After playing the hentai games that Kikuta sent us, here we are with the actual soundtrack albums. Love Relaxation is actually the Sakura Relaxation soundtrack, given this new name for reasons unknown. But no matter what Kikuta wants to call it, it doesn’t change the fact that this is good stuff!
This album in particular is significant as Sakura Relaxation marked Kikuta’s return to game music after a five-or-so year hiatus marked by canceled games and the closing of his development studio. Most people were right at home with the Sakura Relaxation, as it most closely resembles his work Seiken Densetsu 2 with its playful melodies and whimsical atmosphere.
Read our review of the Love Relaxation after the jump. (more…)
Deadly Creatures is one of those Wii casualties that deserved more attention than it received. While it appeared to be your typical 3D action platformer on the surface, there were a number of innovations that made it a worthwhile experience for those looking to get more out of their Wii. What I found particularly interesting was the game’s sound, both in terms of music and sound design.
The world of Deadly Creatures is experienced through the perspective of the a tarantula or scorpion, but the story is told through overheard conversations of humans that appear throughout the game. A pretty unique concept. And the music? It’s not what you’d expect, as it blends indistinctly into the sound effects and dark atmosphere generated by the visuals. Fortunately we’ve been able to catch up with Dave Lowmiller at Rainbow Studios to discuss his “music” for the game, which is an interesting discussion about blurring the lines between soundtrack and sound design. I highly recommend checking this one out on iTunes to get an idea of what it’s all about if you didn’t play the game.
Hit the jump for our interview with Deadly Creatures audio lead, Dave Lowmiller. (more…)
id Software co-founder John Romero recently posted this video on his blog Planet Romero, consisting of a brief tour through the id office, followed by pre-release footage of the original DOOM. About two minutes in, they sit down with id Software composer Bobby Prince, who demos a track he originally wrote for Keen Dreams, simulating a Blaze family dinner conversation through musical “speech.” He also shows how the individual character themes in Pickle Wars actually combine to form a complex polyphonic piece highlighting different aspects of the group’s inner dynamic. And then John Romero plays DOOM for 20 minutes…
Are you a fan of Bobby Prince’s work? What was your favorite song or soundtrack of his? Nostalgiate in the comments section below!
It’s April now, and in Japan the cherry blossoms should be in full bloom. Weather like this easily compliments the beautiful sound of Kotaro Oshio’s guitar work. For those who are unaware, Kotaro Oshio is one of Japan’s premiere acoustic guitarists. Famous for his unique use of techniques including finger picking, mute strumming, and tap harmonics, among others, Oshio quickly gained a following after a short indie stint in the late 90s. He recently released his latest solo work on March 11th–which we’ll no doubt be writing about in the near future. Last October, he tried something different by releasing a duet album featuring a number of Japanese musicians on various instruments from violins and pianos, to beat-boxing.
One might see it as an unusual pairing, but as it turns out, several members of the Blue Öyster Cult are avid Warhammer fans. So much so that during a recent visit to Mythic Entertainment’s headquarters, they took the time to lay down a track in honor of the Mythic’s recent release Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Their ode to the Dwarf Slayer includes references to alcohol consumption and skull-splitting via axe kissing. Sadly to say, the song is sorely lacking in the cowbell department–but on the other hand, it’s got plenty of guitars to rock your face off.
Regarding their involvement, “I’d heard a previous song written and performed by members of the WAR team, and thought they were quite good for a ‘garage band’ of game developers,” said Eric Bloom, lead vocalist for Blue Oyster Cult. “I was very glad to hear from Mythic who invited me down to work on the song. I was impressed by the dedication of the developers to make WAR both a success and fun to play, something that, in my opinion, is missing from many other MMO’s.”
The song itself is available free for download from the Warhammer website in both mp3 and .wav formats. Other audio offerings, including pieces from the original soundtrack, and pieces inspired by the series, are also available on the same page. You can visit that link by clicking here.
Remember that world woodwind player I kept raving about in our World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King review? Well, Pedro Eustache is known for much more than his work on games, and has enjoyed an expansive career as a world woodwind player. I was always moved by his soulful performances, but I wasn’t aware of just how versatile he is as both a performer and a composer until now.
Pedro Eustache recently gave the performance of his career in February, titled “Suite Concertante for World Woodwinds & Symphony Orchestra.” The piece was composed by Eustache himself during 2008, and was performed in February by Eustache along with the Venezuela Orchestra and conducted by world-class conductor Gustavo Dudamel. I know we don’t cover traditional orchestral music very often on OSV, but this performance was anything but traditional!
See what I mean in our review of Pedro Eustache’s masterwork after the jump. (more…)
We have a rare treat today. I was super excited when I heard that A Boy and His Blob was in development, and when the introductory interview in Nintendo Power mentioned that Daniel Sadowski would be the title’s composer, I had to get in touch with him right away. For those who aren’t familiar, he’s a super-talented electronic and hip-hop producer with a number of game and film credits to his name. You may also remember his name from the Best of the Best, Volume 1 album, where his track “Retro Bitz 2070” happened to be one of my favorites.
So, we’ve got composer Daniel Sadowski and director Sean Velasco from Way Forward to share their thoughts about the original A Boy and His Blob, how Daniel came to work on the project, what their goals are for the game’s audio, and their progress so far with the game’s music. The music is approximately 80% done at this point, and Sadowski is already talking iTunes, so this is definitely one to watch out for!
Read our preview interview with Daniel Sadowski and Sean Velasco after the jump. (more…)
