Entry 1057 - Journey

Style: Video game music, orchestral

Primary Emotions/Themes: Follow the winds, up into the mountains... together we go on this journey

Thoughts: At what point do we need to start discussing video games as a legitimate form of art? An interactive expression of creativity that cannot be matched by any other medium. A few games have raised this question for me... perhaps none more-so than Journey.

Without going too much into why this game is such a phenomenal piece of art, I'll just say that it left an impression on me unlike most games ever have. It left me speechless at the end, all without a single word ever spoken... the music provided everything I needed to understand what the game was trying to communicate. 

What Austin Wintory has created here is perhaps one of the better soundtracks to come out in the last few years. It oozes atmosphere, mystery, and urges exploration. What is around that sand dune? As we get closer the music picks up as does my anticipation. What is in these clouds? The music soars with me into these new heights.

With music this tied to the experience of the game, I would be concerned that the translation into vinyl format would be limiting. I had concerns that the experience would not be the same... or that it wouldn't translate well at all. 

Well, the experience is not the same. There is no way to replicate that first play through of the game again. However, the music does stand on it's own in a way that I did not expect. The music still has that playful curiosity to it that I felt with every moment in the game. The music flows into the next track in ways that I did not expect, creating a cohesive listening experience on each side. 

Much like the game the music builds and builds into a dramatic climax. Side D is so powerful that I often find myself playing it on repeat. It's the culmination of the entire album in a final 20  minute epic finish. It's one of my favorite moments in my entire vinyl collection.

I wish that I had picked up the black vinyl version of this soundtrack rather than the picture disc version. These play well for what they are, but alas they are limited by the way that the discs are manufactured. Maybe one day I'll make the switch. For the mean time, these are a beautiful testament to the music that Austin has created.