🎃 Track or treat
🎃 Track or treat
The biggest VGM selection of the year has arrived!
Another busy month for me, and especially for the newsletter! In case you missed it, I’ve decided to make some important changes. From now on, all the interviews are available for free. You can already read them all right here.
Furthermore, I’ve come to the conclusion that this English version of NOWPLAYING doesn’t really work out for me. Long story short: it sucks up large amonts of my time for very little exposure. That’s a bummer, I know, but I need to set my priorities right. Hence, this lite version of the newsletter.
As I explained in a previous post, the English version of NOWPLAYING will become less chatty and more to the point. The goal here is to save me time to try and offer you even more interviews, without stripping out what you’re probably here for: the music, not the babbling. Also, the B-Sides will now be included in this very same issue, albeit behind a paywall. In other words, you’ll only get one newsletter per month, with all the content.
So, without further ado, let’s get into this month’s selection, shall we?
The best soundtracks of October 2023
Endless Dungeon - Arnaud Roy, Lera Lynn
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Endless Dungeon, developed in France by Amplitude
I’ve never played any of the Endless games, but I sure love the music Arnaud “FlyByNo” Roy composed for all the entries. This time, the French composer partners up with American singer Lera Lynn (which you probably discovered in the second season of True Detective) in a gorgeous 90’s rock album.
Intrigued? I’ve interviewed the man. Go check it out!
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Idyll Online: Artisan Creator - Virtuous Fiend
PC
Idyll Online, developed in the UK by Brian Laclair
I usually keep those hidden gem for the B-Sides but I couldn’t resist those exotic, electronica vibes. I honestly don’t know if Idyll Online is still an ongoing project (I reached out to Brian but didn’t hear back), but you should definitely check the soundtrack if you’re into IDM.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Station to Station - Paul Aubry
PC
Station to Station, developed in the Netherlands by Galaxy Grove
I adore the Airborne Kingdom soundtrack by Paul Aubry, and was eager to listen to he’s latest project. Cute as hell, Station to Station allows the composer to explore various musical moods, thanks to the different biomes you’ll get to traverse with your little voxel train.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
The Lamplighters League - Jon Everist
PC, Xbox
The Lamplighters League, developed in the USA by Harebrained Schemes
The Lamplighters League, a tactical, Indiana Jones-esque action game set in the 1930’s, totally floped. The situation led Paradox Entertainment, its publisher, decided not only to lay off staff, but announced the end of its partnership with Harebrained Schemes as of January 2024. I sincerely hope that the people involved with this game will land on their feet eventually.
Anyway, despite The Lamplighters League falling short of expectations, I did enjoy the epic, cinematographic music by Jon Everist very much. That’s some top of the class orchestral score you got here.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
LAIKA: Aged Through Blood - Beícoli
PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
LAIKA, developed in Spain by Brainwash Gang
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Blasphemous II and now LAIKA: Aged Through Blood. Damn, Spain is on a streak this year! In this very peculiar “motorvania” game (think of it as Katana Zero meets Trials), you’ll get to hear the beautiful songs by the in-house composer Beícoli. It's undoubtedly her best album to date, even though her previous work on The Longest Road on Earth had already set a high standard.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Wizard With A Gun - Ryan Ike
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Wizard With A Gun, developed in the USA by Galvanic Games
In this survival game, drawing inspiration from games like Don't Starve and Cult of the Lamb, American composer Ryan Ike showcases his remarkable guitar skills. If you enjoyed the soundtrack of Where Water Tastes Like Wine, you might consider this album as a worthy follow-up.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Tapes of Night City - P.T Adamzcyk
PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Cyberpunk 2077, developed in Poland by CD Projekt RED
Yet another Cyberpunk 2077 album, yes. But an official remix album! Do you remember Linkin Park's 'Reanimation' from 2002? Well, think of this album as one of its successors. P.T Adamzcyk did a terrific job reimagining 10 of the most amazing tracks from the game in various styles.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon - Tomoya Ohtani
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Sonic Frontiers, developed in Japan by Sega
Sonic Frontiers is arguably one of the weirdest games released last year. And that’s no small achievement from a series that travelled its fair share of bumby roads. Still, Sega never disappoints, music wise. Here’s 46 new tracks from a truly inspired Tomoya Ohtani, who explores genres such as trip hop or eurodance.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Gunbrella - Britt Brady, Hyperstepp
PC, Switch
Gunbrella, developed in the USA by Doinksoft
Devolver is well-represented in this edition. Following Wizard with a Gun, we have the captivating metroidvania Gunbrella, which graced us last summer. To say the least, I really didn't anticipate this kind of vibe from the composers. Are you into the fusion of jazz noir, drum and bass, and industrial techno? I bet you are.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Trepang² Halloweener - Brandon McKagan
PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Trepang², developed in Canada by Trepang Studio
Congratulations, Brandon. You've earned your "best metal artist of 2023" medal. What can I say? I've been listening to the Trepang² OST regularly since it came out, and now we have an extra 11 tracks to chew on!? Brace yourself, because this Halloween special features some of the most brutal tracks I've ever encountered in a video game.
🔗 Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Vinyl news roundup
Busy month, as always, on the VGM on vinyl world. See for yourself! (OMG NEON WHITE OMG EL PASO ELSEWHERE OMG BAYONETTA!!!)
Neon White Part 1, Neon White Part 2 (iam8bit) (Q1 2024) - $42,99 each, also available in Europe for €44 via Black Screen Records
Gone Home (10th Anniversary) (iam8bit) (Q1 2024) - $32,99, also available in Europe for €44 via Black Screen Records
League of Legends Worlds Anthem (2013-2023) (iam8bit) (Q1 2024)- $34,99, also available in Europe for €36 via Black Screen Records
Endless Dungeon (G4F Records) (Q1 2024) - €50
El Paso, Elsewhere (Original Rap Soundtrack) (Lost in Cult, Black Screen Records) (Q1 2024) - €35
Coffee Talk, Ep.2 (Black Screen Records) (Q1 2024) - €39
Risk of Rain Returns (Black Screen Records) (Q1 2024) - €65
Bayonetta (Wayô Records) (Q4 2023) - €84
Final Symphony & Final Symphony II (Laced Records) (Q1 2024) - £50 each, also available in Europe for €72 via Black Screen Records
Lords of the Fallen (Laced Records) (Q1 2024) - £50, also available in Europe for €72 via Black Screen Records
The Outlast Trials (Laced Records) (Q1 2024) - £36
Cake Bash (Chipfreq) (Shipping)- £25, also available for €33 via Black Screen Records
Jurassic Park Vol.1 (Limited Run) (Q1 2024) - $40
Yume Nikki (Fangamer) (Q4 2023) - $39, also available in Europe for €48 via Black Screen Records
In the paid section of this newsletter:
New: A Google Sheet inventoring all the VGM soundtrack that came out last month;
Five additional recommendations;
A big-ass playlist compiling all the video game music I listened during the month;
A non-VGM music reco.
Subscribe now with 50% off!