Here’s a rundown of everything Laced Records released on vinyl, CD, and digitally in 2020, including soundtracks for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Street Fighter III, and Control.
By Thomas Quillfeldt
2020 was a lot.
Between pandemics, elections, and other seismic events, it’s been a time of challenges big and small for everyone. Fortunately, our close-knit, remote team hasn’t been affected to a large extent and we’ve been able to keep doing what we love — releasing brilliant video game music and creating beautiful products.
Thanks to everyone who has interacted with the label this year and we wish you all well during this difficult time.
Street Fighter III
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Quadruple LP
Limited (blue & white discs) & Standard (black) editions
This box set includes 72 tracks from New Generation, 2nd Impact: Giant Attack, and 3rd Strike: Fight For The Future.
Street Fighter III first hit arcades in 1997 with New Generation, retaining only Ryu and Ken while introducing an otherwise brand new cast of characters. The final iteration, 3rd Strike, is widely recognised as one of the greatest fighting games of all time, and generated perhaps the most indelible competitive moment in gaming, with Daigo’s comeback again Justin Wong aka “Evo Moment #37.”
Composers Hideki Okugawa and Yuki Iwai explored a range of high energy dance styles across the three titles, leaning most heavily on jazzy house, jungle and drum’n’bass — with some samba rhythms thrown in for good measure.
Tracks have been specially remastered for vinyl and pressed onto four 180g ‘Hadouken blue and white’ discs for the Limited Edition (traditional black for the Standard Edition.) These are housed in individual spined sleeves, contained within a rigid board outer slipcase.
Original sleeve art is by comic book artist Andie Tong (deemonproductions.com).
RESIDENT EVIL series
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Resident Evil 3: Nemesis double LP
Limited (purple discs) & Standard (black) editions
The Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (aka Biohazard 3: Last Escape) double LP features remastered audio from the original 1999 PlayStation game, and brand new vinyl sleeve artwork by Capcom and Boris Moncel of Blackmane Design.
Composers Masami Ueda, Saori Maeda, and Shusaku Uchiyama chose a moody cinematic action sound for the score, whilst retaining the series’ woozy, synth-horror stylings.
Resident Evil 4 quadruple LP
Limited (muddy gold discs) & Standard (black) editions
The Resident Evil 4 soundtrack features remastered audio from the 2005 GameCube title, and vinyl sleeve artwork by Capcom and Boris Moncel of Blackmane Design. 180g heavyweight vinyl LPs are housed in a special gatefold box set.
Resi 4 fundamentally changed the series — and a whole game genre — by moving to a more action-packed over-the-shoulder camera. For the score, composers Shusaku Uchiyama and Misao Senbongi ratcheted up the tension with layers of unsettling electronic sounds and percussion loops; and also created fan favourite tracks “Serenity” and “Save Theme” suffused with anxious, atmospheric synths.
Resident Evil 5 triple LP
Limited (red gold discs) & Standard (black) editions
The Resident Evil 5 triple vinyl set comprises 50 remastered tracks from the original soundtrack, pressed to heavyweight LPs and presented in a triple gatefold sleeve. Sleeve artwork was created by Capcom and Boris Moncel of Blackmane Design.
Resi 5 brought the series screaming and shooting into HD, building on the series’ over-the-shoulder reinvention with new co-op mechanics and thrilling boss encounters — and giving players the chance to punch a boulder inside an active volcano! 🌋
Delivering his first music of the series, Kota Suzuki led a composition team that included Hideki Okugawa, Akihiko Narita, Seiko Kobuchi and Wataru Hokoyama. For the first time in a Resident Evil title the soundtrack enjoyed live orchestral recordings thanks to the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra.
Resident Evil 6 double LP (shipped 2021)
Limited ('Coke Bottle green' discs) & Standard (black) editions
This double vinyl release features 31 tracks specially mastered for vinyl, which will be pressed to two heavyweight, 180g LPs, housed in a gatefold sleeve with artwork by Capcom and designer Boris Moncel. The Limited Edition variant — exclusive to the Laced Records store — features ‘coke bottle green’ discs, while the Standard Edition will have traditional black vinyl.
In a series known for multiple playable characters, Resident Evil 6 upped the ante with players navigating four distinct, action-packed scenarios set across the world. The experienced composition team comprised Thomas Parisch, Laurent Ziliani, Daniel Lindholm and Sebastian Schwartz alongside Capcom stalwarts Kota Suzuki, Akihiko Narita, Azusa Kato and Akiyuki Morimoto. The rip-roaring score for the ‘dramatic horror’ title was recorded with the 90-piece Sydney Scoring Orchestra.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (shipped 2021)
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Quadruple LP & double CD
Vinyl - Limited (black & cream discs) & Standard (black) editions
Hesitation Is Defeat…
The clans of Activision, FromSoftware and Laced Records joined forces to celebrate the majestic music of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice through deluxe quadruple vinyl and double CD releases.
People haven’t stopped talking about the ruthlessly challenging action-adventure game from Dark Souls and Bloodborne developer FromSoftware and director Hidetaka Miyazaki. After all, no one forgets the first time they bested Genichiro atop Ashina Castle...
Both the vinyl and CD sets feature 50 tracks by lead composer Yuka Kitamura (Bloodborne, Dark Souls III) and co-composer Noriyuki "α" Asakura (Tenchu series.) The dramatic score features traditional Japanese instruments, orchestral and choral elements, and outlandish and mysterious sounds that transport listeners to a war-ravaged Japan during an alternative history Sengoku period.
All music has been specially mastered for vinyl and CD. The vinyl set sports 180g discs, with the Limited Edition (exclusive to Laced Records’ store) featuring cream and black LPs (traditional black for the Standard Edition.) These will be housed in spined inners sleeves that slip into a deluxe Wibalin wrapped case. The double CD set includes an artwork booklet and outer slipcase.
Original sleeve artwork for the vinyl set was created by illustrator and concept-artist Anato Finnstark (DeviantArt profile.)
TEKKEN series
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We announced that we would release the TEKKEN series soundtracks on vinyl, including all mainline titles from 1994 onwards, as well as the Tag Tournament titles.
The Laced team worked closely with four-time Guinness World Record-holder, multi-game world champion (including two Evo championships) and all-round fighting game community legend Ryan Hart to develop the releases. This was to ensure that the vinyl track lists covered all the right bases when it came to arcade versus home console release soundtracks; representing different characters and stages; and including fan-favourites from down the years.
The list of musicians who have contributed to the series is vast, including industry veterans Rio Hamamoto, Shinji Hosoe, Keiichi Okabe, Nobuyoshi Sano, and many, many more. The music of the series is incredibly eclectic, covering everything from electronic music to rock to classical.
Original artwork has been created by Samuel Donato aka DXSinfinite.
We interviewed TEKKEN world champion Ryan Hart about his career and relationship to the music of the series.
TEKKEN double LP
Limited (yellow and purple discs) & Standard (black) editions
TEKKEN 2 double LP
Limited (orange and blue discs) & Standard (black) editions
TEKKEN 3 quadruple LP
Limited (clear discs) & Standard (black) editions
This release features 44 remastered tracks from the 1997 arcade and 1998 PlayStation releases.
TEKKEN 3 is still held up as one of the best games of all time. It shook up the franchise with incredible presentation, smart gameplay changes, and the introduction of a host of new characters to the roster.
Nobuyoshi “sanodg” Sano (Ridge Racer, TEKKEN Tag Tournament, Drakengard) and Keiichi “B.K.O” Okabe (NieR series) took lead composition duties for the game, with Hiroyuki “Hiro” Kawada, Minamo “Ototo” Takahashi, and Yu “YOU” Miyake also contributing. The soundtrack is stuffed full of high energy funk, rock, electronica and techno.
Dishonored: The Soundtrack Collection quintuple LP box set
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This five-disc box set with 'Sea Blue' LPs features a curated selection of tracks by composer Daniel Licht (alongside other contributors) from the soundtracks to Dishonored, Dishonored 2, and Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
From the top of Dunwall Tower to the depths of The Void, Licht’s atmospheric scores have helped immerse players in the shadowy world of Corvo Attano, Emily Kaldwin, Daud, and Billie Lurk. The track selection, which was put together with input from Arkane Studios, includes fan-favourite songs from throughout the series including “The Drunken Whaler”, “Silver and Dust”, “Brigmore Lullaby”, and “Born in the Month of Darkness”.
In addition, the box set features an official ten-track tribute album of new music by musician Benjamin Shielden, inspired by the work of the late Daniel Licht and the world of Dishonored.
All 68 tracks have been specially mastered for vinyl, and the 180g discs are housed in spined inner sleeves that slip into a deluxe rigid case, with sleeve artwork created by Arkane Studios’ world-beating art team.
Control
Double LP and digital album (Spotify; all links)
CHECK AVAILABILITY (repressed late October 2020)
This soundtrack comprises 16 dense and dark tracks by co-composers Petri Alanko (Alan Wake, Quantum Break) and Martin Stig Andersen (Limbo, INSIDE, Wolfenstein.)
Remedy's supernatural third-person action-adventure title was named “Action Game of the Year” at the D.I.C.E. Awards and won Critics’ Choice at the Golden Joystick Awards. It was also named “Game of the Year 2019” by IGN, Game Informer, GamesRadar+, and many more. Control has also been showered with praise for its rich atmosphere, architecture, design, and immersive audio, with the soundtrack team being awarded Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition at the D.I.C.E. Awards.
Among other sonic experiments, long-time Remedy collaborator Petri Alanko recorded a coffee maker and burned a piano in order to find unique sounds for his smouldering pieces for Control. Co-composer Andersen has also built a reputation as a dark wizard of audio, going to similarly extreme lengths to create and process sounds that add menace and depth to game worlds. The pair have created an unsettling and shadowy score that perfectly complements the mysterious setting of The Oldest House.
Tracks have been specially mastered for digital and vinyl release. Black and red 180g LPs are contained within a deluxe cardboard gatefold sleeve, with artwork created by the teams at Remedy and Laced Records.
Be sure to check out our separate Laced With Wax blog interviews with Petri Alanko and Martin Stig Andersen.
Mega Man X 1-8: The Collection octuple LP box set
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Limited (yellow and purple discs) & Standard (black) editions
This deluxe eight-disc box set features 210 tracks from the mainline titles in the Mega Man X series spanning 1993-2004.
Launched on the SNES as the gaming world transitioned from 8-bit to 16-bit consoles, the Mega Man X series introduced greater player mobility, new plotlines, and fan-favourite characters including X, Zero and Axl.
Unsurprisingly, the composer list is gigantic: Setsuo Yamamoto (Mega Man X), Yuki “Sato” Iwai (Mega Man X & Mega Man X2), Yuko Takehara (Mega Man X), Makoto “Tomozou” Tomozawa (Mega Man X), Kinuyo Yamashita (Mega Man X3), Toshihiko Horiyama (Mega Man X4), Naoto Tanaka (Mega Man X5) and Akemi Kimura (Mega Man X6, Mega Man X7 & Mega Man X8); Yuko Komiyama, Shinya "Midnight" Okada and Seiko Kobuchi (Mega Man X7 & Mega Man X8 as ‘Capcom Sound Team’); Makoto Asai, Teruo Konishi, Shuichi Mizohata, Noriyuki Iwadare and Takuya Miyawaki (Mega Man X7 as ‘Valuewave’); and the music of Yasuaki “Bun Bun” Fujita and original Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae.
Tracks have been remastered for vinyl and pressed onto 180g LPs packaged in deluxe spined inner sleeves, housed in a luxury rigid board slip case. The box set features brand new original artwork by illustrator and Mega Man maven ultimatemaverickx.
Check out our blog feature on the artwork for the Mega Man X 1-8: The Collection box set.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint
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Double LP
The original score for the military shooter was composed and recorded by legendary rock producer and multi-instrumentalist Alain Johannes (formerly of Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures) and electronic music artist Alessandro Cortini (formerly of Nine Inch Nails). Drumming on the soundtrack was provided by producer-percussionist Norm Block. The music is deep, dark, and dirty, seamlessly blending brooding ambience, atmospheric rock and simmering synths.
28 tracks specially mastered for vinyl have been pressed onto 180g silver discs, all contained in a deluxe spine sleeve with two printed inners. Sleeve artwork was created by Yann Orhan, Paris-based graphic designer, photographer and director.
Check out our interview with the Breakpoint composition team all about their musical chemistry and improvisation sessions.
BORDERLANDS series
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Borderlands (2009)
Double LP
Limited (pink discs) & Standard (black) editions
The looter-shooter that... didn't actually start it all, but was explosively great anyway. In 2009, the video game world had never experienced such quantities of gags and guns as could be found in the breakout hit Borderlands. The first-person shooter featured role-playing elements, fused single-player with multiplayer, added a bazillion guns, and came out all-puns-blazing with its joke-heavy dialogue.
The richly talented composition team brought different flavours to the soundtrack. Legendary game composer Jesper Kyd (Assassin’s Creed, Hitman) set the tone with percussion-heavy musical soundscapes flecked with Wild West guitars. Duo Sascha Dikiciyan & Cris Velasco (with credits including Quake 2 & 3, Unreal Tournament, Mass Effect 3, God of War 3, and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided) brought the filth and the danger to battle cues. Borderlands series stalwart Raison Varner contributed outlandish battle tracks and, alongside Tim Larkin (DOTA 2, Artifact), saw to some of the more atmospheric and ambient pieces.
30 tracks from the original soundtrack — including bonus tracks not before released on physical music formats — have been specially remastered for vinyl. Two 180g LPs come in a wide spined gatefold sleeve. Sleeve artwork was produced in collaboration with Gearbox’s Borderlands art team.
Check out our interview with former Borderlands music director Raison Varner about his favourite cues from the series.
Borderlands 3 DLC soundtracks
Digital albums (links)
Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck
Bounty of Blood
Takedown At The Guardian Breach
Revenge of the Cartels
Guns, Love and Tentacles
Black Future '88
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Vinyl LP
SUPERSCARYSNAKES went back to the past’s alternative future, creating a slapping soundtrack in the process. The frenetic roguelike sees players shoot their way to the top of a procedurally generated tower to defeat its insane owner — but they only have 18 minutes before their heart explodes! Neon energy rays cut through the nuclear rain and smog filling the air, while deadly robots block the player’s ascent.
The game’s creator, Don Bellenger, has also crafted a scintillating set of electronica bangers under the alias SKYMELT. Smothered in synths, it’s a score that calls to mind a dystopian future as envisaged in an alternative past (Bandcamp album.) Driving four-to-the-floor cuts sit beside slower, skyscraper-sized tracks. This isn’t just Cyberpunk. This isn’t just Synthwave. It’s Synth-Punk.
13 tracks have been specially mastered for vinyl and pressed onto a traditional black, heavyweight 180g LP. Sleeve artwork is by 2D artist Zac Bolubasz (artstation.com/sneb), also the game’s lead artist. The sleeve has a special metallic gold and silver finish and is printed on Mirri board.
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
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Triple LP & CD
Our three-way alliance with Creative Assembly and SEGA gave rise to this deluxe triple vinyl and double CD.
THREE KINGDOMS is the first in the award-winning Total War series to recreate epic conflict across ancient China. Combining a gripping turn-based campaign of empire-building and conquest with stunning real-time battles, THREE KINGDOMS redefined the series in an age of heroes and legends.
Music composition is headed up by Creative Assembly Audio Director Richard Beddow, with Richard Birdsall, Tim Wynn and Simon Ravn rounding out the music team. Informed by Chinese music specialists, the orchestral soundtrack is laced with traditional instruments and musical harmony, transporting players to a time of honour and struggle, division and dynasties. Featured ensembles include the Sofia Session Orchestra and the FILMharmonic Orchestra.
For the vinyl, 40 tracks will be pressed onto three 180g discs in transparent red and housed in a triple gatefold sleeve with an additional insert.
The double CD features an expanded 47 tracks, and comes in a gatefold sleeve with booklet.
Sleeve artwork was created by illustrator Lulu Zhang (artstation.com/lulu_zhang) and designer Matt Wright (behance.net/mattwright.)
Terraria (shipped 2021)
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Triple LP
Limited (green discs) & Standard (black) editions
Re-Logic and Laced Records proudly present the music of Terraria on deluxe triple vinyl. 60 tracks have been remastered specially for vinyl, and will be pressed to heavyweight 180g discs. These will be presented in a deluxe triple gatefold sleeve featuring custom artwork from the artists at Re-Logic that is not available anywhere else.
The Limited Edition features green discs, and is exclusive to the Laced Records store. The Standard Edition sports traditional black LPs.
Since launching in 2011 Terraria has expanded across multiple platforms and gone on to sell nearly 34 million copies. For over nine years players have explored, battled and built across multiple biomes, expressing their creativity using the game’s sandbox mechanics and challenging themselves against nightmarish bosses. In 2020, an enormous update dubbed ‘Journey’s End’ was rolled out, marking the game’s official completion in terms of features.
Over the life of the game, composer Scott Lloyd Shelly has produced hours of beloved soundtrack music, mixing chiptune with orchestral, rock, and other synthesised elements to create a bubbly and vibrant signature sound for Terraria.
6-Siege Fifth Anniversary Collection (shipped 2021)
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Double LP
Black and white discs
Here's to a successful operation...
Ubisoft and Laced Records have joined forces to create a special double soundtrack vinyl in celebration of the fifth anniversary of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
Before there was PUBG and Fortnite, tactical multiplayer shooter Siege enjoyed a quiet launch in mid-2015. The tense Attackers versus Defenders break-and-clear gameplay saw players doing as much tactical planning in advance as reactive shooting in the moment. Thanks to rock solid gameplay, consistent developer support and a rabid core fanbase, the game grew and grew to become one of the most popular shooters in the world with 10s of millions of players and a thriving esports scene.
Initial lead composers Paul Haslinger (formerly of Tangerine Dream) and Ben Frost (TV show Dark) delivered a taught and atmospheric electronic score for the game on launch. They were later joined by Jon Opstad, Will Bates and Danny Cocke, who contributed score music for the five subsequent years of content.
29 tracks have been specially mastered for vinyl. Original sleeve artwork was created by artists from the Siege community.
The vinyl set sports two audiophile-quality, heavyweight 180g discs in black and white. These will be housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve.
The Red Strings Club
CHECK AVAILABILITY VIA DEVOLVER DIGITAL STORE
Double LP
A hacker and an android walk into a bar.
Bartender says: "The Red Strings Club soundtrack's getting the wax treatment."
"Features 15 tracks by fingerspit (Bandcamp) specially mastered for vinyl and pressed onto heavyweight 180g red LPs."
"Gatefold sleeve art is by comic artist and illustrator Miquel Muerto."
"Get it… Or don't. It's your life."
Disc Room
SOLD OUT
Custom buzz saw LP
Remember: Dodge, Duck, Dip, Die, Ditto!
Laced Records and Devolver Digital teamed up to forge this custom buzz saw-shaped silver vinyl housed in a printed PVC outer sleeve. 16 tracks by doseone (Enter The Gungeon) have been mastered specially for vinyl. Sleeve art is by Terri Vellmann (High Hell.)
The hardcore dodge’em’up Disc Room sees players having to navigate a sprawling, maze-like intergalactic slaughterhouse where it’s the scientist — not the mouse — who must try to escape. The game is a collaboration between Kitty Calis & Jan Willem Nijman (Minit), Terri Vellmann and Adam Drucker (aka doseone.)
Only 300 copies of this LP were made in a strictly limited pressing.
Digital titles
Digital album (Spotify; all links)
Point-and-click game Beyond A Steel Sky is a long-awaited sequel to the mid-‘90s cyberpunk cult classic Beneath A Steel Sky. Alistair Kerley’s orchestral soundtrack is impossibly mature and majestic, calling back to classic sci-fi cinema works by John Williams for Star Wars and James Horner for Star Trek. The textured score is at turns playful, mysterious, sorrowful, and tense, with “Opening and Union City Theme” showing off both the composer’s restraint and melodic craftsmanship.
Digital album (Spotify; all links)
WARHAMMER & WARHAMMER 40,000 series
Digital albums (All links)
Necromunda: Underhive Wars
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War II
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War III
Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Warhammer: Chaosbane
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada II
Space Hulk: Deathwing
Space Hulk: Tactics
Mordheim: City Of The Damned
Dark Future: Blood Red States
RUNESCAPE series
Digital albums (All links)
RuneScape: Darkmeyer (OSRS)
RuneScape: Archaeology
RuneScape: Songs Of The Elves (OSRS)
RuneScape: Land Out Of Time
RuneScape: Desperate Measures
RuneScape: Theatre of Blood
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