Today, @AbsolumGame is out launching to excellent reviews (and thanks to those who mention the soundtrack!). Congrats to everyone at @Dotemu @Guard_Crush and @supamonks ! opencritic.com/game/19143/ab… I composed and recorded the soundtrack over the last year, and particularly enjoyed seeing the guest contributions from @Mick_Gordon , @_Yuka_Kitamura_ , @MotoisakurabaM & @RachelHardy306 come to fruition. I'm also grateful that the team at @Dotemu were able to send me out to Vienna (for a 36 hour trip...!) to record the soundtrack at Synchron Stage. There's a BTS video of that here -> youtube.com/watch?v=6aNBhvQh… Album available here - kidkatana.ffm.to/absolum-ost And also on Bandcamp here - garethcoker.bandcamp.com/alb… Vinyl also available through the Bandcamp link! Thanks to @kidkatanarec for all the OST support with the digital and vinyl release!

Hi Gene, long response, and I'll tag @TeeLopes too because it's a really interesting point of discussion. Apologies for the essay, and thanks for reading (if you do) and indulging my monologue here. Definitely understand the sentiment of where you're coming from, but 'background music' or 'musical ambience' can be memorable / iconic too, but it just requires a lot more effort. "Hollywood orchestration" doesn't have to be uninspired, the reality is it just takes a lot of work and skill to get it to that level - a level that many don't reach. Orchestration is a lifetime's study. But additionally, especially in western AAA games, the style is often dictated to the composer from a much higher level, and the reality is there a restriction on creative freedom in terms of orchestration for a more adventurous solution. (Heck, there are even projects where the size of orchestra is dictated before one even starts). This isn't always the case but happens more often than not. You rightly in a subsequent post to point out Skyrim as doing 'vibes' or 'background' music well. Witcher 3 is another example. (These 2 games are HEAVILY listened to on the streaming services). Does have strong melodies too, but much of the music is vibe based. I've noticed that generally there are far fewer complaints if the vibes music is really good / imaginative and *perfectly in sync with the world*. It's a feeling that is captured that takes the player immediately to the time and place. That's where uninspired orchestration falls flat. If it sounds like 'everything else' then it doesn't take you anywhere specific. If you cultivate an original aesthetic / orchestration style though - nobody will call it out. This isn't necessarily just 'recording an orchestra' it can also be production choices, how much reverb. There are so many tiny decisions that can influence an original aesthetic. The danger is when production decides "let's hire an orchestra" without thinking what that really means - and often not consulting the composer properly. Just on a tangent, in film, one of my favorites is 'Arrival', no melody, but an incredibly unique sound through both its strings and particularly its use of vocals. Johansson had a highly recognisable sonic style in his scores. (Incidentally when Heptapod B was licensed in White Lotus S2 it really took me out of that scene, lol). As another example, two of Zimmer's most successful scores, Interstellar and Inception are highly recognisable from their textural and sonic approach, and have iconic/memorable pieces (e.g. Time), but you wouldn't exactly call them 'melodic' in the traditional sense. But back to the point - that part about 'score being perfectly in sync with the world' is where a lot of game scores fall flat. Not enough time/care is spent working on *synergy* with the worlds being composed for (both visual synergy, animation synergy, gameplay synergy and how all of that connects to music. It MUST feel connected to succeed. It's understandable to sometimes cast a wide net and 'wallpaper' the game with 'safe' music, but you also really need to spend time finding 'moments' in the game to enhance. Ideally you need a mix of music played back by systems, and then hand-placed/bespoke music where appropriate. Memorable music in games isn't just about the melodies, it's about how the music attaches itself to certain moments in the gameplay/animation/art, and that's when the power becomes magnified tenfold. Unfortunately the way a lot of games music departments are set up now at AAA level mean that the composer can be highly divorced from the process and getting nowhere near enough hands-on time with the game. The music then gets placed into the game's interactive music system - often by someone who didn't write it (not their fault!) - and that's the first break in connection, often before several others. There is an additional issue that the servicing of interactivity above all else comes at the expense of melody - thus missing the big picture (it is hard and musically unsatisfying to interrupt melodies mid-flow). The very best scores at AAA exist where there is a total and complete understanding from composer -> music implementer -> audio team -> wider game/art/animation team - and all are singing from the same hymn sheet. Unfortunately this is rare, and especially if the composer is just handing off their music - production music style - to be sliced and diced by an edit team and never to be seen again. A lot of game scores have moved to a production-music style methodology and I don't think it's the way forward whatsoever to get something that truly resonates/transcends. Thus I don't think the expansion of technology is the reason scores lack in melody. It's a fundamental flaw that starts at conceptual level from music design, aesthetic and connectivity to the game's material. Getting a composer on-board early and not restricting them or divorcing them from the process increases the chances of delivering something that can hit and be memorable. And I think you'd find with those 90s games that this would quite often be the case. Team chemistry/synergy is so underrated in the creative process and it should be highly valued. There's a reason many composer/directors stay together for a long time. There's a few great examples of this in games too, I wish it happened more. Sorry for monologue, and this is just one person's view on the whole thing.