Category: ambient music

The only goal was openness. After producing three hard-hitting albums inspired by post-punk and classic rock, U2 were at the forefront of a politically conscious revolution in rock music. But the Irish rockers were in danger of becoming preachy with their soapboxing, so the solution was simple: strip it all away until there was barely anything there at all.

It might have been criticised at the time, but after nearly 40 years, U2’s fourth studio album, The Unforgettable Fire, looks downright revolutionary. Their first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the album that U2 made was ambient, fuzzy, ephemeral, and completely open to interpretation. Sometimes, there was barely any music there at all, taking Eno’s sonic philosophy and applying it to their own sound in radical ways.

Along those lines, songs like ‘Bad’ and ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ found Bono sketching out basic outlines of lyrics and leaving them as they were. He would be disappointed in the results, causing him to be more serious about his writing approach for the band’s next album, The Joshua Tree. One song that he felt was particularly unfinished was ‘Pride (In the Name of Love)’, especially considering the weight and thoughtfulness of the song’s subject.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a figure that Bono only became intimately familiar with after becoming a popular musician. He knew of the man, one of the most famous and influential civil rights activists in American history. However, it took the reading of the biography Let the Trumpet Sound and a mental connection to Bono’s own experience of The Troubles for him to truly find inspiration.

“So now — cut to 1980. Irish rock group, who’ve been through the fire of a certain kind of revival, a Christian-type revival, go to America,” Bono told Rolling Stone. “[Y]ou get to the Black church, and you see that they have similar ideas. But their religion seems to be involved in social justice; the fight for equality. And a Rolling Stone journalist, Jim Henke, who has believed in you more than anyone up to this point, hands you a book called Let the Trumpet Sound — which is the biography of Dr. King. And it just changes your life.”

Bono had already had a theme in mind when U2 were writing ‘Pride’: it was supposed to be a sardonic take on the pride that Ronald Reagan was instilling in America. Bono was going to take the opportunity to throw barbs at Reagan’s increased military presence around the world and the jingoistic sloganeering that he found distasteful. But once he read King’s biography, Bono changed the song’s lyrics and composed an impressionistic take on King’s pride in a country that frequently treated him like a second-class citizen.

Unfortunately, Bono proved to be slightly out of his depth in that regard. It wasn’t quite the right place at the right time either: with U2 and their producers emphasising a less-direct approach to their sound, a full tribute to MLK wouldn’t have fit the feeling of The Unforgettable Fire. As it was, Bono decided to leave ‘Pride’ as an unfinished sketch, with occasional factual errors and loose ends left unresolved.

“I looked at how glorious that song was and thought: ‘What the fuck is that all about?’” Bono asked in the book U2 on U2. “It’s just a load of vowel sounds ganging up on a great man. It is emotionally very articulate – if you didn’t speak English.”

The unfinished nature of ‘Pride’ might have caused Bono to compose another song about King. This time, he looked to create a more straightforward and earnest eulogy for King, one that resonated poetically with the kind of rhetoric and preaching style that King himself employed. The result was ‘MLK’, the second song from The Unforgettable Fire, focused on King and the album cut with the most direct line to Bono’s appreciation for the civil rights leader.

‘MLK’ makes direct allusions to King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in its minimalist lyrics. However, ‘MLK’ says more about King and his impact on Bono than the somewhat random and confused thoughts that make up ‘Pride’. But while ‘Pride’ had a major hook that made it an MTV hit, ‘MLK’ was an ambient track that acted as a delicate closing hymn to The Unforgettable Fire. With just a droning keyboard note backing him up, Bono eulogises King in ways that help resolve the open-ended jumble of ‘Pride’.

The two songs work well in tandem, but ‘Pride’ began to take on a life of its own. As the band’s first top 40 hit in America, U2 found themselves having to dust off the song at nearly every live performance. Clips of MLK were often projected during shows, helping to flesh out the message and character that Bono left out of the lyrics.

Although he was disappointed with the results, audiences clung to the abstract message that Bono laid out in ‘Pride’. Along with his frequent explanations and the acknowledgements that the band made to King, ‘Pride’ became heavily associated with King and his legacy, so much so that Bono was eventually honoured by the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, a non-profit founded by King’s widow, Coretta Scott King.

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The Creative Sensemore Air is more than a new marketing term. Sensemore technology makes a big difference in hear through details by boosting vocals and selectively dampening background noise.

To position these ‘buds’

• IPX5 sweat-resistant
• 5.2g each
• Ambient Mode
• ANC
• BT 5.2 multi-point and fast pair, SBC, AAC codecs
• Up to 10 hours of play and 2.5 recharges in the case (10 minutes for 2 hours of listening time)
• USB-C and QI Wireless carry/charge case
• Two beamforming voice mics and two ANC mics
• Voice Assistant
• Touch controls
• Creative Super X-Fi ready (App)
• Creative App is fully featured

But the best thing is the price, $134.95 for what you could pay twice as much for.

Australian Review: Creative Sensemore Air

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below.  You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First impression – Black Buds – Pass

We should clarify the price/performance equation. These may be BT/ANC, but they are not competitors for far more expensive Bose QC, Sony WF-1000MX5, Sennheiser Momentum 3 etc.

They use an all-in-one chip, 6mm drivers, software ANC, and only have SBC and AAC codecs. They are more competitive with JBL Tune 230NC but offer QI and Sensemore.

The buds are lightweight, moulded plastic with three sizes of silicone ear tips. The case is reasonably standard except for Qi charging – a real bonus.

Setup – No App needed – Pass+

These pair like any BT device to Windows, Mac, Android and iOS – or Linux. The Creative App adds value by being able to customise more and download that to the buds.

Comfort – Pass+

At 5.8g, they are light, and the choice of three silicone tips means good ear fit. These are not ANC earphones that need a jam-tight fit for noise isolation, so they are pretty comfortable even if you experience itchy or hot ears.

Sensemore – Work in progress – Pass

The website says

Designed to improve hearing, our innovative Sensemore technology boosts vocals and amplifies sound waves, ensuring that each sound can be heard louder. In turn, this allows you to communicate and listen to conversations effortlessly, in both quiet and busy environments. As a bonus, when set to a higher intensity, it could even benefit folks with mild hearing deficiencies. Experience a new level of audio clarity and stay connected anytime, anywhere! Simply double-tap your left earbud to activate the Sensemore Mode and invite the vivid sound in!

We understand hearing impairment. What Sensemore does is boost 1-4kHz and reduce background noise. We would not call the sound Vivid – instead, it is a bit ’thin’ as it lacks any bass or treble. Nevertheless, it does deliver clearer speech when you are within a metre or so of the person speaking.

There are five levels. Go about three, and things get too crisp. Don’t use this mode when you are not speaking – it tends to make familiar sounds irritating.

It is better than Ambient Mode when talking. Use that when you are out and about and want to mute your surroundings.

ANC – Pass

ANC is all about filtering out sub-40Hz and above 10kHz sounds. Traditionally there are two parts to effective ANC. First is the physical fit that gives sound noise isolation. Second, the mics help generate anti-noise (cancel out the real noise). These do not have good passive isolation, so they won’t drown out a plane taking off or eliminate a noisy Air Conditioner. They tend to take the edges off and, as such, don’t compress/clip music as much as some. I would rather have better music than the best ANC.

How do they sound? Pass+

Out of the box, they have a fair bit of bass that can overshadow the mid. The EQ does a great job in recessing bass, mid or treble to give you whatever signature you like. We can’t measure in-ear bud’s sound signature, but it is closer to warm and sweet, which is fine for most music genres.

Voice Assistance and Hands-free – Pass

These are fine for Voice Assistance and hands-free calls, but ANC does not do a good job of removing wind noise.

Super X-Fi – not tested

It uses 3D modelling of the user’s head and ears. It digitally processes audio for a sense of spatial multi-channel speakers. Read more.

Battery – Pass

Creative claim 8/10 hours ANC/Ambient/Sensemore mode On/off. That is at 50% volume, and it’s a tad low for my listening. We got around 6.5 hours of ANC on.

But both USB-C and QI charging is excellent. Overall the case charges in about 3/4 hours.

Controls – Pass

A little touchy with no haptic feedback but fit for purpose.

CyberShack’s view – Creative Sensemore Air are full-featured earphones at a great price.

Every Creative product we have reviewed focuses on as many features for the price as possible. This is no exception. I challenge anyone to find better BT, ANC, Qi, Sensemore earphones for the price.

It gets an unreserved buy recommendation for the price.

Rating Explanation

• Features: 95 It is the class leader for this bracket
• Value: 95 – say no more
• Performance: 90 – again, class leader for sound, battery life etc
• Ease of Use: 85 – The Creative App adds value and is worth using
• Design: 80 – more plastic buds

Pro

Qi charge

Con

COLOURA, In Between

This four-man group hailing from Cebu bills itself as an experimental band which is partly true if you count mixing ambient sounds with touches of new wave, emo, boy band harmonies and rock and roll to be “experimental” enough. That’s not a complaint because Coloura blend assorted sonic colors into a complete coherent package one song at a time. Like, “First Time” is a funky tune with sections that rock and splashes of cool balladry. Opening track “Drive and Meet You” features the push of hot synth runs and the pull of breathy vocals.  “Let This Go” is a sweet ballad that doesn’t go emo-sensitive on you. “In Between” should be a nice place to start a new year of new music.

PB JELLI, Late to the Party

The lateness referred to in the EP title comes mainly from dance tracks harking back to electronica from way back when. But since everything comes around again for another swing, the electronica boomerang sounds freshly minted, what with our main girl PB Jelli hectoring as well as pleading her case as any good modern RnB vocalist should.  She’s a showstopper in the club anthem “Daydream” and a bedroom dominatrix in “Control.”  She can be a sensitive lover in “Cover Me.”  PBJ may be late but she brings life to the party.

JOCKSTRAP, I Love You Jennifer B

UK’s Jockstrap duo are Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye who studied various aspects of music making in college. They apply their learnings to create music that’s been described as ‘an alchemy of modern pop.’ On their new album, the duo focuses on the restless pursuit of young love and surrounds their songs with the edgy sounds of indie pop. Club beats are de facto all over the record but that does not stop them from dropping a sideways slant to the overall atmosphere. For instance, the electronica in “Greatest Hits” devolves to weepy strings then back again to the big thump. Shoegazey ambiance gives “What’s It All About?” its dreamy quality and a sort of post-punk sensibility exude from the weird “Debra.” Jockstrap simply reflects the continuing fusion of musical forms.

WEYES BLOOD, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow

With a voice redolent of Karen Carpenter, Weyes Blood elevates to greater heights and a wider audience her tales of mankind’s plunders that brought about climate change impacts and the destruction of the environment. In its wake, she enables her own personal agenda of a return to the natural world. The wonder of it all is that Ms. Blood uses a wider musical palette than The Carpenters’ rootsy MOR. She powers her delicate introspections with girl-group harmonies (“Children of the Empire”), layered orchestrations (“It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody”) and torchy croon (“Hearts Aglow”.) In her astute hands, Weyes skirts the political subtext of the issues she’s taken up to front-load the hope that there’s still time to reverse an impending catastrophe.

ETHEL CAIN, Preacher’s Daughter

Ether Cain’s previous album titled “Inbred” was about troubled family ties. Her latest release hints at problems with her faith. True enough, the opening track on her new album sports this chorus:  “The fate’s already fucked me sideways/Swinging by my neck from the family tree.”  clearly referring to the tragedy of being born to a preacher man.  The next track, a potentially massive hit titled “American Teenager” milks her gloomy condition in pumping rock and roll by way of The Cars.  The music and the lyrics turn even darker in the Goth of “A House in Nebraska” and on to the Black metal-scarred “Ptolomea.”  The easy conjecture is that Ms. Cain is Lana del Rey’s lost twin but it’s more likely, Ethel Cain is her own person finding unique beauty in a very bad circumstance.

VARIOUS ARTISTS, Malabong Lababo Sessions #01: Squiggle Beware

Overwrought album title aside, the 25-track “Malabong Lababo Sessions #01” collects contributions from nine independent acts — eight from the Philippines and one from Singapore. Proceeds from sales will help fund PH-based The Buildings’ two-week tour of Japan next month.  That’s the goodwill part, and the participating bands are no charity cases, at all. Bird Dens’ blues have The Strokes undercurrent. WAX stomp around in powerful guitar rawk ramblings and The Gory Orgies banner rabble-rousing metal while Subsonic Eye conjugate twee and lounge in easy listening bliss. Buy the album, help the indie OPM cause and have yourself a musical adventure.

Check out these albums on digital music platforms, especially bandcamp.

The musical score of a film can be the difference-maker between a good film, or a bad one, a great one, or a classical epic worthy of every accolade. Film scores are used to communicate the grand scale of narratives, or the intricacies of the stakes involved. Many times, they’re used to add a layer of characterization that augments the audience’s experience with the story, and executes on the themes of the film that may not be possible with the visuals or the dialogue alone. In rare circumstances, the film score can become a vital part of the cinematic experience itself, transcending the visuals and storytelling to become an intrinsic mechanism of the movie making magic, and that is the exact qualification needed to make this short-list of the best film scores of all-time.

8/8 Blade Runner (1982)

What sets the film score of Blade Runner apart is an ambient soundscape that refuses to rely on a conventional orchestra, and instead focuses on an electronic synth wave style that augments the visuals of the film in a more subdued way. It’s a non-traditional technique not often utilized in films that usually attempt to create music that can stand with, and sometimes overpower the profound visuals of films with the auditory experience. Produced by legendary Greek musical composer Vangelis, the sound of Blade Runner is nearly as iconic as the film itself, lending a melancholy weight to the apocalyptic vision of Los Angeles overburdened by crime, pollution, and the violent potential of a machine uprising. Additionally, its futuristic sound complements the film by anchoring audiences aurally in the world, creating a symbiotic relationship between the stark visuals, hellish post apocalyptic narratives, then contrasting them with a serene and tranquil auditory experience that should be experienced by faithful film lovers everywhere.

7/8 Gladiator (2000)

Composed by Hans Zimmer, the soundscape of Gladiator is a perfect blend of epic musicality that effectively renders the grandeur of the Roman Empire in the last gasp of its golden age, and the prestige of its greatest general, Maximus Decimus Meridius, with the more quiet moments of reflection that the film became known for. In Gladiator, the film score became instrumental in communicating the highest stakes of the great Roman battles with Germanic barbarian forces, then taking that same sense of scale and transforming the experience into one of the most profound cinematic experiences ever, as Maximus battled with the empire itself in the ancient Roman coliseum. While the score was perfect for grand storytelling, it was also used to highlight the more contemplative moments of the film, lending weight and resonance to Maximus’ emotional and spiritual journey to Elysium. Interestingly, the soundtrack to Gladiator shares similarities to later Zimmer compositions, like the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which shared a heroic sense of scale.

Related: Gladiator 2: What Fans Can Expect

6/8 Dr. No (1962)

The quintessential James Bond film, Dr. No serves as the very first Bond film, and began the legendary history of the franchise for decades to come. Composed by Monty Norman, the film score went on to become one of the most beloved musical compositions, perfectly encapsulating the high espionage, debonair style and intrigue that the Bond franchise would come to be known for. Starring Sean Connery, Dr. No would be the first of six official Bond films the movie star would be showcased in, and the film score has followed the Bond character through the decades, having been used in every production since. Norman, a prolific musician, was honored in 1989 to receive the Gold Badge of Merit for Services to British Music and the Ivor Novello Award for composing the James Bond Theme.

5/8 Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Perhaps the most impactful film of the Sergio Leone spaghetti western era, Once Upon a Time in the West mixed the brutal, vigilante violence customary of Sergio Leone’s style, with an emotionally stirring soundtrack, most iconic for the mournful, operatic vocals of a woman seemingly crying out for all the spilled blood of the era. Produced by legendary Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone, Once Upon a Time in the West was an unforgettable film due to its tremendous score, and might’ve been disregarded as just another violent western picture, if not for the exalted soundscape that augmented the brutal re-imagining of the wild west. Ennio Morricone’s sound would continue to define an entire generation of western films, especially the ones directed by Sergio Leone, becoming synonymous with the genre, and would even show up in later film eras, most notably, Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight in 2015.

4/8 Psycho (1960)

The horrific, percussive strings used to great effect in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho became one of the most memorable aspects of the film’s dizzying terror. Composed by Bernard Herrmann, the musical score for Psycho was emblematic of Hitchcock’s style, and not only defined an entire generation of horror films, but set the bar high for future horror pictures that would come to rely on their soundtracks to produce terrifying results. Herrmann was a gifted musician, founding his own orchestra at the age of twenty, and perhaps most iconically, scored the music for many of Orson Welles historic radio broadcasts, including The War of the Worlds in 1938. Perhaps recognized as one of the greatest film composers of all time, Herrmann’s last film composition was Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver in 1976, capping the end of a career that spanned decades. While Psycho would go on to be nominated for several Academy Awards, the film’s score was not included. But, Herrmann had already taken home gold for All That Money Can Buy in 1941, winning over his own score for Citizen Kane of that same year.

3/8 Gone with the Wind (1939)

Universally recognized as one of the greatest films of all time, it’s the musical score that truly catapults Gone with the Wind into rarefied cinematic territory. The film score is unique in this time period for the way the music was used to create context-specific moments throughout the film, instead of a more generalized soundtrack for mood only. Composed by Max Steiner, Gone with the Wind used a technique Steiner had already perfected in 1933’s King Kong, by giving characters their own musical signatures, recurring themes, and custom melodic identities. Future film composers like John Williams would use similar leitmotifs to fashion their soundtracks into classical masterpieces, inspired by Steiner’s technique to heighten thematic elements of film with character-themed musicality. Gone with the Wind would go on to win eight Academy Awards, and while Steiner was nominated for his film score, he did not win, although he would go on to win three Academy Awards for other film compositions during the course of his career.

Related: The Most Romantic Classical Hollywood Movies

2/8 Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

A cinematic masterpiece, Lawrence of Arabia may be the only film on this list with visuals that outdo the symphony, but would still be missing a piece of its greater whole without them. The gold swept dunes of Africa seem magical when paired with the inspired and miraculous score composed by French musician, Maurice Jarre. Based on the true story of highly decorated British officer T.E Lawrence in his colonial-inspired conquest of Arabia, the film score utilizes a full scale orchestra of horns, strings, and percussion to elevate the desert vistas into a transcendent realm of adventure and heroic escapism. Lawrence of Arabia would stand as Jarres’ first film score to win an Academy Award, setting off a career that would see many more victories, most notably for Dr. Zhavago and A Passage to India, all three awards coming under the direction of David Lean.

1/8 Star Wars (1977)

While Star Wars became known for its unique style of fantasy, sci-fi myth, and epic narrative storytelling based on ancient archetypes, its ascension to rarefied cinema history begins with a legendary score, composed by John Williams. Many of the special effects and next generation technologies of the time were untested, and director George Lucas was unsure if the visuals could meet the lofty expectations that the film score inspired. Luckily, those fears were relieved when Star Wars hit theaters on May 25th, 1977, serving as the most iconic franchise in the history of film. Williams, already an established film composer by the time Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, became the go-to film composer for Hollywood blockbusters spanning decades to come, with his musical talents reaching all the way into modern franchises like Harry Potter, which utilize his iconic classical style. As a franchise, Star Wars, as scored by John Williams, has now spanned nearly five decades, and continues to inspire audiences around the world.

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A game’s music and sound design at large is an effective, often-overlooked technical and artistic tool. If utilized in the right way, the audio can add atmosphere, character, and immersive elements to the experience. And whether through simple 16-bit synthesizers, ambient noise, or full-blown epic orchestras — a good soundtrack can color a scene, invoke emotion, tell a story, and even enhance the fun factor.

RELATED: Best Platforming Games With A Great Story

The platforming genre is one that particularly shines when it comes to deep, enjoyable audio. It’s easy to see why, as dynamic sound design meshes well with the alluring, exciting, and colorful nature of 2D and 3D platformers. These are some examples of such platforming romps — whose well-crafted sound adds to the already great experience.

Super Mario 64

Most will point to the quasi-open-worlds and new progression system when it comes to Super Mario 64’s groundbreaking nature. But more underappreciated is this 3D platformer’s charming music and memorable sound effects. Mario’s iconic “wahoo!” and other enthused noises — coupled with satisfying sound effects — add to the exciting flow and bring a tactile, impactful feel to the game’s action.

These all help paint the picture and add a sense of immersion. And of course, the diverse, multi-layered soundtrack is one to remember, aging far more gracefully than the visuals. Who can forget the serenading melodies of “Dire Dire Docks”, or the catchy new spin on the classic Star Theme when Mario uses a power-up?

Limbo

The puzzle-platforming hit from 2010 reaffirms the notion that sometimes less is truly more. Whereas most studios stress bold, multi-layered music, voice tracks, and sound effects, Playdead takes a far more minimal approach — and is all the more effective. Crafted by specialist of “acousmatic music” Martin Stig Andersen, Limbo utilizes bits of vague, not-traditional music and sounds of nature. Like the shrowded visuals, this audio is meant to be both realistic and abstract, complementing the off-kilter vibe of the game.

RELATED: Single Player Platformers That Need Co-Op

The soft ambient noises sprinkled throughout add to the eerie, isolated sense that Limbo so greatly conveys, adding to the palpably thick atmosphere. These subtle sounds absorb you as you trek through dark, silhouetted maps, working through puzzles and evading hazards like glowing worms along the way.

Sonic The Hedgehog

It’s tough to think of a more delightful soundtrack and audio in early-’90s platformers than this Sega staple. The iconic blue mascot has seen his share of boundary-pushing sound design, even zipping through stages to campy rock songs. Yet, it’s the classic Genesis efforts, and in particular, Sonic’s debut, whose audio design still shines today. Despite relative limitations of the early 16-bit hardware, Sega does a lot with a little, hitting you with melodic tunes right out of the gate; notably the ever-catchy Green Hill Zone.

This is fleshed out by a bombardment of fun, satisfying sound effects reminiscent of the “dings” and “chimes” of Vegas slot machines. The sound design in Sonic grows more impressive still when you realize a mere two sound engineers worked on the original game.

Banjo-Kazooie

A game’s sound design can prove almost as iconic as the characters that accompany them, as is the case with this 3D platformer from Rare. As you might expect from the title, Banjo-Kazooie is not shy about making music and audio a focal point of the experience.

Not only does the game’s bear-tagonist strum his favorite instrument from the outset of the intro, but players also collect music notes and other goodies that trigger charming sound bites. And of course, the soundtrack holds up its end, with a selection of bouncy, quasi-bluegrass and polka tunes. It’s these distinct songs and sound effects that bring an authentic, instantly-recognizable flavor to the game; almost serving as a third character alongside Banjo and his bird pal.

Celeste

Despite — and perhaps because of — its simple pixel art, Celeste is one of the most moving platforming experiences in modern gaming on multiple levels. While exciting and fun in its own right, this indie platformer also serves as a deep visual allegory for overcoming obstacles of depression and anxiety. You’ll assume the role of the burdened heroine as you run, jump, and dash your way through grueling trials made up of distinct, vibrant biomes.

RELATED: Indie Switch Game Soundtracks You Have To Listen To

This is further colored by the soundtrack of developer and composer Lena Raine. Using a melodic fusion of synthesizers and piano, the diverse music adds to the emotional tone and gives us a sense of what the lead character, Madeline, is feeling. This is taken a step further, as different characters prompt unique instrumentals to further convey their traits — guitar cues representing Theo, for instance.

Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim flew a bit under the radar on account of its brutal difficulty — and being overshadowed by other ’90s platforming greats. Yet it enticed many with its zany sense of humor, thrilling action, and over-the-top premise starring a robotic worm superhero. The game brings a unique element of fun with its worm-swinging and whipping mechanic, ample gunplay, and absurd feats like propelling a cow with a falling refrigerator.

But amongst Earthworm Jim’s most standout features is its superb sound design, helmed by composer and musician Tommy Tallarico. The frantic game truly comes to life thanks to the thumping tunes, spot-on sound effects, and sporadic yelps from the unique hero. To get a sense of the popularity of its rocking soundtrack, fans have actually requested Earthworm Jim performances of Tallarico’s music at concerts. On top of this, the sequel’s equally enthralling tunes have been featured on Game Central’s Best of the Best CD mix of gaming music.

Ori And The Will Of The Wisps

Ori and the Blind Forest by Moon Studios seemingly came out of nowhere in 2015, luring gamers with fluid platforming, puzzle solving, and rewarding Metroidvania gameplay. It colors in even more gorgeous detail from a gameplay and presentation standpoint. Even more than its predecessor, Will of the Wisps shines through with a gorgeous soundtrack.

Wrought with multi-layered classical melodies and vocal tracks — the score feels akin to a Howard Shore composition for a fantasy epic rather than a 2D platformer. The music invokes atmosphere and grandiosity, which ebbs and flows throughout; complementing the experience as we follow Ori in his journey through the wild.

Donkey Kong Country

In the mid-’90s, Nintendo’s ape mascot was emphatically reimagined with this delightful platformer by Rare. Donkey Kong Country blasted its way on the gaming scene and garnered much attention, with its dynamic visuals and appealing gameplay that was easy to get into.

DKC feels more like an experience than a game, wrought with lush locales dripping with atmosphere and character — and its stellar sound design is a key factor. From the delightful music at large to the “drip-drips” of cavern interiors to Donkey’s chest-thumping, there’s much to love about DKC’s audio. To this day, many point to composer David Wise’s featured tunes, like the soothing Aquatic Ambience, as among the best scores in gaming.

NEXT: Best Platformer Soundtracks