In many ways, I am musically incompetent. I know practically nothing about music, be it what’s good, what’s in the charts, who’s popular – genuinely, nothing. However, what I do know is video games, and anyone who’s spent as much time playing video games as me can appreciate the importance of music for any game. A game’s soundtrack is integral to its success as a game, and, aside from the game’s actual plot, is probably the most important factor in determining a game’s success.
It’s therefore unsurprising that such creative masterpieces have been an inspiration for artists throughout the world, causing the creation of multitudes of fantastic songs based upon an artist’s beloved game. But as these artists are often based on YouTube, they rarely get the appreciation they truly deserve.
“Each song perfectly reflects the emotions and setting of the game”
There are, I’m sure, tens, if not hundreds, of artists who devote their time to making music about gaming, but the two who I love most are, without a doubt, hilarious rap artist Dan Bull, and the brilliantly talented MiracleOfSound (A.K.A Gavin Dunne).
Both have been a presence on YouTube for years, and have as such produced countless songs, ranging from music regarding open-world masterpieces such as Skyrim and Witcher III, to the infuriating Dark Souls, and even multiplayer games such as Overwatch and Star Wars: Battlefront II.
The reason I adore both these artists though, is not only their ability to make such brilliant music, but the fact that each song perfectly reflects the emotions and setting of the game upon which it is based – whether that be the horror of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, or the stunning beauty of The Last Guardian (a song which both artists actually wrote together, and is one of my personal favourites).
Each song is perfectly written, and designed, to be a brilliant reflection of the game, whilst also fantastically show-casing the writing skills of the relevant artist. The wit and talent of Dan Bull is especially prominent here, as he masterfully writes each of his carefully crafted lyrics, resulting in the creation of absolutely brilliant raps. Some even include such complex tongue twisters, or else are said at such high speeds, that it is truly impressive to hear. Check out either of Dan Bull’s Dishonored raps to see what I mean.
Yet gaming music is not the only creative production from each of these two wonderful artists. Although video games are MiracleOfSound’s most frequent source of inspiration, he has also written and performed wonderful tracks based upon popular television shows such as Game of Thrones, with songs about not only the world, but everyone’s favourite characters, as well as music based upon films such as Wonder Woman.
Meanwhile Dan Bull not only writes raps based on video games, but also diss tracks on everyone’s favourite (and least favourite) YouTubers, satirical pieces on cultural events, and also far more serious raps, such as an individual’s struggle with self-harm.
As such, both artists are not only creators of game-based masterpieces, but also incredibly fluid, fantastic artists in their own right. Whether you’re a lover of gaming, or simply an appreciator of excellent music, I’d seriously recommend giving either of these two brilliant artists a listen, and if you do, I hope you learn to love them as much as I do.
Georgia Butcher
Featured image courtesy of Georgia Butcher.
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