For Forza Horizon 2, Playground Games has teamed up once again with renowned festival organizer and BBC Radio DJ Rob da Bank to curate a massive and eclectic soundtrack ranging from rock and pop, to the latest dance and electronic music. Theres something to suit every driver and every mood because who doesnt love listening to music in their car, especially while cruising the exotic roads of Europe?
You might recall Rob da Bank as the same DJ who curated the original Forza Horizon soundtrack, or as the mastermind behind Bestival one of the largest music festivals in the world, located in the UK. For Forza Horizon 2, Rob approached the soundtrack in the same way hed approach one of his own music festivals, from big names and classic tracks, to fresh new music and bands. As a result, some of the songs handpicked for the game have also made their way onto real-life radio playlists, festival stages, and club dance floors this summer.
Working with Rob again on Forza Horizon 2 has been a fantastic experience, said Ralph Fulton, Creative Director at Playground Games. Rob just knows music, and hears the latest tracks and the hottest artists months ahead of the rest of us. He did a fantastic job with the original Horizons radio stations people still talk about it as one of the great video game soundtracks and this time, weve allowed him to be even more creative.
In fact, Forza Horizon 2 features nearly 150 tracks across seven stations more than twice as many songs and stations as the original Forza Horizon. Youll start the game with three of the Horizon Festivals stations pre-tuned on your in-car radio: Horizon Pulse, Horizon Bass Arena, and a new station called Horizon XS. Get ready to listen to music from artists as diverse as Chromeo, CHVRCHES, Nero, The Clash, and Janes Addiction. As you progress through the game, youll unlock new stations with an even broader variety of music to accompany your European road trip.
Rob da Bank also reached out to his friends in the music industry, to include radio stations from three of his favorite independent record labels from around the world: Hospital Records, Innovative Leisure, and Ninja Tune. Be sure to check out as-yet unreleased tracks Believe and Slipstream from Metrik on Hospital Records Radio; three brand new tracks from Bass Drum of Deaths upcoming album (releasing later this year), including Electric, Everythings the Same and Lose My Mind on Innovative Leisure Radio; and last but definitely not least, unreleased new tracks like Roots Manuvas Krunk Guide and Andreya Trianas Better Days To Come on Ninja Tune Radio.
Finally, theres Radio Levante which plays soothing classical sounds. What could be better than exploring Tuscany in an open-top Ferrari while listening to Vivaldis Concerto for Four Violins?
We recently got a chance to chat with Rob da Bank regarding his work on the Forza Horizon 2 track list.
The original [Forza Horizon] was my first time doing a video game soundtrack, Rob said. Id never done it before. It was a really big process.
Rob has created soundtracks for other projects, including television shows for the BBC but he describes video games as a new world.
Its brand new, and very exciting. Im a little fish in a bong pond here, but I really like the challenge.
Forza Horizon 2s soundtrack much like Robs personal taste is an eclectic mix of songs that stand the test of time. With stations spanning multiple genres, racers can switch from rock to electro to classical, depending on their moods.
Im really chuffed with the final mix, Rob told us. It matches very closely with my tastes, theres nothing on there that I dont love.
Check out the Forza Horizon 2 music stations and full track list below. For a sneak peek at a few of the cool jams you can race to starting Sept. 30, check out the Best of Forza Horizon 2 playlist!
