Image credit: Christo Herriot

Having won a New Zealand Game Award for Excellence in Audio for his contribution to The Wildboy Studios’ video game Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree, producer Luminist has released the 38-track score that he created specifically for the game, which is available on gaming consoles Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation 4, in the form of an album. Let’s review.

Stream/ buy: Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree (Original Soundtrack)

A gentle song, ‘Morning Whispers’ has a calming effect. The track differs from the other tracks on the project in that it leans toward the Ambient genre: It is more concerned with texture than arrangement as compared to, say, ‘The Frostbitten Blade’. With a lullaby-like quality, the track feels like a moment of rest. Its atmosphere is moody and soft, and nothing about it feels forced, overblown, or pretentious. It simply is what it is.

Then there is ‘The Cloaked Figure’, a song that conveys an easy nostalgia reminiscent of classic video games that the young players of today may very well recall, with fond memories, one day when they are older. I haven’t played the game myself, but when I listen to this synth-laden track, I can imagine what the experience might feel like. Take a listen for yourself to Luminist’s LP, out now via the Infinite Hex imprint.

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