Cliff
Martinez – Far Cry 4 Original Game Soundtrack (Invada)
CD/LP
Out Now (Vinyl
early 2015)
Acclaimed
Hollywood composer releases game soundtrack.
What I knew
about Cliff Martinez was about equal to what I know about 21st
Century gaming, which in turn can probably be written on a pin head. Gone are the days of discovering that Space
Invaders could give way to something as amazing as Galaxians, and then
wondering how Track And Field and The Empire Strikes Back could ever be
bettered. However, I digress.
Far Cry 4 is
(obviously) the fourth in the series of the franchise and from what I’ve seen
continues a slightly worrying theme of ultra-violence (I’m not being boring or
a prude, just stating a fact) that seems to have swept through modern day
gaming. I’m no expert and fans will surely
tell me why I don’t know what I’m talking about, but my limited understanding
of the subject matter in the likes of Grand Theft Auto and Call Of Duty does alarm me. Anyway, I digress again.
Cliff
Martinez it would appear is a well-known composer. My ignorance is shameful particularly as he
has played drums with the likes of Captain Beefheart, The Dickies and Red Hot
Chilli Peppers (with whom he was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame
for his work of their debut album) and is clearly an artist of demand.
The physical
releases of the album come with extra discs which contains around forty-five
minutes of additional music, that’s quite something given the strength of the
music on offer. Obviously here to
accompany the game, it will surely provide a powerful and evocative backdrop to
the scene changes.
Far Cry 4 is
the first time Martinez has made music for the gaming genre and based on this
he will make much more. The tracks range
from deeply atmospheric, ambient numbers to rousing powerhouses with superb
percussion, and of the forty-four tracks on the cd it’s difficult to not enjoy
everything. Each track is equally as
impressive as a standalone and every second is precisely thought out.
It’s easy to
see how the music compliments each scene from the sublime to the raucous, and
Martinez clearly had an idea that he has transformed from visual to aural with
perfection.
There is one
huge downside to the cd, and unfortunately it’s nothing related to the
music. A split second from every track
appears at the end of the previous one making it sound like jumping vinyl. It’s annoying and detracting and sadly threatens
to spoil the atmosphere on several moments.
8.5/10
Links
Published on Louder Than War 18/12/14 - here
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