Archive for March, 2010

Whispers of the Plains: Keith Burgun

{ March 31, 2010 @ 12:49 am } · { behind the music, behind the scenes, composer, game music, indie, interview, making of, music, news, pc game, scores, VGM, whispers of the plains }
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Dinofarms Games is an indepedant games company who have just created a new RPG title called 100 Rogues and have released their soundtrack for free to start to spread the word! Higher Plain Music was able to track down lead designer and joint composer Keith Burgun for a few questions about how to going indie changes the game music environment we’re in and how he and co-composer Blake  Reynolds went about creating the soundscape for their game:

Firstly congrats on making a completely indie game. Tell us what inspired you to make “100 Rogues”?

Originally, the game POWDER inspired it. It was the first roguelike I had ever played, and although I enjoyed it, we figured we could do a better job. Little did we know quite a few people had done better jobs already, and so we had to take a dramatically new angle on the genre.

What are the main positives and negatives for going the indie route, which you have boldly gone for?

It’s the only route available for a person like me. I have a game design idea in mind. Getting a big corporate-backed company to develop the game for me isn’t an option. With that said, I think that independently-created games are going to be a bigger and bigger part of the future of gaming. Just as right now many people get a lot of their “video” from YouTube, games will follow. Stuff like the App Store, XBLA, and Steam are all offering indies ways to get their games out there. It’s an exciting time!

The 100 Rouges soundtrack harks back to music from yesteryear with old synth tracks. Was that something you wanted to do or just what you could afford to get done?

It was something we wanted to do. Blake Reynolds and I both attended the same school for music, so we definitely could have pulled off real instrumentation or high quality synths, or whatever we wanted really. We both feel that music during the NES-SNES era was a high point for video game music, and we are trying to recapture some of that kind of magic. Melodically driven, thematic, engaging, memorable tunes.

Where their any influences in the music of the soundtrack that you had to go on?

It really depends on the song. Overall, I know Blake was very inspired by Symphony of the Night and WarCraft 2 for his Dungeon theme. I’ve been listening to a lot of bossanova and a lot of old classic songs, which inspired some of my work. The 100 Rogues theme was I think most directly inspired by the song “A Day in the Life of a Fool” by Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Maria. Essentially, we both are really shooting for a timeless, classic feel for our music. I really don’t like the idea that games are like these transient things that disappear after five years, so we try to make our games be something that would have the same effect on you in five, ten, or even a hundred years from now.

As composer for the soundtrack yourself, were their any particular challenges you had in making the tracks? Do you have any favourites?

Yeah. The Bandit Hole music was a difficulty for me; I actually had written another complete piece before it. The issue really with the game is, the music gets more and more “serious” as you delve down deeper and deeper. It needs to, to support the gameplay. However, I have issues with not making songs explode into melodrama at a certain point, probably because of my years of experience writing pop/rock songs. In terms of favorites, I’m always a sucker for fight songs. Blake’s “Satan Fight!” is just outrageously awesome, I can’t get over that one. I also like my “Genie Fight!” a lot. I guess I’m a sucker for melodrama.

For those people considering getting into indie game making or even soundtrack making, do you have any golden nuggets of advice for the budding newcomers?

It may be getting ahead of ourselves to be asking me for advice. I myself am a budding newcomer; 100 Rogues isn’t even released yet, who knows if my advice would be at all valuable! But basically I would just say that it’s always good advice to really have a passion for what you’re doing, and to balance being principled with being flexible. And be a nice person! A lot of times working on indie projects you have to do stuff for free, and get others to do stuff for free, and no one’s willing to do that for a jerk.

What’s next in store for 100 Rogues?

Well, we have two very exciting classes, the Dinoman Bruiser and the Skellyman Scoundrel coming up. I’m very excited about both of them, they will really change the face of the game a lot I think. We have just tons of features in store though for 100 Rogues, but just to name a few: an item shop, a special ‘challenge mode’ gametype, an infinite-play level called the Moon, two more worlds, tons more monsters, more items, a bestiary, and more unlockable stuff.

Finally, what’s in store for Keith Burgun? Giving away freebies must make you want to compose more surely!

Well, I really want to try to establish Dinofarm Games as a great game company. We have already begun some work on our second game, which is a wargame set in the same universe as 100 Rogues. It will be for the Windows and XBox Live Arcade platforms. Essentially, I just want to make great games, and make great game music. I also personally have a few axes to grind about how screwed up the way our culture looks at video games is, and I see myself as a bit of a “videogame civil rights activist” in a sense. Making games that follow my philosophy is the best way I can change the way people see things. The greatest way to influence people is by example.

We will have a full review of the soundtrack for 100 Rogues available within the next 24 hours and would like to thank Keith Burgun for his valuble time and input!

Video Vault – Brendan Perry

{ March 31, 2010 @ 12:32 am } · { alternative, folk, music, music video, singer songwriter, video vault, world music }
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This not an official video but its just all kinds of fantastic so I simply had to post it and thus end my Brendan Perry fest of the last few weeks until Ark’s release! Here is a stunning video to Utopia

Imogen Heap Covers Tori Amos

{ March 30, 2010 @ 7:49 pm } · { alternative, cover version, electro pop, live music, live vault, music, piano, pop, singer songwriter }
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Imogen has performed a unique and original interpretation of Tori Amos’ “Cornflake Girl”. Watch the cover here. It’s nice to hear the song completely reworked and almost unrecognisable. You can’t call her a copy cat!

Live Vault – Tegan and Sara

{ March 30, 2010 @ 12:47 am } · { acoustic, alternative, arrangements, grunge, live music, live vault, music, pop, power pop, rock, singer songwriter }
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I’d not heard a single song from these lovely identical twins before but one listen of this fantastic acoustic version of “The Con” had me absolutely hooked, so much so I had to listen to it again several times in a row straight away! Some more albums pop onto my wishlist…

Live Vault – Brendan Perry (New Songs From Ark)

{ March 28, 2010 @ 12:58 am } · { folk, live music, live vault, music, neo-folk, psychadelic, rock, singer songwriter, world music }
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Well I’ve had a listen to the whole bootleg recording (aren’t I naughty) and Brendan continues to perform like an absolute dream. Brendan has such a weight to whatever he puts out, its immediately credable and drilled to such a point, its like a live album every time. The new songs, to be featured on Ark are “This Boy“, which is beautifully haunting, the fluid promise of hope in motion “Utopia“, the sublime “Winter Sun“, the rocking “The Golden Rule” and the utterly beautiful “Dream Letter“.

I have also heard “Eros” which is very Peter Ulrich sounding and “Love on the Vine” which was much more a band effort and has Brendan’s vocal chords very much in demand! Ark is definately gearing up for album of the year already!

Garry Schyman – “Bioshock 2 Score” Review

{ March 28, 2010 @ 12:12 am } · { ambient, classical, composer, game music, music, orchestral, review, scores, VGM }
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Garry Schyman’s Bioshock score was one the best scores under 20 minutes I’ve heard in the last 10 years. With a full scale Bioshock 2 Score out to support the game in 2010, has Schyman excelled again?

The score starts off with “Pairbond: Bioshock 2 Theme” which is a beautifully understated with lush undercurrants of strings and a beautiful solo weeping its heart over the top. It paves an emotiive introduction to “Waking Up In 1959″ which is quite mysterious with lots of tuned percussion tapping out a disorientated melody that’s slightly frantic but still melodic. There’s also a spacious ambience constantly swirling around behind the music and the bending wind instruments that give the track an extra layer. “10 Years Later” is more dramatic with the traditional bending string pulls before “Protecting His Charge” lifts up from tense atmospherics to more hardcore orcestration and lots of screaming brass and stomping strings. “Welcome Back” returns to the more industrial ambience of earlier tracks but with some chilling pizzicato strings and skin crawling melodies and build ups. It’s more a horror film score, this track than anything. Deliciously dark.

“Cult of Lamb” has some great jazzy brass elements that set against an uncomfortable musical soundscape actually sound quiet eerie, and the unsettling whistles and double bass continues throughout “Grace Under the Ocean” as the soundtrack becomes more mood music to destable you and become more unhinged, vying Silent Hill’s music but in a different genre. “The Abyss” has some strange ambient noises which to me sound very much like a heartbeat from inside the womb, which is both creepy and beautiful, depending on the musical context. “Big Sister In the Move” however is all about the fast paced manic strings that pitter-patter out a furious spasm at 100 mph to its furious climax. “Send Him Howling Back to Hell” then becomes much more percussive and larger in scale with all the orchestra getting well into the mix for some big crashes and smashes to heighten your senses. There’s some real fasted paced playing here which deserves a special mention.

“Elanor’s Darkness” is interesting as along with most of the soundtrack, it showcases a decaying beauty of something previously great that now feels and has become such a shadow of its formerself, it’s practically weeping every chord. “That Symbol on Your Hand” is another slow burning tense track, very reminiscent of a quieter track from Schyman’s Dante’s Inferno score with the deep chorus coming into play. In contrast “Out the Airlock” and its sparkling celestial dings are actually like a seasonal greeting amoungst the debris. It is still a sad and intricate piece, but showcases more beauty than delapidation.

“Enterance to Eden” see’s those sparkles fizzle out however as the rot of growling brass and stabbing strings set back in with curious string chords, before “Drained Memories” creeps into your speakers with a song so audiable, it sounds like one of those 1970 hammer horror creep around the house pieces that you can hear the after fuzz of the strings on the speaker. Very cleverly done and a personal highlight of the score. “How She Sees the World” continues this complete closeness to the speakers with a chilling piano track that you can hear the breath and cracks of the piano as its played. Utterly timeless, like a mystical cloud of afterlife passing through you.

“Entering Persephone” returns to the dark and unsettling orchestral underworld of the usual tracks of the Bioshock 2 score. “Lockdown March” increases the urgency with a lot of discordant strings and a constant marching bass string section before “Welcome to the Drop (With Vocal)” gives us more of the same but with vocal ad-libs almost like a plains tribeslady really getting on down with the track. She fits the track perfectly, and there are hints of Plain’s peoples instruments and aboriginal instruments throughout with digeridoo’s being used throuought as a bassline guide. “Under the Tracks (with Vocal)” is an unused track and follows the same pattern but almost in a bluesy way.

“Research” actually sounds a bit like a comical horror piece with its pressing undercurrant of short sharp four note string plucks. “Destroying the Lobby” is more furious and focused as it ramps up to a full on assault on the senses in a fantastical grande finale which is completed in “Gil’s Entertainment” which is full on too. The last massive track is “Escape” which as the only track over three minutes, is the epic full cinematic experience with timpani’s rolling and stabbing string and brass segments with all kinds of industrial elements thrown in for good measure. It’s one of the biggest pieces of pure drama I’ve listened to for a while (outside of the mesmorising Dante’s Inferno which is just badass from start to end). The soundtrack actually ends however with “Eleanor’s Lullabye” which is the only pure piece on the soundtrack and is an uplifting way to end what is generally a downtrodden experience.

Bioshock 2′s score is one teeming with emotion. It’s not for everyone as there’s no real melodies and its more about the feelings protrayed at particular times. It’s also very cinematic so once you’ve experienced the music with the game, it will no doubt heighten your appreciation of the score moreso. I haven’t played the game however and really enjoyed this score. It’s creepy undertones with a beautiful overlay mix a potent reciepe that draws you in upon each listen.

Live Vault – Nina Nastasia

{ March 26, 2010 @ 10:55 pm } · { acoustic, folk, live music, live vault, music, rock, singer songwriter }
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Whilst thoroughly rediscovering “Run to Ruin” I found this beautiful live performance of one of my favourite Nina Nastasia songs “This is What It Is” but just guitar and vocal. A lovely stripped down performance.

Normand Corbeil – Heavy Rain OST Review

{ March 23, 2010 @ 9:50 pm } · { ambient, composer, game music, music, orchestral, review, VGM }
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Heavy Rain, a game which polarises most gamers, is more an emotional interactive film experience than a gameplay game and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. This editor/blogger/internet nutter/enthusast for all things absoultely loved it. One of the things that really stood out to me was the evocative score that was composed by Normand Corbeil who then had it released as part of the special edition package of the game and now since as a standalone purchase. Equal parts understated and epic, the score is stunning and compulsive, especially if you’ve played the game as you’ll instantly be taken back to particular moments in the game.

Opening with “Ethan Mars’ Main Theme”, the score opens with a thick and heavy melody that parades itself like a hearse driving to the final burial. It’s slow reworking on the same phrase in different moods and levels of underlying despair is quite inspired as the strings effortlessly sweep into a blur of sound over your speakers. “Norman Jayden’s Main Theme” is more ominous with tense strings and a cold brass overture giving off a mementous if not entirely settled feel. The discordant piano feels more ambient horror. If anything, the track is full of burden in the way how everything feels very grand in scale and yet is played softly and deep throughout most of the filmic piece.

“Before the Storm” is a beautifully haunting piece. The use of solomn piano melodies in this score get against simple string arrangements is what makes it stand out for me. This has definate transitions from the string sections to the more tense harp arpeggios and tremblo string parts. It all comes together for a big round up finale. Similarly “Madison Paige’s Main Theme” is more delicate although no less foreboding. The score is quite underplayed most of the time but the rousing middle section of this movement particular had me effected. Much more like a film score than a game one, even by today’s score standards.

“Scott Shelby’s Main Theme” is the first with a percussive element to it and that makes it more processional and more authorative. It’s also a lot more brash and outspoken compared to the others reflective the character’s line of work. It moves through many different transitions but never really feels welcoming strangely and along with Jayden’s is very darkly mysterious and ambiguous. “Lauren Winter’s Main Theme” is possibly the warmest of all the themes with a harp mapping out the string movement with woodwind overtones, its about as close to a home theme as you’ll get on this soundtrack, although its more gratious and of a mourning than actually being welcome.

“Painful Memories” is one of my favourites, a short piano driven track that is as simple as it is stunningly effective. All the minors in it make it feel despairing, quizzical, mysterious and strangely majestical and enticing all at the same time. That shifts quickly to the all action “The Chase” which is full of orchestral bursts and lots of swirling percussion. The rising strings really pump the adreneline. “Redemption” returns to the dark despair of the earlier tracks with a thickly layered string piece which is very understated and comes across as a lament. A real grower.

“The Bulldozer” is a track of epic scale with the whole orchestra getting in on the act in the battle track it has fantastic tension and urgency without breaking out into a frenzy and could be used in any action sequence easily. There is a passage at the end that reminds me so much of the big climax to The Tower Inferno, its uncanny. “High Tension” does exactly what it says on the tin using its timpani’s to great effect and the brass really get the centre of attention here. “The Fight” continues this action segment with another powerhouse of how-to-make-a-dramatic-track-lesson-1 track, although it doesn’t catch me as quickly as some of the others here. “The Hold Up” is like a sibling of the previous track, the same structure and devices are used and so it feels like a natural continuation of the same song but more of everything thrown in. “Looking for Shaun” is more of the same but sped up and with more brass lunges than before “Countdown” finishes off the action section with more of the same without soundin like its treading over old ground. The wind section here gives it a slightly more eerier sound in places.

The closing track is “Last Breath” which is an absolute emotional rollercoaster. The echoing piano tinkering away on the high keys slowly joined by eerie strings juxtapose beauty and scary in one as the track frays into ambient auras and then returns to a heart wrenching subdued piano again for the close.

The soundtrack for Heavy Rain, regardless of what your opinion of the game is, is fantastic. While it helps (as with most soundtracks) to have played the game first, some of my musical friends adore the piano side of the score as standalone tracks (not realising they’re from a game). Normand has made a delicately grand score to a great game and I recommend both to everyone.

Buzz! Dino Den & Buzz! Monster Rumble Walkthroughs

{ March 21, 2010 @ 8:44 pm } · { buzz!, Game Walkthrough, games, party games, playstation 2 }
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Buzz! Junior has some great mini game collections, aimed for children, but the adults can certainly enjoy the games too. Here are the walk throughs for Buzz! Junior Dino Den & Monster Rumble both for PlayStation 2.

Yasunori Mitsuda – Chrono Trigger Orchestra Extra Soundtrack

{ March 21, 2010 @ 11:49 am } · { arrangements, composer, game music, music, orchestral, review, VGM }
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As a preorder bonus in 2008, Chrono Trigger had a 2 track promotional bonus CD of two orchestrated songs. The first is “Chrono Trigger” which finally see’s the fantastic main theme brought into life by an orchestra for all its grandure. The strings and brass really push the full power of the melody forward and the running drums keep the pace up. When it breaks down for its quieter sections, the xylophone adds an extra innocence to the track.

While arranger Katsumi Kameoka stays very much to the original source on that track, “Chrono Trigger Medley” is more a tour de force, cycling through all the different tracks with effortless transitional slips between various moods, themes and key moments in the game, complete with big grande finale finish that only an orchestra can produce.

If you can find it, track it down. There’s only two tracks and it only clocks in six minutes but most people will leave it laying around as a freebie I’d imagine. Nice to see Chrono Trigger get the orchestra treatement, as I never really warmed completely to the pseudo-jazz arrangements of Brink of Time and I’ve sat and waited since for the full works. This will have to do!

A New Site From This Author

{ March 21, 2010 @ 12:23 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Just a quick plug to say my fourth (and final!) site I Love Disaster Movies is now fully up and running. Pop over to www.ilovedisastermovies.com for all your end of the world needs!

Gregory Douglass New Album In Works

{ March 20, 2010 @ 11:55 pm } · { music, piano, piano rock, release dates, singer songwriter }
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Gregory Douglass, who released the great Battler last year, has announced he’s already working on his next album. Although its not available until 2011, what he has done (rather ingeniously) is allow people to preorder the album now so 25% of the money goes straight to helping out Haiti. Haiti is something very close to HPM’s heart and so we fully endorse and salute this great gesture.

Video Vault – Ooioo

{ March 18, 2010 @ 8:42 pm } · { alternative, band, indie, j-rock, music, music video, Promo Videos, video vault }
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Normally I don’t have two video vaults in a week, but I just stumbled across this and had to post it. I’ve yet to discover whom Ooioo really are but this video for their single Umo is one of the best things I’ve seen in ages. Their other videos are just as heleriously random as well. I will be delving further!

Sarah McLachlan – New Album

{ March 18, 2010 @ 8:25 pm } · { music, piano, piano rock, pop, release dates, rock, singer songwriter }
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What, not quite six years between releases?! Sarah McLachlan, boviously spurred on from her Olympics performance and being confirmed for Lilith Fair, her new album entitled “The Laws of Illusion” is due for release on 15th June (2010 no less!) I’m expecting more of the same from Afterglow and Surfacing to be honest, although this blogs favourite album is Fumbling Towards Ecstacy. I’m sure it will be gorgeous however.

Salta Shakes It Up With Red Steel 2 Soundtrack

{ March 18, 2010 @ 2:09 pm } · { composer, game music, instruments, music, producer, release dates, VGM }
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Tom Salta has written and composed the score for new wii game Red Steel 2. Looking set to potentially be one of the most intresting mainstream soundtrack sof 2010, Salta has said he has used some Wild-West guitar moments mixed around with very traditional Chinese instruments such as the Due and Pipa. That combination ensures Higher Plain Music will be right at home and we can’t wait for the release of this soundtrack on 23rd March 2010! That’s my birthday spending money gone then…!

New Kate Bush Book Coming

{ March 18, 2010 @ 1:58 pm } · { behind the music, behind the scenes, books, music, release dates }
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A new Kate Bush entitled “Under the Ivy” looks like it is finally on its way to her fans. You can preorder it here but below is the publicity gumf that comes with it:

“This is the first ever in-depth study of Kate Bush’s life and career. “Under the Ivy” features over 70 unique and revealing new interviews with those who have viewed from up close both the public artist and the private woman: old school friends, early band mates, long-term studio collaborators, former managers, producers, musicians, video directors, dance instructors and record company executives. “Under the Ivy” undertakes a full analysis of Bush’s art. From her pre-teen forays into poetry, through scores of unreleased songs. Every crucial aspect of her music is discussed from her ground-breaking series of albums to her solo live tour. Her pioneering forays into dance, video, film and performance. Combining a wealth of new research with rigorous critical scrutiny, “Under the Ivy” offers a string of fresh insights and perspectives on her unusual upbringing in South London, the blossoming of her talent, her enduring influences and unique working methods, her rejection of live performance, her pioneering use of the studio, her key relationships and her gradual retreat into a semi-mythical privacy.”

At least the title sounds promising!

Garry Shyman: Dante’s Inferno OST Review

{ March 17, 2010 @ 2:53 am } · { composer, game music, music, orchestral, producer, religion, review, scores, VGM }
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Garry Shyman has been a busy bee of late and so this will be the first of two soundtrack reviews of the composer. Dante’s Inferno, a game which has came out to general critical acclaim has a very distinctive sound to it.

Opening with the dramatic and powerful “Donasdogama Micma”, you are immediately thrown into the deeply archaic and twilight religiousness of spoken Latin and the sordid manical discordant instruments and rousing chorus. A real throw you in the deep in. “Storms of Lst” continues to weave an underworld waltz to oblivion with striking strikes and operatic laments. The smashing timpani’s and gargling brass layer on thick atmospheric pressure to the music making it feel quite oppressive. “Excessum Alighiero” is a mesmerising albeit short piece that bashes and shouts its way through, marching out a beat and distressing every vocalist in a five mile radius! It’s deliciously dark and there is no let up at all.

“Dante, Casarma Treloch” thrives on the deep male vocalists pushing the brass forward to pounding beats while the tense strings round off everything else in a tight bundle of horror. It’s really rare to have such power and electricity stinging in every single note. You will definately know by track four if this soundtracks for you. “Abyssus Incendia” is quite abstract with its twisted string arrangement and hollaring rallies of war – it’s like listening to Phantom of the Opera sung by Korn! “Redemption” is really the first track to offer a softer lamenting side the soundtrack and stands out for that.

“Tower at the River Styx” reminds me of the old b-movie music with the shrill string stabs, before it breaks out into a percussive frenzy – its a perfect example of unreigned maniacs in the orchestra being let loose – it’s fantastic. “Beatrice Taken” is a sinister track, very underplayed and wriggly as the undertones for each instrument all fit together in an unsettling tone – even when the beautiful choir are solo, because of the music you hear either side is still fresh in your mind, you just know all of a sudden a freak out is coming! “Arphe (The Descent)” is just an eerie with worbling vocals and slimey tense strings sloping their way around the speakers.

“Jas Davos Cha Dante Va” returns to the full on assault with its full choir and orchestra pounding out perfectly scultured passages that you don’t even get in all out blockbuster action sequences from a sci-fi or fantasy film. In many ways, Dante’s Inferno’s score is one of the most unabashedly biggest scaled soundtracks I’ve ever heard. “Whores of Babylon” even has witch cackles and screams! It’s these little nuances that just up the ante over other scores.

“Cereberus” is epic (as is all the soundtrack to be honest) as it really sets up to be a stonking battle track, from the six beats percussion, two beats manic strings and brass time stamp it has at the beginning which then revels in deep and growing percussion and brass. “Dies Irae” is a short brooding piece before “Greed Minions” use a hoarding chant and march that is heavily vocal based, almost like a Maori chant crossed with the demonic sounding olds Latin choirs you used to have. There is a great mini bell/triangle section at one point that reminds me of the Lost soundtracks.

“Adgt Vpaah Zong” is full on again, there’s even a middle section which is so dramatic it reminds me of a carry on film! However the pace just doesn’t let up at all and continues to flow into the militant “Barma Beigla Te Carma” although this one is more rousing than the previous, which was just more pacey. “Hall of Abraham” is more ghostly and otherworldly than the rest of the soundtrack with its ominous lost vocal layers.

“Bella’s Secret Revealed” sounds arabic and completely different in tone to what we’ve heard so far. It’s a very haunting yet simplicitic piece with wraparound chords on an organ/sitar hybrid instrument with glassy overtones.

“Minos” returns to the usual antics of throwing every instrument at you at once, while “Babylon Ors” gives a more miltant feel with its marching drums but the way the whole orchestra ramps and ramps itself up until you can almost not stand it really gets you motivated to start going a bit mental yourself! There’s a male vocal particularly in this track which really stands out in that “I’m purposely a key higher to sound extra emotive” way and it works a charm.

“Phlegyas Marches to Dia” is a brooding step up and down track before “The Second Circle” takes you on a slight breather with an eerie and unsettling vocal/string track. “The Queen of Hell” is another well constructed track going through different movements in a single track and is one of a few to have several different shifts in tone and pace and makes a good track to see if you’ll enjoy the album.

“Battle with Abraham” is more dramatic the previous few tracks and the vocals continue to sound like they are spewing through another relm. Add to that a fully flowing orchestra and a vey busy percussionist, you have the reciepe for another classic track. “Phlegyas Ravages Dis” ups the ante further in pace and drama with stomping timpanis, all kinds of horror vocal flurries and stabs in with percussive number. “The Defeat of Lucifer” is a grande track although it slows down the pace a little almost like a rolling goodbye before “Donasdogama Mica Decepto” closes the soundtrack with a downplayed choir and a bubbling adversity.

Garry Shyman’s “Dante’s Inferno” really deserves to be heard in stereo. That sounds a strange thing to say, but turn up the volume of your speakers and sit in the middle of them.There is just so much sound going on, it gives you a completely different take on the score. “Dante’s Inferno” is not easy listening, not even for orchestral fans. It contains some of the boldest and darkest orchestral music I’ve heard this side of game music and the world is a richer place for having it. Technically stunning and flawless, the way how it captures the essence of the otherworld that’s been created is mesmorising and is already vying for Higher Plain Music’s 2010 soundtrack of the year award.

Video Vault ~ St Vincent

{ March 15, 2010 @ 11:28 pm } · { music, music video, rock, singer songwriter, video vault }
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St Vincent, is the latest lady to have an album bought by myself, so I thought I should give Annie some love and share with you the video for “Jesus Saves, I Spend” which is from the album Marry Me.

Jun Senoue To Compose Sonic 4!

{ March 15, 2010 @ 10:32 pm } · { composer, game music, music, news, release dates, VGM }
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Fans of the Sonic world rejoice, Sonic 4, the new side scrolling version of old skool Sonic due to hit our next gen consoles in the summer will have music composed by Jun Senoue. We love Sonic’s musical world and its always on top form, even if sometimes the games aren’t so lets hope it will receieve a soundtrack release too!

Whispers of the Plains: Jeff Kinney

{ March 15, 2010 @ 12:28 am } · { band, composer, indie, interview, music, scores, singer songwriter, whispers of the plains }
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Jeff Kinney is a talented singer/songwriter, band musician and composer for TV and radio too! Whilst he keeps himself a very busy man, we were able to grab a few minutes with him to have a good chat about his music, his styles and how writing changes between each type of music:

For those of us yet to hear your music, tell us a little bit about what your music is about?
The majority of the songs I write are relationship driven.  For better or worse, there definitely seems to be a correlation between drama within my relationships (both positive and negative), and the passion that is evoked thru the lyrics and music.

Firstly about your band, tell us how that came about?

I formed The Brisbanes in 2005 with a couple friends in Kansas City.  We each had different music backgrounds and taste, so it was a nice mix of styles.  I plan on moving to the west coast next year to continue writing, and start The Brisbanes back up with a new group of musicians.  KC isn’t the most receptive city for our style of music, so it will be a welcome change.

The music you write is very vast in its genre and style. Do you have any particular favourites or is it something you like to be as an artist, to not stay in one specific genre?

My favorite genre I suppose would be in the singer/songwriter category.  I have a passion for writing songs for Films/Soundtracks (a la Elliott Smith on the Good Will Hunting soundtrack), and hope to continue to have that kind of passion for writing, and eventually that kind of success.  However, I have a very positive and optimistic attitude in general, and love writing uplifting songs as well.  From songs for soundtracks, to electronic beats for video games, I love not having a set ‘genre’ that I’m expected to stay confined in.

You’ve also written for TV from adverts to actual score music for programmes. Do you approach those types of projects differently and does it call for a different set of skills?

Without question.  Certain projects sometimes require me to switch into a different personality in a sense.  For example, I try to capture the ‘mood’ or ‘vibe’ of whatever I’m working on, before I start writing anything.  If the project calls for a somber or sullen piece, I try to mirror that and disassociate myself from everything else at the time.  Likewise for an upbeat motivational project…  That is part of the challenge, really getting emotionally involved; but that is also part of the fun.

Are there any types of music that you’ve yet to get involved with that you’d like to get stuck into?

I haven’t really delved into too much country music, and with all due respect, I hope I never get ‘stuck’ into : )    I appreciate and respect the genre, but it’s just not in my blood.  I really want to get deeper into writing lengthier and more layered compositions, and will need to upgrade my studio in the near future to accomplish that.

What do you get up to when your not creating new pieces?

Playing live with a couple different bands to keep the chops fresh.
I am a sports fanatic, in the true sense of the word.  Having grown up in KC, I’m a die-hard Chiefs and Royals fan… Maybe that is why I’m really good at writing depressing songs!

Thanks to Jeff for his valueable time and we look forward to hearing more about his works in the future.

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