Showing posts with label Tomb Raider: Remastered. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tomb Raider: Remastered. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Allegations made by The Tomb Raider Suite ex-Production Manager include that the project has financially stalled


Following months upon months of delays to promised goods, ex-Production Manager on The Tomb Raider Suite, Tracie-Anne Swift, has published an open forum post alleging that the project has run out of money. She requests all affected backers (who have not received their pledges since the project was funded in 2017) contact her to establish the magnitude of any wrongdoing.

"The Tomb Raider Suite has no money left, it really is as simple as that. And it hasn’t had any funds for a very, very long time." - Tracie-Anne Swift

The Tomb Raider Suite Kickstarter has been updating its backers regularly over the past 2 years, detailing production delays throughout this time. Last we heard from composer Nathan McCree, all jewel CD cases had been shipped to backers. Those pledges promised deluxe tin CDs, vinyl albums and more, are still affected by manufacturing delays. The allegations subsequently leave those in waiting concerned.


The Tomb Raider Suite team including Swift, McCree & Meagan Marie

As well as lack of pledge fulfillment for some supporters, Swift alleges that for high-tier backers the San Francisco buffet event is compromised as deposit(s) made have been absorbed into the project's mismanagement and financial delays. Complaints of inappropriate conduct have also been made.

The Tomb Raider Suite exceeded its fundraising goal of £180,000 in 2016, backed by 2,615 fans. The project consists of the 2016 premiere Tomb Raider - Live In Concert, the digital album released in late 2018, a yet-to-be-released documentary film entitled Tomb Raider: Remastered as well as a promised world tour of the live show slated to kick-off in Australia.

Update, 21st June 2019: Nathan McCree has made an official response through an update on the Kickstarter platform (full post after the jump below). The allegations still stand in the original open forum.


Thursday, July 05, 2018

New live performance scheduled for The Tomb Raider Suite; documentary still incoming & album release on track for August


After a sell-out premiere live performance in December 2016, The Tomb Raider Suite project has scheduled a new Tomb Raider - Live In Concert show ahead of an imminent world tour announcement. The concert will be at the London Royal Festival Hall, Monday 17th September, 2018. Nathan McCree, the original Tomb Raider composer (Tomb Raider I-III), last hosted a very successful night at Hatfield House (aka Croft Manor) for the London composer buffet on April 28th, 2018, where The Tomb Raider Suite album debuted in its entirety.

Having been more-than-successful with a crowdfunded production at Abbey Road Studios, originally The Tomb Raider Suite album release was delayed due to the preparation of the San Francisco composer buffet - an event promised to certain tiered backers, to premiere the album, just as with the London equivalent. McCree previously indicated that the digital release of the album could occur prior to the physical due the disappointment surrounding this, however, today it has been announced that the American composer buffet has also been delayed to December 2018 or 2019:

"While we have been pushing to organise the San Francisco Composer Buffet Reception for the 14th July, we were determined not to delay the album any further, and as a result, we have decided to postpone that event. Hopefully close to Christmas or failing that, the early part of next year.

I’m sure you will be glad to hear that we are still on track for an August release for the album... We are still working towards releasing the Digital Download as soon as possible (and hopefully sooner than August) but there are some dependencies which are beyond our control, so again I must ask you to be patient. We are getting closer every day." - McCree

While there's been no update to determine otherwise, we could expect The Tomb Raider Suite album's indicated release date of August 1st 2018 to shift yet again. McCree has also indicated that the documentary Tomb Raider: Remastered is still in production:

"As you know we have been filming our entire project at the various stages as we go in preparation for the documentary, and this is moving into its next phase now. The footage we have so far is really great and those of you who attended the Composer Buffet Reception saw a rough edit of some of this on our big screen at Hatfield House. We plan to start editing the documentary itself in a couple of month’s time so we can start preparing for a DVD/TV release hopefully next year." - McCree

Friday, January 12, 2018

The Tomb Raider Suite album lands May 1st, 2018, website live; Tomb Raider Suite world tour to start in North America 2018 & Tomb Raider Remastered documentary in development


The Tomb Raider Suite website is now live! With the launch by composer Nathan McCree and his team, there comes a flurry of announcements to digest about the unprecedented Tomb Raider music project:

  • The Tomb Raider Suite album launches on May 1st, 2018 - if you missed out on the 121%-funded Kickstarter campaign, you can now pre-order the album and many other goodies via the Tomb Raider Suite shop
  • Due to the success of Tomb Raider Live In Concert, The Tomb Raider Suite will now be going on a world tour starting this year in North America (dates to be added as venues confirmed)
  • Album producer David Burns is sill developing a television documentary about the making of The Tomb Raider Suite entitled Tomb Raider Remastered

The community-funded project is expanding admirably in its success which is incredibly exciting news for all classic Tomb Raider fans. The soundtracks to Tomb Raider (1996), Tomb Raider II: The Dagger of Xian (1997) & Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft (1998) will be commercialised for the very first time in over 20 years of the Tomb Raider franchise. The Tomb Raider Suite is determined to embody the nostalgic video game music with full orchestration and subsequently not be limited by the software of the era.

Read the full statement from Nathan McCree after the jump:

Friday, April 07, 2017

Nathan McCree publishes live recording of "In The Blood"


Franchise legacy composer Nathan McCree (Tomb Raider through Tomb Raider III) has published a promotional video recording from Tomb Raider: Live In Concert, December 18th, 2016, featuring a new track entitled "In The Blood" from The Tomb Raider Suite.

Performed live at the Eventim Apollo in London by The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra & The City of London Choir, the piece is a new Tomb Raider entry composed by Nathan McCree, arranged by Adam Langston, conducted by Robert Ziegler & produced by David Burns & Tommy Pearson.

As well as a Tomb Raider Suite studio-recording album release, McCree is planning to have Tomb Raider - Live In Concert return for more shows. Plans for the production or release of the intended Tomb Raider: Remastered video documentary of the concert are yet to be addressed.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Nathan McCree reflects on Tomb Raider Suite debut with Daryl Baxter, album and documentary release still to be confirmed

Photo courtesy of Daryl Baxter

The Tomb Raider Suite was announced in April as an orchestral body of work based on the original iconic theme and cues from the first three Tomb Raider games. Tomb Raider - Live In Concert premiered the material and was a lauded success according to fans who flew in from around the globe to attend the event in London and who gave standing ovations on the night of December 18th, 2016.

Composer Nathan McCree took the time to debrief with Daryl Baxter shortly afterwards:

"I’m on a total high. I’d been saying for 20 years that the concert had to happen, but Eidos, and then Square, kept saying no, maybe not this year. Then with the 20th anniversary, they approved it two years ago, and since then it’s been a hell of a ride to tonight." - McCree

As well as debuting the material in the form of a live concert, the project is also set to be recorded at Abbey Road Studios. A 70-minute album of this recording is planned for release both on CD and in digital formats via major music retailers. However, no further word has been given on the Tomb Raider Suite album (or the Tomb Raider: Remastered documentary) despite the album's release initially indicated as intended to coincide with the concert. McCree has mentioned the possibility of taking the concert further on tour.



Friday, April 22, 2016

The Tomb Raider Suite announced - classic soundtracks by Nathan McCree to be re-recorded and released, concert too


At PAX East today the "Lara Croft: The Undisputed Queen of Gaming" panel was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Tomb Raider franchise. Legacy classics composer Nathan McCree (Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider II & III: Adventures of Lara Croft) was present to make a very special announcement.

The Tomb Raider Suite is a project that wil see the first three Tomb Raider soundtracks re-recorded with an orchestra at Abbey Road Studios (à la Peter Connelly's The Angel of Darkness). The resulting material is to be released commercially on CD and in digital download formats. This marks the first purchasable release of the music to the original Core Design Tomb Raider trilogy in 20 years of the franchise.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the fans, as well as me, to hear the music as I had always intended it.” - Nathan McCree

Following his work on Tomb Raider, McCree has always reflected upon the constraints placed upon him by the limited technology of 1996-1998. This collection aims to rectify the sound of the classic compositions and will also include "extensions and variations of original tracks from the first three Tomb Raider titles".

To further celebrate this release and the 20th anniversary of Tomb Raider, a live concert of the material is being organised in London for later this year. The production of the album(s) and live concert event will be covered in an upcoming documentary, Tomb Raider: Remastered, directed by Matthew Longfellow.

Jason Graves & Peter Connelly are also featured in the recently announced "20 Years of Tomb Raider" hardback by Crystal Dynamics' Meagan Marie. The book is set to include exclusive interviews with Tomb Raider composers amongst extensive coverage of other aspects of the Tomb Raider universe.

Full Tomb Raider Suite Announcement via the official Tomb Raider Blog.