Eclectic, world-spanning instrumentation that jumps from gamelan percussion to funky bass grooves in a heartbeat. Music From The Ages is the soundtrack compilation for the Age of Empires series, and Stephen Rippy's compositions are all over the map in the best way.
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"Gamelan" leans into Indonesian metalophone textures with total commitment, "Ride, Lawrence, Ride!" goes full cinematic desert sweep, and "Polyester Jammy" has this weird funky strut that sounds nothing like an RTS game and somehow works perfectly.
The track titles alone are a trip. "Smells Like Crickets, Tastes Like Chicken." "Shamburger." Rippy had fun with this one. "Rise Of Rome End Credits" brings the proper epic weight you expect from marching legions. "Rain" is just beautiful ambient calm after all the conquest.
If you grew up building empires and wololo-ing priests, these are the songs that were always playing in the background of your childhood.