Keanu Reeves is playing a legendary rock star in the upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077, but don’t expect to hear music from the man himself. Despite spending almost all of the ‘90s in the frequently discussed but rarely actually heard alt-rock band Dogstar, Reeves is merely lending his visage and speaking voice to the character of Johnny Silverhand—who, yes, has a silver hand, as well as a whole damn silver arm. The actor is sharing the role with a man who’s well-known to fans of punk and indie rock: Dennis Lyxzén, the lead singer of the Swedish punk bands Refused and the (International) Noise Conspiracy. He’s the singing voice of Silverhand, the world popular enigmatic frontman of a legendary rock band named Samurai. Refused makes the band’s music, too, so apparently all along the shape of punk to come was a soundtrack to a videogame.
Cyberpunk’s designers CD Projekt Red released a video today focusing on Refused’s role within the game. It offers a glimpse into the recording process, and lets Lyxzén explain how it feels to write and play music as a character developed by others. Refused fans might dig it, as might anybody strapped tight into the runaway Cyberpunk 2077 hype train. You can check it out below; Cyberpunk 2077 is scheduled for release on November 19, 2020.
