It’s good to be back, Ladies and Gents! It’s been a long time since an article of mine graced the front page, but I’m back and bringing an old friend with me – the Weekly Audio Spotlight!
To recap, this feature is about showcasing an album, artist, or track that we here at TOH feel deserves a spot (or a few) on your music playlists. This week, the spotlight shines on composer Jake Kaufman.
This gem is from the soundtrack of the downloadable 3DS game, Mighty Switch Force. Kaufman composed the soundtrack in its’ entirety and though I’ve never played the game, the soundtrack itself makes a great case for giving it a try. Unfortunately for me it’s a 3DS title, so I’ll have to stick with the OST for now.
Then there’s Bloodrayne: Betrayal, a slightly better known game (likely because it’s on PSN/XBL). Though there have been mixed reviews about the game’s new take on the Bloodrayne series (I enjoyed it), I’ve heard no such review debating that the powerful soundtrack (composed by none other than Jake Kaufman, of course) wasn’t completely fitting of the game’s tone.
Hell, I bump some of these tracks while I dungeon crawl in Diablo 3.
But that’s not the best part, readers. While some game soundtracks we shine light on may be difficult or even impossible to track down without ripping the audio from the game yourself, Mr. Kaufman is prudent enough to conveniently offer all the soundtracks he’s composed from his bandcamp page. He even allows you to name your price when purchasing them (even if it’s $0)!
We’re all about increasing exposure to VGM, and it’s great to see a composer in the business of making their game soundtracks freely accessible to the public. Now that’s a gesture (and artist) we can appreciate, and wholeheartedly support. Hats off to you Jake Kaufman!
P.S. – This special episode goes out to a particular enthusiastic (if a bit misguided) friend of ours. I’m naming no names, but you know who you are, and this one’s for you!
