The videogame music thread

Here's where you can discuss and share music from videogames
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ratsoalbion
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by ratsoalbion »

We played Amiga Blood Money on the show recently (SoP 154).
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Flabyo
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Flabyo »

I haven’t put any requests in for a while, I’ll have a think of some good 80s and 90s stuff and chuck them in here later. (It’s definitely my era)
nickturner13

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by nickturner13 »

ratsoalbion wrote: October 2nd, 2018, 12:04 pm We played Amiga Blood Money on the show recently (SoP 154).
oops, not listened to a few recently, busted! lol
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Flabyo »

Heard today the pretty awful news that one of the great c64 composers, Ben Daglish, passed away earlier this week at the age of 52.

You’ll probably see people my age tweeting the ‘wastelands’ theme from The Last Ninja (where he shared composing duties with Anthony Lees) quite a bit this week, it’s by far the most famous piece from that game.

This was among a bunch of tunes that first introduced me to my love of video game music, back when I were just a lad.



I actually prefer the theme from the level after that...

MrGreenToS

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by MrGreenToS »

First time posting on the forums and wanted to share three tracks from some of my favorite games.

Castle Steiner Theme - Rod Abernethy & Jason Graves - Dead Head Fred





Dead Head Fred was a 2007 PSP game that nowadays seems to be long forgotten. The soundtrack blends cinematic orchestrations with a dark panorama of jazz, southwestern guitar, ambient, rock fusion and other seemingly disparate music styles into a cohesive and alluring listening experience.


Main Theme - FILMharmonic Orchestra Prague – Mafia 2



A great orchestra track to set the mood of the struggles of the mafia during Mafia 2.

Ode to Greed (techno remix) - Simon Viklund – Payday 2



This has a mix of techno, retro and even opera singing for good measure.
Nobuo Yagami

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Nobuo Yagami »

I struggle to think of many OST’s that have set moods better than Mark Morgan’s work on Fallout. The nukes of 2077 really did wipe out everything with instruments and melody a rare occurrence in this score. I presume Morgan figured that instruments, along with society, had long since decayed and what the Vault Dweller emerged to hear would be simple echoes of a past that people now struggles to survive in. That echo motif features throughout, as if the bombs and sirens are still ringing in the world’s ears 100 years on.

This game had such a raw feel to it, something I think the AAA sequels lacked, even with how great they were. I’ve chosen Metallic Monks from the first Fallout, a track which out of context might seem a touch surreal, but for this game: unreal.

TheStuntLady

Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by TheStuntLady »

Pump the brakes, folks. The C&R episode on Final Fantasy VII is right around the corner.

It's time to talk about "One-Winged Angel."

Many years ago when SoP was still in the single-digits, Joshua Garrity compared Sephiroth's theme song to "Let It Go" - we've all probably heard it 50-plus times, it's been remixed, remastered, reimagined to death. So much has already been discussed about this piece of music. Is there anything new or groundbreaking to say?

I don't know. Yet here we are. One of the most acclaimed entries in the Final Fantasy series is up for scrutiny on the main feed, and we can't ignore this track any longer.

"One-Winged Angel" is in a word, iconic. It's Nobuo Uematsu at his most inspired. The peaks that it hits are monumental. Its impact is legendary. It is nothing short of awesome.

Once again I've chosen the version arranged by Arnie Roth and performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. And again, I'd encourage any fan of game music to go to a Distant Worlds concert if you have the chance. There's nothing quite like witnessing a sold-out audience absolutely lose their minds at the sound of the opening notes, singing along with the orchestra to provide the vocals, chanting "SEPHIROTH!" while tears stream down your face, and seeing the people sitting around you doing the exact same thing. That right there is a testament to how important and special "One-Winged Angel" is.

So maybe there's nothing new to say. Maybe all that's left is to simply turn it up and enjoy one of the greatest pieces of video game music ever composed.

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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by DomsBeard »

TheStuntLady wrote: October 10th, 2018, 3:54 am Pump the brakes, folks. The C&R episode on Final Fantasy VII is right around the corner.

It's time to talk about "One-Winged Angel."

Many years ago when SoP was still in the single-digits, Joshua Garrity compared Sephiroth's theme song to "Let It Go" - we've all probably heard it 50-plus times, it's been remixed, remastered, reimagined to death. So much has already been discussed about this piece of music. Is there anything new or groundbreaking to say?

I don't know. Yet here we are. One of the most acclaimed entries in the Final Fantasy series is up for scrutiny on the main feed, and we can't ignore this track any longer.

"One-Winged Angel" is in a word, iconic. It's Nobuo Uematsu at his most inspired. The peaks that it hits are monumental. Its impact is legendary. It is nothing short of awesome.

Once again I've chosen the version arranged by Arnie Roth and performed by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. And again, I'd encourage any fan of game music to go to a Distant Worlds concert if you have the chance. There's nothing quite like witnessing a sold-out audience absolutely lose their minds at the sound of the opening notes, singing along with the orchestra to provide the vocals, chanting "SEPHIROTH!" while tears stream down your face, and seeing the people sitting around you doing the exact same thing. That right there is a testament to how important and special "One-Winged Angel" is.

So maybe there's nothing new to say. Maybe all that's left is to simply turn it up and enjoy one of the greatest pieces of video game music ever composed.

I am up to episode 92 of Sound Of Play and I am still surprised it has not appeared but here we are. I do have it on my list of Sound Of Play songs should I make an appearance one day
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ratsoalbion
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by ratsoalbion »

It has not yet appeared on Sound of Play.
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Flabyo
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Flabyo »

Controversial opinion: the version in Crisis Core is better than the version in ff7 itself.

Really controversial opinion: every ff7 track is better in crisis core. Especially Aerith’s theme.
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Simonsloth »

Flabyo wrote: October 10th, 2018, 6:10 pm Controversial opinion: the version in Crisis Core is better than the version in ff7 itself.

Really controversial opinion: every ff7 track is better in crisis core. Especially Aerith’s theme.
Controversial but for the most part I am in agreement (ducks for cover)!
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by TheGaffer »

As you've used both my sly spy suggestions I thought I'd better drop in some more.
So first is for rock hard amiga shooter Apidya. I think the track from the first level has already been on sound of play but this track is my favourite from the game. Much like Turrican this is Chris Huelsbeck at his absolute best and not many could make the amiga sound like he did. I have to admit that the game was so beyond my mediocre skills that I had to use a trainer to get anywhere near the end but it was worth it just to hear this masterpiece :
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by TheGaffer »

More amiga now but following on from the funktastic sly spy is another funky tune with more slap bass than a Level 42 convention. It's the title theme to Jaguar XJ220

Martin Iveson does an amazing job on this lotus-esque licensed racer from Core Design. The soundtrack is really the stand out part of this game as really its just a lotus rip off. But Iveson music is a delight and I much preferred racing to the music rather than the engine sound!
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Simonsloth »

I’ve just playing Nier (2010) and I’m incredibly impressed by the soundtrack. The ambient background themes are excellent and I love the additional layers which are added or removed contextually.

I think youve already had 3 Nier songs on the show but not this one if my search proves accurate.



This track really makes me feel like I’m on a grand adventure and has a nautical matinee movie vibe about it. There’s also a few bars that bring Akira Yamaoka’s silent hill main theme to mind (or maybe that’s just me).
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Tbone254 »

So for this pick I bring you Nonuo Uematsu’s magnum opus, “Dancing Mad” from Final Fantasy 6, as performed by Uematsu’s own rock band, The Black Mages. One listen and it becomes obvious that this is how the song was meant to be heard. This is a monster of a track at just over 12 minutes long, and it is filled to the brim with overly epic moments. It starts out slow and ominous, transitions into a surprisingly awesome organ solo, and eventually builds up to a 2 and a half minute long, overly indulgent guitar solo with enough bends to make David Gilmour jealous. For me, this is the stand out piece of Nobuo Uematsu’s career.
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by MrGreenToS »

Keeping up with horror theme tracks for October I really dig the unique way of how the score for The Suffering was made by using homemade instruments and injecting sounds to the tracks that would match up with the situation in the level. For example, in the prison level they used struck metal bars, slamming a dumpster against a wall, violent metal scrapes, the bowing of metal rods and compressing the creature’s voices to distill fear in the player.


Track 2 or aka Prison is Hell- Erik Aho – The Suffering





Sidenote: Since The Suffering never officially gave names for each track, I also used the aka for what fans have given the tracks names based on the level and situation they play in.


Fighting Outlaws - Michael Bross - Oddworld Stranger's Wrath




I partially love this track for both the tone it sets for the game’s world but also the composer has some interesting backstory for creating this track:

“I felt strongly that the music needed live percussion and also live guitar.

Oddworld, as a company, was small and independent. While being independent meant we were free to take chances on fresh ideas, it also meant that sometimes we didn't have resources that a big publisher / developer like EA or Activision had. In this case, I didn't have any kind of budget that would allow me to hire outside live musicians.

I wasn't going to let that stop me and decided if I wasn't going to have access to these musicians, I'd do it myself. While I was an accomplished musician, at that time I didn't know how to play percussion and surely I had never picked up a guitar.

So, I began taking percussion lessons and practicing. At the same time, I bought a cheap guitar and began getting familiar with the instrument.

"Fighting Outlaws" was probably one of the first tracks I recorded myself playing both percussion and guitar. For the percussion, I ended up creating a simple rhythmic pattern and then overdubbing 3 - 4 different hand drums. For the guitar, I mainly stuck to forging a melody, which became the centerpiece of the whole track.

I truly believe that obstacles and limitations force creativity. They appear to take away choice but are really opportunities to think differently about processes and results. And in that, to create new, unique choices and options.

Through forcing myself to learn these instruments well enough to play them on recordings, it gave me the power to be self-sufficient and to create and iterate on a piece of music quicker and more effectively.” - Michael Bross

Source of quote: http://www.bross.com/blog-main/2014/6/1 ... ath-part-2
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by wisheewashee »

.
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Flabyo
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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Flabyo »

I think this one just about squeaks in as a 90s piece.

Parasite Eve is probably one of Square’s lesser known games. It hit in the same year as Xenogears, Final Fantasy Tactics and Metal Gear Solid, and kinda went under the radar a bit. I still think it’s one of Yoko Shimomura’s best soundtracks though, although some of the vocal samples for the operatic tracks sound a bit ropey to modern ears.

Anyway, this is the end credits orchestral performance of the games main theme. Defintely one for lovers of piano pieces. (Sadly the slight background hiss is present on the original recording, even the official soundtrack cd has it...)

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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by rob25X »

Here's a great track from one of my favourite games, 'Hot Shelter 1' from Sonic Adventure.

There are many great tracks to be heard in the original Sonic Adventure (or Sonic Adventure DX), this is just one of them.

Hopefully it hasn't been requested already. Cheers.

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Re: The videogame music thread (also Sound of Play submissions)

Post by Spacefarer »

Back in the early 2000s, when everyone else was raving about their brand new PS2, I was still happily plodding along with my dad's home computer. If I recall, it had a nice AMD Athlon and one of the early GeForce cards inside, and after struggling with its built-in SuSe Linux operating system, he just gave up and stuck Windows XP on it instead.

Amongst all the crap "free" software and games I filled its meagre hard drive with were a few games by a small casual games company known as PopCap. Let me tell you, King.com and their contemporaries have nothing on the majesty that was PopCap Games. But before I get sidetracked, onto the song in question.

I've picked this tune from PopCap's very own Puzzle Bobble knockoff, Dynomite. Slight caveat: don't know if it's in the game itself, but it's present in the game files...does that count? It's called Amazonas, and it was written by Peter Hajba, also known in the mod scene as Skaven.

(EDIT: it actually appears in the fossil gamemode. So it's valid! Hooray!)



In case it doesn't, here's a bit of a rarity for you. Atomica is a PopCap game lost to time, but fortunately I found a copy a few years back. Here's some music from its Strategy mode, written by a fella called Hannu Salonen.



Good luck finding artwork for either of these games for the podcast thumbnail ;)
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