Hitman: Codename 47 and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin releasing on vinyl
Hitman: Codename 47 and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is now available to pre-order at Laced Records:
Hitman 1 was a relatively early score for Jesper Kyd, now a world-renowned, award-winning video game composer. It was as part of the European Demo Scene that Kyd first worked with the eventual founders of IO Interactive, going on to score their stealth-action debut. Despite the memory constraints of the DirectMusic system at the time, Kyd delivered a simmering combination of ambient and cinematic music. His signature sound of grand melodies set against groove-based electronica is in evidence here, especially in the hypnotic main title track.
Jesper Kyd and the team at IO Interactive agreed to change instrumental direction for the intentionally more grand and mainstream sequel Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. Plunging headfirst into the world of orchestral melodrama, Kyd worked with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and Hungarian Radio Choir to imbue the second Hitman game with a sense of strife and splendour. His signature style is still intact in the live recorded orchestrations: strong melodies, catchy rhythms and harmonic influences from all over the globe. The early series’ trademark groovy electronica fills out the soundtrack, incorporating world music elements to suit 47’s globetrotting escapades.