Resident Evil 2

Game Music

Soundtracks to Original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 Releasing to Vinyl

February 21, 2019 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Soundtracks to Original Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 Releasing to Vinyl Share this

It’s a good time to be a Resident Evil fan, and even moreso now for fans of the soundtracks to the original two games. Laced Records has teamed up with Capcom to release Resident Evil (Original Soundtrack) and Resident Evil 2 (Original Soundtrack) deluxe double-vinyl collections.

Composed by the Capcom Sound Team, Masami Ueda, Makoto Tomozawa and Akira Kaida, Resident Evil’s brooding score became a benchmark for horror games, giving the original genre-defining masterpiece a persistent and unnerving sense of claustrophobia.

Incontrast, the Resident Evil 2 Original Soundtrack conveys fundamental themes of panic and desperation via varying musical styles. Featuring ambient horror, industrial pieces and rousing militaristic anthems you’ll experience classic orchestral compositions alongside ominous piano underscores, taking you back to Racoon City’s iconic Police Station, Sewer and Underground Laboratory.

Each soundtrack has been remastered for the release, with high-quality artwork from the games on the vinyl gatefold sleeves as well as standard edition and limited edition marble colourways.

Each deluxe release will cost about $35.00USD and are available for pre-order now with an as-yet unannounced shipping date. The Resident Evil (Original Soundtrack) and Resident Evil 2 (Original Soundtrack) vinyl is available on the Laced Records website.

Given I wasn’t too impressed with the soundtrack of the recently-released Resident Evil 2 remake and ended up downloading the original soundtrack to play with the game instead, this announcement is a welcome one and I look forward to giving these a listen once they are released.
Experimental, Indie Music

Hear Resident Evil 2 in Faux 80’s Synthwave Style

February 13, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Hear Resident Evil 2 in Faux 80’s Synthwave Style Share this

Escaping the horrors of Resident Evil by running to one of the impenetrable Save Rooms has always helped me cope with the survival horror gameplay. The songs that accompany these rooms aren’t upbeat by any means but they’ve always been some of my favorites, offering just a hint of hope in their despondent melodies.

<a href="http://monomemory.bandcamp.com/album/resident-evil-2-save-room-theme">Resident Evil 2 – Save Room Theme by Mono Memory</a>

Now artist Mono Memory has taken one of my favorites from Resident Evil 2 and given it an even more foreboding synthwave makeover. Dripping with sounds of faux 80’s synths, I’m suddenly realizing that a full rearrangement of the soundtrack is something I never knew I wanted.

That may never happen but Mono Memory has plenty of similarly synthy tracks to check out including “Outrun the World” which serves as a teaser for his debut album coming this Summer. He’s also given the Game of Thrones theme a similar overhaul on his YouTube channel and has some other tracks and EPs available on Bandcamp. And if this track has stirred your desire for more old game music done up in the style of their times, check out Metroid Resynthesized by Luminist.
Game Music

Arrangement of the Week: Ada’s Groove

October 23, 2015 | Michael Hoffmann | 1 Comment Share this Arrangement of the Week: Ada’s Groove

For our fourth Halloween arrangement, we’ll look at another survival horror game from the PlayStation era. Resident Evil 2, or Biohazard 2 in Japan, has a number of unsettling pieces in its soundtrack, but also has a few memorable character themes. This includes music for the female assassin/agent Ada Wong.

Unlike the unnerving atmosphere created by most of the soundtrack, “Ada’s Theme” is calm and ethereal. So it should come as no surprise that it became good source material for an electronic remix. Said remix comes to us from artist ABG, and is simply titled “Ada’s Groove.”

Like the original track, the arrangement opens up with ambient synth pads. The first forty seconds introduces the main instruments that will be used for the remainder of the track. A flute like synth lead, sustained synth pads, piano and synth arpeggios, and some light electronic percussion produce a mood similar to the original but with just a bit more energy and momentum.

This arrangement actually reminded me a lot of the Metroid Prime soundtrack. Particularly the way hybrid of acoustic and electronic instruments build onto one another. My only complaint is that it feels a little too short. What’s present works well, but it did leave me wanting to hear more. Despite this, it’s a great arrangement that builds off of some simple material.

Do you have any favorite remixes, arrangements, or covers of music from the Resident Evil series? Let us know in the comments below. You can check out “Ada’s Groove” on OC Remix.