Best. Album Cover. Ever.

SPECIAL NOTE:

This is a repost from over a year ago as a part of my early blog post series called “Music You Can Frag To.” In light of Amon Tobin’s album game soundtrack being mentioned so many times in episode 66, I thought I would repost this review for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Amon Tobin

Progressive music artists are rarely ever tapped to make video game soundtracks. If we’re to go off of the results of Brazilian electronic artist and trip-hop extraordinaire Amon Tobin’s results, however, perhaps it should happen more often. His always moody, sporadically violent soundtrack to Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory was a true Video Game Soundtrack masterpiece. Skulking around in the rainy blackness of night with Tobin’s eerie tones in the background seamlessly merges the player into the exotic locales in which Sam Fisher hunts. The minute our favorite one man army turns the corner to knife an oblivious guard in the larynx, the music effortlessly shifts into high gear, as frenzied drum and bass picks up the pace keeping time with your racing heartbeat. Surprisingly, listening to his music apart from playing the game causes the very same effect. Amon Tobin’s body of work fits perfectly with just about any stealth action game out there. The very first track on the Splinter Cell 3 soundtrack, The Lighthouse, is just about perfect. I will give you fair warning: Tobin’s Splinter Cell 3 soundtrack is by far the most mainstream sounding of any of his work. If you want to take a chance on some of his deeper cuts, you’re on your own. If you’re feeling brave, start with his 2002 release, Out From Where.

Below is another clip from the game Audiosuf, featuring one of the best tracks off of the Chaos Theory soundtrack: “The Lighthouse” It’s part Electronica, Part Jazz, Part Drummer-on-Crack. For you impatient types, the hard stuff stars about 2:45 in. Enjoy.