This week’s Sound of Play host is Ryan Hamann (@InsrtCoins), and we’re experimenting with a new format (don’t worry — it’s a “sometimes” thing, not a new weekly feature). Following the example of the Song Exploder podcast, Ryan has chosen a single song to meticulously pick apart, instrument-by-instrument. Today’s topic is Jonathan Dunn’s legendary theme (turned washing machine jingle) from the Ocean Software RoboCop game. Ryan dissects the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Game Boy versions. And it’s all kicked off by a wonderful remix by Allister Brimble.
What we aim to bring you with Sound of Play is a diverse sample of some of our favourite pieces from the many air-punching, spine-tingling, tear-jerking and grin-inducing videogame soundtracks we’ve heard over the years.
Track listing for this show is as follows:
1: RoboCop by Allister Brimble – The Spectrum Works, 2015
2: Title Theme by Jonathan Dunn – RoboCop, 1988
3: Title Theme by Jonathan Dunn – RoboCop, 1988
4: Title Theme by Jonathan Dunn – RoboCop, 1989
Sound of Play: 138 was edited by Ryan Hamann (@InsrtCoins)
Remember, it’s not just about what we like, so venture over to our forum at caneandrinse.com and put forward your own suggestions so that we might include them in future shows.
Podcast (sound-of-play): Download (Duration: 50:09 — 46.1MB)
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The podcast has already been leaning towards 15+ minutes of vaguely related (if not completely irrelevant) talking per 3 minutes of music.
The way this is going, by this fall, Sound of Play will become a podcast that only talks about music, but forgets to actually play any sometimes … or just talks with a music producer or guest host about the movies they most recently watched for 50 minutes and call it an episode of Sound of Play.
Excluding Interviews (where a RANGE of music is actually discussed and played), I’d like it if you’d restrict it to no more than 10 minutes of talking MAX, between songs. I listen to the “Sound of Play” podcast to hear the ‘Sounds of Play’ from great Game Soundtracks, and RELEVANT thoughts and memories about them. Not whatever random thing the host feels like talking about Instead. There are 10,000 other Podcasts for that.
The Robocop Theme is not worthy of an entire episode. The Zelda theme, Maybe. The MANY Main Themes of Mario Bros, absolutely. But not this.
I appreciate the extended dialogue between songs. If I want to listen to video game music only, I can go to YouTube. I like Cane and Rinse for the discussions. Nobody else that I’ve found really picks things apart to the extent they do.
Yes, that is the point of it being a podcast, not a playlist … As long as they actually talk about the music, the games they are from and memories related to either, and don’t go on unrelated tangents so long you you forget what podcast you are listening to, or what it is supposed to be about. More than 10 minutes of talking per 2.5 minute song is a bit much though, especially when the host admits they’ve never played the game and ramble about something else aimlessly until they remember what podcast they are on and play another song.
(Why does anyone listen to music on youtube? It’s like going to a movie theater to read your newspaper projected on the screen. Why go to a video player for non-video content? It’s the least convenient thing to do. It’s madness, IMHO. I never listen to ANYTHING not downloaded to my portable device, on an audio playlist. If some oddball makes their music ONLY available on youtube, I rip the video, extract the audio to mp3, THEN listen to it. Why does ANYONE listen to music on Youtube? WHYYY???)
I like it best when the person who suggested the track provides a blurb about why they love it, which the host reads, then adds whatever ‘Relevant’ thoughts and memories they have, and then play it. Fan Blurb – Host Blurb – Song … Repeat. 3-10 Minutes of ‘RELEVANT’ Talk per 2-5 minutes of music. Most episodes are like that. I only care and comment here because the 100+ episodes up to now have kept me coming back for more and I LOVE what this podcast has been.
… but when the host sounds like they would rather be making a podcast about a different topic (a trend I’ve noticed growing recently), I can’t help but feel like I’d rather be listening to a different podcast.
The single song breakdown is a good idea, and is worth exploring further (Omg, RELEVANT discussion) … I’m just very ‘meh’ on that one Robocop Game theme song, personally. Good Idea. Room for improvement.
Ignore my comments. I’d delete them if I could. I don’t know how to filter myself sometimes. I’m just a troubled idiot and this was the unlucky web page I was on when I broke and started ranting again.
You guys at Cane and Rinse are awesome and know what you’re doing. I really wish I never commented.
Hey no worries SWLM!