel immersive and entertaining."

'Sab Ke Ghar Mein Roti Hoga Aur Struggle Kam Hoga'

While the video game industry in India is still evolving, Rao believes there is massive potential for musicians. "Indie musicians are falling over themselves to bag OTT projects, which is fine. But gaming is a growing industry in India and if musicians can be alert to the huge opportunity coming our way with more and more quality Indian games being made, I think sab ke ghar mein roti hoga aur struggle kam hoga."

As Detective Dotson nears its official release, both Rao and Shodhan are excited to see how players respond to the game — and its music. Rao, juggling his commitments with Indian Ocean (which remains his "main priority"), remains optimistic as he looks forward to putting the finishing touches on 'Detecive Dotson'. "Our fingers and toes are crossed, we hope the world takes notice."

"The output is too good and I imagine we’ll be finding a lot more excuses to do more of these," added Shodhan, which makes sense as a three-episode mini-animated series of 'Detective Dotson' is also set to release in November this year. 'Detective Dotson' is currently available as a demo on Steam. The game will launch on PC and Xbox in 2025.

In a world full of pixellated mysteries, one thing is clear: Detective Dotson is bringing not only an engaging narrative but also a vibrant, memorable soundtrack to the gaming scene. Whether you're a fan of indie games, Indian music, or just great storytelling, this is one adventure you won’t want to miss.