Everybody's Gone to the Rapture by Jessica Curry - the future of video game music, or just another soundtrack?

Is this score a revolutionary view into the future of video game scores, or is it just another soundtrack?


There's a reason this score only has 5 star reviews on Amazon - BAFTA nominated composer Jessica Curry created a score that belongs in a concert hall. It's quintessentially British, with elements reminiscent of classical music heavyweights like Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gerald Finzi. From the ethereal vocal tracks like the introductory ''All the Earth,'' to heavy instrumental tracks, this score is unbelievable. 

A view from gameplay - drink it in.

Lush video game soundtracks aren't new - groundbreaking music has appeared in video games since the original Resident Evil game was released. (Side note: Mamoru Samuragochi was later found to have plagiarized that soundtrack. Click here to read more about that famous fraud.) Jeremy Soule composed an earth-shattering score with Skyrim, from delicious landscape tracks to pub songs. It was immersive, and it was glorious. In the ever-expanding world of video games, especially with the advent of Steam creating an outlet for independent game developers to thrive, Jessica Curry still managed  to create something fresh and new. 

At the serious risk of giving away any spoilers, I will only mention that the game takes place in an insular British Isles village. These villages are unique, and in my travels I've never come across anything like it, not even in rural East Texas. Curry created a score that perfectly encapsulates these unique towns, in a way that no other composer could. 

It's obvious that Curry took a great deal of inspiration from the British choral tradition. While other European countries were developing instrumental chamber ensembles, the British Isles here honing their pure and crisp vocal harmonies that set the stage for choral music over the coming centuries. Even now, many American and European choral conductors seek to emulate the purity of a British choral sound. The familiar feel of Anglican hymns peppers this hypnotic choral sound; there couldn't have been a more appropriate approach for a game with ''Rapture'' in the title. (For those not raised in the church, the rapture is what believers think will occur when Jesus returns - they will ascend into heaven, bodies and all.) 

Even with the clear inspiration from what would be dubbed ''classical music,'' Jessica Curry's score got yanked out of the UK Classical Music Artist Chart a couple of weeks ago when it hit number 8, and placed on the Soundtrack chart as a new entry. 

While yes, it is a soundtrack, so are other albums on the chart, including compilations of Hans Zimmer works and instrumental recordings from the Harry Potter movies. Everyone's Gone to the Rapturefaces fierce competition on the soundtrack chart from heavyweights like Guardians of the Galaxy and Frozen, which have been ranking high on the chart since their release. Whether it was the right decision or not to remove it from the classical chart is up for debate, and has been hotly contested.

Very sad that the UK official charts have withdrawn my Rapture score from the classical charts- think it would have hit no. 1 this week :(

— Jessica Curry (@jessicacurry2) August 25, 2015

And yet, it seems that anyone who has heard the score thinks it deserves a spot on the Classical Music chart. Is this a case of elitism and exclusionary tactics when it concerns video game scores? 

The fact that a relatively niche, non-linear story exploration game has done so well in the industry, especially as a PS4 exclusive (grumble grumble), is monumental. For a game that's so blindingly beautiful, Curry created a score that equals the visual experience with an auditory masterpiece. This game and it's score is a refreshing injection of creativity and ingenuity into the industry, given that gaming has been so fixed on action and first person shooters. Jessica Curry created an inspirational, emotive, and encompassing score that will inevitably last through the ages.

Click below to listen to the tracks and buy the album. Seriously, buy the album.