Jillian Aversa

Game Music

Music Video Collaboration by Jillian Aversa & Erutan for Zelda: Ocarina of Time

August 11, 2017 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Music Video Collaboration by Jillian Aversa & Erutan for Zelda: Ocarina of Time Share this

Performer and videogame soundtrack vocalist Jillian Aversa has teamed up in a collaboration featuring the famous title theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time performed jointly with YouTube musician Erutan (Kate Covington). This ethereal rendition of the theme, titled “Chrysalis,” is arranged by Jillian and her husband, Andrew “zircon” Aversa, and includes her lyrics and vocal work alongside Erutan’s ocarina, harp, and glockenspiel performances combined with mood settings and costumes.

“After taking a more literal approach with the characters in my second Zelda music video last year, I wanted to return to a freer interpretation for this one. When I think of the Zelda games, I don’t just picture Link and Zelda, but the whole world of Hyrule — with all its magic and charm. What does this world look like from the perspective of the critters that inhabit it? That is the question that inspired our video concept. Kate and I each play three different animal characters, all coming together to witness the metamorphosis of a moth.” – Jillian Aversa

Jillian and Erutan’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time“Title Theme” tribute has been posted to Jillian’s YouTube channel, where music videos paying homage to Final Fantasy VI, NieR, Destiny, Metal Gear Solid 3 and Game of Thrones can also be found.
Game Music, Indie Music

Four Tracks from GameChops’ Chozo Legacy now Free

November 21, 2015 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Four Tracks from GameChops’ Chozo Legacy now Free Share this

If you’re still on the fence about GameChop’s latest release — bLiNd’s Chozo Legacy tribute to Super Metroid — and our own review hasn’t swayed you, maybe some free tracks will. GameChop has just released Chozo Legacy: Free Missions on Bandcamp offering four tracks from the full album for whatever price you’d like to pay, including $0.00. The four songs are embedded below and when you’re ready for more you can pick up the full album for $10 on Loudr.
<a href="http://music.gamechops.com/album/chozo-legacy-free-missions">Chozo Legacy: Free Missions by bLiNd</a>
Doujin, Game Music, Reviews

Chozo Legacy (Review)

November 18, 2015 | Sebastian Urrea | 1 Comment Share this Chozo Legacy (Review)

Chozo Legacy is the latest release by music producer and game remixer bLiNd, released through record label GameChops. It’s a 10-track album featuring music from the SNES game Super Metroid remixed in a variety of electronic house, trance, and techno music styles. The album sets out to be more than just an assortment of remixed tracks though, and it achieves this goal quite well. If you’re a fan of the Metroid series or EDM, read on to learn more.

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Anime, Indie Music

Anime-Inspired Original Album Kickstarter Debuted by Lara Croft Composer

November 10, 2015 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Anime-Inspired Original Album Kickstarter Debuted by Lara Croft Composer Share this

A new crowdfunding campaign has been debuted by the composer of of Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Star Wars: The Old Republic and others. Wilbert Roget has taken to Kickstarter to help fund his original album, Beyond Libra, which is inspired by anime composers and features several cultural influences.

As a composer for games, I’ve always been influenced by classic Japanese anime and video game scores, with musicians like Yoko Kanno and Jo Hisaishi being some of my biggest inspirations. I’ve always wanted to write music for animation, and so 8 years ago, I embarked on an ambitious album project: I’d write an entire soundtrack for a show that existed only in my imagination, with commissioned artwork to accompany the music and an interplanetary adventure story to bind it all together.

Beyond Libra is a very diverse soundtrack, with songs ranging from j-pop to orchestral, dulcet small ensemble works, and uplifting afrobeat. There is no single “sound” for the album as a whole, but instead, a great variety of genres support the characters’ adventure across several planets and civilizations. – Wil Roget

The album will feature several additional musicians, including Jillian Aversa (Halo, Soul Calibur 5, VideoGamesLive), Offiong Bassey (featured on NPR Radio and The Boston Globe), Raj Ramayya (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf’s Rain) and others. It will also include the Yale Women’s Slavic Chorus and several other cultural ensembles. The current goal is $1,500 for the 45-minute album and some stretch goals to help improve mixing and increase tracks and more.

Beyond Libra – Kickstarter
Featured, Game Music

OverClocked Records Releases NieR Tribute Song & Video

July 15, 2015 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on OverClocked Records Releases NieR Tribute Song & Video Share this

There’s never a bad day to listen to NieR! With the recent unveiling of NieR: New Project at E3 it seems extra appropriate today to check out a new music video created and performed by vocalist Jillian Aversa and percussionist Doug Perry. The duo have performed “Song of the Ancients” on the international stages of Video Games Live but now, with the help of director Lando Donoho, they have created their own moody and atmospheric music video to go along with it.

“Song of the Ancients” is an incredible piece no matter how you perform it but the arrangement here is made even more soulful by the accompaniment of Perry’s vibraphone and layered percussion. The video and song are made available today by OverClocked Records and marks their first foray into the official licensing of video game music singles.

“I’m very excited to see OverClocked Records taking a big step towards focusing on licensed VGM arrangements,” comments OverClocked ReMix founder David Lloyd. “Jill and Doug have done a fantastic job capturing the magic of NieR with this transporting and beautiful arrangement and video. As the first arranged VGM single on the OverClocked Records label, the bar has certainly been set high!”

The video was fittingly filmed at the National Harbor during MAGFest, Maryland’s annual game music convention. The sculpture The Awakening serves as a simple and brooding backdrop that draws viewers into the mysterious world of NieR.

“We decided to shoot the music video in front of an enormous statue of a man ‘drowning’ in the sand nearby,” reflects Aversa. “Doug wore all black (including a mask painted on his face) and I created my own ghostly white ensemble.”

“We thought the statue was very reminiscent of NieR,” adds Doug Perry. “Like a relic of this once-great civilization that had fallen victim to the passage of time. Wheeling my vibraphone down the streets of National Harbor in the freezing cold made for quite an amusing scene, though!”

You can watch the video embedded above or over on Jillian Aversa’s YouTube channel and download the single directly from OverClocked Records. If all this has sparked your interest in NieR, or rekindled your old passion, be sure to check out our extensive coverage of the game and its stellar soundtrack.
Game Music

HALO: SPARTAN STRIKE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE

April 21, 2015 | Brenna Wilkes | 1 Comment Share this

Halo music fans rejoice, for the original soundtrack for the newest outing of the franchise, Halo: Spartan Strike, has just been released! Composed by Tom Salta (Red Steel, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2), the music for the top-down shooter that has launched for Windows 8, iPhone and Steam is now available for purchase on iTunes, Xbox Music and several other digital music outlets by 343 Industries

Salta is no stranger to the Halo series. He worked on Halo: Spartan Assault also and is continuing the work he started on there with Strike. The score was recorded with the New York Film Chorale and Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra and features solo performances by celebrated musicians Jillian Aversa (vocal) and Steve Ouimette (guitar).

“Tom continues to be a great partner for our franchise, and has crafted a stunning musical offering that enhances the overall mix of the game and captures the sonic essence of the Halo experience,” said Paul Lipson, Senior Audio Director at 343 Industries.

Source: Top Dollar PR

To learn more about Halo: Spartan Strike, you can visit the game’s website.

Halo: Spartan Strike OST – iTunes | Amazon MP3
Miscellaneous

“Just Fun” Kickstarter Fully Funded!

February 5, 2014 | Brenna Wilkes | 1 Comment Share this

Well that didn’t take long, now did it!

Looks like within 24 hours of it’s launch, the “Just Fun” album Kickstarter headed by composer Alexander Brandon and featuring a plethora of contributing composers and arrangement artists, has reached it’s $6,000 base goal thanks to feverish pledging by fans and supporters. So what happens next for the project? More stuff, that’s what!

The original goal might be reached, but that doesn’t mean those who didn’t get in on the rush can’t still pledge and reap the rewards of pushing the funding through multiple stretch goals! A digital version of the album available for just $10, a signed physical copy for $25, other albums in Brandon’s catalog and even a custom-created single just for you at the highest backer level of $500. If potential pledgers need additional incentive, how about the full album song list? (Courtesy of our friends at Scarlet Moon Productions)

01. “Introduction”

02. “A Thousand Words” (Feat. Jameson Sutton and Stemage)

03. “On a Dark and Stormy Night”

04. “Chronophasia” (Feat. virt)
05. “Twilight Floating” (Feat. Erik Peabody)
06. “Oath of the Matron” (Feat. Andrew Aversa and Jillian Aversa)

07. “More”
08. “God bless the child that’s got his own” (original by Avery Brooks)
09. “Infinity” (Feat. Big Giant Circles, original by Andrew Sega/Paul Schultz)
10. “Overture of the Avatar” (Feat. DJ Bottles)
11. “The Blue Hour” (Feat. Bryan Rudge)
12. “Hypercontrol” (original by Andrew Sega, guitar by Craig Rundels)
13. “The Willowdale Handcar” (Feat. Danny Baranowsky)
14. “Epilogue”

With 28 days to go in the campaign, getting an entire second album worth of music doesn’t seem that far a reach for a project this star-studded. Check out the “Just Fun” Kickstarter for updates and more goodies!