Rarity: PSP tomb trial tracks from Tomb Raider: Legend

The PlayStation Portable release of 2006's Tomb Raider: Legend featured an exclusive "Tomb Trial" mode unique to the platform. The Croft Manor and Bolivia variants of this also exhibited musical accompaniment not included in any other version of the game. The soundtrack to Legend is composed by BAFTA-winner Troels Brun Folmann and these tracks have been sought-after rarities for a decade.

Via internal investigation with contributors for over two years, MoTR was unsuccessful at reverse engineering the two tracks for inclusion in our community developed discography. The next best thing are the two recordings made from the game published below this week, thanks to Treeble:

Erudite reviews from dedicated Tomb Raider music fan: Dexter

Tomb Raider music fan Dexter Void has written thorough reviews on the music to Tomb Raider (1996) through Anniversary (2007). The Tumblr author claims to have little musical knowledge, and instead takes a fresh instinctual stance to explain their passion for the music of Tomb Raider:

"...this will remain the classic it always has done. It is so pure in its approach and naivety. Little did the creators know what they would unleash upon the undiscerning world. This, in turn is the definitive Tomb Raider experience. The music certainly lends itself to propelling it to that level of superiority." - Dexter Void, on Nathan McCree's original Tomb Raider

Dexter has included personalised and reordered track names for each title's base material reviewed. Articles for Tomb Raider: Underworld & Tomb Raider (2013) have yet to be published, but read each full review currently available at the links below:

Tomb Raider | Tomb Raider II | Tomb Raider III (Nathan McCree)
The Last Revelation | Chronicles | The Angel of Darkness (Peter Connelly)
Legend | Anniversary (Troels Folmann)

Musical dissertation by Pieter Smal analyses "Unifying elements in the Tomb Raider Trilogy game soundtracks"

Composer Pieter Smal today publishes his academic music dissertation. The highly detailed work focuses on the "Unifying Elements in the Tomb Raider Trilogy game soundtracks"; examining the music of Legend, Anniversary and Underworld composed by Colin O'Malley & Troels Folmann.

"The Tomb Raider game trilogy was developed between 2006 and 2008 by the gaming company Crystal Dynamics. It consists of three games: Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Tomb Raider: Underworld. Crystal Dynamics hired Troels Folmann to compose the soundtracks for Legend and Anniversary. He remained as music supervisor for Underworld while the bulk of the soundtrack was composed by Colin O'Malley.

The aim of this study is to examine the use of unifying elements in the Tomb Raider Trilogy game soundtracks. These elements may unite the soundtracks in particular or the trilogy as a collective.

Perhaps the most unifying element is the Tomb Raider motif. This figure is heard sequentially and appears as thematic transformations in Underworld. Other themes heard are the main themes for Legend and Underworld." - Pieter Smal

The dissertation was completed for Smal's Bachelor of Music at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. A copy of the dissertation may be read by Academia.edu users, or by contacting Pieter Smal. All of the appended tracks can be streamed via our Community Developed Discography.

Poll Results: which Tomb Raider soundtrack would you most like to see commercialised?

We asked our readers over the last year and a bit, since the announcement of the Tomb Raider reboot, which Tomb Raider soundtrack they'd like to see purchasable as its own standalone commodity. The format of such an anticipated release, either a physical audio CD or the ever so popular digital download (such as iTunes or Amazon MP3), was not specified.

Pushing the poll was still a relevant concern today; no Tomb Raider video game soundtrack has ever seen its own music industry release. Many samplers have been included under enclosure in special and collector's editions of the games or as various promotional items, but one cannot walk into the local CD store or browse an online music service and purchase a classic or second-continuation Tomb Raider video game score.

The results are as follows (click to enlarge):

Tomb Raider (2013) was a clear winner, included in a wopping 41% of votes. Anticipation is surely on this title's side, however, the composer responsible for the various snippets heard in promotional media is still to be named. The long-time musically acknowledged Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003) is runner up, collecting a 30% appeal in votes. The sixth Tomb Raider's classic score is composed by Peter Connelly and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Troels Folmann's fresh and electronic Tomb Raider: Legend soundtrack as well as Nathan McCree's original Tomb Raider (1996) score were also included in a significant proportion of votes (25% and 24% respectively).

Fans will be pleased to know that Tomb Raider (2013) is at the very least seeing an enclosed soundtrack release in the recently announced "Survivor" and collector's editions of the game. Global brand director Karl Stewart is confident an album will make its way to iTunes as well, and shares the concern that no Tomb Raider soundtrack is currently available on the service.

Thank you to everybody who voted! There were a total of 243 collective multi-choice votes cast (so don't worry if the percentage sums are confusing you). Suggestions for a new poll topic related to the Music of Tomb Raider are most welcome (please post a comment below!).

Rarity #4: Legend's title introduction sequence

Crystal Dynamics' revision of Core Design's renowned video game heroine, Lara Croft, was highly anticipated after her 3 year hiatus following The Angel of Darkness. Returning in 2006 for Tomb Raider: Legend, the product shipped with a Bond-esque introduction sequence to which the accompanying music has never been released without sound effects. Subsequently it remains a rarity, and while speculation exists, there is nothing to suggest it isn't work by the game's composer Troels B. Folmann:

A similar track that scores the "Unfortunate Mishaps" unlock-able video was also not actually used in-game. However, this piece features in the "Tokyo" suite on the Tomb Raider: Anniversary [Collector's Edition] soundtrack and shouldn't be considered a rarity.

Retrospective: Folmann's Tomb Raider sampling cross-overs with trailer music powerhouse Two Steps From Hell

Troels Brun Folmann has a detailed background as a trailer score composer, one of the qualities noted by Crystal Dynamics during acquisition and upon completing his BAFTA-winning work on the soundtrack to Tomb Raider: Legend (2006). His experience has flourished into collaborations with Los Angeles based trailer music production company Two Steps From Hell, consisting of composers Nick Phoenix and Thomas J. Bergersen. Phoenix and Folmann are known to be affiliated, once expressed on TSFH's official Facebook page:

"Troels Folmann is a great friend of mine and the ONLY 3rd party composer we've worked with at TSFH. He is credited on the CD cover of Legend and in our library database for his great contributions." - Nick Phoenix

Following the duo's major success with the physical and digital release of their album "Invincible" (2010), including the wildly renowned and recognisable track "Heart of Courage", a second compilation of their work entitled "Archangel" was released at the end of last year. Two Steps From Hell are notable pioneers of the commercialisation of music specifically created for trailer advertisements.

These days it is not uncommon that recognisable tunes from licensed sound libraries or sound-banks make appearances in more than one pop-culture medium. It is understandable then, given the history, that concurrent fans have noticed cross-overs of samples within both TSFH's discography and Troels Folmann's work on the Tomb Raider series.

"North Country" is a piece that features on the album mentioned by Phoenix entitled "Legend". While not directly related to Tomb Raider: Legend, the track serves as an extended version of Folmann's main theme for the game. Unfortunately "Legend" (the album) remains part of TSFH's partnership catalogue made exclusively available for their clientèle in the media advertisement industry. Thus, it is not publicly available.

Another example of a Tomb Raider music tie-in with Two Steps From Hell exists in Legend's 2008 sequel, Tomb Raider: Underworld, on which Folmann was music supervisor. During Underworld's prologue there is a melancholy score that arises as Lara enters her bedroom in Croft Manor; the room is collapsed and in flames. A female vocalist emphasises the surreal loss Croft is experiencing, as well as causing monumental despair for fans, no-doubt. The coinciding Two Steps From Hell track that samples this same voice, "My Freedom", is on their demonstration album called "Nero" (2011). The cry is heard near the very end of their piece. Thanks to YouTuber itsClarantina for pointing this one out!

Rarity #2: Legend's demo version menu theme

The Tomb Raider: Legend demonstration copy distributed in early 2006 for the Sony PlayStation 2 sports another addition to MoTR's catalogue of Tomb Raider Music Rarities. It is not a readily available acquisition and thus suitably labelled.

A work-in-progress; the menu screen of the demo version does not feature a cross-armed Lara, nor is the game's "Main Theme" playing. Instead, a unique looped composition accompanies a background shot of the unfinished Ghana level, fitting well with the use of recognisable timbres that cover the West Africa segments in the final version of the game. Unfortunately, this piece did not make an appearance in the final shipping of the completed product, nor does it appear buried its program files. Further investigation proves neither is it present in the very different demo for Windows PCs, of which the main menu is more similar in content to the release copies. The rare looping track is sampled below:

Legend's multifarious soundtrack, composed by Crystal Dynamics' in-house and BAFTA winning composer, Troels Brun Folmann, was released in portion and under enclosure via the Tomb Raider: Anniversary [Collector's Edition] in 2007. A full release of the score has yet to be commissioned by Square Enix Europe, parent of Eidos Interactive since 2009.

Thanks to Phlip @ Tomb Raider Forums for providing the recording! Update: MoTR has attempted several methods of reverse engineering over the years to extract this material in its original fidelity. Each time has left us and community aid dead-ended.

Rarity #1: Legend's pre-E3 2005 trailer music

Beginning today on MoTR is an attempt to catalogue official pieces of franchised Tomb Raider music that are "missing" - that is to say, are available neither from the publisher nor via the community's intervention in their authentic isolated form. Each "Rarity" article will describe, relate locationally (where applicable) within a title/level, explain the existence of and reason the cue's rare status. We will endeavour to provide samples as reference in each case.

Previous articles that will not be attributed in-title but can also fit into this category include:

• Mozart's "Lacrimosa" in Underworld Trailer
• Unearthed Silvestri piece, missing from soundtrack sales
• Craig Armstrong's "Lab Scene"

Kicking off the "Rarities Series", and probably to become a commonly featuring genre, is the trailer score for the Tomb Raider: Legend Pre-E3 2005 Trailer (sampled in video below, courtesy of GameTrailers):

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Tomb Raider: Legend - Trailer, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

The piece is equally likely to have been a licensed trailer score OR custom built by Legend's composer Troels Folmann. The music is indeed reminiscent of the composer's sound-banks heard in-game; most will accept the latter to be the acceptable conclusion. Don't forget that Folmann was hired by Crystal Dynamics to score the game based on his experience as a trailer score composer.

Unfortunately there's no evidence we know of to solidify the story behind this piece's existence. Due to observed legal acquisition of all in-house musical material by parent Eidos Ltd., it can be said with a high degree of certainty that it is also a track never to be heard outside of the company's vault of digital goodies.

If you have any ideas for what Tomb Raider musical rarity to investigate next, do leave us a comment below!

Tomb Raider III's soundtrack re-rendered and remastered, akin to Folmann's soundbanks

In an erudite effort, prolific forum-goer tomekkobialka has authentically recreated the entire score to Tomb Raider III: The Adventures of Lara Croft (1998), composed by Nathan McCree.

Superimposing the game's original audio files without the use of McCree's score, tomekkobialka has layered real life instrument recordings and samples from the EastWest Quantum Leap library (using the Cubase DAW) to create new versions of the classic tunes. This same method has been used by the Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider Trilogy composer Troels Folmann.

The production is a modern departure from the synthesiser-based tactics of early video game soundtracks, limited by the technology of the times. A selection of the final product is available to sample via tomekkobialka's YouTube channel:

Amongst faithful instrumentation, timbre and tonal reproduction, each piece has received reverb and spatial enhancements. Furthermore, the creator has provided a package that allows the tracks to replace McCree's original productions in-game. The new recordings can be collected via Tomb Raider Forums, or visit Tomb Raider Hub for a detailed introduction to installing the files for play.

Rumour: Official soundtrack to Tomb Raider in the works?

Clara [CA] from Tomb Raider Forums, web-mistress since 2003 of long time French fan-site Captain Alban, recently attended a special demo for Tomb Raider (2012). Community Manager, Meagan Marie, as well as other Crystal Dynamics officials made their presence at Square Enix France HQ for the event. The display was held on the 23rd of September, 2011, for 15 lucky French fan site administrators.

Clara has summarised her experience in an article, taking time to ask some questions from eager fans and collecting subsequent responses from Crystal. One interesting topic ushers an answer pertaining to the possibility of a Collector's Edition and soundtrack release:

"Crystal Dynamics are going to do all they can to release a valuable Collector's Edition as well as an official soundtrack."

This follows Marie's earlier emphasis on the studio's desire to release an album.

If a video game soundtrack to Tomb Raider is sold as a separate marketable commodity, this will mark the first said occurrence in 15 years of the franchise. Tomb Raider will join a growing plethora of video game music releases from other blockbuster titles such as the Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed series.

The composer for Tomb Raider is supposedly in-house and somewhat renowned, with Global Brand Director Karl Stewart hoping there's not an ear talented enough amongst fans that is able to "sleuth him out". They take the reigns from the departed Colin O'Malley (Underworld) and Crystal's series continuation main-stay Troels Folmann. The mastermind has not yet been named, but an announcement is expected before 2011 is out.

Be sure to read up on our coverage on the music of Tomb Raider (2012) for up to date samples and news!

New author introduction: Liszt

Hello.

My name is Pieter Smal (aka Liszt). I am a pianist and composer studying at the University of Pretoria (South Africa). In September 2010 I decided to start an analysis of the soundtracks to Tomb Raider: Legend, Anniversary and Underworld. One year later and I am far from finished.

With the help of various interviews with Troels Folmann and Colin O'Malley, I am analyzing the use of motifs, themes, theme transformations (especially in Underworld) and unifying elements in orchestration, rhythm and other stylistic elements.

In due time I shall blog more about relevant information, and hopefully share the finished product with you online. Feel free to contact me or ask a few questions in the comments section below.

Update: Smal's work ultimately assembled into a scholarly dissertation, published in 2013.

Two RaiderFest 2011 entries surface online

IndyCroft.com is holding a competition for the best original compositions, renditions or remixes of the Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones themes.

Prominent Tomb Raider fan-tribute composer Marcus Trogen is amongst the panel of judges. If you though it couldn't get any more serious; there's either an "Art of Tomb Raider" hardback (valued at $175) or a 12" Indy Sideshow Collectibles Figurine for the 1st place winner to chew their fingernails over.

It is surprising then that as of yet, there are few entries to be found upon the vast internet. If you're still considering making a submission (the competition is open until August 22nd), here's a taste of what you are up against:

The first is a beautiful piano performance by Matt L. from YouTube, reiterating Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness's main theme by Peter Connelly in their own interpretation. This smooth concoction includes an interesting variant, filled with staccato and arpeggios.

The second is a more electronic piece; a witty remix of layered material from Tomb Raider: Legend & Underworld, composed by Troels Brun Folmann & Colin O'Malley. It finishes with Mike Peaslee's combat soundtrack from Lara's Shadow, intertwined with Nathan McCree's original Tomb Raider motif from 1996.

If you'd like to share your currently unpublicised RaiderFest entry with us online, feel free to drop us a comment below.

Tomb Raider music "mashed-up" by thatnorskchick

Long-time Tomb Raider fan icon thatnorskchick purports their always audacious creative genius with this excellently discovered complementation:

The mash-up consists of three Tomb Raider pieces; the percussion taken from Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008), composed by Colin O'Malley, the orchestrated strings present are used in Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003), composed by Peter Connelly and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, plus you might also be able to hear samples of the Tomb Raider: Legend theme composed by BAFTA-award-winning Troels Brun Folmann.

Troels Folmann on Underworld, ghosts & micro-scoring

Troels Brun Folmann is the mastermind behind the BAFTA-Award-winning Tomb Raider: Legend (2006) soundtrack. The Danish trailer score composer also completed follow-up Anniversary's score (in homage to Nathan McCree) in 2007, and is supervising the bulk of Tomb Raider: Underworld's (2008) in-game music, composed by Colin O'Malley.

During all the pre-media hype surrounding Underworld, Folmann has been interviewed by Crystal Dynamic's Community Manager, Keir Edmonds, during the third pod-cast for the title. It's quite a long one, so please take a read after the jump:

Folmann on BAFTA win for Legend's Soundtrack

Troels Brun Folmann, composer for Crystal Dynamics' first franchise-related title, Tomb Raider: Legend, has won a British Academy Award for the "Best Original Score" of the year in the "Games" category. Folmann's unique work convinced the judges over other video game music greats of the year, including Jeremy Soule's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion & Daniel Pemberton's The Movies. As well as film and television awards, unusually the organisation has a dedicated sector focused on the appreciation of video games.

Legend's soundtrack utilised modern technologies and compositional techniques, producing a score that ranges from epic symphonies to electronica based tracks but also amalgamates each constituent. Folmann composed approximately four hours of material for the game's cut-scenes and looping ambient/combat music, including multiple-layered and dynamically changing pieces. Unfortunately to date, the Tomb Raider: Legend soundtrack has yet to see a commercial release and publisher Eidos owns the licensing to the material. Update: Several tracks, however, were released under enclosure in the Tomb Raider: Anniversary Collector's Edition in 2007.

Troels Folmann has a background as a commercial trailer composer and has completed work for games, commercials and feature films. He also boasts a Doctorate of Philosophy in video game music. Folmann has researched a variety of new compositional methods, which are present in Tomb Raider: Legend's score - the most famous of which is the invention of "Micro-scoring". Micro-scoring approaches game music from the player's perspective, adapting to the actions they perform, the situations they're in and the sights they see. Ultimately this results in a player-tailored soundtrack that totally complements the experience - this technique has become common practice in the scores of today's blockbuster video game titles.

Folmann's statement following the achievement highlights his thoughts and processes on the title:

"The BAFTA award is an outstanding recognition of my works and marks the return the Tomb Raider franchise. I feel amazingly privileged for both the nomination and the award. I never imagined that my work would be appreciated at such a distinguished level of competences..."

"The Tomb Raider Legend score was created on a 9 PC render farm, which allows me to recreate a full symphonic orchestra or anything else I envision. The score was created over eight months and the compositional styles ranged from epic symphonic to electronica, from Irish folk singers to Japanese Taiko drums. I explored all aspects of my compositional palette and the end-result is a highly diverse soundtrack oriented towards mass-consumer audiences."

(Press Release via Gamershell.)

Troels Folmann on the Tomb Raider: Legend experience

Late this year a promotional DVD was released showcasing what Redwood City based studio Crystal Dynamics was up to during their re-branding of the Tomb Raider franchise, following the asset's departure from its original developer, Core Design. In the 11 minute compilation of interviews with key members of the team, Troels Folmann, composer for the 2006 release of Tomb Raider: Legend, speaks out about his current work at the time.

Watch the related excerpt from the Tomb Raider: Legend "First Look" documentary below, courtesy of Eidos Interactive Ltd. (© 2005):

Update: Folmann would later receive a BAFTA for the score that has set the bar for video game music production. Unfortunately, Legend's soundtrack has never seen a commercial release. However, Square Enix Europe acquired Eidos Interactive in 2009 and this could be subject to change in future. A selection of Folmann's work was released conjunctively with his follow up Tomb Raider: Anniversary in 2007, present on the Collector's Edition Bonus CD/DVD (region-dependent format).

Follow the jump for a full transcript of the video: