ReMix: Mass Effect 2 'The Sound of the Galaxy'
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- Game: Mass Effect 2 (Electronic Arts, 2010, XB360)
- ReMixer(s): Mattias Häggström Gerdt
- Composer(s): Big Giant Circles, Brian DiDomenico, David Kates, Jack Wall, Sam Hulick, Wall of Sound
- Song(s): 'Freedom's Progress', 'Garrus', 'Jack', 'New Worlds', 'Tali'
- Posted: 2010-05-20, evaluated by djpretzel
The Mass Effect invasion continues! AnSo gives us our first coverage of Mass Effect 2:
"Mass Effect is one of my favorite series of games of all time. I mean seriously, it's sci-fi by BioWare, it's an engaging story, it's filled with moral choices and amazing characters, heck I'll say it, it's got alien sex. But above all this, it's an incredibly cohesive experience. This is much thanks to the brilliant soundtracks composed by a bunch of extremely talented individuals including our very own Jimmy Hinson. This arrangement is made in tribute to these people who scored some of the most engaging hours in my gaming life.
The track itself is actually a medley, if you will, combining music from the tracks 'New Worlds', 'Tali', 'Garrus', 'Freedom's Progress' and 'Jack'. Opening and ending the track is 'New Worlds', the track I've spent the most time listening to in any game ever. Simple but effective, the mysterious tone and warm analogue sound is to me the essence of Mass Effect and it serves as the base "sound" for my entire arrangement. I then proceed to cover the intense part of 'Tali', working my way towards the distinct bass from 'Garrus' layered with melodic material from 'Freedom's Progress' before I settle into an energetic part of 'Jack'. My thought with this was not only that they fit together but to cover one theme from each composer in my own style, making their parts of a whole... well, parts of a whole. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it."
On first read, one might be concerned that Mattias has tried to incorporate too many themes, but they all flow very naturally. Things intro more ambient but the groove materializes at 1'07" as a cymbal roll and crash lead us into a melodic gated synth motif that modulates a few times before the somewhat-more-obvious transition @ 2'16". Because instrumentation and general construction remain similar, however, even this shift comes off as a continuation and not a reset. It's hella cool that Mattias intentionally worked in material from the multiple composers responsible for the game's music - it's a testament to both that team's musical cohesion and AnSo's arrangement skills that everything gels together and works as an integrated track.
Honestly, I'd be pretty stoked right now JUST to be posting our first Mass Effect OR Mass Effect 2 mix - definitely love to see modern games getting more love - but the fact that Jimmy was one of the COMPOSERS for ME2, and that Jack, Brian, David, Jimmy, and Sam all chipped in (thanks guys!) on our first community interview, well, that's the type of thing that makes our 10th year of operation our best yet... and it's only May! Great mix from AnSo that complements BGC's own ME1 mix quite naturally, so kudos to him for getting in on the action, too. Read the interview, check out the mixes, and visit wallofsoundinc.com for more on Jack Wall's collective of game audio badasses!
Discussion: Latest 14 comments/reviews; view the - Crulex on August 23, 2012
Personally, though, I think that the remix suffers from medley-titties. I find it kinda hard to follow it without having my mind wander off, not paying attention to the music anymore. Something that connects the different pieces and can be found in all of them might have helped.
Still, very nice track.
- Martin Penwald on June 4, 2010
Nice first section, and the string pads really hold it as it goes soft again before the next section. That high chime...I can't get enough of it. The whole arrangement is fluid and smooth. The "factory" noise you used for the snare after the second section runs is something I am fond of. There's quite a lot of layering, delay, and variation throughout, but it all holds together as one great song.
Your other songs have been mostly great in their own right for uniqueness, but this one is an absolute showcase to attention to detail and subtlety. Easily one of my favorites of yours so far.
*smacks dat ass*
- Level 99 on June 1, 2010
Nice work! :nicework:
- Bahamut on May 31, 2010
- squrl on May 29, 2010
Master_Yoshi;681613 wrote: The Mass Effect Soundtrack never really did have any standout tracks, from either game. Both were just "solidly good," which is the way most modern music (with some notable exceptions such as JRPG fare or Shadow of the Colossus.)
Wha? I absolutely disagree. You can easily distinguish countless features between the themes of races in ME2. Samara is vastly different from Jacob whihc is vastly different from the Collector suites which...and so on. Standout tracks? Try Crash Landing, Illusive Man, or the tour de force Suicide Mission.
From ME1, the Citadel theme, Spectre Initiation, and Noveria were favorites. M4 pt 2 was my favorite, but I don't think that counts, per se.
My point is that there are absolutely stand-out tracks, and just because the tracks work to tie together an ambiance doesn't mean that they can't also stand out as fantastic singular pieces of music.
Oh, and I love the remix. Flow and transition between themes is smooth. The over-emphasis on synths seem to make the battle portion of Tali's theme more languid, bereft of the urgency of the original. It's like Anso was looking to turn a ME2 theme into a Metroid Prime theme. It's cool, too cool possibly. Chill electronica isn't my favorite, although it's a nice slice on some great cuts.
- Pander on May 26, 2010
That said, you've done a nice job of segregating the more awesome highlights of an already great score, retooling them and then packaging this all very nicely.
Also, your sample use has really gotten a lot better, the production in your last few musical outings has really gone up a notch, just shoring up the gap between your prouduction and stellar arrangement.
- Master_Yoshi on May 26, 2010
Good stuff. :-)
- OA on May 25, 2010
Bra jobbat! (= swedish for Nice work)
- phantasia on May 23, 2010
- stkyle on May 21, 2010
- big giant circles on May 20, 2010
