The original video game soundtrack for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire will be available on LP for the first time ever later this year.
Varèse Sarabande Records will be releasing the album featuring music from the video game, which was developed and published by LucasArts for Nintendo 64 in 1996. The game would go on to sell one million copies in its first year, with a Microsoft Windows version releasing in 1997.
Grammy-nominated composer Joel McNeely was tasked with creating a full soundtrack for the multimedia project that would accompany a novel, a comic book series, trading cards, role-playing games and more. He would go on to record the music with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and samples of the subsequent tracks would feature in both versions of the video game, with the Windows edition containing many of the full versions.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire tells a story set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi and follows the Rebel ally mercenary Dash Rendar as he attempts to help Luke Skywalker and rescue Princess Leia from Prince Xizor.
The Original Video Game Soundtrack for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire can be preordered now through Varèse Sarabande Records. Both the new LP and the reissued CD go on sale Aug. 7.