Korean

Game Music

Jesper Kyd on his Music, Gear, and MU Online

July 21, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Jesper Kyd on his Music, Gear, and MU Online Share this

Webzen has just released the first extensive preview of Jesper Kyd’s soundtrack for their upcoming action MMO, MU Legend. The follow-up to MU Online, one of South Korea’s long standing MMOs, MU Legend has itself been in the works for quite some time. But with a global Beta Test planned for September the marketing machine is spinning up and Webzen has chosen to kick it into gear by focusing on the music.

Along with three new preview tracks Webzen has released a short interview with Kyd that’s more about his composition style and history with game music than it is about MU Legend. From the demoscene to his array of keyboards and equipment from the 60’s, I think I learned more about Kyd in this five minute video than I have in the last five years.

Take a look at the playlist above to see the interview, the new preview tracks, and a couple of teasers I added that highlight some additional battle anthems. There are also two more tracks on JesperKyd.com if you’d like to hear more of the game’s softer side.

With their “first look” focusing almost entirely on Kyd himself we can expect to hear a lot more from MU Online in the months leading up to its Beta Test and then towards its release, whenever that may finally be.
Game Music

Monarch: Heroes of a New Age OST Released

February 22, 2014 | Brenna Wilkes | 1 Comment Share this

If you’re a fan of MMORPGs and the music associated with them, this might just tickle your fancy. The Korean game Monarch: Heroes of a New Age features a gorgeous orchestral soundtrack and an accompanying arrangement album that is sure to please fans of sweeping score and memorable melodies.

Korean composer Goomin “Nauts” Nam, who composed for games like the drink mixing sim game Bar Oasis, has put together a fantastic and diverse assortment of music to accompany the fantasy MMORPG. If that’s not enough, the arrangement album, Monarch: Heroes of a New Age Arrangements & Variations, features an equally diverse cast of guest arrangers including Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater composer Norihiko Hibino and pianist AYAKI, as well as arrangements from Dale North and Joshua Morse. (more…)
Game Music

The World is Square: DJMAX Portable BLACK SQUARE (Review + Unboxing)

March 23, 2012 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

We’ve covered a lot of DJMAX over the years, enjoying its unique blend of Korean-infused electronic and pop music. While we’ve been on top of releases as they’ve come along, we thought with the re-release of DJMAX Portable BLACK SQUARE in Japan this month (it was released in 2008 in Korea), it’d be a good time to dig into this collection of music that we never previously covered.

With some of the most amazing packaging of all time and a whopping four discs of music, is BLACK SQUARE worth visiting?

Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

Third Time’s a Charm: DJMAX Technika 3 (Review)

January 27, 2012 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Actually, DJMAX Technika had me at hello. The first Technika soundtrack was probably my favorite to date, and we’ve covered a lot of DJMAX over the years. The unique blend of K-pop, electronic music, and contributions from Korean composers ESTi, Nauts, Diny, and Shinji Hosoe made for a unique experience that ranks among my favorites in the rhythm game genre.

DJMAX Technika 3 was recently released (it was actually at MAGFest X, but due to the line that persisted even at 4:00 AM, I never got to play it), and the limited edition soundtrack enjoyed a general release in North America as well as Japan and Korea. While it’s sold out now, I still wanted to delve in and give my impressions.

Does it live up to the DJMAX name, or is this franchise getting stale? Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Anime Expo 2011: Rusty Hearts is Sounding Mighty Fine

July 5, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Anime Expo 2011: Rusty Hearts is Sounding Mighty Fine Share this

Have I mentioned that I love what Korean game developers have done with the audio in their games over the years? I admit I didn’t know much about Rusty Hearts prior to checking it out at Anime Expo 2011 this past weekend, but I’m definitely a whole lot more interested after what I saw and heard.

So, what is Rusty Hearts? It’s a free-to-play beat ’em up MMO title developed by Korean-based Stairway Games, and in addition to featuring some impressive anime-inspired visuals, it also sports some pretty amazing music. One of the game’s producers was on-site to show off one of the game’s new characters, the half-vampire Frantz. I explored a dark Gothic-style town that acts as one of the game’s central hubs where I heard some moody acoustic guitar and concert piano work that reminded me of a dark, loungey version of Granado Espada.

Upon entering the wine cellar, one of the game’s opening dungeons, I bashed through enemies with special attacks using both the computer keyboard and an Xbox 360 controller. The producer noted that Rusty Hearts draws on titles like Devil May Cry, Final Fight, and even Castlevania as influences, and I definitely picked up on the Castlevania influence in the music department. While the looping track was short, I was loving the electric guitar work and overall Gothic rock style of the track.

While we only heard two tracks in the demo, I’m looking forward to hearing more and finding out who’s doing the music. Perfect World is opening up a closed beta, so head over to their website and sign up. We’ll have more on this game soon, so check out the above trailer and let us know what you think.
Game Music

BAR OASIS Worldwide Re-Release: More Sexy Times From Korea

May 6, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 45 Comments Share this

Remember our coverage of BAR OASIS, the drink-mixing girl-wooing iPhone game from Korea? It was my personal pick for indie game soundtrack of the year last year, with jazzy music composed by Korean composer Nauts.

While there isn’t really anything new in terms of music, the development team behind BAR OASIS has disbanded and the soundtrack is now being offered by a newly formed company, Corners Studio. The soundtrack is once again available internationally, and at a new reduced price of $4.99, while the game is available for $1.99 in North America as well as Japan and Korea, two areas that did not previously get the opportunity to enjoy the game. There’s also a ‘lite’ version of the app to try for free, so check out the game and its music. It’s some seriously good stuff.

Did you happen to check out BAR OASIS last year? What did you think of the last track on the album, “Ultra Sexy (Sexy Ver.)?”
Game Music

TalesWeaver Composer JeeHoon “JIMMie” Park Talks Game Music

March 15, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

In case you haven’t heard the news, Korean MMORPG TalesWeaver is finally coming to the United States. With its highly stylized graphics that are reminiscent of Ragnarok Online, and an amazing pop-oriented soundtrack composed by ESTi, Nauts, and JIMMie, a few of us here at OSV were ecstatic when we heard the news.

While ESTi and Nauts have since moved on, JeeHoon “JIMMie” Park has remained on the team handling all of the music for “Episode 2,” the latest update to the game. We’ve fortunately been given some time to speak with him about his work on the game, his background in the game industry, and his musical influences, which include numerous Japanese and Western composers.

Hit the jump for an interesting read. (more…)