Orchestra

Game Music, Reviews

Isn’t It Beautiful? Distant Worlds II: more music from FINAL FANTASY (Review)

May 5, 2010 | Audun Sorlie | 10 Comments Share this

Distant Worlds is today one of the most respected touring videogame music concert around. With its source being the endlessly amazing Final Fantasy series, and the combined minds of many of the best in the videogame music scene, it’s not hard to see why fans and music lovers of all kinds line up time and time again to hear the concert as it rolls into town. In 2007 we got Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy and like the concerts, the CD is one of the very best videogame orchestra recordings of all time.

Come June 1, 2010, we’ll once again be tickled by Nobuo’s musical mustache and load up Distant Worlds II: more music from Final Fantasy. With this CD, the main focus is on the later titles in the series from Final Fantasy V and up, and some major fan favorites are represented. However AWR decided to release the album in digital form last week, so here we are, giving you an insight into the newest Final Fantasy orchestra album.

Read the review after the jump! (more…)
Anime, Game Music, Reviews

So Much Better Late Than Never: A Night In Fantasia 2009 CD (Review)

March 29, 2010 | Wes Chung | 6 Comments Share this

Ever waited for something so long that you were sure it was just never going to arrive? Maybe when you were young and it was barely June and you already knew what you wanted for Christmas? This is pretty much how we felt after the Eminence Symphony Orchestra’s A Night In Fantasia 2009 back in September. As mentioned in our comprehensive report, a live CD recording was always in the works and the pre-orders flooded in. So many, in fact, that the staff of Eminence admitted that the original release date of December 8 would have to be put back. So we waited. And then it was remastering issues. Another delay. And then quite a bungle with the distribution. Teasers popped up around the net, such as the track list and even a snippet of a video from the bonus DVD. Fans were like kids rattling the boxes and speculating on the contents.

Just over six months after the concert, Christmas has finally arrived. In the spirit of giving, we’re going to say it outright: this was worth the wait. Read on to join us in discovering what Eminence has left us under the tree… (more…)
Game Music

Super Mario Galaxy 2 With Full Orchestra Soundtrack Confirmed!

February 28, 2010 | Audun Sorlie | 5 Comments Share this

Nintendo held their media summit conference, showing off the games we will be enjoying during the first half of 2010. We got official dates for Super Mario Galaxy 2 (May 23rd), Metroid: Other M (June 27th) and Monster Hunter Tri (April 20th), which will surely please many Nintendo fans in the months to come.

Most interesting maybe though was the confirmation of Super Mario Galaxy 2 having a fully orchestrated soundtrack! I think most people already assumed this would be the case, but now, IGN finally confirms, along with the trailer for the game. Have fun, and don’t cry tears of happiness like I did when I first saw this. Be strong…!

[GoNintendo Via IGN]
Game Music

Next Legendary Entry: Symphonic Legends Ticket Sales Open

December 20, 2009 | Audun Sorlie | 2 Comments Share this

For those of us who were lucky enough to attend Symphonic Shades and Symphonic Fantasies in the beautiful city of Cologne, we all agreed that as soon as we left the venue, we were already getting excited in an unhealthy manner for the announcement of the next concert in the series. The events are somewhat of a shining treasure in video game music-themed concerts, with great production values, exclusive arrangements and fan pleasing selections, leading to many industry firsts when it comes to featuring games in this kind of setting.

Yesterday, Thomas Böcker, the man behind the “Symphonic” series was pleased to announce that ticket sales open on December 19, 2009 for his new concert, Symphonic Legends. Tickets range from 6 EUR to 30 EUR depending on the seats. That translates into roughly $8 USD to $40 USD. It will take place on September 23, 2010 in the Philharmonic Hall in Cologne, which is an absolutely beautiful venue to say the least. Details on what will be featured are not known at this time, but I personally hope to see my friend Benyamin Nuss take the stage one more time, as he did a great job on Kingdom Hearts at Symphonic Fantasies.

You can get tickets at KölnTicket and look for upcoming announcements at Symphonic Legends.
Game Music

New Distant Worlds CD In The Not So Distant Future

December 10, 2009 | Audun Sorlie | 2 Comments Share this

Distant Worlds, the Final Fantasy themed concert series headed by Arnie Roth, is returning to Chicago on December 12th, at the Rosemont Theater and packs a few surprises for fans. The concert will contain all new pieces from Final Fantasy XIV, making it a must see for hardcore fans to get a taste of all new music added to the lineup of old fan favorites. As always Nobuo Uematsu will be in attendance, and not only that, he will be performing live along with Chicago Mages!

It doesn’t stop there, as there’s also been a new CD announced for release in June 2010, named Distant Worlds II: more music from FINAL FANTASY and will be recorded by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Roth himself. The orchestra is the same one that debuted Distant Worlds back in 2007, and to celebrate this the CD will be released on the day of the Distant Worlds concert in Stockholm, celebrating the anniversary. This concert will contain a completely new program, which will be reflected with the content on the new CD. Seems like 2010 will be quite a busy year.

You can be sure to see Original Sound Version attend both these shows, and keep you posted on more details on the CD.
Featured, Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 12/2009: Shenmue chapter 1 -yokosuka- Original Sound Track

December 2, 2009 | Audun Sorlie | 5 Comments Share this

December is here, Christmas is approaching, and when I look outside the window of my little office space, I see snow falling signaling that winter has indeed arrived. I live in a small harbor town south of Oslo, with a small local community, ships docking into port daily just down the street, and friendly narrow neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone. You might be wondering what the significance of this is, but maybe some of you already know where I’m going with this: my town has some strong similarities to Yokosuka, the town in which Shenmue takes place.

Seeing that the snow has fallen and winter is showing its cold rear end, I found myself drawn to play and write about this game. And in doing so, I was once again reminded of the masterpiece that is Shenmue. Few games have offered such a sense of realism. Every character has a purpose, a reason of being who they are. Yokosuka feels like a place that is alive, not only because of polygons or special effects, but because of real emotions. All your feelings and senses are triggered in this game, and one of the main reasons behind this is the amazing score by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yuzo Koshiro, Osamu Murata and Ryuji Iuchi.

So join us in getting chills to the sounds of Shenmue chapter 1 -yokosuka- (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

A Quarter-of-an-Hour of Destiny – Soul Calibur Suite: The Resonance of Souls and Swords (Review)

November 21, 2009 | Wes Chung | 1 Comment Share this

After contributing to the official Soul Calibur IV soundtrack, Eminence Symphony Orchestra tapped the expertise of composer/arranger Shiro Hamaguchi to create three tracks paying homage to the Soul Calibur series. Weighing in at just under fifteen minutes, the iTunes release Soul Calibur Suite: The Resonance of Souls and Swords provides a curious listening experience that simultaneously recollects some of the best moments of Soul Calibur and yet seems to only hint at the potential of the project.

For the price of this mini-album, you really can’t lose, but to find out whether or not Eminence resonates with the full caliber of Namco’s epic historical fighting series, read on. (more…)