GAMERS UPDATE:

If you’re a video game designer and your mission is to create a relentlessly intense and violent game, you might need a soundtrack to match. Take for instance Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho or Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Would they have been even half as intense had the score been anything less than stellar? Rockstar Games obviously took this logic to heart and has commissioned Los Angeles-based noise-rockers HEALTH to compose the soundtrack for Max Payne 3.

For starters, Rockstar has taken its time on the third installment of the Payne series which bodes well for its originality and game-play. However, the company should especially be applauded for thinking outside the box and hiring one of the most sonically progressive bands releasing records right now. In truth, HEALTH is still relatively unknown and isn’t anywhere near the mainstream in terms of record sales or sound. If HEALTH’s past work is any indication, the soundtrack to Payne 3 is sure to be noisy, tense, and creepy.

The band got its start at the LA venue the Smell (the same place where No Age did) and has slowly built up a diehard fan-base. A few years ago they were invited by Trent Reznor himself to be the opening band on the final leg of the Nine Inch Nails’ farewell tour. A combination of vintage guitars and forward-thinking electronic textures, HEALTH has established itself as a band with an entirely unique sound.

The band released the following statement regarding their decision to work with Rockstar Games: “Video games are redefining entertainment and whether people like it or not, they are becoming as culturally relevant as films. We feel that Rockstar’s projects have an undeniably raw and tasteful aesthetic. It’s vitally important to us that we be involved in things we respect artistically. Max Payne 3 has a complex story that unfolds mercilessly, and we are excited to be a part of it.”

According to Pitchfork, the band will release bonus tracks not found in the game on the game’s actual soundtrack, which is sold separately. Considering that the band has been staunchly DIY (recording their debut at 4am in the Smell as to avoid recording costs), it comes as a major surprise that they have linked up with one of the biggest game designers in the business. I do find it highly unlikely, however, that HEALTH would compromise its sound and values for a video game. Watch the trailer for the game below