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Minecraft: Alpha + Beta on Cassette

Minecraft is a dreamscape, a limitless world where

anything is possible. Minecraft is a tool, a means of

bringing the imagination to life. Minecraft is a

community, a platform on which inventive minds of all

ages can share their creations and ideas. Minecraft, of

course, is also a game, the most popular and best-selling

video game of all time. Created in 2009 by Swedish

programmer Markus "Notch" Persson, this cultural

phenomenon speaks volumes of our current zeitgeist's

love for virtual spaces, but it's unprecedented success

couldn't be pinned on one factor alone. Countless layers

of thoughtful artistry flow through Minecraft's singular

experience, not the least of which is it's transportive

soundtrack by C418, the project of German composer

and musician Daniel Rosenfeld. Minecraft Volume Alpha,

the first installment of a two-part OST, helped breathe

life into the game's voxel-based universe. Upon release,

fans and critics were universally enamored with C418's

beatless, nuanced electronic pieces. Popular gaming site

Kotaku named it among The Best Game Music of 2011,

calling the music "remarkably soothing." The Guardian

compared Rosenfeld's delicate piano and sparse

ambient motifs to legendary artists Erik Satie and Brian

Eno. Polygon distilled Volume Alpha to it's essence: "It's

not bound by the retro aesthetic of Minecraft's graphics.

It transcends them. The album is an attempt to uplift the

combined game/music experience into the sublime."