Shota Nakama

Game Music, Indie Music

“Boston Plays Indies” at Boston FIG!

August 31, 2013 | Patrick Gann | 3 Comments Share this

The Boston Festival of Indie Games (aka “Boston FIG” or just “BFIG”) is going to have an awesome music concert this year. On September 14th at the venue “The Middle East Downstairs,” a cavalcade of awesome musicians will be performing –live– renditions of great indie game music. Performers include:

The Video Game Orchestra
DJ Cutman
Darren Korb (composer for Bastion!)
Control Group (a band featuring Darren Korb)
deadbeatblast (on visuals, etc)

I’d personally recommend anyone in and near Boston attend the entirety of BFIG. But if you can’t make the whole convention, be sure not to miss this exciting concert! We’re not sure what all will be covered at the show, but I would be surprised if we didn’t hear music from FEZ, Super Hexagon, Bastion (obviously), and many more…
Featured, Game Music, Interviews

OSV/RPGFan Team Interview: VGO Guests

November 14, 2012 | Patrick Gann | Comments Off on OSV/RPGFan Team Interview: VGO Guests Share this OSV/RPGFan Team Interview: VGO Guests

[Left to right: Dennis Rubinshteyn, Patrick Gann, Noriyuki Iwadare, Damian Thomas, Hiroko Miyaji]

The four guest composers at the VGO show in Boston on October 7, 2012, each managed to squeeze into their busy schedules some time with myself and some of my old friends from RPGFan. Above you’ll find a photo we took with Noriyuki Iwadare and his own guest, Ms. Hiroko Miyaji (wife of the late Takeshi Miyaji, creator of Grandia).

Before you read the interview, try taking this pop quiz. For one of these composers, we ask about all the action one of their earliest work has seen in the “SQ” arrangement series. For another, they are surprised to learn we know what the game Esper Dream is. For yet another, we find out a peer composer they really admire and respect of late is Michiko Naruke. And finally, one of these composers talks about his partnership with a particular game designer who used to work for Square Enix and is now with Level-5. Can you match up these four composers properly *before* reading the interview?

After the jump, check out our short but informative interviews with each of the four guest composers. And be sure to check out RPGFan for their questions and respective answers from each of these VGM luminaries! (more…)
Featured, Game Music

Standing On Their Own Feet: VGO Live At Symphony Hall

October 13, 2012 | Patrick Gann | Comments Off on Standing On Their Own Feet: VGO Live At Symphony Hall Share this

[rehearsal photo courtesy Damian Thomas]

We’ve been ceaselessly promoting the VGO in the past month. Full disclosure: VGO founder Shota Nakama is technically an OSV member, as he has provided many translation services for us over the years. But he is much more than a translator. He’s a guitarist, an arranger, an organizer and producer.

So when the Video Game Orchestra put on their first no-strings-attached show (no Distant Worlds, no association with a convention, no “film and game music in the same concert”), we at OSV were all on board to see it succeed.

And this past weekend, that’s exactly what I saw.

Next week, we’ll have our interview with the four guest composers at the show (Noriyuki Iwadare, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Shimomura, Kinuyo Yamashita). But for now, after the jump, I’d like to give you my detailed report of the concert, as well as some strange and wonderful encounters I had with industry veterans and fans alike. (more…)
Featured, Game Music

Original SoundCAST: Episode #016 (All Things VGO!)

September 25, 2012 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Original SoundCAST: Episode #016 (All Things VGO!) Share this

For today’s Original SoundCAST, we have Brenna as host and Patrick as sidekick as we interview the founder and operator for the Video Game Orchestra in Boston, Shota Nakama.

We ask Nakama-san about his interest game music, how it originated, etc. We get more details about the coming show in October, the special guests, the set list, and even a special request from Shota for the fans regarding a planned “Sakimoto Medley.” We also talk shop re: musical performance and building talent, the sights and sounds of Boston, our mutual love for Audun Sorlie, and plans for MAGFest 11 (VGO will be there, but in a “band plus chamber music” form — not the full orchestra).

Download: Original SoundCAST Episode #016

Intro music: “Polywrath” from Danimal Cannon’s Roots
Outro music: “Time’s Scar” from Chrono Cross (Yasunori Mitsuda)
Game Music

VGO Boston ~Live At Symphony Hall~ Exclusive Giveaway!!

September 24, 2012 | Patrick Gann | Comments Off on VGO Boston ~Live At Symphony Hall~ Exclusive Giveaway!! Share this

Alright people, we’ve been telling you every last detail we can squeeze out of VGO founder and concert organizer Shota Nakama at every turn of the way. We even have a special episode of Original SoundCast going up tomorrow with more details on the October 7 show, the guests, MAGFest 11 plans, and more.

But today, I have something EXTRA special. Two VIP tickets (great seats plus access to the meet-and-greet with Shimomura, Sakimoto, Iwadare and Yamashita), courtesy of OSV, to anyone who would be able to attend the show on Sunday, October 7 2012 in Boston.

To enter: email me ([email protected] with subject line “VGO Boston Tix!” telling me what, if you got the chance, you’d want to say in person to these four special guests and to the Video Game Orchestra and its founder Shota Nakama. The winner will, of course, get that chance. We’ll be giving both tickets to the winner, who is free to bring a friend or give the ticket to another VGM fan. Please, NO re-selling! These tickets combined are worth $200, making them the most valuable giveaway OSV has done to date.

Start sending those emails, and good luck! We’ll announce the winner on Friday, so the window of opportunity to win is tight!

Meanwhile, you’ll also want to check out the latest announcements at the VGO Kickstarter, which includes the setlist for the show and the expected tracklist for the CD.
Game Music

New VGO Show In Boston, with Awesome Guests!

August 16, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 2 Comments Share this

We’ve had our lips sealed on this concert for well over a month, but now we’re finally excited to tell you about this one. Pay attention!!

The VGO (Video Game Orchestra) will be performing (full 70+ orchestra plus 5-person rock ensemble) a live show at the Boston Symphony Hall in Boston, MA on Sunday, October 7, 2012. It will be a night celebrating primarily Japanese game music, and to underscore that point, they have some fantastic guests lined up to say hello and perform live as well!

First, they have BASISCAPE leader/founder Hitoshi Sakimoto (too many games to list, but you know the notables: Final Fantasy Tactics, Valkyria Chronicles). Second, in what I think might be his first public appearance in America (commenters feel free to correct me!), they have Noriyuki Iwadare (Lunar, Grandia, Phoenix Wright). Third, a Japanese composer currently residing in New Jersey and one of my personal favorites in the realm of “sleeper composer making a comeback,” Ms. Kinuyo Yamashita (Castlevania, Megaman X3).

Violinist Aria Aizawa will also be performing, and she’s mighty fine at what she does. Of course, we’ll also have VGO leader Shota Nakama on guitar, and I’m personally psyched about that. Whether or not there will be any more guests announced before the show or surprise guests at the time of the show, I cannot say at this time, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that special guest list were to expand.

In case you missed it earlier, here’s the link to purchase tickets. We’ll be there, and we hope you’ll be there too.
Game Music

Distant Worlds / VGO Concert Report: Angels In The Details

March 16, 2012 | Patrick Gann | 10 Comments Share this

[This photo and all proceeding photos taken during the dress rehearsal]

You know that old saying, “the devil is in the details?” I think the saying exists as a reminder for us to pay attention to detail. But for those people who are ever vigilant, who are willing to pay attention to detail, those of us who observe THEM will instead find angels in the details.

In this case, the angels are the performers in the Video Game Orchestra, as well as select soloists and Distant Worlds director / concert conductor, Arnie Roth. After the jump, my take on the March 10th Distant Worlds show at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. (more…)