The Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory is the moniker of Mike Mora… Read Full Bio ↴The Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory is the moniker of Mike Morasky, a composer for Valve. The laboratory is part of the Aperture Science Laboratory, researching psychoacoustics to enhance the immersive and multidimensional experience generated by Valve's most widely lauded game, Portal and its successor Portal 2.

According to Aperture, "Whether you’re a mega-science corporation with decades of test experience, or a young start-up liberating your first test subject from non-testing with a chloroform-soaked rag, Aperture guarantees results. Wake up your test subject, open the chamber door, and press play—let Aperture’s patent-pending rhythmic compliance enhancers do the rest." Thus far, three volumes of material have been made available and are all free to download from here: http://www.thinkwithportals.com/music.php

Hard Sunshine
Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory:

Cara Mia Addio Cara bella, cara mia bella! Mia bambina, o Chell! Ché la…
PotatOS Lament Potato lacrimosa Potato po uota Diva me a atra anima evicta …
Still Alive This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS. It…
Want You Gone Well here we are again It's always such a pleasure Remembe…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS

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Comments from YouTube:

DracoJester

8y↑266

I like how GLaDOS secretly has Cara mia addio programmed into basically every aperture product

Emerly

4y↑3

Maybe it was Caroline who secretly put them there.

David Cant See

4y↑2

love as a construct

Extra Crispy

4y↑9

@Jessica Caron the biggest inclination that we have that would say that chell is explicitly her daughter (be it biologically or through adoption) would have to be the translation of the song at the very end of the game from the turrets, of whom explicitly sing in itallian, 'good bye, my daughter,' and so on. I would have to say that if this were not the case, then this would be just a really weird and unnecessary song.

Jessica Caron

4y↑16

RedMatter We don’t know that, actually. All that we know about Chell is that she participated in the science fair at Bring Your Daughter To Work Day. They said in The Final Hours of Portal 2 that Portal 2 was about GLaDOS falling out of love with Chell- I don’t know if you consider that canon, but it’s certainly not canon where Chell came from. It’s just a popular theory.

Extra Crispy

4y↑3

@Jessica Caron chell is the daughter of the woman who was made into GLaDOS.

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fronkus

8y↑106

This song is kinda sad but also really good. The companion cube "singing" in the background sounds amazing.

fronkus

2y↑1

@UpsideDownCycle oh shoot you’re right. Thanks lol

UpsideDownCycle

2y↑3

@fronkus no, it isn't. "Hard Sunshine" is what you can hear from the hard light bridges in their introductory level/chamber, and the background "singing" is just a remixed/shortened Cara Mia Addio. What you're thinking of is the companion cube's song that you can hear in "Love As a Construct" (Yes, the companion cube also faintly plays Cara Mia Addio, but it's a different remix, and not what you're hearing in this track), which plays in a completely different chamber that actually has the companion cube in it. A lot of Aperture products just seem to play Cara Mia Addio for some reason lmao.

fronkus

@UpsideDownCycle it is. That music isn’t audible in the level unless you go right up next to the companion cube iirc.

UpsideDownCycle

It's not the companion cube tho

Burak Keklik

4y↑4

guys calm down

3 More Replies...

RMJ1984

9y↑104

Just put this on either speakers or headphones. Lie down on your bed and close your eyes. Before you know it you will be hovering on the bridge of light moving in the air to some unknown place.

This is just amazing. How on earth does Valve do it. They can make the must odd, wierd sound that is oh so compelling to listen to.

Rosy Delamarter

3y↑6

For real, Mike Morasky composes some amazing songs for this game (and others)

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Zindiq

11y↑44

Upon hearing this song I felt the hard tones pierce my ears, though at the same time the tune was calming, as though the morning sun is just rising in the hazy orange sky of the industrialized world, smoke rising from the factory's and becoming the artificial clouds of the hard sunshine.

Jack Merchant

6y↑3

Ok, first of all... WOW U A POET! Second... I literally saw the exact same thing... Just it made me sad of thinking of what an artificial Earth we live in.
It also reminded me of like 2011... Idk why at all...

Adyot R

10y↑68

For those who are wondering about the Cara Mia addition and link in some of the songs in the Volume 1 of Songs To Test By, in chapter 2 of the game there is a test chamber that has the companion cube in it.
If you listen closely, the companion cube is playing a tune. In fact there is a way to glitch into the companion cube and hear the tune a lot more clearly. This tune on first hearing is clearly a simplified version of the Cara Mia tune. This means that in the end the melody that all the turrets play is actually a tribute to the companion cube
There are a few songs such as Hard Sunshine, Love As A Construct etc. that match up beautifully with the tune that the companion cube plays
In fact you can hear the companion cube song in Love As A Construct.
If one hears these sounds in the game, one actually forms a much deeper attachment to the cube in Portal 2. Maybe this even works subconsciously or something.
I'm sorry that was a bit long
TL;DR- its about the companion cube.

beef business

It's called foreshadowing.

Mr_Earwig

@Aydee R Thanks for trying though! I wish video games would just come out with it and tell us who does the art. I mean, come on, the artists behind Portal definitely need more upfront recognition

Adyot R

@Mr_Earwig Hey, I looked up the artists behind portal, and these names- Jeremy Bennett and Randy Lundeen showed up. They seem to be the concept artists for portal 2 and the cover for this album is probably lifted from those concept images. That's the best I could come up with

Mr_Earwig

You seem to know a fair bit about of the songs in Portal 2, so I have a question and can't seem to find the answer anywhere. But can you please tell me who did the cover art for this soundtrack - aka this one with the huge GLaDOS in it?

Brynjar

13y↑5

After the Hard Rain comes the Hard Sunshine.

Gryphon 1-1

5y↑5

I like how this feels like it's a nice day outside but you're stuck doing something else under fluorescent lights it actually reminds me of when I was in elementary school where I wanted to play on the play structure begin most likely be doing a math test or something not nearly as interesting.

It also reminds me of the long car rides where you're in the backseat and the sun hits you just right and makes you fall asleep.

Tumbolisu

10y↑56

You can hear this track by standing right next to a hard light bridge. Best case, a 90° tilted one.

Jędrzej Kawa

4y↑2

you can hear it the easiest by just crouching on a bridge

Dimitry Eichner

yeah sure and glados doesnt know what a friggin train is

sharkbite951

9y↑9

Thank you good sir, I had been wondering were the fuck you can hear this song

Misa Amane

11y↑8

I get the chills every time I hear this song yet... can't. Stop. Listening!

Petík Georgiev

8y↑45

These bridges are made from natural light that I pumped in from the surface!

TheRealNoofle

3y↑5

@Melody Stars On the first chamber this comes up on, if you stand on the section of the chamber where the button to open the door is, it's possible to shoot a portal so that the light bridge is directly above your head. This is where the synth is the loudest

Big Donuts and Pink Cupcakes

3y↑8

If you rubbed your cheek on one, it would be like standing outside with the sun shining on your face. It would also set your hair on fire so don't actually do it.

Melody Stars

8y↑8

It plays when you're close to a light bridge I think. Nonetheless, it's beautiful, in my honest opinion.

The Deer God

8y↑76

If you put your face on it, it'll be like having the sunshine in your face!

It would also set your hair on fire, so don't actually do it.

Johnny Leyenda

11y↑5

I put this on repeat when I go to bed. It helps me to fall asleep.

[Redacted]

7y↑47

If you listen for it, this is really just a broken/buzzy version of 'Cara mia addio'.

InitiateD

7y↑1

Hmmm....
Really?!
I didnt know that.

chunky bunny 64

4y↑3

There's so much foreshadowing going on in this game, it's so cool to see after you beat it.

Benjamin Bayne

12y↑6

It's funny because the first time I played Portal 2, I crouched down on the light bridge when GLaDoS said that... Quickly got back up when she mentioned the bridge's flame-starting qualities. lol

Vidya0091

13y↑3

This is a great sound track to listen to while playing kerbal space program

Onine

8y↑56

Does anyone hear the Cara Mia Addio theme in the background of the song? Maybe GLaDOS wanted Chell gone all along.

Clorox Bleach

5y↑2

there actually is an unused ending for portal 2 the was going to play the song "dont say goodbye"

The Man Who Drums

8y↑1

yeah I know right

William

3y↑4

How did morasky manage to turn glitchy computer sounds into calming meditating music?!?!?!?

ZipperSkull

7y↑2

I'm surprise the hard light bright doesn't actually burn chell's hair ☀🔥. You can here this song clearly, if you're underneath the bridge.

Extra Crispy

9y↑16

sounds like something you could hear in Earthbound, or something.

NAF Projects

aay earthbound

{“pnfrlEnm”};

RedMatter It's Giygas' true theme! Hard Absence of Sunshine!

vanishy0urself

10y↑6

I love this tune.

Drawn Out Random

4y↑2

this is so calming

Tobyret

Wow... Feels very nice and nostalgic. Dim memory of Portal after 20 years.

Rex

10y↑2

I hear companion cube!
On a side note, it's funny how any song with the companion cube sound in it is just sooooo relaxing and comforting~

xXMoonlight_FireXx Gaming

9y↑3

The Companion Cube is basically a heart-adorned coffin. Rattmann alludes to it in his drawings and its heavily implied in the game. The Game Theorists have a video on the topic.

Luca

7y↑2

"These bridges are made from natural light that I pump in from the surface. If you rubbed your cheek on one, it would be like standing outside with the sun shining on your face. It would also set your hair on fire, so don't actually do it." - GLaDOS

Locktoppernop

11y↑1

This song always makes me feel relaxed

flaschka

12y↑1

it actually sounds like I was standing on a wild field with all those bees and bugs buzzing around and a very warm sunlight touches everything that's still wet from rain. the warmth is surrounding me like a tight box and I could just lay there on the warm grass breathing in thick air but then I wake up on a cold plate with a light bridge above my head ._.

ジェリ

when i hear this soundtrack.. i feel like im in future

grapes

this is giving me strange nostalgia even though i literally only started playing a few weeks ago

Noah Goldberg

6y↑2

I just Listened to this with "Giygas' Indimidation" also playing on top of it and I can never Unhear Giygas' Electronic Sounds. It's just stuck there in my Head now whenever I listen to this song.

[???] erobe

The fact you can hear Cara Mio Addio in the back makes this soul crushing

Damon Nugent

6y↑1

Wow. It's like a more livelier version of the Combine's force fields in HL2!

TheRublixCube

Did you ever stop to think what would Chell do if she encountered combine soldiers after escaping?

Benjamin Curran

True story:

I didn't actually know that the hard-light bridges played this. I found out about this in the puzzle "Bridge the Gap." In it, I wasn't aiming to complete the puzzle, I was trying to find its Rattman Den. During this, I crouched on the lightbridge to squeeze through a gap and I heard this symphony. I didn't attempt this earlier because I heard GLaDOS say the lightbridge could set my hair on fire should I brush my cheek against it, so I didn't want to do it. Overall, this has been a nice surprise.

Bart Coppens

10y↑7

For some reason, listening to this cheers me up.

Faya-Bits

portal 2 was the first portal i beat and i missed on the audio bc it fit too perfectly

Jinx Nyota

12y

To me it sounds similar to the melody of Cara Mia the sounds playing that melody are sunflowers and the buzz is from the light bridges to make this wonderful and soft generic sound <3 yay~

Nic Hawkins

11y↑1

It has deeper meaning than just that, that I won't get into, but overall it IS incredible.

Sploda

This song sounds like what it feels like to be on laughing gas.

Максим Морховський🇺🇦

3y↑1

This track feels like putting your face in front of a big light

I like Portal 2

and setting your hair on fire

sharke76

11y

This plays when you put your head next to the light bridges Found it!

m'elody

"These bridges are made from natural light that I pump in from the surface."
"If you rubbed your cheek on one, it would feel like standing outside with the sun shining on your face..."
"It would also set your hair on fire."
"So don't actually do it."

Ryusaki Yukio

12y

You can definetely hear some tunes of Cara Mia Addio, just like with Love as a Construct

FAH Holliday

10y↑40

I'm walking on Sunshine!

furry lover

6y↑1

no pun intnded

1 More Replies...

Kage745

12y

i have goose bumps when i listen it

Gamer101

“These bridges are made from natural light that I pump in from the surface, if you rub your cheek on one, it would be like standing outside with the sun shining on your face, it would also set your hair on fire, so don’t actually do it.”

Whoknowswhat

12y

I can hear the turret opera when I listen closely.

Uncle Explosion

6y↑2

Fun fact: if played on an oscilloscope, this creates an interesting design.

Uncle Explosion

@Fandom-trash I tried out other songs in this soundtrack, but this was the only one that made something. Other than this however, some people actually make dedicated songs to go along with the osciloscope. If you haven't seen them, I would totally recommend searching them. They're quite unique O_o

Fandom-trash

Uncle Explosion that's nice uwu, I wonder if any other songs make something?

Uncle Explosion

@Fandom-trash You bet! I just originally thought it sounded like something that could make a display on the oscilloscope and after loading it up into a program, it just happened to display something interesting.

Fandom-trash

Uncle Explosion nice, thanks for telling me! How did you find out, anyway?

Uncle Explosion

It's this weird repeating diamond shape connected by dots. It shifts perspective throughout the song, but it doesn't really change from that.

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Not a Spy

"These are light bridges. if you run your cheek on them, it will be like standing outside in the sun. it will also set your hair on fire."

alphamoonman

12y

if you take away the buzzing sounds you can clearly hear what sound like the turrets song after glados sets you free to the top as the elevator goes up

Shild

12y

I feel goosebumps.

columbus8myhw

13y

Still alive was so popular because the radios had a remixed version of it on a loop in Portal (and Portal 2). Cara Mia is supposed to be popular because it's in the soundtrack underneath the melodies of "Love as a Construct" and "Hard Sunshine". Too bad it's in Italian or something... but the tune is catchy. That was a triumph...

Noah Goldberg

6y↑6

Me: Yo pass the aux cord
Friend: You better not play trash
Plays this + Giygas' Indimidation on top of it
Whips and dabs

USB Dongle

13y

I'm not sure why this song is so unpopular! I think it's beautiful.

ThatLimey

11y

I like how the name of this may have been named so to link to L4D2's chapter Hard Rain

Dragon7722

11y

That sound is being ermitted by the light bridges :D

ThisIsFiveEighteen

11y

When this song plays, my cats start howling.

Seba

10y

Listen to this well and you'll hear... well, you'll figure it out.

TheTrueSpyroMan

11y↑1

GROUDON's Drought made the sunlight intensify.

TheSoheila90

11y

this song make me sad, jet i love it

Alexander Gauvin

You can actually find all these songs in the Portal 2 folder if you have the game. For steam, go to My PC > Drive (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Steam > steamapps > common > Portal 2 > Soundtrack > Portal 2 Soundtrack [Songs to Test by]

Ridori

9y↑13

You can hear parts of Cara mia addio if your hear well :D

Cainan Love

This song makes me calm.

Iamnotacleverman

12y

I need to play this game again...

HatWizard

gotta love me some forshadowing!

superfalconpunch2

11y

To hear this in game, crouch on a light bridge. c: Don't burn your hair.

Tristen Arctician

When you have to many light bridges in your test chamber

Dylan P.

" ...you'll be breathing the same roomful of air, for the rest of your life. "

Loxic

4y↑1

I swear I must be hearing a hair trimmer by listening to this song.

Aesthetical

8y↑2

You can hear a companion cube in the music

WhyDidIJustEatThat

6y↑1

Kinda reminds me of the noise made by the Voyager record.

Roseyicywolf

7y↑1

why is the sound of my hair catching on fire so pretty

Tristan Buss

13y

@RandomFox11 Valve seemed to want to make Cara Mia the new Still Alive by grinding it into our subconsious. For me, it worked.

Hunter X

13y

Am I going crazy or can I hear the Turret Opera in there?

FishenOne

12y↑1

If you listen closely, you can hear Cara Mia in the backround!

Fasteroid

11y↑1

I hear some of the ending turret opera in here XD

TheBeast0911

12y↑1

When you hold the companion cube it slowly "Hums" Cara mia.

Noah Goldberg

6y↑1

Play this on top of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24i84oNPwCM

You'll thank me later.

Someone.

I was making a map and listening to the Portal 2 soundtrack and when this came on I suddenly started feeling... empty. I felt alone. I felt sad. I thought it was because of the hint to Cara Mia because every time I finish Portal 2 I usually cry out of happiness because it's such a good game but, it felt like something way different. Then I realized why I was crying and had to get a break from the computer to just sit and get those emotions out of my head. Right now, as I'm writing this very comment, I'm still not ready. For anything.
This soundtrack is making me remember. Remember the good times I had with my cat... All the time I hugged him, petted him, cared for him, played with him... This is why I love Portal's soundtrack. It brings out Emotions. You begin feeling like Chell: Alone, no company, just you. And just like you wanting to get away from those thoughts, She want's to escape Aperture Science.

Soupreme

12y↑1

*partner in co-op shoots a portal over the portal creating the bridge that you are on dropping you into acid*

Pyrania

6y↑1

Millions of musical bees!

kittyface :3

5y↑1

I thought my computer was dying when i heard the intro

Scrimbo

7y↑1

The one disliker didn't listen and caught their hair on fire.

Ploods Smoods

12y

Liste closesly, you can hear Cara Mia in the back ground. Funny how that keeps popping up in the songs...

Sovierika

13y

Huh I wonder they call this place Hard Sunshine... *Sun comes up* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Pedro Lopes

I felt like a robot was cor_rupt like me ...like I was a computer that was removed....

R a i n / C l o u d

Will it give me Sunburns?

Jade Willow

9y↑15

My dog disapproves of this. He grunted and and gave me a lick

Jade Willow

8y↑2

i would never dislike anything to do with portal

Elizabeth Capps

12y

Did you hear the under tones of 'Cara Mia'?

Lambda Studios

this is so fucking good

Annoyed_Gremlin

Isn’t this the lightbridge sound fx?

Kitsu the Fennec

11y↑1

Am I the only one who hears Cara Mia in this?

Aldo Siffredi

11y

yeah but that what make the story so interesting !

Weeb

I've been searching for this

sharkbite951

10y↑8

Does anyone else think this song is a little bit sad? Those of you who have watched a certain portal parody will understand.

BLOODYRAINBOW - SFM SOURCE FILMAKER DUDE

9y↑2

@SlimedGamer explain this shit!

null

9y↑1

Kinda, the badassery that happens later on makes it worth it.

Cam

9y↑1

@bloodyrainbow I actually do, except one that won't try and test everything.

BLOODYRAINBOW - SFM SOURCE FILMAKER DUDE

@Cameron Mills you sir!! YOU DEAR SIR SICKEN ME!!!!

Cam

@Jordan West Same, I just want a GLaDOS.

2 More Replies...

cuiper

12y

Anyone else hear "Cara Mia" in the background?

TheBeast0911

12y

So does the companion cube ;)

DEASTES

12y

To me it sounds like robot bagpipes

GOPLAID

12y

EVERY DAMN TIME.

sweatermonster

13y

monoose35 were all crazy because were just a figment of eachothers imagination

Parkdum

This song just sounds so....

depressing

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