Minecraft – Volume Beta
A dark model of a block of grass from Minecraft, surrounded on the edges by a much larger black and orange cube, with a black background.
Soundtrack album by
C418
Released9 November 2013
Genre
Length140:48 (digital)
81:39 (vinyl)
Label
C418 chronology
One
(2012)		 Minecraft – Volume Beta
(2013)		 0x10c
(2014)
Minecraft soundtrack chronology
Minecraft – Volume Alpha
(2011)		 Minecraft – Volume Beta
(2013)		 Minecraft: Battle & Tumble (Original Soundtrack)
(2016)

Minecraft – Volume Beta is the fifth studio album and second soundtrack album by German electronic musician Daniel Rosenfeld, known by his pseudonym C418. It was digitally released independently on 9 November 2013 as the second installment of the soundtrack for the video game Minecraft, and has been physically released by record label Ghostly.[3][4] The album peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart in 2013 and 2023.[5][6]

Like the album's predecessor Minecraft – Volume Alpha, Volume Beta comprises most of the music featured in the game, as well as other music included in trailers and instrumentals that were not included in the game's final release.[7]

Composition and release

In 2011, Rosenfeld released Minecraft – Volume Alpha.[8] For this next release, Rosenfeld was again given complete creative control on the soundtrack that would be implemented as part of Minecraft's November 2013 Music Update.[9]

The mostly ambient album has a generally darker tone than its precursor.[7] Rosenfeld admits that the record is "extremely varied", being "much more percussive, melodic, and progressive" than Volume Alpha.[10] The average song on Volume Beta is far longer than its predecessor[4] – at the time of the album's release, it was Rosenfeld's longest ever work.[11]

Volume Beta also contains the music of nine collectable discs within Minecraft.[12] A stark sonic departure from the rest of the soundtrack, these discs often rely on synthesisers and percussion instruments.[13]

In August 2020, record label Ghostly released the first physical versions of the album, in CD and LP formats.[14] The album's artwork features an extremely dark 3D model of a block of grass from Minecraft, surrounded on the edges by a larger black and orange cube. On some vinyl pressings, lenticular printing is used to give depth to the blocks in the image and highlight the inner grass block.[15]

Critical reception

Online publication Digital Trends praised the album for moving "beyond pieces that are simply 'peaceful' or 'sad' and creates tracks like 'Taswell' and 'Kyoto' that feel like distinct performances".[16] Richard McDonald of music blog Original Sound Version called the album "an amazing achievement".[17] The Los Angeles Times wrote that the album "showcases C418’s ability to make grander, more sonically diverse ambience".[18]

Track listing

Charts

2013 chart performance for Minecraft – Volume Beta
Chart (2013) Peak
position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[5] 14
2023 chart performance for Minecraft – Volume Beta
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] 68
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[6] 14

Release history

Release history for Minecraft – Volume Beta
Region Year Format Catalogue Label Ref.
Various 2013 Digital download, streaming – Independent [7]
United States, Europe 2020 2×LP GI-360LP Ghostly [20]
2×CD GI-360 [21]

References

  1. ↑ "C418 – Minecraft Volume Beta". Boomkat. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Moeser, Jack (6 February 2022). "'Minecraft' gave us the soundtrack to a generation". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  3. ↑ Patston, Manning (18 June 2020). "Minecraft fans alert: C418's legendary soundtrack is getting a physical release". Happy Mag. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 Rosenfeld, Daniel. "Minecraft Volume Beta". C418. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 "C418". Billboard. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. 1 2 "C418 Is No. 1 on Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Minecraft – Volume Beta, by C418". C418. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. ↑ C418 – Minecraft Volume Alpha Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 20 September 2022
  9. ↑ Adams, Nathan (16 November 2013). "If you restart Minecraft, it'll become a whole bunch more awesome thanks to C418's latest works :)". Twitter. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  10. ↑ Callwood, Brett (1 July 2020). "C418 Offers Block-Rocking Beats". LA Weekly. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Who Is Minecraft's C418?". Lifewire. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Minecraft Soundtrack Review from Katy and Ian". NSULA Gamers' Guild. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "How To Get All Music Discs Minecraft & Full Rank From Best To Worst". GuruGamer.com. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  14. ↑ C418 – Minecraft Volume Beta, 14 August 2020, retrieved 23 September 2022
  15. ↑ Ghostly (18 June 2020). "Announcing the first-ever pressing of C418's Minecraft Volume Beta..." Twitter. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  16. ↑ Gurwin, Gabe (24 October 2021). "The Best Video Game Soundtracks of All Time". Digital Trends. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  17. ↑ McDonald, Richard (28 May 2014). "Minecraft - Volume Beta (Review)". Original Sound Version. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  18. ↑ Tsai, Raymond (17 May 2019). "Review: German musician known for Minecraft soundtrack C418's latest, 'Sweden'". HS Insider. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  19. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 3 July 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1739. Australian Recording Industry Association. 3 July 2023. p. 6.
  20. ↑ "Minecraft Volume Beta". ghostly.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  21. ↑ C418 - Minecraft - Volume Beta, retrieved 21 September 2022

Notes

  1. 1 2 Although there is a music disc titled "11" found in game, the track "Eleven" is different from the in-game music disc. On the track, the start of the music disc can be heard, but this is then interrupted by a record scratching sound; the track then switches to a calm piano piece not found in the game.
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