Sound Bytes: Dj CUTMAN’s “Transformation (Little Nemo)”

Yeah, yeah. We’re huge Dj CUTMAN fans here at ThaSauce. But can you blame us? With his charismatic presence on-stage, rad live sets that mash up everything from dubstep to hip-hop to chiptunes, and extensive knowledge of the video game music (or even electonic music overall, to which we entertain ourselves with his frequent Facebook updates), Dj CUTMAN really has us going on. This time around, this captivating DJ takes his proficient skills in audio engineering up a notch to remix music from the NES platform Little Nemo: The Dream Master. “Transformation (Little Nemo)” is an intriguing yet nostalgic take on Junko Tamiya’s classic work, adding a more upbeat, house-y vibe that just begs for some rhythmical head-bobbing while listening.

Check out his Soundcloud page to get your quick fix of more Dj CUTMAN goodness. Not enough? For more catchy tunes, you can also explore more similar styles of music on his newly established game music and chiptune netlabel, Gamechops.

Dates Announced for Minibosses 2012 Bay Area Tour

Calling all Bay Area residents, the Minibosses are comin’ at you fast this June! With a broad range of instrumental covers of 8-bit NES songs, the Minibosses will rip into your soul with hard-hitting video game metal. Even still, the Minibosses tend to effectively reconstruct all your old favorites into something every gamer will recognize and enjoy which makes it easy to see why the reality of this band’s popularity is made quite apparent (check out their latest release Brass 2: Mouth if you haven’t). And let’s not get into stage presence. Wait, we will. Being at a Minibosses show can easily be one of the best live performances of your life, simply because these dudes just get it. Claiming total ownership over the crowd with the ways they can easily excite fans by playing a specific Castlevania theme throughout the night just to mess around, the Minibosses are sure to please anyone who has picked up a NES controller.

The Minibosses will embark on what they call a mini-tour, travelling through various locations in the San Francisco Bay Area with their instruments in tow. Peep the dates and locations below:

FRIDAY June 1st, 2012 – Subzero Fest in San Jose
FRIDAY June 1st, 2012 –  Hemlock Tav in San Francisco
SATURDAY June 2nd, 2012 – Ocean Beach Studio in San Francisco
SATURDAY June 2nd, 2012 – Catalyst in San Jose
SUNDAY June 3rd, 2012 – Streetlight Records in San Jose

Ticket links and other information will be coming soon, so be sure to check back here or the Minibosses Facebook page for more updates.

OverClocked ReMix’s Pilotwings: Take Flight Released Today

 

OverClocked ReMix has just released its thirty-fourth arrangement album in tribute to Nintendo’s game series Pilotwings and the original score produced by the various composers involved throughout the series such as Soyo Oka (Pilotwings), Dan Hess (Pilotwings 64), and Asuka Ito (Pilotwings Resort). The album itself features seven tracks from Indianapolis-based arranger Drew “halc” Wheeler, who humbly takes his time in Pilotwings: Take Flight to combine “nostalgic chiptune instrumentation with modern electronic sounds and production techniques”.

Insert Rupee, a collaboration between Benjamin Briggs and halc, also make an exciting appearance, arranging two pieces from the later installments in the Pilotwings series. It is also worth noting that the album’s concluding track, “Depth Perception,” is OC ReMix’s first arrangement representing the Nintendo 3DS console.

While you can download the album for free at http://flight.ocremix.org, old-schoolers can also get and share Pilotwings: Take Flight by torrent as well. Comments and reviews for the release itself may be given and seen in the official OC ReMix forums here.

Chris Hüelsbeck Presents the Turrican Soundtrack Anthology Project & Fundraiser

 

From remix64.com:

Featuring a cosmic hero in a silver battlesuit, the Turricanseries of games brought nonstop action to all gaming systems of the 80’s and 90’s, including C64 and Amiga, Atari ST and PC, as well as Genesis and Super Nintendo. The beautiful synthesizer scores for these games were created by Chris Hüelsbeck, arguably one of today’s most popular game music composers in the world. Hüelsbeck’s soundtracks certainly played a major role in shaping Turrican into a digital legend over the years.

Almost 20 years have passed since the last game in the series was released, but Chris has big plans to bring Turrican back from retirement – at least musically – with the production of the Turrican Soundtrack Anthology: The idea behind this is an epic limited edition box set of at least three CDs, which will feature almost every melody from the saga in newly arranged and recorded versions (including titles like Concerto for Laser and Enemies”, Metal Stars”, Hall of Heroes”, as well as full length versions of all main titles and end-credits!). While this box set is bound to please every synthesizer music fan out there, new bonus recordings with the WDR Radio Orchestra are also lined up for the project, to be realised in the context of a symphonic game music concert in November and supervised by the producers of the acclaimed Symphonic Shades – Hüelsbeck in Concert event.

In order to realize these ambitious plans, a budget of at least 75,000 US-Dollars (about 58,000 Euro) has to be secured. To achieve this, Chris is now asking his fans to support him in a Kickstarter campaign to make the Turrican Anthology become a reality. “My first Turrican album has sold 10.000 units over the years”, Huelsbeck says, “I know that the games still have a following, too. This project is a personal dream of mine and I hope that together we can make this happen!”

Aside from the finished CDs, supporters of the project can get their hands on numerous goodies like posters, t-shirts, Turrican ringtones for their mobiles, or even tickets for an orchestral game music concert that will take place in November in Cologne, Germany. Those who are willing to support the project with a larger sum may take an exclusive look behind the scenes and will be personally informed by Chris about the progress during the production. Detailed information on the campaign, running from April 16th to June 3rd, can be found at: www.turricansoundtrack.com.

ThaSauce Wrap-Up: This Week in Review (Apr 16 – Apr 22)

 

At the end of the week, ThaSauce Wrap-Up feature posts bite-sized news recaps just in case you missed any juicy articles. Have any interesting video game music-related stories that you want us to look into? Are you an artist, composer, or remixer that wants keep in touch? Shoot an e-mail to [email protected]. If you’re looking for more ways to get your VGM fix, be sure to follow us on Tumblr or like us on Facebook as well.

  • Pre-order Disasterpeace’s Original Soundtrack Fez Now: Along with the exciting release of the multiple award-winning indie platformer FEZ just this week alone, Disasterpeace’s original soundtrack of the same name is also scheduled to be available this Friday, April 20th.
  • GDC Vault Adds Free GDC 2012 Videos Online: GDC Vault, a service that hosts a variety of audio, video, and PowerPoint presentations of previous Game Developers Conferences, has just added free video content from last March’s show, featuring talks from the legendary Civilization creator Sid Meier, iWin VP Laralyn McWilliams on the importance of metrics, and White House analyst Constance Steinkuehler Squire.
  • Blip Festival 2012 in New York City Presented by 8bitpeoples: Presented by VGM collective/record label 8bitpeoples, Blip Festival 2012 promises an explosive round-up of the world’s chipmusic talent, with top-notch performances by Burnkit2600, Danimal Cannon, CHiKA, Graffiti Monsters, Pulselooper, Wizwars, and many more.
  • Danimal Cannon’s Roots for $5 on Indie Royale’s Spring Bundle: Indie game bundle website Indie Royale releases game bundles every two weeks to help get the word out over games that are worth playing and support developers that are typically passed over in mainstream media. This time around, Indie Royale has recently released a Spring Bundle featuring some of the most brilliantly designed indie releases, along with Danimal Cannon’s critically-acclaimed chiptune album Roots.
  • Quick Look: aivi & surasshu’s “Mabe Village” Collaboration: The incredibly talented instrumental composer and Olga Brose Valente Memorial Prize winner Aivi Tran and sound designer surasshu have come together at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference for a pretty awesome collaboration, featuring “Mabe Village” from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

In ‘Tha Tube: Usabell, sci, dusthillguy, RAMPKORV

In Tha ‘Tube focuses on ReMix: ThaSauce‘s very own vast database of VGM remixesas a tribute to the appreciation & reinterpretation of video game music. Offering hundreds of free MP3 downloads, ReMix: ThaSauce features artists from popular sites such as OverClocked ReMix and VGMix. This feature offers readers, as music enthusiasts, the opportunity to appreciate what ReMix: ThaSauce has to present in the latest VGM styles and genres. Join us as we upload select ReMix: ThaSauce songs every week on YouTube for your aural pleasure. Have any requests? Shoot an e-mail to [email protected]. For the latest exclusive uploads on ThaSauce, be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Tumblr. 


ThaSauce is finally riding the waves of social media once more! In Tha ‘Tube aims to post weekly videos onto YouTube for easier access to ReMix:ThaSauce songs in a convenient preview format. This week, we serenade you with a featured selection of featured artists from our own Fasto the Speedhog 2 original release in the style of classic Sonic the Hedgehog games.

 

Sound Bytes: beek’s “Kip’s Isle”

 

We really can’t say much about the new ‘chippage’ that beek has released, except that we expect nothing less from this chiptune veteran. While we’ve praised his recent work before, beek stylishly hones his own retro influences and alters the chip genre to be something everyone can enjoy without discrimination.  Peep his peppy, fun new tune above. “Kip’s Isle” is available to download for free right here.

Quick Look: aivi & surasshu’s “Mabe Village” Collaboration

The incredibly talented instrumental composer and Olga Brose Valente Memorial Prize winner Aivi Tran and sound designer surasshu  have come together at this year’s Game Developer’s Conference for a pretty awesome collaboration, featuring “Mabe Village” from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. When prompted of how the project came about, Aivi writes:

Last month at GDC, I met Surasshu, a game composer/sound designer and friend who I knew of for chip music. I’d been curious about blending piano with chip sounds for awhile, so we decided to collaborate, starting with “Mabe Village” from Link’s Awakening. The whole process of this collab was way too fun – I cracked up every time we talked, and couldn’t keep a straight face in most of my video outtakes, either. Even in this video, I still end up with a big goofy smile!

Check out the product of their chip x piano collab above and be sure to check Aivi’s YouTube channel for great VGM piano covers and more cool aivi & surasshu projects coming at you soon.

Danimal Cannon’s Roots for $5 on Indie Royale’s Spring Bundle


Established by the creators of the leading independent video game editorial site IndieGames.com and online download service Desura, indie game bundle website Indie Royale releases game bundles every two weeks to help get the word out over games that are worth playing and support developers that are typically passed over in mainstream media.

This time around, Indie Royale has recently released a Spring Bundle of some of the most brilliantly designed indie releases, such as Unstoppable Gorg, Tobe’s Vertical Adventure, Slydris, Inferno+, Ballistic, and Depths of Peril. Oh, and these games are even available on most platforms. Yeah, that’s right. Even you Mac users receive a chance to get on this amazing deal.  In addition to all these awesome games that you get, Danimal Cannon‘s critically-acclaimed chiptune album Roots is also available for the taking.

While you’re busy subscribing to Indie Royale’s newsletter and buying the bundle, we’re going to sit in the corner and contemplate about how amazing this deal is.

Submit Your Work for the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Music Tribute

 

Chun-Li’s killer thighs. Finally performing your first super combo. Quarter-circle forward, punch. Whether you’re a fan of Street Fighter or not, there’s no denying how influential this series has been in all of our lives.  To kick off the commemoration of one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, Capcom is opening up submissions to showcase fan music all year long:

One of the most timeless elements of the Street Fighter series has always been the music. Whether it was the first time you heard Akuma’s theme in a Super Street Fighter II Turbo arcade, or when you realized that Guile’s theme went with everything, the music has inspired people around the world. Now, you have an opportunity to be a part of that musical history! We want to hear music that you’ve come up with. Whether you’re a first time mixer, or have a full orchestra at your disposal, your music is welcome! Throughout the year, we’ll be highlighting our favorite pieces, and some of them may even be utilized in our 25th Anniversary celebration activities. It’s a great opportunity to have your work become a part of history!

There are no limitations to the genre or style of music, as original songs inspired by the Street Fighter series and remixes sampled from existing themes are currently being accepted. However, keep in mind that anything that you submit must be your own work and no hateful or obscene lyrics will be accepted. Also, be sure upload your music to a location where it can easily be streamed, such as YouTube. The deadline to submit is Friday, May 4, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST.

If you are interested in this unique opportunity to showcase your work with a broad audience, you can fill out submission details and submit your work to Capcom here. Any artists present? Check out the Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Art Tribute as well.