Music to Game To: Mario Batkovic - Mario Batkovic

I listen to a lot of music (over 40 days worth in 2017 according to last.fm) and I find that few things help me keep the mood of a game foregrounded in my mind like a good soundtrack. Plus, I’ve discovered that when I’m playing music to a speaker via Bluetooth, I’m less likely to be on my phone, lest my players hear any stray sounds, letting me better model engagement during a game. To that end, I want to share some of my favorite music to game to; the albums that inspire and inflame my imagination and that I’ve found work well as background music for games as well. I’ll do a mini-review and cover the basics of what mood it helps me set.

MARIO BATKOVIC – MARIO BATKOVIC

Another album I discovered via The Quietus, a very fitting entry in their list of the best albums of 2017. Here’s how they describe the album…

Mario Batkovic is a Bosnia-born, Swiss virtuoso solo accordion player whose self-titled LP is a rich, opulent delight. Classically trained at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Hannover, Batkovic finds an immense strength in nothing but his one instrument, plumbing stunning depths that are sometimes mournful, sometimes unsettling, and sometimes sublimely beautiful.[blurb by] Patrick Clarke

The album is richly evocative, the shear versatility of the accordion explored wonderfully. The mournful and unsettling moments that populate the album make it perfect for any game set in the dark forests of say, Barovia, or the like. You can easily imagine a Vistani musician playing this music, supernatural skill creating its haunting melodies and echoing notes.

• Vocals?...No
• Music Genre(s)…Classical, Contemporary, Avant-garde
• Perfect for…Any game where you want to add a haunting Eastern European feel.
• If you only grab one track, make it…”Semper”, where higher notes pulse along, as deep and dark bass notes emerge periodically to give the song an ominous cast.