Newsflash:

Halo 2 Soundtrack—Volume One, No Less—Announced

October 11, 2004—Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc. has partnered with Microsoft Game Studios to present gamers with the perfect background music for any situation, whether you're killing time in zero G or your Warthog's stuck in rush-hour traffic: the Halo 2 Original Soundtrack Volume One. This highly anticipated release, a follow-up to the successful soundtrack CD for the original Halo: Combat Evolved, will be released on November 9, 2004—the same day as a certain game many might have read about recently—to U.S. retail outlets through Nile Rodgers' Sumthing Else Music Works label, which you can visit at http://www.sumthing.com/.

Taking center stage on the Halo 2 Original Soundtrack CD are the new symphonic compositions by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori, the composers behind the bestselling Halo: Combat Evolved soundtrack. Nile Rodgers, the album’s producer says, "Visualize a giant orchestra with Martin O’Donnell as the composer and all the artists and musicians contributing as players in the grand symphony that is called Halo." Award-winning record producer Rodgers is, incidentally, one of the most prolific music producers in history. His production accomplishments include such diverse artists as Diana Ross, Madonna, David Bowie, Duran Duran, The B52's, David Lee Roth, Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, and many more. Records produced by Nile Rodgers have sold more than 100 million worldwide. In addition to producing albums, he has also scored or produced music for numerous films, including Coming to America, Thelma and Louise, The Flintstones, Beverly Hills Cop, and Rush Hour II, as well as a variety of television shows and commercials. The music couldn't be in more experienced hands. He co-wrote "We Are Family," for Pete's sake.

Rodgers also contributed by writing, performing, and co-producing the track "Never Surrender" in collaboration with renowned songwriter, artist, and remixer Nataraj. This exclusive cut, as well as the "Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix," includes masterful guitar work by acclaimed rock guitarist Steve Vai. "These players each have the unique ability to improvise and embellish Martin O'Donnell's ideas," says Rodgers. "Therefore, we are all 'Connected'—hence the original composition provided by Hoobastank as the bonus track—because [we] are contributors to the overall Halo symphony repertoire."

The soundtrack includes all-new compositions from some of today's most exciting rock bands, including "Blow Me Away" by Breaking Benjamin, "Connected" by Hoobastank, and "The Odyssey" by Incubus. These bands and songs serve to fulfill the ultimate vision of Marty O'Donnell's epic orchestral score. Ben Burnley of Breaking Benjamin is a longtime fan of Master Chief. "Halo is my favorite all-time game," Burnley said recently. "As a band, we play it all the time while on tour. It's like a dream being able to contribute music to the game and soundtrack."

Incubus' Guitarist Mike Einziger adds, "Halo is the only video game that ever inspired us to write a song. Now, if we could only stop playing Halo, we might actually be able to write another one!"

"Blow Me Away" is available on www.nilerodgers.com and the new MSN Music site. MSN Music provides music fans with an easy, comprehensive service for discovering and downloading legal, digital music. The Halo 2 Original Soundtrack Volume One—Volume Two is planned, but as yet still far-off—will be available at Best Buy, Musicland, Circuit City, Tower Records, Virgin Mega Stores, Borders, Hastings, Fye, Newbury Comics, HMV, Game Stop, and Amazon.com for the suggested retail price of $15.98. And, that little Xbox game from spunky upstart developer Bungie Studios, Halo 2, is of course available everywhere November 9.