Crimson Desert Original Soundtrack Volume 2 turns Korean folk songs into sea shanties

Ever heard a choir sing a Korean children's song like a crew hauling rope on a storm-tossed deck? You can now. Pearl Abyss has released Crimson Desert Original Soundtrack Volume 2, the second official album for its open-world action-adventure, and it's a hefty one at 42 tracks.

“Building on our origins as a Korean developer, we turned our own traditional melodies into authentic sea shanties that players all over the world can enjoy naturally and with real excitement”

— Hwiman Ryu, Audio Director, Pearl Abyss

That shanty set is the headline. The Prague Metropolitan Choir takes the melodies of Jindo Arirang, Gakseori Taryeong, Dukkeoba Dukkeoba, Kkomaya Kkomaya and Mugunghwa Kkochi Pieotseumnida (The Mugungwha flower has bloomed) and sings them in English as a full chorus, with all the swagger of a ship's crew.

Crimson Desert's Greymane mercenaries raising wooden tankards in a toast around a camp table at dusk — Raise a mug: the Greymanes are clearly ready for a singalong.

It's an odd pairing on paper, traditional Korean folk tunes pushed through a Western sea-shanty filter, but that's the point. Pearl Abyss says the blend of familiar melodies and international voices gives the game a sound that's all its own.

The album comes from Pearl Abyss Chief Audio Director Hwiman Ryu and Music Director Inro Joo, working with composers from Korea and abroad. The guest list is a good one, too, with vocalists Eivør, Colm R. McGuinness and Merethe Soltvedt, plus guitarist Nathan Mills.

A lone Crimson Desert rider on a black horse overlooking forests and snowy mountains of Pywel — Plenty of room out there for a sweeping field theme.

Volume 2 is built for drama. Expect lyrical field themes for long rides, epic anthems, battle and boss music for when things go sideways, bard songs for the tavern, and soundscapes meant to capture just how big the continent of Pywel is.

A colossal golden mechanical dragon smashing through a stone wall in Crimson Desert — Boss themes exist for moments exactly like this.

If you haven't been to Pywel yet, Crimson Desert follows Kliff of the Greymanes after a night ambush by the rival Black Bears leaves his mercenary band dead or scattered. He sets out to find the survivors and rebuild, and runs into a much bigger threat along the way.

Blue-plumed Crimson Desert soldiers charging a glowing mechanical golem in a red rock canyon — Desert skirmishes come with their own soundtrack now.

Where to listen

There's no waiting involved. Here's where to find it:

The official Crimson Desert YouTube channel and the Pearl Abyss Music channel
Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music
A free DLC on Steam and the Epic Games Store, coming soon

A Crimson Desert adventurer in bronze armor writing in a notebook amid yellow wildflowers by a great tree — Flower fields and a feathered friend.

The music is getting noticed, too. Crimson Desert is up for Best Soundtrack at The Golden Joystick Awards, and for Score – Video Game (Console & PC) at the 17th Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

A cloaked Crimson Desert traveler studying a map on a cliff edge during an orange sandstorm — Reading the map while the sandstorm rolls in.

Between the two award nods and a choir doing Arirang as a shanty, this might be the rare game soundtrack that ends up on your everyday playlist. I'd start with the shanties, then let the boss themes do the heavy lifting on your next commute. If nothing else, you'll finally have something rousing to hum while you clean the garage, and the neighbors will just have to deal with it.

Kliff in a wolf-pelt cloak facing an icy ancient ruin high in Crimson Desert's snowy mountains — Even the frozen peaks get their moment.

Crimson Desert Original Soundtrack Volume 2 is out now on the official game and Pearl Abyss Music YouTube channels, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music, with a free DLC version landing on Steam and the Epic Games Store soon. You can find the game on Steam here. Stay tuned to GamingTrend.com for all your upcoming reviews, previews, and gaming news!