“Hyrule Highlands” Is A New Celtic/Folk-Themed Album Ready To Transport You To A Wild World
Posted on November 08 2020 by Sean Gadus
The Legend of Zelda series has some of the best music in gaming. A rich community of musicians has formed around exploring the music of the series with impressive covers and rearrangements that use a variety of instruments and styles.
Hyrule Highlands, a new Celtic-themed Zelda album by multi-instrumentalist Tim de Man, continues the rich traditions surrounding Zelda music. It features a lush array of instruments including accordion, vocals, whistles, drums, piano, virtual strings, and a choir. This wide swath of instruments creates a rich soundscape that is capable conveying a variety of moods and tones. Overall, the album includes nine iconic songs from across the Legend of Zelda series:
- “Dragon Roost Island”
- “Hateno Village”
- “Kakariko Village” (A Link To The Past)
- “Stables/Lon Lon Ranch”
- “Hyrule Castle” (Breath of the Wild)
- “Korok Forest”
- “Clock Town”
- “Gerudo Valley”
- “Ballad of the Windfish”
The album opens with “Dragon Roost Island”, one of the most spirited songs from across the entire Zelda series. The arrangement includes evocative use of accordion, strings, and guitar which sets the tone for what listeners can expect from the album. Tim de Man’s interpretation of “Hyrule Castle” from Breath of the Wild is probably the most dramatic song on the album, truly capturing the tense and haunting atmosphere present in the game’s darkest stronghold.
In contrast to “Hyrule Castle”, songs like “Kakariko Village” (A Link To The Past), “Hateno Village” and “Stables/Lon Lon Ranch” create soothing atmospheres perfect for escaping from everyday troubles. “Clock Town” and “Gerudo Valley” are two of the more exuberant songs on the album, racing out with energetic arrangements and often passing the melodies from instrument to instrument. The album concludes with “Ballad of the Windfish”, one of the all-around best tracks on the album; a tour de force that utilizes the whistle and accordion with haunting effectiveness.
This mix of bombastic, dramatic, and intimate songs come together for an album that is extremely varied, and thoroughly enjoyable. Overall, it is this sense of variety, along with the complexity of the arrangements, that makes Hyrule Highlands feel special.
On November 10th at 9:00am Central, Tim de Man will stream videos for every song included in the album on YouTube. This presentation will include the premiere of the video for “Dragon Roost Island“. The stream can be accessed here.
If you would like to check out Hyrule Highlands or Tim de Man’s other work, you can check out his Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or website.
Hyrule Highlands Review Copy Provided By Tim de Man.
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
