Music of Grim Fandango

thumb|What I found with Grim, is that more than any other project that I've worked on, it's the most like an opera, so that the music is so integrated into the story, it's so present in the story and it is so much a part of the shape and direction of the story – I think the way to experience is to just sit down, you know, if you possibly can start to finish, just listen to it, and it is like reading the book as opposed to seeing the movie, you're experiencing the whole story of the game in your imagination. — Peter McConnell, composer and producer of the music of Grim Fandango The Music of Grim Fandango is the critically-acclaimed soundtrack of a computer adventure game released in 1998 by LucasArts. The game was designed and written by Tim Schafer, and the music was composed and produced by Peter McConnell. A compact disc (CD) soundtrack was released simultaneously with the game in 1998. The soundtrack was remastered, orchestrated, and re-released in 2015. Quotes about the Music of Grim Fandango One special occasion was our hijacking Tim [Schafer] and leading him to the recording studio where a bunch of us improvised on bongos, tin whistles and shakers while he talked through the story and its meaning, like a beatnik poetry reading. Clint Bajakian quoted in: https://www.pyramind.com/training/blog/2015/2/2/pyramind-studios-contributes-to-double-fines-grim-fandango-remastered?format=amp Pyramind Studios Contributes to Double Fine's Grim Fandango Remastered February 2, 2015 Pyramind Studios September 30, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191114171411/https://www.pyramind.com/training/blog/2015/2/2/pyramind-studios-contributes-to-double-fines-grim-fandango-remastered?format=amp November 14, 2019 dead Frustrated with the state of music in games at the time, two composers at LucasArts Peter MccConnell and Michal Land created one of the first adaptive music systems, called iMuse. iMuse (Interactive MUsic Streaming Engine) let composers insert branch and loop markers into a sequence that would allow the music to change based on the decisions of the player. The iMuse engine was one [of] the first significant contributions to interactive music for video games. Its importance in shaping many of the techniques that you see in video games today cannot be overemphasized. (...) Other excellent iMuse titles includes Grim Fandango (1998), which features an indescribable jazz-based soundtrack composed by Peter McConnell. Sweet Michael October 2, 2014 Writing Interactive Music for Video Games: A Composer's Guide https://books.google.com/books?id=CQqSBAAAQBAJ&q=grim+fandango+music&pg=PA99 Addison-Wesley Professional 99 978-0321961587 This meant focused attention to mixing, EQ'ing, and programming articulation data on an individual instrument basis to bring each phrase and gesture in line with Pete's original intentions. It meant a constant back and forth with the original music and imagining, 'What should this sound like today?'. https://www.pyramind.com/training/blog/2015/2/2/pyramind-studios-contributes-to-double-fines-grim-fandango-remastered?format=amp Pyramind Studios Contributes to Double Fine's Grim Fandango Remastered February 2, 2015 Pyramind Studios September 30, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191114171411/https://www.pyramind.com/training/blog/2015/2/2/pyramind-studios-contributes-to-double-fines-grim-fandango-remastered?format=amp November 14, 2019 dead For us to do this right, we had to also wrap our minds around the 'extra-musical' content of the music – the concepts, the references, the puns – the ideas that interact like characters in a play. Clint Bajakian, quoted in: https://www.pyramind.com/training/blog/2015/2/2/pyramind-studios-contributes-to-double-fines-grim-fandango-remastered?format=amp Pyramind Studios Contributes to Double Fine's Grim Fandango Remastered February 2, 2015 Pyramind Studios September 30, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191114171411/https://www.pyramind.com/training/blog/2015/2/2/pyramind-studios-contributes-to-double-fines-grim-fandango-remastered?format=amp November 14, 2019 dead The music is also being redone by Peter McConnell, the composer of the original soundtrack. Though Grim Fandango featured a lot of live swing music, but the game's less-famous orchestral score was synthesized. For the remaster, that will be changing: "We never really conceived of the possibility that the orchestral tracks might be done by a live orchestra", McConnell said. "But I'm happy to say that we're going to be able to do a lot of those tracks with a live orchestra". https://www.pcgamer.com/grim-fandango-remaster-will-feature-live-orchestral-soundtrack-original-art-assets/ Grim Fandango remaster will feature live orchestra soundtrack, original art assets Birnbaum Ian August 31, 2014 PC Gamer September 30, 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190926011653/https://www.pcgamer.com/grim-fandango-remaster-will-feature-live-orchestral-soundtrack-original-art-assets/ September 26, 2019 Peter McConnell thumb|I studied full scores from sections of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Casablanca, and The Big Sleep. I watched those films about a hundred times, along with the Adolph Deutsch-scored film The Maltese Falcon. (Peter McConnell) Very early on in the process Tim handed me black and white concept art of the characters, his collection of Bogie movies, and some vinyl records of a particular kind of Mexican folk music called Son. It was very raw, using crude folk instruments: violins, charangos and hand percussion. I listened to that and watched the Bogie movies over and over, and even got copies of scores from Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Casablanca from the Warner archives. I had also been a fan of Duke Ellington since college, and he was a huge influence. I had a head shot of him in what looked like his early twenties above my computer screen in my office studio at LucasArts. Beyond the listening material, Tim didn’t give a lot of direction. In my experience, Tim leads more by inspiring than by directing. For the Re-mastered version he had very little input at all, except that he was very supportive of the effort to make the music the highest quality possible. Peter McConnell, quoted in interview: https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ Peter McConnell talks Grim Fandango Remastered Richard Savery February 23, 2015 Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ July 13, 2019 live I kept the score cohesive by building it on a backbone of classic Max Steiner-style orchestral underscoring. To internalize Steiner's sound, I studied full scores from sections of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Casablanca), and The Big Sleep. I watched those films about a hundred times, along with the Adolph Deutsch-scored film The Maltese Falcon. I read scores to several Debussy works (for the ocean music), listened to plenty of Duke Ellington, and made trips to San Francisco clubs for swing homework. McConnell Peter September 1999 Dance of the Dead: The Adventures of a Composer Creating the Game Music for Grim Fandango https://www.emusician.com/how-to/dance-of-the-dead Electronic Musician (NewBay Media, LLC) 15 9 30–32, 35–36, 38–40, 42 New York 0884-4720 July 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190713052238/https://www.emusician.com/how-to/dance-of-the-dead July 13, 2019 dead In terms of the live music that’s in the score, the entire score comes from the Mission [district in San Francisco] and every musician who played on that score either lived in the Mission — like the Peruvian flute player — or played there regularly, like the mariachi bands and the jazz players. It was literally a score that was created by the Mission late at night. Peter McConnell, quoted in interview: https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ When Mexican folk music danced with film noir: FACT meets Peter McConnell, the composer behind Grim Fandango Miles Bowe June 21, 2015 Fact, The Vinyl Factory https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ 2019-07-13 live Be clear about what you want as a producer and to discern what each musician can bring to the music. One player may be a phenomenal reader, for example; another may give you something amazing if you just provide a few melodic and stylistic guidelines and cut him or her loose. On Grim Fandango, I soon learned that with music based so heavily on swing jazz, getting the best results often meant not being too attached to the written score-no matter how good I thought my original ideas were. McConnell Peter September 1999 Dance of the Dead: The Adventures of a Composer Creating the Game Music for Grim Fandango https://www.emusician.com/how-to/dance-of-the-dead Electronic Musician (NewBay Media, LLC) 15 9 30–32, 35–36, 38–40, 42 New York 0884-4720 July 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190713052238/https://www.emusician.com/how-to/dance-of-the-dead July 13, 2019 dead thumb|Grim came at the perfect time: the swing revival was taking off in those days with bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Squirrel Nut Zippers, and the Day of the Dead was just entering pop culture. In the Mission District in San Francisco, you could go to a club like Bruno’s and hear hot new swing bands like The Red Hot Skillet Lickers mix original sounds with old standards, then duck around the corner to a taqueria and hear a mariachi band play, and on the Day of the Dead there would be a huge parade at night. Almost every musician in the original Grim Fandango score, from the brass to the mariachi players to the Peruvian flutist, played in or came from the Mission District. (Peter McConnell) Grim came at the perfect time: the swing revival was taking off in those days with bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Squirrel Nut Zippers, and the Day of the Dead was just entering pop culture. In the Mission District in San Francisco, you could go to a club like Bruno’s and hear hot new swing bands like The Red Hot Skillet Lickers mix original sounds with old standards, then duck around the corner to a taqueria and hear a mariachi band play, and on the Day of the Dead there would be a huge parade at night. Almost every musician in the original Grim Fandango score, from the brass to the mariachi players to the Peruvian flutist, played in or came from the Mission District. Peter McConnell, quoted in interview: https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ Peter McConnell talks Grim Fandango Remastered Richard Savery February 23, 2015 Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ July 13, 2019 live What I found with Grim, is that more than any other project that I've worked on, it's the most like an opera, so that the music is so integrated into the story, it's so present in the story and it is so much a part of the shape and direction of the story – I think the way to experience is to just sit down, you know, if you possibly can start to finish, just listen to it, and it is like reading the book as opposed to seeing the movie, you're experiencing the whole story of the game in your imagination Peter McConnell, quoted in documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=6LWFt7Q7OEE Double Fine Productions Peter McConnell 2015 Grim Fandango Remastered: The Resurrection of Sound with composer Peter McConnell YouTube Video 7:35 One of the great blessings of being able to re-visit Grim was to be able to fix a few things that had bugged me, the occasional klunker, or ham-fisted move. But those fixes were pretty rare. The pleasant surprise in the process was how well much of the original material held up. Peter McConnell, quoted in interview: https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ Peter McConnell talks Grim Fandango Remastered Richard Savery February 23, 2015 Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ July 13, 2019 live I can't say enough about how great MSO (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) is to work with. The level of musicianship and focus and care for the music is simply outstanding. And I think we work very well together as a team. Going back to my early days at LucasArts I can say that there is nothing so valuable has having a great team. Peter McConell, quoted in interview: https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ Peter McConnell talks Grim Fandango Remastered Richard Savery February 23, 2015 Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.audiogang.org/peter-mcconnell-talks-grim-fandango-remastered/ July 13, 2019 live The one element that we didn't get so perfectly [in the 1998 original release] was the orchestral element — more of the film noir orchestral score. That’s what we were really able to do in a big way with Grim Remastered.(...) So between the remixes and the [live] symphony it turned out to be the score the way it was always meant to be heard. Peter McConnell, quoted in interview:https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ When Mexican folk music danced with film noir: FACT meets Peter McConnell, the composer behind Grim Fandango Miles Bowe June 21, 2015 Fact, w:en:The Vinyl Factory https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ 2019-07-13 live I have to say I'm glad I took extra care on the themes because I feel they were really able to blossom in the new live recordings. Peter McConnell, quoted in interview:McConnell Peter Gamereactor Staff The Score: Grim Fandango composer Peter McConnell http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/286744/The+Score%3A+Grim+Fandango+composer+Peter+McConnell/ Gamereactor January 17, 2015 August 25, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20150128160036/http://www.gamereactor.eu/articles/286744/The+Score%3A+Grim+Fandango+composer+Peter+McConnell/ January 28, 2015 live Described by McConnell as a score that had been "re-arranged, re-voiced, re-orchestrated, re-recorded, re-mixed, re-mastered and – most of all – retrieved". https://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2015/03/31/interview-in-conversation-with-peter-mcconnell-video-game-composer-and-musician-grim-fandango-remastered/ INTERVIEW – In Conversation With Peter McConnell (Video Game Composer and Musician, Grim Fandango Remastered) Marty Mulrooney March 31, 2015 Alternative Magazine Online https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051820/https://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2015/03/31/interview-in-conversation-with-peter-mcconnell-video-game-composer-and-musician-grim-fandango-remastered/ July 13, 2019 live https://venturebeat.com/2015/02/09/grim-fandangos-composer-on-the-invention-and-remastering-of-his-classic-score-interview/view-all/ Grim Fandango's composer on the invention and remastering of his classic score (page 1) Mike Minotti February 9, 2015 VentureBeat https://web.archive.org/web/20190713162228/https://venturebeat.com/2015/02/09/grim-fandangos-composer-on-the-invention-and-remastering-of-his-classic-score-interview/view-all/ July 13, 2019 live thumb|My colleague Jory Prum (...) is kind of a tech genius [who worked on recovering the old data]. (...) I'm sitting there biting my nails because we were relying so heavily on that data to really be able to do anything significant with the score. Otherwise we would have just had to remaster the stereo files which would have been a minor tweak at best. (Peter McConnell) My colleague Jory Prum (...) is kind of a tech genius [who worked on recovering the old data]. (...) I’m sitting there biting my nails because we were relying so heavily on that data to really be able to do anything significant with the score. Otherwise we would have just had to remaster the stereo files which would have been a minor tweak at best. https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ When Mexican folk music danced with film noir: FACT meets Peter McConnell, the composer behind Grim Fandango Miles Bowe June 21, 2015 Fact, The Vinyl Factory https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ 2019-07-13 live Critics' quotes LucasArts has put together a film class soundtrack that uses a blend of simple jazz and classical Mexican themes to add depth to the atmosphere of an already fantastic title. Not only is the soundtrack not annoying, but once again it is used to reinforce the emotions delivered in various sequences of the game. [It is a] beautiful soundtrack that you'll find yourself listening to even after you're done with the game". Trent C. Ward http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/04/grim-fandango Grim Fandango – LucasArts flexes their storytelling muscle in this near-perfect adventure game (1998 article) November 3, 1998 IGN Entertainment, Inc. April 30, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130413224004/http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/11/04/grim-fandango April 13, 2013 dead The compositions and performances are so good that listening to this album on a stand-alone basis can make people feel like they're in a bar back then". http://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/grimfandango.shtml Grim Fandango Original Game Soundtrack: Review by Chris Square Enix Music Online April 1, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20101226054716/http://squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/grimfandango.shtml December 26, 2010 live The pieces are beautifully composed, wonderfully played (...). has a stellar soundtrack with music that easily stands alone outside the context of the game. This CD was an absolute pleasure to listen to and comes highly recommended. http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/grimfandango/index.html Grim Fandango OGS RPGFan Neal Chandran April 30, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130524195155/http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/grimfandango/index.html May 24, 2013 live Grim Fandango has one of the best, most thematic (Swing-Era Bebop and Jazz, Mexican folk, and others), and most memorable soundtracks ever to grace the inside of a cranial cavity where an ear drum used to be. Manny 1998 http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/pc/grim_fandango Dang! I Left My Heart In The Land Of The Living! Game Revolution March 6, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20140820081303/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/grim-fandango August 20, 2014 live [20 years after its original release] the soundtrack continues to be consistently praised for how composer Peter McConnell seamlessly blends Mexicana, jazz, and a Casablanca-inspired orchestral performance. The orchestra in the soundtrack was originally fully digital, due to the technological limitations on gaming audio at the time. It was still considered a stellar album to listen to, even without the context of the game, which speaks to the composer's tremendous skill and musicality. As with many games that are considered classics of the medium, Grim Fandango was remastered and rereleased in 2015. With limited technology no longer a barrier, McConnell took the opportunity to bring live performance to the orchestral elements of the soundtrack, collaborating with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and breathing a new spirit into a beloved classic. https://www.abc.net.au/classic/programs/game-show/game-show-grim-fandango/11238360 Game Show: Grim Fandango June 28, 2019 Australian Broadcasting Corporation September 30, 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20191006120115/https://www.abc.net.au/classic/programs/game-show/game-show-grim-fandango/11238360 October 6, 2019 Though they may be few and far between, there are a handful of games that have used jazz to great advantage. Games like Earthbound, L.A. Noire, and No One Lives Forever. But among even the swingin'est of them, one soundtrack stands apart: Grim Fandango.(...) L.A. Noire 's soundtrack doesn't come close to the variety and vivaciousness of McConnell's Grim Fandango score. From the dark, plunger-muted swing of 'Swanky Maximo' to the mellow, guitar-accompanied lobby-trombone of the appropriately named 'Frustration Man', it's simply good, video game-related or no. And man, don't get me started on the epic saxophone of 'She Sailed Away', the chord-less free jazz of 'Blue Casket Bop' or the menacing bari sax/bass clarinet duet of 'Rubacava'… Okay, pretty much the whole thing. https://kotaku.com/the-video-game-that-got-jazz-so-so-right-5827410 The Video Game That Got Jazz so, so Right Hamilton Kirk August 3, 2011 Kotaku July 13, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190713162201/https://kotaku.com/the-video-game-that-got-jazz-so-so-right-5827410 July 13, 2019 live The blending of cultures in Grim Fandango is best exemplified by the game's original soundtrack, which blends the jazz and swing music of the film noir era with more traditional South American strings as well as an orchestral score. Composed by LucasArts’ own Peter McConnell, Grim Fandango’s soundtrack is commonly celebrated as one of the best video game soundtracks of all time. Great adventure games such as Grim Fandango feature worlds so cohesive and rich with detail that they're transportive for the player, and McConnell's soundtrack is the glue that binds the game’s elements. https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/10/17958570/grim-fandango-20-years-anniversary 'Grim Fandango' at 20: The Year the Grim Reaper Came for Adventure Games Matt James October 10, 2018 The Ringer https://web.archive.org/web/20190713162202/https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/10/17958570/grim-fandango-20-years-anniversary July 13, 2019 live So revered are the sounds of Grim Fandango, that a script reading/concert was held at this year's E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) to celebrate the game’s 20-year anniversary. Composer Peter McConnell played selections from the soundtrack and the original voice actors—with the added support of superfan Jack Black—took the stage to reprise their roles https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/10/17958570/grim-fandango-20-years-anniversary 'Grim Fandango' at 20: The Year the Grim Reaper Came for Adventure Games Matt James October 10, 2018 The Ringer https://web.archive.org/web/20190713162202/https://www.theringer.com/2018/10/10/17958570/grim-fandango-20-years-anniversary July 13, 2019 live Few soundtracks have ever felt more integral to the success of a video game than Peter McConnell's score to Grim Fandango. The game's blend of styles would never have held together so well if it weren't for McConnell's masterful ability to fuse Mexican folk music with Duke Ellington-era big band jazz and noir scores in the spirit of Adolph Deutsch. https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ When Mexican folk music danced with film noir: FACT meets Peter McConnell, the composer behind Grim Fandango Miles Bowe June 21, 2015 Fact, The Vinyl Factory https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051823/https://www.factmag.com/2015/06/21/grim-fandango-composer-peter-mcconnell-interview/ 2019-07-13 live Sometimes bebop, sometimes melancholic, sweet or sensual, whether led by a saxophone, a trumpet or a guitar, jazz is the predominant style of the Grim Fandango soundtrack, all reminiscent of the snug atmosphere of casinos and bars between the two world wars. http://www.gameblog.fr/blogs/levelup-ost/p_77561_la-b-o-de-grim-fandango-jeux-video-jazz-et-mariachis La B.O de Grim Fandango: Jeux vidéo, jazz et mariachis French The Original Soundtrack of Grim Fandango: videogame, jazz and mariachis November 15, 2012 Gameblog September 30, 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190828000559/http://www.gameblog.fr/blogs/levelup-ost/p_77561_la-b-o-de-grim-fandango-jeux-video-jazz-et-mariachis August 28, 2019 It also described "Lost Souls' Alliance" as evoking a general feel for Hispanic music: "the rhythm, the guitar chords, the flute ... We are transported to Mexico, with some long notes of electric guitar reminiscent of the Western [genre], [and] a small side of 'rockabilly ballad' that makes us travel instantly to this corner of the planet, and that period at the onset of the twentieth century". http://www.gameblog.fr/blogs/levelup-ost/p_77561_la-b-o-de-grim-fandango-jeux-video-jazz-et-mariachis La B.O de Grim Fandango: Jeux vidéo, jazz et mariachis French The Original Soundtrack of Grim Fandango: videogame, jazz and mariachis November 15, 2012 Gameblog September 30, 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190828000559/http://www.gameblog.fr/blogs/levelup-ost/p_77561_la-b-o-de-grim-fandango-jeux-video-jazz-et-mariachis August 28, 2019 Grim Fandango's "Día de Muertos-noir" works because every part of the equation is given respect and attention. It's an absurd combination, sure, but never a simple one, and often it's McConnell's score, influenced equally by Spanish folk music, big band jazz, and iconic noir soundtracks, which added that essential weight. He helped us laugh at the initial premise of Grim Reapers essentially being dull travel agents, but more so — from Lola's death to Manny's showdown with Domino to the entire Casablanca-inspired centerpiece — it made us really care about this world and these (literal) lost souls. http://www.factmag.com/2015/04/28/the-100-greatest-video-game-soundtracks-best-ost/ The 100 best video game soundtracks of all time Brad Stabler John Twells Miles Bowe Scott Wilson Tom Lea April 28, 2015 FΛCT United Kingdom July 11, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20170430085308/http://www.factmag.com/2015/04/28/the-100-greatest-video-game-soundtracks-best-ost/ April 30, 2017 live One of the most important facets of the Grim experience, other than the glorious concept artwork, was the music. Seamlessly shifting from bossa nova to burlesque jazz, the Grim soundtrack is both highly unusual in videogames and perfectly suited to the game in question. Every track was composed or co-ordinated by Peter McConnell, Schafer's long-time musical collaborator, and is worth an extended play May 5, 2017 Behind the Scenes: Grim Fandango Retro (Image Publishing Ltd) 3 79 https://issuu.com/topov81/docs/retro_volume_3/79 The soundtrack in Grim Fandango is among the best I have heard in a game. It deserves a separate kudos of its own. Composed by Peter McConnell (who has also composed the soundtracks for The Curse of Monkey Island|The Curse of Monkey Island and Psychonauts), the music consists of mainly jazz, bebop, and blues, with various influences from traditional Russian, Celtic, Mexican, Spanish, and Indian strings culture. What makes the soundtrack so great is that there is a different track for almost every location, or if not, for each character in the game. http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/308/ Grim Fandango September 1, 2008 Adventure Classic Gaming Stefan Lubienski April 1, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130531045548/http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/reviews/308/ May 31, 2013 live Peter McConnell's accompanying soundtrack of "South American folk music, jazz, swing and big band" instantly became one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time upon release and the remastered version goes one step further, with many of the songs now fully orchestrated by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Grim Fandango has never sounded better. https://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2015/02/17/game-review-grim-fandango-remastered-playstation-4/ GAME REVIEW – Grim Fandango Remastered (PlayStation 4) Martin Mulrooney February 17, 2015 Alternative Magazine Online September 30, 2019 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190713051829/https://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2015/02/17/game-review-grim-fandango-remastered-playstation-4/ July 13, 2019 A major contributor to Grim Fandango's place in the canon is the swinging jazz score by Peter McConnell. The tracks incorporate traditional noir-style arrangements with Mexican flourishes and even klezmer|klezmer. https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-11-best-game-soundtracks-ever The 20 Best Video Game Soundtracks Ever - When we talk about how effective a game is at what it's trying to do, music often plays a key role. Here are our picks for the best video game soundtracks. K. Thor Jensen Jason Cohen April 23, 2021 PC Magazine live https://web.archive.org/web/20210427155144/https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-11-best-game-soundtracks-ever 2021-04-27 External links https://www.doublefine.com/news/grim-fandango-remastered-soundtrack-out-now (soundtrack's official webpage) Category:Musical compositions