A Musical Tribute to Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (SOUNDTRACK COVER)

Free MP3 download over on my ko-fi: ko-fi.com/s/18...
Spoiler warning info: The opening to this video briefly quotes some in-game text that most likely won't mean anything to anyone without the surrounding context, but it's still advisable that you turn back now if you have not completed Outer Wilds and its DLC, Echoes of the Eye. This game and its beautiful story are best experienced without knowing anything prior. You have been warned!
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Outer Wilds left a genuinely profound impression on me, in a way that no other piece of media ever has. It had already earned a place among my favourite video games of all time before I delved into the game's first (and only) expansion, Echoes of the Eye. The base game was a masterpiece, in every sense of the word. Echoes of the Eye, on the other hand, absolutely broke me. It took me on an indescribably beautiful and emotional journey, one which would propel the entire game into my 'personal favourite game of all time' spot... by an absolute landslide.
A huge part of Outer Wilds's magic is Andrew Prahlow's incredible soundtrack. Every single aspect of the game was crafted to perfection, and the music is no exception. This cover is my personal tribute to the game. It features a medley of some of my favourite musical themes from Echoes of the Eye, as well as a nod to the final track from Andrew's "Lost Reels" album. I hope you enjoy.
Lastly, if you haven't played Outer Wilds yet, do yourself a favour: close this tab, get the game, play through it, get the DLC, play through that too, and then come back to this video. Trust me :)
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Themes covered, in order of appearance:
• "Echoes of the Eye"
• "Travelers' Encore"
• "End Times"
• "Older Than the Universe"
Music composed by Andrew Prahlow
Cover arranged and produced by Sai Natarajan
Acoustic guitar performances by Morgan Smith
(makedark.bandc...)
Banjo performances by me :)
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OTHER LINKS:
Official Website - www.viusstudio...
Bandcamp - viusmusic.bandc...
Twitter - / viusmusic
Instagram - / viusstudios

[@VIUSmusic]

Folks, thank you all so much for the incredible response to my cover over the last few weeks! I'm so stoked that this little tribute of mine resonated with so many of you fellow Outer Wilds / Echoes of the Eye fans. Due to popular request, I finally got round to adding an MP3 download link in the video description. Enjoy, and thanks again for all the support

[@FurSealed]

Just finished Echoes of the Eye a few days ago so now I'm at the "fill the void with as much fan content as possible" stage lol. A fittingly incredible cover for an incredible soundtrack and game!

[@VIUSmusic]

I finished Echoes early last year and I feel like I'm still at that "fill the void" stage, haha. Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad to play a part in fulfilling your post-game fan content binge!

[@TaHoMasWilliams]

We all know the feeling. It never truly ends

[@the888gamemaster]

I'm sorry to say, at my 4th rewatch of both the base and DLC, there's no amount of fan content that can fill that void, though I have one more way to re-experience the game with a new sense of wonder: the DLC mod, at least when I get a good computer

[@the888gamemaster]

​@@VIUSmusicthe cover's pretty good, did you use a saw for the Owlk instrument or was that synthesized? (I saw a comment from Andrew Prahlow somewhere saying he used an actual saw and bow to make the owlk instrument sounds)

[@VIUSmusic]

@@the888gamemaster Thanks so much! Yep, the Owlk's instrument was synthesized here - sadly musical saws are hard to come by here, and theremins are even more so :P

[@magicguizmo777]

"My role in this ended long ago, and now I’ve learned my efforts weren’t in vain. Thank you for facing what was hidden in the dark."

[@jacksonbarkerthebluehairedfox]

I think the best way to describe the Outer Wilds is this: Every story has an end. But the end of one story is the beginning of another, even if we're not there to see it.

[@CrispyGFX]

God, Solanum's theme mixed with the Prisoner's theme just gets me every time.

[@gonzaloibarra9007]

who would have thought, A game I considered perfect, I was day one skeptical of what they would do with the DLC, what is there to be told than like one question I thought wasn't that relevant even if I really wanted to know the answer (and a few stuff too), Who would have thought, the question I had would embark me into a life defining experience and a DLC that I now feel it's indispensable a core thing that feels like it always been there and not only that it also became my favorite part in all outer wilds, and enhanced the experience to the point that it's an undeniable important piece of myself. Whenever I hear the little melody that represents this dlc, I always cry, I always feel emotional, I feel alive. And most likely will for the rest of my days or so I hope. I feel ashamed to say that a videogame made me feel like all the struggle i've been going, in the middle of darkness, things made sense, even if just a little, even if it was just for a moment, it was a cathartic experience it spoke to my soul, and the core messages not only outer wilds as a whole specially this DLC are ingrained within myself. As I push forward to be better Amazing cover, it hitted my heart the way you used that special little melody from the campfire. it made me remember important stuff

[@marleneschultz3065]

This is amazing!!! And so glad to see "Older than the Universe" getting some love... my heart is so emotional right now hearing this 😭

[@VIUSmusic]

"Older Than the Universe" made my jaw drop when I heard it for the first time - it was like a vivid reflection of all the emotions I experienced upon completing the DLC, so I just had to include it in this tribute! I reckon the original climax hits way harder, but this version was still really fun to put together. Thanks so much for listening, I appreciate it ::)

[@NumLokke]

Brings a tear to the eye (pun half intended) Absolutely beautiful, loved the lantern audio visualizer as well ::)

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you so much! ::)

[@PartyCow_]

Best tribute I've ever heard for the best game I've ever played. Seriously amazing job, I can tell an incredible amount of work has gone into it

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks so much dude, really appreciate it

[@Spadiglio]

Holy shit, this is such a phenomenal cover. Cannot even find the words to describe how much I love this.

[@VIUSmusic]

That means a lot, thank you so much!

[@klewden1203]

Holy crap... absolute chills just within the first notes when they begin to buildup; thank you so much for this. This is a masterpiece! Outer Wilds was breathtaking already, but I honestly had to overcome my fear of the darkness and jump scares with EOTE, and sitting here reminiscing, I realized how it was so worth it. Sometimes, we just need to "send our spark into the darkness" and see what happens because if we sit here on the other side of our fear forever, we will never truly know what life could be like. Too afraid to take risks, take a shot, get that job, ask that girl out, enter that competition, take that test... don't let the fear paralyze you because there may be others waiting on the other side of that darkness for someone like you to help them out (just like our Prisoner friend). Have a fantastic day to whoever reads this :)

[@VIUSmusic]

@@klewden1203 Love this analysis - and thanks for the kind words about the cover

[@Liam-vq7rz]

I knew this was going to hit as soon as the prisoner's instrument came in. Beautiful.

[@bubblewrapdemon]

Every time more fan musical tributes pop up I somehow always find new ways to cry, and man am I crying hard on a crowded public transport. This is a wonderful rendition along with the details in the visualiser to add to the listening experience, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[@VIUSmusic]

That genuinely means a lot, thank you so much!

[@codenamelambda]

Once I get my better headphones back (lent them to someone to try out) I need to listen to this again with those instead; because I feel like that will be a whole different experience (as in, the ones I'm wearing right now are doing this a disservice).... And I'll have to cry again because Outer Wilds stuff just makes me cry because of all the memories I have of the game LMAO

[@codenamelambda]

The way it keeps building until 1:17 is just so good, that part was enough to get my tear ducts ready

[@codenamelambda]

And the supernova at 3:00.... I love this so much. I think using it as a transition (like in 4:13 too with the bit after the explosion [unless that's not the supernova but the big bang?]) is just so fitting & sounds awesome as well

[@VIUSmusic]

@@codenamelambda Hey, thank you for the kind words! And yep you're right, the second explosion is the big bang :)

[@WhoviVortex]

Beautiful, beautiful work! Thank you for your service to the Outer Wilds OST enjoyers! 🙏

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks for the kind words! Glad to be of service

[@moderian3536]

I really love the part when the minor goes to major. It sounds like how the spirits of hearth and the prisoner contact and intertwine.

[@catnumbertwenty]

i wish i could play this game again

[@VIUSmusic]

Same here

[@LadyAmberRose]

Oh this cover is so phenomenal. Instantly got tears in my eyes when Solanum's music started playing, then they overflowed when the Prisoner's part joined in. Gosh this is beautiful 💜

[@VIUSmusic]

❤️❤️

[@haklababooptis]

This is beautiful. It let me relive the emotions of experiencing Outer Wilds for the first time again. Thank you so much for making this ::)

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks so much for stopping by and listening, and I'm stoked that you were able to relive your experience through the cover! ::)

[@m0nk17]

Video was absolutely amazing , and your description of what the game meant to you was spot on with me. Thanks for this. o7 Hearthian

[@VIUSmusic]

Glad you could relate too! Thanks for stopping by, and for the kind words

[@giulianogame19yt39]

probably the best outer wilds tribute i've ever heard, thank you, you've given me joy in a really hard day

[@VIUSmusic]

That really means a lot, thank you so much! I hope things get better for you soon

[@viola_case]

Hope Andrew got to see it!

[@moorish-mellow9285]

damn this is beautiful. brings back all my memories of exploring the Hearthian system.

[@VIUSmusic]

That makes me immensely happy to hear, thank you

[@kjeeb]

Beautiful work!

[@Kelgorr]

Didn't think I'd be here crying before going to sleep but here we go. A wonderful tribute to a wonderful game. (Best spoiler avoidance I can manage) Great use of audio from in game events.

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks for the kind words! Those sound effects were a very last minute addition - I'm glad people are liking them :)

[@fromtheotherguy3284]

The Deluxe Soundtrack perhaps may be one of my favorite game soundtracks of all time, and for you to combine all of my favorite parts into one. Beautiful. 👏

[@Vikapediathat]

Fantastic work Sai! You too Morgan! This was really nice to listen to, I really felt the passion you have for The Outer Wilds in this cover!!

[@VIUSmusic]

Cheers Vickie, means a lot!

[@Lewisman-wn6zk]

Honestly, this is probably one of the nicest covers of multiple songs that i have heard. This is excellent.

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you! :)

[@CujiCu]

And here I thought I had gotten over crying anytime I heard these leitmotifs. This takes them to another level Genuinely masterful work

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@ZephyrDaCrow]

Damn, something new and something amazing.

[@DaniloFiocco]

Boy oh boy, that's truly beautiful!

[@mckanemusic]

So good! Thank you for sharing.

[@VIUSmusic]

Glad you enjoyed it! I really loved your Outer Wilds tribute too - I came across it on Reddit a while ago. You wrote an absolutely beautiful song

[@StereoNauti]

Very clean and wellmade cover! Bravo ❤

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you so much! Huge fan of your 22 Minutes Suite by the way, I stumbled across it months ago and still love it very much 🔥

[@StereoNauti]

@@VIUSmusic thank you so much ❤️

[@mallonum]

Such an amazing tribute video! Thank you for doing this!

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you for stopping by and listening!

[@Brnozrkn]

Man, this really almost made me cry. And I don't even know why I am sad!

[@noahsabadish3812]

2:20 aaand i’m crying edit: oh my god i wasn’t ready

[@TrueVirtuoso]

Mannn you even included a free download... Thank you, this is such beautiful work you've done, all of it!

[@VIUSmusic]

@@TrueVirtuoso Thanks for the kind words! :)

[@dr-toto1223]

I heard the whole story of outer wilds through your music ! 🤯🥲

[@TimothyShortellMusic]

Sounds fantastic! Gonna have to check out this game.

[@VIUSmusic]

Do it! It's truly incredible.

[@DoodleEh]

PLAY IT

[@LiamHotter]

Holy cow Sai, this arrangement and mix is awesome! Might have to give the game a play now haha!

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks Liam! As someone who refuses to shut up about the game to all his friends, I'd HIGHLY recommend it - it's my favourite game of all time for a reason :)

[@DoodleEh]

PLAY IT PLAY IT PLAY IT WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP WATCHING STUFF ABOUT IT PLAY IT PLAY THE GAME PLAY IT NOW NO SPOILERS PLAY IT

[@noahsabadish3812]

I hope this beautiful game continues to have an impact for decades to come. Many development studios could do well to be inspired by this game.

[@VIUSmusic]

Agreed!

[@hirisen]

Chills.

[@Hip005]

Amazing work, i loved the tribute ::)

[@marcel2884]

amazing work!

[@Nex_0906]

This is beautiful💞

[@kaj4867]

God damn that was good. The video editing too deserves respect, fits super well and is extremely tastefully done. Fantastic across the board

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks so much!

[@rathnapriya6606]

So soothing to the soul dear. May God bless you dear ❤❤❤

[@AnthonyRichardsAudio]

This is amazing! You've done unbelievably well ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks Anthony!

[@Jbip]

this is really great

[@dobsonad]

Bloody love this. You know it's good when it brings a lump to the throat and a tear to the eyes

[@TheSoulTheta]

I cried. Thanks.

[@sablestew]

Amazing cover and it blends the songs in so well. Thank you for making this!

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks for listening, and for the kind words!

[@Zarith7480]

Great rendition!!

[@samsani13]

I opened youtube to watch something else, then stopped everything to listen to this. A couple days ago, I got hooked into 'Older Than The Universe', listening to it while staring into space just visualizing everything the song was able to captivate me with in my head. But goddamn... Your cover did the same thing, but even more. I was expecting it to just be a cover to 'Echoes of the Eye' at first, but you've brought the whole bundle here. I don't even know how to express with words every memory this cover was able to bring back to me, or even everything I was picturing in my head while every bit of theme would play throughout the whole song. Thank you for making this cover.

[@VIUSmusic]

Comments like these genuinely make my entire week. I set out making this cover purely as a personal tribute to a game that left such an indescribably beautiful impression on me - it means the world to see people resonating with it in the way you've described. Thank you so much for stopping by and listening, I can't adequately express how much I appreciate it

[@Thomalini]

I love this so much, I can't properly express it with words. You've done a fantastic job. ::)

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks for the kind words! ::)

[@frostyjack2813]

Thank you for this amazing work ❤️

[@misterninja7580]

HOLYYY SHIIIT DUDEEEE im crying. my god. this is so so beautiful and touching AND WHEN THE SOLANUM THEME COMES IN AND ALL THE OTHER LEITMOTIFS IM LITERALLY CRYINGGGG GOD YOURE SO SO SKILLED thank you. from the bottom of my heart.

[@VIUSmusic]

Aw dude, thank you so much - that really means a lot :')

[@mmario2979]

this is great. and i mean it, those three words might never carry as much weight as now. I rarely comment, but finishing outer wilds and it's DLC has been a once in a lifetime experience, and i never though a simple music track could have this much impact on me. Thank you, really.

[@VIUSmusic]

Hey thanks so much for the kind words, I appreciate it a lot! I agree with what you said about the DLC being a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I totally feel the same way - and of course, Andrew's music elevated the whole thing to another level :)

[@leaffarts]

This is insanely beautiful. Played the game a little over a year ago now. Instantly rekindled my love for it with this video. Not gonna lie, made me tear up a bit. Amazing work!

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@vaidenkelsier7757]

I'm glad the algorithm led me here.

[@cjwatso]

I feel lttp on this video and I’d like to thank the KZbin algorithm for blessing my night with this arrangement. 👏 Seriously - I loved your transitions and orchestration. Nice job.

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you so much! :)

[@塞子-f1v]

love it! so beautiful ❤

[@dimpledwonder7461]

Brilliant! I love it!

[@Classic-um4ld]

Holy shit this is wonderful

[@walaxometrobixinodrink1727]

absolutely marvellous Echoes of the Eye cover. the best soundtrack and you did it justice but why no Elegy for the Rings ????

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you so much! Good question about Elegy for the Rings. It's a fantastic theme, it just didn't come to mind while I was putting the cover together. The two big themes I really wanted to cover were Echoes of the Eye and Older Than the Universe, since those were the pieces that moved me the most. The other two themes (Travelers' Encore and the End Times melody) were the most natural choices for transitioning smoothly between them. Elegy for the Rings would've stuck out a bit too much. Maybe another time, if I feel compelled to create another cover!

[@walaxometrobixinodrink1727]

@@VIUSmusic indeed, it would have broken the ryhtm In hope of this second cover becoming real one day

[@VIUSmusic]

@@walaxometrobixinodrink1727 I really want to cover The River at some point, so maybe I'll find a way to sneak Elegy into that one :P

[@walaxometrobixinodrink1727]

@@VIUSmusic oh yes please do the river. it's such an amazing piece too

[@blizzardfeather2294]

LOVE the intro, and the light looks amazing. The editing is fantastic, not to mention the music!

[@VIUSmusic]

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@battleprog8014]

Incredible

[@Doc_Aspy]

This was so lovely and well done ❤

[@ShaynaBasque]

Wow love it ! Gave me chills❤

[@rossmckeown9445]

Wow this is amazing! Brilliant mixing too. Did you use a plugin for the orchestral elements? Sounds so authentic!

[@VIUSmusic]

Hey, thanks so much! Yep, those were all plugins - I'm mainly an orchestral composer by trade, so I've amassed a hefty collection of virtual instrument libraries over the years. Admittedly I'm still not 100% happy with the way the strings sound at the end, but there's only so much plugin tinkering I can do before I start to lose my mind, lol!

[@Lwai.]

loved it :)

[@santiagomx4546]

esta hermoso este interpretacion y realmente me encanto. buen trabajo!

[@VIUSmusic]

Gracias

[@gungun974]

This was incredible ! It's always amazing to see someone take this soundtrack and do something else. I'm just wondering. Could you add into your description a way to listen this music offline ? An mp3, an ogg or a Flac ?

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks so much! Yep, done - link is in the description :)

[@Kikindo]

Amazing soundtrack, I've been listening this each day for around 2 weeks already. Do you have a plan to publish it on spotify?

[@VIUSmusic]

Thanks for the support!! No Spotify release plans at this stage sadly due to the lengthy process that comes with music distribution, but the MP3 download link is in the description if you'd like to listen offline :)

[@azathothyt1259]

good shit

[@Shanmania]

luv dis

[@MoonStorme-]

Spotify when please??? ❤❤❤

[@VIUSmusic]

Hey there! There's a bit of a long process that comes with putting things out on Spotify (like setting up a release schedule, sorting out album art, etc.) so I'm not certain I'll be able to upload my cover there anytime soon. However, if it does happen, I'll be sure to put out an announcement on my socials! Thanks for stopping by and giving this a listen :)

[@jesushj3530]

te faltó agregar elegy for the rings, es brutal, trasmite toda la tristeza y la impotencia de los owlk, si la agregaras tu tributo estaría redondo

[@VIUSmusic]

Someone else asked why I missed Elegy for the Rings too, so I'll copy over the same reply I gave them :) The two main themes I really wanted to pay tribute to were "Echoes of the Eye" and "Older Than the Universe," since those were the pieces that personally moved me the most. The other two themes I included ("Travelers' Encore" and the "End Times" melody) were the most natural choices for transitioning smoothly between the first two themes. I absolutely agree that "Elegy for the Rings" is a heartbreakingly beautiful piece (and a very key part of the EotE soundtrack!), but in the arrangement of this particular cover, it would've stuck out a bit too much (mainly on account of the different time signature it's in). But having said that, thanks so much for checking out the cover and commenting!

[@caleb8495]

Could you put the image you used for the background on wallpaper engine?

[@VIUSmusic]

Hey, I'm on Mac so I unfortunately don't have access to Wallpaper Engine... apologies! If you'd like to try and put one together yourself, I sourced the main image from Polygon's Echoes of the Eye review - that was the only reasonably high-res version of it which I could find. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!

[@noble6100]

Fucking incredible

[@aliceaelita]

It's so hard to accept the message of game which is "Everything has end"

[@raphaelu8710]

Hi! I really like your interpretation of this music, I think it's beautiful, and I'd like to use it in a geometry dash level if possible ^^.

[@VIUSmusic]

Hey, thanks for the kind words! Unfortunately, since custom Geometry Dash levels apparently all rely on the Newgrounds audio portal, I'm not going to be able to upload the cover there - according to Newgrounds's audio guidelines, they don't allow covers unless permission has been given by the original artist. Sorry I couldn't be of more help :/

[@raphaelu8710]

No problem at all! Thank you for your response, and best of luck with your music!

[@chirorochiro9871]

🥲Beautiful :;)

[@Hip005]

Amazing work, i loved the tribute ::)