65daysofstatic – No Man’s Sky: Music for an Infinite Universe

Infinite Sonic Horizons

65daysofstatic, a Sheffield outfit formed in 2001, has always had a unique style. Created with an innovative blend of traditional instrumentalism and digital processes, their music has never been properly classifiable. They have understandably shied away from any conventional label and have endeavored to constantly evolve their music. It is easy to see that they have succeeded – that success has never been more apparent. While their most recent traditional album Wild Light (2013), exposed them to a greater audience and was reviewed favorably in publications like Clash, NME and Kerrang, 65daysofstatic have turned their gaze to more out-of-the-box projects to sate their musical appetites. For example, their most recent release is a very different kind of project: a soundtrack for the much-anticipated video game No Man’s Sky. 

The official title of the soundtrack is No Man’s Sky: Music for an Infinite Universe and, surprisingly, it lives up to the name. The music is amorphous and seems to stretch into a musical horizon – possibly beyond. It consists of 10 original songs and an exclusive collection of soundscapes and sound design. Listening to this record is a powerful experience on its own; the gameplay will be, if not overshadowed, then certainly enhanced by the 65’s soundtrack.

65daysofstatic has ventured into the soundtrack scene before, with their score for the sci-fi film Silent Running, but they have not created anything like this to date. The songs (if they can be called songs) are immense and seem to weave together purposefully as if someone were sitting patiently, stitching music together to make the most intricate (and overwhelming) soundscape possible. It was certainly an ambitious undertaking, but thankfully was executed well. According to the group, “The project has pushed us to explore new processes and techniques, to rethink our relationship with our own music and to essentially soundtrack every narrative thread of a ‘choose your own adventure’ novel that exists only in our minds.”

This soundtrack makes dismissing 65’s music difficult; the group has truly grown into their own with No Man’s Sky: Music for an Infinite Universe and it is heartwarming to see them create a soundtrack that sets a new precedent for the gaming world. It is expected that any film worth seeing will have a beautiful (or at least interesting) musical score, but games? They’re finally catching up with the help of 65daysofstatic.