Show Notes
Jessica Curry celebrates the dazzling musical world of indie games. Most people have heard of the titans of video games - like FIFA, Mario, Call of Duty or Fortnite - but there's also a thriving indie scene pushing the boundaries of what games and their soundtracks can be. For an indie, no adventure is too small, too silly, too bizarre or too bittersweet - and often they dive deeper than huge games into subjects such as grief, love, illness and what it means to be human. Indie soundtracks then can be some of the most experimental music in the whole genre - from tender chamber music to full on electronic freak outs - Jessica plays some of her favourites. Plus Jessica talks to composer Lena Raine, whose BAFTA nominated music for the breakout indie hit Celeste has been one of the most talked about scores of recent years. Get in touch - email [email protected] Full playlist: Kristofer Maddigan - Ruse of an Ooze (Cuphead) Oli Wood - Buffet Balloons (Overcooked 2) Laurence Chapman - Before the Fall (Heaven's Vault) Gareth Coker - Ori and the Will of the Wisps (extract) Lena Raine - First Steps (Celeste) Lena Raine - Heart of the Mountain (Celeste) Nate Sandberg & Matthew Joynt - The Brothers Swim (Burly Men at Sea) Nate Sandberg & Matthew Joynt - Heroic Feats (Burly Men at Sea) Austin Wintory - I Was Born For This (Journey) Kristofer Maddigan - Die House (Cuphead) Julien Neto - From Cover to Cover (Osmos) Jessica Curry - The End of All Things (Everybody's Gone to the Rapture) Jessica Curry - Liquid Light (Everybody's Gone to the Rapture) Lena Raine - Awake (Celeste) Lena Raine - Anxiety (Celeste) Lena Raine - Beyond the Heart (Celeste: Farewell) Peter Due - City Streets (Forgotton Anne) Andrew Prahlow - Outer Wilds (Outer Wilds)
More from Sound of Gaming
Elle Osili-Wood guides us through the soundtracks for the best robots in video games as well as exploring how AI is being used as both a story-telling device and gameplay mechanic in gaming. Featuring music from Halo Infinite (by Gareth Coker) with themes around human-AI bonds, NieR: Automata (Square Enix Music) which asks what counts as being alive, and Detroit: Become Human (Philip Sheppard) which explores the idea of civil rights for robots. Producer: Barnaby Gordon
Just as it is in the real world, food is a fundamental to many games. It isn't just points, like Pac-Man's cherries, it looks delicious, it sizzles temptingly and it brings people together. Maybe you're Link in Zelda Breath of the Wild - knocking up seafood paella - or Venba, the south Indian mother connecting with her son through the language of cooking, or maybe you are Wilson in Don't Starve trying, well... not to starve. Whatever you play, grab a plate and join Elle Osili-Wood to sample the music of the tastiest games around.
Elle Osili-Wood's guest is composer Wilbert Roget II to talk about his music for the brand new Star Wars game - Star Wars: Outlaws. Along the way we encounter all sorts of other rule-breakers, from the games that challenge our preconceptions about what they are (Dave The Diver, an action adventure which becomes a role-playing game and then a management simulator!) to games that ask the player what rules they are prepared to break (Papers. Please) and Metal Gear Solid, which challenges you to question its own rules. Producer: Barnaby Gordon
Video games have come a long way from the pixels of Pong and Pac-Man. From games based on medieval manuscripts like Inkulinati and Pentiment, to hand-drawn wonders such as Cuphead, games have become works of art in themselves. Some even ask the player to create that art. Elle Osili-Wood dusts off her easel and to illustrate the best of them. Elle's guest on the programme has been involved with a number of such titles - "Chicory: A Colorful Tale" and "Ori and the Will o'the Wisps" - she is the go-to woodwind soloists for game and film composers alike: Kristin Naigus. Producer: Barnaby Gordon
Not only are many games inspired by some of the world's great mythologies, they also set out to create rich mythological type narratives themselves. Elle Osili-Wood reflects this as the latest iteration of the Prince of Persia franchise reaches our screens. Her guests are the game's co-composers - the ground-breaking Iranian musician, Mentrix, and celebrated video game composer Gareth Coker. To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Gaming."