Review of Tomb Raider 2013

For my 14th Christmas I was bought an original Playstation along with a copy of the newly-released Tomb Raider 2. On boxing day I sat there, transfixed to the screen, trying to work out how to traverse the Great Wall of China with two tigers hot after my blood.

After a good few hours of working my way through that first level I finally made it out and was soon following the next clue to Venice. Ever since Lara first dropped down into the streets of Venice, gaming was never quite the same for me again.

This was the first time I remember being swept up in the magic of a gaming world. The winding waterways of Venice; the sunken wreck of the Maria Doria; the trippy, other worldly nexus of the Floating Islands; and finally the last ditch effort by Bartolli’s men on Lara’s home. Lara Croft was, and remains to this day, my favourite gaming hero.

After Tomb Raider 4: The Last Revelation I kind of lost interest in the series. I was moving on to other things in life and gaming sort of fell behind. I never actively searched out any of the newer releases since Tomb Raider 4. That was until the rebooted Tomb Raider (hereafter referred to simply as “Tomb Raider”) was released in 2013.

Tomb Raider 2013

Tomb Raider completely blew me away from the get go. Lara was finally a real flesh and blood woman. She came alive right in front of me and wasn’t actually a battle-hardened raider of tombs yet. She was a scared young woman, who I would come to follow through to discovering her destiny on the island of Yamatai.

During Lara’s journey across Yamatai, she encounters a range of adversaries: armed soldiers; huge, demonic Storm Guards; sneaky forest wolves. All are out for blood, and all you will need to fight through at some stage. People have mentioned to me how they were disappointed by the focus being more on the fighting than on the actual raiding of tombs. While it’s true if you just follow where the story nudges you, you may find puzzles at a minimum. However there are many tombs located across the island and are there for you to try and solve, should you want to. So it’s not that there are less puzzles as such, only that you can choose if and when you want to attempt each tomb. I find this is actually more realistic than previous games as these hidden tombs would be just that – hidden. In fact I am currently on my second play through and have discovered a whole portion of the Mountain village that I had missed on my first play through.

Lara’s seemless progression across the island make this one of the most immersive games I’ve played, and one that I keep wanting to return to. I never feel that I’m just in a game, only that I am fighting my way through a living, breathing, deadly landscape where everything from the wildlife to the patrol guards are out to get me.

For me, Tomb Raider is a welcome addition to the family; the big shot of adrenaline the series needed. It also serves as probably the best origin story for Lara too, along with 2015’s Rise Of The Tomb Raider, which follows on.

Tomb Raider can be picked up dirt-cheap on Steam now for both Windows and Linux and you really should experience it.

Interview with Lyndon Holland

One of my favourite soundtracks, and a recent obsession of mine, has been the soundtrack to the game Virginia by Lyndon Holland. His soundtrack has had such a great affect on me, and no doubt many others.

Lyndon recently agreed to answer some questions of mine so that we can get more of an understanding of the man behind the music.

The Interview

Please tell us about yourself in as many or as little words as you like.
I’m a pretty normal guy with geeky interests and a strange job, working out of my bedroom in West London.
Growing up, who were your heroes in music?
John Williams, Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, Jerry Goldsmith, Nobuo Uematsu
Growing up, who were your heroes outside of music?
Not sure I really had many ‘heroes’ to be honest, but I remember Spielberg movies having a huge affect on me.
What was the first album you remember buying?
Ha, I distinctively remember it being Metallica – …And Justice for All
Was there any defining moment in your life when you knew that you wanted to write music?
I remember being in love with the music to Final Fantasy VIII as a 13 year old. As a result, I started playing around with midi in a basic software package called Noteworthy composer.
Who is your biggest influence in how you approach what you do today?
The way I think about music in relation to narrative developed a lot whilst I attended The National Film and Television School. I couldn’t choose a single individual, but the process of working with like minded people in such a heightened and condensed way for 2 years was as influential as anything else.
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Probably all the positive the feedback I have received from people after playing Virginia.
What is your favourite Book?
To Kill a Mockingbird
What is your favourite Album?
Tough one. In terms of music that I keep coming back to, I suppose it could be something like The Beatles – Abbey Road. But ask me another day and it would probably be something different.
What is your favourite Film?
Again, very difficult. I could pick something obscure and meaningful, but instead I will choose something I have watched a million times and never fails to work it’s magic; E.T.
What is your favourite TV Show?
Something like Breaking Bad or House of Cards probably deserves this, but for all it’s faults, I still have a huge place in my heart for Lost.
Do you have a favourite film/tv/game/musical soundtrack?
For the way it works with the picture, I love stuff like Howard Shore’s score to Crash or Jonny Greenwood’s score to There will be blood. But then for listening purposes outside of the film, I dunno, I love The Lion King, and the recent arrangements of Final Fantasy VII in the Final Symphony album.
Are there any new albums you are binge listening to at the moment?
For no real reason in particular, I’ve been listening to The Nightmare Before Christmas a lot recently, ha.
You’re walking somewhere and your mp3 player has only a little battery left; You’ve only got time for one more song. What song do you play?
Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I’d tell younger self to concentrate on understanding form and structure before attempting any complex orchestration.
If you could ask any person – living or passed – any question, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I’m definitely throwing this question away, but I’d ask Stanley Kubrick if Eyes Wide Shut was his final cut
Do you have any exciting new projects you are working on that you can tell us about?
There are some things in the pipeline, but it’s too early to say anything at this time!
Could you tell us a joke?
“I’ve decided to sell my Hoover… well, it was just collecting dust.”

A big thank you to Lyndon

Thank you, Lyndon for taking the time to answer these questions.

If any of you need convincing to listen to his awesome music, then please do read my write up of the Virginia soundtrack. Or just go and buy it right now.

Bring home the bacon – A review of the game Virginia

One of the marks of a great game is its ability to stay with you long after you’ve finished playing it. Even more so is it’s ability to imprint specific memorable scenes into your mind – surrounding them with feelings that help to bind that scene to your memory. Usually these memorable games are pretty long in length, having time to build up into those moments, however this is not the case with Virginia.

A small game with great depth

Virginia is probably the shortest game I’ve ever played in terms of start to finish, but it’s also one of the games to stay with me the longest after finishing it. One of the many things that Virginia does so well is it’s ability to contain so many iconic scenes compacted into its relatively short time span. And please don’t think I’m mentioning the time span of Virginia as being a negative thing – quite the opposite. The way you need to think of this game is as an interactive film / novel. The story is set and 99% of the actions are inevitable, however giving you full control over performing those actions puts you completely in the mind of the main character.

I have previously praised the music of Virginia, expertly written by Lyndon Holland, so I wont go too much into that again here. All I will say is that the music of Virginia is the game’s heartbeat; it’s skeleton; its very being…

…It kind of has to be when there are no words spoken in the whole game. That’s right, no words are spoken throughout the whole game! The story is driven forward, and the characters thoughts and feelings implied, by the aforementioned music coupled with the unique animation style used.

Virginia’s Exceptional Style

The artwork for Virginia is just as beautiful as the music that scores it. As you can see from the image above, the game’s scenes are very vibrant-looking with an almost painted aesthetic. It didn’t take much playing until I was wanting real life to look like this – simply put, it is gorgeous. Even the dark dream sequences are full of colour. The use of the photographer’s dark room red is exceptional in one of the games first dream sequences.

The story itself gets trippy and quite cryptic towards the end, in fact most of the game contains cryptic imagery, but it feels cohesive through it’s confusion. Like Twin Peaks, from which Virginia has lovingly taken much inspiration, so too does the story of Virginia not have to be completely understood first time round. Instead it is more than enough to simply soak up the dream-like atmosphere and let the game conjure up whatever feelings it does within you.

Virginia is a unique offering and a great accomplishment for the developers at Variable State, and I eagerly await their next offering.

Interview with Bad Electric

One of my favourite synth artists of recent times is Bad Electric. His E.P. LUX, which I wrote about previously, is still in my regular circulation.

I reached out to him this week on SoundCloud about answering some of my questions. Below you can read the answers to those questions and get to know him a bit more.

The Interview

Please tell us about yourself in as many or as little words as you like.
I’m a grumpy guy who grew up in rural Pennsylvania during the 1980s . I work in contemporary art galleries in NYC and make music out of my home studio in Brooklyn.
Growing up, who were your heroes in music?
No one in my family was into music when I was a kid. My dad sort-of liked Phil Collins and made a point of it whenever Phil or a Genesis song came on the radio. My Mum had a weird thing for Michael Bolton. My older sisters were jamming Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. I wouldn’t be exposed to good music until junior high when my friend lent me a Pink Floyd mix tape his older brother had made. Later, my goth uncle got me started on the whole 80’s goth kick I’m still on. I was a huge fan of The Cure so Robert Smith would’ve been my biggest hero.
Growing up, who were your heroes outside of music?
I don’t remember having any heroes that were real. Pee-Wee Herman was someone I looked up to.
What was the first album you remember buying?
If I remember correctly, it was a cassette single of The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
Was there any defining moment in your life when you knew that you wanted to write, record and perform music?
It was while I was at art school. I realized music was way more interesting than art. Even easier in a way. I dropped out and moved to New Orleans in search of my soul.
Who is your biggest influence in how you approach what you do today?
I like to think that I’ve reach a point where I have found my own voice and I’m doing my own thing my own way. David Bowie was my biggest influence most of my adult life. I’ve always felt that Bowie was a catalyst for thousands of musicians. People try to emulate him and his songwriting approach, his eclecticism, his vocal technique, his look, his moves. They’d always come away with their own voice in the end. Anyways, he’s dead now.
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Probably my short-lived collaboration with the artist Rita Ackermann. We recorded a few tracks last year that will find their way onto my next EP.
What is your favourite Book?
Phillip K. Dick – The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
What is your favourite Album?
Iggy Pop – The Idiot
What is your favourite Film?
Withnail & I
What is your favourite TV Show?
The original Twilight Zone
Do you have a favourite film/tv/musical soundtrack?
Anything by John Carpenter.
Are there any new albums you are binge listening to at the moment?
I don’t listen to much new stuff. It’s all rehashed old stuff anymore. Sometimes done very well but unoriginal all the same. That goes for my music too as far as I’m concerned. Alien Sex Fiend has been on heavy rotation ’round here lately.
You’re walking somewhere and your mp3 player has only a little battery left; You’’e only got time for one more song. What song do you play?
Howard Jones – “What is Love?”
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t spend so much time worrying about everything. It always works out. Also, be more confident. Chin-up, buddy.
If you could ask any person – living or passed – any question, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I’d ask someone passed about what happens when we die.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to mention?
I’d like to get another EP out early next year.
Could you tell us a joke?
Dyslexic man walks into a bra.

Thanks

A big thank you to Bad Electric for taking the time to answer those questions. I really can not wait to hear his next E.P. that he mentions above, so you should go and buy his current one now on bandcamp, and help make it happen.

LUX e.p. by BAD ELECTRIC

The LUX E.P. by Bad Electric is a super catchy, infectious synth E.P. with vocal influences sounding like Edwyn Collins; David Bowie and Lou Reed.

I set sail a quarter after midnight
Then the ocean dragged me down
I believe I’m beginning to see the light

A_QUARTER_AFTER_MIDNIGHT by BAD ELECTRIC

The LUX E.P. by Bad Electric was my first taste of their music with the opening song, “TON_UP”, grabbing my interest immediately. It has a super catchy and deep synth bass line that I just couldn’t help but love. The vocals too are fantastic. The guy’s voice is very reminiscent of Edwyn Collins mixed with a little bit of Lou Reed and David Bowie.

The next two songs, “MON_NO_AWARE” and “COLLISON” continue the synth sauciness. The former being an instrumental, and the latter having a vocal sound closer to Bowie than the opening.

I love how with some of his songs’ endings, he adds in a surprise little twist too. The fresh synth sound at the end of the hypnotic “MONO_NO_AWARE”; The acoustic guitar that finishes “TON_UP”.

The biggest curve ball however is the E.P.’s closing song, “A_QUARTER_AFTER_MIDNIGHT”. This one is a pretty powerful acoustic song after an otherwise mostly synth collection.

This is definitely an artist I’ll be keeping on my radar. If he can make an E.P. as full and great as this, then a full-length album would be off the charts.

You really should buy the LUX e.p. now from Bandcamp.

Lucid by Scarlett Taylor

Lucid by Scarlett Taylor is a very strong footing from which her career seems to be growing well from. Her unique, almost-derelict sounding aesthetic is something to be enjoyed, with Scarlett never afraid to lay her voice bare against these haunting soundscapes. “Monster Movie” from this debut album is a perfect example of this.

Although she is relatively new, in terms of her music’s exposure to the world, she has already managed to carve a unique niche for herself. It is clear that not only did she find her footing with this album, but she dug both heels in and continues to push forwards into new and interesting musical avenues.

I got mommy issues
Daddy issues
Money Issues
Holes in my shoes

Mommy Issues by Scarlett Taylor

If you are new to Scarlett’s music then this will be a great introduction to what she’s all about. If, like me, you are listening to this album after “Churches“, then you’re already a fan and are in for a treat.

Stand out songs

If you go by SoundCloud listens alone, then “Purple Bones” is clearly the most popular song from this album. I do like that song, however my personal favourite from “Lucid” is the fifth song, “Mommy Issues”. It’s one of the album’s heaviest with its distorted guitar filling this song’s larger-sounding atmosphere. It’s one of the heaviest I remember hearing from Scarlett, which is always welcome.

“Monster Movie” is another favourite, and is closer to the style I think of with Scarlett’s music. Her voice filling the stage while only a very small arrangement accompanies her. This song’s arrangement comes in the form of a melody played on a slightly over-driven electric guitar.

As with “Churches”, this album is music to get lost in and experience. It shouldn’t be put on with the kids yelling or as a communal office affair. This music is a personal statement and deserves to be experienced as such.

You should buy Lucid here.