It's back to school! And while reading these words might make you want to put your fingers in my nose – don't, it's dirty – fear not. Whether you are a high school student in glue, a student who is bored in a lecture hall or a teleworker in underwear, Now Playing offers you its selection of the best songs to concentrate and work on the economic influence of your country.
As necessary to the emotion as the image itself, video game music will have struggled to emerge from its case. If it makes hearts beat, cry hot tears or sometimes knows how to push us to crime, it is not only utilitarian and deserves to be listened to out of play.
We therefore offer you a journey to the heart of the most significant or least known video game music. A journey of enthusiasts concocted with the heart and, of course, with the ears: Now Playing.
A selection always eminently subjective (it must be repeated for it to fit), which should nevertheless make you discover beautiful nuggets to explore on your side. Note that we have chosen to offer you “titles” and not entire soundtracks. Indeed, some albums are far from being compatible from start to finish with the idea we have of productivity.
Read also:Now Playing â–¶ Your new chronicle around video game music
Coffee Talk - A Day with Coffee
Maybe you are used to wringing YouTube in search of the slightest “lofi beats to study to” playlist to refocus on your work. If so, you would be well advised to go and listen to the soundtrack of the visual novel Coffee Talk, imagined by Andrew Jeremy.
Quintessence of chill, this album puts you, so to speak, in the right mood. It must be said that the object of the game is nothing more than to serve hot drinks to your customers in a hipster coffee shop in Seattle. Suffice to say that we hear from here the sound of the MacBook keyboard aligned in a row of onions on the back tables. And for those who would like to prolong the pleasure, the young beatmaker has just released his first album (“Back To Life”) which sails unsurprisingly in the same waters. - pc
Persona 5 - Beneath the Mask -rain-
Those who have already played Persona 5 will not be surprised by the track chosen here. Beneath the Mask is indeed a logical choice to work by letting your ears wander to the rhythm of Shoji Meguro's compositions and Lyn's beautiful voice – note that there is also an instrumental version for those who would prefer.
I could have chosen Sunset Bridge, Tokyo Emergency, Regret, Life Goes On, Crossroads and many other tracks from the memorable jazzy OST of Atlus' RPG, but it seems that choices have to be made... Be careful though, some more energetic tracks on the album might wake you up to your work. - AR
Lego Builder’s Journey - Sand Castle
Since we are talking about mischief, it is impossible not to mention Lego Builder's Journey. Also to be placed in the puzzle game department, we have talked a lot about it recently for being among the games to best exploit ray tracing on PC (it was released in 2019 on iOS).
The opportunity to bring to our ears the masterful soundtrack composed by Henrik Lindstrand. A multi-faceted musician (he is a founding member of the Danish rock group Kashmir), the pianist also thrives by composing for television and cinema. The first effort dedicated to the video game medium, Lego Builder's Journey is in keeping with the purest continuity of his solo albums. Melancholy melodies on the piano, intended to accompany the reflections and the wonder of the players in the funny scenes imagined by Lego. - pc
Worms WMD - Fort Mode
Composed by Oli Wood (yes), the soundtrack of Worms WMD is not the element of the game that one would tend to think of first. And yet, with its long tracks often chill to reflect calmly on how to explode its neighbor worm with efficiency and panache, it regularly pulls out of the game.
This is particularly the case of the track dedicated to the Strong mode, which I find especially pleasant for working or simply relaxing. Calm down, put down that banana bomb and hit play. - AR
Mutation - Gathering Together
Spotify tells me that Dayvan Cowboy is the second most streamed Boards of Canada track on the platform. Which doesn't surprise me, since it's an incredible piece. And it's probably because I love him so much that Mutazione's soundtrack stuck in my head for so long.
In Gathering Together, Alessandro Coronas serves up what could be a low-key Dayvan Cowboy outro. A tired-sounding guitar, a haunting rhythm and a few keyboard notes that hang in the air and sometimes evoke the unforgettable Outer Wilds soundtrack. But if the majority of the music in Die Gute Fabrik's game is of this ilk, beware of the songs called Riot Girls which, as their name suggests, are more punk. Which is not particularly known to help with concentration. - pc
Mirror's Edge Catalyst - Savant
Most players will agree that Mirror's Edge Catalyst was a disappointment. But for its soundtrack by artist Solar Fields alone, I'm willing to forgive the game everything.
Composed of very long tracks alternating rhythms, this OST is magical because it simultaneously allows you to relax and take great hits. I chose Savant there, but Downtown District, Benefactor, Catalyst and many others can accompany your activity brilliantly. - AR
Kind Words - Mid Century
In the series of great musical deviations, I ask Clark Aboud. Praised for his work on the compositions of the planetary hit Slay the Spire, he makes his way to our selection for the titles of the aptly named Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to).
In this game developed by Popcannibal, you have nothing else to do but to send and answer perfectly anonymous letters from other players around the world. A space of benevolence, sometimes magnificent, sometimes heartbreaking when reading certain missives, but always deeply human and authentic, in which we are accompanied by the soft melodies of Clark Aboud. To discover while playing the game to do you even more good for your soul. - pc
FTL - Space Cruise
Of course. Of course Ben Prunty was going to be in this selection. The composer (whom we recently interviewed for the release of Subnautica Below Zero), is one of the best electro composers when it comes to helping the brain and the ears go far.
Difficult once again to choose a track rather than another in the abundant OST of FTL (and the other compositions of the American), so let's simply start on the main theme which makes you want to stay in the menu until the end of time. - AR
Airborne Kingdom - The Wind's Bazaar
City builders rely heavily on their music to create an atmosphere. Anno 1800 has the bombast and breadth of Dynamedion's compositions to invite discovery (and colonialism); Surviving Mars the captivating electronic pads of George Strezov. Airborne Kingdom is largely based on the wonderful scores of Quebecer Paul Aubry, for whom this is his first participation in the soundtrack of a video game.
A successful first for the multi-instrumentalist, who literally sends us into the air with 14 tracks in resolutely oriental colors. Extensive, clever and just enough catchy, the music of Airborne Kingdom invites you to travel... but finish this file you've been working on for months before thinking about taking the tangent, will you? - pc
Risk of Rain 2 - The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Already acclaimed for his work on the first Risk of Rain (listen to the track Coalescence at least), Chris Christodoulou absolutely broke the already high ceiling with his sequel. If the risk of air guitar on The Rain Formerly Known as Purple is very real, I will not apologize for it.
Like many other tracks on the album, this track is a masterpiece that may well forgive a few small drops in productivity here and there. And if you want something just as beautiful but a little more laid back, the track …con lentitud poderosa is there.
Signs of the Sojourner - Bartow
Multi-instrumentalist fed on jazz, Steve Pardo began his career in music as audio manager at Harmonix (Guitar Hero 1 & 2, Rock Band, Dance Central) before launching his production company SkewSound, which is involved in both the video game than on films and series.
On the narrative card game Signs of the Sojourner, the musician signs pieces with varied influences and teeming production. An album that can be listened to in one go, that counts at least three strokes of genius per title, and that will be an ideal work companion to help you concentrate on your work while your colleagues procrastinate (send them our column!). - pc
The Red Strings Club - Marketing Director
If most of the OSTs that I have selected in this selection have a few tracks that are not very conducive to work, that of The Red Strings Club, by Fingerspit, can be listened to in full. I selected the Marketing Director track because it's quite simply my favourite, but you can also listen to the album as a whole, especially since it opens with a most pleasant sound of rain .
If his piano and his captivating synth pads make you really want to lean on a bar with a good whiskey and open up to the bartender as in the game, the fact remains that the work of the Spanish artist is ideal for advancing your projects. in peace. - AR
