In this weekly feature, I recommend game soundtracks. I share a few of my favorite tracks, talk about why everyone should listen to the soundtrack, and a little bit about the composer. This week's choice is A Hat in Time by Gears for Breakfast.
THE STATS
Name: A Hat in Time
Developer: Gears for Breakfast
Publisher: Humble Bundle
Release Date: October 5, 2017
Genres: Platform, action-adventure
Composer: Pascal Michael Stiefel
MY FAVORITE TRACKS
(The titles link to YouTube videos... and I highly recommend some good headphones to best enjoy all of the subtle elements of the music!)
New Adventure
(Length: 4:05) I'm willing to bet someone, somewhere, has mistaken this for Zelda music.
Picture Perfect (Remix)
(Length: 2:22) This one's on my list because of the saxophone. (Fun Fact: I started playing saxophone when I was 7, and Instrumental Music was my minor in college.)
Murder on the Owl Express
(Length: 3:12) That saxophone is sultry and exquisite from :55 to 1:20. The passing of the melody from one instrument or group to another adds to the jazz mood. I also like how the name of the track is a play on Murder on the Orient Express, a favorite of mine. This track is easily my favorite. It doesn't require me to play the game to appreciate it!
Trainwreck of Electro Swing
(Length: 4:07) Yes.
Scootin' Through Subcon Forest
(Length: 5:36) The missing level from Crypt of the NecroDancer? I think so.
Clocktowers Beneath the Sea
(Length: 3:51) Good track to relax to on loop. Go ahead and do that now. The whale sounds, water, and piano are a near-perfect combination.
(Length: 4:07) Yes.
Scootin' Through Subcon Forest
(Length: 5:36) The missing level from Crypt of the NecroDancer? I think so.
Clocktowers Beneath the Sea
(Length: 3:51) Good track to relax to on loop. Go ahead and do that now. The whale sounds, water, and piano are a near-perfect combination.
You can listen to the full soundtrack on YouTube:
WHY I RECOMMEND IT
The game sort of blew up in popularity and I was reading about it everywhere. It also came up on "good soundtrack" lists so I threw it into my queue. I can't say I dislike the soundtrack, but I also can't say I really enjoyed it. It had a solid backbone -- and by that I mean it was well-composed. Several of the tracks made me think of classic RPG games like Zelda. At the very least I can say several of them are just plain fun and crazy.
I have the feeling this is one of those soundtracks you appreciate far more after playing the game (I was clued in by YouTube comments). Lucky for me, I acquired it in a Humble Monthly not long ago, so I will probably give it a whirl sometime and reconsider the soundtrack then!
THE COMPOSER: PASCAL MICHAEL STIEFEL
He's from Switzerland, and his big claim to fame is this soundtrack (and that of the two DLCs). He has a YouTube channel where he shares covers and remixes of a lot of video game music, as well as some originals. You can find him there, or over on Twitter. Someone to watch, maybe? Or in his case, listen to!
Gears for Breakfast: How many good tracks can you make?Michael: Yes.--Nightstorm1000, YouTube
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