The Binding of Isaac: Repentance Sound Team Interview

Hello and welcome to 20 Questions with the Isaac Team. I’m your host, Mega Satan’s dad. PSA: If you haven't done so already, please be sure to add The Binding of Isaac: Repentance to your Wish List! As a way for you to get to better know the team responsible for your favorite game of all time, we’ll be interviewing the various lovable and very talented members of the Isaac team in the coming weeks and months.

This week we’re spending some time with Ridiculon, the musical duo responsible for The Binding of Isaac soundtrack.

What are your names and where are you from?

Matthias

Matthias Bossi and Jon Evans. We are both from Cape Cod. Raised in the towns of Dennis and Yarmouth respectively. We went to the same high school. Did burnouts in the same abandoned lots. You've known each other most of your lives. When did you decide to get into music?

Matthias

We’ve both been playing since childhood. Jon went to Berklee in Boston and I went to New England Conservatory in Boston. It should be said that we only became friends a decade ago. How did you go the same high school and only become friends in the last decade?

Matthias

Jon is ten years older than me. He could have been my dad in some awkward kind of way.

Currently we share the same love interest

Metal. And we often fight over her.

Was there a Matthias + Jon before Ridiculon, or is this your first musical endeavor together? Jon: Our first!!! We traveled in the same circles when we lived in the Bay Area—we were actually neighbors. But never shared the stage together in any way until we moved back to Cape Cod. Our first project together was recording the narration to The Binding of Isaac.

(Left: Jon Evans playing live with Sarah McLachlan. Right: Matthias Bossi with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum)

What were you doing music-wise before Ridiculon?

Jon

We both toured with millions of bands and made records as sidemen.

Matthias

Skeleton Key, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Book of Knots, St. Vincent, John Vanderslice, The Tiger Lillies, Pretty Lights, Cosa Brava Jon: Tori Amos, Linda Perry, Sarah McLachlan. The list goes on and on. What's each of your most memorable takeaways from touring?

Matthias

Arm Wrestling with a fan mid-song.

Jon

Madison Square Garden.

You've been working on The Binding of Isaac for the better part of a decade.

Matthias

Man... where to start? It’s such a part of our identity. And it has shaped our sound for every game we’ve done since. We still remember writing the first sketch for “Diptera Sonata” in the living room. Big shoutout to Edmund for keeping it in the family! How did you connect with Edmund for Isaac?

Matthias

We were doing music for Mewgenics (now back in dev!!!!) and he asked us to submit for Isaac. The rest is history! Mewgenics itself was a crapshoot! We submitted along with other composers and just had a more natural and quirky sound that fit the retro aesthetic. Winners!!!! Did you know Edmund and company before that, or was it your first interaction?

Matthias

Edmund was a fan of my band Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. He was always at our shows in Santa Cruz with his then-girlfriend Danielle. We stayed in touch!

That's a great segue into working together. What's the flow and direction for creating a song for Isaac? Matthias: Improvise! Improvise! Flow!