Here’s a real oddity of our modern digital times: Square Enix has released a free app on PlayStation 4 in Japan that includes a live performance of the Piano Collections – Final Fantasy XV: Moonlit Melodies album, but it’s only fully functional for PlayStation Plus subscribers, and it will disappear after March 1st, 2018.
This is much more elaborate than the other soundtrack apps that have been released on the PlayStation Store so far. The 3gb download opens with a 3D interface, an original theme song, and a “daily login” unlock system. Basically, each day you load it up a sample of another song is unlocked for non-PlayStation Plus subscribers. If you are a subscriber the entire concert is available immediately and on the final day you’ll unlock a PlayStation 4 Home Screen theme. A small gift for your patience.
The Moonlit Melodies album was released in February but the live performance on this app comes from a concert held in Osaka on June 2nd that was produced by the game’s composer, Yoko Shimomura. I was expecting the songs to be accompanied by a simple slideshow of screenshots but you actually get direct video from the concert. It’s a well edited, multi-angle production with subtle lighting and projection effects that runs for about 40 minutes. Another bonus is an exclusive interview with Shimomura where she talks about choosing the venue, her love of the piano, the importance of concert settings, and more. Bonus bonus, it has English subtitles!
But once again, the whole thing will become inaccessible on March 1st, 2018, presumably leading up to a longer Blu-ray release of the full performance. Since it’s such an ethereal experience — Japan only, digital only, and soon to be shut down — I thought I’d record a video to show it off to those that don’t have the time or means to access it. You can check it out above or on OSV’s rejuvenated YouTube channel.
FYI: If you want to try it out for yourself you’ll first need a Japanese PlayStation Network account. Once you’ve got that set up you can download the app via this link. I can confirm, if you subscribe to PlayStation Plus on your main account and load up the app you’ll have instant access to the full concert and interview video. There’s no need to sign up for PS+ in Japanese. Convenient!
Ubisoft’s Reflections studio has once again sprung a colorful and charming new game on us out of nowhere. After their recent action/shooter Atomega, the team has returned to the minimal, open-ended style of 2015’s Grow Home but with a new musical touch. Ode is a “music exploration adventure” where everything in the game’s four garden worlds reacts musically to your actions.
Playing as the bubble-bound alien Joy, your goal is to explore these foreign environments by collecting and throwing fallen stars that have different effects on the flora, fauna, and even Joy herself. Using these abilities allows you to solve musical puzzles and reach new areas, all the while adding to the soundtrack in unique ways based on how you play.
From the brief debut trailer above, that soundtrack feels a little bit like Rez-meets-Vib-Ribbon. The thumping synthesized percussion and vocaloid voices make a pretty compelling argument for the game’s minimal $4.99 price tag. Ode is out now on PC and you can pick it up through Uplay, although it’ll probably make its way to Steam alongside all of Ubisoft Reflections’ other releases in due time.
Sumthing Else Music Works and independent game studio Highwire Games have released the vinyl edition of “Echoes of the First Dreamer: The Musical Prequel To Golem,” the new visionary album from Halo and Destiny composer Marty O’Donnell. The LP is released on classic 180g black vinyl and presented in a deluxe gatefold package.
Written for piano and orchestra, “Echoes of the First Dreamer: The Musical Prequel To Golem” is not the soundtrack to Highwire’s forthcoming exclusive PlayStation VR game Golem – it is a musical prequel; composed, arranged and recorded as an independent work that introduces audiences to the world and themes of Golem.
“For a composer, a prequel album is an interesting challenge because, unlike a traditional soundtrack, it cannot lean on the listener’s memories and experiences from the game. It needs to stand alone and have its own independent emotional journey. At the same time, it must relate to Golem‘s tone and world.
The story of Golem is more intimate — it’s about a small family living on the outskirts of a fallen city so I chose to work with a somewhat lighter ensemble than I have in the past: a piano, chamber orchestra and harp. But I wrote them all at the piano and it was interesting how the emotional impact of a piece would evolve from the original piano solo to the fully orchestrated version.” – Marty O’Donnell, Composer
The new vinyl album is currently available on Amazon, along with digital and CD formats.
This surprising “deep house meets future bass” remix of Super Mario 64’s “Dire Dire Docks” makes for a great start to a quick GameChops roundup. The indie game music label is still riding high from the release of their collaborative Sonic the Hedgehog tribute album, Spindash 2, but they’ve been steadily releasing new singles all year. You can catch the full drip feed of colorful music videos and new releases on the GameChops YouTube channel but here a few highlights from their recent releases.
Given that GameChops frequently turns out thumping bangers of wild EDM flavors, I was intrigued to hear their treatment of the classically mellow “Dire Dire Docks” from Super Mario 64. Newcomers to the label – Nokbient and Besso0 – do not disappoint, miraculously turning the peaceful theme into a chopped and chipped rendition complete with the requisite big drop.
Back on the Sonic train, GameChops and Hyper Potions co-produced the track “Friends” that serves as the animated opening theme to Sonic Mania. It’s a major milestone for the label and an all around super sweet and bouncy electronic track that’s made even better when you see it in the game.
DJ Cutman himself recently offered up this “Daft Punk meets Off The Hook” remix of Splatoon 2’s “Color Pulse” by the in-game pop duo, Off The Hook. Lastly is “Bendy and Electro Swing”, a remix from bLiNd of Kyle Allen’s original Bendy and the Ink Machine song. As the name implies it’s swingy and gives the original song and its lyrics a lot of thumping punch.
After his somber score to the totally-real PC game Impact Winter Mitch Murder has returned with a new soundtrack to another game that never existed with Zero Strike OST. I picture this imaginary Sega Mega CD game as a side-scrolling shooter with designs of the Robotech variety. Besieged cityscapes, swarm missiles, dark volcano lairs, “Huge Screen-Filling Bosses™” and all that.
Things start out somber here though with a twinkly, minimal synth melody on “Ship Select” but by “Stage 1” I can’t help picturing a screen full of enemy ships and big orange bullets. That plucky bass and hyper drumming perfectly capture the 16-bit Sega shooter vibe while Mitch’s familiar synth sound plays the lofty and sweet melody. The pair of styles persists through the remaining stage tracks taking on a more resolute tone with “Stage 2” and a dire drive on “Stage 4”, apparently the game’s final level. Naturally, there’s a grungy “Boss Theme” and this one is a real Sonic the Hedgehog 3 style jam with beats and samples.
It’s another one of those painfully short offerings but it is free (or pay-what-you-want) afterall so I can’t complain too much. Check out Zero Strike OST for yourself above and if you want more check out Mitch Murder’s previous soundtrack to a game-that-never-existed, Mech Hunter OST.
Back in late Spring the initial run of Switched on SNES: A Link to the Past on cassette sold out pretty quickly. The selection of classic Zelda themes rearranged for analog synthesizers is still available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube but for those who missed the physical offering there is once again hope.
Pre-orders are up now for the second, limited edition run of 300 cassette tapes to be shipped out this Fall. The $10 purchase gets you the gold label cassette with a uniquely colored liner as well as a digital copy of the next Switched on SNES release featuring Secret of Mana.
Surprise, the next Switched on SNES release is Secret of Mana! We’ll be sure to let you know when that new release is out.
Animal Crossing games come few and far between. Since 2001 they’ve been released every three to five years and right now we’re four years into the wait for a new mainline entry. So what’s a fan, hungry for more of that sweet and wistful music to do? Fortunately, Belfast-based artist, Ry, has stepped in with a unique new alternative.
The fittingly titled album SOFT TOWN is a collection of 20 original songs “made from samples ripped from Animal Crossing”. It’s fascinating to hear the familiar instruments and sounds I’ve become so fond of over the last 15 years playing someone else’s music. Ry has even gone as far as remixing their own themes and adding layers of environmental sounds to create “Inside” and “Outside” versions of each track.
The album’s release has been a good fit this month as the hot summer vibes here in the midwest U.S. are slowly cooling into the first hints of autumn. A little whimsy, a little melancholy; it really captures the feel of Animal Crossing without being a direct remix. Give SOFT TOWN a listen if you’re an anxious Animal Crossing fan or if you just need some chill sounds to get you through the day. The album is available from Bandcamp now for name-your-price.
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