Anyone who has played Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding knows how pivotal the game's soundtrack is in helping to create an atmosphere of isolation in a vast and empty dystopian world. One of the bands most heavily featured in the game is Low Roar, and it seems that Kojima’s decision to use its ambient dream pop sound was also key in keeping the band afloat.
After relocating from California to Iceland, Ryan Karazija started the indie rock band Low Roar in 2011. The group has released a total of four albums and Death Stranding features songs from all of them. But before the game’s release, much of the band’s music was recorded in Karazija’s kitchen. According to the frontman, the group was “in a gutter” and really not in a good place.
Thankfully for Karazija and his bandmates, Hideo Kojima happened upon their music in a CD shop in Reykjavík and felt a “mysterious connection” to the song “I’ll Keep Coming.” Low Roar was contacted by Sony, who offered to pay for use of the song but was not willing to disclose what exactly it would be used for. The group accepted, not knowing what to expect.
Then came E3 in June 2016 and the release of the first trailer for Death Stranding, which became one of the most discussed moments of the event and possibly even the year. A second trailer six months later at PSX 2016 featured Low Roar’s “Easy Way Out” and the band’s popularity was sealed. Since the release of the trailers in 2016 and the game in 2019, Low Roar has received thousands of messages of support from fans of both the music and the game.
Even before the game's release, fans were drawing parallels between the Death Stranding trailers and Low Roar’s music. Karazija has said that people would listen to the songs backwards or play the songs from each trailer at the same time, thinking there might be hidden messages. Some viewers saw connections between the cover of the band’s second album and Norman Reedus, finding hidden symbolism in the album’s artwork. Kojima has stated that the band’s songs are sensual and unique, and specifically noted the originality in the albums’ cover art. So perceived links between the game and the music might not be so farfetched.
Death Stranding was released in November 2019 for PS4 and will be available in late 2020 for PC.
Source: Rolling Stone, VG24/7