Scarlet Moon Records has released its latest album in the Prescription for Sleep series, taking inspiration from Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone’s Stardew Valley. Featuring 12 Jazzy arrangements hand-picked by the game’s creator, Prescription for Sleep: Stardew Valley is now available through major music streaming services including Bandcamp, Deezer, and Amazon Music.
Prescription for Sleep is a series of albums that reimagine video game soundtracks as relaxing lullabies. The album was announced only a month before release and was recorded by Norihiko Hibino and Ayaki who form the jazz duo Gentle Love. Both these musicians have a history in game music, with Hibino and Ayaki working as composers for Metal Gear and Etrian Odyssey respectively. Published by Scarlet Moon, this latest Stardew Valley-inspired album is the 11th project in the series.
Stardew Valley took the world by storm when it appeared on the scene in 2016. Not only was it a rewarding farming simulator with an engaging story, but the entire game was developed by a single person. What started as a copy of Harvest Moon to learn development turned into a passion project that filled a hole left by other farming simulators like Story of Seasons. Numerous expansions and community mods speak to a care that is often only found in solo-developed games, and Stardew Valley has grown into a rich experience that has yet to be beaten.
Players of Stardew Valley will admit that digital farming is not always exciting and can get a little tedious at times, but all that hard work is worth it thanks, at least in part, to the excellent music. Now, 5 years after its initial release, everyone can appreciate the music of the game in a different style with this new album. The record includes 11 songs from the game rearranged into soothing Jazzy renditions of themselves, as well as one brand-new original song titled “Beauty in Seasons.” The album also includes a digital booklet with commentary from Eric Barone if purchased through Bandcamp.
As technology has improved, the storytelling and creative freedom of the gaming industry has matured along with it. Massive triple-A titles are continuing to push the boundaries of life-like rendering and interactive narrative, blurring the line between films and games. More than ever, the world understands that games are their own unique for of art. Stardew Valley and the newly-released album it inspired are further evidence that video games, big or small, can inspire creation just as much as any movie or painting in a gallery.
Stardew Valley is available on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: TheGamer