Ben Houge, audio

I have music floating around various corners of the internet in places like SoundCloud. A lot of my music has been uploaded to YouTube by other people, but I make no guarantees as to the quality of whatever you may find there.

I've released three independent albums. The most recent, Chingachgook(s) (2010) is out of print (for the moment, at least), but you can download it here. In 2009 I released a rendering of my Radiospace installation, available on CD directly from me (excerpt below). I also may have a few copies left of the brief rock and roll EP 3 Heart-Shaped Cookies, a collaboration with the band 99 Men. All three may see downloadable reissues at some point.

The entire Arcanum soundtrack is available for free download from Arcanum fan site Terra Arcanum in high quality MP3 or lossless format. (Scores are available over on my Scores page.) But these days, it's probably just as easy to listen to one of many streams on YouTube, and you can also search for some of the many live performances.

And below are some downloadable MP3 files, for those who like to kick it old school. Click on a title below to hear the music. For best results, you may want to download the files to your computer before trying to play them (i.e., right-click and save target as...).

"EndWar" (2008)
Closing credits song for Tom Clancy's EndWar, performed by Ben Houge & 99 Men. This song was publicly released by Ubisoft in conjunction with a contest to create a video for the song (entries due February 17, 2009). Read more about the song here. Lyrics are here. For more music in a similar vein, check out our new EP, 3 Heart-Shaped Cookies.

"Radiospace 040823" (2004)
A rendering of my 2004 electronic composition Radiospace. Designed to function as the basis for a sound installation, the work is a computer program written in Max/MSP that digitizes, manipulates, and re-disperses incoming radio broadcasts in real time. This rendering was recorded on August 23, 2004, shortly after I arrived in Shanghai, for broadcast on Seattle-based radio station KEXP's Sonarchy program. Now available on CD!

"Arcanum" (2000)
(Leonid Keylin, violin I; Kathy Stern, violin II; Vincent Comer, viola; Susan Williams, cello)
The main theme from the role-playing game Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura. The complete soundtrack is available for download from Sierra's Arcanum page; you may also download the sheet music for the soundtrack. This piece received its concert premiere at Sound Currents 1 in February 2003. For more information, visit the Arcanum soundtrack page.

Half-Life PS2 main menu (2001)
(Ben Houge, synthesizers)
I was called in at the last minute to compose music for the main interface screen of the PlayStation 2 version of the immensely successful game Half-Life, developed by Valve Software, ported by Gearbox Software, and published by Sierra.

"Larry Rolls the Dice" (1996, re-recorded in 2002)
(Evan Buehler, vibes; Ken French, drums; Ruel Lubag, piano; Steve Messick, bass; Travis Ranney, sax)
This tune originally served as the casino theme from Leisure Suit Larry 7, but when Sierra composer Mike Caviezel was recording his soundtrack for Hoyle Casino Empire with an acoustic combo of Seattle-area jazz musicians, the session ended early, so I dashed off a quick chart, which resulted in this beautiful recording.

"Song of the Sylph" (1998)
(Margaret Lowe, tenor recorder; Mark Seibert, guitar; Ben Houge, synthesizers and samplers)
One of my favorites of the pieces I wrote for King's Quest: Mask of Eternity, this piece captures the serenity of the medieval fantasy setting.

"Two Are Better Than One" (2000)
(Patricia Thompson, mezzo-soprano; Jan Scovill, piano)
I wrote this song for the wedding of Amy Weber and John Spencer in Cape Girardeau, MO, on December 30, 2000. It was premiered by mezzo-soprano Patricia Thompson, accompanied by myself. The text is from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NRSV.