Magic: The Gathering has just released Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, its first official soundtrack, for the upcoming new set of the same name. Magic: The Gathering is a popular Trading Card Game made by Wizards of the Coast, the company that owns Dungeons and Dragons as well as a number of other titles. MTG was one of the very first games of its type to hit the market, and, in 2018 it released a polished, online version of the game called Magic: The Gathering Arena, which replaced the much older Magic: The Gathering Online.
Kamigawa has been known to Magic players for a long time. The game’s first visit to the plane occurred in 2004 with the Champions of Kamigawa. It was only the tenth block of sets to ever be released in MTG, so it was quite early in the game’s history. Kamigawa is a plane whose culture, at least from what players have seen of it to date, is modeled after a fantastical version of feudal Japan. The name Kamigawa itself means River of the Gods, or Divine River in Japanese.
Now, Wizards of the Coast has released Magic: The Gathering's first official soundtrack to accompany their upcoming set, Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. The soundtrack shares its title with the card set and was produced by singer/songwriter Jonathan Young. Young collaborated with Matthew Kiichi Heafy, frontman for the heavy metal band Trivium in the process of the album's creation. The soundtrack features 15 songs, with an alternating cast of collaborating musicians including notable gaming composers such as Caleb Hyles, Tomoko Hakaboshi, and Tre Watson, among others.
Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty takes the plane in a very different direction than in the previous sets. The new set moves ahead hundreds of years, and while the beloved ninjas and kami of the plane can still be found, Kamigawa has taken on a distinct cyberpunk vibe. No longer in the feudal years, players can explore a strange but colorful magical, technological hybrid world. Track three on the Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty soundtrack features an interesting piece of lore just in the title. It is called "One With Phyrexia." Phyrexia is another plane in the MTG multiverse, and the presence of its influence in Kamigawa is a bad sign for the locals.
The Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty soundtrack is an exciting new way for Magic: The Gathering lovers to immerse themselves in the lore, culture, and feeling of the new set. The very fact that Wizards of the Coast had an album made for the game should excite fans for what they may have planned for the future, as well as for what the album itself holds. Fans can listen to Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty today on various platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music.
Source: Wizards of the Coast