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Legend Discusses LEGENDS: David Wise In Stockholm

June 10, 2011 | Audun Sorlie | Comments Off on Legend Discusses LEGENDS: David Wise In Stockholm Share this

Though time was short and precious at the fantastic event of LEGENDS, The man of the hour himself, David Wise, still generously offered his time to all fans and admirers to shake hands and sign their collectibles. In the midst of the orchestrated memories and energetic crowd, we managed to eventually get a few thoughts from the legendary composer himself on his thoughts about the concert itself and some hints towards the future.

Despite being responsible for some of the very best music ever composed for video games, the man is one of the humblest and most kind spoken individuals you could have the pleasure of meeting.

Wise up after the jump! (more…)
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Oh, This Is Nintendo!! LEGENDS Live Report

June 8, 2011 | Audun Sorlie | 9 Comments Share this

In many ways, this event was my favorite of the ones I have attended, it combined what I loved about Symphonic Shades with its diversity in style along the prestige and importance that Symphonic Fantasies offered. Most importantly, they dared to be a bit different and gave us exclusive takes on so many familiar songs, takes that will never fade in our memories due to being so different. It was a dream come true and a true gift to my life that I could be in attendance, one that I will always cherish and remember.

Back in September of 2010, this was my closing thoughts on Symphonic Legends, the Nintendo themed symphonic concert that took place in Cologne by the same team that has given us Symphonic Shades and Fantasies. Symphonic Legends was a musical treasure and dreamlike evening filled with some of the greatest selection of video game music, and now it was time to grace the city of Stockholm with the event just in time to celebrate the arrival of summer. But this was more than just a reprise…

Read about LEGENDS after the jump! (more…)
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E3 2011: Miyamoto Discovers an Item With Live Orchestra

June 7, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

A part of the fun of having a full orchestra and choir assembled for Nintendo’s press conference this morning was the live scoring of the events on stage, from a grand entrance by Miyamoto to various jingles that Miyamoto asked the orchestra to perform as he enacted various scenes from the franchise.

One of the most comical moments was when Miyamoto had the orchestra perform the item discovery jingle as he pretended to open a chest and raise the contents above his head in typical Zelda fashion. Sounded quite nice with a live orchestra, too!

Do you think the use of an orchestra at their press conference bodes well for the Skyward Sword soundtrack and other game soundtracks from Nintendo going forward?
Game Music

E3 2011: Nintendo Press Conference Opens With Live Orchestra

June 7, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

The biggest surprise of Nintendo’s E3 2011 press conference came right at the beginning as a live orchestral was lifted into the Nokia Theater playing a beautiful rendition of the main theme from The Legend of Zelda. Yes, they opened their press conference by paying tribute to the music of the franchise, and followed with some music-oriented announcements. I couldn’t help but feel that they were talking directly at me.

So, just what was performed and announced? In addition to performing the beautiful and mysterious main theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (due out this year) as well as a few comical jingles from the series, it was announced that two CD releases from the franchise are in the works.

And no, it’s not the Twilight Princess soundtrack. Find out what was announced after the jump! (more…)
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Donkey Kong Country Soundtrack Coming From Club Nintendo Japan

June 2, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Nintendo is once again making their fans outside of Japan jealous with their latest run of Club Nintendo goods. Along with some cute Kirby Epic Yarn pouches, Nintendo made the Donkey Kong Country Returns soundtrack available to Club Nintendo members. It will be available for 400 points, or 250 if you happened to have purchased the game.

I have nearly 800 points, and I’d give them all up for one of these Club Nintendo Japan CDs. While the soundtrack looks rather incomplete with only 25 tracks (some game rips going around have around 83 tracks), you can be sure that Nintendo has probably combed the soundtrack for the best of the best, and that a lot of the remixes of previous DKC material will be here. I really want this one for the groovy “Sunset Coast” and the Metroid-esque “Storm Beach,” however.

With music provided by Kenji Yamamoto and others, it should be worth checking out if you can ever get your hands on it. Guess I’ll have to wait until next time I’m in Japan! Are you interested, and are you still scratching your head as to why Zelda never gets this kind of treatment?

[via VGMdb]
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Arrangers Speak Out On LEGENDS: Comments From The Staff

May 12, 2011 | Audun Sorlie | 6 Comments Share this

LEGENDS is now only a few weeks away and like the weather that is currently gracing the fine continent of Europe, things are heating up for the Nintendo based concert. Taking place in Stockholm on the 1st of June, LEGENDS will revisit the world of Nintendo’s vast music library, much like concert of 2010 before it, Symphonic Legends. However, this won’t be exactly the same concert as the German audience heard. LEGENDS will be an all new experience, showcasing all new arrangements with familiar tunes and motifs, and for the people who traveled to Cologne last year, the experience of LEGENDS will be just as exciting as it will for the all new ears in attendance.

To give the audience a bit of insight into what to expect and what goes into the process of arranging the legendary music, LEGENDS has for weeks posted updates from the arrangers Jonne Valtonen, Roger Wanamo and Masashi Hamauzu about their thoughts and feelings on the different pieces they are working on. With the final announcement posted, you can now read all the updates in English!

Read all the comments from the LEGENDS staff after the jump! (more…)
Game Music

Twilight Symphony Will Feature Live Choir Courtesy of Kickstarter Backers!

March 25, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on Twilight Symphony Will Feature Live Choir Courtesy of Kickstarter Backers! Share this

That’s a mouthful! The good news is that you will be hearing a live choir in ZREO’s upcoming Twilight Symphony album that we teamed up with Destructoid to reveal to you last month. For those who don’t recall, the album is ZREO’s more encompassing and drastic follow-up to their immensely popular Ocarina of Time orchestration project, this time focusing on the unreleased score of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

So what happened on Kickstarter? The team wanted to record a live choir for the album (which will also include performances by vocalist Aubrey Ashburn), and they were looking to raise $18,000 to do so. Instead, they’ve raised $25,000 and will be able to record even more live elements for the album. It’s amazing that one backer even contributed at the maximum level, $2,000, and will be invited to attend the recording sessions. That’s dedication!

Does this new development increase your appetite for the album? Will you be picking it up when it’s released?