Track Listing for the Soundtrack?

Black Mesa Archive The Cafeteria
#1

Hi there,

I was just wondering if there was any sort of official track order for the soundtrack? Currently on the soundtrack website, the listing is simply alphabetical and the download contains no track order information.

Obviously it makes no sense to actually listen to it in alphabetical order, as you then end up listening to End Credits (both parts) less than halfway through the album, when it makes obvious sense that they should be included at the end of the soundtrack.

Is there some sort of suggested listening order out there, official or otherwise, that I can try? I like to listen to soundtracks in their entirety rather than as individual tracks.

#2

You can order them by chapters in which they appear.

#3

I did try that, but it lead to some odd juxtapositions of tracks which disrupted the flow of the album.

I might mess around and make my own listing.

Bl**dy awesome soundtrack though, one of the best I’ve heard in years. Even more impressive due to the composer’s lack of experience - you’d never know it going by what he created.

#4

Well, bear in mind it IS a game soundtrack, with sections designed entirely around set pieces with periods of silence in between and never intended to be played as a contiguous piece of music.

#5

Oh yeah of course, I’m a bit of an afficianado when it comes to game OSTs. I just like stuff to flow well so it creates the feeling of being on a “musical journey” (how pretentious is that?!) rather than just listening to various disparate tracks.

The handy little colour-coded track guide on the soundtrack website gives a good foundation to go on.

Will have a play around and maybe post the listing I come up with.

#6

I have this listing here:

Black Mesa Theme
Inbound Part 1
Inbound Part 2
Inbound Part 3
Black Mesa Theme (Mesa mix)
Anomalous Materials
We’ve Got Hostiles
Unforeseen Consequences
Office Complex
Office complex (Mesa Remix)
Blast Pit 1
Blast Pit 2
Blast Pit 2 (Mesa Remix)
Blast Pit 3
Power Up
On a Rail 1
On a Rail 2
Apprehension
Apprehension (Mesa Remix)
Residue Processing
Questionable Ethics 1
Questionable Ethics 2
Surface Tension 1
Surface Tension 2
Surface Tension 3
Surface Tension 4
Lambada Core
Forget About Freeman
End Credits Part 1
End Credits Part 2

For the most part, I have left the in-game order of the tracks alone. I have made a few changes for listening pleasure.
-BM Theme (Mesa Mix) now plays after the Inbound tracks. It is originally played over the first menu screen, which depicts a tram station, and it seems a fitting beginning to the story to include it after you depart the tram. It’s much better than putting it second in my listing.
-There is no music to accent the disaster that begins the entire video game franchise. It works fine in the game, but it is a hole in the story when just listening to the music. Therefore, I have filled the hole by pulling We’ve Got Hostiles from its proper place and putting it after Anomalous Materials instead.
-With the game not yet complete and the Xen soundtrack pieces not yet released, there is no proper end to the soundtrack when simply listening. Lambada core is dissatisfying for this purpose, and I have put Forget About Freeman there instead, which sounds, while scoring an action scene, largely hopeful and not dark, making it a nice replacement until the soundtrack is completed.

Overall, this listing is very nice to listen to and there are no “action” tracks that jump out at you when they shouldn’t.

#7

Just want to mention that Surface Tension 3 and 4, ingame, are switched with each other. Since 3 is used for the garg chase and 4 for the tripmine facility.

And I suppose that 1 makes a comeback right after 2 because of fighting the apache on the cliff. But that’s a repeat.

What I would really like to see is the placement for those 8 or so tracks that don’t even have names. They’re in the games files and mainly used for ambience, but I’d so like to know exactly when most of them are used~

#8

Hmmm. Just listened to them in that order, 4 before 3, and I think I like it better that way. 3 is more climactic than 4, and serves as a better finale for ST.

This is true. I don’t see the need to have it repeated in the above track listing.

Can I get a link to those? More is always appreciated. This soundtrack is kind of short anyway.

EDIT: found those ambiences. I can see why they’re not on the soundtrack; they aren’t very musical, they’re very slow, and not exactly pleasurable for listening. But for the sake of completeness, I’ll add them. Reposting the list soon.

#9

Eh, I think the cascade sounds chaotic and sexy enough to be able to get by without a track, WGH isn’t very fitting, anyway. However the very sad BM Theme Mesa Mix plays directly after the cascade, upon waking up.

#10

Alright, here we go. Ambience included this time, and ST 3&4 properly switched.

Black Mesa Theme
Inbound Part 1
Inbound Part 2
Inbound Part 3
Black Mesa Theme (Mesa mix)
Anomalous Materials
We’ve Got Hostiles
Unforeseen Consequences
Musical Ambience 1
Office Complex
Office complex (Mesa Remix)
Musical Ambience 2
Musical Ambience 5
Blast Pit 1
Blast Pit 2
Blast Pit 2 (Mesa Remix)
Musical Ambience 6
Blast Pit 3
Musical Ambience 7
Power Up
Musical Ambience 8
On a Rail 1
On a Rail 2
Apprehension
Apprehension (Mesa Remix)
Residue Processing
Questionable Ethics 1
Questionable Ethics 2
Surface Tension 1
Surface Tension 2
Surface Tension 4
Surface Tension 3
Musical Ambience 3
Lambada Core
Forget About Freeman
End Credits Part 1
End Credits Part 2

Some of those ambiences are just the general location, and I’m not going to play through the entire game right now to find the exact location.

And Crypt, it sounds fine in the game without music over that scene. I love it. However, when simply listening to the music on its own, there is no indication that crap has come down at all, and it cuts straight to the moment after the cascade. Also, where you say BM Mesa Mix, I say no, it’s actually Unforeseen Consequences.

#11

Unforseen Consequences plays later in the chapter, during the headcrab elevator thing. The Mesa Mix DOES play after the cascade. I am 100% sure. You can hear them clearly in both videos.

#12

Indeed. You win this one.

However, I don’t think it sounds good if I put it there in the track listing.

#13

I could have sworn there were ambience tracks that aren’t listed here. Anyone know?

#14

There are 8 ambient tracks in Black Mesa, however, they are not included in the game’s OST album. They are only heard in-game.

#15

ah yes… here are some of those hidden song tracks

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#16

Yes, and I have included them in my listing above under the names, “Musical Ambience #”

#17

Ah! I didn’t see them there.
Alright.

#18

Thank you so much, I was about to make a list myself :smiley:

#19

Here’s my personal listing as I set it on my copy of the album taking into account both the “miscellaneous ambiance” files & the songs from the “uncut” attachments:

  1. Black Mesa Theme (not used in-game)
  2. Opening Short (named “MusicalEx1.wav” in the files, plays during the title card right before Black Mesa Inbound proper starts)
  3. Black Mesa Inbound Part 1
  4. Black Mesa Inbound Part 2
  5. Black Mesa Inbound Part 3
  6. Anomalous Materials
  7. Black Mesa Theme (Mesa Mix)
  8. Unforeseen Consequences 1
  9. Unforeseen Consequences 2 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambiance1.mp3” in the game files, plays during the “box smashing room”)
  10. Office Complex (Mesa Remix)
  11. “We’ve Got Hostiles!” 1
  12. “We’ve Got Hostiles!” 2 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience2.mp3” in the game files, plays during the room where you get the Franchi SPAS-12)
  13. Blast Pit 1 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience6.mp3” in the game files, plays on the lift leading down to the track)
  14. Blast Pit 2 (named “BMS - BP Part 1.mp3” in the game files, plays upon witnessing the silo)
  15. Blast Pit 3 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience7.mp3” in the game files, plays during the shaft/sewers area leading up to the Oxygen/fuel area)
  16. Blast Pit 4 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience5.mp3” in the game files, plays when you get in the broken lift to the generator room)
  17. Blast Pit 5 (Mesa Remix) (named “BMS - BP Part 2-(crazymix).mp3” in the game files, plays when you start up the generator)
  18. Blast Pit 6 (named “BMS - BP Part 3.mp3” in the files, plays when you return to the Tentacle chamber after setting everything up)
  19. Power Up 1 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience4.mp3” in the game files, plays when you first enter the turntable control room & the injured security guard tells you what you need to do)
  20. Power Up 2 (named “BMS- PU1.mp3” in the game files, plays upon killing the Gargantua)
  21. On a Rail 1
  22. The Year of Death (named "yearofdeath.mp3 in the game files, composed by Dejan, exclusive to the On a Rail Uncut attachment, plays when you start exploring the office complex in Map bm_c2a2a1)
  23. Lights Out (named “yoc.mp3” in the game files, composed by Andrew “The Empire” Bastian, exclusive to the On a Rail Uncut attachment, plays during the turntable ambush in map bm_c2a2b1)
  24. Dark Skies (named “OARU - Dark Skies (Full).mp3” in the game files, composed by Dejan, exclusive to the On a Rail Uncut attachment, plays upon the player entering the outdoor area in Map bm_c2a2b2)
  25. On a Rail 2
  26. Apprehension (Mesa Remix) 1 (plays during the piston room)
  27. Apprehension (Mesa Remix) 2 (plays while being dragged by the soldiers)
  28. Residue Processing
  29. Questionable Ethics 1 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience8.mp3” in the game files, plays after getting past the “electrified locked door puzzle”)
  30. Questionable Ethics 2 (named “BMS - QE2.mp3” in the game files, plays upon obtaining the Tau Cannon)
  31. Questionable Ethics 3 (named “BMS - QE1.mp3” in the game files, plays during the lobby ambush)
  32. Surface Tension 1 - Part 1 (named “BMS - ST1-Part1.mp3” in the game files, plays during the dam)
  33. Surface Tension 2 (plays during the cliff fight)
  34. Surface Tension 1 - Part 2 (named “BMS - ST1-Part2.mp3” in the game files, plays during the Apache battle when you first get the rocket launcher)
  35. Surface Tension 3 (named “BMS - ST4.mp3” in the game files, plays during the trip-mine booby trap)
  36. Surface Tension 4 (named “BMS - OAROld.mp3” in the game files, exclusive to the Surface Tension Uncut attachment, plays during the outdoor Marines versus aliens fight right before the “Satchel Charge Furnace Pipe” scene)
  37. Surface Tension 5 - Part 1 (named “BMS - ST3-Front(loop).wav” in the game files, plays during the Snark vent)
  38. Surface Tension 5 - Part 2 (named “BMS - ST3-End.mp3” in the game files, plays during the Gargantua Chase sequence right before the airstrike)
  39. “Forget About Freeman!”
  40. Lambda Core 1 (plays while descending down the elevator at the beginning of Lambda Core)
  41. Lambda Core 2 (named “BMS - Mscl_Ambience3.mp3” in the game files, plays once you get to the supply depot & are waiting for the ceiling turrets to be deactivated so the scientists can let you in)
  42. Office Complex (not used in-game currently, hopefully will be used in the Xen levels)
  43. Blast Pit 5 (named “BMS - BP Part 2.mp3” in the game files, not used in-game currently, hopefully will be used in the Xen levels)
  44. Apprehension (not used in-game currently, hopefully will be used in the Xen levels)
  45. End Credits Part 1
  46. End Credits Part 2

As you can see, I put the soundtrack songs that weren’t used in-game in an order that takes the possibility of them being used in the Xen levels into account.

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