Whenever I start drafting a new project, I need to move. I have to walk around the city, ride my bike through the park, get on a bus or a train, or just start driving to nowhere, as long as I’m in transit. I don’t really know why, but that’s how I get my inspiration flowing. The whole time, I’m not completely present in any of the places I am, but rather in a meditative state. Part of that process is listening to music while I go — I imagine set pieces and characters, dialog and plot points, huge battles and tender moments.
Maybe it has something to do with my career as a video editor in the games industry, as I see my stories unfold cinematically and envelop the reader/viewer/player into an undeniable vibe. Maybe it has something to do with my love for music—I’ve been involved in the local punk scene all my life. Whatever the reason, here are five of the songs I was listening to while I drafted The Last Phi Hunter at the tail end of 2020.
Beat the Devils Tattoo - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB - "Beat The Devils Tattoo" (Official Music Video)
This is one of my favorite bands, and the gritty, tribal aesthetic of the song actually helped me imagine the opening of The Last Phi Hunter. At the start of the song, I can see the opening credits roll, the camera moving through the woods as we focus on Ex getting ready to pounce on the demon he’s hunting. Cut to about 2:22, when the fight starts, proceeding in flashes of visceral motion and still frames cut to the beat. He gets dragged through the woods during the bridge, and then pulls it together at the last second to make the kill, setting the tone for the rest of the novel.
Retrograde - James Blake
James Blake - Retrograde
This is an em oh oh dee MOOD, capturing the vibe of the lone traveler, the contemplation of moving through spaces both empty and populated, yet the feeling of watching from the outside, not belonging completely in the world. I love how the song swells with the disconcerting synths at 1:45, and continues to build. I imagined Ex’s perception when the Everpresent kicks in, when the environment begins to shift into this colorful, vivid place full of mystical energy and unknowable secrets. If you happen to be following along in the book, play this during Chapter fifteen.
Street Pulse Beat - Special Interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sGAN9y-HnQ&ab_channel=SpecialInterest
The echo of loneliness, nostalgia, community, and fierce love, conveyed in a brutal, aggressive way — this song captures connection and detachment in a beautiful manner. (After a cool interlude at the start, the song kicks in at 1:36.) There’s also a marching progression towards an inevitable conclusion that naturally builds into a somewhat fragile tension that still hits like a pile of bricks. This is actually the first time I’ve watched the video, and I dig how this loving communal scene quickly shifts to frenetic chaos and violence, but at the end, the distinct sense that you would die to save someone you love.
Kai's Theme & Agni Kai - Samuel Kim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cml8Qo74zNQ&ab_channel=SamuelKimMusic
I’m dying right now, because I thought this was an ATLA soundtrack song, but TIL this is some kind of remix with that and a theme from Kung Fu Panda. Regardless, this went on the The Last Phi Hunter playlist because it so perfectly captured an especially cinematic set piece in Chapter 32, (pages 326-329,) where (REDACTED - SPOILERS,) complete with the epic, grand action, a chase through a fantastic warzone, and the confrontation with a being far more powerful than a mortal could ever hope to overcome.
Toss A Coin to Your Witcher - Samuel Kim Remix Featuring Black Gryph0n
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDtu2r8mYIw&ab_channel=SamuelKimMusic
This song doesn’t really have a 1:1 scene comp to the novel, but I have to give credit where credit’s due, as the Witcher was one of the main inspirations for the story, even if Ex and Garalt’s journey couldn’t be farther apart. Or actually, TIL I am a huge fan of Samuel Kim’s music, because this version is way more dope than the original. Hey Samuel, when The Last Phi Hunter gets made into a movie, YOU’RE HIRED.
Ambitious Phi Hunter and perpetual lone wolf, Ex, finds his road to glory interrupted when a heavily pregnant runaway enlists his help to escape through the ghost-infested forest…
Ex, the youngest member of the Phi Hunters Order, has spent his life slaying the ghosts and demons of Suyoram Kingdom. While he takes great pride in his mystical trade, collecting dwindling bounties and peddling butchered spirit organs lacks the glory he craves. He’s determined to hunt down Shar-Ala, a demon of nightmares, of madness – who has eluded even Ex’s masters.
In a provincial village along the way, Arinya, a charming muay-boran champion, manages to save Ex him from a brutal ass-kicking, despite being nine months pregnant. In return, she asks him to escort her through the dangerous, spirit-filled forest, where ghosts salivate over the scent of the unborn.
Feeling responsible for Arinya’s safety, Ex vows to help her return home. But as more of Arinya’s secrets emerge, and the elusive demon nears, Ex must face dangers from both men and monsters, or lose not only the respect and sanctuary of his guild, but also the woman he’s trying not to fall in love with.
The Last Phi Hunter is a mythic dark fantasy, equal parts smart, exhilarating, and delightfully fun.
Romance Fantasy [Angry Robot, On Sale: September 10, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781915998149 / eISBN: 9781915998156]
Salinee Goldenberg is a speculative fiction writer and multimedia artist who lives in Washington DC, and is drawn to outsider perspectives. A biracial, bisexual, diaspora writer, Sal often explores themes of identity, obsession and alienation in her work. Previously, she worked at Bethesda Softworks creating narrative trailers for games such as Skyrim, Fallout 4 and Dishonored, and now produces videos for Minecraft. When not writing, she likes to paint, listen to records, and play in punk bands.
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