Music of L.A. Noire

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The music for the 2011 neo-noir detective video game L.A. Noire, developed by Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, was composed by musicians Andrew Hale and Simon Hale. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, the score also features contributions from Woody Jackson, who had collaborated with Rockstar on other projects both previously and since. Andrew Hale felt that composing the game's score was about setting a mood, attempting to compose music that felt accessible to players. The score was inspired by films from the 1940s, though the team avoided specifically composing for this time period, instead opting to focus on that after the music had been produced. Three supplementary vocal recordings were composed by The Real Tuesday Weld and performed by Claudia Brücken; they also sought to fit with the game's setting.

The soundtrack album for L.A. Noire was released in May 2011. A second soundtrack, entitled L.A. Noire Remixed EP, was released on the same day, consisting of six

DJs
. Critical reception to the soundtracks was positive, as reviewers felt that the music connected appropriately with the gameplay and time period. The game's music was nominated for numerous awards.

Production and composition

Rockstar engaged Brücken to perform the game's original vocal tracks, and Jackson to compose additional incidental music.

L.A. Noire features an original score. The game's score accompanies the gameplay, alerting players at specific times; musical cues play when players approach items of interest during investigations.[1] Like other games published by Rockstar, L.A. Noire also contains licensed music tracks provided by an in-game radio. Over thirty songs, from artists such as Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, feature in the game. To work on the score, the team engaged Andrew Hale and Simon Hale.[2] Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, the score was inspired by orchestral scores from 1940s films.[3] Music supervisor Ivan Pavlovich stated that Rockstar's focus on authenticity and realism inspired the composers to reflect the focus in the music. Andrew Hale felt that composing the game's score was a flexible process "about setting a mood", as opposed to a "mechanical" process in which the music was specifically composed to fit with the time frames of the game; the composers decided to focus on the latter after the music was produced. They also attempted to compose something that felt accessible to players, avoiding exclusively focusing on swing or jazz. Andrew Hale felt that the orchestral score assisted in this.[4]

To assist with the score, Rockstar engaged

Bernard Herman, Jackson departed from the existing music and wrote original tracks in about a month.[5] In addition to the original score and licensed tracks, the game also features original vocal recordings that "create an authentic sound to suit the musical identity of the period".[3] When The Real Tuesday Weld were commissioned to compose the original compositions, they sought vocals that could "evoke the period", ultimately falling upon Claudia Brücken. Three vocal tracks were produced: "(I Always Kill) The Things I Love", "Guilty", and "Torched Song".[3]

Albums

L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack

L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Andrew Hale and Simon Hale
Released17 May 2011
RecordedAbbey Road Studios
GenreVideo game soundtrack
Length55:21
LabelRockstar Games

L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack comprises songs from the game, composed and produced by Andrew Hale and Simon Hale. The soundtrack spans 28 tracks, covering a duration of 55 minutes, and features additional songs composed and performed by The Real Tuesday Weld and Claudia Brücken.[3] It was first released on the iTunes Store on 17 May 2011, alongside L.A. Noire Remixed. The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. Woody Jackson composed incidental music.[2][6]

In the context of the game, the soundtrack was well received. Kirk Hamilton of

London Evening Standard named the three vocal tracks "tense and beautiful", and wrote that the overall soundtrack is "mood music of the finest calibre".[10] James Southall of Movie Wave wrote that the soundtrack assisted in the creation of the game's atmosphere, and particularly praised the album's "action music".[11] Simon Elchlepp of Video Game Music Online wrote that the soundtrack "successfully recreates several aspects of 1940s' jazz and movie scores", praising Hale's understanding of the music type.[12]

The soundtrack won the award for Original Music at the 8th British Academy Games Awards,[13] and was nominated for Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media at the 2011 International Film Music Critics Association Awards.[14] The soundtrack was also nominated for Best Score — Contemporary/Alternative from Video Game Music Online.[15]

No.TitleArtistLength
1."Main Theme"Andrew Hale3:06
2."New Beginning, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:06
3."New Beginning, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:25
4."New Beginning, Pt. 3"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale3:18
5."Minor 9th"Andrew Hale2:50
6."Pride of the Job, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:38
7."Pride of the Job, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:32
8."Noire Clarinet"Andrew Hale2:33
9."Temptation, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:14
10."Temptation, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:12
11."Temptation, Pt. 3"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale0:52
12."J.J."Andrew Hale & Fly1:30
13."Redemption, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:07
14."Redemption, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:28
15."Redemption, Pt. 3"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:21
16."Slow Brood"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:02
17."Use and Abuse, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:26
18."Use and Abuse, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale0:49
19."Use and Abuse, Pt. 3"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale0:38
20."Use and Abuse, Pt. 4"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:21
21."Fall from Grace, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:44
22."Fall from Grace, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale1:13
23."Murder Brood, Pt. 1"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:34
24."Murder Brood, Pt. 2"Andrew Hale & Simon Hale2:18
25."Main Theme (Redux)"Andrew Hale1:25
26."(I Always Kill) The Things I Love"Claudia Brücken & The Real Tuesday Weld2:55
27."Guilty"Claudia Brücken & The Real Tuesday Weld2:14
28."Torched Song"Claudia Brücken & The Real Tuesday Weld4:12
Total length:55:21

L.A. Noire Remixed EP

L.A. Noire Remixed
Remix album by
various artists
Released17 May 2011
GenreRemix album
Length24:19
LabelRockstar Games
Verve Records

L.A. Noire Remixed consists of six

Ticklah, DJ Premier, and Moodymann.[3] It was first released on the iTunes Store on 17 May 2011, alongside the game's main soundtrack.[2]

The album received generally positive reviews. Bosier of Video Game Writers dubbed it "the gem of the collection", stating that it invokes "the feeling of the game", as well as involving "a nice retro-vibe".

London Evening Standard commended the soundtrack, calling the songs "tastefully modernised".[10] The album was nominated for Best Album – Remix from Video Game Music Online.[15]

No.TitleOriginal artistLength
1."
Truth & Soul remix)"
Gene Krupa4:19
6."That Ole Devil Called Love (Moodymann remix)"Billie Holiday4:16
Total length:24:19

References

  1. ^ Goss, Patrick (19 January 2011). "The technology of LA Noire: Invisible UI and musical cues". TechRadar. Future plc. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Citizen, Jessica (9 May 2011). "Rockstar reveals a pair of soundtracks for L.A. Noire". VG247. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Features: In-Game Soundtrack". Rockstar Games. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  4. ^ Rosenberg, Adam (31 May 2011). "'L.A. Noire' Five-Moment Soundtrack Draws Heavily from Film Noire". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. Gamasutra. UBM plc. Archived from the original
    on 15 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  6. ^ Tong, Sophia (9 May 2011). "Sound Byte: L.A. Noire Soundtrack". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  7. ^ Hamilton, Kirk (13 December 2011). "The Best Game Music of 2011: L.A. Noire". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on 3 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  8. ^ a b Bosier, Jen (17 May 2011). "Music Review: L.A. Noire Soundtrack and L.A. Noire Remixed". Video Game Writers. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  9. ^ Andra, Evan (1 June 2011). "[Album Review] L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack". SF Critic. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  10. ^
    London Evening Standard. Evening Standard Limited. Archived from the original
    on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  11. ^ Southall, James (9 July 2011). "LA Noire soundtrack review | Andrew Hale and Simon Hale". Movie Wave. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  12. ^ Elchlepp, Simon (31 May 2011). "L.A. Noire Official Soundtrack". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  13. ^ British Academy Games Awards (15 February 2012). "Video Games Awards Winners & Nominees in 2012". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  14. ^ Bender, Jon (9 February 2012). "IFMCA Awards Nominations 2011". International Film Music Critics Association. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  15. ^ a b Greening, Chris (31 December 2011). "Annual Game Music Awards 2011 Winners". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.

External links