"Throughout the 2010s, the YouTube algorithm would summon a mysterious transmission. Uploaded in 2012 by a user named 'taia777,' the video featured a 15-minute loop of David Wise's 'Stickerbush Symphony' over a cascading image of thorn bushes in the sky, taken from the levels scored by the song in the 1995 Super Nintendo (SNES) game Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest."
"When it did, users took it upon themselves to write sentimental passages to Wise's sentimental score, reflecting in the comments on triumphs, tragedies, and affirmations on addiction, grief, or simply being stuck in life. More than any other song from a Super Nintendo game, 'Stickerbush' seems to have a therapeutic purpose."
"Wise could never have anticipated the song becoming the anthem for the internet's collective memory, but it was always intended to soothe chaos, both in his life and inside the game itself."
David Wise composed 'Stickerbush Symphony' for the 1995 SNES game Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. A 2012 YouTube video by user 'taia777' featuring a 15-minute loop of the song with cascading thorn bush imagery became an internet checkpoint—a mysterious transmission that appeared unexpectedly to thousands of users. The video's Kanji title made it difficult to rediscover intentionally. Users responded by writing sentimental comments reflecting on personal triumphs, tragedies, and struggles with addiction and grief. The composition transcends its original purpose as game music, functioning as a therapeutic tool for internet users seeking serenity amid chaos. Wise designed the piece to soothe both his own life and the challenging gameplay of Donkey Kong Country 2, one of the most difficult games in the fourth generation of console gaming.
Read at Pitchfork
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