Howard Drossin Composer

AFRO SAMURAI WINS GAMESPOT EDITOR'S CHOICE

2009-12-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

I am happy to announce that the soundtrack for Afro Samurai won the GameSpot Editor's Choice award for Best Original Music 2009. I am deeply appreciative.

Afro Level 1

2009-02-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

Here's the Afro Samurai Level 1 game if you'd like to hear the music while seeing the visuals.

Portland - Great concert, weird program

2009-02-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

I went to Portland to work with Terence Blanchard at the city's Jazz Festival. Here is the brochure. They asked if I would pose with my guitar up my ass, but I said no.

Afro's "Samples"

2009-02-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

All of the orchestra & guitar parts were created specifically for the Afro soundtrack, but made to sound like old samples by using a free plugin from iZotope called Vinyl. It's awesome.

Afro Commercial

2009-02-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

The beats playing are mine.

Splatterhouse Trailer

2009-02-10T19:34:00.001-08:00

I am nearing completion with composing & recording for Splatterhouse (Namco Bandai / Surge). In this trailer for ComicCon, there is an edited track of some of the heavy metal I've done for the game.

More Reviews for Afro Samurai

2009-02-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

CheatCC.com
"What has attained perfection is the game’s soundtrack and voice over work. I have never heard a game with this much quality. The music in Afro Samurai is a combination of Eastern-themed samples and hip hop beats by composer Howard Drossin, with a few tracks getting solid raps from Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA. The songs are so good, in fact, I will be purchasing a copy of the soundtrack – it’s better music than the vast majority of hip pop out there."

Video Game Examiner:
"The score alone is worth it's own soundtrack. RZA and Drossin should be scoring more games."

Extreme Gamer:
"Drossin did an excellent job providing a fresh sound to the project in the way of backing tracks and hip-hop beats."

GeekSugar:
"...Kick-ass music (which is notably scored by Rza from Wu Tang Clan and Howard Drossin) that periodically had me stopping play just to listen to the beats.

Regarding the Afro tracks lyrics

2009-02-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

A quick explanation regarding the lyrics I've added to many of the tracks in the player above --

When I initially envisioned the music for Afro Samurai, it included rap lyrics for the fight tracks. I added these raps as placers. Unfortunately for a variety of reasons (all involving money) adding vocals to the majority of tracks wasn't able to happen. But this was how I initially presented the tracks to Namco and RZA for approval. I thought fans of the game might like to hear how I intended to finish the music out.

Music Reviews for Afro Samurai

2009-01-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

From GameDaily
"...a phenomenal soundtrack, complete with dramatic compositions and rap beats."

From 1up.com:
"...Afro's music melts into the action so it feels like you're fighting in rhythm to the beat."
"...the game's soundtrack will be worth buying all by itself."

GameSpot:
"Awesome music."
"...a superb hip-hop soundtrack (inspired by, as opposed to composed by, rapper RZA)"

From Team XBox:
"...stand-out audio, a soundtrack inspired by RZA for Afro Samurai will, uh, Wu you to the ways of hip-hop, even if you’re one of those people that don’t classify said hip-hop genre as music".

Afro Samurai Soundtrack

2009-01-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

Afro Samurai (the video game) has been released. I am really pleased with how the soundtrack came out and it is getting great reviews, which is awesome. It was a fantastic experience getting to collaborate with The RZA again ("Dangerous" and "Paint the Town Red"). He is truly an amazing musician and human being. The rest of the tracks that are included above (which have been used in the marketing of the game and are incorrectly attributed to RZA) are tracks I wrote, played on, and produced myself.

Photos from "Miracle at St. Anna"

2009-01-30T15:29:00.000-08:00

These photos are from the work I did on Spike Lee's "Miracle at St. Anna" this spring. It was a great experience working with Terence Blanchard as his orchestrator on the film. Terence is an amazing composer and musician, and I am very proud to have had the chance to work with him on the score. I think it is one of his finest. Pictured are Spike Lee, Terence Blanchard, Frank Wolf, and Marvin Morris.

Hail: Return of the Sun

2009-01-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

Directed by Joseph Kahn.