Pitchfork: Amon Tobin Soundtracks Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Amon Tobin Soundtracks Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Amon Tobin and Tom Clancy, together at last. When Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory-- the third installment in Clancy's insanely popular sneak-up-and-kill-the-bad-guys video game series-- surfaces in late March, video game geniuses will enjoy Tobin's evocative breakbeat soundtrack as they go all Toby Keith on that terrorist ass. Madvillainy has nothin' on this collaboration, which promises the finest gaming musical experience since Parappa the Rapper.

"I tried to write the music as if it was a score for a Dario Argento movie," Tobin declares in a press release for Ninja Tune, which released the soundtrack (simply dubbed Chaos Theory) on CD yesterday. The album, which is Tobin's first studio project since 2002's Out from Out Where, is touted as electronic music crafted and performed entirely on acoustic instruments (orchestras, choirs, tambourines, etc.). Chaos also throws in myriad sonic references to film-scoring giants of yore. "It's both an occasionally slightly camp homage to the great soundtrack composers and a humble attempt to create the genuine article," says Tobin. Tracklist:

01 The Lighthouse
02 Ruthless
03 Theme From Battery
04 Kokubo Sosho Stealth
05 El Cargo
06 Displaced
07 Ruthless (Reprise)
08 Kokubo Sosho Battle
09 Hokkaido
10 The Clean Up

Chaos Theory the game comes out March 22 for Playstation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC, published by UbiSoft. Meanwhile, for Tobin fans who prefer actual human interaction, the man's got a few DJ gigs upcoming:

02-24 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
02-25 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
04-20 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory
04-22 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom