the hylics games have been on my mind a lot recently as of writing this, there's something about their absurd and abstract nature that i suppose i identify with in some way or another, ...whatever that may mean.

with my natural predisposition towards psychedelic music, perhaps it is no surprise that i really like the music of hylics; in fact, the second game's music and its general aesthetics were really all i knew about hylics for a very long time, i only actually played the games not very long ago.

hylics 1 has a soundtrack that is very amateur-ishly made and through that, i'd say raw. i much dislike the word "experimental" when it comes to describing music; it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. that being said, many would describe a lot of these tracks as such. the defining difference between a lot of the second game's OST and this one is that there's a more poignant feeling of "otherworldliness" and woozy disconnect present in these songs, thanks to the near-complete absence of any instruments other than mason lindroth's synthesized piano and drowsy-sounding guitar. there's no percussion to cling onto, and any time that drums are present they sound more like they're being played independently over the song, rather than being part of it; what is usually a song's bedrock, so to speak, sticks out like a sore thumb when seemingly nothing else follows any tempo. it's a pretty chill collection of songs, sorry if the following makes you roll your eyes unimpressedly, but i find myself often using it as a medicine for the soul; i suppose when your head's a mess, it's pretty calming to hear something nearly as disarrayed, but pleasant.

hylics 2's OST is the far more celebrated one - "That's a Big Stick", "Fancy Meat Computer", "Prevailing Westerlies", etc. it is chock-full of simply enjoyable, great songs. though a lot of it is no longer as structureless, much in part thanks to Chuck Salamone's involvement, tracks reminiscent of the first game are also present, "New Muldul" being one of those - a favorite of mine!

not trying to give off the impression that i dislike this more cohesive direction that the second game went with through this comparison and my more brief mention of it, by the way; it's what lets the first game keep a unique character distinct from its successor, i just don't have as much of anything interesting to say about "Xeno Arcadia".

...that's where i let the music do the talking.