GTA 6 Soundtrack: Justice Drops Hype, Drops Beats

Ever wonder how you compose music for the most anticipated game of the decade without letting the pressure crush you? French electronic duo Justice—Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay—are handling the GTA 6 soundtrack, and they've found a way to keep the hype at arm's length while still delivering the goods.

In an interview with BBC 1 radio (via NINE1NINE), Augé admitted they're fully aware of the massive expectations. "Yeah, we are aware of the hype of the game, of course, and the fact that people have been waiting for such a long time," he said. But they've managed to stay sane by viewing the whole thing from a slight distance. "We see this colossus approaching, and at the same time we see it a bit from the outside. So it was a good way for us also not to let these thoughts come into our minds and not intrude on our minds."

As for the sound itself, don't expect a simple '80s retread. While there are subtle retro vibes in what we've heard, Augé insists the score is far more layered. "We never really put words on it. 'Oh, we need to make an '80s track,'" he explained. "We knew what we needed to do, and it happened to have this kind of flavor. But at the same time, the sounds are futuristic. Like the guitar, it's not even a guitar; it's a synth, because no guitar could have this type of sound that is very phasey and a bit futuristic."

Want a taste? Check out the game's first single, "Flower in a Hurricane," featuring Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The track has already racked up 2.8 million plays on YouTube in less than a week. Justice said working with that trio was a dream come true. "These are people we've always wanted to work with," de Rosnay said. "We didn't think from the beginning that they would necessarily match together, but it came very naturally, and things happened gradually, and all of a sudden we had made a record with all of them."

Beyond Justice's original score, GTA 6 will also feature the "next evolution of in-game radio, and more" through several radio stations and podcasts. The official album will include 34 songs written specifically for the game, with new music from Keith Richards and Travis Scott.

GTA 6 is set to launch on November 19, and if the soundtrack is any indication, it's going to be a wild ride. What do you think of Justice's approach to the music? Will you be picking this up?