Soundtracks

When I first decided to write this article I wanted to call it "Perfect Dark," since that's what I found myself listening to when I woke up this morning. Perfect Dark is the name of a video game I enjoyed playing when I was younger. It wasn't just the game-play alone that stood out; there were visuals from the game, memories and experiences with people who may have been involved, and most relevant the immediate, surrounding environments during the time that made it fun and reflective. There were others such as both Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough from the James Bond 007 series along with NBA Live 99 that also have enjoyable soundtracks, but my point is to emphasize how these 'tracks' accumulate and extend beyond in-game tunes and when applied with other elements, have a powerful influence in life.

Perfect Dark has one of my favorite music themes. I found the background theme at the menu screen strong and meaningful. When I think of it i'm reminded of one of my first times playing the game. I was in New York state at my friend Ray's house. It would usually be Ray, myself and possibly one other person. I later bought the game for myself and couldn't wait to get home and turn it on, simply to hear that opening track. Similar to the other games of note we would do multi-player, which means others could hook their hand controllers to the console and we'd all play, or take turns. The tune at the main menu alone reminded me of the entire experience, so much that I look back and appreciate everything that came with it- Ray, the game, even the other music which was just as memorable. In the case of the James Bond games there were so many "stages" with excellent themes, but even the beginning stage of Goldeneye flashes back to my childhood and makes me smile. I'm reminded of the opening scene before game-play, my hometown surrounding environment, and made me even curious about the Federation of Russia. It led to me gaining an interest in the entire James Bond series and studying the history of the KGB (Russia's secret service), the Berlin Wall, and the Korean War, let alone the Cold War. The theme for "Night Watch" in The World is Not Enough is one of the most meditative tracks i've ever listened to, and reminds me of scenes from the film of the same name, along with other childhood experiences and where I aspire to be in life. NBA Live 99 with its jazz theme not only reminded me of basketball at that time, but also the great evenings I would sit down to play. The track in the opening sequence of this game still plays out in my mind, and that was over 2 decades ago!

You would be surprised by how much of an impact certain tracks can have on your life. However, there is something very special to me about the themes heard in video games. I think of even Fighting Force, X-Men, True Crime: Streets of L.A., just to add several more. Like myself, I notice people appear as though they're into the games when in reality their minds may just be traveling, courtesy of background tunes. As popular musical artists get more involved they can make actual game-play more exciting but on a deeper level, your life may be transformed by the power and influence of the accompanying soundtracks.

Thank you for reading!

This article was written and edited by Cedric Denson as a product of CollegeWorld, LLC