Saki Kaskas
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| Theodosius Kaskamanidis | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Saki Kaskas, Captain Ginger |
| Born | September 24, 1971 Krefeld, Germany |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. |
| Genres | Rock, punk, heavy metal, folk, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Video game music composer |
| Instruments | Acoustic guitar, guitar, bass guitar, piano, drums |
| Years active | 1996-present |
| Labels | Koyote Records |
| Website | www |
Theodosius Kaskamanidis (born September 24, 1971 in Krefeld, Germany - died on November 17, 2016; better known as "Saki Kaskas" or "Captain Ginger") was a Greek video game music composer, best known for his soundtracks in the Need for Speed series. He started making music for Electronic Arts in 1996, when his friend Jeff van Dyck, who was in the same band with him at the time, got him a contract for The Need for Speed. After High Stakes, EA began to use songs from rap and hip-hop artists as background music for their games.
Contents
Biography
Saki was born in Krefeld, Germany, in 1971. His parents were working there because there were no opportunities in Greece at the time. Shortly after he was born, the whole family (his parents and three older sisters) moved to Vancouver, Canada. Saki was 1 year old.
Electronic Arts
Music passion
Saki started to play the guitar when he was 15. He practiced 5 hours a day and in two years he was in his first band, Omnibol. They were a rock band and they gained some notoriety around the Vancouver music scene.
In 1993, they broke up. At that time he started to play in various bands. Saki played in a Greek folk band, a heavy metal band, a cover band, a ‘power trio’ rock band and in a guitar duet. He also played sessions for commercials and such.
Joining EA
In 1994, Saki joined the Heavy Lounge. This was an instrumental band and they played progressive rock with some leanings towards jazz, funk and metal. The keyboard player was Jeff van Dyck, who was working for Electronic Arts at the time.
In 1996, Jeff got Saki a contract for The Need for Speed. He already had a bunch of rock and metal tunes that he thought would fit well with the game. Soon after that, Saki became a full time composer for EA, and he composed music for NHL 97, NHL 98, Need for Speed II, Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, Need for Speed: High Stakes, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, Rugby 2001 and Missile Command.
Death
Saki Kaskas died on 17 November 2016.
Other projects
In 2012, Saki Kaskas began to record again, composing music on his own behalf, and for newer games such as Sleeping Dogs.
Prominent works
- The Need for Speed
- Need for Speed II
- Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit
- Need for Speed: High Stakes
- NHL 97
- NHL 98
- Missile Command
- Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed
- Rugby 2001
- SimCity 4
- Mass Effect 2
External links
- Saki Kaskas at the Game-OST, where there is also an interview.
- Official website
