Boundary recently released his third album, Proxima Centauri, on Point Records, with the Dominican artist drawing on leftfield techno, IDM and video game music in crafting the eight-track project.
According to the artist, the album casts the listener as absorbing an otherworldly programme from the star closest to our sun, with the possibility of using this newfound knowledge to reshape the course of the world. “In our current times, evil seems to prevail without end,” he said of the project. “There is an air of hopelessness, and we have to deal with an immense sense of powerlessness in our day-to-day. I hope this record can somehow bring some level of hope and faith in ourselves during these very dark times.” Check it out here.
Hailing from Santo Domingo, Boundary has developed into a distinguished voice in Latin electronic music over the past decade, with his music played on NTS and Rinse, while he has received coverage from Pitchfork, Mixmag, Resident Advisor and Vice. Proxima Centauri follows on from his 2017 and 2024 albums, Fantasmagórico and Oxido En El Espejo.
For this week’s #MyRecordBag, Boundary presents his top video game soundtrack essentials, from both well- and lesser-known titles.
Geoff Follin & Tim Follin – Sonia’s Fortress (from Equinox)
“This track comes from the OST of Equinox, a game for the Super Nintendo. It was composed by Geoff and Tim Follin, who have amassed notoriety for pushing the limits of the sound chips of the consoles they composed for. I think this is one of the best OST tracks ever. An unusually long piece for a SNES OST, it consists of a lingering wind sound and a beautiful pad and lead that come in from time to time. A big inspiration for the music of my latest record.”
Twice a Man – Kula World/Roll Away
“I basically talk about this OST every chance I get. It’s a perfect, trippy OST for a game about a ball that traverses 3D mazes in mysterious environments.”
Mitsuhiko Takano – Minish Woods (from The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap)
“A beautiful track for when you enter the Minish Woods in The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap. To explain, in this game the whole gimmick is that Link becomes small, but if I remember correctly, up until this point you don’t really know that this will happen. At least I didn’t know about it when I played it as a kid, so when you finally become this microscopic version of Link, suddenly small plants and flowers are presented to you as these huge, towering monuments. The track just elevated the feeling to a completely different level.”
Tetsukazu Nakanishi – Frozen Soul (from Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere)
“A fantastic game that has an amazing story, but only if you’ve played the Japanese version! For some reason, they completely cut a deceptively complex story in the versions released in Europe and North America, but thanks to a fan-made translation, you can play this version. I truly recommend playing it, as I feel it’s a top-tier game for sure. Not to mention the absolutely insane soundtrack and gameplay.”
Kenji Yamazaki – The Shinri Game 2: Magical Trip
“A hilariously good soundtrack for what seems to be a questionnaire game for the SNES. I highly recommend Kenji Yamazaki’s soundtracks; he always has this.”
Shoji Meguro – Martira (Clear Night) (from Metaphor: ReFantazio)
“Video games are undeniably a lot of fun – if you like them in the first place – but in my case, there have been few games that’ve been able to hit a certain spot in my soul and make me see the world a bit differently. This game was one of those, and it’s surprisingly underrated, considering it comes from the same team that made Persona 5, a very beloved game. Consider checking it out if you’d like an RPG with a very fun combat system, heart-touching story and captivating world-building.”
Kikiyama – Rooftop Rhythm (from Yume Nikki)
“One of the few tracks in the game that gives you a break from the many spooky places in this classic RPG Maker game. It has a charming vaporwave feel to it.”
Toru Minegishi – Lake Hylia (from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
“A lovely track for the Lake Hylia area in Twilight Princess. I like the sudden transposition that happens in this track; I feel like it implies there’s something quite melancholic about this peaceful area.”
Kenji Yamamoto – Chozo Ruins (from Metroid Prime)
“This track was a very nice surprise when I first played this game. The snappy 909 snares are very charming, the haunting choir patch is so badass and the classic Metroid Prime lead synth always hits the right spot. It really elevates your experience while navigating the thought-provoking Chozo Ruins.”
Tsukasa Saitoh – In My Heart More Heart (from Armored Core Nexus)
“I gotta admit I haven’t played this game, but my brother showed me this soundtrack and it completely blew my mind. Big inspiration for a lot of my recent (and upcoming) work! The soundtrack for Armored Core 2 is also completely insane, with some IDM and techno tracks that are pretty crazy for their time.”
Thanks to Boundary for his selections. You can check out Proxima Centauri here.
