Copilot Music and Sound
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music content and strategy |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Jason Menkes, Ravi Krishnaswami |
| Headquarters | New York , United States |
Area served | Television, gaming, film, advertising, interactive media |
Key people | Jason Menkes, Ravi Krishnaswami |
| Products | Music creation, composition, licensing, sonic branding, sound design, creative consulting |
Copilot Music and Sound LLC—also referred to as Copilot Strategic Music + Sound, Copilot Music, or simply Copilot—is a music content and strategy firm headquartered in New York. Established in 2008 by Jason Menkes and Ravi Krishnaswami, the company focuses on music creation, composition, licensing, sonic branding, sound design, and creative consulting for sectors including television, gaming, film, advertising, and interactive media.
Dishonored "Drunken Whaler"
For the 2012 video game Dishonored, developed by Bethesda Softworks and Arkane Studios, Copilot crafted a unique adaptation of the traditional tune "Drunken Sailor" specifically for the game's trailer, naming it "Drunken Whaler".
The arrangement incorporated performances by child vocalists as well as adults mimicking children's voices. Instrumentation featured violins, detuned guitars, and a notable "whaler stomp" percussion created by stomping on wooden planks.
Due to enthusiastic fan response, Bethesda commissioned a full-length version of the track which was made available for free download on their website. Later that year, Bethesda hosted a remix competition utilizing Copilot’s individual track stems, with Copilot’s creative team serving as judges.
At the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards aired on Spike TV, "Drunken Whaler" was performed live by an orchestra as part of a tribute medley honoring Game of the Year nominees under composer Lorne Balfe’s direction. Notably, it was the sole piece included that originated from a game's promotional material rather than its in-game soundtrack.
Dishonored 2 "Gold Dust Woman"
For the Dishonored 2 gameplay trailer unveiled at the 2016 E3 in Los Angeles, Copilot arranged Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman".
Fallout 4
In collaboration with Bethesda Softworks, Copilot composed an original theme song for the "Nuka World" downloadable content expansion.
Fallout 76
Continuing their partnership with Bethesda Softworks, Copilot produced a rendition of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" featured in the trailer for Fallout 76. The lead vocals were performed by Scout Ford from New York-based a cappella group Spank. Released on iTunes on July 4, 2018, all proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity. The single achieved No. 1 on iTunes charts and ranked No. 41 on Billboard Hot Country Songs along with No. 21 on Billboard Country Digital Songs.
Visa "Samba of the World"
In 2014, Copilot oversaw music production for Visa's interactive digital campaign "Samba of the World", launched in conjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Developed alongside AKQA, this project featured 32 distinct musical arrangements representing each participating nation.
Each version adapted Carlinhos Brown's "Maria Caipirnha (Samba da Bahia)" through partnerships with regional composers and musicians. Copilot conducted ethnomusicological research into local popular genres and traditional instruments while standardizing tempo, structure, and key to ensure global musical cohesion.
Collaborators Engaged by Copilot
| Country | Collaborator |
|---|---|
| Algeria | Akim El Sikameya |
| Argentina | Didi Gutman |
| Belgium | BLEU NUIT - Benoît Pirson |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Zana Messia & DJ Ray Mack |
| Brazil | Satellite Audio |
| Cameroon | Sally Nyolo |
| Chile | James H. Frazier |
| Colombia | Palenke Soultribe |
| Costa Rica | Ojo de Buey |
| Cote D'Ivoire | Denis D. Lactif |
| Croatia | Davor Hercog |
| Ecuador | Lamine Fellah (Sarazino) |
| England | Olly Bridgewater |
| France | TA-DAH STUDIOS |
| Germany | Metatechnik (Georg Bissen) |
| Ghana | Appietus |
| Greece | Mike Stoupakis |
| Honduras | Ivan Duran and Guayo Cedeño |
| Iran | Mona Kayhan |
| Italy | JoyCut |
| Japan | Kenji Ichiyanagi |
| Korea | Wen-Kai Ying, Kyle Kim, Tom Jessop |
| Mexico | Gustavo Naranjo |
| Netherlands | Freshbeat featuring Onearmed |
| Nigeria | Pheelz |
| Portugal | Diabo na Cruz |
| Russia | Ellina Graypel |
| Spain | BanjoMusic Studio |
| Switzerland | Brian Bendahan |
| Uruguay | Martin Fuks |
| U.S.A. | 'John Beltran' |
Visa also commissioned 32 local filmmakers to produce films paired with these musical pieces that showcased each country's dance styles, culinary traditions, attire, and football culture. Copilot worked closely with director Saman Kesh in an advisory capacity to ensure seamless alignment between audio and visual elements. The campaign’s interactive website allowed users to explore both musical and visual content from each nation effortlessly.
Wolfenstein: The New Order
For the 2014 title Wolfenstein: The New Order by Bethesda Softworks, Copilot and AKQA crafted a marketing strategy rooted in 1960s pop music to mirror the game's alternate timeline where Germany emerged victorious in World War II. They invented a fictional German government-run label named Neumond Recording Company, showcasing ten imaginary pop acts that embodied diverse 1960s musical styles. Each artist was provided with extensive backstories and singles accompanied by custom album artwork, enriching the game's immersive storytelling and commercial appeal.
Production
Given the game's delicate theme, the initial songwriting was done in English to ensure the lyrics accurately represented the alternate history without promoting genuine propaganda. Copilot deliberately assembled a broad, multicultural group of performers. Jason Menkes remarked, "I recruited as many non-Aryan artists as possible for this project," including individuals from Jewish, Black, and LGBTQ+ communities. Contributors featured included The Voice finalist Rino Galiano and members of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
Songs
Three classic 1960s pop tunes were reinterpreted with German-language lyrics to align with the game’s setting. "House of the Rising Sun" was transformed into a Bavarian waltz incorporating accordion and brass instruments, altering the line "there is a house in New Orleans" to "There is a house in New Berlin." The track "Nowhere To Run" by Martha & The Vandellas adopted a more somber tone using minor chords alongside machine gun sound effects. John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" was adapted into Schlager music, a postwar German genre known for its sanitized style. These reinterpretations were featured in promotional trailers for Wolfenstein: The New Order.
In addition, seven original compositions were produced, each drawing inspiration from 1960s pop styles but with lyrics tailored to the Wolfenstein narrative. The Comet Tails, an invented surf rock group, performed "Weltraum Surfen" ("Outer Space Surfing"), which thematically represented Nazi lunar colonization.
"Toe The Line," performed by fictional band The Bunkers, mimicked rebellious British rock acts such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, containing propagandistic messages encouraging conformity. Reflecting British artists who recorded German versions of hits during the era, Copilot collaborated with an English vocalist who phonetically learned German lyrics, intentionally preserving mispronunciations to imply English was fading in this alternate reality.
Schwarz Rote Wellen's "Ich Bin Überall" ("I Am Everywhere") adopted a psychedelic rock style. Produced under a fictional state-controlled label where drug references were prohibited, its lyrics subtly alluded to Nazi occult themes and metaphorically depicted the game’s robotic mechs.
Victor & The Vokalitsen, inspired by groups like Jay & The Americans and The Four Seasons, delivered "Berlin Boys & Stuttgart Girls." This track was broadcast on Iggy Pop’s BBC radio program, promoted as an obscure 1960s single without disclosing its fictional background or connection to the video game.
Application
Songs by Neumond were integrated into trailers and throughout the gameplay as source music, also accessible as collectible items tied to specific missions within the game. The fictional record label was promoted through a dedicated website and a marketing video inspired by K-Tel International infomercial styles.
At PAX East held in Boston, Bethesda organized a release event for Neumond Records in conjunction with Wolfenstein: The New Order. Attendees were given physical 7-inch vinyl singles, while Copilot’s tracks were performed live by local artists led by Emeen Zarookian from Spirit Kid. Bethesda additionally issued a limited edition LP titled "Wolfenstein Neumond Classics: Superhits of the 1960s," showcasing Copilot’s work, with 500 copies sold exclusively through its store.
World Wildlife Fund
In 2013, Copilot provided the track "Together" for the World Wildlife Fund’s inaugural iPad application, "WWF Together," which surpassed one million downloads across 140 countries that year. The app received an Apple Design Award, Best of Show at the DC ADDY Awards, and Creativity International Awards, and was highlighted in Apple’s "10 Apps that Wow" and "Great Free Apps" features.
Copilot also composed "Underneath the Wild Blue Light" for WWF's 2015 iPad eBook app, WWF Explore. Furthermore, a third composition titled "Endangered," created by Copilot collaborator Ravi Krishnawami under the alias "Hybird," was part of a 2015 EP release.
In 2016, WWF Together was refreshed as part of Apple’s "Apps for Earth" campaign, with Copilot’s music featured in a behind-the-scenes video covered by the Washington Post.
Honors
| Project | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jell-O | 2016 Association of Music Producers Awards | Sonic ID or Logo Execution | Template:Won |
| Samba of the World | 2015 Cannes Lions | Song Arrangement | Shortlisted |
| 2015 Cannes Lions | Cyber/Web Campaign | Shortlisted | |
| 2015 AICP NEXT Awards | Best Integrated Campaign | Shortlisted | |
| 2015 London International Awards | Song Arrangement | Shortlisted | |
| 2015 Association of Music Producers Awards | Most Effective Use of Music in Non-Broadcast Medium | Template:Won | |
| Wolfenstein - New Order: Announcement Trailer | 2014 Association of Music Producers Awards | Best Use of Music in Film or Game Trailer | Template:Won |
| 2014 CLIO Key Art Awards | Music in Game Trailer | Template:Gold medal | |
| 2014 Game Marketing Summit | Outstanding Promotional Trailer | Template:Bronze medal | |
| Dishonored Gameplay Trailer | 2013 Association of Music Producers Awards | Best Use of Music in Film or Game Promo | Template:Won |
| 2013 AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Commercial | Musical Arrangement | Shortlisted | |
| 2013 Game Marketing Summit Awards | Best Use of Music in Promo | Template:Bronze medal | |
| 2013 CLIO Key Art Awards | Audio/Visual Technique | Template:Bronze medal | |
| 2012 London International Awards | Music Adaptation | Shortlisted | |
| 'Machinima Inside Gaming Awards' | 'Best Trailer Award' | 'Template:Won' | |
| World Wildlife Fund | '2013 DC Ad Club Awards' | 'Best in Show' | 'Template:Won' |
| Vena Cava | '2011 AICP Show: The Art & Technique of the American Commercial' | 'Sound Design' | Shortlisted' |