Rather than being nominated in any of the video game categories, the entire Patch 11.1 collection is competing as a complete soundtrack against some very high profile competition in the recently released racing sports drama F1, upcoming musical sequel Wicked: For Good, acclaimed horror film Sinners, animated musical urban fantasy KPop Demon Hunters, and another video game soundtrack from the first-person cinematic psychological thriller Karma: The Dark World.
While it may come as something of a surprise to see a video game soundtrack, much less a mid-expansion patch release, competing against such august movie productions... perhaps it shouldn't. Video game soundtracks may not always get as much fanfare as those from the big screen, but Blizzard has long employed some incredibly talented composers, many of whom have just as much experience in performance, movies, and television. Blizzard Entertainment was founded by musicians, with former CEO Mike Morhaime performing as one of the real-life Elite Tauren Chieftain, alongside former Starcraft II lead producer Chris Sigaty, Senior Artist Dave Berggren, former Heroes of the Storm technical director Alan Dabiri, and current Senior Art Director Samwise Didier.
The Elite Tauren Chieftain even performed live at BlizzCon 2005 and 2011.
For its part, the Undermine soundtrack is a phenomenal 26-minute orchestration of smooth goblin jazz set in the bustling, danger-filled depths of Undermine, bringing the music of Azeroth’s most unpredictable entrepreneurs to life in a thrilling blend of industrial chaos that adds a completely new sound to more than two decades of World of Warcraft music.
Listen anywhere you go on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, and YouTube Music.
Over the years, goblin themes have embraced a swaggering, improvisational energy, and Undermine(d) takes that evolution further with brassy, syncopated rhythms, lively clarinets, and a fusion of big-band jazz and classic WoW orchestration. Blizzard composers, Leo Kaliski, Adam Burgess, and Jake Lefkowitz, along with contributions from David Arkenstone, Peter McConnell, Chris McDonald, and Dan Rudin, have crafted tracks that capture the cutthroat, profit-driven world of goblin society, from neon-lit speakeasies to explosive subterranean showdowns.
Track Listing:
Hard Times in Undermine
Vatworks Vibes
Mixin' it Up, Burnin' it Down
Trouble's Coming
Blackwater Ballyhoo
License to Drift
Old Times
Out of Your Reach
Junk and Jam
Shine and Rust
