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David Wise, god of game soundtracks, returns to the world of men (new samples inside)

C

chadboban

Member
Oh God man Chilly Coast is so amazing. After a long day at work today, I actually went into my front yard and lay in my hammock for a bit while listening to it. It was the most at peace I've felt in quite a while. Considering the amount of stress I've been feeling these days, I really needed that. Thank you David Wise :)
 
D

Deadstar

Member
Wow........his work is absolutely breathtaking. I will buy the game for the soundtrack alone. I'm really speechless.

Is there a song similar to Aquatic Ambience, or water sounding tracks?
 
M

MetalGuardian

Banned
This soundtrack is absolutely, mind-blowingly incredible. I've listened to just about every link posted, and I think that if it were possible to separate nostalgia from the equation, this may beat out DKC 2s. Every song on DKC 2 is wonderful, and every song in TF is wonderful as well... but there are a hell of a lot more tracks here, and so much musical variety.

David Wise, you are a beautiful soul
 
nkarafo

nkarafo

Member
MetalGuardian said:
This soundtrack is absolutely, mind-blowingly incredible. I've listened to just about every link posted, and I think that if it were possible to separate nostalgia from the equation, this may beat out DKC 2s. Every song on DKC 2 is wonderful, and every song in TF is wonderful as well... but there are a hell of a lot more tracks here, and so much musical variety.

David Wise, you are a beautiful soul
Click to expand...
Its not just that...

With TF there were expectations. DK1 had a nice soundtrack but nobody saw DKC2 coming. This thing was divine. Before that, nobody knew David Wise's name. But now he is considered one of the finest composers out there and, making things more difficult, he had to compete with his own DKC2 soundtrack because everyone remembers it and wants something at least as good and memorable. I'm pretty sure that trying to satisfy nostalgic fans of DKC2 soundtrack wasn't the easiest thing he ever did. And somehow it seems he done exactly that, at least i'm satisfied, even though i'm not going to declare it a DKC2 beater yet.
 
P

Pikawil

Unconfirmed Member
Thoraxes said:
Ah fuck, when the "ooooos" come in with the vocal stuff I just... I just...

lhrpHUQ.gif
Click to expand...
The head's not wide enough to express the David Wise godliness. Wideness is proportional to David Wise godliness. You need to go wider.
 
U

uberluigi

Banned
Wow his music is amazing I get lost just listening to it, just finished watching tropical freeze launch trailer and the music sounds sooo good, Retro needs to put him in the next Metroid game. Btw that song really sounds like it could've been in a Metroid Prime game.
 
B

boiled goose

good with gravy
I don't even have a WiiU, but just listening to the music in the thread, this is one of the best videogame soundtracks ever.

I think it even beats one of my favorites, DCK2. There is just so much goodness, and with game music, most of the goodness comes from the synergy with the gameplay and music.

I really want to play this game.

BTW, someone should send a tweet to David Wise with a link to this thread. :D
 
N

Neiteio

Member
So I made two car CDs -- my ride has mp3 support but it's simpler to use CDs. It only reads .WAVs, so I have to be choosey with compiling playlists.

Which usually isn't difficult, but was exceedingly tricky in the case of David Wise.

Here's where I'm at currently:

CAR CD #1:

- Wing Ding
- Amiss Abyss
- Busted Bayou
- Scorch 'N' Torch
- Horn Top Hop
- Fruit Harvest
- Grassland Groove
- Mangrove Cove
- Mangrove Cover (Underwater)
- Alpine Incline (Ground)
- Cannon Canyon
- Cool Athletic
- Rodent Ruckus
- Punch Bowl
- Homecoming Hijinx
- Chilly Coast
- Windmill Hills

CAR CD #2:

- Deep Keep
- Irate Eight (Start)
- Irate Eight (Underwater)
- Fearsome Super Slicer
- Canopy Chaos
- Frantic Fields
- Aquaduct Assault
- Cold Cave
- Sawmill Thrill
- Temple I
- Temple II
- Pufferfish Pressure
- Mountaintop Tussle
- Big Top Bop
- Staff Credits
- Twilight Terror
- Spark Ocean

It's amazing how well the songs flow together.
 
R

Raitaro

Member
If this game's soundtrack isn't in the Top OST's of the Year media/game website discussions at the end of this year, the world of gaming is beyond mending to me.

It is so good it not only gives me goose bumps and makes me emotional at times, it also makes me want to run out and buy better speakers. More importantly, this music is of that rare quality that makes me wish my dad, a big music lover in general, was still alive so I could listen to it with him...

Mr. Wise: all of my past, present and future hats are off to you sir. To me, you are the Mike Oldfield, Vangelis and Yoko Kanno of game soundtracks.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
I updated the names in the OP to feature the correct level names. For example, what we previously called "Chilly Coast" is now correctly labeled "Seashore War."

The OP is by no means a complete list of the music in the game -- it is more like an extensive sampling -- but if there are any incorrect names, let me know. :)
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
Narrowing down my favourites from this soundtrack is like a herculean task, it's even tougher now the unique vibes of World 5's musical themes have started growing on me.

As of right now 'd say my top three are...
Amiss Abyss
Scorch n' Torch
Seashore War/Chilly Coast

Top 10 competition gets really heated beyond this point, i've never been more happy to be so overwhelmed.
 
M

MrBadger

Member
I think my top five are:
Busted Bayou
Scorch 'N Torch
Amiss Abyss
Punch Bowl
Forest Folly

But the entire soundtrack's fantastic. I think now that I've experienced it with the game, I can say I prefer it to the DKC2 soundtrack. No small feet, though.
 
Y

Yuterald

Member
I literally just got to Scorch N Torch a second ago and it quickly became my favorite track in the game. I think I had my "sit, idle and listen to a particular piece" moment for the year already...Second favorite track is Alpine Incline too. The OST went from "this is okay" (having only played World 1 the other night) to "this is incredible" by the middle of World 2.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
KeeSomething said:
Holy shit! How many tracks are in this game? Does every stage have is own unique song or something?
Click to expand...
Nearly every stage. There are several pairs of levels that share a theme. But yeah, we're looking at like 50+ level themes, or like double that when you count the variations (I.E. the two versions of Wing Ding).
 
R

Richie

Member
A moot point, considering Youtube will never fail me ... but why in the name of David Wise is the in-game music gallery incomplete!? Only 4 songs per world, while omitting the likes of Grassland Groove and Busted Bayou. Why. Please tell me this gets remedied if you get 200% or something, this stuff is patch-worthy.

Also, regarding the credits' theme,
PLEASE tell me a full version of the Jazztastic Stickerbrush Symphony remix exists. It was superb beyond any attempt of mine to describe it.
 
L

LiberaTeExInferis

Member
Any clues to the name of the loading tune, after you select the game from the wiiU menu?The one with the female voices singing Donkey Kong, almost for two seconds..
 
S

ScOULaris

Member
So I guess this thread was made days before the other DKC:TF OST thread? Well, it's a much better OP so I guess I'll bookmark this one instead.

I've listened to about half of the tracks so far, and this is really some remarkable work. David Wise is a very talented fellow.
 
O

Out of Working Order

Member
Anyone seriously think an official soundtrack released on CD is going to happen?

Isn't Galaxy the only game in recent memory that's been made available on CD? I personally think the chances are slim.
 
B

BorkBork

The Legend of BorkBork: BorkBorkity Borking
Top 5's people? In no particular order, my list:

Busted Bayou
Seashore War
Deep Keep
Scorch N' Torch
Twilight Terror ~ Stickerbrush Symphony

Honourable mention: Aquaduct Assault
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
BorkBork said:
Top 5's people?
Click to expand...

Amiss Abyss (aka: Funky Waters)
These waters are indeed funky, it's like the various different musical tropes of the DKC series all got pooled together leading to a theme that manages to come across as chilled out, upbeat and atmospheric during its various phases in a cohesive fashion.

Seashore War
The themes for the opening three stages of DK island all incite a different response to the return to an overrun homeland, Homecoming Hijinx has an oppressive theme to represent the Snowmad invaders, Aqueduct Assault is empowering for the player taking the island back and here with Seashore War you've got a more sombre take on things to represent loss and the change in the environment. This track had me have something of an emotional reaction in a platformer about cartoon Apes jumping on Viking Penguins and I regret nothing, to steal from a youtube comment I saw, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Feels.

Scorch N' Torch
Taking the ethnic instruments that represent stages in Bright Savannah and placing them against the more contrasting strings and warped electronic sound effects really helps set the scene of an environment consuming wildfire. The fact that the game typically sticks to more light hearted fare makes the arrival of this more powerful and heavier theme all the more enjoyable.

Cannon Canyon (aka: Savannah Pop)
One of the things about this theme that sticks out to me is how shortly after Tropical Freeze's reveal last year the news that Wise was on board broke and this stage theme was one of the very few you could hear through direct feed footage of the E3 Demos, hearing this was like the confirmation that Wise had still got it. The opening with the echoing of a somewhat distant horn and powerful percussion brings the immediate hype and it just keeps on going from there with a selection of instruments that define the island's setting, it builds up at a leisurely pace leading into a satisfying conclusion.

Frozen Fruits
Not as definitively top 5 as the rest but it's a perfect blend of the new and the nostalgic. Starting off as a suitably icy sounding and electronic geared track and then it seamlessly shifts into a re-imagining of DKC2's "in a snowbound land" which works out better than it really should considering the change in tone.

Just choosing 5 feels unfair to the rest of the soundtrack, I don't even have any of Autumn Height's assembly of accordion packing themes in here.
Honourable mentions: Harvest Hazards, Horn Top Hop and tons more, this soundtrack man.
 
T

The Xtortionist

Member
BorkBork said:
Top 5's people? In no particular order, my list:
Click to expand...

Dammit don't make me choose!
nah it's cool, but srsly

No particular order except for

1. Staff Credits
My undisputed number 1. And yes, it's strange to me because normally I'd never pick a non-gameplay song as my favorite.

This theme has it all and is executed brilliantly. Starting off as a awesome big band jazz celebration, it transitions into a more somber melody before hitting an uplifting finish. Then comes the heavenly, if short-lived Stickerbush saxophone remix that sounds like it was recorded using entirely live instruments. Wise puts that extra special touch on it with the live sax, adding a more personal aspect to a remix of arguably the greatest DKC track and one of the greatest video game tracks of all time. Wise knows what the hardcore fans want and fucking gives it to us.

2. Harvest Hazards
The climax at 1:44 is epic and when the full suite of backing instruments kicks in at 2:05, I can't even. The hype explodes out of my headphones.

3. Busted Bayou
Such a fun and funky song. Really great variety in instruments with two distinct guitars, dat flute, and the eventual sax.

4. Amiss Abyss
'Nuff said.

5. Seashore War
ibnXpH97nqcuKc.png
 
D

daydream

Banned
Top five in no particular order:

- Wing Ding/Staff Credits: Fantastic, upbeat melody, and getting to hear it with different instrumentations is awesome. Credits theme is particularly masterful, they way it flows, culminating in a sax explosion (saxplosion). so good <3

- Cannon Canyon: There's something about this I just love. Listening to it, I always get swamped with feelings of nostalgia and wistfulness. Flute solo is too good.

- Horn Top Hop: Makes me fuzzy inside. Wind instruments are the best.

- Alpine Incline - Mountain: This song encapsulates so much, a sense of departure, a sense of ascension, of adventure, of arrival. the feels

- Twilight Terror - Rocketbarrel: I really like the Rocketbarrel theme since DKCR and this is such a great version of it. I go nuts for that flute.

Honourable mentions: Busted Bayou, Start Menu Theme, Big Top Bop, Grassland Groove, Scorch'n Torch, Irate Eight (+ Tension), Trunk Twister, Snowmad's Island, Ice Spark Factory, Canopy Chaos, Amiss Abyss, Cool Athletic, Aquaduct Assault, etc. etc.
 
R

revolverjgw

Member
Can't believe how great this soundtrack is. I'm only two worlds in and a few tracks are already surefire all-time favorites. Canopy Chaos, Horn Top Hop, Windmill Hills, so fucking great. A different feel compared to the SNES games, not as emotional and atmospheric, but it fits the more colorful style.

edit- actually listening ahead to a few tracks, it seems like there's some more classic sounding stuff later
 
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