Minecraft’s ambiance, characterized by haunting pianos and delicate chimes, has captivated players since the game’s inception. The latest update, released on June 17, showcases an expanded soundtrack that includes contributions from Portland musician Amos Roddy, who brings six new tracks to the immersive world of Minecraft.
At 40 years old, Roddy has established himself as a key figure in the video game music scene. He started writing, performing, and producing soundtracks at the age of 29. Throughout his career, he sought ways to blend his passion for music with the interactive dimensions of video games.
“I feel like games have this magic; you can make a piece of art and directly interact with it in ways no other medium allows you to,” Roddy expresses, highlighting his unique perspective on the art form.
Known for his minimalist and atmospheric sound, Roddy’s style bears similarities to German composer Daniel Rosenfeld, famously known as C418. Rosenfeld was responsible for crafting the original soundtrack of Minecraft, a benchmark in modern gaming music.
Since 2020, Mojang Studios, the developer behind Minecraft, has begun collaborating with various artists, and in November, they reached out to Roddy. “I was taken aback when I received the email. It was a thrilling novelty to be contacted by Minecraft,” he recalls faintly amazed. `
Mojang was looking for music that echoed the essence of C418’s original scores, a sound that Roddy naturally gravitated towards in his prior compositions for other indie games.
Roddy began working on the Minecraft soundtrack in March, and with only three weeks to produce six tracks, he embraced the tight timeline as a creative challenge. The tracks include five ambient pieces designed to seamlessly complement gameplay and one unique track accessible through an in-game music disk that players can find.
“Keeping it simple was one of my main influences,” Roddy notes. He admits that the pressure of writing music for a game of Minecraft’s magnitude could lead to elaborate compositions, but he felt that the game’s atmosphere would be best served by minimalist and restrained tracks.
His new compositions reflect his signature style while remaining true to the original intentions of Minecraft’s music. Roddy employs a unique approach to writing video game scores, allowing him to be guided by the instruments rather than preconceived notions. He begins with a sound and lets the music unfold organically.
“I don’t really hear music in my head. I don’t get ideas; I just react. I sit down and take notes until I find something I like. It feels like following a little thread,” he describes his creative methodology.
For Minecraft, he followed this same thread. With a compressed timeline, he produced the tracks over just a couple of days, relying on his own emotional response to the game as inspiration.
“I tried to keep them light and emotive,” Roddy shares. He muses, “What does the sunset feel like?” as he captured the essence of the game through his sound.
One track, titled “Tears,” was conceived with a more pointed concept. In the game, players can acquire music disks by defeating specific monsters in certain ways. “Tears” is obtained by defeating a Ghast, a ghostly entity that launches fireballs at players.
To earn the disk, players must deflect the Ghast’s fireball back at it. Roddy crafted this song to evoke the feeling of Ghasts at a celebratory gathering, while also aligning with Mojang’s request to incorporate elements of phonk music—a genre that fuses trap, jazz, and funk.
Initially, Roddy considered using the in-game sound effect for Ghasts, which is a modified version of a recording featuring C418’s own cat. However, he soon discovered that the original sound was of insufficient quality for sampling. As a creative solution, he made his own sound effect for the track.
“Everyone thinks the original sound is the basis for the song,” Roddy states. “But the low-fi quality made it difficult to work with, so I ended up using a cello instead.” The result is a distinct sound that captures the playful essence of the Ghast character.
Despite Minecraft’s immense popularity, Roddy treated this project as he would any other. The same creative process and dedication applied to all his soundtracks ensured a consistent quality that he prides himself on.
Looking ahead, Roddy is currently focused on a new soundtrack for an indie game called BALL x PIT, where he aims to explore a more bombastic, operatic style. Yet, he affirms his commitment to the same fundamental creative principles in crafting the music for this upcoming project.
image source from：https://www.wweek.com/music/2025/06/17/portland-musician-amos-roddy-contributed-six-new-songs-to-minecrafts-latest-update/
