Korn Takes on Silent Hill
It’s no secret that music is vital in video games, dramatically shaping the player experience. But beyond typical scores, some soundtracks venture into truly bizarre territory. In 2012, Silent Hill, seeking to revitalize its audience, made a controversial move by replacing Akira Yamaoka with Daniel Licht and featuring a main theme by Jonathan Davis of Korn in Downpour. The track, simply titled “Silent Hill,” sparked immediate backlash, with petitions for its removal. Despite the initial outcry, the song remained, appearing in key moments throughout the game. Over time, some have come to appreciate Davis’s contribution, acknowledging its fit within the game’s narrative.
Drakengard’s Dadaist Symphony of Madness
Yoko Taro’s debut, Drakengard, prioritized emotional impact over conventional gameplay, relying heavily on music to convey its psychologically intense story. Composer Nobuyoshi Sano, known for Tekken 3 and Resident Evil, was tasked with creating music to evoke the protagonist’s madness. Sano’s innovative approach involved applying Dadaist cut-up techniques to classical compositions. He and Takayuki Aihara recorded orchestral versions of classical pieces, fragmented them into phrases, and randomly rearranged them. This rearranged material was then re-recorded, resulting in a soundtrack that uniquely and effectively embodies the game’s chaotic and unsettling atmosphere.
Sword & Sworcery: A Soundtrack Born from Pixel Art and Indie Rock
Sword & Sworcery stands out as a game conceived around music, with a specific composer in mind from its inception. Craig Adams of Capybara Games, inspired by indie rock and the music of Jim Guthrie, envisioned the title. Adams’s early admiration for Guthrie led him to send the musician pixel art, which surprisingly resulted in Guthrie sharing unreleased tracks. This exchange blossomed into a collaboration, culminating in Sword & Sworcery. Initially hesitant about game soundtracks, Guthrie’s perspective shifted, and he created a score that is considered integral to the game’s artistic merit and indie scene influence. The game and soundtrack, while intertwined, are also celebrated as independent artistic achievements.
Resident Evil’s “Deaf Composer” and the Basement Clown Farts
A lesser-known chapter in Resident Evil history involves Mamoru Samuragochi, the self-proclaimed “Japanese Beethoven” who re-scored the original game for Director’s Cut: DualShock Edition in 1997. Samuragochi, famous for feigning deafness, delivered a soundtrack that was… peculiar. Tracks like “Mansion Basement,” devoid of melody or rhythm, contrasted sharply with more atmospheric pieces, earning unflattering fan descriptions. The bizarre twist revealed in 2014 exposed Samuragochi as neither deaf nor a composer, having others write his music and even plagiarizing lesser-known artists. This scandal underscored the strange and ultimately fraudulent nature of his Resident Evil soundtrack.
Life is Strange: Daughter’s Neo-Folk Album
Life is Strange gained recognition for its carefully curated soundtrack of indie music, reflecting Max Caulfield’s introspective world. This approach continued in the spin-off Before the Storm, with a significant focus on neo-folk band Daughter. Daughter created a full album, “Music from Before the Storm,” released shortly after the first episode. Comprising both new and existing tracks, the album resonated deeply with the game’s themes, allowing the band to quickly capture the right emotional tone. Importantly, these tracks were crafted to stand alone, making the album a compelling listen outside of the game context.
Quake: Trent Reznor’s Industrial Ambient Horror
Following DOOM’s success, id Software partnered with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails for Quake’s soundtrack in 1996. A mutual admiration between id Software and Reznor led to this collaboration, with Reznor working pro bono. For Quake, Reznor diverged from NIN’s signature sound, aiming instead for “sinister, depressing, eerie, and frightening music.” He explored ambient textures, incorporating mechanical and industrial sounds to create a uniquely unsettling atmosphere. This marked Reznor’s first foray into ambient scoring, earning critical acclaim and numerous awards for the Quake OST, which remained exclusive to original discs until its 2020 vinyl re-release.
Hylics: Mason Lindroth’s Psychedelic Vision
Indie developer Mason Lindroth, an artist with a background in film and printmaking, brought his unique vision to video games with Hylics in 2014. This surreal game, characterized by bizarre visuals, procedural generation, and handcrafted animation, is accompanied by an equally unconventional soundtrack. Lindroth personally composed all 33 tracks, drawing from psychedelic and post-rock influences, yet defying easy categorization. His aim was to create something distinctly strange and unrecognizable, perfectly complementing Hylics’s overall aesthetic.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s Five-Note Masterpiece
Music is central to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, particularly the ocarina itself. Due to Nintendo 64 controller limitations, the in-game ocarina could only play five notes. Composer Koji Kondo ingeniously worked within these constraints to create 12 distinct and memorable tracks. These melodies, used for in-game actions and interwoven into level themes, are a testament to Kondo’s creativity. Despite, or perhaps because of, the limitations, the Ocarina of Time soundtrack is celebrated as an industry classic nearly 30 years later.
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