Amalgamation Choir records soundtrack for award-winning video game in Greek Cypriot dialect

Music ArtmusicTop Newsvideo games Amalgamation Choir records soundtrack for award-winning video game in Greek Cypriot dialect Plague Tale Relevant News Amalgamation Choir records soundtrack for award-winning video game in Greek Cypriot dialect 7 July 2026 Stormy turn as showers and thunderstorms sweep inland and mountains 7 July 2026 The three levels of the presidential election stage 6 July 2026 Sophia Neophitou 7 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cypriot musician Vasiliki Anastasiou and the Amalgamation Choir have recorded the soundtrack to ‘Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy,’ prequel to the award winning ‘A Plague Tale’ video game series. Anastasiou is a singer-songwriter, as well as a vocal coach and the artistic director or the Amalgamation Choir, an all-female acapella group that includes women of all ages and backgrounds. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Olivier Deriviere (@oderiviere) The songs featured are performed in Greek Cypriot dialect. The lyrics having been translated by Anastasiou herself, with the contribution of Giorgos Kalogirou, who is also featured on some songs on the soundtrack. Olivier Derivière composed the music and the lyrics, incorporating traditional instruments from Greece and Cyprus, aiming to create a soundscape rooted in the cultural heritage of the region. He stated in his interview with NME magazine that using voices in their native language is crucial in regards to the emotional power of the music, noting that the soundtrack has been designed as an integral part of the game experience. The Amalgamation Choir contributed to the choral dimension, with multi-layered vocal textures, that “enhance the mythical and cinematic atmosphere of the game,” the press release said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amalgamation Choir • (@amalgamationchoir) The soundtrack was recorded in Paris and Cyprus, at Elbow Room studio and Hotsoap studior, with Derivière and his team paying the island a visit. Anna Dimitriou, the actress who voices Sophia, the protagonist of the game, also has Greek Cypriot roots. ‘The Land,’ a song from the soundtrack, has been released as a single and is available for listening now. The song captures the protagonist Sophia’s “relationship with identity, her heritage, and her personal resilience,” the press release states. en.philenews contacted Vasiliki Anastasiou with some questions about her experience working for the video game’s soundtrack. Do you consider the feature of Cypriot music and dialect in a popular video game a step forward for Cypriot artists? Absolutely!. I think it shows that our “local sound” can resonate far beyond our little island. Something we already knew through the work of other internationally acclaimed cypriot artists that paved the way. It definitely opens up doors for more collaborations in the future. Is there a specific reason you feel you were approached as a Cypriot musician? I believe that the thing that initially drew the attention of the composer Olivier Deriviere and his team AMEO, was the raw, earthy sound of our local all-female Amalgamation choir. Are there elements in the game that mirror Cypriot culture where music would help to bring it to life? I can only speak about the music since I haven’t played the game yet but this project definitely draws inspiration from the broader Mediterranean history, I wouldn’t say Cyprus specifically. Asobo studio, the creator, has posted numerous blogs regarding the origins and the myth behind ‘Resonance’. I believe Olivier’s music became the bridge giving those influences a glue of subconscious emotional depth. He speaks a lot how he writes music about the human condition and the language of emotion is universal. Was the process of recording music for a video game any different to how the process would be otherwise? How? No, not in particular. The music in the game exists to support the narrative and enhance the player’s emotional experience as it does with an audience in any context. Our performances have given a lot of care to storytelling. It did feel like becoming part of a new world though, a world that has a lot of emotional hues, a broader pallet than what we are used to. There was a lot of guidance by the composer Olivier Deriviere, making sure that every vocal performance served the story and emotion as he envisioned it. How did you feel recording in Cypriot dialect with traditional instruments knowing a large audience would be introduced to Cypriot culture for the first time? First of all I am immensely proud. Proud of the hard work of the past two years, proud of my Amalgamation choir, proud that we are singing in our native dialect in an international setting on such a huge production. When translating the french lyrics, we went with how we speak in our everyday life to make sure it feels personal to us. I also feel a sense of responsibility because for many players this would be their very first encounter with the Cypriot dialect and Greek culture. At the same time, it was incredibly rewarding to know that something so personal to us could travel to ears around the world. How was the translation process? Did anything major change during the shift to Greek Cypriot dialect? I had both French text and English translation and initially I translated it into the Greek Cypriot dialect without thinking too much about rhyme in an effort to preserve the emotion and meaning. The challenge came later and it was finding expressions that felt natural in the Cypriot dialect while still serving the narrative and musical phrasing that was on the score. That was the moment that my dear friend and collaborator Giorgos Kalogirou came into the picture as he carefully curated most of the songs through his poetic lens. Some adaptations were necessary and the goal was always to make the language feel authentic and near to our heart. Has this experience changed anything about your usual musical process? It reinforced the importance and the power of storytelling through a song. Trusting simplicity to allow the emotion to surface. Can’t hide that there were some pretty hard scores to sing, something not all choir members were comfortable with! Did you connect to the character/world throughout the process? Are there any similarities between you? What I connected with most was the emotional landscape rather than specific events. Themes like resilience, loss, hope and protecting the people we love are universal. Singing a song about my father «Πατέρα» was the most emotionally charged moment for me. I always draw from my own experiences to give honesty to the music, and I think that’s where the strongest connection happened for me. (and tears) Do you have any advice for other Cypriot musicians who find it difficult to embrace their roots? I think what people remember the most in every encounter, musical or not, is honesty and connection. Each artist creates their own path and it’s ok. I don’t feel like I am consciously “embracing my roots”, I am just being myself, collaborate with people that inspire me and sing songs that I love. Do what speaks to your heart and the ‘right’ people will be drawn to you. Our local culture has incredible depth, and it deserves to be heard on the world’s biggest stages, something that is already happening, we have amazing artists based in Cyprus and abroad that make us proud on an international scale. The game Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy takes place 15 years before the events of A Plague Tale, following protagonist Sophia on a journey to the mysterious islands of the Minotaur, where she faces forgotten truths as well as mythical powers connected to her past. The soundtrack is set to be released on August 27th, 2026, along with the game, which will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, available day one via Xbox game pass. 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