Soundtrack Feature: Jessica Jones

Soundtrack of the Month: May 2017

The films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are not particularly known for their female protagonists. While they have strong female characters, they're often relegated to slightly lesser roles, and there has yet to be a film centered around a female character. Thankfully, if you're looking for quality material starring women, Marvel's television subcontinuity has you covered. Jessica Jones is the second entry in Marvel's series of interlocking Netflix shows, following Daredevil and directly succeeded by Luke Cage.

Jessica Jones is a very unique story for the Marvel universe. It's not about a superhero—it's about someone who has superpowers, tried out the superhero thing a long time ago, and had her world turned upside down and shattered. Many years later she works as an alcoholic private detective, estranged from everyone she cares about.

Sound depressing? It is. It's also extremely dark, and one of my favorite stories of all time. Jessica Jones is what actually made me start reading Marvel comics. I loved it so much that I went and purchased a massive, hardcover, 28-issue omnibus of Alias, the original comic series that introduced and starred the character.

The music of the show is composed by Sean Callery, and is quite different from any Marvel soundtrack to come before. It's very noir-esque to fit the style of the show.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Jessica Jones Main Title – The Daredevil theme was extremely impressive, and set a very high bar. Not only did the Jessica Jones theme meet the bar; some would say it surpassed it. If only the shows' successors had continued the trend.

Track 5: Fight at Luke's Bar – This sounds like it would've been incredibly difficult to compose. Though, probably pretty fun as well.

Track 10: Jessica on the Move – This and a few other tracks actually give me a bit of a Halo 3: ODST vibe. I guess I have an ear for genre-bending noir hybrids.

Track 21: Jones-Cage Match – I thought puns were Michael Giacchino's thing. Huh.



Purchase Jessica Jones (Original Soundtrack) on iTunes or Amazon MP3.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack Feature: The Whispered World

Soundtrack of the Month: April 2017

The Whispered World is an incredibly flawed point-and-click adventure game that has a very special place in my heart. It's about a depressed clown named Sadwick and his caterpillar named Spot, as they set out on an adventure to prevent the world from ending.

Seeing as today is April Fool's Day, this soundtrack seems like an oddly fitting selection. The game's protagonist is the antithesis of a clown, who thinks of himself more as a joke than a creator of jokes and humor. He adds a darker dimension to an otherwise lighthearted and colorful fantasy world.

The music, composed by Finn Seliger, is surprisingly beautiful, covering all of the game's various themes. The sound is very unique, to the point that I frequently have difficulty distinguishing what instruments are used. There is for certain a very strong presence of piano and wind-based instruments, but they're used in a way I haven't often heard. It makes for a very unique soundtrack.

Another reason for the timing of this feature is in celebration of the semi-recent release of Silence, the sequel of The Whispered World. The two games are incredibly different, yet surprisingly very similar. The music of Silence has a more orchestral approach, and was composed by Tilo Alpermann.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Main Theme – I adore this main theme, and I love that it was brought back for the game's sequel. I have a friend who learned to play it on piano, and suddenly I want to learn piano.

Track 2: A Sad Clown – Boy, this game is weird. This song frequently comes to mind when I'm asked about beautiful piano music.

Track 9: Asgilia – You are not in a very nice place. Not nice at all.



Purchase The Whispered World soundtrack on Amazon MP3 or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack Feature: Much Ado About Nothing

Soundtrack of the Month: March 2017

In 2011, during a contractual vacation from working on The Avengers, filmmaker Joss Whedon organized and directed an adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, shot entirely in 12 days. The film starred actors from all throughout Whedon's career, and was released in 2013. Due to monetary constraints Whedon himself composed the music to the film.

Joss Whedon's career has been filled to the brim with projects heavily influenced by music. His first television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer had excellent score, frequently showcased real-world local indie bands at the often-visited club The Bronze, and even featured a musical episode written entirely by Whedon himself. Many years later he would create another musical with his brothers and sister-in-law, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Nearly every project of his career has been heavily influenced by music in some way.

While Whedon had written songs before for the aforementioned musicals, Much Ado About Nothing is his first ever attempt at scoring a soundtrack. In short, it's enjoyable. It's very string-focused, with other soft instruments, and a subtle yet beautiful companion to the black-and-white, bizarrely genre-bending adaptation of this classic story. The soundtrack features two songs with lyrics taken from Shakespeare's original play, which are performed by Whedon's sister-in-law Maurissa Tancharoen, and his brother Jed Whedon.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Main Title – Peaceful. Though, I imagine someone slamming their finger on the piano pretty hard.

Track 6: Sigh No More – Lyrics by William Shakespeare; musical arrangement by Joss Whedon; performance by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon. Now that's quite the superhero team-up.

Track 26: Heavily – Now, I know Much Ado is supposed to be a romantic comedy, but it's also kind of a tragedy. And man does Whedon nail that in his adaptation.



Purchase Much Ado About Nothing (Original Score) on Amazon MP3 or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify.

Soundtrack Feature: Tick Tock Isle

Soundtrack of the Month: February 2016

Tick Tock Isle is a short but enjoyable indie game about a time-travelling clock repairman and how he accidentally influences the lives of a family over many years. It has charm and humor and, if you don't get too lost in the family's maze of a mansion, can be completed in around an hour and a half

The music is a melodic chiptune soundtrack by Irish composer Kevin Carville. It's full of personality and frequents a main theme heard throughout many tracks on the soundtrack. It's diverse enough to remain interesting and beautiful throughout the game, but it's also soft enough that you could fall asleep to it. In fact—I have! Overall, the music is as lovely as the game itself.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Tick Tock Isle – The main theme of the game, heard multiple times throughout the soundtrack to accompany various different periods of time, seasons, and times of the day.

Track 12: Box Fort – Every so often, you'll come across a couple kids who've built a fort out of whatever they have lying around, be it boxes, sand or snow. Inside each fort is a short platforming level inspired a classic video game.

Track 32: Melody's Big Finale – Melody is a young girl, quite talented in musical instruments, but also quite bored and feeling uninspired. Throughout your adventure you'll find various instruments to give her, to try and spark her creativity.



Purchase the Tick Tock Isle soundtrack, or listen to it for free, on Bandcamp.
Be sure to check out the game itself on Steam.

Soundtrack of the Month: January 2017

Happy 2017! I started this piece with the intention of it being a Soundtrack Feature, but as I was writing I realized I had enough content for a full Soundtrack of the Month piece. What does this mean? Is the series finally back in full? Well, we'll see. For now, enjoy the piece.

Doctor Strange is one of the most ambitious films of the current era in terms of visual effects. We're shown bizarre worlds and mind-blowing effects as the world is morphed and manipulated around the characters, showcasing some of the most impressive visuals in filmmaking history. Creating a musical backdrop for a film such as this was an ambitious feat, and Marvel was wise in selecting Michael Giacchino for this task.

Some may argue that the Marvel Cinematic Universe scores aren't as memorable that they should be, but I don't entirely agree. A lot of the films' music unquestionably invokes memorable feelings of awe and beauty, and Doctor Strange is certainly no exception. Giacchino's score fits in with the rest, yet also stands out as entirely unique. The main theme, exhibited in the credits track, is one of the best themes from a Marvel movie.

Featured Tracks

Track 3: A Long Strange Trip – A bizarre trip through space and imagination. I think God had a seizure.

Track 18: Go for Baroque – Michael Giacchino is known for incorporating puns into his track titles, when producers allow him to do so. He was able to sneak a few into this soundtrack.

Track 19: The Master of the Mystic End Credits – The full Doctor Strange theme, in all its creative and melodic glory.



Purchase Doctor Strange (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: July 2016

To close up year two of the Soundtrack of the Month series, I decided to feature something very near and dear to me, a game called Bastion. Settling on an apt description for the genre of the game's setting is, in itself, quite difficult. Perhaps, a post-apocalyptic steampunk fantasy story which takes place on a nation consisting of floating islands. The music is masterfully written and composed by Darren Korb, who also serves as the singing voice for the character Zulf.

The album, like the game itself, is a superb mix of genres, described by Korb as "acoustic frontier trip-hop." It's incredibly unique, and matches perfectly with the bizarrely unique world of Bastion itself. The album opens up with the game's narrator and deuteragonist, Rucks (voiced by Logan Cunningham), giving an introduction, after which the listener is treated to the music of the game.

There are three sung songs in the game, and four on the album. All of them are sung by characters in the game. "Build That Wall" is Zia's theme (sung by Ashley Barrett), and "Mother, I'm Here" is Zulf's theme (sung by Korb). "Setting Sail, Coming Home" is the ending theme, which is an amazing duet hybrid of Zia and Zulf's themes. The final, album-exclusive song is "The Pantheon", sung by Logan Cunningham as Rucks.

Featured Tracks

Track 2: A Proper Story – A proper story's supposed to start at the beginning. Ain't so simple with this one.

Track 12: Build That Wall (Zia's Theme) – When Zia's world literally crumbles to dust around her, her only solace is to sit and play music, and pray that one day help will arrive.

Track 16: The Mancer's Dilemma – A number of the songs can sound quite haunting, highlighting a feeling of tragedy and fleeting hope during gameplay.



Purchase Bastion (Original Soundtrack) on Bandcamp, iTunes, or Amazon MP3.
You can also purchase a physical CD on the Supergiant Games Store.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Bonus: In celebration of the conclusion of this series' second year, I put together another playlist of various great soundtrack pieces. Some of them are from soundtracks I've featured; many are not. You can check out the playlist here, and last year's playlist here.

Soundtrack of the Month: June 2016

Infinite was composed as the soundtrack to a science fiction exploration-survival video game called Grimm Odds. The game was far in development, but publishing plans fell through last-minute and the game was unfortunately cancelled. Only the soundtrack, composed by Mike Raznick, remains.

The album has a wide range of sounds, from ambient to cinematic. At times it reminds me of another soundtrack Raznick composed, that of Spate, a very dark and atmospheric game. Infinite has much lighter themes, but still contains the same kind of ambiance from time to time.

Featured Tracks

Track 2: Despair Theme – This is the song that most reminds me of the Spate soundtrack. That melancholic cello—so good!

Track 9: Climbing the Peak – The soundtrack was supposed to invoke a sense of awe as the player explored a strange and beautiful alien world. I feel the music accomplished this feeling even without the game to accompany it.

Track 20: Liftoff – This incredible theme was likely to be used for the end of the game, as the player finds a way to leave the alien planet.



Purchase Infinite (Original Soundtrack), or listen to it for free, on Bandcamp.

Soundtrack of the Month: May 2016

I am a vocal fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The quality of Marvel movies has far exceeded that of most other films in the industry, and has remained consistent in this top-notch quality for half a decade. The storytelling and direction has been absolutely superb, and beyond industry standards nearly every step of the way. Along with this impeccable level of presentation, we have the music.

Iron Man 3 is a subject of much controversy among Marvel fans. I may value it as one of my favorites, but many people don't feel the same way. Even if you found the film less than satisfactory, you'll undoubtedly still very much enjoy the music. Brian Tyler paints an incredible backdrop to the story and Tony Stark's struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, following the events of The Avengers.

When it comes to film soundtracks that could be described as "epic," the names of a few composers often get tossed around. They're typically from past generations, known most prominently for works from decades ago. Brian Tyler, on the other hand, has only been rising to fame in the last decade, and stands on his own among long-time legends in the industry.

Brian Tyler is the perfect fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the scale of its films. After Iron Man 3, he would also return to score Thor: The Dark World on his own, and Avengers: Age of Ultron with legendary composer Danny Elfman. No further collaborations with Marvel have been announced, but it'll be no surprise if he returns to the film universe in the future.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Iron Man 3 – Epic. Epic, epic, EPIC. That is the word the comes to mind when I listen to the main theme of Iron Man 3: Epic!

Track 3: Attack on 10880 Malibu Point – I'm not sure, but this might just be the most intense soundtrack cue in my library.

Track 6: New Beginnings – On the contrasting side, we have softer, more melodic music to accompany the less active and more hopeful portions of this film.

Track 20: Can You Dig It – This song admittedly took some time to grow on me. It's a more active, energy-pumping rendition of the film's main theme, used for the film credits. It's the kind of music you could work out to.



Purchase Iron Man 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: April 2016

Escape Goat 2 is a platforming game about a goat navigating a labyrinth, rescuing sheep, and trying to escape to the surface. Is this a joke? No, it's not. This is a real thing. It's a lot of fun, and the music is amazing.

Ian Stocker, the game's main developer and soundtrack composer, used to work in the mainstream game industry as a sound designer and composer. So players not only get to navigate a goat through a bunch of crazy puzzle-platformer levels, but they get to do it while listening to totally rad music.

You still think I'm joking. The joke is that I'm not. I'm dead serious.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Restoration – Escape Goat 2 features a graphics style very different from the pixelated style of the first game. The music style gets a renovation as well, to better mach the new visuals.

Track 5: Reunion – This track is used for the game's secret levels. Yes, you are headbanging to music about a goat.

Track 8: Peaceful Sheep – Did I mention that you're trying to rescue sheep?

Track 14: Caper Erratus – The credits music of the game, and one of the greatest masterpieces I've had the pleasure of listening to. Not only is it a reprise of my favorite track from the first game, but it was also given words, sung by a choir, in Latin!

"Caper Erratus" roughly translates to "The Wandering Goat."



Purchase the Escape Goat 2 soundtrack on Bandcamp, Loudr, or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: March 2016

It's all Joss Whedon's fault, honestly. If he'd stop making so many diabolically brilliant television series and movies, I wouldn't have to spend so much money on their incredible soundtracks. Angel: Live Fast, Die Never is the official soundtrack to the television series Angel, created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, which acted as a spin-off to Whedon's television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Robert J. Kral served as the primary score composer for Angel, although the album features a handful of other individuals and artists as well. The soundtrack very much reflects the dark and twisted themes of the series, but also the prominent, ever-focused theme of atonement; of searching for redemption, but knowing you may never truly find it so long as you walk the Earth.

Initially, Robert Kral began work on the series as an assistant to longtime Buffy composer Christophe Beck, who acted as main composer for the first season. One of Beck's compositions made it onto this album with the track "I'm Game", which occasionally acted as a heroic theme throughout the series, from the very first episode. It can be heard for the final time in the penultimate episode of the series.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: The Sanctuary (Main Theme Extended Remix) – An extended version of the series' outstanding opening theme, composed and performed by the band Darling Violetta.

Track 6: Hero – One of the most memorable episodes of Angel's first season, and possibly the entire series. First soldier down.

Track 15: Through the Looking Glass – One of five tracks that cover the several-episode arc that takes place in the mystical, demon(ish) dimension of Pylea, toward the end of Angel's second season.

Track 21: LA Song – This song is performed by actor Christian Kane, written by Kane and series showrunner David Greenwalt. It's performed in-series by Kane's character, Lindsey McDonald.



Note: The physical version of this soundtrack contains four additional songs by other artists that were featured in the series. These songs are well worth the physical purchase.

Purchase Angel: Live Fast, Die Never on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: February 2016

Remember Me is one of the few incredible games I actually discovered through discovering their soundtracks. I found it one day while browsing Amazon. I'd never heard of the game, but the soundtrack was composed by Alone in the Dark expert composer Olivier Derivière, so I knew that at least the music aspect had to be good. Several months later I acquired the game, played it, and absolutely loved it. I bought the soundtrack very soon thereafter.

I fell in love with Remember Me from the very beginning. I entered the game knowing next to nothing about it, which was intentional as the game begins with the protagonist losing all of her memory. The game takes place in the cyberpunk, dystopian future city of Neo Paris, and has a major emphasis on memory-related technology. The story is unique and highly thought-provoking, and the soundtrack is among the greatest I've heard, with a superb blend of orchestral and electronically altered score.

Derivière composed the entire soundtrack, which was then fully performed and recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra. He then digitally processed and manipulated the music with multiple layers and effects to create a beautiful, half-orchestral, half-electronic sound which perfectly fits the world and story of the game. I love the amount of detail poured into the world, and the music was a major aspect of that.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Nilan the Memory Hunter – The jaw-dropping main theme of Remember Me. Our protagonist is Nilan, who used to be the most skilled Memory Hunter in the world.

Track 3: Still Human – I consider this as one of the main themes of Neo Paris, even though a different track is specifically named after the city. Perhaps this is more a theme of the slums.

Track 6: The Enforcers – One of the combat themes for Remember Me, playing when you get into a hassle with the law enforcement, called Enforcers.

Track 10: Our Parents – While Nilan begins with no recollection of who she is or was, her proceeding quest does provide some answers. Which or how many, I will not say.



Purchase Remember Me (Original Soundtrack) on iTunes or Amazon MP3.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: January 2016

Remember when I complained that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. never got a soundtrack release? Remember when an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. soundtrack released five days later? Remember when I didn't realize this for the next month? I blame Amazon and Spotify for neglecting to tell me when they should've. I'd be upset, except for the fact that I get to listen to the soundtrack now regardless.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a television series that takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe about the story of Agent Phil Coulson, after his iconic death at the hands of the demigod Loki in The Avengers. Coulson, having "magically" recovered following the events of the film, puts together an unlikely task force to work various missions for the government organization S.H.I.E.L.D.

Wait, doesn't bringing the character back to life nullify the meaning and heaviness of his death in the first place? Well, if you watched the series for long enough you would know that is not necessarily the case. A lot of people quit watching in the first half season, for no logical reason I can think of, and so they missed out on some pretty powerful story developments.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is scored by Emmy-winning composer Bear McCreary, and performed by a full orchestra, which is a very rare occurrence for television soundtracks. The skill and dedication Bear brings to the series, along with the addition of the full orchestra, brings the quality of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s music up past numerous film scores in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—and believe me, those scores are some of the best soundtracks in the industry.

This single CD covers the first two seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and thus covers many different episodes and themes. As this is compilation of the finest pieces and moments drawn from all over 44 episodes, there is never a single dull moment, nor a single moment that isn't positively incredible.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Overture – An outstanding rendition of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s main theme, a.k.a. Coulson's theme. It appears most often and prominently in the score of Season 1, and a version acts as the end credits theme of every episode. This is easily one of the greatest themes among all of Marvel Studios' film and television soundtracks.

Track 6: Aftermath of the Uprising – This is the track that plays at the end of the majorly game-changing Captain America: The Winter Soldier crossover episode, "Turn, Turn, Turn". This is one of Bear's personal favorite tracks, and I understand why.

Track 9: Cello Concerto – One of the most elaborately-composed pieces of score I'm aware of in existence. Bear talks about it extensively here. (Contains major spoilers for the series, up to and including the classic episode it's featured in, "The Only Light in the Darkness".)



Purchase Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Original Soundtrack Album) on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: December 2015

Continuum has recently become one of my new favorite science fiction series. A unique concept, fantastic characters, and time travelling that actually isn't stupid. At the time of this article's release, I've only seen the majority of the first two seasons, and I'm not currently in the process of continuing, although I have every intention to proceed at a later time. The music of the series was composed by Jeff Danna, and until a handful of months ago the only soundtrack released had been that of Season 1.

The show tells the story of Kiera Cameron, a law enforcement officer (or "Protector") from the year 2077. In the future, she was assigned to stand witness at the execution of eight criminals—terrorists who considered themselves freedom fighters. An anomaly interrupted the execution, which sent the criminals—and Kiera—back in time to 2012, in an attempt on the terrorists' part to try to rewrite history. The story that follows is thrilling and inventive, and all the while supported by Danna's score.

The score of Continuum is fairly subtle, but distinct and an integral part of the narrative. It distinguishes itself from the average sci-fi television soundtrack without inducing a plethora of prominent themes being thrown every which-way like Doctor Who. As a result it's difficult to pick out specific tracks that stand out in comparison to each other, but the album as a whole is outstanding and beautiful. Danna focused on Kiera's theme in particular as a way to transcend both the story told in 2012 and the story told in 2077.

Featured Tracks

Track 4: Kagame's Vision of the City – The scene this track accompanies contains no dialogue, which further emphasizes the music and its emotional impact.

Track 5: Kiera Gets Her Tech – One version of Kiera's theme, and one of the series' main recurring themes.

Track 17: A Working Time Machine – It's difficult to explain the importance of this track and the narrative it accompanies without explaining the context. Basically, watch the show.



For some reason the album's official tracklist is almost entirely out of order. If you wish to listen the tracks chronologically (with some alternate tracks as well), you can do that here.

Purchase Continuum (Original Television Soundtrack) on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on YouTube, or a sample of it on Spotify.

Read composer Jeff Danna's personal notes on the album here.

Soundtrack of the Month: November 2015

Last month I went to see Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the second installment of the Maze Runner saga. I loved it, and it reminded me how much I loved the first film as well. The Maze Runner is a unique story with unique personality and music. The sounds of the world contributed well to the film, and the end result was impressive, to say the least.

The Maze Runner is not another cliché film adaptation of a young adult novel with a focus on appeasing pre-teen fanboys and fangirls. This film has depth and character, and is brilliantly pulled off. The score is composed by up-and-coming composer John Paesano, who also scored the newly-released sequel.

Paesano's score gives new personality and life to an already impressive story. Mysteries and confusion are beautifully and terrifyingly translated into incredible incidental music that fits perfectly with the film and its themes. The Maze Runner was one of the first majorly noteworthy projects Paesano has worked on, and he made sure his shot counted.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: The Maze Runner – The film's incredible main theme.

Track 2: What Is This Place? – Our protagonist wakes up in a strange place, with no memory of who he is or where he came from.

Track 7: Into the Maze – Let's get this adventure started.

Track 21: Finale – The epic conclusion to The Maze Runner. It's over, right? Or is it only beginning?



Purchase The Maze Runner (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) from Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: October 2015

Trine is the epitome of fantasy soundtracks. The story of the game is nothing particularly special—three unlikely heroes are magically bound together through a mysterious artifact and must save the kingdom from an undead army—but the combination of great characters, pleasurable gameplay, exotic environments, and gorgeously fitting music are what make this game the gem that it is.

Ari Pulkkinen scores this mystical masterpiece. From the first note the listener is captivated by this wonderful world of fantasy. Trine is one of the few soundtracks that I was actually interested in purchasing before I was even into soundtracks. It made that much of an impact on me. Few soundtracks can rival it in my eyes, with the prominent exception of its sequel.

This feature comes a little over a month after the release of the third game in the Trine series. Trine 3 has received a lot of flack for various different reasons, but the music is not one of them. Sound design remains exceptionally strong throughout the series. I have yet to play the new game myself, but whether I'm disappointed or pleasantly surprised by the experience, I'm certain I'll be purchasing the soundtrack very soon thereafter.

Featured Tracks

Track 2: Academy Hallways – The song that greets the player as they set out on their journey, after completing the tutorial level. It sounds like what it is—the start of an adventure.

Track 4: Dragon Graveyard – The piece that stood out to me the most when first playing the game, and to put it simply, my favorite track. A gorgeous piece.

Track 16: Tower of Sarek – I don't know who Sarek is (aside from an apparent Star Trek character), but his tower is the final level of the game.



Purchase Trine (Original Soundtrack), on AriTunes, iTunes, or Amazon MP3.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: September 2015

A TV series about a masked vigilante antihero is not an original concept. Far from it. However, very few concepts are unique nowadays without the liberties allowed by creative presentation. Daredevil may not be the first story of its genre, but it may just be the first story of its kind.

The soundtrack, scored by John Paesano, reflects and retains the brutally dark atmosphere and tone of Daredevil, while also reflecting the quality and passion put into the project to make it the extraordinary story that it is. The power resonated in the main theme alone, and sustained throughout the rest of the soundtrack, sets the bar of quality for the series. A bar that was reached, as no easy feat.

Daredevil is the first television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to receive a soundtrack release. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter both feature remarkable soundtracks, composed by renowned composers Bear McCreary and Christopher Lennertz respectively, but of the three Daredevil stands on top. It truly is a crime, however, that these other soundtracks have not been released.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Main Title – The main theme of the series, set to an equally majestic and artistic intro sequence.

Track 2: Fogwell's Gym – Like father, like son. Fogwell's Gym is where Matt Murdock trains to be Daredevil.

Track 10: Wilson Fisk – Easily the most multilayered villain of the Cinematic Universe. You will absolutely hate him. You will entirely sympathize with him. Then you will absolutely hate him again. I hope he doesn't kill me for including his name in this article.

Track 12: Avocados at Law – This song and scene remind me of all the great times I've had with my closest friends. It bears a feeling of nostalgia, as we're shown a memorable night from Matt and Foggy's past.



Purchase DAREDEVIL: Music from the Original Series on iTunes or Amazon MP3.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Remember, you can keep updated on what television series I'm currently watching on my Status page.

Soundtrack of the Month: August 2015

Alone in the Dark is a complete piece of crap. It's an attempted reboot of a classic video game that pioneered the survival horror genre in the industry. While the original Alone in the Dark is a clever, well-designed piece of art, the 2008 reboot is the furthest thing you can get from that description. Its only real saving factor is its amazing soundtrack.

The music is composed by Olivier Derivière, and accompanied by Grammy award-winning choir The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices. It's everything the game is not: creative, well-designed, and actually rather scary. Its haunting themes will send a chill up your spine, which is something you cannot say about the game.

A fair amount of the soundtrack sounds rather like cues from a movie. This could be due in part to the game's attempt to adapt a television show-like format, in the form of episodes that you play through one at a time, that you can jump between. It was poorly implemented, and another reason why the game didn't deserve its soundtrack.

For a further elaboration on just why Alone in the Dark is an awful game, I encourage you to check out ProJared's review of the game. Caution: Alone in the Dark is rated Mature for blood and gore, strong language, and violence. Keep this in mind regarding the video, as the game and its reviewer are hardly censored.

Featured Tracks

Track 2: Edward Carnby – The protagonist is named Edward Carnby. He shouldn't be, but he is. One of many tracks to feature the game's main theme, "Shto Li".

Track 10: Crying New York – I could make a joke about New York crying about how bad the game is, but this really is a great track.

Track 18: Shto Li (A Cappella) – The Alone in the Dark theme, "Shto Li", shows up in many tracks. This track isolates the vocals into a bone-chilling a cappella piece.



Purchase Music From Alone In The Dark from Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on YouTube.

Soundtrack of the Month: July 2015

As the first year of the Soundtrack of the Month series comes to a close, I decided I would return to where it all started. Believe it or not, I wasn't always a soundtrack nerd. I liked instrumental music and a handful of soundtracks, but I really didn't think much of them at all. There was, however, one television series that came along and changed my mind entirely.

Doctor Who is an entirely unique concept and series. Most people either love it or hate it, with no middle ground. However, regardless of how you think of the series, there is one thing that has to be agreed upon unanimously: The music is awesome.

I remember my first time watching the Series 3 episode "Gridlock". It was an interesting premise that I won't describe due to potential spoilers, but I will say that there was a segment where the Doctor (the protagonist) was jumping between futuristic cars, and the most ridiculously cool music was playing. That was the very first time that Murray Gold's score made an impression on me, and it was far from the last.

While every Doctor Who soundtrack Gold scored since the revival of the series in 2005 has been filled with spectacular music and is equally worthy of being featured, I decided after much debate on Doctor Who Series 3, as it was this music that made me fall in love with soundtrack music, and I am forever in its debt.

Featured Tracks
Narrowing this list down to four tracks was ridiculously difficult. Series 3 introduced many new themes with many different styles, ranging from adventurous, to emotional, to terrifying. Enjoy some of the greatest melodies of the music industry.

Track 1: All the Strange, Strange Creatures – Originally intended as a minor sequence for a single episode, this track was chosen to score a trailer for the series, and thus became a classic and recurring theme.

Track 6: Boe – The Face of Boe is one of the more intriguing recurring characters of the show. Who is he really? What is he really? The answer may just have you on the floor laughing. This particularly emotional theme is a reprisal of a track from Series 2.

Track 15: The Doctor Forever – This is the song that made me fall in love with soundtracks, and it still holds a very special place in my heart. It eventually became known as the Tenth Doctor's theme.

Track 23: This is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home – This song is, to this day, my favorite track from any soundtrack, of any genre, for any kind of media. The soaring themes; the strong emotions; the majestic nostalgia; this is art.



Purchase the Doctor Who Series 3 soundtrack on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Bonus: In celebration of this series' anniversary, I put together a small YouTube playlist of various great soundtrack pieces. It contains tracks for soundtracks I've featured, soundtracks I may feature in the future, and soundtracks I will not feature for one of multiple reasons (none of which are bad music). You can check it out here.

Soundtrack of the Month: June 2015

Are you tired of reality? Take a trip to the beautifully hand-drawn world of Falana, and experience the adventure of an amnesiac swordsman, an adorable nimbat, and a talking sword.

Dust: An Elysian Tail is another fine example that video games are truly a form of art. The story, artwork, music and gameplay all come together to create an incredible experience. What's more, aside from sound design, the majority of the game was developed entirely by one man, Dean Dodrill. The amazing soundtrack was composed by HyperDuck Soundworks, with a few additional tracks by Alex Brandon.

In 2008, a groundbreaking indie video game called Iji was released, featuring an awesome, hard rock soundtrack. It was the first project that HyperDuck Soundtrack ever composed as a team. Jump ahead four years, and not only had they become a lot more experienced, but now their music is some of the greatest in the soundtrack industry.

Originally, the soundtrack was to have a style inspired heavily by entries in the Ys series of video games. Eventually a decision was made to majorly rework the soundtrack to have a more cinematic feel to it. This changed the soundtrack from what would have been a great soundtrack to what was ultimately an absolutely incredible soundtrack. The original versions of some of the songs are still included on the album as the "vintage" bonus tracks.

The story of Dust is intriguing, emotional, and often humorous. The player will undoubtedly tear up a number of times. Dean Dodrill has also been in the process of making a movie that takes place in the same universe. This project has been in development for over two decades. Additionally, it's possible that in the future he will create other games that take place in the world of Falana. We can only hope that HyperDuck will be involved in these other productions as well.

Featured Tracks

Track 1: Falana – The title music of the game, and one of four tracks composed by Alex Brandon. When you hear this music, you know you're in for quite a journey ahead. It also shows up every so often for emotional scenes throughout the game.

Track 7: Short Fuse – This is one of three renditions of the boss theme. The other two are Track 11: Deities and Track 17: Heavy Bones.

Track 8: Abadis Forest – Whenever I tell somebody about this game and its soundtrack, I usually send along this song as part of the pitch. I consider it the perfect musical representation of the game and soundtrack.

Track 15: Everdawn Basin – This is the music for the final stretch of the game. It's rather epic.



Purchase the Dust: An Elysian Tail soundtrack on Loudr, Bandcamp, or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.

Also check out the trailer for Dust: An Elysian Tail.

Soundtrack of the Month: May 2015

There are very few movie scores that are just as iconic as the films they accompany. Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean come to mind, and of course there's the magnificent Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first installment of one of the greatest stories our world has ever known. Howard Shore took it upon himself to score the entire trilogy, and while this was no easy feat, he succeeded in composing some of the most iconic, memorable and emotional themes in the entire music industry.

When listening to this soundtrack, you can't help but find yourself traveling to the Shire, and Rivendell, and all the amazing locations visited during the first stretch of the Quest of the Ring. Few soundtracks can immerse the listener so well into its world, so as to take them back to the adventure even when not watching the films.

Shore would score the entire trilogy, and then return to score the entire prequel saga of The Hobbit. While The Hobbit is filled with amazing music and memorable themes, it doesn't quite stand up to the original trilogy, in either score or story. The Hobbit is still a fantastic trilogy with fantastic music, but it is no small feat to top The Lord of the Rings.

One stand-out feature of the Lord of the Rings soundtracks is the inclusion of grand, incredible choral segments that feature singing or chanting in some of the many languages created by J.R.R. Tolkien, the writer of the series from which the movies were adapted. Some English is heard as well. The credits songs for each movie in the Middle-earth saga (always in English, performed by guest artists) are particularly known for their sentimental value.

Featured Tracks

Track 2: Concerning Hobbits – One of the most iconic themes in cinematic history, Concerning Hobbits is the theme for the land of the Shire, and more specifically the town of Hobbiton.

Track 11: The Ring Goes South – Haunting and epic music to accompany a party on an adventure.

Track 17: The Breaking of the Fellowship – The first chapter has come to an end, but the adventure has only begun. This song leads directly into "May It Be", the credits song, performed by Enya.



Note: A largely expanded edition of the soundtrack was released, which covered every single moment of score in the extended edition of The Fellowship of the Ring. This very long, 4-disc release is out of print, and as of the release this article can be purchased on Amazon new for $799.99 and used for $120.00. Good luck getting your hands on it.

Purchase The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon or iTunes.
Or listen to it for free on Spotify or YouTube.