Back in June, video game developer CD Projekt Red shared an official trailer for an upcoming expansion of their 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077. Titled Phantom Liberty, the role-playing adventure will now feature Idris Elba as the government agent Solomon Reed, which makes him the latest big name after Keanu Reeves‘ inclusion in the original.
In a feature with Xbox Wire, Elba spoke on how he ended up being a part of the massive project. “It was really just an exploratory conversation,” he said. “You know, ‘Do you like gaming? Are you into games? Would you be interested in being a part of something?’ And then, before we knew it, we were having a conversation about Cyberpunk. And I was aware of Cyberpunk as a game, I played it, but then to be a part of the expansion was quite exciting to me.”
Today (Sept. 21), the British actor unveiled The Phantom Files, a three-song accompaniment to Phantom Liberty that contains a reworked version of 2022’s “Walk of Shame.” As explained in a press release, another standout, the pulsating “Rolla Coaster,” incorporates “a darker and more heavily produced sound” than Elba’s past drops, matching the video game’s dystopian atmosphere. “Gettin’ high on the roller coaster, going faster than my yellow Testarossa,” he rapped on the trippy effort.
“It kind of crossed the realm of music supervision. You know, trying to pick a ‘sonic’ that is relatable to this incredible landscape, and that was a joy,” the 51-year-old added in the aforementioned interview about his audio contributions. “As a DJ, that’s what you do when you walk into a club — you’ve got a thousand people, they’re all different, pick one song that makes them all dance. So it was a bit like a process just to pick stuff out. That was just enjoyable.”
Press play on The Phantom Files below. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty arrives next Tuesday (Sept. 26).