It’s been a while since I shared a PSX original creation! A franchise which shined a blinding light in terms of sound quality is Need For Speed. Electronic Arts had an amazing producer - a living legend - at the music department: Rom Di Prisco. Rom Di Prisco’s resume speaks for itself, having worked for the most prestigious game development studios including Rockstar, Sega or Atari, and worked on game franchises like Fortnite, Gears of War, Mass Effect, Unreal Tournament, and SSX!

Rom Di Prisco - Quantum Singularity (1999)

Today’s pick comes from Need For Speed IV: High Stakes, released in 1999 for both PC and PlayStation 1. The entire OST is definitely worth checking out, as Quantum Singularity is far from being the odd one out, although it does manage to irradiate some vibes of its own. Some of my favorites from the albums, all produced by him, are Cygnus Rift, Photon Rez, Groovalicious, all amazing break tracks; and finally the faster paced, old school techno Electro Optik.

Quantum Singularity’s vibe is unrivaled though, with the crying 303 line, jungle drums and ambient pads, giving a very special atmosphere; very tense, as the menu theme for a racer should be. This kind of tracklist makes me wonder where did such original creations for games go, why do most big companies like EA now seem to solely rely on existing work, and forget that original creations like this one can set your game above all others!

This is a topic I hope to develop one day, but I am also not an expert in video game music, so a lot of reading would be required before writing a long-form on the matter! Until then; hope you enjoyed the tracks and have a good one!