Here’s a rundown of everything Laced Records announced in 2023, including vinyl soundtracks for Hi-Fi RUSH, Devil May Cry, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Quake II and many more.
Thanks so much to everyone who supported the label throughout 2023! Listed below is everything we announced in the calendar year (although some titles will ship in 2024.)
Extra special thanks — as ever — to mastering wizard Joe Caithness, who expertly prepares all our soundtracks for release on vinyl and streaming platforms.
Except for the Devolver Digital titles, all Limited Edition colour variants listed below are exclusive to the Laced store and won't be repressed. There is always a chance of new variants in future, or Standard Edition black disc represses.
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SCORN
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To complement the visceral, nightmarish Giger- and Beksiński-inspired art design, Scorn’s composers created an ambient soundtrack that blurs the line between sound design and music. Brian Williams, aka Lustmord, is often credited for creating the dark ambient genre, and has arranged two whole-side suites of his cues for Scorn. His pieces slowly unfurl in a broodily meditative way, resonating with emptiness and loss. Adis Kutkut contributed under the alias Aethek, delivering oppressive, sci-fi-industrial tracks filled with deep synth pads, twisted harmonics, and metallic sounds triggering cavernous reverbs.
Double LP
- 14 tracks from the atmospheric first-person horror adventure game
- Two heavyweight black vinyl
- Deluxe gatefold sleeve
- Art by Ebb Software
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
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Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s EDM and rock soundtrack threw up some mighty music moments: few boss battle themes go as hard as dubstep banger “War Maker” (aka “Cold-Blooded”) as your rag-tag team finally get to take on Mabuchi; or “Receive You The Hyperactive” kicking into gear as Majima flips down the stairs with Saejima in tow.
It took an entire family of talent to produce the OST, led by RGG Studio stalwarts Hidenori Shoji and Chihiro Aoki. Other contributors included, among others, Hyd Lunch (Yasuyuki Matsuzaki & Hiroaki Watanabe), Yuri Fukuda, 83key (Shunsuke Yasaki) and ZENTA; while karaoke songs were created by Shoji-san, Fukuda-san, Kiyo and ZENTA with lyrics by Ryosuke Horii and vocals by Kazuhiro Nakaya, Nobuhiko Okamoto and Sumire Uesaka (performing as Ichiban, Zhao and Saeko, respectively.)
5LP box set
Limited and Standard Editions
- Rigid board slip case
- Deluxe 3mm spined disc sleeves
- Maroon, orange, navy, green and pink marble-effect heavyweight LPs
- Complete 72-track OST from the 2020 hit RPG
Double LP
- Printed inner sleeves in a widespined outer sleeve
- Maroon and green heavyweight LPs
- 27 tracks from the 2020 hit RPG
Gears of War: Judgment
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For the fourth Gears of War game, composers Steve Jablonsky (Gears of War 2 and 3) and Jacob Shea produced a simmering, industrial soundscape made up of huge-sounding synths, crunchy guitar tones and sparing orchestral elements. Tightly structured, emotionally taut cues soundtracked a story framed by Damon Baird and Kilo Squad’s military tribunal.
Double LP
- 30 tracks on deep red and deep blue heavyweight LPs
- Deluxe gatefold sleeve
Gears of War: Judgment is now streaming via Spotify, Apple Music + more music services: https://lnk.to/SJJS-GoWJ
Sifu
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30 tracks from the kung fu brawler have been specially remastered for the format, to be pressed to heavyweight discs in black and red. Sleeve artwork is by the Sloclap team, with art direction by Paul-Emile Boucher and illustration by Servane Altermatt and Chen-Yang Hsu.
Howie Lee is a consummate creative, a visual artist and experimental club music producer-DJ unafraid to fuse traditional Chinese instrumental palettes with sampled and synthesised electronic elements. Sifu’s brutal musical blend helps keep players on the razor’s edge — truly the result of mastery through practice. Gongs, gamelan, bamboo flute and big Chinese percussion sets interlace with the sounds of dub, techno and drum and bass in a soundtrack that bristles with tension and revenge.
Double LP
- 30 tracks from the 2022 kung fu brawler
- Black and Red heavyweight LPs
- Deluxe gatefold sleeve
Devil May Cry
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These sets feature stunning new sleeve artwork by illustrator and Devil May Cry superfan StelarPidgin. Dante, Trish, Mundus and Nelo Angelo are all represented either in famous poses or during memorable in-game moments.
Providing Slammin' Beats for the series’ first outing were Masami Ueda (Resident Evil series, Okami, Viewtiful Joe), Masato Kouda (Darkstalkers, Monster Hunter, Resident Evil Outbreak) and Misao Senbongi (Resident Evil series). The soundtrack is a genre-blending master class, switching from rock to techno to ambient to multiple other musical palettes. It all serves to support the on-screen aesthetic fusion of grungy biker bars, late-’90s/early-’00s trench coat-action movies and vampire-hunting TV shows, and heightened gothic imagery.
4LP box set
Limited and Standard Editions
- (Limited Edition) Four A-side/B-side effect LPs in red, orange, pink and purple
- Deluxe 3mm spined disc sleeves
- Rigid board slip case
- 73 tracks from the 2001 stylish action game
Double LP
- Transparent red and ochre LPs
- Wide-spined sleeve + printed inner sleeves
- 34 tracks from the 2001 stylish action game
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
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Guillaume David’s soundtrack has garnered praise for its impossibly grandiose atmosphere, achieved through the brilliant blending of real church organ, choir, synthesisers and other electronic elements. One mustn’t be fooled by mentions of the organ or mechanical-religious overtones of the game though: David is also unafraid to drop heavy beats, with deep grooves to be found on tracks including “Warriors of Mars”, “Millennial Rage” and “Noosphere”. Numerous ‘reacts’ videos online attest to the overawing power of the score, both in its immediacy and depth.
Double LP
- 11 remastered tracks from the 2018 turn-based tactics video game
- Red and green cloudy heavyweight discs cut at 45RPM
- Deluxe gatefold sleeve
- Spot gloss UV on front cover
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
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Talk about a composer dream team — the credits of Yoko Shimomura, Grant Kirkhope and Gareth Coker speak for themselves. 35-year veteran Shimomura-san has touched many of the most beloved series including Street Fighter, Mario RPG, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and more. Kirkhope has created some of the most recognisable and beloved soundtracks in gaming, including GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie and Viva Piñata. The relative newcomer of the trio, Coker has amassed an enviable credits list, helming the Ori and Ark series as well as working on Minecraft and Halo Infinite.
The three talents were tactically deployed across the score by audio director Romain Brillaud, bringing different orchestral and electronic sensibilities to the game. Kirkhope retained his ‘friendly-epic’ sound from Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and was assigned the narrative and character elements of the sequel’s soundtrack. Nothing can rouse the troops quite like Shimomura-san’s stirring piano and orchestral style, and she typically wrote Sparks of Hope’s battle cues. Coker helped bring new colours and emotions to specific settings in the game as well as some boss fights, touching on styles including French impressionism to enrich the score. The whole OST is remarkably cohesive, aided by joint orchestral recording sessions that took place in Tokyo, Japan.
Legendary Nintendo composer Koji Kondo and Super Mario Galaxy co-composer Mahito Yokota supervised the soundtrack.
MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE © 2022 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Rabbids, Sparks of Hope, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. Nintendo properties are licensed to Ubisoft Entertainment by Nintendo. SUPER MARIO characters © Nintendo. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo.
Triple LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- The complete 52-track soundtrack from the 2022 tactics game
- Laced-exclusive Limited Galactic Edition
- Three heavyweight galaxy-effect discs in sky blue, orange and blurple
- Widespined outer sleeve
- Spined inner sleeves
- Artwork by Ubisoft Milan
Sludge Life 1+2 (Devolver title)
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The Sludge Life duology is the contaminated brainchild of Vellmann and Adam “doseone” Drucker, with the latter handling the games’ writing, music and audio. doseone’s quirked-out, kick-heavy music across both games keeps players submerged in the hazy vibes of everyone's favorite potently polluted island.
Triple LP
- 46 tracks from the open-world vandalism duology
- Deluxe gatefold sleeve
- Three milky clear heavyweight LPs
7" vinyl set
- BIG MUD: SKY SCRAPE / DOUBLE BUBBLE
- Two solid blue colour 7” discs
- Four bangers by BIG MUD from Sludge Life 2
- Two unspined sleeves with artwork by Terri Vellmann
Hi-Fi RUSH
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The 4LP box set has been designed by Tango Gameworks’ formidable art team. The rigid slipcase features Chai and 808, while the inner sleeves highlight Chai’s Assist allies, including Peppermint, Macaron, CNMN, and Korsica.
Revealed to the public in an audacious shadow-drop, Hi-Fi RUSH was a breath of fresh air, harkening back to the early 2000s with its vibrant visuals and goofy humour. The game marries rhythm game and character action game mechanics, with the whole environment of the Vandelay Technologies campus literally bopping to the beat.
As it is for protagonist Chai, music is at the heart of Hi-Fi RUSH. The game’s substantial music team, including The Glass Pyramids, Shuichi Kobori, REO, Masatoshi Yanagi and Hi-Fi RUSH Game Director John Johanas, went all out for infectiously energetic rock. Immense riffs and propulsive drumming played an essential part in maintaining the tension and excitement of the whole experience and keeping players laser focused on the pulse.
4LP box set
Limited and Standard Editions
- Heavyweight multicoloured splatter LPs
- Rigid slipcase and printed inner sleeves
- 42 tracks from the 2023 rhythm action game
- Includes Streamer Mode alternate boss songs
- Artwork by Tango Gameworks
Quake II
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The bulk of the soundtrack was created by Sascha Dikiciyan aka Sonic Mayhem and his then production partner, David Alexander — their first game project among an enviably long credits list. Having caught id Software’s ear with unofficial Quake album "Methods of Destruction", Sonic Mayhem went on to develop Quake II’s trademark aggro-industrial metal sound. The killer riffs, repeated for effect, urge players forward through the Strogg city and beyond, a trail of gibs in their wake. Jer Sypult’s “Climb” complements the selection with its driving industrial groove.
Double LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- Exclusive Limited Edition: two solid red and orange A-side/B-side effect LPs
- 19 tracks from the 1997 first-person shooter
- Sleeve artwork by id Software and Jason Williford
Homeworld Remastered
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As the developers at Relic Entertainment busily crafted the grand space strategy of 1999’s Homeworld, series composer Paul Ruskay was left largely to his own devices in crafting the now iconic score. He took diverse inspiration from Vangelis’ score for Blade Runner, Brian Eno, the sampling of traditional instruments from all over the globe by Algerian DJ Cheb i Sabbah, and ambient electronica duo Delirium. Homeworld’s score was born of limitations thanks to Ruskay’s “primitive setup” of synthesiser, sampler and sequencer — at the time his Studio X Labs were being built around him — and this forced him to produce instinctive, live mixes.
During the Homeworld Remastered Collection restoration process, Ruskay dug out the original music DAT tapes out of a shoe box, dusted off decade-old Pro Tool Studio sessions, and had uncompressed versions made of all tracks. Subtle, faithful musical elements were added to help widen the mixes of the first Homeworld, before it was then mindfully remixed and sequenced.
Double LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- 37 remastered tracks from the pioneering space RTS title
- Limited Edition featuring two orange galaxy effect heavyweight discs
- Silver laminated widespined outer sleeve
- Printed inner sleeves
- Artwork by Relic Entertainment and Gearbox Entertainment
Homeworld 2 Remastered
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Series composer Paul Ruskay was left largely to his own devices in crafting the now iconic sound of Homeworld. He took diverse inspiration from Vangelis’ score for Blade Runner, Brian Eno, and the sampling of traditional instruments from all over the globe by Algerian DJ Cheb i Sabbah. For the subsequent Homeworld titles, Ruskay moved towards rich, live recorded instruments, including elegant but intense strings, and traditional Indian singing and instrumentation.
During the Homeworld Remastered Collection restoration process, Ruskay dug out the original music DAT tapes out of a shoe box, dusted off decade-old Pro Tool Studio sessions, and had uncompressed versions made of all tracks. Tracks were then mindfully remixed and sequenced.
Triple LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- 58 remastered tracks from the pioneering space RTS sequel
- Limited Edition featuring three smoky grey galaxy effect heavyweight discs
- Silver laminated widespined outer sleeve
- Printed inner sleeves
- Artwork by Relic Entertainment and Gearbox Entertainment
Homeworld, Homeworld 2 and Deserts of Kharak albums now streaming
ALL THE LINKS
Hitman: Codename 47
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Agent 47 is no stranger to carefully placed needles…
Hitman: Codename 47 was a relatively early score for Jesper Kyd, now a world-renowned, award-winning video game composer. It was as part of the European Demo Scene that Kyd first worked with the eventual founders of IO Interactive, going on to score their stealth-action debut. Despite the memory constraints of the DirectMusic system at the time, Kyd delivered a simmering combination of ambient and cinematic music. His signature sound of grand melodies set against groove-based electronica is in evidence here, especially in the hypnotic main title track.
Double LP
Limited and Standard Editions
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12 tracks from the 2000 stealth-action game
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Sealed mailer marked “classified”
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Laced-exclusive Limited Edition
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Half/half effect heavyweight LPs in black & white and green & white
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Deluxe double gatefold sleeve
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Brand new illustrations by Daniel Weisz
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
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Jesper Kyd and the team at IO Interactive agreed to change instrumental direction for the intentionally more grand and mainstream sequel Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. Plunging headfirst into the world of orchestral melodrama, Kyd worked with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and Hungarian Radio Choir to imbue the second Hitman game with a sense of strife and splendour. His signature style is still intact in the live recorded orchestrations: strong melodies, catchy rhythms and harmonic influences from all over the globe. The early series’ trademark groovy electronica fills out the soundtrack, incorporating world music elements to suit 47’s globetrotting escapades.
Double LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- 20 tracks from the 2002 stealth-action game
- Sealed mailer marked “classified”
- Laced-exclusive Limited Edition
- Half/half effect heavyweight LPs in black & white and deep red & gold
- Deluxe double gatefold sleeve
- Brand new illustrations by Daniel Weisz
- Additional composition and arrangement by Pierre Földes
Final Symphony (repress)
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The original Final Symphony programme explores music from some of the most popular historical Final Fantasy titles, scored in the main by Nobuo Uematsu. Roger Wanamo and Jonne Valtonen created resplendent arrangements including a Final Fantasy VI symphonic poem and full symphony based on the unforgettable Final Fantasy VII score. Final Fantasy X co-composer Masashi Hamauzu returned to that score to craft a stormy piano concerto.
The album recording was made in 2014 at Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Katharina Treutler.
Triple LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- Limited Edition blue and purple A-side/B-side effect heavyweight LPs
- Revised sleeve design from 2016 pressing
- Widespined outer sleeve with printed spined inner sleeves
- 7 concert pieces inc. “Continue?”, “Fight, Fight, Fight” & “Suteki da ne”
- Music by Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu & Jonne Valtonen
- Arrangements by Jonne Valtonen, Roger Wanamo and Masashi Hamauzu
- Recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studios
Final Symphony II
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Final Symphony II explores more beloved music from the Final Fantasy series. Rich, deft arrangements of Nobuo Uematsu’s work for FF5, 8 & 9 were created by Roger Wanamo and Jonne Valtonen; Masashi Hamauzu arranged a suite based on his towering original score for Final Fantasy XIII; and Valtonen contributed the mood-setting opening piece “In a Roundabout Way - Fanfare”.
Pianist Mischa Cheung takes centre stage for the Final Fantasy IX suite “For the People of Gaia” and solo arrangement “You Are Not Alone”.
Triple LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- Limited Edition deep red and off-white A-side/B-side effect heavyweight LPs
- Widespined outer sleeve with printed spined inner sleeves
- 7 concert pieces inc. “You Are Not Alone”, “Battle at the Big Bridge” & “Final Fantasy Main Theme”
- Music by Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu & Jonne Valtonen
- Arrangements by Roger Wanamo, Jonne Valtonen and Masashi Hamauzu
- Recorded at Konserthuset Stockholm
Lords of the Fallen (2023)
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The Lords of the Fallen soundtrack is a sumptuously recorded dark fantasy masterpiece. It draws upon the melodrama of Romantic opera; the requiem masses of Mozart and co; the dissonant strife of modernist 20th Century classical; and the great horror movie soundtracks.
Composition duties were divided between multiple award-winning composers Cris Velasco and Knut Avenstroup Haugen to achieve a unique timbre for each faction and realm in the game. Music for the Rhogar faction (handled by Velasco) is raw and violent, with guttural vocalisations, pitched-down instruments, and processed human breathing used as a rhythmic device.
Avenstroup Haugen was assigned to score the Radiant/Attestants faction, with his cues more sweeping and evocative of fervent worship with a sinister undertone.
The bulk of the live-recorded elements were performed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra and Choir. Vocal soloists include soprano Eurielle and contralto Jess Dandy. Principal cellist of the London Symphony Orchestra, David Cohen, was recruited to express the melancholy of the world of Axiom. Keen listeners may recognise flautist Tony Hinnigan’s distinctive sound from some of the biggest Hollywood scores (Titanic, Avatar.)
Triple LP
Exclusive and Standard Editions
- 36 tracks from the soundtrack to 2023 dark fantasy action-RPG
- Exclusive Edition - transparent blue vinyl
- Deluxe 3mm spined disc sleeves
- Widespined outer sleeve
- Artwork by HEXWORKS
The Lords of the Fallen soundtrack is now streaming via Spotify, Apple Music and more music services: https://lnk.to/lordsofthefallen-soundtrack
The Outlast Trials
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Composer Tom Salta (Deathloop, PUBG, Halo) is a master of modern and traditional scoring techniques and is renowned for his ability to metamorphose his musical persona. The musical palette utilised in The Outlast Trials ranges from haunting orchestral compositions to the depths of dark organic and synthetic textures, culminating in moments of pure aural pandemonium. Salta's incorporation of unnerving diegetic music — spanning eerie pastiches of mid-century styles — creates an unsettling contrast that deepens the overall experience of the score. The Outlast Trials soundtrack is a spine-tingling journey through the very essence of fear and despair.
Double LP
Limited and Standard Editions
- 35 tracks from the soundtrack to the co-op multiplayer horror game
- Limited Edition ‘bloodshed red’ vinyl
- Printed inner disc sleeves
- Widespined outer sleeve
The Outlast Trials soundtrack is now streaming via Spotify, Apple Music and more music services: https://lnk.to/TomSalta-TOTOS
Demon Throttle (Devolver title)
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ZBW claims to take inspiration from old JRPGs, but he also brings a fiercely modern jazz fusion sensibility to his dizzying chiptune creations. While Demon Throttle’s sound palette adheres to old school chip-generated instruments, the sheer textural and musical variety of the soundtrack is extraordinary. There are innumerable flourishes throughout the score — killer riffs, maze-like chord sequences, time signature changes, mixing tricks, and cheeky pastiches abound.
Double LP
- 20 tracks from the 2022 physical-only, 8-bit-style shooter
- Milky clear heavyweight LPs
- Printed inner sleeves
- Widespined outer sleeve
- Dizzying jazz fusion chiptune score
- ‘90s throwback sleeve art by Beefstrong
Digital titles now streaming
