One of the year’s warmest and most endearing games is now available in digital audio format. The soundtrack for Mutazione, from Danish developers Die Gute Fabrik, is up for purchase on both Steam and Bandcamp, with a selection of 36 tracks exploring the ambient and background tunes that define the game’s sound.
While Mutazione is shaped by the unique biological orchestra created through the unpredictable placement of its floral specimens, nonetheless, the game has a robust base of traditionally composed songs. Written and performed by Alessandro Coronas, the album spans over four hours of music, and the arrangement, as associate producer Chris Nguyen tells me, is based upon transitions in the game’s energy levels and its overall arc. Sources of inspiration include 1960s tropical staples like surf guitar, ultra-dry bass, spring reverbs, vintage keyboards, and lo-fi recording techniques but also diverse genres of music, from “jazz, DIY punk, and lonely folk guitars, to spooky horror movies. Well known influences,” he says, “include Italian 60’s pop songs, Boards of Canada, Sam Prekop, Jim O’ Rourke, Riot Grrl, the soundtracks of Akira and Monkey Island, Mark Kozelek, Sonic Youth, Nils Frahm and Dušan Bogdanovic.”
In their press release for the soundtrack, CEO of Die Gute Fabrik Hannah Nicklin also adds that the music has been retained as it was originally recorded, so as to maintain the spirit of Mutazione, saying, “Process has been as important as product for Coronas. All recordings are done live, preserving imperfections, lo-fi aesthetics, and idiosyncrasies, to reflect the more ‘down to earth’ attitude of the community of Mutazione.”
The range of the game’s cited musical inspiration and the composer’s commitment to matching process and finished product is an insightful look into how the individual tone of each Mutazione environment was achieved. Starting today, the soundtrack can now be purchased over at Steam for $9.99 and on Bandcamp for $10.99. It is also available for streaming via Spotify.