Were you intrigued by Red Steel but wanted to bypass all of the bad bits and only deal with what was enjoyable about the game? Well now you can. Tom Salta's soundtrack for the game is now available for download via iTunes, with an actual CD set to hit stores likely to carry such things next Tuesday, May 29th. The musical styles are all over the place, but in a very cohesive sort of way, if that makes any sense. Salta does good work, especially for a guy who makes his own head the centerpiece of his website.

Red Steel is the first Ubisoft game soundtrack to be released online, but certainly not the last.

"We're really happy to make this possible, especially with Tom's spectacular work on Red Steel," said Didier Lord, Executive Director of Ubisoft Music. "It's an important move as it will be Ubisoft's first soundtrack released on major digital distribution channels - the first of many to come!"

While I am sure they're talking about games like GRAW and Prince of Persia, let it be know that I will gladly pay them $10 for 90 minutes of random Rabbid screaming. Michael Fahey

Red Steel Original Soundtrack Now Available Worldwide On iTunes®, CD Album Available In Stores May 29

Tom Salta's Award-Winning Video Game Score Released as Ubisoft's First Digital Download Soundtrack

New York, May 21st, 2007 - Composer and music producer Tom Salta today announced his award-winning music soundtrack for Red Steel™ is now available at iTunes® music stores worldwide and will also be released to retail on CD by Persist Records / Sumthing Distribution on May 29. Renowned for his versatility and prolific writing styles, Salta's highly acclaimed kaleidoscopic musical score immerses gamers in the unique gunplay and swordplay actions set in modern-day Japan. The Red Steel Original Soundtrack marks the first Ubisoft video game music score to be released as a digital download.

"We're really happy to make this possible, especially with Tom's spectacular work on Red Steel," said Didier Lord, Executive Director of Ubisoft Music. "It's an important move as it will be Ubisoft's first soundtrack released on major digital distribution channels - the first of many to come!"

To ensure the authenticity of the game's soundtrack, Salta arranged and recorded traditional live Japanese instrumentation such as Koto, Shamisen, Shakuhachi and Taiko performed by expert Japanese musicians including the specialist percussion group Taikoza. The score also features performances from conservatory-trained Japanese opera singers and renowned violinist Lili Haydn. In order to reflect the diverse and Western-influenced soundtrack of fashionable Tokyo, Salta further embellished the soundtrack with a wide spectrum of music styles - such as orchestral, electronic, rock, hip hop, dance, easy listening, jazz, lounge and Japanese pop - that truly embrace the game's cinematic story and vibrant locations.

The Red Steel soundtrack received numerous accolades for its unique approach and vibrant musical palette, including 2006 Best Original Score from IGN, who commented, "The selection not only has a richness and definition often lacking in video games, but the compositions are catchy and memorable too." In this Wii exclusive game, players master both the ancient art of the Katana and the sophisticated technology of modern firearms, taking advantage of the emotion and innovative gameplay possible only with the remarkable Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers.

Tom Salta's other video game credits include the original score for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter® 2, which features a dynamic, emotional music soundtrack recorded with the Hollywood Studio Symphony and Choir. He also penned the score for the first game, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter®, which was nominated for Best Video Game Score at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. Recording under the artist name Atlas Plug (www.atlasplug.com), Salta is currently working on the follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut solo album, 2 Days or Die. For more information on Tom Salta, visit www.tomsalta.com.

For more information on Red Steel, please visit the official website at www.redsteelgame.com.

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