Fast RMX Soundtrack, Bjulin / Manfred Linzner / Martin Schioeler, 2017

One of gamers’ great frustrations (at least at the timing of writing in 2020) remains Nintendo’s steadfast refusal to revive its classic F-Zero franchise. The last time fans got to enjoy a new F-Zero title dates back to 2004, when F-Zero Climax was released for the Game Boy Advance – only in Japan, adding insult to injury for Western gamers. Thankfully, German developer and Nintendo loyalist Shin’en Multimedia seemed determined to fill the gap with its Fast franchise. Kicking off in 2011 with WiiWare title Fast – Racing League, the franchise went from strength to strength with 2015’s Fast Racing Neo for the WiiU and 2017’s Fast RMX, a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. All three games received applause from reviewers for their stellar presentations and gameplay that created an overwhelming sense of speed, as well as its Ikaruga-style system of polarity switching to receive extra speed boosts.

Fast RMX essentially served as an expanded version of Fast Racing Neo, including all of that earlier game’s racing tracks and DLC, while adding a few new courses of its own. This was reason for game music fans to celebrate. Fast RMX gathered all of the outstanding music written for Fast Racing Neo and added more content still, arriving at 2+ hours of music spread across almost 50 compositions. The masterminds behind the score(s) were Shin’en Multimedia veterans Manfred Linzner and Martin Schioeler, joined by relative newcomer Bjulin.

On his website, Bjulin recalls how exciting it was to realise his childhood dream of scoring a game for a Nintendo console – one that would turn out to be an ongoing project for years. At the same time, Bjulin openly reflects on the steep learning curve he had to endure while working on Fast Racing Neo. One early track that required electric guitars went through 40 revisions before Linzner and his team signed off on the composition.

Arduous as the process of creating the Fast RMX soundtrack might have been, the amount of care and attention to detail that has gone into it is evident from the start. This is one of the best electronic game soundtracks of the 2010s – and at two hours of strong material also one of the longest, making it an even more impressive accomplishment (even if the game borrows three compositions from Linzner’s Nanostray HD Sessions arrange album). Keeping in tune with the game’s obvious reference points – the F-Zero and WipeOut series – Fast RMX’s music harkens back to the 90s, findings its roots mainly in trance, rave and techno to evoke the required sci-fi racing atmosphere.

What makes the Fast RMX soundtrack exceptional is the composers’ maximalist approach that turns almost every track into an astoundingly elaborate concoction. This is electronica with a nearly symphonic depth, such is the richness of the arrangements. It’s not so much that the music’s material itself is extraordinarily complex – it’s the sheer number of layers and ideas that the composers cram into every single piece which turns the score into such a rewarding experience. Sure, the constant beats are indispensable for a racing game like this, but it’s the head-spinning number of piled-up rhythms, colours and melody fragments whizzing by that create a feeling of jaw-dropping speeds. Repeat listens are absolutely required to keep track of everything that’s going on in these dazzlingly dense compositions.

With the score running at over two hours, such a constant onslaught could grow tiresome. However, the Fast RMX soundtrack keeps things varied enough to instead register as consistently daring and grandiose. The cues’ ebb and flow is flawlessly realised, each track sustaining its 4-5 minute runtime (looped) with ease. There’s enough tunefulness in each piece to give it structure and often guide it to melodic peaks, made all the more soaring by the fierce adrenalise rush fuelling these compositions. Once the composers add an electric guitar on tracks like “Mueller Pacific” and “Chouko City”, the music blows through the stratosphere and turns as epic as one could hope for in a sci-fi racing game. Other cues are more rhythm-focused, such as the nervy counterlines and vocals samples on “Zenshoh Habitat” or the polyrhythms of “Kenshu Jungle” that back dissonant, slow chord progressions.

Almost every piece on the Fast RMX soundtrack manages to find its distinctive approach – few cues here sound alike. Some compositions fittingly underscore their respective race course’s location, often with a subtlety that belies the score’s full-on attitude. “Antarctica” sports the expected tinkling arpeggios and crystalline sparkles, but what really sets the freezing scene are the more spacious, transparent acoustics. On the other hand, “Iceland” approaches its chilly setting with leaner textures and knotty breakbeats. Hand percussion makes a welcome addition to the soundtrack’s plethora of rhythms on “Pyramid Valley” and “Sendai Outpost”. Meanwhile, “Mori Park” charts new territory thanks to some subterranean wood percussion that boosts the score’s explosion of colours.

Other examples of the composers’ inexhaustible creativity abound. “Storm Coast” is the Fast RMX soundtrack’s most apparent throwback to 90s techno with its bright staccato leads (and the occasional string overlays are an unexpected, but fitting surprise). “Hangar Games” couldn’t have a broader grin on its face as it combines a poppy electric guitar melody with four on the floor beats. “Sunahara Plains”’ hummable hooks recall the sing-along quality of Linzner’s Iridion scores, while the music mixes its treble focus with some of the score’s heaviest beats. The duo of “Waimea Coast” and “Alpine Trust” beautifully encapsulates the score’s breadth. The first track catches listeners off guard with its soothing piano lead and lighter tones, while “Alpine Trust”’s alternately shredding and screaming guitar presence takes the composers’ everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach to its hugely satisfying conclusion. As far as futuristic racing soundtracks go, they don’t come any bigger than Fast RMX.