# The Last of Us by Gustavo Santaolalla



## Fenicks (Oct 23, 2020)

The scores for the video game series The Last of Us - with its apocalyptic Western sensibility and Santalaolla's characteristic roncoco - are some of my favourite soundtracks of all time. There are three albums encompassing the first game, its short prequel, and the sequel: The Last of Us, Left Behind, and The Last of Us Part II. From the horrors of fungal zombies and the disintegration of human decency to the fading innocence of a child growing up in a destroyed world, there is a wonderful breadth of tones across these soundtracks. Mac Quayle contributed to the music of Part II, puncturing Santaolalla's emotive themes and motifs with anxiety-inducing drones and ambient textures. Even if you don't play games, I highly recommend these soundtracks to all.


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## I like music (Oct 23, 2020)

Weirdly, even though not the kind of music I'd listen to (whatever that means) it is one of my all-time favourites too. Goes bang perfectly with the game.


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## Fenicks (Oct 23, 2020)

I like music said:


> Weirdly, even though not the kind of music I'd listen to (whatever that means) it is one of my all-time favourites too. Goes bang perfectly with the game.



It wasn't my kind of music either at first but over the years I've fallen in love with it!


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## I like music (Oct 23, 2020)

Fenicks said:


> It wasn't my kind of music either at first but over the years I've fallen in love with it!



It adds an absolute TON to the game. Last of Us is my most completed game ever. I've completed it like 6 or 7 times, and I don't usually finish games for some reason (my kids maybe!)

But I'm always aware of the music and its impact.


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## Fenicks (Oct 23, 2020)

I like music said:


> It adds an absolute TON to the game. Last of Us is my most completed game ever. I've completed it like 6 or 7 times, and I don't usually finish games for some reason (my kids maybe!)
> 
> But I'm always aware of the music and its impact.



I've played the first game a similar number of times and I'm planning to start my third replay of Part II soon. The musical world of the games is half of the pleasure. I'm interested in the various instruments and techniques used to craft that sound as I've never heard anything quite like it. Do you know what instrument the chime sound is in Fleeting (embedded above)? It doesn't appear in any of the other albums. I love how Santaolalla uses it to represent the tragic naivete of childhood in Left Behind.

Part II's soundtrack sounds more 'broken' than that of Part I and Left Behind. Melodies and chords stumble and threaten to collapse under the weight of the story's grief. It's also more ominous. They did an amazing job creating a musical identity for Part II that is a natural evolution of the first game's soundtrack.


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## Kent (Oct 23, 2020)

Fenicks said:


> Do you know what instrument the chime sound is in Fleeting (embedded above)? It doesn't appear in any of the other albums. I love how Santaolalla uses it to represent the tragic naivete of childhood in Left Behind.



sounds like an effected toy piano or some other quasi-inharmonic metallic tine instrument


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## Billy Palmer (Oct 23, 2020)

All 3 OSTs are outstanding, great score design that's easy to miss.
I do wish Part II had a little more of the found-sound textures that worked so well in the first one. To me that score really bought the world to life. Equally I can see why part II shifted focus.


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## Karl Feuerstake (Oct 23, 2020)

Fenicks said:


> The scores for the video game series The Last of Us - with its apocalyptic Western sensibility and Santalaolla's characteristic roncoco - are some of my favourite soundtracks of all time. There are three albums encompassing the first game, its short prequel, and the sequel: The Last of Us, Left Behind, and The Last of Us Part II. From the horrors of fungal zombies and the disintegration of human decency to the fading innocence of a child growing up in a destroyed world, there is a wonderful breadth of tones across these soundtracks. Mac Quayle contributed to the music of Part II, puncturing Santaolalla's emotive themes and motifs with anxiety-inducing drones and ambient textures. Even if you don't play games, I highly recommend these soundtracks to all.




I definitely recommend to others here to play the games, especially the second one (Last of Us Part 2) really deals with the complex issue of killing, its morality, and what it means to be human. I found it to be a very eye-opening experience. It got a handful of negative user reviews, because some people were so attached to a certain character who loses their life that they could not appreciate the rest of the game (this is a shame. It would've helped them far more to play the game through and learn something than to write angry reviews. They'd have come to appreciate selflessness more from doing that instead.)

As to the music, I find it serves the games very well - but it's a bit too minimalistic for my own personal tastes. It is still very effective in its regard and I appreciate why they went with a subtle presence - it's meant to be more atmospheric and set a very realistic and serious tone, being much closer to how in real life we never have an 'underscore' playing along with us. I still think it's brilliant and effective, but I personally enjoy more musical presence in video-games, and that's just my taste 😄


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## Evans (Feb 11, 2021)

Looks like Gustavo is coming back for the HBO series.


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## Fenicks (Feb 20, 2021)

It wouldn't be The Last of Us without him!


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## Markrs (Feb 20, 2021)




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## jonathanparham (Feb 21, 2021)

yup. I used some of this for my entry into the Quarantet competition last fall.


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## Fenicks (Feb 22, 2021)

Markrs said:


> ...



I haven't seen these yet! Can't wait to watch.


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## Manaberry (Feb 23, 2021)

I'm a big fan. I love the guitar/banjo approach and it's actually one of my goals to compose around those instruments along with an orchestra. Hard to see something else for The Last of Us, as it fitted perfectly the video game.


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