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B.C. composer, hockey fan makes music for Vancouver Canucks intro video

A.I.-themed 91ƵProtocol V: Activated91Ƶ will play at start of all Canucks home games
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Krystian Watts, a Ballenas Secondary School graduate, recently co-composed the music for the Vancouver Canucks home opener video. (Press photo)

A Ballenas Secondary School graduate is one of two composers behind this season91Ƶs Vancouver Canucks game opening video.

Krystian Watts, who grew up in Parksville and now lives in Vancouver, created the music for 91ƵProtocol V: Activated91Ƶ, an A.I.-themed video that plays at the start of every Canucks home game this season on the jumbotron. He and Devin Belanger worked on the project for approximately three months.

91ƵIt was definitely an experience. I mean just to be part of an organization like the Vancouver Canucks was awesome,91Ƶ Watts said. 91ƵI grew up a hockey fan on the Island, so it was an honour to even have the opportunity.91Ƶ

Watts has a diploma in audio engineering and composes music using a program called Ableton. Prior to that, he had already found success in the music industry as part of a music duo and as a DJ.

The 3:43 video shows an A.I. entity invade Vancouver and the Canucks have to create A.I. versions of themselves to defeat it and save the city.

Watts91Ƶs and Belanger91Ƶs composition consist of different sections that fit with what91Ƶs happening on screen.

They had a script to give them an idea of what would happen in the video, and were told the director wanted it to have a 91Ƶsuper raw feeling91Ƶ, Watts said.

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91ƵThe guitar reflects on the rawness of hockey, that rocky type of feeling where you91Ƶre going to battle. Grit,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵThat was kind of the main inspiration for the intro. Then we transition into more the team assembling and the epic section leading up to the ending.91Ƶ

For the heroic finale, Watts said he and Belanger aimed for a sound reminiscent of a blockbuster movie.

They recorded live guitar riffs and then processed it electronically to make it sound extra raw, Watts added. Strings and percussion are also integrated into the composition.

Growing up in Parksville, Watts was involved in Bard to Broadway and started DJing in high school.

91ƵBoth my mom and my dad were musical, so it just became a big part of my life and I91Ƶve just been lucky to be able to do it full time,91Ƶ he said.

Watts wasn91Ƶt able to attend the home opener, but he and Belanger were thrilled to see their video play at the Canucks91Ƶ next home game.

He encourages people to keep working towards their dreams.

91ƵMy dream was to work on music full time and make a career out of it,91Ƶ Watts said. 91ƵI didn91Ƶt know exactly where I was going to go, like I started with DJing. If you91Ƶre a DJ, pursue it, if you91Ƶre a music producer, pursue it.91Ƶ



Kevin Forsyth

About the Author: Kevin Forsyth

As a lifelong learner, I enjoy experiencing new cultures and traveled around the world before making Vancouver Island my home.
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