The game, developed by MYST® creator Rand Miller, has earned rave reviews from critics for its unique gameplay, striking graphics and mood-setting soundtrack. IGN.com described Larkin’s score as simply "beautiful music" and JustAdventure.com concluded the soundtrack is "achingly beautiful". The game was also recently profiled in TIME Magazine's Top 10 Video Games List.
In creating the musical score for URU™: Ages Beyond MYST®, Tim Larkin has composed a unique experience for the listener by blending a wide range of ethnic as well as Western musical instruments and styles. Encompassing World music, New Age, Classical, Folk, Indian, Middle-Eastern and Native American, the score represents a multitude of musical cultures and is a hybrid of diversity that breaks new ground for soundtracks in games. Several exotic instruments are used in partnership to create the otherworldly atmosphere and themes of URU™: Ages Beyond MYST including the cathartic sounds of the duduk, Indonesian gamelan, African harp, Aboriginal didgeridoo and Fujara.
"I really lean toward trying to find rare and exotic sounding instruments and I try to blend instruments that you wouldn’t normally hear together", explains Tim, "With URU™ I mixed as many diverse instruments as I could in order to create a new, more unique palette."
Tim Larkin’s previous sound design and game score credits include Riven™, JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth (Sierra Online), Quest for Glory V, and Prince of Persia III. As well, he was the sound designer for the Academy Award winning CG animated short The ChubbChubbs!™, developed and produced by Sony Pictures’ Imageworks. His other cinematic projects include sound design for Doug Chiang’s (Star Wars Episode I and II Art Director) Robot: Reign Of Machines, trumpet for Martin Scorsese’s Memphis Blues and Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic. More information on Tim Larkin is available at www.timlarkin.net