I’m happy to announce that today the Elden Ring soundtrack is available on streaming services around the world. This 67-track album includes all of the music we composed for the game, which saw full-scale production begin when the score was first composed for use in the first E3 trailer (2019).
During production, we were very mindful of key words and phrases such as “an epic tale”, “coldness and resilience” and “eloquence”, as we wanted the music to reflect the fact that this was something something different from the Dark Souls series. or Bloodborne.
For much of the production, the process begins with a briefing provided by the director. The brief outlines the desired mood and imagery for the piece, including information on a character’s background or envisioned location/situation for the battle music. We refer to this text, concept designs, and in-game screenshots, allowing us to expand on the original vision and build the track. Once the track is completed, it is submitted to the director for comments. Through multiple retakes, we can then deepen our ideas, refine the composition, and adjust it until it’s complete. We also recorded with a full orchestra and singers for the Elden Ring score. The orchestrator and performers did an absolutely marvelous job.
One track, “Song of Honor”, plays at Redmane Castle before the Radahn Festival. We originally planned to record this track with only the members of the choir. However, we realized that a gathering place for many mercenaries and soldiers would not necessarily be filled with skillful singers. We wanted to try a direction that didn’t specialize in vocal music, so as a hasty request, we asked the members of the horn section if they could play the part for us. They gladly accepted the idea, and I’m extremely grateful for that, because we ended up getting a fantastic recording from them that was perfect for a warrior song.
The song I’m most emotionally attached to should be the main theme, “Elden Ring”.
This composition had to represent the game in its entirety; it had to express something different from our previous titles. We spent a lot of time obsessing over and refining the detail and tonal qualities of this piece, and I think as a result we achieved something that embodied the themes of the game and became a strong directional pillar for the rest. music. I think we did a good bit for when players start the game, sparking their motivation and excitement to embark on their journey to become Elden Lord.
You can listen to the entire soundtrack album here.