Ever since hearing Snoop Dogg’s incendiary “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang” used to peerless gangsta effect on Grand Theft Auto I realised gaming soundtracks had the potential to create the same sort of exposure for bands and musicians as having a track featured in a movie or tv commercial. Major gaming releases in particular have the ability to reach an enormous audience of listeners.
Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez contributed to the soundtrack for the much-hyped, highly-anticipated Rockstar Games release, Red Dead Redemption with the track “Far Away” – which anyone who’s played the game as far as crossing into Mexico will recognise. It plays when John Marston first reaches Mexico, riding horseback along a dusty trail between cascading red cliffs and the San Luis River; definitely one of Red Dead’s most visually and sonically memorable moments.
Jose recently performed an acoustic version of “Far Away” at Rockstar offices in New York:
One the movies we are most looking forward to in the coming months is Darren Aronofsky’s ballet thriller Black Swan starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. Nat plays a veteran ballet dancer with Mila playing her rival and it also stars Winona freaking Ryder. Rapture! The Mulleavy sisters from Rodarte have the task of creating the costumes and the first glimpses of their creations on Natalie have come out – along with the news that Black Swan will premiere at Venice Film Festival in September.
