Soundtracks Data Discs Announces Sonic Frontiers 2LP and 4LP Vinyl Soundtrack

[Dreadknux]

Sonic Frontiers will be getting a special vinyl soundtrack release in December, with pre-orders going live this weekend. Titled Sonic Frontiers: The Music of Starfall Islands, the soundtrack will come in both 2LP and 4LP limited edition box sets.

The soundtrack is being produced by Data-Discs, a UK-based record company that has had a long history of releasing SEGA music on vinyl. For Sonic Frontiers, the studio is working with Sonic Team and Tomoya Ohtani in order to bring the game’s mysterious audio adventure to life on wax.

The above standard edition release consists of a double 180g vinyl on translucent ‘Sonic Blue’ colour, along with a 12-page booklet that feature liner notes by Ohtani, as well as promotional art prints from the game itself. This will be priced at £32.99 and will ship on or before 15th December – so just before Christmas.

Alternatively, if you want to go bigger, the 4LP Box Set edition offers "every variation/movement of each island's theme" and offers a quadruple 180g vinyl on frosted clear discs with coloured splatters. The price of this edition is £86.99 and will ship in February 2023.

Pre-orders for both editions will take place on Saturday 22 October, with upfront access offered to invited customers ahead of a public pre-order launch of 7pm UK time (11am PDT / 2pm EDT).

Data-Discs said, in a press release promoting the soundtrack:

Quote

The Music of Starfall Islands is a collection of beautiful instrumental and classical-inspired tracks which are used as the background music for the various islands in Sonic Frontiers. The music for each island is presented as a suite, containing several movements that layer upon one another and build up to a climax, each with its own distinctive tone and feel, much like the islands themselves, which range from green meadows, to arid deserts, volcanoes and beyond.

The music, composed solely by Tomoya Ohtani, is often stripped down, melancholic, and unexpectedly experimental, featuring an array of unusual sound sources (including Iranian percussion, Celtic vocal samples and Armenian folk instruments). In other moments, it is often rhythmic and emotive, with the addition of subtle electronics and the grandiose strings of The Nashville Scoring Orchestra.

You can head to the Data Discs website ahead of pre-orders here:

• 2LP Vinyl Set
• 4LP Limited Edition Box Set

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[Solister]

I assume that even with 4 LPs, they still wouldn't fit all the 6 CDs content announced earlier?

https://www.sonicstadium.org/2022/10/sonic-frontiers-soundtrack-stillness-motion-announced-for-december-8/

 

Why SEGA is investing so much on such a small niche? Even I, who would consider myself a music lover, don't feel tempted to buy these. One: because it's hella expansive. Two: I doubt I'd even listen much more than the vocal themes. Three: it probably won't even be released on my country, which will increase shipping and possibly importation tax/fees to the point it will likely be as much as I would pay for a monthly family supermarket groceries. And especially, four: as someone who loves physical media, I'm not believing I'm writing this: WE LIVE IN A STREAMING ERA.

Can't recall if I wrote this here or on Reddit, but why don't they invest on another Sonic music compilation like True Blue and True Colors? That's the kind of stuff I think it's worth for me investing.

[Dreadknux]

Merchandise like this generally never aims to appeal to the mass market audience, it's a niche product for sure but that's the point. It's the same reason why high-spec Sonic statues exist from companies like First 4 Figures - even though they cost a mortgage to own one of those things, that's sort of the point. Self-professed 'hardcore fans' with disposable income will dip into their wallets to have something special and limited from their favourite franchise.

Sonic fans in the 90s have all grown up, so it makes sense to target the older fans with things like this (and at the same time, net the audiophile crowd who swear that vinyl is king) - because they're not really going to be going out buying action figures or toys anymore.

Personally, I am still undecided about the Frontiers soundtrack, but I'd quite like to have a 4LP boxset sitting on my shelf. It looks like it will be a nice centrepiece, but beyond that I imagine the ethereal vibe of the OST makes it quite a good candidate for vinyl. Just pop it on, sit in a comfy chair, close your eyes and immerse yourself in Starfall Island mystery.