Analysing Minecraft's Music (ft. Mumbo Jumbo)

C418's ambient score for Minecraft has to be one of the most intriguing video game soundtracks of all time. Drawing influence from the likes of Brian Eno, Steve Reich and Erik Satie, Minecraft's music is dripping with character, yet remains humble and non-invasive during gameplay. Today I'm taking a look at how Minecraft wound up with this minimalist soundtrack and what gives this music its muted yet curious sound.

SOURCES:

An extra special thanks goes to Vidad Flowers, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇

[DavidBennettPiano]

❗️CORRECTION: 9:50 there is a small mistake in the sheet music. The “E” in the left hand should be a “C#” 🎵 Thanks to those who pointed it out 😀

Also, sorry for my awful pronunciation of Satie! 🇫🇷

[godrequiem]

Me: *_burns down village_*
Minecraft: Calm, Ambient music

[Sutable_]

Is nobody talking about how we have never seen mumbo and David in the same place at the same time?

[TippiGordon]

The best description of Minecraft's music that I've read (and I forgot where I read it), is that it sounds like a place you can never go back to.

[SkimBee]

Me playing Minecraft: this music is nice
The cave sounds: hello

[HarryBakerSmith]

Everyone’s talking about the crossover, but even as a brit, if I wasn’t watching the screen I wouldn’t notice the speaker change 😂

[jonasc]

"Sweden" is a piece of music that I cannot listen to without going on a mind trip back to life in 2011. It is so surreal to listen to it that I actually stop myself even though I want to listen to it. It really is magical.

[fedsavi]

The crossover nobody expected but everybody wanted

[kinghunter]

Plot Twist: David and Mumbo are actually the same person and we just don’t know it yet.

[fedsavi]

Avengers: endgame is the most ambitious crossover ever
David: hold my piano

[TransAtlantic]

Minecraft's is some of the most hauntingly beautiful music ever recorded.
Much like Satie's Gymnopédie No.1, you will never hear it the same way no matter how many times you listen to it.

[zesla.]

Whoa, this was REALLY GOOD AND UNEXPECTED collab.

[stefanfong]

12:09 My ears have never been this hurt in my life hearing this. This is truly tortureous for me who has played Minecraft for over 7 years and can't accept changes in the traditional soundtracks, that part hit me so hard. But no offence this analysis is great! David, you earned yourself a sub!

[nix]

I am a person who's played Minecraft all these years almost entirely in singleplayer. Because of that, I love how the music feels curious yet lonely. The music's "slowness" and non-intrusiveness adds to the feeling of living and exploring in this huge world alone. I like to assume that this may be connected to how Minecraft used to be singleplayer only. I don't think I would enjoy the music as much if I played multiplayer more. I would have expected the music to behave like a character in itself in multiplayer.

[kristinstokes]

Another thing I absolutely love about Minecraft's music; it gives you a sense of loneliness. In single-player, you're trapped in an infinite world with nothing but yourself. Yeah, sure, there are villagers and pets, but there's no one really quite human. I've always felt like it adds to the feeling in the world and that's really what makes it really special :)

[isabelnat]

The music in Minecraft is so iconic, I honestly don’t believe Minecraft would be Minecraft without the music

[JoCE]

I can't believe they stopped having C418 make their music.

[cademiclips]

As an American, I could barely distinguish between your voices.

*Watches ending* glad I'm not the only one.

[blueshoals]

1:38 The key phrase here: "... a game like minecraft, " is the important bit that sticks out to me.
Minecraft is many games rolled into one. A game where ten different people can play it ten different ways, with ten different objectives, at ten different paces.

[checkYVELLUAP]

subwoofer lullaby without the cmaj7 chord makes me uncomfortable