Tim Wright (Welsh musician)
The Welsh composer who wired the frenetic pulse of 1990s UK electronica into the veins of video games, defining the sound of futuristic cool.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Welsh video game music composer·Birthday: July 31·Generation X
Biography
As the artist CoLD SToRAGE, Tim Wright didn't just write music for games; he engineered their atmosphere. In the mid-1990s, as video games began to embrace CD-quality audio, Wright was perfectly positioned. His work on the seminal anti-gravity racing game 'Wipeout 2097' (known as 'Wipeout XL' in North America) was a cultural lightning strike. He channeled the aggressive, breakbeat-driven energy of acts like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy into the game's soundtrack, creating a seamless fusion of gameplay and audio that felt utterly revolutionary. This wasn't background music; it was the adrenaline-fueled heartbeat of a sleek, high-velocity future. That signature sound became synonymous with the Wipeout franchise and helped legitimize electronic music as a core component of video game identity. Wright's influence extended beyond one series, with his earlier, moodier compositions for the Amiga computer, like 'Shadow of the Beast II,' already showcasing his talent for building immersive digital worlds through sound.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Tim was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Tim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created the iconic electronic soundtrack for 'Wipeout 2097,' which defined the game's futuristic aesthetic.
- Pioneered the integration of contemporary club and big beat music into mainstream video game soundtracks.
- Composed music for classic Amiga titles including 'Shadow of the Beast II,' 'Agony,' and 'Lemmings.'
- His work helped establish the importance of licensed and original electronic music in racing and action games.
Did You Know?
His stage name, CoLD SToRAGE, is a reference to a type of computer data storage.
He created the soundtrack for the PlayStation game 'Colony Wars' entirely using a Korg Trinity synthesizer workstation.
Some of his early music was distributed on floppy disks with Amiga gaming magazines.
“I build soundtracks from the ground up, like architecture for your ears.”
