Normally I try to examine some deep philosophical argument pertaining to the culture or state of video games as a whole in this column. But, I just watched the "Breaking Bad" finale and don't really have it in me to rhapsodize about my despair over the lap dance game in "Grand Theft Auto V." Instead, I'm going to try and brighten all your days by recommending some of my favorite video game music composers working right now.
You all know the classic theme of "Halo" by Martin O'Donnell or the sweeping opus that underscores "Skyrim," so I'm going to focus mainly on musicians from indie games. Yasunori Mitsuda's "Chrono Cross" soundtrack is the exception to that rule however—that whole work is just gorgeous. Let's get into the nitty gritty of these great composers listed in no particular order.
Jasper Byrne: If I had to choose one track to play over every menu in literally every game it would be Bryne's “Miami.” Simultaneously ambient and chilling, its layered backbeat flows oh so smoothly with the synth line running all the way through. It's a perfect introduction to the violent sprees you're about to perform in "Hotline Miami." It’s also worth mentioning the horror-inducing soundtrack accompanying his game "Lone Survivor." While you're at it, just listen to the entirety of last year's best soundtrack, "Hotline Miami."
Terence Lee: You'll probably notice a theme with most of my choices here: They tend to all produce ambient, synth-laden tracks that mix relaxing and hectic vibes. Lee created the music for "Dustforce," a game where you clean up leaves as a janitor. Although I'm bullish on the game, Lee—also known by the moniker Lifeformed—crafted a beautiful chillwave album. Its laid-back approach perfectly complements the blocky, colorful aesthetics of "Dustforce." If I had a beer for every time I heard opening beat for “Cider Time,” I'd perpetually be vomiting in detox. Not to mention he's also crafting music for the Double Fine Adventure documentary.
Darren Korb: Even if some people don't label "Bastion" as an indie game, solely because it has a big publisher, I still tend to think of Supergiant Games’ baby as a small-scale success story. Lots of that credit goes to Korb, who came up with the entire soundtrack and sound design, including the narration direction. There's a sense of dread and desperation inherent in every song, which jives with the desolate world of "Bastion." The sheer breadth of tracks in "Bastion" is staggering. Supergiant's next game, "Transistor," released a trailer awhile back with another of Korb's tracks, which I recommend putting on endless loop until the end of time.
Austin Wintory: Another more high-profile composer, Wintory has garnered acclaim for his thought-provoking soundtrack on "Journey." Taking a more traditionally operatic approach, you can really tell the immense amount of direction and planning Wintory put into the album. It shines spectacularly when coupled with the thrilling desert vistas in "Journey." His work on "Monaco" illustrates his range as well, taking the top-down heist game and infusing a bouncy lighthearted tone to complement the neon caper madness.
Rich Vreeland: More commonly known as Disasterpeace, Vreeland shoves synth right into your face, and dear lord is it delicious. Working on a whole host of projects over the past few years, I first discovered Disasterpeace on the "Fez" soundtrack. I've been obsessed ever since and the way he mixes low-fi ambient backgrounds with rhythmic synth beats is just gorgeous. Its gentle nature fits right into the sense of discovery inherent in Fez's brilliance. I said I'd try not to rank these guys, but Disasterpeace is my favorite man in the business.
Those are just five great artists, and there are a plethora of others I omitted—Jim Guthrie's beautifully twisted "Sword and Sorcery" album, which contains the eternally perfect “Dark Flute” track, Jessica Curry's haunting piano work on "Dear Esther," C418 playing with sound effects amidst the ambient flow of his "Minecraft" soundtrack, Kan Gao's moving "To the Moon" music and Ben Prunty's "FTL" tracks. There's a whole world of indie game music that's entirely unique from the oftentimes cheap movie imitation soundtracks running through big budget games. It's a rabbit hole you'll be happy you fell down. Trust me, there's even lemon meringue pie down here.
