Category Archives: Misc Community

ThaSauce Development Update

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What’s going on with VGMix? OverLooked ReMix? ReMix:ThaSauce? Compoverse?

Hi. Hello. Is this thing on? It’s been a while since I’ve made a post on this site.

The days of using ThaSauce.net as a news portal have been behind us for a while, but development on ThaSauce websites has been active for some time. Over the years we’ve inherited a lot of your favorite sites and with them a lot of responsibility. We get a number of questions from time-to-time about the status is of a particular website. The answer is always the same: It’s…coming along. There’s a larger, overarching plan we’re working on and I think I’ve explained it enough times in enough places to finally sit down and write it out. So here it goes…

A bit of history…

Before we can talk about everything that we plan on doing, let me take a short moment to talk about how we got here. What originally started out in 2005 as an idea to make a VGM news portal, eventually tacked on “yet another arrangement site” and then a compo portal? Now things are just out of control.

As mentioned above ThaSauce Network currently consists of this site “ThaSauce.net”, ReMix:ThaSauce, Compoverse (our rebranding of Compo:ThaSauce), OverLooked ReMiX (officially handed to us by richter), VGMix Archive for all known files from former VGMix sites, and a version of VGMix (currently called VG(Re)Mix) based on the vision of the would-be new site as laid out by virt.

The story of OverLooked ReMiX is a pretty short one: richter is just too busy these days and wanted to hand it off to someone who would maintain it. We control the hosting, domains, the full gamut. Future development of the site is…difficult as it’s so closely tied to a particular version of PhpBB and software updates have gotten even harder. We’re describing the current status of the site as “archival,” which basically means it is in a read-only state for the foreseeable future.

The story of VGMix is a more complicated one. In 2013 we started development on what we were initially calling “VGMix 4”. Users had been asking when a new version of VGMix would pop up, and some had even tried to roll out their own, but we decided we’d take the responsibility onto us. After reaching out to virt and getting his ideas for what a new version of VGMix would look like, we went to work. There were a lot of details about VGMix that virt had envisioned, but the basis was this:

  1. Users should be able to upload their own tracks, freely, whenever they want. This includes completed tracks and works-in-progress (or WIPs).
  2. Users should be able to provide feedback to each other for the above tracks.
  3. Users should be able to host impromptu compos on demand.
  4. Users should be able to fully host and release album projects on the site, including submitting applications, WIPs, and feedback.

Much of our vision for the future development of all the sites revolve around these goals and, ultimately, VGMix will likely be the center of this “network.”

The Vision

So VGMix is the cornerstone of the future, but where does that leave all of the other sites? In the current vision for the future, each site plays a role in a sort of “music development pipeline”. A process to take a beginner musician to, potentially, a full video game music composer. Here’s the breakdown:

Compoverse

Everything starts with Compoverse. For the uninitiated, Compoverse is where we host “compos,” or music composition competitions. As the site explains:

Compo is a slang word for “composition competition” commonly used by the arrangement community. It is derived from the demoscene competitions by the same name.

Contrary to this, compos are less of a competition and more of an exercise in composition abilities. Each compo has its own unique format and guidelines and while some are as short as 1 hour, others can last anywhere from a month to a few months.

It’s important to remember that the primary purpose of compos is to hone your skills and abilites by working within, sometimes very constricting, guidelines. These techniques have proven essential to the growth of countless musicians.

Remember: the only way to lose a compo is to not participate.

The site currently hosts about 7 compos on weekly or monthly schedules. One particular compo, One Hour Compo, has been hosted every week for over 10 years. During these compos, users work on tracks, following a particular theme, under a constricting time-limit. In many cases after the compo is completed we host a live listening party on our community Discord server, and users can get live peer review. This process has been invaluable to the growth of countless musicians throughout the years, including VGM composers virt and Danny Baranowski.

Compoverse offers new users an opportunity to develop experience with new tools and techniques and receive live feedback. Additionally, it challenges veteran users to try new things and streamline their workflow.

Compoverse will continue to offer a small number of “ThaSauce-hosted”, regularly scheduled compos. Additionally, the system will be expanded to offer a number of new features to admins that will also allow us to white-label the service to other compo communities. Making it easier for admins of all compos to host and administer regularly scheduled compos anywhere they desire.

VGMix (Part 1: WIPs/Compos)

Once users gain some confidence and experience it’s time to move on to VGMix. Here, users will be able to submit WIPs of more full-featured game arrangements and receive feedback. Additionally, users can join, or create, impromptu compos. These compos can be created by anyone, at any time, and is a great opportunity for a few friends to quickly jump in, create some constraints, host their files, and even have a live on-site listening party.

VGMix (Part 2: Releases)

Once users are comfortable with the feedback they received from WIPs, users will be able to convert their track from a work-in-progress to an actual released track. Once released they can continue to receive private critique, or simply receive public comments like “This song is great!” Users will receive on-site “Achievements” as they progress as artists to help encourage them to keep working as well as try new things. Additionally, VGMix will provide templates to allow for easy submissions to other arrangement sites including ReMix:ThaSauce, OverLooked ReMix, and even OverClocked ReMix.

ReMix:ThaSauce

ReMix:ThaSauce will maintain a similar position to where it has previously been: a bridge between self-released tracks and submission to a curated platform. Users will be able to submit tracks, that will be evaluated by panel, for an opportunity to be included within the curated collection. Consider this to be a badge of pride for user growth.

OverLooked ReMiX

OverLooked ReMix will continue to do exactly what it excels in: provide ridiculous interpretations of video game music and video game culture. Users that want to create joke, parody, or just simply outlandish tracks will be able to submit them here. Again, songs will be evaluated by a panel of passionate administrators for an opportunity to be included within that collection.

OverClocked ReMix

Though not within ThaSauce Network, OCReMix’s existence can’t be ignored. It has long been the center of the video game arrangement community and it too is included within the overall vision of our future development.

As it has always been OCReMix remains the “pinnacle” of achievement within the VGM community. A mountain for users to climb, and conquer along their journey. As previously mentioned, VGMix will work to not only prepare but also help facilitate users’ transition to OverClocked ReMix releases by hosting their tracks and providing them with formatted submission templates. This will, hopefully, make the process easier not only for users of both sites, but also administrators at OCReMix.

VGMix (Part 3: Albums)

Once users have confidence, experience, and prestige, they can move on to creating and participating in full album releases on VGMix. These can be solo albums or collaborative albums. VGMix will facilitate gathering of private feedback, providing consistent MP3 tags, and of course file hosting. Users will be free to host these final releases anywhere, but VGMix will hopefully make the process of collaborating on, and creating full-length albums much easier.

The Process

Whew. Now that we have all that outlined, how do we get there? Over the years we’ve amassed a number of incredibly talented developers, musicians, graphic designers, and other experts to help outline and flesh out our goals. We have a very clear process in mind and we’re confident we can achieve it. It all starts with what we’re calling Akatosh in development.

In the Elder Scrolls lore Akatosh is the name of the Dragon God of Time. The chief deity of the Divines. In ThaSauce development Akatosh represents the backbone of our infrastructure. Users, songs, albums, compos, all exist on Akatosh.

Under the hood, most of these sites follow a very similar structure:

  • A song is posted on the site
  • The song is “owned” by a user or a group of users (bands, etc)
  • These songs can be organized under a grouping (album, compo round, etc).

In the Akatosh system, a song on VGMix isn’t very different from a song on Compoverse or a song on OverLooked ReMix. The difference is the flourishes, and the presentation. All sites will be powered by Akatosh, and users of all the sites will have a single, unified, ThaSauce Network login account. One big community, spanning a number of websites.

Where are we now? What’s the timeline?

Given the nature of the system, it doesn’t look like anything has been done, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of our time up until now has been focused on the underlying Akatosh system and structure, so there isn’t much “front-facing” progress. Admittedly as well, we are all employed full-time and very busy with our personal lives. So where are we actually and what are the next steps?

Right now, the Akatosh system is in a pretty solid place as far as structure and efficiency. We’re comfortable with the foundations we’ve laid out, and we’re ready to move on to incorporating actual, useable sites into the system. Compoverse is currently our most active site and, as a result, will be one of the first sites to be integrated into the new system. If you’ve followed the site recently you know that it has been in active development for a bit over a year. The current iteration of the PHP site is at the end-of-life for new features and any new development for the site will be moved to the new platform. This also includes the conversion of all the existing songs, compos, and users to the new system. This will take time as we’re rebuilding the site from scratch, but the timeline here, realistically, will be months, not years, as we continue.

There is also a chance you will see a version of ReMix:ThaSauce pop up soon after, or even before Compoverse. R:TS is one of the simpler, smaller sites, and would be a very straightforward transition. It’s also a great opportunity to test some of the data migration with a small, static dataset.

Conclusion

Still with me? Ok, good. Whew, that was a lot. So I guess what I’m trying to say is we’re still here. We’re still alive. We’re still passionate about the community, and we’re still working really hard to help the community continue to grow, evolve, and thrive in the modern, post-YouTube/Soundcloud internet. It’s been a long road, with a lot of changes and iterations, but we’re not going anywhere any time soon. Hopefully, hopefully, we’ll have some of you along for the ride to see everything through to the end. We’ll get there, and we’re getting closer every day.

OverCoat For One Night Only in Neo-Seattle

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OverCoat, aka Scott Porter, is a busy man. Not only is he the host of two radio shows over on Arecibo Radio (Touhou Tuesday and his own Radio Overcoat), but he also makes music! The third entry in his self-titled series of EPs dropped on August 14, titled OverCoat 3: One Night in Neo-Seattle. Encompassing five tracks for a runtime of 16:34, this EP takes the listener on a cyberpunk adventure through a futuristic variation on Seattle. And, just as the album takes you on a tour through the city, what follows takes you on a tour through the album! You can follow along by grabbing the album here, or you can snag it later! Whichever route you take, it’s time to go!

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1. Sunset 2:12
The first song starts out simply, setting the stage and the mood. At 0:21 the soundscape begins to fill out, and even more at 0:41 or so. The main rhythm at 1:21 or so is pretty nice, and really finishes making that soundscape full. I already feel like I’m on a journey of sorts. It all drops at around the two minute mark.
2. International District 4:00
This track starts off right away, with some percussives at about the 0:22 mark. Some melody comes in at 0:33 or so, adding to the feel of the song. There’s a slight breakdown at about 1:04, and it gives way at 1:14 for some cool effects. 1:36 mixes it up a bit, bringing some nice string plucking of sorts. 2:03 drops out all the extra stuff, only to return the main melody at 2:13 or so. 2:39 brings a simpler feel, one that also is clearly a herald to what will be the end of the song. Climactic parts are always fun! Now I’m getting a Deku Tree vibe from the part at 3:04 or so, as in the music that plays when he’s talking. Main melody back at 3:28, and the end begins at 3:52.
3. The Market 3:13
SYNTH! Apparently that’s what this market deals in, synths. 0:18 brings in the beat and 0:38 brings in a melody. There’s some release set to these instruments, and it sounds good. I suddenly want to play a game where this is the shopping theme. A nice change-up at about the 1:23 mark comes in, and it works well. 1:44 brings that melody back. Breakdown at 2:09 or so, and it’s this track’s climax. Main melody returns at 2:28 or so, and the fadeout begins at 3:07.
4. Broadway 3:57
Ooh I like the instrument choice on this one. Beat comes in at 0:16, and rhythm at 0:22 or so. I really enjoy the backing rhythm; it works well and keeps the momentum intact. 0:54 or so has a nice changeup, only to mix it up even more at 1:10 or so. It keeps going this way until 1:49 when the main melody returns to prominence. 2:39 brings a return to how it was at the start, truly heralding the end of the mix-up. 3:13 drops out one of the lead instruments, and leads to the fadeout at 3:47.
5. Phantom Bracelet 3:12
Ah yes, this track. Cool intro, which picks up at 0:13 or so with the first beat and some wub sounds at 0:27. Melody comes in at about 0:51, adding to the fullness of the track. This continues until 1:42, when the wubs drop out. There’s an obvious feel of a buildup, and the wubs return at 2:07. The melody vanishes at this point, and another sound vanishes at 2:35 or so. The wubs continue until 2:59, until replaced by the finale.

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And with that, our night in Neo-Seattle comes to a close. I hope you enjoyed your brief visit, and you can obtain a lifetime pass to this night at whatever price you so desire (even no price at all) by clicking here. You can also find more of OverCoat’s work here and here. And you can also hear him Tuesdays from 5-7 PM PST with Touhou Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7-9 PM PST on Radio OverCoat, only on Arecibo Radio. Until next time, game on!

Fundraiser To Help Cerrax

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ThaSauce is not only a news site, it is a portal for the community.

Recently, Charlie Koch — known to us as Cerrax — suffered a personal tragedy. A fire destroyed his apartment, destroying his and his sister’s personal belongings. This tragedy has hit them terribly, both emotionally and financially.

We would like to take a moment to ask the community to come together to help out. A Facebook page and Paypal fundraiser have been set up, to help Cerrax and his sister save up the money needed to replace their belongings.

Anything you can contribute with will help — and will be appreciated.

Nerd 42 releases White Materia Mega Ran Mashup Album

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DJ Nerd42, who’s brought us some great video game music mashups in the past, is at it again. This time he’s mashing up songs from Mega Ran’s Black Materia with other popular rap and hip-hop tracks in what he is calling White Materia.

In 2011. Mega Ran dropped “Black Materia” with beats by Lost Perception and lyrics that told the epic story of Cloud Strife and his AVALANCHE allies battling the evil Shinra Inc. and Sephiroth from the classic 1997 role-playing game, “Final Fantasy VII.” In 2012, it was followed up with, “Black Materia: The Remixes” with even more original awesomeness featuring many guest appearances from all over the nerdcore hip hop scene. Now, in 2013, you get to hear the same crap that’s been recycled at this point about three times, cause we just can’t let it go!! Hooray! 😀

 White Materia joins Nerd 42’s catalog alongside other great mashup albums including Deltron 3742, a mashup album of the popular hip-hop album “Deltron 3030” with the Final Fantasy VII OST. You can download or stream all of White Materia on Bandcamp.

Minibosses and Others Melt Faces and Blow Minds Masterfully

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8BitSF held another show on June 1, except unlike the last one in March this one featured The Minibosses. As usual, crashfaster was part of the lineup and Matthew Joseph Payne kicked the night off. The night was a blast, despite the small venue, but it was well worth the $10 at the door.

Matthew Joesph Payne, as mentioned above, was the first act of the night; his fusion of vocals and chip elements with either banjo or electric guitar was great. He also kept us warmed up between songs with some nice humor, even saying he was no Danimal during his fourth song. Before the third song, he mentioned getting into an internet argument and wanting to wrestle someone. Which he did, playfully, with a couple of audience members, while some battle-like chip music played in the background. He also had us sing along during the fifth song, which was in 13/8. He was also selling download codes for his Bandcamp page, which I highly recommend checking out.

crashfaster came on next; it was their first show with a new singer, Keiko. They played a new song about halfway through their set in commemoration of their inclusion on the upcoming Chiptunes=WIN compilation, releasing Monday. They also played a few songs that I’d heard at the March GDC show along with others. The last song was a cover, and small mosh pit of four or five people formed during it; Matthew Joseph Payne ran from the back of the room to the front just to join it. All in all, a good set. They’ll be playing at the DNA Lounge in July, so keep an eye out for that.

Finally, the Minibosses took the stage. They started early purely for the purpose of playing more songs (and they still ended up playing later than they should have). They kicked the night off with Kid Icarus, and went right into requests after the lengthy track. It is interesting to note that they played the Ducktales theme song on four separate occasions during the night, something Disasterpeace noted on Twitter after the show. Naturally, I also sang the entire theme song each time. Between the Ducktales reprises, they played favorites such as Punch-Out, Castlevania 2, and Mega Man 2. A mosh pit formed during the Mega Man track, and another even bigger one during Contra, which followed after Ducktales. Zelda was immediately after, which created yet another even larger mosh pit during the Temple section. The final song was Metroid, which had a mosh pit so large it almost knocked several folks (myself included) over due to spreading out.

After the show, they brought out the CDs and shirts for sale, and those who weren’t buying anything had to leave because it was afterhours. All in all, it was a phenomenal show and one that I had a blast at. I’m sure all who went did as well, seeing as it was probably impossible not to. If there’s another show, which there invariably will be, I’ll be sure to go, and you can be sure to read about it in a summary such as this one not too long afterwards. Until next time, game on!

Or would rock on be more appropriate here?

Help Kotaku Choose a Video Game Anthem for the London Philharmonic’s Next Album

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Video game news hub Kotaku is holding a poll for video game music enthusiasts to help choose a video game anthem for the London Philharmonic‘s next album:

Last fall, we were honored to premiere the London Philharmonic’s album of video game music here at Kotaku.

The esteemed ensemble is planning a follow-up album, and they’ve asked us to ask you to help them pick one of the songs that they’ll record. Whaddya say?

It’ll work like this: The poll below will be open all week, and will close at midnight on Friday. Unless otherwise specified, the music recorded will be the main theme from the game, or whatever is considered to be the primary theme. Everyone is allowed one vote, and whichever tune wins will be arranged for the Philharmonic and recorded for the album. Best of all, Kotaku will exclusively premiere whatever track you guys pick. So, make it a good one!

There are some great choices on here. Want to hear the London Philharmonic play the Castlevania theme? What about Final Fantasy VI? Or… dear god, how about Fez?

With the poll closing on Friday, June 1st, take time to vote for your favorite video game theme today.

NESkimos to Headline at Nerdapalooza 2012

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Team Nerdapalooza has just announced that the famed VGM cover band NESkimos will headline at this year’s event in Orlando, FL from August 3rd – 5th:

Now… you may have heard of this one band called the NESkimos. They’ve played some shows you may have heard of like MAGFest  and PAX. So yeah know, no big deal. Sadly, they’ve been MIA since 2006. They’re from Florida so it’s always been a goal of mine to get them back together somehow to play the event. OH WAIT. Guess who is coming back together and playing at Nerdapalooza? THAT’S RIGHT! We got the NESkimos as our latest Headliner! Pretty damn big news.

If you haven’t heard of the NESkimos, these dudes will rock your world with their unique metal covers which certainly adds to the allure of seeing them perform live this August after being inactive for over six years. While you can check out more of their epic arrangements on YouTube, make sure to purchase a Nerdapalooza ticket if you haven’t already.

ThaSauce Giveaway Extravaganza!: Minibosses 2012 Bay Area Tour

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Are you a fan of the Minibosses like we are? Do you happen to live in the San Francisco area (or have the immediate means to travel there)? If you’ve answered a hearty ‘yes’ to both questions, we’d like to proudly announce the first official ThaSauce giveaway for the Minibosses 2012 Bay Area Tour! That’s right, you have a chance to win a pair of tickets for each of the following shows:

Friday, June 1 – Minibosses + crashfaster + Matthew Joseph Payne @ Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, 9pm, ages 21+ (Winners must be 21+ and bring ID)
Saturday, June 2 – Minibosses + more @ Catalyst Atrium in Santa Cruz, 8pm, ages 16+ (Winners must be 16+ and bring ID)

And guess what? Entering the giveaway is a breeze. All you have to do to be eligible to win is 1) like our Facebook page and 2) tell us what your favorite Minibosses song is or an interesting Minibosses show experience and what day you are planning to attend on our status post. You may choose to enter for both days, yet only ONE entry per person for each day will be permitted. The giveaway will end Wednesday, May 30th, with winners will be chosen through a randomized number generator and announced by the same day.  The winners will be contacted and must bring IDs to claim their tickets at the door of each event. Good luck!

** Special thanks to the folks over at Rockage: San Jose for making all of this possible!

Get Your Remix On: GameChops’ Powerglove Remix Contest

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VGM netlabel GameChops has recently presented its very first remix contest for Dj CUTMAN‘s track “Powerglove (It’s So Bad)” featuring Benjamin Briggs, which takes a classic NES sample and throws in “a heaping dose of french electro and gritty automation to create something so good, it can only be called ‘so bad'”. The winning remixes will be featured on an upcoming GameChops release.

Remixes must be hosted on GC Soundcloud dropbox and submitted through the GameChops website on or before the deadline of June 25th, 2012. All genres and interpretations are welcome, but winners will be decided on strength of concept, mixing quality, and goodness of the song itself.

While you can listen to “Powerglove (It’s So Bad)” above, download the remix stems here (or here). Happy remixing!

Bit Gen Gamer Fest 7 Returns Again, Line-Up Just Announced

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Bit Gen Gamer Fest 7 is here and ready to rock your world! Originally started up by the folks behind the video game rock band Entertainment System in a small private art space in 2005 with only 150 people, Baltimore’s premier videogame music festival has grown into one of the most biggest, action-packed concerts on the East Coast and is only expected to get even more monumental. This year’s venue, Sonar Baltimore, is one of the largest concert club venues in Baltimore, with a capacity that is almost 18 times greater than the total attendance of the first Bit Gen concert.

Oh, so gaming and rocking out is your thing, you say? Well, the line-up for Big Gen Gamer Fest 7 has also been made public, with incredible upcoming performances from The Megas, Metroid Metal, Bit Brigade, Rare Candy, This Place is Haunted, Brentalfloss, Dj Cutman, Cheap Dinosaurs, X-Hunters with even more performers to be announced soon.

Bit Gen Gamer Fest 7 is an all-ages event, happening on June 30th from 4 pm to 2 am for only $20 bucks. Get your tickets today!