Pizza Tower is a truly unique gem in the gaming world, boasting a captivating blend of visuals and sound that sets it apart from anything else. Its zany '90s Cartoon Cartoon-style animation, accompanied by an irresistibly catchy soundtrack, evokes nostalgic Sega vibes from the turn of the millennium, taking them to even greater heights.
Among the talented composers behind this remarkable experience, Ronan "Mr. Sauceman" de Castel stands out. Pizza Tower marks his debut as a professional composer, making it his very first publicly available musical endeavor. Meanwhile, the other primary composer, ClascyJitto (also known as Frostix), has been publishing their own work for a considerable period, despite still being a high school student.
In the competitive landscape of 2023's gaming scene, Pizza Tower has quickly emerged as a strong contender for game of the year. Its delectable combination of crispy and imaginative 2D platforming, reminiscent of the past decade's finest, forms the foundation beneath its stunning artwork and captivating soundtrack—like the perfect blend of sauce, cheese, anchovies, and even pineapples.
The indie development team dedicated a remarkable five years to bring this game to life, fueled by an engaged Discord community. It was within this community that both de Castel and ClascyJitto, now integral members of the project, initially joined as enthusiastic fans. "I became a member of the Discord early in the game's development and started creating remixes of the early versions of the songs," ClascyJitto shared. Meanwhile, de Castel had already been recruited as the lead composer by the talented developer, McPig. Both were greatly impressed by ClascyJitto's innovative takes on the early soundtrack. "Ronan enjoyed the remixes, and McPig suggested the idea of bringing me on board as an additional composer for the game."
In spite of their diverse origins and significant geographical separation (ClascyJitto hailing from the east coast of the US and de Castel residing in France), they remarkably collaborated to produce an extensive and harmonious soundtrack. This music exudes a lively, funky, and irresistibly positive aura reminiscent of the early 2000s. Both composers contribute equally to the tracklist, while the relaxing main menu theme, "Pizza Deluxe," is skillfully crafted by guest composer Post Elvis. It truly captures the enchantment of the pre-Financial Crisis era, a time when Sega thrived in hardware production.
Among ClascyJitto's notable contributions to Pizza Tower, my personal favorite is the track "Celsius Troubles," featured in the icy (or rather, freezer) world. What really captivates me is the lively break in the middle of the song, which never fails to ignite my inner dancer. When discussing their own work, ClascyJitto highlights tracks such as "Wednesdays," "What's on the Kid's Menu," and "Wudpecker" (which also received praise from de Castel during our conversation). However, I was particularly delighted to discover the tutorial theme, "funiculi holiday," which offers a subtle reinterpretation of the 19th-century Neapolitan anthem "Funiculì, Funiculà" (known for being featured in the pizza delivery song from the Spider-Man 2 game).
Pizza Tower's OST required more traditional composition, which they described as taking them beyond of their comfort zone. In contrast to much of ClascyJitto's other music outside of Pizza Tower, which focuses on sampling and remixing (including their favorite tune, Lonely Poisoner), the OST for Pizza Tower required sampling and remixing. For me, creating the music for Pizza Tower is kind of like playing a fun little game, according to ClascyJitto. "It really prompts me to do actions that I wouldn't typically take.
Such a fantastic soundtrack! It's hard for me to think ClascyJitto is still a teenager. I didn't question if they had to balance working on it with a day job until we focused on how the popularity of Pizza Tower had changed their lives, and they said that the "only thing [they're] really balancing is school"—specifically, high school.
During our conversation, ClascyJitto expressed some frustration with the rigid structure of a music theory class, which held a touch of irony considering their circumstances. While they make an effort to maintain a distinction between their online persona and personal life, ClascyJitto playfully acknowledged that it would be amusing to play the card of "do you know who I am?" in certain situations.
Besides the tempting option of impressing a music teacher with the claim of co-creating a best-selling soundtrack, ClascyJitto shared that contributing to Pizza Tower didn't disrupt their life much, stating, "It has made me realize how little everything else has changed." They further expressed their confidence in their music, stating, "I always believed in the quality of my music, but having real people validate it is truly gratifying." ClascyJitto continues to produce new music under the alias RiZi on SoundCloud and Bandcamp, recently releasing the album "Hi-Speed Explosion Device." Additionally, they are involved in game development, currently working on projects like "Earth Mechanica" and "Kipidon."