I’m too young to have experienced most of the joys of the Commodore Amiga, but I did develop a taste for the music from this era while delving into the musical history of the demoscene as both a fan and amateur composer. Many of the composers working on the Amiga were legends and heroes in the demoscene, so I have a natural affinity for much of the music from that time.
Well, here’s a perfect example of judging a book by its cover. I’ve seen the Immortal CD series pop on VGMdb from time to time and never paid them much attention. That is, until very recently. As it turns out, the series celebrates the best music from the Amiga scene with arrangements from several classic titles arranged by the composers themselves in many cases. And yes, there’s lots of Chris Huelsbeck!
Hit the jump for our review of the two most recent releases in the series, Immortal 3 and Immortal 4. (more…)
Isn’t it fun to make up scientific claims? Fake science is something I love, and that’s why I loved the game SpaceChem It’s all about taking the basics of chemistry, bastardizing it, and turning it into a logistics-puzzle-game-from-hell.
The soundtrack for this indie game (available on PC and iPad) comes from humble roots. The composer, Evan LE NY, was discovered by game creator Zach Barth when Zach was trying to find some fitting music for his unique puzzle games. He stumbled upon Evan’s work through Jamendo, a haven for demoscene artists who are in it solely to experiment and, perhaps, get their name out there. No money changes hands, and all music can be used freely. Creative Commons and all that.
After using some of Evan’s tracks on previous games, Zach asks Evan to do an original score for a new game. The result is the epic, thematic score for SpaceChem. And now one more person (me) has learned of a virtually unknown French music prodigy.
Like much of the music I’ve been listening to lately, this soundtrack is free, so download it and listen along while we take the music into further consideration. (more…)
Yeah, see those 17 albums above? You can have all of them for only $10.
And if you don’t like the bottom seven (or you already own most of them), the first two rows (that’s 10 albums) you can get for a mere $1!!
Of course you can (and should, if at all possible) give more. But in the same format as the Humble Indie Bundle, the Indie Music Bundle site is giving you tons of content for an extremely small amount of money. Do not miss this sale. It’s one day only, that most unholy consumer’s holiday, Black Friday.
We’ve covered many of the albums above in previous reviews, and many of them reviewed favorably. There’s no reason not to grab this. We have Minecraft, Binding of Isaac, Ravenmark, Tree of Knowledge, and so much more in the sale. Crap, they even got Jimmy Hinson’s “Impostor Nostalgia” album. Get it. Get all the music. Now.
To say that 2011 has been a good year for independent label Ubiktune would be a gross understatement. Since the earliest months of this year, they have graced us with some of the most fantastic albums across any genre, and with each passing release, the creativity of their contributors as well as the foresight and understanding of consumer preferences continue to grow and improve at ever increasing rates. September has been a real knockout month only halfway through with Impostor Nostalgia‘s retro inspired groove, and of course the official Bloodrayne: Betrayal Soundtrack by none other than Jake “virt” Kaufman.
With these 2 releases alone, Ubiktune would be able to pat themselves on the back with the most impressive back to back albums in quite some time. But apparently, if you are to be outdone, you should be outdone by yourself. This week, Ubiktune has presented yet 2 more album of the year candidates in Shnabubula’s Game Genie, an incredible SNES prog rock / jazz fusion masterpiece from a deeply interesting mind, and Jay Tholen, a man that could sell you this album on his beard alone, but manages to win one over with a great electronica album that mixes in diversity with the use of live instruments and vocals. As usual with the releases over at Ubiktune, these albums are free, though you can name your own price to support the artists if you feel inclined.
And no need to wait for preppy Brits to tell you where these albums can be found for your listening pleasure, this shortlegged Viking has got you covered. Head on over to Ubiktune.com and support the amazing creative outlet, at whatever price.
The famous Swedish chiptune extraordinaire zabutom has been chipping it up with the best of them for over a decade now, having been part of demoscene groups like Share and Enjoy, Fadeout, Fyllece as well as others. His music isn’t just limited to electronic releases, he has also toured the world with his music, appearing at Blip Festival in New York City in 2008, placing him in the elite of chip music talents. But despite his fame and experience, zabutom has yet to release his very own full length album.
Ubiktune has luckily come in to save the day by finally releasing an all new album by none other than zabutom. Having been in various degrees of production for over 10 years, the album is an 16-bit space journey oozing of melody and voyageristic atmosphere. Despite being described as a 16-bit release, it is as if the Swedish tech-wiz used all the best elements of MSX, Amiga and SNES, showing shades of old Konami Kukeiha Club, Zuntata and of course filled with demoscene arpeggios to craft one of the coolest chiptune albums so far this year. It is not to be missed for any demoscene, chiptune or retro shooter game fans, a true must have.
Available at: Bandcamp ($5)
For chiptune enthusiasts, Ubiktune is now one of the most thriving and exciting labels in their minds. For several years, the little net label has grown considerably from a small Russian Speccy establishment into a fully realized chiptune label, featuring concept albums with a unique and fulfilling flow that the chiptune albums often lack. This year alone, Ubiktune has been responsible for some of the best electronic based albums of 2011.
At the front of this label is C-jeff, the Russian chiptune artist who time and time again has impressed listeners with his incredibly creative process and product. Catchy melodies with an underlying melancholy is his special trade, but in the midst of this darker take on arts, you’ll find a very interesting, cheerful and interesting individual. I had the pleasure of having a long and very interesting talk with C-jeff where we discuss at length his music, Ubiktune, the chiptune scene and growing up in Russia. Of course, we also discuss his upcoming album and the surprise appearances it features.
Read our interview with C-jeff after the jump! (more…)
To make an arrangement is not an easy feat. The challenges of not only doing the source justice with the proper amount of recognizable motifs and cues, but also showcase your own sound and originality puts the pressures on the artist’s talent and tools and turns the extra critical eye on things from the listeners. But what is even harder is to create a tribute to tip the hat to a whole genre, creating a sound and melodic landscape that sounds appropriate and true that is made with the free nature and uninhibited imagination of the composer. That is exactly what surasshu and coda set out to do with their new co-produced Eroge tribute album; Tree Of Knowledge.
And yes, I can make any article title sound dirty.
Find out if the album bears fruit after the jump! (more…)
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