Author Archives: metalcrush

beek’s 7bit date: robot love Released Just In Time for Valentine’s Day

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Fresh out of Ubiktune, classic tracker composer Chris J. Hampton has just released a new album just in time for Valentine’s Day. Also known by his alternate moniker beek, this 8-bit veteran has appeared in various Ubiktune releases such as Around Past and Wintertunes for a while now. beek’s 7bit date: robot love sacrilegiously pushes the chiptune genre over the edge, in a frenzied flurry of chip sounds that manages to make our ears happy. Marked by retro influences from the ’80s and ’90s, beek’s work is a total blast to the past, actively transporting the listener to a time when chiptunes were prioritized as primary sources of composition and arrangement.

Describing 7bit date: robot love as a  “a varied collection of chippy goodness”, beek relates his own experiences with the album with special attention to resisting traditional chip sounds:

7bit date: robot love is a collection of chips I began tracking in 2008, with one song reaching as far back as 1998. In 2008, having recently graduated from university, I reexamined my chiptune past and decided to get back in the game. Life carried on, and years later, I remembered my original goal of a new chipdisk release.. Here we are today, 2012!

For 7bit date, I didn’t limit myself to traditional chip sounds. I make use of Amiga ST-XX samples in a few tracks — a process which rekindled some of my imagination, as I remembered this or that MOD from back in the day with each Amiga sample I came across. Another characteristic of my chips is to use no external/post-processing effects, just some occasional Schism filters, so the original .IT files will reproduce pretty close to the MP3.

While 7 bit date: robot love is available on beek’s Bandcamp, we’ve also included a few tracks to preview for you below. Go and get some chiptune lovin’ today!

ThaSauce Wrap-Up: This Week in Review (Feb 6 – Feb 12)

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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.

  • Concert Line-Up for PAX East Finalized:  Taking place in Boston, Massachusetts on April 6th, 2012, PAX East is the ultimate three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers alike. The concert line-up for PAX East has recently been finalized and it’s looking pretty sexy.
  • Sound Bytes: Shnabubula Covers Double Dragon’s “Title” Theme: Okay, so we might have a habit of hyping up NYC-based remixer and piano prodigy Shnabubula. But can you blame us? Shnabubula has just released a new teaser for his upcoming album, featuring music covers that only utilize live piano & NES and it is absolutely off the hook.
  • Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Tour Hits America: Get ready for the ultimate fanboy experience with the official Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy tour, which features classic Final Fantasy selections with state of the art HD video presentations filled with exclusive images direct from Square Enix.
  • 10th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards Nominees Announced: On March 8th, the Game Audio Network Guild will celebrate its tenth annual G.A.N.G Awards at Game Developers Conference 2012 to commemorate the highest quality and achievement of those individuals, projects and products offering a significant and positive impact on the art and craft of interactive audio.
  • ReMixer Spotlight: djpretzel: To kick off the brand new biweekly remixer spotlight, Mirby takes a look back at one of her most surprising interviews. Read on to find out about the genesis of OverClocked ReMix and just how founder David W. Lloyd, aka djpretzel, got into remixing and creating a cornerstone of the remixing community!

10th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards Nominees Announced

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On March 8th, the Game Audio Network Guild will celebrate its tenth annual G.A.N.G Awards at Game Developers Conference 2012 to commemorate the highest quality and achievement of those individuals, projects and products offering a significant and positive impact on the art and craft of interactive audio. Formed in 2001, The Game Audio Network Guild has quickly evolved over the years to become one of the largest game audio communities in the world. As such, it’s only fitting that the criteria involved for nominees of the G.A.N.G Awards include production value, quality, innovation and community service.

The full list of nominees are announced below and we’d say that it seems pretty fair. What do you think?

[EXPAND Click here for the official list of nominees for the 10th Annual G.A.N.G Awards]

AUDIO OF THE YEAR
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dead Space 2
Gears of War 3
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

MUSIC OF THE YEAR
Batman: Arkham City
InFamous 2
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
L.A. Noire
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

SOUND DESIGN OF THE YEAR
Battlefield 3
Forza Motorsport 4
Gears of War 3
NCAA Football 12
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
Batman: Arkham City
Dead Space 2
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
Star Wars: The Old Republic
T
he Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST INTERACTIVE SCORE
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Dead Space 2
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST HANDHELD AUDIO
Death Rally HD
Infinity Blade II
Monster Hunter 3G
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Super Mario 3D Land

BEST AUDIO IN A CASUAL/INDIE/SOCIAL GAME
Bastion
Conspiracy
Monday Night Combat
Orcs Must Die
Star Wars: Clone War Adventures
WindUp Knight

BEST CINEMATIC/CUT-SCENE AUDIO
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Crysis 2
Gears of War 3
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST DIALOGUE
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTAL
“Lacrimosa” – Dead Space 2
“Main Theme” – Deus Ex: Human Revolution
“GameWrapper” – Kinect Disneyland Adventures
“Pirate Dance” – Kinectimals Gold
“Glory, The Galactic Republic” – Star Wars: The Old Republic
“Small Beginnings” – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – CHORAL
“Main Theme” – Batman: Arkham City
“Storm Clouds Over Stalingrad” – Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
“Guardians Theme” – RIFT
“Clash of Destiny” – Star Wars: The Old Republic
“Main Theme” – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

BEST ORIGINAL VOCAL – POP
“Rogue Heart”  – Dragon Age II
“Torched Song” – L.A. Noire
“Victoria’s Lab” – LittleBigPlanet 2
“Wabby Wabbo” – Plants Vs. Zombies (PS3/XBOX360)
“Want You Gone” – Portal 2
“Kayfoundo Naweea (Hungry Eyes)” – Star Wars: The Old Republic

BEST AUDIO MIX
Batman: Arkham City
Battlefield 3
Crysis 2
L.A. Noire
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

BEST USE OF LICENSED MUSIC
Kinect Disneyland Adventures
LittleBigPlanet 2
MLB 11: The Show
Rocksmith
Shift 2: Unleashed – Need for Speed
Stacking

BEST GAME AUDIO ARTICLE, PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST
Designing the Boot Sound for the Original XBOX
Game Developer Magazine – “Three Erroneous Conceits”
Mixing as Part of the Music Composing Process
Sound Effects Transformation: From This to That
The Use of Voice in Portal 2[/EXPAND]

The tenth annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards will commence on March 8th in San Francisco as part of the larger Game Developers Conference that will be occur at the same time. Be sure to check ThaSauce for the latest up-to-date news on G.A.N.G winners for this year!

In Tha ‘Tube: Liquid Wind, Level 99, Brandon Strader, Shael Riley, Safra, & TH3HT

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In Tha ‘Tube focuses on ReMix: ThaSauce‘s very own vast database of VGM remixes as 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 again! 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 have quite a few songs to start you off right:

Quick Look: Mega Ran’s Jeremy Lin Rap

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We’ve really tried straying away from posting any more enthusiastic posts about Mega Ran, but this video is just too good to pass up. Even with Black Materia: Remixes managing to stay on Bandcamp’s top seller list since its January 21st release until recently, Mega Ran still manages to rile folks up with his eclectic rap style and wonderful sense of humor. Enter Mega Ran’s freestyle ode to Jeremy Lin, which made popular headway on both YouTube with over 131,000 views and ESPN today. With smooth lyrics like “First ivy leaguer in the league since Chris Dudley / Must be some kinda desire / To make everybody who doubted you out to be a liar”, Mega Ran’s affirmative image of Jeremy Lin inspires us to root for the underdogs out there.

Kudos to Random for being featured on national television for such an inspirational song. If you enjoyed his rap as much as we did, grab the song for free here.

The ‘Quick Look’ series  is your biweekly source for videos of emerging artists, rad performances, or just about anything awesome that we can get away with posting that involves the VGM community. Have any cool videos to link us with? Shoot an e-mail at [email protected]. Be sure to click on the ‘Quick Look’ category below to satiate your visual appetite here at ThaSauce.

Indie Game Music Bundle 2 Out Now

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Has the economy got you down? Yeah, us too. But for this week only, my friends, you can stick it to the man and get some of the best VGM albums at a crazy affordable price. With some of ThaSauce regular featured artists like Laura Shigihara, A_Rival, Jake “virt” Kaufman, the newest Game Music Bundle 2 release has you covered in a extremely convenient “Pay What You Want” format.

Oh, and if you happen to contribute $10+, they’ll throw even more VGM swag at you. As in, fifteen albums for the price of one fancy meal. Or one large pizza. Or maybe… oh, nevermind. At this rate, we have to say: total steal.

You can also sign up for GMB’s newsletter to receive exclusive updates and upcoming bundles. So what are you waiting for? This offer is only available for seven more days. Get down with your dirty self and get yo’ swag on now.

Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Tour Hits North America

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Any Final Fantasy fans still out there? Touted as the ultimate “unique multimedia concert experience”, the official Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy world-tour has just launched in North America. Originating in Sweden in 2007, Distant Worlds features classic Final Fantasy selections with state of the art HD video presentations filled with exclusive images direct from Square Enix and  has performed regularly in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Under the direction of Grammy Award-winner and acclaimed conductor Arnie Roth, the concerts are performed by symphony orchestra, choir, and renowned vocal and instrumental soloists.

But wait, there’s more! If you happen to be a Video Game Orchestra fan, there’s a special treat for those who live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The VGO creator and director Shota Nakama will be performing with his guitar at the Distant Worlds concert on February 25, 2012 at 8PM. Song highlights include “Eyes On Me” featuring Susan Calloway, “Dear Friends” and “Vamo’ alla Flamenco” featuring guitarist Mr. Nakama, “Zanarkand”, “Maria and Draco”, “The Man With The Machine Gun”, “Blinded By Light” and “Aerith’s Theme”.

While the first concert performance will be in Pittsburgh, the tour will roam around North America with stops in Ontario, Boston, St. Louis, and Toronto from February to March. Be sure to check out the official Distant Worlds website to get your tickets for this special, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sound Bytes: Shnabubula Covers Double Dragon’s “Title” Theme

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Okay, so we might have a habit of hyping up NYC-based remixer and piano prodigy Sam Ascher-Weiss, also known by the moniker Shnabubula. But can you blame us? With over 1,200 subscribers and over 326,000 views on YouTube now, Shnabubula’s reputation for piano improvisation and insane productivity still cannot be denied.

Even with his wonderful Free Play album recently released (which you can preview all for free on his Youtube page), Shnabubula has just put out a new teaser for yet another upcoming album to be released in March, featuring music covers that will only utilize live piano and NES/Famicon samples. We are happy to report that if this teaser is a just sign of things to come, NES Jamz  will absolutely be off the hook. In this video, Mr. Ascher-Weiss really shows off his talent with some good ol’-fashioned Double Dragon. We seriously implore you to give this video a quick listen and see, truly, what the hype is all about.


Concert Line-Up for PAX East Finalized

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If you don’t know what PAX East is, you’ve either been living under a rock or well… living under a rock. Taking place in Boston, Massachusetts on April 6th, 2012, PAX East is the ultimate three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers alike. In addition to nerdcore concerts, panel discussions, and an exhibitor hall filled with booths displaying the latest from top game publishers and developers, the best part of PAX East is partying with like-minded individuals who probably like gaming as much as the next guy.

So, what are you waiting for? Although three-day passes have been sold out for awhile, one-day passes are still available for $35 dollars. The concert line-up for PAX East has recently been finalized (which you can view below) and it’s looking very sexy.

[EXPAND Click here to view the finalized 2012 line-up for PAX East]

Friday:
VGO
Protomen
Metroid Metal
Minibosses

Saturday:
Supercommuter
Paul & Storm
Jonathan Coulton
MC Frontalot[/EXPAND]

ThaSauce Wrap-Up: This Week in Review (Jan 30 – Feb 5)

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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.

  • Sound Bytes: Blake Robinson’s “Morrowind Theme” Orchestra Arrangement: While maintaining his chief occupation as a game developer at both Electronic Arts and Outplay Entertainment, Mr. Robinson spends most of his free time freelance composing for several high-profile indie games. If you haven’t heard the orchestral works of Blake Robinson, you’re in for a special treat.
  • Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven Fever Launch Event in LA @ iam8bit: Nintendo has teamed up with Los Angeles-based production company iam8bit and Giant Robot to promote Nintendo’s upcoming groovalicious game Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii) by hosting a party at the iam8bit gallery in Los Angeles next Friday, February 10th from 6-10 p.m.