Assassin's Creed III: Liberation soundtrack

The Assassin's Creed III: Liberation soundtrack is a collection of music tracks written by American composer Winifred Phillips and produced by Winnie Waldron that were used as background music in Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. The album was released digitally on October 30, 2012.

Track listing

1. Liberation Main Theme - 2:01
2. Stealth - 2:11
3. Virtual Pursuit - 2:12
4. The Docks - 2:02
5. Abstergo Ops - 3:43
6. Secrets of the Bayou - 2:02
7. Poverty - 2:10
8. Aveline's Escape - 3:36
9. Society Suite in 4 Movements - 7:16
10. Ride to Oblivion - 2:12
11. Mayan Labyrinth - 2:04
12. Chasing Freedom - 2:19
13. The Hunt - 2:13
14. Bayou Fortress - 2:00
15. Safe Harbor - 2:07
16. Shanty Town - 2:01
17. Deliverance - 2:27
18. Winter in the North - 2:04
19. The Cathedral Grounds - 2:05
20. Animus - 2:27
21. In the Bayou - 2:23
22. Mayan Ruins - 2:03
23. River of the Mayans - 2:35
24. Agate's Power - 3:26
25. In the Service of Humanity - 3:11
26. Virtual Reality Room - 3:26

Creation of the score

General - In composing the score for Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, Winifred Phillips considered both the setting and the protagonist, Aveline de Grandpré, as main inspirations. As the daughter of a French aristocrat and an African slave, Aveline possessed strong contrasting cultural influences. The French style focused on Baroque string orchestra with an emphasis on the refined and sophisticated style of this genre, while the African style was embodied by complex and intricate percussion, authentic African vocals and the bright and vivid chords and melodies of African musical structure. In crafting the game's score, Phillips blended these music styles and also introduced some musical elements from folk songs.

Aveline - With the protagonist navigating multiple distinct social spheres, all of which suggest particular choices in musical instrumentation and style, the score needed to reflect that Aveline's inner world was very much a combination of all of these layers. As Aveline lost her mother at an early age, some of the tracks expressly permeate a sense of melancholy. At the same time, she is fiercely opposed to slavery and the oppression of the occupying Spanish forces. To strike a balance between these two aspects, Phillips used a soprano to communicate Aveline's vulnerability and gentleness, which was juxtaposed against the more aggressive elements of the musical score. As much of the storyline revolves around the mystery of the Company Man's identity, Aveline's theme is also associated with yearning, questioning and looking for answers.

Louisiana Bayou - For the bayou, Phillips largely focused on African percussion, using instruments such as dunun drums, the balafon, wooden flutes and rice shakers, making the location feel as though it was infused with African culture.

Mayan ruins - Mayan civilization possesses a very different cultural foundation from 18th century New Orleans, making for a change in musical instruments. For these soundtracks, Phillips used instruments including the Mesoamerican ocarina, the rainstick, hollow log drums and shell shakers.

Sci-fi elements - As in previous entries in the franchise, a modern element was present in the soundtrack to reference the technological marvel of the Animus, usually in the form of synths and contemporary rhythms. Phillips also associated the reliving of memories with visions, which she introduced into some of the tracks via floating ambient synths and unsettling musical effects. She believed that, in this way, "the instruments that typify the New Orleans regional sound have the potential to drift to the surface of the ambient soundscape and make themselves known, like hazy images in a dream".

Trivia

• Samples of the tracks were released on the French website IDOL before the release of the game.