Spencer Nilsen

From Sega Retro

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Spencer Nilsen is a video game music composer and former head of Sega of America's audio department. He has made soundtracks for the Mega CD games Batman Returns, Ecco the Dolphin, Ecco 2: The Tides of Time, Jurassic Park, The Adventures of Batman & Robin and The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin. He also composed the soundtrack for the U.S. version of Sonic the Hedgehog CD.

Nilsen has since moved on to become the President and Creative Director of Expression College for Digital Arts.[1]

Production History

Song Credits

Sonic CD (U.S. edition)

  • Sonic Boom - Opening Theme — Music & Arrangement, Lyrics (w/Pastiche), Programming, Keyboards
  • Title — Music & Arrangement, Lyrics (w/Pastiche), Programming
  • Little Planet — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Palmtree Panic (Present) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Palmtree Panic (Good Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Palmtree Panic (Bad Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Tidal Tempest (Present) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Tidal Tempest (Good Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Tidal Tempest (Bad Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Quartz Quadrant (Present) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Quartz Quadrant (Good Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Quartz Quadrant (Bad Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Wacky Workbench (Present) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Wacky Workbench (Good Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Wacky Workbench (Bad Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Stardust Speedway (Present) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Stardust Speedway (Good Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Stardust Speedway (Bad Future) — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Special Stage — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Zone Clear — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Speed Up!! — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Invincible!! — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Game Over — Music & Arrangement, Programming
  • Sonic Boom - Closing Theme — Music & Arrangement, Lyrics (w/Pastiche), Programming

Ecco the Dolphin (Mega CD Version)

  • Aqua Vistas — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Lonesome Search — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Friend or Foe — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Motion E — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • The Machine — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Open Ocean — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • The Tube — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Welcome to the Machine — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Home Bay (Aftermath of the Storm) — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Home Bay (Before the Storm Cometh) — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Sounding Echo — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Jurassic Beach — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Ridge Water — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Time Forgotten — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures

The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin

  • Swingtime — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Lyrics (w/Eric Martin)

Sonic the Hedgehog Boom

  • Sonic Boom-Opening Theme — Composed, Arranged and Produced, Lyrics (w/Pastiche), Keyboards and Synthesizer Programming (w/David Young), Engineered and Mixed by (w/David Young)
  • Stardust Speedway-Bad Future — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Tidal Tempest — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Sonic Boom-Closing Theme — Composed, Arranged and Produced, Lyrics (w/Pastiche)
  • Tidal Tempest-Bad Future — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Palmtree Panic — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Quartz Quadrant — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Stardust Present — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Tempest Good Future — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Quartz Future — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Speedway to Good Future — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Wacky Workbench — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Special Stage — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Workbench-Bad Future — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Palmtree Party — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Workbench Workout — Composed, Arranged and Produced
  • Spinball Theme — Produced by (w/Howard Drossin)
  • Flight to Volcanic Fortress — Produced by (w/Howard Drossin)
  • Toxic Cave — Produced by (w/Howard Drossin)
  • Lava Powerhouse — Produced by (w/Brian Coburn)

Ecco 2: The Tides of Time (Mega CD Version)

  • Abyss — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Botswana — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • The Desert Below — Music (w/Brad Kaiser), Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards (w/Brad Kaiser), Synthesizers, Textures
  • Deception — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Deep Marjimba — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Blue Dream — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • St. Gabriel's Mask — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Heart of the Giant — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Transcended — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Mountains Below — Music & Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Textures
  • Treefish — Music (w/David Young), Arrangement, Produced by, Keyboards (w/David Young), Synthesizers, Textures

Cyber Speedway

  • Going Blind — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)
  • Dayglo Blues — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)
  • Tabatha — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)
  • Call Me Crazy — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)
  • Da Jam — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)
  • Why — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)
  • I Will Not Take It — Produced by, Recorded, engineered & mixed by (w/David Young)

Wild Woody

Sega Power Cuts 1

  • St. Gabriel's Mask/vocal remix — Music written, arranged & produced by, Lyrics (w/Gary Cirimelli), Keyboards (w/David Young)

Interview