Soundtrack Club - November Submissions

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy reminded me of developer-created bands in games. Star-Lord is really good, as was Level 800 Tauren Elite for Starcraft 2. The best though for me are the songs of Neumond Recordings for Wolfenstein New Order. Wonderful, how they managed to bastardize popular cult hits and still make them good.

Haven't heard much of it (hard to find), but I loved the soundtrack to The 3rd Birthday. Are they pretty similar / different?

lc

Also, my honourable mention goes to “Transistor”, but I've already written too much so I'll leave that one up to you to (re)discover

AsGenesis

Sad to see this one go, but oh well... I was waiting for the allies merry go round to take a lap to see if I could get an Isla synth boost but I’m truly surprised we’ve gone this long and no one has brought up two of my favourites: For what is worth I would like to long-shot nominate “Furi”. I had a lot of fun playing that game, but in all honesty it was the soundtrack that really made it stand out for me. It is a game built on vibes and as stylish as the graphics are, and as tight as its tug-o-war boss mechanics are, it is the soundtrack that really grabbed me. For those that haven’t played it, it is a contrasted mix of really frenetic tunes during its bosses joined together by moody downtempo sections while you transition between stages. Of course the former are more easily identifiable for the adrenaline rush that they give in-game, but I got to say that taking-in those slow ones really got me RP’ing the transitions and are my favourites. I know the soundtrack was a bit of a who’s who in some corners of the indy electronica and IDM scenes at the time, but as those are not genres I usually seek out, it doesn’t really matter to me. What does matter is that is on Amazon Prime and I often listen to it while at work when I need a bit of energy and focus. So, a really powerful soundtrack, integral to the experience, which elevated its game beyond the level that it would have gotten with even a good effort... and that is not out of place own its own!

AsGenesis

A lot of great picks, I don't envy your position here, I'd probably pick all of them in my weakness.

Varun Kachhwaha

One of the all time greats for sure. It's such a powerful influence on the series as a whole that you can still hear little callbacks to the score in Assassin's Creed 2. Venice rooftops still gets my blood pumping. Rarely do games nail a sound so perfectly like this game. Great pick!

Varun Kachhwaha

I’ve been in and out with my participation each month, but I greatly enjoyed my time with this series. Thanks for putting it together. For my last submission, I am going to suggest the soundtrack of Assassin’s Creed II by Jesper Kyd. I listen to video game soundtracks all of the time, but I don’t think any so vividly transport me to a place like Assassin’s Creed II’s music. Tracks like Home in Florence and Tour of Venice have gorgeous, slow-paced vocal accompaniments that put me in a trance as I roam the open world cities of Italy. Many of the songs in the game have an echoey effect added to them which causes the whole game experience to feel reflective. This makes sense considering the story is predicated upon looking to the past in order to understand the present. And of course, I have to specifically point out Ezio’s Family, which is perhaps the most iconic track in the whole series. It’s a powerful theme for Ezio’s journey, and I always get chills when it plays over the game’s title card sequence with the following dialogue between Ezio and his brother: “It is a good life we lead, brother.” “The best. May it never change.” “And may it never change us.”

Gonna miss this show for sure, but totally understand how much time and effort it must take, on top of everything else. Thanks for putting this together, Blood! As for my suggestion, I'm going to say Rayman 2: The Great Escape (specifically the Dreamcast/PC version)!

John McCullough

I absolutely love how simple the score is, I mean in the best way possible. How just a few notes on a guitar (I think you know which ones just by me describing it is amazing on it's own), but just those few notes can bring out such emotion. Not only did it manage to have this unique sound which is immediately identifiable, it's just beyond words what it makes me feel when I hear it. And like you say, the way it matches the game so beautifully. One of the greats for sure.

Varun Kachhwaha

Surprised it hasn’t gotten a shout out yet, but I need to throw one in for Last of Us. Gustavo Santolalla manages to create an atmosphere with the tracks that perfectly convey the world that you explore; sometimes peaceful, sometimes distressing and full of anxiety, sometimes just the most sad you could feel. I remember sitting on the PS3 splash screen listening to “All Gone” that has this choking violin that feels like it’s struggling to make it to the end of the piece without breaking down into its own musical sobs, meanwhile Joel and Ellie just look the most defeated and deflated you could imagine characters could look. It was a defining point for the game for me that seemed to say “I have something to say and it’s not going to make you feel good”. There are tracks that convey that sadness the world has perfectly, but also others that convey elements of distantly remembered hope like “Vanishing Grace”, but all of them present this empty beauty that the world now represents in its state of brokenness and savagery.

Happy Gaming

I'm sad to see it go, but I think you definitely need to put yourself and your health first. I would 100% welcome a random one here and there if you ever have the free time to make one. But you do so much already, that I'm sure having some free time back is welcome.

Varun Kachhwaha

Such a great shout, I really think the score from this is underappreciated in a way. I actually randomly think of Price of Freedom now and then during my day, what a track. It's full of so many emotions and feelings. I love it.

Varun Kachhwaha

First, I'm sad that it's ending, but also understand putting too much on your workload and needing to lighten it. Second, how about we go out strong with a soundtrack that it seems no one even remembers, let alone has talked about........ Parasite Eve.

R.F. Switch

Hi Blood. While I am disappointed to hear it is ending, I know you have talked about how much work it takes to prepare for this show. I have really loved the discussions and being enlightened by the information, entertained by the humor and enraptured by the beauty of the music. I am even more honored that you took time out of your busy schedule to meet with me when I was in town. You're 60% business manager, 25% editor, 15% journalist and 100% sincere in your desire to be informative and honest. I look forward to this last episode and maybe (just putting this out there) you could consider bringing back another version of the show, not at a pre-recorded "we sat down and talked about x" but maybe a stream version where instead of listening ahead of time we submit tracks not whole albums and you could look information up "on the fly" with your laptop/computer and just talk to us in chat instead of having to involve another person. Just a thought. Anyways music has always been a very big part of my life and I'm glad you took the time to produce this show which has emphasized that from chip tunes to full on orchestras, video game music is beautiful! L&R Jessie P.s. we know its just because you want to play ACNH v2.0 (j/k) =)

JessieBlu

Sad to hear it's ending. Appreciate all your hard work Blood. L&R

Sage_Mode_Q

I will once again suggest <b>Dragon Age: Inquisition</b>. I don’t think I can say it better than last time, so I’ll just copy my previous post. Dragon Age: Inquisition’s score has it all. Almost melancholic “The Dawn Will Come” that your party sing at a campfire after crushing defeat to raise their spirit is followed by triumphant “Journey to Skyhold” as you travel to your new base to continue the fight. There’s mysterious and otherworldly “The Well of Sorrows”, epic “The Inquisition Marches”, background-like and echoey “Champions of the Just”, ceremonial “Val Royeaux” … And there’s also a bard in your base’s tavern who has almost a dozen of songs about your adventures and your companions. What I want to highlight especially is that these tracks aren’t just mood pieces that creates appropriate emotions. Every song digs deep into game’s lore and respects rules of this world. I will use “Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts” to demonstrate that. This song plays during same-named quest in which you had to attend high-society ball in Orlais and prevent assassination on the empress (or don’t – it’s your choice). Politics in Orlais is an incredibly complicated Game of intrigue, seduction, ambition and scandal and battles between noble houses are won with right words said before the right audience. Outsider might not even guess that someone’s career was just ruined after a simple verbal exchange. And “Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts” perfectly reflects that. It starts very calm and peaceful, but if you listen carefully, you can hear that the tension is already there. The stage is already set and soon events will start to unfold. Then it begins. The score is still calm and peaceful, but clearly something going on. You just don’t know yet, who is the target and where the strike will come from. Then victim realizes that he is in danger and the battle of wits and tongues begin. Peacefulness is gone, all eyes are on the duelists now, but the etiquette keeps emotions under control and even though history-defining events are unfolding everyone is still reserved and restrained. Even the victim, who is about to lose. Strikes get harder and harder, and the victim knows he’s will not come victorious. Yet restraint is still present, even in defeat. Then the final verbal blow comes. And another one, just for satisfaction. Because there will be no celebration in the end and everything will just return back to normal - the Game never stops, and all players must always be playing.

Alexander Zyryanov

(Safety post.)

lc

First and foremost: Bloodworth, thank you so much for putting this together. Soundtrack Club has been the highlight of many of these past few months for me, and I appreciate the effort you took to make it possible! [Final Submission]: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (available on iTunes) I've heard it said that XC2's soundtrack is one of the most massive undertakings JRPG soundtrack history. I can't confirm this, but I do believe it. So many of XC2's themes are festive, driving, rich, lush, diverse, and larger than life - in other words, fitting music for a game set on the backs of multiple titans. It's one of the most fresh, riveting and magical musical journeys any JRPG has set me on, capped off by one of the only credits songs that has ever consistently brought me to tears: "One Last You". XC2's soundtrack has so much heart to it, and if I could only recommend one more soundtrack for the club, I'd happily recommend this one.

lc

Super bummed to see Soundtrack Club be put on hiatus, but totally understandable and it's been a fun mini-series of sorts. But onto my submission, and I think it fitting I bookend Soundtrack Club with a pick akin to my first. For this month: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. While I submitted the original game and it's Remake for the first episode (due to being unclear about criteria at the time), I wanted to submit for Crisis Core as well, but didn't want to overload on FF VII until enough time had passed. And if this is to be the last, I HAVE to talk about Crisis Core. HEAVY use of piano and/or acoustic guitar with melancholic melodies is this score's hallmark, as the main menu's soft tone "Successor" while you look upon falling feathers in front of Zack holding the Buster Sword in the ground is a lasting tune. Aside from that, remixes of several of VII's most notable tune all combined together into a single melody called, "Fulfilled Desire," for a majority of the final credits is incredible. However, the two absolute strongest instances of music are when they hit the most emotional beats. The Price of Freedom, starting with an acoustic guitar and violin combo, initially begins with the same melancholic theme touched on above, and then an electric guitar accompanies the main rhythm to give it a kick. All of this is first heard during one of the biggest scenes of the game as Zack struggles with a major revelation and being unsure what to do next. And yet, despite The Price of Freedom being my favorite singular song, it goes without question the lone song with vocals, "Why?" by Ayaka is used at the very end, in the most moving and powerful scene, and I would argue not just in Crisis Core, but one of the best endings in games period. "Why?" is entirely in Japanese, but the vocalist belting out the chorus after witnessing the closing moments and the heartbreak it entails RIGHT when the credits roll always gets me, without fail. In light of the Remake project calling the VII universe into question moving forward, I'm reticent to advise going onto YouTube and watching the ending (especially if you don't have all the context the game provides you up to that point), but if you don't mind spoilers, I can't recommend it enough, because the song is just THAT good. This post is already super long, so to close, I'll leave only a FRACTION more of song titles from the soundtrack to go listen to in how amazing it is: A Flower Blooming in the Slums (Aerith's theme with wonderful acoustic guitar) The World's Enemy (A remixed version of One-Winged Angel) The Summoned (One of Crisis Core's fighting/boss themes) A Closed Off Village (A remix of Anxious Heart, where the source material has a changed tempo with an overlay of soft techno percussion) Farewell Melody (Angeal's theme)

Brandon K Gann

*when you need it. Mobile won't let me scroll the text box.

Garrett Hulfish

It's not the most exciting game to recommend, but I always loved the soundtrack in Minecraft. Each track conveys multiple emotions that reflect your own. They can have a zen calmness to them if you're focused, loneliness if you're sad, joyful playfulness if you're happy. Really, it's all of that at the same time, but it can reflect the right emotion return you need it. Whether or not you like the game, this is a great listen.

Garrett Hulfish