June is Music Month here at Bookmans and we’re putting the spotlight on one genre that doesn’t get enough attention. Video game soundtracks make great background music for work and play because they are designed to enhance the setting and mood of a game, while not distracting from the gameplay experience. We use some of our favorite soundtracks to set the mood for our work, while we are in the office, as well as when relaxing at home in the tub. We present to you a few great video game soundtracks to use as background music for your life.

soundtracks

  1. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Skyrim is one of the best RPGs of all time and part of what makes it so great is the phenominal soundtrack by Jeremy Soule. The game is designed for long hours of wandering the wilds and the score provides background music that enhances the mystery and wonder of the landscape, while never feeling repetitive or boring. Jeremy Soule mixes new age and ambient music with celtic and viking folk to map out the cultures of Skyrim. If you purchase the 4-disc complete soundtrack, the last disc has one 4-hour-long track called “Skyrim Atmospheres” that is nothing but ambient sounds (birds, trees swaying in the wind, rain) of the game which is great if you want something soothing and natural to listen to, especially when you’re stuck in the office all day.

  1. Katamari Damacy

The Katamari games are a wonderful oddity. The game is centered on rolling around a large, sticky ball that picks up everything around it, increasing in size depending on how much you pick up, and the artwork and setting is bright and colorful. The Katamari series has the happiest soundtracks I’ve ever heard. You can’t help but feel good listening to the Katamari soundtrack. The songs are poppy, jazzy and bright, and fill you with joy. If you need music to pick you up out of the dumps, any Katamari soundtrack will do.

  1. Chrono Cross

Chrono Cross is a wonderful, imaginative game from the glory days of SquareEnix, and the soundtrack is one of the best RPG soundtracks out there. The music is diverse and exotic and brings to mind fanciful worlds and fantastic creatures. The use of many exotic instruments give the game a very different feel from most medieval fantasy settings. This soundtrack makes great travel music, because it evokes the feeling of exciting adventures in foreign locales.

  1. Journey

Journey was one of the those rare games that was just as much a work of fine art as it was a game. At once heartbreaking and uplifting, the journey of the traveler is accompanied by low strings and mysterious, almost Tibetan-like bells that speak of the epic journey the traveler is on. It is lovely music for meditating or just general relaxing.

  1. Mass Effect 2

Being a game that takes place in the future of space exploration, the soundtrack for Mass Effect 2 is quite a departure of the the fantasy inspired soundtracks of the above titles. Heavy on the synth and electronica, it is neither too subtle nor too invasive which makes great background music if you’re more into progressive electronic music than high fantasy strings and flutes.

All of our Bookmans locations have a great Soundtrack and Score selection. Please check your favorite store for title availability. Discover a new “Soundtrack of your life” today!