Everyone know’s I have a soft spot for Benefit albums and good causes so I was delighted to find this press release sent to me below. A hearty shout out to all involved!
Many of the video game industry’s leading music composers, producers and songwriters have joined forces to create “Novum Initium” (New Beginning), a benefit album dedicated to supporting working musicians in need of financial assistance. Partnering with the music industry charitable organization Sweet Relief, all proceeds from the album will be donated to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund which provides financial assistance to career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. “Novum Initium” will be available for digital download via Bandcamp, CDBaby.com, Amazon MP3, iTunes and 7digital on December 6th.
Featuring all-new original music by composers of such blockbuster titles as Call of Duty®, Dead Space™, Dragon Age™, God of War®, Mass Effect™, Medal of Honor™, Prince of Persia®, World of Warcraft®, with cover art by illustrator Aurelien Police commissioned especially for the project; twenty limited edition CDs of the album will also be signed by the composers and auctioned for sale on eBay here: http://xfer.me/nieb.
Composer Sam Hulick, co-producer of the “Novum Initium” album project, commented: “There are many musicians who struggle with medical bills and making ends meet during tough times after dealing with unexpected health issues. We wanted to put together a special project to help our peers who are on that stressful road after recovery.”
“We reached out to our friends in the video game industry and were overwhelmed with the response,” explains composer and album co-producer Jason Graves. “This is obviously something everyone can relate to. As full-time composers, we are self-employed contractors and there’s no such thing as ‘time off’ or ‘paid vacation.’ If we don’t work, we don’t get paid. Medical bills can add up quickly. That’s the whole impetus behind the album.”
Tracklisting with Artists’ Previous Credits:
“Lionheart” – Sam Hulick (Mass Effect™)
“Adagio Coda” – Brian Tyler (Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3)
“Adrenaline” – Jason Graves (Dead Space™)
“Awakened” – Otto Cate (MAG) & Aubrey Ashburn (Dragon Age™)
“Underwood” – Inon Zur (The Lord of the Rings: War In The North)
“The Maelstrom” – Singlefrequency & Chad Seiter (Legend of Zelda™ 25th Anniversary Symphony)
“Shadows And Light” – Trevor Morris (Army of Two™)
“Chrysalis” – Neal Acree (World of Warcraft®)
“Trouble In Chinatown” – Tom Salta (Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands™)
“Dancing Outtakes” – Garry Schyman (BioShock®)
“Versailles” – Ed Lima (Doom® 3)
“Consequence” – Neil Goldberg (Shift 2: Unleashed™)
“Lacus Turbatus” – Gerard Marino (God of War®)
“Espionage” – Mark Griskey (Star Wars™: The Old Republic™)
“House Of The Vine” – Mick Gordon (Shift 2: Unleashed™)
“The Left-Hand Path” – Cris Velasco & Sascha Dikiciyan (Warhammer® 40,000®: Space Marine®)
“Bullseye” – Christopher Lennertz (Medal of Honor: European Assault™) & Timothy Wynn (Red Faction®: Guerrilla™)
“I’m With You” – Jack Wall (Mass Effect™) & Cindy Shapiro (Myst® III: Exile™)
All proceeds from “Novum Initium” will be donated to career musicians in need. For more information on Sweet Relief please visit www.sweetrelief.org.