Did you happen to tune in to the PIANO OPERA FINAL FANTASY IV/V/VI USTREAM interview with Nobuo Uematsu and pianist Hiroyuki Nakayama about the album tonight? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t, as I only found out about it today myself, but about 450 fans tuned into the Famitsu-exclusive stream to hear the interview along with samples from the album.
We have a lot of info for you courtesy of Justin Pfeiffer who I dragged in to listen on OSV’s behalf. Hit the jump for details! (more…)
Well, we’re here at MAGFest X. The Gaylord National Resort & Spa is quite the extravagant backdrop for the craziness that has already and surely will continue to occur throughout the weekend, and while we’ll be lucky to be invited back, it’s certainly beautiful to look at while it lasts.
Last night gave us the first concert of the event with four acts taking to the stage, some new and some MAGFest veterans. On the stage were, in order of appearance, Random Encounter, Descendants of Erdrick, Temp Sound Solutions, and X-Hunters.
Hit the jump for our full impressions and photos courtesy of Emi Spicer. (more…)
Can you believe that Zelda day is finally just around the corner? We’ve talked a lot about Skyward Sword over the past couple of years and have been impressed with what we’ve heard, and you may recall that a piano arrangement CD is being released in Japan along with retail copies of the game including a Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony CD. Yeah, it has a little something to do with that concert that was held in October.
So, with Hajime Wakai at the helm, does Skyward Sword live up to the franchise’s rich musical legacy? Does the bonus CD give fans who were unable to attend the concert last month an accurate taste of what they missed?
Find out in our review! (more…)
Photos by comdoc5964
Last weekend, JADE-II finally took place after weeks of preparation and dedication, offering a night of retro game music festivities from a little corner in Shibuya, at TAKE OFF 7 bar. The event was created by Kunimoto Takeaki, one of the true father figures of game music with his classic soundtracks Milon’s Secret Castle and Robowarrior. With his passion always focused on spreading the joy of video game melodies, he often wrote lyrics featured in the game manuals and composed music that was accessible for young people to figure out on instruments of their own. His passion is still as strong as ever, and he is now dedicated to performing both his own and other famous works as part of Take-chan & Ken-chan along with Ken Matsuzawa, a piano sensation on youtube and Nintendo aficionado.
JADE-I took place on 26th of March at BUNGAJAN in Asakusabashi, and proved to be a success. So Kunimoto started plans to continue the name with another event, JADE-II. For this event, several new names were added to the lineup. Nekketsu High School Brass Band, a young upstart woodwind and brass performance group performing classic Famicom soundtracks. Kunimoto’s Take-chan & Ken-chan band, with guest vocalist AKIRA hagiwara and guitarist Tendo, and last the extremely popular variety performer Professor Sakamoto. To a sold out crowd, JADE-II took place on 22nd October.
Read our report after the jump! (more…)
Have we mentioned that we’re huge fans of Hideki Sakamoto’s work? He’s been featured numerous times on OSV, from his work on Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida 1&2 Giant Recital to 100 Million Ton No Bara Bara to his recent Guinness World Record-winning (for longest game music piece) score for echochrome ii. And don’t forget about the crazy Noisycroak game composer roundtable that he hosted some years back.
Back in March, however, we told you that Sakamoto would be traveling to St. Petersburg, Russia, to put on a live performance of his music from No Heroes Allowed! and the original echochrome. For most of us who were unable to attend the performance, Sakamoto has made a recording available through his in-house Noisycroak record label.
Brace yourself for an epic listening experience and check out our review after the jump. (more…)
I know when I think of fluffy things I’d like to caress, stroke, grab, kiss, pleasure, seduce and even sometimes on a rainy Thursday, molest, I think of my cat. But some people aren’t as lucky as me to own a cute fuzzy hairball of delight because of allergies, rent policies or being heartless cat hating monsters who should have their toenails clipped with a nutcracker. But for those who seeks something squishy and loveable in life, there is always Kirby, and everyone loves Kirby. Unless they are a heartless Kirby hating monster who should have their uterus slapped with a jagged spoon, male or female.
But rest assured, Andre Beller’s uterus is safe and sound. Beller gained some attention in the early 2000’s for his classical style arrangements of video game music under the name Pingosimon, making use of bass, violin and piano before bigger acts such as Select Start rose to fame a few years later. Sadly since then, Beller has tucked away his game arrangements in his beard and focused more on the live act pirate band The Dread Crew of Oddwood, but now he is firing up his game love once more with an all new band solely dedicated to the Kirby series. Named Kirby’s Dream Band, it pits Beller on bass and focuses on the various music from the wide selection of Kirby titles released over the years with rocking arrangements. A demo release is currently being recorded, and Kirby’s Dream Band will have their debut on 19th June at the Brick By Brick in San Diego. So if you are in the area, make sure you check them out, and come on back for more info on the demo when it is available.
Check out the band at their Facebook page and announce your appearance at their event listing.
The month of May has a lot to offer enthusiasts of the indie comic and music scene in Japan. Alongside the mad dash for sales during the nearly week-long series of holidays known as Golden Week, the month is also known for its bevy of doujin events, among them being the annual Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai event that is a celebration of anything and everything Touhou Project. Normally around March, the event was canceled due to the Tohoku Earthquake and re-scheduled for Golden Week. Thus was it a week for Touhou Project fans with both Reitaisai and Flowering Night (May 14 – 15, 2011) being less than a week apart.
Flowering Night, for the uninitiated, is an annual concert series featuring many popular indie groups that cover Touhou Project music. With the exception of 2010, the event has been running annually since 2006. This year the event has stretched to 2 days, doubling the number of bands playing compared to previous years. Despite my extensive travels through Tokyo, I have not had the opportunity to attend this concert but with the advent of sites such as Nico Nico Douga and USTREAM live broadcasting the concert, it was certainly better than nothing.
Does Flowering Night live up to all the hype? Hit the jump and find out! (more…)
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