On the darker side, “Rock ‘n Rolling” contrasts beautiful panpipe melodies with hostile industrial beats to create an incredibly divergent soundscape, while “Big Jumps in the Cart!” captures the frantic pace and huge excitement of the minecart levels with its epic horn-peppered orchestration. For example, “Pine Forest” carries one into a fantasy world with its dreamy suspended strings, as “Cave of Flying Tiki Dollies” takes listeners on a wild journey with its unrestrained xylophone parts. The experimental nature of David Wise’s Donkey Kong Country soundtrack is conveyed in many of the better remixes here. The main theme also appears in several other delightful incarnations during the course of the soundtrack, spanning from the synth-heavy first level theme “Banana Jungle” - the closest the soundtrack comes to a note-to-note remix - to a highly satisfying saxophone-led improvisation on “Sunset Coast”. It’s as cheesy as ever, but has a personality of its own. There are plenty of nostalgic moments during its 1:36 playtime - including some faux-chiptune interludes and even an uplifting choral section - but overall the track sounds fresh and exciting. For instance, the title theme still retains the jubilant jazz-flavoured melodies of the original, while deviating from the outdated disco beats in favour of a bolder big band sound. While the soundtrack features numerous arrangements, Kenji Yamamoto’s team ensure that the tracks aren’t mere remakes and take numerous creative liberties. To commemorate the game’s release in Japan, the soundtrack for the game was made available through Club Nintendo early this year. David Wise actually did not return himself and was instead replaced by a team of Japanese composers led by Metroid’s Kenji Yamamoto. The music was dominated by arrangements of the original Donkey Kong Country, though a significant number of new compositions were added here. The company went some way to remedy this in 2010 with the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns, a Wii title designed in the style of the series’ much-loved SNES titles.
#Donkey kong country returns original soundtrack series
Donkey Kong Country Returns Original SoundtrackĮver since Rare’s purchase by Microsoft, the Donkey Kong series has struggled to remain a significant and enjoyable addition to Nintendo’s lineup.