The Kernel Hearts Song You Need to Hear: Soundtrack, Vocalists, and More

Some games earn a spotlight before a single frame of gameplay is shown — and sometimes, a single song does the heavy lifting. That's exactly what's happening with Kernel Hearts, the upcoming roguelite action RPG from indie developer Pretty Patterns. If you've been searching for the Kernel Hearts song from the game's second trailer, you're not alone: the track turned heads when it debuted alongside the "Welcome to Babel" teaser in June 2025. That Kernel Hearts song, performed by French singer Pernelle, quickly became one of the most-talked-about details in the game's early marketing.

The music matters here because it isn't just background noise. It's being composed, performed, and arranged by a tight circle of independent artists — including a vocalist who calls her participation "a dream come true." Whether you're a fan of emotional piano ballads or you just want to know who's singing before the tower climb begins, here's everything we know about the Kernel Hearts soundtrack so far.

Why the Kernel Hearts Song Is Turning Heads

Kernel Hearts is set to launch on September 17, and the official Steam listing describes a game with a lot of moving parts: you boot up a magical girl unit, upgrade it between runs, and climb a tower with up to three friends in online co-op. The premise alone — "Ascend the tower and dethrone God" — is memorable, but the game's music has been doing a surprising amount of the promotional work.

When Trailer #2 dropped on the official Kernel Hearts X account in June 2025, it opened with the line, "Your boot sequence... it worked... Welcome to Babel." The accompanying score was a vocal track that immediately stood out. According to community reports, the embedded trailer gathered roughly 7,700 views on that first post — impressive for an indie title still in its multiplayer closed alpha phase.

Here's a quick snapshot of the game and its musical identity:

What makes this notable is how early the music became part of the conversation. Most indie RPGs save their big vocal themes for a launch trailer. Kernel Hearts put its voice front and center months ahead of release — and fans responded.

Meet the Voices Behind the Kernel Hearts Soundtrack

The Kernel Hearts song in Trailer #2 didn't come from a big-budget studio. It came from a small group of independent creators, and each of them has publicly confirmed their involvement.

Pretty Patterns (Diego/Patterns) is the driving force. The composer, who runs the Pretty Patterns Bandcamp label out of France, is credited with the game's soundtrack. In response to Pernelle's trailer announcement, Pretty Patterns wrote a warm thank-you note, calling the collaboration a lifesaver — a small but telling sign of how tightly knit the production team is.

Pernelle is the vocalist on the Trailer #2 track. Her bio describes her as a multi-genre singer, composer, writer, and flutist with credits spanning film, TV, video games, and concerts. If her name rings a bell, it might be because of her work on titles like Stellar Blade, Overwatch 2, NIKKE, and Mahou Arms. In her June 2025 announcement, she encouraged fans to watch the trailer "to hear the banger song" — her words, not ours.

vally.exe was the next vocalist to step into the light. In August 2026, the singer and arranger (who also goes by vallyutaite) announced that she sings and arranges a couple of songs in Kernel Hearts. She described the opportunity as a lifelong dream and said she was excited to hear her fellow vocalists in the game, along with the rest of the tracks by Pretty Patterns.

Community reports also note that Pretty Patterns frequently collaborates with vocalists across the label's catalog — including RINO and vally.exe — which suggests the full Kernel Hearts OST could feature more than one singing voice. That's a smart play for a game built around booting up magical girl units: vocal themes give characters personality before you even meet them.

"Cataract": The First Kernel Hearts Song You Can Actually Stream

While most of the Kernel Hearts song catalog remains under wraps, one track is already out in the wild. "Cataract – Kernel Hearts OST" by Pretty Patterns was released on Bandcamp on October 14, 2024, and it's the easiest way to get a feel for the game's musical direction right now.

The release includes two versions of the same track: the full vocal song and an instrumental version. Both run about 2 minutes and 22 seconds, making it a compact, focused listen. Bandcamp describes the track's vibe with tags like "soundtrack," "emotional," "piano," "soft," and "soothing" — which lines up with the lyrical themes floating around in the song's description.

Lyrically, the song leans into imagery of dawn, memory, and blurred vision — the word "cataract" doing double duty as both an eye condition and a rushing waterfall. The verses touch on looking back at what's been lost, carrying guilt forward, and hoping that love stays intact. It's introspective and a little melancholy, but there's a thread of resilience running through it: "no fear, no lack," as the chorus repeats.

Here are the fast facts, straight from the Bandcamp listing:

You can listen to Cataract – Kernel Hearts OST on Bandcamp right now. The instrumental version is especially useful if you want to study the composition without the vocal layer — or if you're building a playlist for your own ttrpg or writing sessions.

For bargain hunters, there's also a full Pretty Patterns digital discography bundle that includes all 24 releases at a 25% discount. If you end up liking Cataract, that bundle is a low-cost way to explore the wider catalog that the Kernel Hearts soundtrack is being built from.

How Trailer #2 Put the Music Front and Center

The second Kernel Hearts trailer is a case study in how to introduce a world through sound. The June 2025 post from the official Kernel Hearts account framed the reveal with a single evocative line: "Your boot sequence... it worked... Welcome to Babel." And then the music took over.

Pernelle's own announcement on X is the best place to hear the song in context. She encouraged followers to watch the trailer "to hear the banger song" — and Pretty Patterns replied with gratitude, cementing that this was a genuine collaboration rather than a one-off session.

What's interesting is how the trailer packed a lot of information into a short runtime. The caption did double duty, announcing the multiplayer closed alpha sign-up at the same time as the musical reveal:

The lesson for indie developers is simple: a strong vocal track can carry a teaser further than any amount of UI footage. And for players, the trailer is the clearest preview of what the full Kernel Hearts song lineup might sound like in-game.

What the Kernel Hearts Song Lineup Means for the Full Game

With vally.exe confirming she sings and arranges "a couple of songs," we now know the soundtrack includes at least two vocalists. That raises the bar for what fans can expect when the game launches. A single vocal theme is a nice touch; multiple vocalists suggest a more cinematic approach, with different character themes or emotional peaks keyed to specific moments in the story.

Here's what community reports and official releases suggest about the full soundtrack:

• Piano-led emotional tracks: The Cataract release leans on soft piano textures labeled as "emotional" and "soothing."
• Vocal + instrumental pairs: If Cataract is any indication, in-game songs may ship with instrumental counterparts.
• Multiple voices: At least two vocalists (Pernelle and