The soundtrack for Amnesia: The Dark Descent was composed by independent Finnish video game music composer Mikko Tarmia. It was released for download on the 17th of May, 2011, and contain several tracks never heard in-game.
The soundtrack was originally available for purchase from Mikko Tarmia's personal Bandcamp page, though it is no longer available on that site.
Development[]
Tarmia's work on the soundtrack was his fifth time working with Frictional Games, having worked on the music for all the games in the Penumbra series—including the early tech demo.[1]
Because of the similarities between Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the Penumbra games, he claims to have had an easy time getting started on composing the soundtrack for Amnesia, developing all of the music based on descriptions and concept art sent to him by Jens Nilsson of Frictional Games. He, however, decided to avoid using synthesisers for Amnesia—something that he used quite frequently in the Penumbra series—citing the difference in environments between the games, opting instead for basing all the music on samples from real instruments.[2]
The soundtrack makes use of instruments such as piano, violin, bassoon, and various percussive instruments. The instruments are often heavily distorted and modified, sometimes making them hard to identify as real instruments.[3] Another common feature in the tracks is a choir, which Tarmia used a sample library with a custom word-building function to create.[4]
Track listing[]
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Original Game Soundtrack) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length | |||||||
1. | "Menu Theme" | 1:16 | |||||||
2. | "Darkness" | 1:15 | |||||||
3. | "Lux Tenebras" | 3:22 | |||||||
4. | "Grand Hall" | 1:26 | |||||||
5. | "Ending: Alexander" | 1:52 | |||||||
6. | "Next To The Guardian" | 1:49 | |||||||
7. | "Theme For Unknown" | 3:04 | |||||||
8. | "Dark Water" | 1:17 | |||||||
9. | "Daniel's Room" | 1:07 | |||||||
10. | "Grunt's Appearance" | 1:14 | |||||||
11. | "Back Hall" | 1:22 | |||||||
12. | "Ending: Agrippa" | 1:55 | |||||||
13. | "Suitor Attacks" | 1:14 | |||||||
14. | "Basement Storage" | 2:12 | |||||||
15. | "Brennenburg Theme" | 3:13 | |||||||
16. | "Hub" | 1:33 | |||||||
17. | "Ending: Alexander (Alternative Version)" | 2:12 | |||||||
18. | "Bridges" | 1:05 | |||||||
19. | "The End" | 2:04 | |||||||
Total length: |
34:41 |
In-game tracks[]
Many of the shorter music snippets and ambient tracks heard in-game isn't present on the soundtrack. There are also some tracks that are present in the game files, but never heard in-game or on the official soundtrack.
Ambient tracks[]
These are ambient tracks heard in the background of many levels in Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.
Enemy tracks[]
These tracks play when an enemy is nearby, is attacking the player, or searching for the player.
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.Amnesia: The Dark Descent enemy tracks | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length | |||||||
1. | "Danger – Grunt" | 1:21 | |||||||
2. | "Attack – Grunt" | 1:06 | |||||||
3. | "Search – Grunt" | 1:04 | |||||||
4. | "Danger – Brute" | 1:12 | |||||||
5. | "Attack – Brute" | 1:14 | |||||||
6. | "Search – Brute" | 1:10 | |||||||
7. | "Attack – Guardian" | 1:15 | |||||||
8. | "Danger – Suitor" | 3:34 | |||||||
9. | "Attack – Suitor" | 1:15 | |||||||
10. | "Search – Suitor" | 0:54 | |||||||
Total length: |
15:19 |
Paper tracks[]
These tracks play when certain diary pages or notes are read.
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.
Puzzle tracks[]
These tracks usually play when certain puzzles are completed or found.
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.
Event tracks[]
These tracks play when certain events are triggered.
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.
Ending tracks[]
These tracks play during the game's endings.
All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia.Amnesia: The Dark Descent ending tracks | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Length | |||||||
1. | "Ending – Daniel" | 3:19 | |||||||
2. | "Ending – Alexander" | 1:49 | |||||||
3. | "Ending – Agrippa" | 1:53 | |||||||
Total length: |
7:01 |
Trivia[]
- The phrase "Lux Tenebras" is Latin and translates to "The Light of Darkness". It is played during the revenge ending.
- Lux Tenebras was a working title for what was to become Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
- The Menu Theme is also played in the Choir.
- The songs Theme for the Unknown and Brennenburg Theme are both made by Mikko Tarmia, but were never in the game.
- The song Back Hall is different from the version that actually plays in the game.
- The song Basement Storage is longer than the version that plays in-game.
External links[]
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Original Video Game Soundtrack) on Amazon Music
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Original Video Game Soundtrack) on Apple Music
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Original Video Game Soundtrack) on Bandcamp (no longer functional)
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Original Video Game Soundtrack) on Spotify
References[]
- ↑ Developer commentary node in the Cellar Archives.
- ↑ "Making of Amnesia – Mikko Tarmia, Composer". YouTube. Retrieved 2 October 2020. Published 30 August 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYvRjiaKVew.
- ↑ Developer commentary node in the Cellar Archives.
- ↑ Developer commentary node in the Inner Sanctum
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