Bethesda

Game Music

Bethesda and iam8bit to Release Skyrim Limited Edition Vinyl Soundtrack

December 6, 2017 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Bethesda and iam8bit to Release Skyrim Limited Edition Vinyl Soundtrack Share this

The game music vinyl craze continues to soldier on as Bethesda and iam8bit announce the release of the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim soundtrack to limited edition vinyl. Originally released in 2011 and composed my Jeremy Soule, Skyrim has a cult following for both it’s gameplay and it’s music.

The legacy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is profound, with so much owed to the atmospheric accents of its music by composer Jeremy Soule and lyricist Emil Pagliarulo. This JUN/KUN Limited Edition collects the dev team’s favorite tracks, separated into “Light” and “Dark” sides. Internationally famed artist (and Skyrim superfan), Aled Lewis, celebrates his favorite sights and sounds in an excruciatingly customized package – from subtle paper textures to even more subtle visual illusions hidden within its diecut gatefold, some so microscopic that you’ll need to examine in-person to catch them all.

The limited edition vinyl are currently up for pre-order on the iam8bit website for $40 with a released slated for Q2, 2018, with a stock of only 3,000 available. As with other iam8bit releases, the digital soundtrack is also included with the purchase. The limited edition screenprint art by Aled Lewis is also on sale for pre-order.
Game Music

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Soundtrack to Release Nov. 3rd

October 16, 2017 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Soundtrack to Release Nov. 3rd Share this

The standalone expansion and sequel to the stealth-action game Dishonored 2 will be getting a release of it’s soundtrack on November 3rd by Bethseda Softworks.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider features music by the composer of both the original Dishonored and it’s sequel, Daniel Licht (Silent Hill: Downpour). Following his work on the two previous franchise installment, Licht brings 18 new tracks to Death of the Outsider to help shape the expansion’s ongoing tale of whaler Billie Lurk.

This fall there will be a new chapter to the Dishonored world. It will feature new music that I wrote for this release and I hope to share with you later this month. – Daniel Licht, Composer

The original soundtrack for Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is on pre-order from Amazon for $8.99 and will release on November 3rd. The game is also currently out on Steam.
Game Music

The Evil Within 2 Original Soundtrack Available for Pre-Order

October 9, 2017 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on The Evil Within 2 Original Soundtrack Available for Pre-Order Share this

Right in time for Halloween, the sequel to the 2014 survival horror-thriller The Evil Within will be having it’s soundtrack dropping on the doubly-spooky date of Friday the 13th!

The Evil Within 2‘s music was composed by Masatoshi Yanagi and Shuichi Kobori (Metal Gear Solid 3), both of whom worked on the original Evil Within game alongside composer Masafumi Takada. Although Takada seems to be absent from composing the sequel, there’s plenty of experience between Yanagi and Kobori to instill a good amount of hope for a return to the creepiness that was delivered in the first game’s music.

The 55-track soundtrack also features classic pieces from Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Claude Achille Debussy, which mimics the original game’s decisions to invoke unease through classic compositions; a common theme in more modern horror gaming.

The Evil Within 2 Original Soundtrack is published by Bethesda Softworks and available for pre-order on Amazon Music for $8.99, with the release date of the album being October 13th; the same as the game itself. It will likely also be available in iTunes and Google Play after it’s official release, and we will be sure to update you if and when it does.
Game Music

Prey Soundtrack from Mick Gordon Available Now

May 5, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Prey Soundtrack from Mick Gordon Available Now Share this

When we last heard from Mick Gordon he was being praised for his driving and powerful soundtrack to 2016’s DOOM. Now he’s back with another dark, sci-fi score to a Bethesda title, Prey. The game launches on May 5th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam but the full soundtrack is available now to stream on Spotify or Apple Music and for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.

Compared to DOOM there’s a much wider and varied style to his work on Prey with equal tones of isolation, paranoia, and alien terror. The playable demo mostly stood out with the action theme, “The Phantoms”, but listening to the full album imparts a far more pensive and somber vibe. As Arkane Creative Director Raphael Colantonio explains, it’s based on the sound Gordon created for Wolfenstein: The New Order.

“I really enjoyed his work [on Wolfenstein], and specifically the sophisticated guitar arpeggios that stood out as something unique and emotionally powerful,” Colantonio says. “So we talked with Mick about the mood of the game, the fact that it’s in space, and my desire to see some of those arpeggios. Mick came back to me two weeks later with a short test that I really loved. It featured arpeggios that sounded a bit like some of those Sergio Leone Western movies – albeit a more melancholic version – mixed with some ’80s style synths.

The mix was so unique and so adapted to the mood we wanted to convey that it immediately felt like the right direction. I jokingly called the style ‘Western in space,’ and then we used that term as a filter for all of the future music Mick did for Prey.”

The album also includes two vocal tracks — “Semi Sacred Geometry” and “Mind Game” — as well as the previously released track “Everything is Going to be Okay” which is set to the game’s opening credit sequence. These three lend a more uplifting and modern dance feel which Colantonio described as being inspired by “80s Italian disco, like a lot of French DJs have been doing for some time now: Daft Punk, Kavinsky, Justice”.

Take a listen or check out the demo and let us know what you think of the Prey soundtrack (and the game) in the comments below.
Game Music

Fallout 4 Soundtrack is Out Now

November 13, 2015 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Fallout 4 Soundtrack is Out Now Share this Fallout 4 Soundtrack is Out Now

Coinciding with this week’s release of the long awaited open-world game Fallout 4, the game’s soundtrack has received a digital release on iTunes. The album contains 65 tracks, all written by award-winning composer Inon Zur.

It should be noted that this album is the orchestral score for the game only, so the you will not find any of the licensed music that’s used for the in-game radio stations on this album. While there’s no official word yet on a physical release or a digital release on other platforms for the soundtrack, you can currently purchase the Fallout 4 OST on iTunes for $15.99.
Game Music

Fallout Composer Inon Zur Performs Fallout 4’s Main Theme

September 23, 2015 | Michael Hoffmann | Comments Off on Fallout Composer Inon Zur Performs Fallout 4’s Main Theme Share this

If you happened to catch the trailer for Fallout 4, which we’re going to guess is a majority of you, then you’ve already heard a sample of the music for the new game. Composer Inon Zur has been writing music for the Fallout series since 2001, beginning with Fallout Tactics. Naturally, he has continued that role for Bethesda’s next entry in the Fallout series. While working on the soundtrack of Fallout 4, Zur has performed and recorded a solo piano arrangement of the game’s main theme.

A new Fallout 4 blog post by Gary Steinman goes into more detail about Inon Zur’s process of creating music for the world of Fallout 4. Like previous Fallout soundtracks, classical instruments will not be the only sources of music. Other sources will include electronic instruments, ethnic/primitive instruments, and other less traditional sources of sound. It’s a fascinating read for those interested in the development of the game and its music.

Fallout 4 will be launching on November 10th for PC, XBox One, and PlayStation 4.
Game Music, Reviews

Dragonborn: The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Original Game Soundtrack (Review)

December 9, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 18 Comments Share this

It’s finally arrived. Jeremy Soule’s Skyrim soundtrack has easily been one of my most anticipated soundtracks of the year after seeing and hearing it in action at E3, and while I admit that I’ve been a naughty boy and have yet to play the game (I was trying to jam through Skyward Sword and have just wrapped up Dark Souls), I’ve been enjoying the hell out of the soundtrack.

The Soule brothers gained a lot of attention with their scores for Morrowind and Oblivion, so how does Skyrim stack up? That comparison is hardly even fair, but I won’t spoil too much before the jump.

Check out our review! (more…)