Video game music thrives on diversity. What's duller than a soundtrack that chases its own tail, one where you can't even name a single standout cut? I'd wager French composer Pretty Patterns agrees, because his score for the recently released Kernel Hearts simply refuses to sit still.
For Ephemera Games' debut title, Diego Cabrera (his real name) pulled out all the stops, packing as many genres as possible into just 18 tracks. Not that genre labels really matter here—Kernel Hearts truly shines through the talent attached to it. The soundtrack features iconic NieR vocalist Emi Evans, Pernelle (Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, Stellar Blade), RINO, and vally.exe, alongside phenomenal session players like Mat Mat on accordion for "Geminus", which plays out like a lost cut from Lies of P.
Echoing the spirit of NieR, Persona, Clair Obscur, and even 1000xRESIST, the Kernel Hearts soundtrack is one of the most welcome surprises I've heard all month. If that doesn't pique your interest, nothing will!
Find all listening links for Kernel Hearts (original game soundtrack) by Pretty Patterns on its dedicated page:
→ https://nwpl.ing/kernel-hearts
