testmeat photoblog

last night i discovered the sad news that ryan karazija, the dude behind the band low roar, passed away at the age of 40. it's a big shock that he died so young, and also a big loss as he was still writing and recording amazing music. i first discovered the band almost six years ago when their music was featured in the trailer for an upcoming playstation game called death stranding, in fact i liked it so much that i immediately ordered the songs on vinyl. the game eventually came out in 2019, and whilst i can't really say i found it entirely enjoyable, two elements really stood out strong. first was the landscapes, influenced by icelandic terrain and beautifully realised with stunning graphics. second was the music, it wasn't just that low roar appeared in the game trailer, but they were heavily featured throughout the game, with a total of 17 songs. so you'd be climbing up a rocky mountain, or sliding down a snowy one, as this hauntingly beautiful music would fade up and join you for the journey. a few weeks after playing the game i travelled to georgia to go snowboarding, and with my headphones in i also slid down snowy mountains with a soundtrack by low roar. it was a special experience that still comes to mind everytime i hear his music.

here's the original