📻 The right frequencies of July
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📻 The right frequencies of July
Your selection of the very best video game music of July 2023
I’m begging you: tell me that your summer is going well. May troubles spare you, may money flow abundantly, and may you have to push away your loved ones because their attention overwhelms you to suffocating degrees. Not that it's a problem if it's not the case, of course, I'll do my best to lift your spirits. But you know, the pressure is real.
I'm witnessing with a heavy heart the slow but nonetheless brutal collapse of Twitter, while the ashes of Reddit – another social network I adore – are still warm. Yes, I might be exaggerating. It doesn't really matter that much. But just realize that if I had neither of them, there would probably be only a handful of us reading NOWPLAYING.
In adversity, creativity is born. These upheavals have given me the opportunity to revive my Instagram and TikTok accounts, where I post randomly little videos featuring soundtracks that I enjoy. Don't hesitate to leave some hearts!
But how can I be glum when I know that in 2024, I will have the chance to attend both the symphonic concert of Elden Ring's music and the NieR one at the Palais des Congrès in Paris? If you are also among the lucky ones, let yourself be known in the comments!
The best soundtracks of July 2023
Jagged Alliance 3 - George Strezov
PC
Jagged Alliance 3, developed in Bulgaria by Haemimont Games
I am not very familiar with the tactical RPG genre, let alone the military titles of the Jagged Alliance series. This third installment comes more than 20 years after the release of its predecessor – although various spin-offs have emerged in the series since then.
Needless to say, I was particularly hesitant when I saw "62 tracks, approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes" displayed at the top of the Jagged Alliance 3 OST's Spotify page. However, my skepticism eased when I noticed that it was composed by George Strezov, who wrote divine music on Surviving Mars.
My grumpy mood didn't last long when I discovered a delightful mix of tracks inspired by action movies from the 80s, along with around ten songs in Zulu, like the one presented above. The effort put into this original soundtrack is simply stunning. I even contacted George Strezov, who kindly provided me with the complete list of people who worked on this album. You can find it on VGMdb, and spoiler alert, there are more people involved here than on the Final Fantasy XVI’s soundtrack.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals - scntfc
PC, PlayStation, Switch, iOS & Android (via Netflix)
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, dveloped in the USA by Night School Studios
Strangely, Oxenfree holds a special place in my heart. Yet, I don't feel like I particularly worship the game. It's simply one of those things that make me happy just by their mere existence.
Long-awaited, this sequel does justice to the legacy of what is now a Netflix franchise. Night School Studios knows its strengths and spared no effort in showcasing them in Oxenfree II: Lost Signals. As you might have guessed, one of these strengths is undoubtedly the music by Andrew Rohrmann, aka scntfc (who is also the audio director for the game).
The electronic, oscillating ambient music complements the gameplay (where you often have to tune into various radio frequencies – hence the name of this issue, duh) beautifully. One could possibly miss a distinct theme, but I believe the album is designed to be listened to in one go, letting oneself be guided by its gentle yet haunting undulations throughout.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Sticky Business - Marie Havemann
PC, Switch
Sticky Business, developed in Germany by Spellgarden Games
Rare are the games that manage to make an impression amid the continuous stream of titles presented during the Wholesome Direct conference. Sticky Business is clearly one of those gems.
Utterly adorable, Spellgarden's new game lets you run your own stickers business. You not only get to design the stickers but also carefully package them, making sure to pamper your customers with various goodies.
German composer Marie Havemann ensured that this chill game is accompanied by some tasteful chillhop tracks. It's a shame that the album is so short!
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Blankos Block Party, Vol. 3 - Mike McLafferty
PC
Blankos Block Party, developed in the United Kingdom by Third Kind Games
I'm not used to discussing Web3 games, and I'll spare you my opinion on the matter. However, I can't help but talk about the work of Mike McLafferty, an English composer who's been very busy this year.
You might have already come across a track from the rich soundtrack of Blankos Block Party in previous NOWPLAYING playlists. The third (yes, third!) volume was released this month and has won me over completely.
Abundant in hip-hop productions (which are too rare in contemporary games), this extensive album showcases a wide variety of sounds and deserves all your attention.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Oaken - Ian Fontova
PC, Xbox, Switch
Oaken, developed in Poland by Laki Studios
The Spanish composer Ian Fontova had already delighted us with a few tracks from Oaken's early access last year. Now that the game is available in its full version 1.0, we can enjoy the complete album with its 12 tracks.
Fontova specializes in Celtic music, and it's immediately evident that he knows his craft well. The productions are stunningly rich, with the omnipresent slapping bass creating a delightful contrast with the anachronistic sounds of the Irish flute.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Dice of Olympus - Oathr
PC
Dice of Olympus, developed in France by Bathyscaphe Studio
Developed in France and spearheaded by Anton Bodin Marty, well-known in the Starcraft II casting world, Dice of Olympus is not a deck-building game but a dice-building game.
As the name suggests, you'll be facing monsters from Greek mythology in dice-based battles. And to enhance the sound design, Bathyscaphe enlisted the services of Thibaut "Oathr" Lafforest, who composed a fantastic album perfectly fitting the ambiance.
Incredibly relaxing, the 10 tracks of the Dice of Olympus OST precisely deliver the sounds one would expect. Supported by enchanting pads and choirs, the melodies express themselves through flutes or an oud that never grows old.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Protocorgi - Francisco Cerda
PC, Switch
Protocorgi, developed in Chile by Kemono Studios
Sometimes, you don't need to overthink it. You see a corgi on the cover of an album, and you dive right in. At least, that's how I operate. And I was right to do so, as Kemono Studios' fantastic retro shoot'em up is as wonderful to watch as it is to listen to.
Francisco Cerda is already known to us since he recently composed the soundtrack for Punchuin, of which I featured many excerpts in the January playlist. While I won't go as far as to say that he's continuing on the same path with Protocorgi, he definitely reaffirms his love for the video game music of the early '90s with this new project.
Protocorgi is one of those albums where I had to resist adding every track to the playlist because everything fits perfectly. Otherwise you might think I'm just dragging-and-dropping without bothering to listen to what I'm suggesting. I’m really not and my Spotify Wrapped is here to prove it.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Gravity Circuit - Dominik Ninmark
PC, PlayStation, Switch
Gravity Circuit, developed in Finland by Domesticated Ant Games
Dominik Ninmark seems to be involved in all the Mega Man-like games on the market this year! After composing the soundtrack for Vengeful Guardian a few months ago, the Swedish enthusiast of 16-bit aesthetics returns in top form with Gravity Circuit.
This action-platform game with polished pixel art exudes nostalgia from every pore. Just by looking at the game's artwork, you can get a pretty good idea of what you’ll get.
The game's soundtrack is extensive, with 46 tracks, each having its own identity (including many character themes) and sharing the common feature of a rhythmic percussion that drives us forward.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on Bandcamp.
Street Fighter 6 - Yoshiya Terayama, Shigeyuki Kameda, Yasumasa Kitagawa & ali
PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Street Fighter 6, developed in Japan by Capcom
286 tracks for nearly 7 hours and 50 minutes of music. And you expect me to pick ONE standout track? Come on, let's be serious: I haven't even finished listening to this damn thing!
Unreasonably bloated, the Street Fighter 6 soundtrack seems to let some hardcore fans down. Being a bit of a newcomer to this, I must admit I'm quite satisfied. Sure, it's a shame that the iconic themes of most characters have been replaced with less inspired versions, but overall, we're faced with a monstrous album, filled with exciting bangers.
Subscribers to the premium version of the newsletter will get to discover my tailor-made selection. As for the rest, brace yourselves and dive into this ocean of hip hop, jazz, funk, and more. You'll undoubtedly find something to your liking.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Arcadian Atlas - Moritz P.G. Katz
PC
Arcadian Atlas, developed in the USA by Twin Otters Studio
I learned about the existence of Arcadian Atlas through the announcement of its vinyl soundtrack release (link in the next chapter). That shows the confidence that Twin Otters Studios has in the music of their game, entrusted to Moritz P.G. Katz.
What intrigued me? The artwork, which hints at a game with medieval roots, and those few words from the distributor that piqued my curiosity: "moody jazz." Not exactly what one would expect for an isometric tactical RPG.
Unfortunately for the studio, the initial hours of the launch didn't go quite as planned. Arcadian Atlas has only received 65% positive reviews at the time of writing these lines. Nonetheless, they fulfilled their promise of "moody jazz," thanks in large part to the superb saxophone performance by Leandro Saint-Hill.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on Bandcamp.
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Vinyl news roundup
The pace of vinyl original soundtrack releases shows no sign of slowing down, and July has once again been very busy with some fantastic new releases. Here are the highlights:
Leading the pack, Laced Records made a strong showing with the announcement of Hi-Fi Rush (77£), Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and Sludge Life 1+2. The latter can be obtained directly from Devolver, along with the 7" vinyl of the character Big Mud's tracks. Either way, it'll cost you around £50, excluding delivery.
We had no news about it since last December and it’s finally available! The Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack can be bought in vinyl directly from CD Projekt Red for 100€ (plus ~5€ of shipping). Fun fact: the boxset was already on display two weeks ago at the Paris Japan Expo. Many thanks to Yohann and Cassim for buying me a copy back then!
I've been waiting for this for MONTHS, and it's finally here: the 3-vinyl box set of Signalis. A dream come true brought to us by Very Ok Vinyl, and distributed in our region by Black Screen Records for €62.
Not entirely surprising: a compilation of music from Fortnite's lobby is expected in December. The record is published by iam8bit and can be pre-ordered in Europe from BSR and Just For Games for €39.99.
Our friends at G4F Records in France are also announcing the pressing of the Strayed Lights OST, signed by Mr. Austin Wintory, for €40.
Staying in France, Wayô Records delights us with a superb edition of the Grandia II soundtrack. Despite the game's name sounding like infant formula, this generous box set comes with exclusive artworks and a 16-page booklet with comments from the original development team. It'll be released in September for €72.
To keep the nostalgia flowing, Mana Wave makes a big splash by opening pre-orders for Mana (Secret of Mana Recreated) by none other than Jammin' Sam Miller (the one who restored the Donkey Kong Country OSTs). It'll be out at the end of the year for €49 from Black Screen Records.
Mondo doesn't waste any time. Even though we've barely heard a single excerpt from the soundtrack of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 by John Paesano, the US website is already taking pre-orders ($40) with a temporary visual. The good news is that it's scheduled for release in November, one month after the game's launch on PS5. The bad news is that no European distributor has yet taken a position on the matter.
Fangamer, on the other hand, puts an end to the suspense and finally announces the arrival of the music for Rogue Legacy 2. There's no specific release date mentioned yet, but pre-orders are now open, notably at Black Screen Records (45€).
If the above-mentioned Arcadian Atlas soundtrack caught your attention, you'll be pleased to know that a vinyl edition (expected in early 2024) is already available for pre-order at Serenity Forge for approximately €50, including delivery.
At Konami, we're tapping into the nostalgic feelings of Castlevania fans with vinyl records of the music from Aria of Sorrow, Circle of the Moon, and Harmony of Dissonance in partnership with Limited Run Games. I highly recommend purchasing these from Konami directly as their editions are truly magnificent.
Finally, I'm thrilled to see the cool Asterigos: Curse of the Stars soundtrack pressed by Black Screen Records for €69. Also, in line with Limited Run's announcements during their "post-non-E3" show, the music from the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game released on NES in 1989 is expected on vinyl by the end of the year. Black Screen will distribute the record in Europe for €34.