Area 1 (theme)

Area 1 is a theme from Metroid: Samus Returns. It was composed by Daisuke Matsuoka.

Description
Area 1, as its name implies, can be heard throughout Area 1. The track has two sections. The first consists of a flute-like instrument playing a series of rising notes, alternating between playing it slowly and quickly, while quiet high-pitched synths in the background mimic this pattern at a much faster pace. The second section features dark and mysterious vocals that resemble throat singing. Area 1 can be heard here:

Area 1 may be based upon the beginning of the ambient track originally played in Phase 2. This theme, originally composed by Ryoji Yoshitomi, likewise opens with a rising pattern of high-pitched notes first played slowly and then repeated at a faster pace. The high-pitched synths in the Area 1 theme in particular sound remarkably similar to the original chiptune. While Daisuke Matsuoka fully remixed this theme as one of the tracks played in Area 3, it's possible that this Area 1 theme may be his way of retaining the track's original context. This ambient theme can be heard here: