When I first played Ridge Racer Type 4, it was a very rainy pitch-dark night, which one could assume to be unfit for a racing game. After all, racing games are all about adrenaline and excitement right? Instead, I was greeted with calm and soothing music accompanied by the glow of multiple phosphorus on my old TV screen lightly illuminating the words “Welcome to the world of Ridge Racer”.

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It is clear from the start that this is not going to be your typical “complete 3 laps and win” racing game experience, this game strays from all of the tropes of racing to focus on a more condensed and relaxed version of them. Everything from the menus to the gameplay and even the visual design is carefully balanced to be classic yet new, classy but also cool, calm and aggressive at the same time. And this, of course, includes the music.

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The game’s music encompasses a variety of genres ranging from drum and bass to jazzy orchestrated symphonies, it mixes digital synths with guitar riff samples and jazz chords to create a mixture that results in an overwhelmingly good soundtrack. The contrast between old and new stages of music represents the arrival of the new millennium, and the closure to this era of gaming while also welcoming a new one.

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These tracks are the result of a masterfully balanced arrangement with just the right amount of energy to be suitable for high-speed races while maintaining a certain level of calmness, which allows for an easy listening experience that can fit in just about anywhere and everyone. The absence of lyrics in most tracks not only helps to stay focused when listening to them, but also makes them flexible and appealing.

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There are some more hectic tracks included in the soundtrack, which although are as good of a listening experience as the other tracks are, aren’t as easy to listen to. Even so, I would recommend this album to anyone who wants to be submerged in a blend of everything that music is. There is something for everyone in this album, and I mean it, it’s an invitation to whatever you want it to be, the album doesn't appeal to you, you appeal to the album.

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They say to never judge something by its cover, but from the moment I looked at those letters on my screen, I knew this was going to be an experience, and a very different one at that. This was the peak of the franchise, with later games failing to strike the balance in the tone, but as it stands, every single aspect about this little niche CD from 1998 still holds up today.

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