Composer Gareth Coker crafts a lush orchestral score for the enchanted world of Nibel in Ori and the Blind Forest, the highly acclaimed new action-platforming game from Microsoft Studios and Moon Studios releasing on Xbox One and PC (Steam) on March 11. Universally praised for its beautiful visuals and masterfully orchestrated score, the soundtrack from Ori and the Blind Forest is available now for digital download at iTunes and other digital music sites.

English-born composer Gareth Coker created a whimsical orchestral soundscape for Ori and the Blind Forest, primarily recording with an intimate string ensemble while also applying exotic and unconventional tones that befit the story being told, including ethnic wind instruments and vocals from Aeralie Brighton. The score is also complemented by a full orchestral palette comprising of 56 musicians for the more epic moments during the game.

Ori and the Blind Forest is published by Microsoft Studios and developed by Moon Studios, an independent studio founded by Thomas Mahler (Blizzard Entertainment) and Gennadiy Korol (Animation Lab). Featuring hand-painted artwork, meticulously animated character performance, and a fully orchestrated score, Ori and the Blind Forest explores a deeply emotional story about love and sacrifice, and the hope that exists in us all.

After graduating in composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Gareth Coker traveled the world extensively to study music from different countries worldwide, including Japan, before completing the film scoring program at the University of Southern California. In his constant pursuit of creating unique soundscapes, this multi-cultural background has enabled Coker to draw upon numerous musical influences that have shaped his rich and versatile musical sound. 

As an emerging film composer Coker’s other recent scores include the upcoming feature The Labyrinth (2015) starring James Franco as well as several indie films and numerous shorts. He has also composed custom scores for motion picture trailers such as the Oscar winning The King’s Speech.

For more information on Ori and the Blind Forest visit the official website: http://www.oriblindforest.com

Today, Ubisoft® announces that it partnered with film composer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Cliff Martinez to compose the original game soundtrack for its upcoming open-world, first-person shooter Far Cry 4, the much-anticipated sequel to the #1 rated shooter of 2012.* Cliff has a background in music as a former member of the award-winning rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and has composed scores for films including “Traffic,” “Drive” and “Spring Breakers.”

Working with Ubisoft Montreal’s Far Cry 4’s Music Designer Jerome Angelot, Music Supervisor Simon Landry and Audio Director Tony Gronick, Cliff created original music specifically for Far Cry 4’s gameplay and helped bring to life the gorgeous, yet ruthless environment and the unforgettable characters found in the game.

“Bringing Cliff on board was a no-brainer. Collaborating with him was a dream. He has the remarkable ability to portray compelling emotions and elevate the mundane into extraordinary with his musical talent,” said Tony Gronick, Audio Director for Far Cry 4, Ubisoft. “Cliff delivered everything I hoped for. I’m so proud of the music in Far Cry 4 and am thankful for the opportunity to work with him.”

“It was an honor to be asked to write the music for the Far Cry 4 game as my first full-length video game soundtrack,” said Cliff Martinez. “It was exciting for me to be asked to take my usual minimalistic cinematic approach to the immersive game world.  Any game where you can ride on a rampaging elephant is a project you can’t turn down!”

In Far Cry 4, players find themselves in Kyrat, a breathtaking, perilous and wild region of the Himalayas struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king. Using a vast array of weapons, vehicles and animals, players will write their own story across an exotic open-world landscape.

The Far Cry 4 Original Game Soundtrack digital edition will release worldwide on November 4, the limited 2-CD edition will release on December 2 in North America and on December 9 in Europe, and the limited 3-LP edition will release in January 2015.

Far Cry 4 will be available November 18 worldwide for major platforms and Windows PC.

Rising star composer Sarah Schachner (Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, Far Cry 3, Lazarus) returns to Ubisoft’s flagship series Assassin’s Creed to score the combat, co-op and multiplayer music for this year’s most anticipated next-gen blockbuster title, Assassin’s Creed® Unity, a new epic adventure set within Paris during the French Revolution. The soundtrack is now available digitally through Ubisoft Music and will also be released on limited edition vinyl. 4 full-length tracks are available to preview on Soundcloud.

Schachner combines her dynamic talents as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (violin, cello, guitar, mandolin, voice) and modular synth artist/programmer to create a unique classical soundscape infused with analog pulses. “The French revolution was an interesting time musically because it was at the beginning of the classical period but there was still some crossover from the baroque era,” explains Schachner. “The missions at Versailles, for instance, reflect more of the overly flourished baroque sound that the aristocracy was reluctant to let go of.”

Sarah Schachner’s action-driven score for Assassin’s Creed® Unity immerses players in the time period during which the action takes place but also reflects the game’s overarching modern sci-fi element. “The combat music in Unity needed to strike a balance between the methodical and calculated chamber sound of the era while also encompassing the passion and struggle that was at the center of the revolution,” continues Schachner. “As always with the franchise, the player is periodically reminded of the sci-fi modern Abstergo element with low gritty analog synth pulses weaving in and out of the classical soundscape.”

Sarah’s previous scoring credits include arranging and composing additional music for Brian Tyler on various cinematic projects such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Far Cry 3, Now You See Me, Iron Man 3 and Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, which was nominated for a 2014 BAFTA Award for Best Original Music. Her upcoming projects include the Lionsgate horror thriller Lazarus produced by Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Purge) and starring Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Donald Glover, Evan Peters and Sarah Bolger. Lazarus premieres in US theaters January 2015.

Set in a once-magnificent Paris, Assassin’s Creed Unity plunges into the terror of the 1789 French Revolution and features the most dense and immersive Assassin’s Creed city ever created. Through the streets of Paris, the starving inhabitants are set to take up arms for freedom and equality. In this time of chaos and brutality, a young man named Arno, wounded by the loss of those he loved, sets on a deadly path of redemption. Arno’s pursuit throws him into the middle of a ruthless struggle for the fate of a nation, and transforms him into a true Master Assassin.

Assassin’s Creed® Unity will be released on November 11 in the US and on November 13 in Europe. For more information visit www.assassinscreed.com.

To celebrate the release of the new, enhanced versions of Grand Theft Auto V for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, Rockstar will be releasing limited edition collections of the game’s star-studded soundtrack on both CD and Vinyl, in collaboration with Mass Appeal Records.

‘The Music of Grand Theft Auto V’ limited edition collections include 59 tracks with original music from A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, Twin Shadow, Wavves, Flying Lotus, Yeasayer and more. In addition, these limited editions will feature the original score composed by Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist + Oh No, mixed by DJ Shadow, along with the other incredible music featured in Grand Theft Auto V. Limited to a production run of under 5,000 units worldwide, these limited editions will be available from December 9 at top online and physical record stores.

The vinyl collection will feature a total of six vinyl records, a full color booklet and an exclusive lithograph poster in a classic box-set. The CD collection includes three discs along with a branded Grand Theft Auto V gold brick-shaped USB Drive, artwork and poster all sealed in a special die-cut package.

Also, as previously announced, a number of DJs from GTAV are returning to add new radio content to their respective stations, including Danny McBride (Duane Earl of Blaine County Talk Radio) and JB Smoove, (Dr. Ray De Angelo Harris of Chakra Attack), as well as DJ mixes and additional commentary from returning DJ’s including:

• Big Boy (Radio Los Santos)
• DJ Pooh (West Coast Classics)
• Nathan and Stephen of WAVVES (Vinewood Boulevard Radio)
• DJ George (Twin Shadow) (Radio Mirror Park)
• Kenny Loggins (Los Santos Rock Radio)
• Cara Delevigne (Non-Stop Pop FM)

For more information on Grand Theft Auto V, please visit www.rockstargames.com/v

Original sci-fi soundtrack available for digital download
and streaming on September 30, 2-CD out October 14

Sumthing Else Music Works, the premier record label dedicated to licensing and distributing video game soundtracks, is proud to present Borderlands®: The Pre-Sequel™ Soundtrack featuring the original music score from the newest entry in the critically acclaimed Borderlands franchise. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Soundtrack will be available digitally on iTunes, Amazon.com, Sumthing.com and all major music streaming sites on September 30, followed by a 2-disc CD album on October 14.

The album features a pulsating electronic synthesizer sci-fi score by celebrated series composer Jesper Kyd (Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Borderlands 2: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep) on CD1, followed by a diverse mix of ambient soundscapes and synth-tastic combat music by 2K Australia in-house sound designers Des Shore and Justin Mullins on CD2. Music samples from Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Soundtrack are streaming on SoundCloud and the album is available for pre-order at Sumthing.com.

Describing his music for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Soundtrack on CD1, Jesper Kyd said, “There are no traces of real instruments, everything is made with analog synths, drum machines and old gaming consoles. The music is my take on 1980s sci-fi music and electronic music and there’s everything from Commodore 64 and Sega Megadrive instruments to massive analog synths and vintage drum machines. It’s basically a headtrip through 1980s film-inspired electronic synth scores with my own twist on that genre.”

Shoot ‘n’ loot your way through a brand new adventure that rockets you onto Pandora’s moon in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, releasing on October 14, 2014 in North America and October 17, 2014 internationally. Discover the story behind Borderlands 2‘s villain, Handsome Jack, and experience his rise to power. Taking place between Borderlands and Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel features four new playable character classes, powerful laser guns, icy Cryo weapons, all-new low-gravity gameplay, and an array of new enemies. Co-developed by 2K Australia and Gearbox Software, and published by 2K, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is a great introduction into the franchise while showcasing Handsome Jack’s transformation into the ruthless tyrant fans loved to hate in Borderlands 2.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

Bethesda Softworks has teamed up with Dark Horse Comics to create three incredible art books – “The Art of Wolfenstein: The New Order”, “The Art of The Evil Within” and “Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives”. Each hardcover book, packed with art and game design details, will retail for $39.99.

The first in the collection, “The Art of Wolfenstein: The New Order”, features full-color artwork from MachineGames’ upcoming first-person action-adventure shooter as well as developer commentary from the team. The book spans more than 200 pages and covers all facets of the game’s design, including concept art, character designs, settings and technology – all of which was inspired by Wolfenstein’s alternate 1960’s setting. Check out the sample pages from the book on Bethesda Blog

“The Art of Wolfenstein: The New Order” will available in North America at your local comic retailer on May 14th and your favorite bookseller on May 27^th.

“The Art of The Evil Within” and “Dishonored: The Dunwall Archives” follow, with release dates in August and November respectively.

Wolfenstein: The New Order has not yet been rated by the ESRB. For more information on the game visit: www.wolfenstein.com.

Original Score to Next-Gen Reboot of Stealth Video Game Series Available on CD and for Digital Download on February 25 

Sumthing Else Music Works, the premier record label dedicated to licensing and distributing video game soundtracks, proudly presents THIEF™ Director’s Cut Original Soundtrack featuring the original music score from the highly anticipated next generation action-stealth videogame published by SQUARE ENIX and developed by Eidos-Montréal, the award winning studio behind the critically acclaimed DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION®. The THIEF Original Soundtrack is scheduled for a worldwide physical release on February 25, 2014 to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works, and simultaneously for digital download at iTunes, Amazon.com, Sumthing.com, and other digital music sites.

Composer Luc St. Pierre’s dark, ominous and atmospheric original score for THIEF draws on a variety of dramatic musical influences including classical orchestra recorded with the FILMharmonic Orchestra Prague, as well as electroacoustic compositions and electronic soundscapes. Music samples are available at www.Sumthing.com.

Garrett, the Master Thief, steps out of the shadows into The City. With the Baron’s Watch spreading a rising tide of fear and oppression, a mysterious sickness grips the streets. Led by Orion, the voice of the people, the citizens rise in bloody revolution.

Garrett’s thieving skills are all he can trust as he walks the fine line between politics and the people, entangled in layers of conflict. With time running out, the Master Thief unravels a terrible secret from his dark past that ultimately threatens to tear his world apart.

THIEF is released for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One on February 25, 2014 in North America and on February 28, 2014 in all other regions. For more information on THIEF visit www.thiefgame.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of soundtracks, visit www.sumthing.com