Taopunk as a genre shouldn't work but the Nine Sols soundtrack makes it sound like it was always inevitable. Red Candle Games blended ancient Chinese instrumentation with cyberpunk synths and aggressive combat scoring into something that feels genuinely new.
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"Hammer of New Kunlun" is a boss theme that hits like getting parried in real life, heavy and rhythmic and furious. "When Peaches Ripen" and "Festival" build out New Kunlun as a living place before everything falls apart.
"The Puppeteer" uses Goumang's motif in ways that get under your skin. The Main Theme featuring Shuanshuan ties the whole mythology together. "A Place for Restless Souls" just sitting there being devastating. If Sekiro's combat clicked for you, Nine Sols matches that intensity note for note.