The march of change doesn’t stop for anything or for anyone. But, luckily, what it has nearly inevitably brought with it is technological progress. Want to really get a feel for just how much things have improved? Entertainment, especially the way of consuming music and playing games, tends to give you the clearest measure of what we’ve gained.
You’ll need a base mark, naturally, in order to make your judgment. So, why not feast your eyes and ears upon, for example, games and their soundtracks made just a couple of decades ago? Yes, you’ll find them under names like “retro” if you go searching through a digital store, or, if you’re brave enough, through actual shelves. So, what exactly have we lost and gained?
Dren McDonald is a composer that specializes in modern game soundtracks. Having heard some of his works, I’m comfortable in saying that McDonald is one of those rare examples of people who understand modern entertainment, but also have an appreciation for its vintage versions. He gets it! He knows why folks still play computer games, and these insights feed into his music.
The vast majority of us play computer games not primarily as a way to prove our skill, but as a method to get lost, even for a while, in a world that makes more sense than our real one. And, yes, computer games have evolved, as has the ability to experience them. We don’t play for high scores, but first of all, because of the comfort it brings. We play because it reminds us of childhood, creates an internal universe where there’s no strife.
McDonald feels this as well, and is one of those rare artists who can express it through his work. “Stay: Forever Home Vol. 2 Cozy (Original Game Soundtrack)” is a piece of soothing modern pop art. But it also has a clear mission. As the name might suggest, this is the aural accompaniment to the pet simulator game “Stay: Forever Home.”
The indie game itself rewards players for building a relationship with their magical pet. Its visuals and the game’s pacing are deliberately designed to offer relief from the daily grind and the constant turmoil of daily life.
And, while even without having played the game, you can easily imagine the images that would fit the music, frankly, Dren McDonald’s music functions very well on its own. A kind of blissed-out, modern Tangerine Dream or Ash Ra Tempel for the Digital Generation, pieces of music like “A Home Between,” “Under the Mossling Bridge,” or “A Floating Portal in My Room,” should easily fit into your playlists dedicated to deep study or meditation. You’ll even hear the benefits of playing the whole record while sitting at home on a rainy afternoon.
On this musical journey, McDonald is joined by singers Sophia James and Amelie Anna, who let their vocals become something akin instruments in the mixes, like retro-sounding synth arpeggios infused with human warmth.
Where does it leave us? A little less in conflict with ourselves. “Stay: Forever Home Vol. 2 Cozy (Original Game Soundtrack)” exists because we still play games in order to lose touch with the ugliness of the world and re-establish a mainline with the beauty of our imagination.
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