Milan Records releases six-hour original soundtrack for Phantom Blade Zero

Milan Records has released the original soundtrack for S-Game's acclaimed wuxia action RPG Phantom Blade Zero, accompanied by the vocal finale "My Heart Beats True" featuring celebrated Chinese vocalist Sha Baoliang.

Available across major music platforms alongside the game's PlayStation 5 and Windows launch, the massive four-disc collection spans more than 60 tracks and six hours of runtime. Written by Beijing-based composer Caisheng Bo, the music represents an 18-year creative partnership with creative director Soulframe Liang that originally began during their student days on the indie title Rainblood 2: City of Flames.

Rather than serving as passive background audio, the soundtrack was composed in tandem with early development, with several themes written before the bosses and fighters you confront were even visually finalized. As you step into the boots of Soul, a warrior with just 66 days left to live, the score mirrors the high-speed intensity of your blade work by blending rock, metal, and electronic production with traditional Chinese instrumentation.

Milan Records today releases new music from the breakout hit video game PHANTOM BLADE ZERO, including the Original Soundtrack by CAISHENG BO and the game’s ending theme, “My Heart Beats True,” performed by award-winning Chinese singer SHA BAOLIANG. Available everywhere now, the album features original music written by Bo for S-GAME’s new Wuxia action RPG game, which was released last week to overwhelming critical acclaim. A crucial part of the game’s development, Bo worked closely with his longtime collaborator and the game’s creative director Soulframe Liang, creating a score deeply woven into the game itself. More than an accompaniment or mood piece, Bo’s soundscape becomes a character in the action, matching the style, intensity and spectacle of the gameplay, particularly during its larger-than-life boss fights. Also available alongside the album is the game’s special ending theme, “My Heart Beats True,” written by Bo and featuring soaring vocals from Chinese singer Sha Baoliang to create the perfect endcap to the thrilling journey – listen here.

The musical story of Phantom Blade Zero began 18 years ago, when Caisheng Bo and Soulframe Liang—one in high school and the other in graduate school—were working on their indie game Rainblood 2: City of Flames, which would later evolve into the Phantom Blade franchise. Over nearly two decades, the graphics and gameplay have undergone a complete facelift, while the main melodies have been carried over and the core of the music has remained the same. The goal is to be bold and new—to create a world of sounds so distinctive that it pulls the listener into an alien world to become the Chinese wuxia hero they always wanted to be.

Music played an unusually integral role in the development of Phantom Blade Zero, with Bo composing some pieces before the corresponding characters and boss encounters had even been designed. Culminating in a 4-disc album with over 60 tracks in total and six hours of listening time, Bo’s soundscape draws on his longstanding affinity for rock, metal and electronic music, fusing those influences with traditional Chinese instruments and performance styles. Rather than treating those elements as purely historical references, Bo sought to push them into new territory, working with musicians to explore unexpected combinations and contemporary applications of traditional sounds. The result is a score conceived not simply as an accompaniment to the action, but as an integral part of Phantom Blade Zero’s identity.

The score doesn't just offer a new sound; it tells a story through leitmotifs and intricate thematic design. A recurring stuttering sound, for example, evokes conspiracy and an uncontrollable "Sha Chi" (killing intent), while the screaming sounds of the erhu (Chinese violin) capture the red threads and the core motif of "hero versus manipulation." The xūn (Chinese clay ocarina) represents "authority" and "weeping"; the pipa (Chinese guitar) represents "ambush" and "tranquility." These are just a few examples of the tools Phantom Blade Zero's music uses to make the soundtrack more musically profound and academically significant.