Author Archives: metalcrush

Quick Look: Minibosses Perform “Double Dragon” & “Dr. Mario” in 3D

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Since 2000, Minibosses has been making huge headway within the VGM scene for their innovative covers, dynamic instrumentation, and an overall awesome presence when performing on-stage. While many would consider these guys a progressive rock band, the Minibosses have continuously pushed the limits of video game music covers (with an award to show for it!). Today’s Quick Look features the Minibosses performing their fantastic interpretation of “Double Dragon” and “Dr. Mario” at this year’s MAGFest X. If you’re feeling naughty, you can download this video and watch it in 3D for the cool effects. If not, well… this video is great all the same.  Peep more of the Minibosses’ eclectic sounds on Bandcamp.

Humbled to Dust Tour 2012 Commences East Coast Takeover

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Canadian “rap legend” Jesse Dangerously, ThoughtCriminals vocalist Mikal kHill, and all-around raptacular talent Shane Hall have taken over the East Coast with The Humbled to Dust Tour. Combining a witty amalgamation of their album titles, this ten day tour spree started yesterday in Columbia, South Carolina and features a variety of key players within the nerdcore community such as MC Wreckshin, Rainbowdragoneyes, ThoughtCriminals, Schaffer the Darklord, People With Teeth, and more. If this line-up intrigues you, we’ve included a list of dates and locations for The Humbled to Dust Tour below.

[EXPAND Click here for Humbled to Dust Tour dates & locations]

Feb 3 – Columbia, SC @ Conundrum 8pm door/ 9pm show / $6 over 21 / $8 under 21 (Mikal kHill, Tribe One, cecilnick, Shane Hall & MC Stealth)

Feb 4 – Orlando, FL @ Back Booth 7pm door / 8pm show /$7 ALL AGES (Jesse Dangerously, MC Wreckshin, Rainbowdragoneyes, Mikal kHill, Shane Hall)

Feb 6 – Charlotte NC @ The Milestone 8pm door / 9pm show /$? over 21 / $?-2 under 21 (ThoughtCriminals, Jesse D, Shane Hall & MC Stealth)

Feb 8 – Baltimore, MD @ Bohemian Coffeehouse 7pm / 8pm show / FREE $0.00!!! ALL AGES (Collectible Humans, Jesse D & Shane Hall)

Feb 9 – Philadelphia, PA @ Little Bar (Voss, Sketch Lightly, Mikey Mo, Jesse D & Shane Hall)

Feb 10 – Brooklyn, NY @ moon-ii [319 Rutledge St, Brooklyn] (Schaffer the Darklord, People With Teeth, Jesse D, Mikal kHill, Shane Hall, remind) Hosted by Shane with DJ Halo on the tables ALL NIIIIGHT LOOONG

Feb 11 – Worcester, MA @ 97 D Webster St. / $5-$10 suggested donation / ALL AGES (Jesse D, Mikal kHill, Shane Hall, Jon Von Wonderful, The Grand Arkanum, HW) with an opening set by DJ Snaxx[/EXPAND]

The Humbled to Dust Tour will conclude with a last stop in Massachusetts on February 12th, 2o12. You can also get more information about the tour with their Facebook page for day-to-day updates.

Drummer of The Megas Requests Pledges to Release Acoustic Record

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Mike Levinson, drummer of The Megas and former popular punk band Agent 51, has recently launched a Kickstarter project to help him release an acoustic album:

I’ve wanted to release an acoustic record for a long time, but I’ve never had the time, funding, or drive to make it happen. Now is the time. Playing drums comes naturally to me. I enjoy being the backbone of the band and its fitting of my personality that I get to hide behind my drums while the other guys do their thing in front of the crowd. While the spotlight generally isn’t my thing I still enjoy writing and creating my own songs. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done on drums, but I’d also like to release a piece of music that is undeniably a piece of who I am as a person and an artist. This album I’d like to record is the Michael Hell acoustic album which I’m planning on titling “A Tell Tale Heart” in a nod to my favorite author and fellow troubled soul Edgar Allen Poe.

While we know that this album is not directly correlated to VGM news, we’d like to help support Mike Levinson as a very talented artist who has boldly put himself out there. The incentives are also a bonus for you Megas fans out there: a $50+ pledge gets you a signed drumstick used by Mr. Levinson at a Megas show, a copy of the extremely rare Megas Comic-Con sampler from 2007 with some early mixes pre-Get Equipped, and a DLN01 “Demo Get” CD with demos from the band’s inception.

You can find more information on Mr. Levinson’s project and pledge incentives on his Kickstarter project page.

Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven Fever Launch Event in LA @ iam8bit

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Party-goers, unite! 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). While the game itself looks rather interesting, we’re more intrigued with the fact that Nintendo will host a party at the iam8bit gallery in Los Angeles next Friday, February 10th from 6-10 p.m. Multiple highlights of the party include hands-on time with the game before the scheduled February 13th release, refreshments and music throughout the evening, and the chance to film and submit clips to be included in a special Rhythm Heaven Fever interactive video experience.

While the event is public, Nintendo has specifically announced that it will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The iam8bit Gallery is located at 2147 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California. See you there!

A_Rival’s Newest EP TMNT 2012 Does Not Disappoint

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Okay, so maybe we’re not as on top of it as we’d like to believe. How we could miss hip-hop/electonic producer A_Rival‘s newest EP is beyond us. Just like channeling his magical Bay area powers by garnering an entire room full of people at three in the morning (in an unannounced performance, by the way) at MAGFest X, A_Rival really knows how to get the crowd pumped up. And pumped up we were when we gave TMNT 2012 a listen. The  remixed “TMNT 2012” really highlights an eargasmic drum n’ bass take on the original theme, while A_Rival’s sassy rhymes in “I Wanna Be a Ninja Turtle” make us reminisce about the times we really just wanted to tout purple eye bands and brazen weaponry.

We should probably be apologizing to A_Rival, since we didn’t know how awesome TMNT 2012 would really be. But we’d like to think we’re making up for it by telling you that you can download his latest EP on Bandcamp by naming your price. We’ve also included “I Wanna Be a Ninja Turtle” from the TMNT 2012 EP below.

 

 

Sound Bytes: Blake Robinson’s “Morrowind Theme” Orchestra Arrangement

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If you haven’t heard the orchestral works of Blake Robinson, you’re in for a special treat. Self-described as a “nerd for hire”, Blake Robinson may be seen as a true jack-of-all-trades. 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. However, we just couldn’t resist not showing you how utterly epic his work can truly be.

We would say that Mr. Robinson has a history of taking old video game compositions and making spectacular orchestral arrangements. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind theme is the first time the modern Elder Scrolls series was heard, and to anyone familiar with the game it is particularly memorable. Jeremy Soule’s original title theme vivaciously captures the spirit of adventure that immerses you a foreign world the moment you enter the game. Over the years, the theme has gone through a number of changes, some of the most drastic of which can be heard in the Skyrim version, but to this day the Morrowind version still stands on it’s own. This arrangement captures that atmosphere and feeling that just hasn’t been felt again since the original Morrowind, despite how amazing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’s soundtrack is.

You can preview more of his work on The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra, a newly formed collection of his orchestral music, covers, and remixes. We truly applaud Mr. Robinson for going above and beyond most of his orchestrated pieces and invite you to experience the awe of such an extraordinary piece.

 

Sound Bytes is a recent feature to ThaSauce that focuses on showcasing exemplary VGM songs that we find to be more than exceptional. Want to send us some songs that can be featured on Sound Bytes? Shoot an e-mail to [email protected].

In Loving Memory… Triforce Mike Tribute @ A Comic Shop This Wednesday

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Mike Pandel, officially recognized as Triforce Mike, was fatally injured by a vehicle while routinely traveling on his bicycle. Affectionately known as a persistent driving force in the nerd music community, Triforce Mike was a man of many talents: a wonderful co-host of Nerdy Show, all-around comics overlord at the Orlando’s beloved A Comic Shop, and an overall generous, rambunctious personality to all who knew him.

John “hex” Carter, founder of Nerdapalooza and fellow co-host on Nerdy Show, has dolefully expressed how much Triforce Mike really affected the VGM community:

For those that don’t know, Mike was one of the four pillars of Nerdy Show; he got his nickname at Nerdapalooza 2008; his antics as Chair, the polymorphed furniture turned into a Dwarf, was probably won’t made Dungeons & Doritos listenable; but more than that, he was one of my best friends. I had come to connect my time in Orlando with him… and everything has changed now.

I was with during most of the evening, recording episodes of Nerdy Show. The topics were mainly on our favorite fandoms. It still doesn’t feel real to me. The universe is a much darker place without his light shining bright.

There are so many little things that are killing me, but one of them is that we were working on a Dungeons & Doritos comic that he was writing, and our pal Tony is drawing. Last night Tony had finished drawing the last page and we’ll probably have them in for MegaCon. It’ll be his first published comic and he’ll never get to see it.

I’m sure there are a lot of things like this that will keep popping up, but this was one thing I needed to share. He left an impact in so many people’s lives that will never be filled. You could meet the guy for two minutes and you would never forget him. I’m listening to the Protomen on repeat for a few days in memory of him. He was one of their biggest fans and because of who he was, Mike had a great friendship with them.

If you believe in a place after this one, then I’m sure Mike is up there partying hard with the greats. For others like me, take condolences in that no one else has wrung so much joy from life while giving it back in equal dosages than Michael Pandel. The best way to celebrate his memory is to try to be just as awesome as he was, and make sure that everyone is enjoying the party. <3

Many artists in the community are also coming together to raise funds that will go out to Mike’s family; DJ RoboRob has called for others to assist him for a tribute album while Random has pledged to donate money if Black Materia: Remixes and K-Murdock’s Hero Muzik, Vol. 1 both reach the top five category on Bandcamp. If you happen to live in Orlando, friends of Mike are holding a Triforce Mike tribute tomorrow night at A Comic Shop. During this time, our hearts go out to those who are grieving over one of the best personalities in the nerd music community. RIP Mike, we will truly miss you.

Benjamin Briggs’ Snake Man vs. The World EP Just Released

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Hot snake man action. Only Benjamin Briggs would use these four words to describe his newly released EP, Snake Man vs. The World. Since taking the time out to review his last big release, we know that Benjamin Briggs really shells out big on his releases. This EP is no exception. Initially byproducts of Darkesword’s team-based competition Wily Castle Remix Gauntlet 2011, Mr. Briggs has stuck with a solid Snake Man theme that has remained delightfully consistent throughout the album. Released as-is, we would definitely compare these four new Mega Man remixes to a sexy, hyperactive electronic smorgasbord of awesome beats that we simply can’t get out of our heads.

Snake Man vs. The World is available now for free on Bandcamp, but feel free to donate to Mr. Briggs as a token of your appreciation. We’ve also included a few of our favorites from the EP for your aural pleasure below.

 

 

3rd Annual OSVOSTOTY Awards 2011 Nominees Announced

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Our friends over at Original Sound Version have just released a list of nominees for the third annual Original Sound Version Original Soundtrack of the Year Awards for 2011. We’re actually pretty surprised with some of the choices this year, but generally agree with the line-up. Check out the list of nominees below:

[EXPAND Click here for an official list of the 2011 OSVOSTOTY nominees]

Soundtrack of the Year

Bloodrayne: Betrayal
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Rayman Origins
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Composer of the Year

Inon Zur
Jake Kaufman
Motoi Sakuraba
Naoshi Mizuta

Best In-Game Soundtrack
* This category refers to the soundtrack in the context of the game and how it enhances the gameplay experience

Child of Eden
Dark Souls
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Dead Space 2
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Best Handheld Soundtrack

DJMAX Portable 3
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Mighty Switch Force!
UnchainBlades ReXX
Valkyria Chronicles 3 -Unrecorded Chronicles-

Best Indie Game Soundtrack

Bastion
Cthulhu Saves The World
Escape Goat
Jamestown
Ravenmark: Scourge of Estellion
Sword & Sworcery

Best Sound Design

Batman: Arkham City
Dead Space 2
L.A. Noire
Limbo
Portal 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Best Official Arrange Album

Hideki Sakamoto Orchestral Works
NieR Tribute Album -echo-
Oboromuramasa Ongakushuu Hensou no Maku
SQ Chips
Symphonic Odysseys
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD

Best Western Fan Arrangement Album

brass 2: mouth (the minibosses)
Harmony of a Hunter (V.A.)
Intergalactic Redux (The OneUps)
Made of Metal (Erik Peabody)
Metroid Arrange 25th Anniversary Album (The OneUps)
No NES For The Wicked (Vomitron)

Best Eastern Fan Arrangement Album

CHRONO TRIGGER ~Saihate no Kanade~ (earth Japan SOFT)
FF VIOLIN II -FINAL FANTASTIC VIOLIN 2- (TAMUSIC)
Kinoko Sanmai!! (Mackerel Sky)
North Wind (Magical Trick Society)
UMEMOTO ~He Lives Here~ (WOODSOFT)

Best Chip Music Release

Beautiful Lifestyle (George & Jonathan)
Cheap Dinosaurs (Cheap Dinosaurs)
Equilibrium (V.A.)
Roots (Danimal Cannon)
SOUNDSHOCK: FM FUNK MADDNESS!! (V.A.)
The Octagon (Jonathan Baken)

Best Live Concert

Back to the Future: Two Generations of Film and Video Game Composers (VGO)
Gamers X-Mas (David Westerlund)
JADE-II (Takeaki Kunimoto)
LEGENDS (Team Merregnon)
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony (JMP Productions)
Symphonic Odysseys (Team Merregnon)

Best “Other” Release

IMERUAT
Now is the point at which I touch eternity
Oto Gift
Play for Japan
Songs for the Cure ’11: Remedy
Tree of Knowledge[/EXPAND]

While the OSVOSTOTY Awards on Original Sound Version will commence within the coming weeks, we’ll be sure to keep you updated with a list of runner-ups as soon as possible. Be sure to check back to see the winners for 2011!

ThaSauce Wrap-Up: This Week in Review

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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.

  • OverCoat Releases New Single “Phantom Bracelet”: Arecibo Radio late-night DJ extraordinaire and remixer Scott “OverCoat” Porter has just released a new single in honor of… MAGFest wristbands? Either way, the verdict is in: “Phantom Bracelet” truly delivers.
  • The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Tour 2012 Continues: Nintendo and Zelda fans, rejoice! Nintendo has announced the schedule of dates and locations for its 2012 Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert tour, featuring an enchanting progression of music and video footage through the course of The Legend of Zelda‘s history.
  • MAGFest Recap: OverClocked ReMix Live @ MAGFest X: Even in the midst of exciting news such as potential website redesign and official project updates at the OverClocked ReMix Panel, OCR Live comes together to play a brand new arrangement of Donkey Kong Country’s “Aquatic Ambiance” with live instrumentals.
  • OverClocked ReMix Unsung Heroes Tribute Just Released: OverClocked ReMix has just released their thirty-second official arrangement album in tribute to the unsung heroes of role-playing games throughout the years. Unsung Heroes features many overlooked titles such as The 7th Saga, Ghouls’n Ghosts, The Lord of the Rings: Volume 1, Suikoden, and Persona 3.
  • Quick Look: The OneUps @ MAGFest X in HD: Want to relive one of the best experiences at MAGFest X through a high-quality OneUps show with four different cameras, all in 1080p? The Unofficial PAX Community DVD team have once again delivered to present a full, uncut performance of The OneUps for your viewing pleasure.
  • And the Winner Is… Remix64’s Remixer of the Year 2011 Awarded: Remix64′s Remixer of the Year Awards 2011 was hosted today on SceneSat Radio and the results are in! We would like to congratulate those who made it on the lists this year and the winners of each award. Voting for Remixer of the Year 2012 has also commenced for next year.