Pre-orders Available for halc’s Pixel Perfect Complete


Drew Wheeler, also known as halc, has started preorders for his first full-length album, Pixel Perfect Complete, to be released on June 15th:

Pixel Perfect Complete is the final entry in the Pixel Perfect saga. It features remastered versions of the 13 original Pixel tracks, two all new tracks (and a remix) composed by myself, and a handful of remixes by various members of the VGM and indie music communities. It is my first full length, production ready album with over 20 tracks, ~70 minutes of music, and full color artwork designed by yours truly.

Only fifty physical copies of the album are available for pre-order for ten dollars, with digital copies available as well as a free (or pay-what-you-want) digital download upon release. While you preview Pixel Perfect Complete on halc’s Bandcamp (sounds amazing thus far!), we would urge you to definitely purchase a CD before they’re all gone!

GameFuel & Arecibo Radio Present: Stemage’s Marble Madness Release Party


Join Arecibo Radio  for a GameFuel special presentation with Grant “Stemage” Henry for the “Where Good Marbles Go To Die” release party. Grant “Stemage” Henry, the man behind several amazing bands such as Metroid Metal and Yes, Mayhem, is also an accomplished solo artist who has composed for indie games Alpha Squad and Radiant Escape.

Marble Madness highlights seven new tracks featuring various accomplished guests such as Disasterpeace, Kirby Pufocia, and VikingGuitar.  Stemage emphasizes the direction of Marble Madness when he states, “The Marble Madness soundtrack has a lot of variety, and that theme carries over to this album. I’ve actually been calling it a “collection of remixes” instead of an album, but things are really starting to flow together.”

Taking place on June 2nd at 9 PM EST, Marble Madness will be played in full, along with many other surprises, such as the digital release of the album during the show itself. And if you haven’t tuned into GameFuel,  you’re in for a treat. GameFuel is a game-centric show of hard-hitting music, particularly of the videogame and videogame-inspired variety, also featuring chiptunes and other original works every week, hosted by the ever exuberant KyleJCrb. Be sure to tune in to Arecibo Radio this Saturday for an exclusive listen to what may very well be an awesome album.

ThaSauce Giveaway Extravaganza!: Winner Announced for Minibosses Bay Area Tour


Remember our Minibosses ticket giveaway that we announced last week? A hearty congratulations to Mayene de Leon for winning our giveaway for the Minibosses show on June 1st at Hemlock Tavern! We are truly excited for you to experience the Minibosses live, so please be sure to look out for our e-mail for the following instructions on admission for this Friday. Thank you again!

Be sure to check out other giveaways coming at you very soon happening all over the country, here at ThaSauce!

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


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.

FINAL FANTASY XI: 10th Anniversary Concert Tickets On Sale June 1st


Distant Worlds fans will be pleasantly surprised with the recent announcement of the FINAL FANTASY XI: 10th Anniversary Concert that will be taking place in September with Grammy-winning conductor Arnie Roth and special appearances by  composers Naoshi Mizuta & Kumi Tanioka:

We’re proud to announce the FINAL FANTASY XI: 10th Anniversary Concert to be held at the Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley, California on September 22, 2012! The special event, presented by AWR Music, will feature over 70 musicians drawn from the area’s leading orchestras, and be led by conductor Arnie Roth (“Distant Worlds” concert series) Attending the event will also be special guests Naoshi Mizuta and Kumi Tanioka who will both be attend the VIP meet & greet sessions, as well as maybe a few special surprises!

Tickets will be available starting Friday, June 1st at 12 PM, with standard admission ranging from $50 to $85 depending on seating, and $150 for VIP tickets that allow you to meet special guests after the show, autographs, and photo opportunities. Concert attendees will also receive a special Final Fantasy XI in-game item, the “Maestro’s Baton”, which will be handed out at the event. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to experience the world of FFXI in concert!

NESkimos to Headline at Nerdapalooza 2012


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 Wrap-Up: This Week in Review (May 21 – May 27)

 

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.

  • Arecibo Radio Presents Shnabubula’s Starbound Release Party: Our friends over at Arecibo Radio have once again outdone themselves by holding yet another epic listening party in the name of one of our most admired artists, the piano prodigy known as Shnabubula on Tuesday, May 29th.The event will start at 10 PM Eastern (that’s 7 PM PST for you West Coasters).
  • Nubuwo & King Soukutu to Release Rokko Chan Soundtracks: If there was a female version of Mega Man, what would her name be trademarked as? Mega WoMan? Mega Girl? How about Rokko Chan? Nubuwo, one of the best video game music news sites on the ‘Net (besides us, of course), has just teamed up with independent developer King Soukutu to formally release the incredible Rokko Chan Soundtracks.
  • Indie Game: The Movie to be Released Worldwide on June 12: While we’ve praised Indie Game: The Movie when it was first available for preorder, we are more than happy to announce that the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection will be available worldwide in just a few weeks.
  • Internet Promo Machine: Sponsor Adam WarRock’s Upcoming Fall Tour: Adam WarRock, one of our favorite hip hop emcees who brings back the ‘cool’ in all things nerd and pop culture, needs your help! We would like to extend his invitation to those who would be interested in sponsoring WarRock’s tour this coming Fall, scheduled to visit major cities on the East Coast including New York, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and more.
  • ThaSauce Giveaway Extravaganza!: Minibosses Bay Area Tour 2012: Are you a fan of the Minibosses? Do you happen to live in the San Francisco area (or have the 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.
  • Because We May Sale Offers Games (& Soundtracks!) Directly from Developers: ‘Tis the year for great deals on independent games that gamers may or may not have heard of and what better to celebrate May with even more discounts? Listen to amazing soundtracks while receiving great deals on several award-winning multi-platform games with the Because We May sale, on now through June 1st.
  • Noise Channel’s Rokko Chan Chiptune Album Listening Party: To promote Nubuwo & King Soukutu’s collaborative efforts to bring about Rokko Chan Soundtracks on July 4th, the Nubuwo staff have also teamed up with Noise Channel to host a listening party for the music of Rokko Chan on May 31st that promises to deliver different interpretations by “a stellar list of your favorite chiptune artists”. Be sure to tune in to this Thursday.
  • Quick Look: “Final Fantasy – Medley” by Super Guitar Bros.: Garnering over 3,000 subscribers and 359,800 video views in under a year with only six videos, the Super Guitar Bros. have been making headway with their amazing video game covers. This Quick Look video is definitely a great example of how the pair work to complement each other in an almost ethereal manner, carefully inducing an air of nostalgia that is surely not to be missed.

Sound Bytes: “Just Hold On – zircon (Flexstyle’s Chilloniq Mix)”


Just a quick Sound Bytes feature highlighting Flexstyle‘s mix of zircon‘s original track “Just Hold On”, featuring vocalist Jillian Aversa:

Anyone who’s used FL Studio in the past year or so should probably recognize this song. Made by producer, composer, and sound designer extraordinaire Andrew Aversa, alias zircon, and featuring the gorgeous vocals of his wife Jillian, “Just Hold On” is the demo song in FL Studio 10. I decided to take it warp it into more of a hip-hop/trancey number. This is what I came up with–enjoy!

If you like what you hear, you can also download “Just Hold On (Flexstyle’s Chilloniq Mix)” for free here.  Check out more of what we think are some great electronic tracks from Flexstyle on his Soundcloud.

Quick Look: “Final Fantasy – Medley” by Super Guitar Bros.


Garnering over 3,000 subscribers and 359,800 video views in under a year with only six videos , the Super Guitar Bros. have been making headway with their amazing video game covers. Little is known about their background in music except formal training in classical guitar, but all we really care about is that both Steven Poissant and Sam Griffin take their sessions seriously and really know how to put on a captivating show.

The “Final Fantasy – Medley” video  by Super Guitar Bros. is definitely a great example of how the pair work to complement each other in an almost ethereal manner, carefully arranging iconic songs such as “Chocobo Theme” and “The Prelude” to include a heavy air of nostalgia that is surely not to be missed. Armed with steel and nylon string guitars, these bros (and no, they’re not related) will make you think twice about all those bad YouTube covers you thought you listened through already.

Noise Channel’s Rokko Chan Chiptune Album Listening Party


To promote Nubuwo & King Soukutu’s collaborative efforts to bring about Rokko Chan Soundtracks on July 4th, the Nubuwo staff have also teamed up with Noise Channel Radio to host a listening party for the music of Rokko Chan on May 31st that promises to deliver different arrangements by “a stellar list of your favorite chiptune artists”.

Be sure to tune in for the live show, as this episode of Noise Channel will NOT be archived for later streams or downloads. Because the album will not be released until July, this event presents a unique opportunity to experience a special preview of what Rokko Chan Soundtracks promises to deliver. Tune in by going to Arecibo Radio and connecting to the live stream this Thursday.