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The soundtrack for Amnesia: The Dark Descent was composed by independent Finnish video game music composer Mikko Tarmia. It was released for download on the 17th of May, 2011, and contain several tracks never heard in-game.[citation needed]

The soundtrack was originally available for purchase from Mikko Tarmia's personal Bandcamp page, though it is no longer available on that site.

Development[]

Tarmia's work on the soundtrack was his fifth time working with Frictional Games, having worked on the music for all the games in the Penumbra series—including the early tech demo.[1]

Because of the similarities between Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the Penumbra games, he claims to have had an easy time getting started on composing the soundtrack for Amnesia, developing all of the music based on descriptions and concept art sent to him by Jens Nilsson of Frictional Games. He, however, decided to avoid using synthesisers for Amnesia—something that he used quite frequently in the Penumbra series—citing the difference in environments between the games, opting instead for basing all the music on samples from real instruments.[2]

The soundtrack makes use of instruments such as piano, violin, bassoon, and various percussive instruments. The instruments are often heavily distorted and modified, sometimes making them hard to identify as real instruments.[3] Another common feature in the tracks is a choir, which Tarmia used a sample library with a custom word-building function to create.[4]

Track listing[]

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 
 Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Original Game Soundtrack)
No.  Title  Length
1. "Menu Theme"   1:16
2. "Darkness"   1:15
3. "Lux Tenebras"   3:22
4. "Grand Hall"   1:26
5. "Ending: Alexander"   1:52
6. "Next To The Guardian"   1:49
7. "Theme For Unknown"   3:04
8. "Dark Water"   1:17
9. "Daniel's Room"   1:07
10. "Grunt's Appearance"   1:14
11. "Back Hall"   1:22
12. "Ending: Agrippa"   1:55
13. "Suitor Attacks"   1:14
14. "Basement Storage"   2:12
15. "Brennenburg Theme"   3:13
16. "Hub"   1:33
17. "Ending: Alexander (Alternative Version)"   2:12
18. "Bridges"   1:05
19. "The End"   2:04
Total length:
34:41

In-game tracks[]

Many of the shorter music snippets and ambient tracks heard in-game isn't present on the soundtrack. There are also some tracks that are present in the game files, but never heard in-game or on the official soundtrack.

Ambient tracks[]

These are ambient tracks heard in the background of many levels in Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 
 Amnesia: The Dark Descent ambient tracks
No.  TitlePlays in  Length
1. "Game Menu"  Main menu, Choir – Main Hall 2:22
2. "Ambience 01"  Wine Cellar, Morgue, Prison – Northern Block. 1:48
3. "Ambience 02"  Refinery 1:50
4. "Ambience 03"  Cellar Archives, Cistern 1:49
5. "Ambience 04"  Archive Tunnels, Cells (The Dark Descent) 1:50
6. "Ambience 05"  Guest Room, Crypt 2:16
7. "Ambience 06"  Storage, Southern prison block, Cells (The Dark Descent), Library 2:19
8. "Ambience 07"  Cistern Entrance 1:43
9. "Ambience 08"  Laboratory, Cistern, Chancel (Redux), Crypt 1:16
10. "Ambience 09"  Nave, Nave (Redux), Library 1:13
11. "Ambience 10"  Chancel 1:15
12. "Ambience 11"  Rainy Hall, Transept 1:18
13. "Ambience 12"  Back Hall, Choir Entrance, Cells (Justine) 1:30
14. "Ambience 13"  Cells (The Dark Descent), Cells (Justine) 1:36
15. "Ambience 14"  Orb Chamber, Cells (Justine) 1:09
16. "Ambience 15"  Orb Chamber, Crypt 1:02
17. "Ambience – Safe 01"  Entrance Hall, Back Hall 2:38
18. "Ambience – Safe 02"  Back Hall, Orb Chamber 0:56
19. "Ambience – Darkness"  Old Archives, Cellar Archives, Back Hall 2:40
20. "Ambience – Strange"  Entrance Hall, Inner Sanctum 1:52
21. "Ambience – Success"  Back Hall, Cistern Entrance 0:18
22. "Ambience End – Intense"  Orb Chamber, Dungeon, Crypt 0:54
23. "Ambience End – Daniel"  Not in-game 0:22
24. "Ambience End – Soft"  Cells (The Dark Descent), Orb Chamber 0:23
25. "Ambience – Extra 01"  Choir Entrance, Inner Sanctum 1:41
26. "Ambience – Extra 02"  Zimmermann Farm 1:15
Total length:
35:59

Enemy tracks[]

These tracks play when an enemy is nearby, is attacking the player, or searching for the player.

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 
 Amnesia: The Dark Descent enemy tracks
No.  Title  Length
1. "Danger – Grunt"   1:21
2. "Attack – Grunt"   1:06
3. "Search – Grunt"   1:04
4. "Danger – Brute"   1:12
5. "Attack – Brute"   1:14
6. "Search – Brute"   1:10
7. "Attack – Guardian"   1:15
8. "Danger – Suitor"   3:34
9. "Attack – Suitor"   1:15
10. "Search – Suitor"   0:54
Total length:
15:19

Paper tracks[]

These tracks play when certain diary pages or notes are read.

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 
 Amnesia: The Dark Descent paper tracks
No.  TitlePlays during  Length
1. "Paper – Daniel 01"  Algeria 1Archives 0:29
2. "Paper – Daniel 02"  Algeria 2Archives 0:24
3. "Paper – Daniel 03"  Revelations 1Guest Room 0:32
4. "Paper – Daniel 04"  Revelations 2Guest Room 0:32
5. "Paper – Daniel 05"  Revelations 3Guest Room 0:31
6. "Paper – Daniel 06"  Brennenburg 1Northern prison block 0:29
7. "Paper – Daniel 07"  Brennenburg 2Northern prison block 0:24
8. "Paper – Daniel 08"  Brennenburg 3Northern prison block 0:26
9. "Paper – Daniel 09"  Discovery 1Cistern 0:26
10. "Paper – Daniel 10"  Discovery 2Cistern 0:27
11. "Paper – Daniel 11"  Discovery 3Cistern 0:26
12. "Paper – Daniel 12"  Ritual 1Nave 0:29
13. "Paper – Daniel 13"  Prisoners 1Chancel 0:29
14. "Paper – Daniel 14"  The Ceremony 1Choir Entrance 0:24
15. "Paper – Daniel 15"  Haunted 3Machine Room, The Visit 1Nave Redux 0:23
16. "Paper – Daniel 16"  Downfall 1Chancel Redux 0:25
17. "Paper – Daniel 17"  Revenge 1Inner Sanctum 0:28
18. "Paper – Herbert 01"  Haunted 1Machine Room 0:30
19. "Paper – Herbert 02"  Haunted 2Machine Room 0:25
20. "Paper – Herbert 03"  Not in-game. 0:24
21. "Paper – Self"  Daniel's Note to Self 0:30
22. "Paper – Village"  Local FolkloreArchives 0:33
23. "Paper – Transformation"  Wilhelm's Last WordsWine Cellar 0:30
24. "Paper – Howl"  Letter Regarding the Discovery of an OrbStudy 0:30
25. "Paper – Alexander"  Notes on TortureTransept 0:26
Total length:
11:52

Puzzle tracks[]

These tracks usually play when certain puzzles are completed or found.

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 

Event tracks[]

These tracks play when certain events are triggered.

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 
 Amnesia: The Dark Descent event tracks
No.  TitlePlays in  Length
1. "Event – Hallway"  Rainy Hall 0:19
2. "Event – Gallery"  Rainy Hall, Refinery, Elevator, Nave 0:16
3. "Event – Critters"  Rainy Hall, Old Archives, Entrance Hall 0:18
4. "Event – Dust"  Old Archives 0:26
5. "Event – Tree"  Entrance Hall, Study, Cells (The Dark Descent), Cells (Justine) 0:17
6. "Event – Tomb"  Archives 0:30
7. "Event – Prisoner"  Archives, Southern prison block, Library 0:16
8. "Event – Books"  Archives 0:12
9. "Event – Stairs"  Laboratory, Study, Sewer, Cells (The Dark Descent) 0:14
10. "Event – Falling"  Wine Cellar, Back Hall 0:18
11. "Event – Steps"  Wine Cellar 0:19
12. "Event – Coming"  Guest Room, Chancel (Redux) 0:23
13. "Event – Dog"  Study 0:30
14. "Event – Blood"  Storage 0:22
15. "Elevator Falls"  Elevator 1:13
16. "Event – Elevator"  Southern prison block 0:24
17. "Event – Girl-Mother"  Southern prison block 0:23
18. "Event – Brute 01"  Morgue, Orb Chamber 0:16
19. "Event – Brute 02"  Zimmermann Farm 0:15
20. "Event – Hole"  Morgue 0:17
21. "Event – Darkness"  Sewer, Library 0:21
22. "Agrippa – Lever"  Nave, Inner Sanctum 0:15
23. "Event – Pit"  Nave, Nave (Redux) 0:16
24. "Event – Vision 01"  Choir Entrance 0:55
25. "Event – Vision 02"  Choir Entrance 0:46
26. "Event – Vision 03"  Choir Entrance 0:41
27. "Event – Vision 04"  Chancel, Choir Entrance 0:42
28. "Event – Trapped"  Chancel 0:55
29. "Event – Bang"  Chancel (Redux) 0:16
30. "Event – Agrippa-Head"  Nave (Redux) 0:19
31. "Event – End"  Orb Chamber, Cells (Justine) 0:13
Total length:
12:52

Ending tracks[]

These tracks play during the game's endings.

All songs written and composed by Mikko Tarmia. 
 Amnesia: The Dark Descent ending tracks
No.  Title  Length
1. "Ending – Daniel"   3:19
2. "Ending – Alexander"   1:49
3. "Ending – Agrippa"   1:53
Total length:
7:01

Trivia[]

  • The phrase "Lux Tenebras" is Latin and translates to "The Light of Darkness". It is played during the revenge ending.
  • Lux Tenebras was a working title for what was to become Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
  • The Menu Theme is also played in the Choir.
  • The songs Theme for the Unknown and Brennenburg Theme are both made by Mikko Tarmia, but were never in the game.
  • The song Back Hall is different from the version that actually plays in the game.
  • The song Basement Storage is longer than the version that plays in-game.

External links[]

References[]

  1. Developer commentary node in the Cellar Archives.
  2. "Making of Amnesia – Mikko Tarmia, Composer". YouTube. Retrieved 2 October 2020. Published 30 August 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYvRjiaKVew.
  3. Developer commentary node in the Cellar Archives.
  4. Developer commentary node in the Inner Sanctum

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