Halo: Spartan Assault (Game Soundtrack) by Tom Salta - Review

Unmistakably Halo

Review by Richard Buxton

HALO 4 may not have been a great step forward for the series’ celebrated gameplay, and its narrative hardly broke boundaries for storytelling in the video game format. Yet it was in its score that players and listeners alike found an evolutionary jump that can clearly be distinguished from its forerunners. NEIL DAVIDGE and KAZUMA JINNOUCHI’S excellent score for HALO 4 was met with both acclaim and confusion, with some fans unsure as to whether a HALO score not written by MARTIN O’DONNELL and MICHAEL SALVATORI is a true HALO score at all. This particular composing duo may have moved on from the HALO franchise once and for all, but that doesn’t mean their influence has evaporated from the game’s consistently expanding universe.

HALO: SPARTAN ASSAULT, by TOM SALTA, is a score that ably bridges the musical gap between the original trilogy and HALO 4, arguably leaning more towards the former’s style. There is no doubt that this is a HALO score through and through. The unmistakable choir, incisive piano, and irresistible percussive rhythms are scattered across the entire release, resulting in a collection of cues that would not be out place if spread throughout the original trilogy.

READ THE FULL REVIEW

True to Halo: Interview with Composer Tom Salta

True to Halo

Interview by Richard Buxton

Tom Salta, one of the most versatile and prolific music artists/producers working in film, television, advertising and video games, provides the original score for 343 Industries' first mobile title "Halo: Spartan Assault," an epic "Halo" experience for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 launching today. Released simultaneously with the game, the "Halo: Spartan Assault Original Soundtrack" features 27 tracks from Salta's original score and is available worldwide on Amazon, iTunes, Xbox Music and other digital music services through Microsoft Studios Music.

RB - Prior to working on the HALO franchise, perhaps the most notable projects of your career so far have come from the GHOST RECON series. How did you find yourself moving into the Halo franchise with COMBAT EVOLVED ANNIVERSARY and now SPARTAN ASSAULT?

I was fortunate to be asked to join the team that recreated the original Halo CE score for Halo Anniversary by my good friend and colleague Paul Lipson who I have known for over ten years. Both of us are huge Halo fans and he felt I would be a good choice to help craft a note-for-note re-creation of the original score. It was truly a labor of love for all of us involved.  Later, when Paul became music director at Microsoft, it was his job to find the composer to create the original score for Halo: Spartan Assault.  Having already worked together on Anniversary, he knew how passionate I was about Halo and trusted me with the job...

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

Composer Tom Salta (Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.) Interview

Veteran game composer TOM SALTA shares about his foray into the world of video game music composition and his most recent project, the highly anticipated, TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.X. Check it out below via Gametrailers.com

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. - Music by Tom Salta

TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.X™ FEATURES ORIGINAL MUSIC BY AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER TOM SALTA

Salta Records with A-list Musicians in New York for the New Title in the Prestigious Tom Clancy's Video Game Franchise

New York - February 19th, 2009 - Composer and music producer Tom Salta, whose previous credits include the MTV VMA-nominated original score for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter® (GRAW) and the acclaimed sequel Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter® 2, has written and recorded the exhilarating original music score for Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X™, the first air-combat game set in the world-renowned Tom Clancy's video game universe. Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X will be available March 3, 2009 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. The Windows-based PC version of the game will be released the following week.

Developed by Ubisoft®'s Bucharest studio, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X delivers an intense and authentic aerial combat experience by fully leveraging the benefits of the current-generation platforms. To emphasize the game's cutting-edge technology, devastating firepower, and intense dogfights, Salta composed an adrenalized and emotionally-charged live orchestral / electronic hybrid score recorded at Legacy Studios in New York with A-list musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

"In Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X we had to explore five emotional dimensions: the patriot, the life of a mercenary, betrayal, hopelessness and open war on U.S. soil," said Emil Gheorghe, producer of H.A.W.X. "Tom Salta managed not only to tie all these elements together in an astoundingly rich and memorable score but he also crafted an acoustical identity for our game to stand up in the midst of the Tom Clancy's titles. Using orchestral arrangements, high-tech sounds and a mix of traditional instruments, he built an incredibly diverse soundtrack ranging from flavorful traditional themes to military tracks."

To preview samples of Salta's music for the game, visit the official website at http://hawxgame.com/.

Tom Salta's other video game credits include Ubisoft's exclusive first-person action title for the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo, Red Steel, drawing from traditional and contemporary Japan for the game's original soundtrack which received IGN's Wii Award for Best Original Score. Recording under the artist name Atlas Plug, he is currently writing the follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut solo album 2 Days or Die. For more information on Tom Salta visit www.tomsalta.com.

© 2006-2009 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. H.A.W.X, Ghost Recon, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, the Soldier Icon, Red Steel, Ubisoft, Ubi.com, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has teams in 28 countries and distributes games in more than 55 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. For the 2007-08 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of 928 million euros. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.