Category Archives: VGM

video game music related

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Garry Schyman – “Bioshock Infinite OST” Review

Garry Schyman

Garry Schyman

Bioshock has always had a grandiose soundscape and with the third iteration “Bioshock Infinite” things become even more taut and creepy as the string arrangements are maxed to eleven. Garry Schyman has help throughout the soundtrack but he is generally the mainstay and considering he made the music for the first two, you can hear where all his influences lie.

After the short scene setting conversation of “Introduction” a singular taut string quiver opens “Welcome to Columbia” before honky-tonk piano lightly breezes through. The fact that the honky-tonk is always a bit detuned adds to the atmosphere. We then break to “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” as a choral arrangement. Built by Ada Ruth Habershon & Charles Hutchinson Gabriel, we will get several versions of the track but this is the warmest and most beautiful. It has a rich gospel warmth to it.

“Lighter Than Air” then sets us off in the string tracks and you can hear the previous tracks motif broken down throughout the track. “Lutece” initially reminds me of Monkey Island with its French piratey accordion and clumsy bass string booms. It’s mischievous, slinky and purposeful as it evolves into something you’d expect from the Medieval game. Genuinely fun and b-movie creepy too.

There are five “Battle For Columbia” tracks and although they spread themselves out over the album I’ll review them collectively. The initial section is very percussive and metallic which gives way to a more heartbeat war drum for the second section. It pulses away before the strings go absolutely wild for the second half. It’s like a thousand mice are let loose on a violin at the same time!  The third iteration is slightly more melodic but no less dramatic as the strings turn into stabs as the march out the beat which has quickened from its deep pulse. The fourth revels in the reverse reverb treating one set of instruments to spear off one way whilst and panting string section murder one chord to death the other. The results are surprisingly fantastic. The fifth and final of these turns the echo up on the drums and lets everyone play screech the high note on the strings. Its fraught and frightening.

Outside of that quintet the Bioshock score goes for eerie elegance often. “The Girl in the Tower” and “Elizabeth” work perfectly together as the unmasking of a sinister beauty in such a sad context. “Unintended Consequences” too leaves the bass behind for a short but emotive segment. “Family Reunion” and “Let Go” have such a large-scale feel to it despite only being waves of notes – but it carries a weight that the soundtrack is burdened with throughout. It’s a beautiful burden to listen to. “The Songbird” however goes for percussive shrill to create atmosphere.  ”Lions Walk With Lions”, “Back in the Boat”, “Smothered” and “The Girls For The Debt” goes for Gollum undertones for dark chords and pizzicato string arrangements. “Doors” and “AD” are wonderfully complex with the voice section of the strings refusing to sit still for long. The result is something that feels like an unfurling of long hair – beautiful – especially the latter. “Baptism” draws the strings to a close still with a real heavy heart. The actual soundtrack closes with a beautiful acoustic guitar and vocal rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”. The guitar version appears earlier in the soundtrack but here its the perfect downbeat and sober end to the musical parade.

Now I’ve missed some tracks out and that’s because they are tracks that break up the drama. Samuel Lover gives a fantastic celtic pub rendition of “Rosy O’More/Saddle The Horse” which sounds utterly like a breath of life in a soundtrack so claustrophobic. Jim Bonney, who helps out Garry in many of the string tracks, also has “The Readiness Is All” which is given a grammar-phone effect which transfers this chirpy 1950′s sounding delight into something slightly unnerving. The same can be said for “Solace” by Scott Joplin with its warped piano.

Overall this is my favourite Bioshock soundtrack to date. It has all the hallmarks of the previous two but with more time to get your blood flowing and more recurring motifs to invest in. Garry has done the trio proud.

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Josh Whelchel – “Jottobots OST” Review

Josh Whelchel

Josh Whelchel

The cute and over too quickly “Jottobots” soundtrack from Josh Whelchel is a delightful affair as the four tracks loops beautifully in their haze. Opener “Jottobots” has a plucky Eastern popcorn sounding synth that leads the main melody in a Reggae Ska swing before “jotto Blastr” brings out all the retro chip-sets out for crisp and clean chip-tune  There’s little dub-step filler sections but the majority it full of never-ending arpeggios which all 16 bit boss battles have been made of.

“Those Neon Feels” calms us down with a soft chiming glassy plink before the drum toms kick in and the track becomes far more spacious and dramatic. From big chord stabs to heroic synth leads, the track has you covered –  which is an achievement to cram it all in under four minutes! “Something Slower” ends the short soundtrack with a tick tocking beat and what is almost a freeform jazz bass playing over slightly discordant keyboard shimmers.

Short, sweet but crafted to high quality my only nitpick is that the tracks artists details are blank and cannot be altered for my Last.Fm to pick it up and spread the love! So yeah… musics fine!

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Sumthing Else Helps Bring Indie VGM to the Masses

Sumthing Else

Sumthing Else

Sumthing Else have long been publishing some amazing game soundtracks however they are usually the huge symphonic top dollar explosive soundtracks. You could almost call them film soundtracks something in the way they are put together. However Sumthing Else has taken a great step to partner with Wadjet Eye Games to publish some indie game soundtracks. Names included are Resonance, Proteus, The Shivah & various Blackwell games. I’m so pleased as usually these kinds of soundtracks would appear on Bandcamp if at all. One step forward for VGM!

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Yuji Yoshino & Yoko Ueno – “Genso Suikoden: Orrizonte” Review

yujiyoshinoGenso Suikoden – the series that has spawned four games and about 44 arranged soundtracks! Some of them good, some of them not so good, but one in particular for me in a class of its own. Welcome to Genso Suiokden: Orrizonte – a very Celtic crossed with traditional Japanese sounding album that simply reminds you why we can anticipate arranged albums.

Yuji Yoshino and Yuko Ueno arrangements are usually extremely well conceived but here they are astounding. “Withered Earth” opens with an assault on your ears. Soaring strings, panpipes, saxophones and pounding drums take a powerful tune into another level. Having recently purchased various Celtic and Asian instruments, I take extra joy from this track by being able to drum away to the song – a top class arrangement. ”Currents” on the other hand is possibly one of the best acapella arrangements of a piece of music I’ve heard. There’s no poor elocution that riddles the vocal collections of Genso Suikoden and the melody is given a smooth and melting flow of a Celtic sunset. Just a main voice and two backing vocals tracks make up the song but you’ll still be lost in the memorable track.

“Freedom Again” is a chirpy track made completely of wind instruments that’s delicate and intricate in its design although I’ve heard some say it outstays its welcome by about a minute, I like the way how it returns to the beginning of the tune for its final outro section. ”Everyday Is a Carnival ~ The Even More glorious Golden Capital” is in a similar veins to the opening track but is less cohesive with it yet manages to pack more power and a triumphant finish with all the strings suddenly shooting up the scales to a lovely little finish…only to suddenly restart and the cut out! It’s a very artistic way of ending a song as if the song just simply can’t stop flowing and moving and taking you on its whirlwind adventure – a lovely touch to a fantastic frenzied piece.

“Amid the Silence” works perfectly off the back of the previous track with its slow deliberate pace, and it’s almost tick-tock-of-the-clock speed. While it doesn’t take you over completely I do think its a very valid piece for the album as you can’t have complete manic tracks all the time! “Imprisoned Town” continues the slower more melancholy route with a lovely piece that has guitars and vocal ad-libs work in perfect harmony together and the low brass works at its best here too with a lovely saxophone solo section. “The Republic Forever” then rolls out the military drums for a very Scottish piece. You can image rows upon rows of Kilted Men strolling out on parade with bagpipes and drums ahoy but it still doesn’t come across as clichéd - very uplifting.
“Plastic Castle in the Sky” is our second vocal piece, two of which are English. This is a very peaceful song with whistles, acoustic guitars and minimal percussion helping add to the trio vocal melodies. Maybe not as stunning as “Currents” but definitely holds its own.

“Let’s Climb That Hill!” is a soft and passive acoustic guitar melody which is a nice departure from the rest of the album before “Those Who Don’t Work, Don’t Eat” settles us to sleep with a sweet vocal blanket of soothing voices before the other instruments come into play. It carefully builds itself up into a short frenzy of percussion before settling back down again and while it’s an interesting piece that is very enjoyable, it doesn’t quite work as stunningly as the others. “Ah Beautiful Dancer ~ Nahala Yam Koong” takes us to the most Japanese side of the work with brash vocals, oriental twists and chords and percussion too. A thoroughly enjoyable piece indeed. The album then closes with “Orrizonte”, the shortest track which is also the most passive too. Like falling into clouds the soft vocalists, xylophones and keyboards will send you into slumber and round off a near perfect CD.

In terms of Celtic/Traditional arrangements I have two that stick out in my mind – Xenogears: Creid and Genso Suikoden: Orrizonte as the crème of the crop. If that’s not a recommendation then I can’t think what is!

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Keiichi Suzuki – “Mother Arranged” Review

keiichisuzukiMother (Earthbound for the English-speaking world) seems to have a cult following – certainly it has a good cult-stone foothold in RPG history. While the original soundtracks have been recommissioned not so long ago it seems fair to delve back and review the arranged album.

The vocals for the several vocal tracks are recorded in English with Catherine Warwick giving her best with what she’s got to play with. ”Pollyanna (I Believe in You)” is very typical of Japanese 1990 music – very cheesy guitar, midi pianos and chirpy lyrics. Catherine’s out of tune at times and while the song has its problems its far from offensive. This genre pops up a few times and the sound has dated poorly but if you like the sound, you’re in for a good treat. “Bein’ Friends” is a much better reflection on the whole process with Catherine almost taking on a classical whaling in the bridges. The point where tacky happiness becomes actually rather good is here and you need some of this once in a while. Definitely a highlight if you’re looking for the fun of the series.

Away with the English lady and out with Jeb Million who thinks he’s Bryan Adams stuck in a cowboy bar! Catchy, fun and with hill-billy cross-country madness calls find its way onto “The Best of Line Dancing Vol.1″ elsewhere in the world. No harm in that either I think! ”Magicant” see’s vocals disappear in favour for some ambiguous synths and abstract instrumentation. It’s quirkiness is its strongest point and it’s not a song I’d obviously have thought could be arranged particularly well but as before (see Brandish Piano Collection for starters) sometimes the least obvious choices make for music gold.

Catherine Warwick makes her next appearance with “Wisdom of the World”, an absolutely beautiful ballad with angelic vocals, sweeping string arrangements and subtle drums. This song is made all the more enchanting by the production in which the vocals seem to be very soft and flowing with the strings – never a separate entity. ”Flying Man” brings out the ukulele!  Louis Philippe has a voice not dissimilar to that of an early French George Michael however you’ll never get him singing a song like this. Weird tuned percussion and quirky uke riffs make this song quite a unique experience – even for the gaming community – and it’s not every day you can get that.

“Snow Man” is in a similar vein to “Magicant” in it’s a more traditional arrangement although much more obvious with its tune, riffs, motifs and style. Good fun to listen to.

“All That I Needed (Was You)” is Catherine Warwicks final song which is like the opening duo, another catchy inoffensive and above all fun early 1990′s Japanese pop song. “Fallin’, Love And…” is a very progressive track, which really only sways between two chords but changes over the track how its done. Adding various instruments, little patterns here and there – the song is pretty itself but goes on for too long to be anything worthwhile repeating often.

However “Eight Melodies” is one of the simplest and most sumptuous songs in video game music written. A beautiful children’s choir and a full orchestra put in a storming performance to a very sweet but powerful tune which while some may find repetitive  I find completely overwhelming. I urge everyone to listen to this arrangement and the album is worth buying for this song alone. It deserves to be up there with other well-known classics – so spread the awareness!

Keiichi Suzuki & Hirokazu Tanaka, the original composers for Mother then give us a 24 minute compilation of the entire original soundtrack under the title “The World of Mother” which is a superb indulgence and a real bonus. Each song plays through and fades out while the next starts and there’s no special effects rubbishing their way into the music either! Hurrah! ”Smiles And Tears” closes the album as an unreleased track which is simple enough but has not been polished sound wise so it really does sound like a demo left on the cutting floor.

Mother Arranged is an album that intends to be a happy little gem with quirks and surprises and the surprise is that the album is actually rather good. While it hasn’t stood the test of time well in sound production, it certainly has stood the test of time in terms of good music.

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“Zone of the Enders Z.O.E.” Soundtrack Review

makikiriokaZOE (Zone Of The Enders) is a techno-based bonanza, which is enveloped in lush string arrangements, stand-out vocal tracks and peppered with heartfelt piano pieces to make it stand-out as a classic soundtrack that could appeal to most listeners’ senses.

“Title (The Origin)” starts off the album in an ethereal vocal piece that sets the mystical and tense scene for “Introduction” which is an ambient piece building up into “Leo Stenbuck (break out)” which glides effortlessly between ambient and techno ambient as the build up continues to produce a nice string piece at the end before finally the soundtracks legs are let loose at full speed after a long build up.

“Factory (Vivid Transparency)” is a snyth infested early 1990′s rave/techno hybrid that’s easy on the ears but great to stomp along to, leading, as many of the tracks do, effortlessly into “VR (The Forth Dimension)” which is a faster paced techno piece that’s full to the brim with grizzly sounds. ”Flowing Destiny (Piano Arrange)” takes the soundtrack to new uncharted areas with a beautifully pristine piano piece that’s understated and heartfelt.

“Global 1 (Forever And Ever” is more melodic than most of the beat fused songs, with soaring electronic arpeggios fading in and out before the album slows down again for “Are you alright, Celvice?” which encases each aspect of the album in one song. ”Boss (Neves)” gets the pace flowing again with more balanced hardcore beats layered with high-pitched vocal lines and hard panned bass lines making for a panic fused song that will raise your blood pressure somewhat! “Celvice! This way quickly!” is a short and elegant piece lead by strings and piano with a slow beat making it unique to the rest of the album, this standing out.

“Resident Block (SO2)” is a song lead by a very muffled and quiet drumbeat showing underlying tension, while various sound effects and white noiz take the lead intertwining with a synth-guitar. “A Light With A Name Of Hope (piano arrange)” is short but since the main tune doesn’t really jump out on you, it does seem rather lost and easily forgettable.

“Radar (Pandemonium)” returns to the SFX smothered techno/rave hybrid with some nice extra drum effects to make this track fluster you, which can also be said for “Global 2 (Virus)” which has some nice rolling wooden percussion throughout. “City (The Earth Light)” continues to edge the soundtrack towards the rave end of the electronic music scale with a piece like something you’d expect The Prodigy to release before it finds its ambient roots again with “Mountain (Who Can Read The Future?)” which is a song of two halves, one ambient and one very much full of discord and drama.

“Rock Thunderheart (function)” is a dramatic piece like a showdown before “A Light With The Name Of Hope” takes you on piano/violin piece that’s a beautiful bitter-sweet collaboration of a great tune that you’ll hear in different guises throughout the album. “You Need This Done To You” is a tension-building piece that comes across like a space oddity before dying before your very own eyes. “Flowing Destiny” is a continuation of the song that leads it into peace and tranquillity making you smile.

“Ada (Promise)” is a piano piece that takes its time to tread its path, and sounds all the better for doing so in a downbeat performance. “Flowing Destiny (memories)” is a full piano/violin rendition that is more heartfelt than the previous versions that have been sprinkled throughout the album so far. ”Neith (Risky)” screams danger and battle from the start as we hit the final boss themes. The intricate little details and drum rolls make this an exciting track, but it doesn’t sound full enough to be a real boss track, despite all its dramatics. ”Viola (silent death)” is another piano song that is made ten times better by its dramatic pauses and lack of rush to get anywhere, making it much more heartfelt and saddening as it reaches its low-key crescendo.

“Anubis (impossible)” has the opening song of the album running throughout as the song instead of focusing on being intense, focuses on being giant in scale and overpowering. The piece is very refreshing for an end boss track and is unique again from the rest of the album. ”Juhuty Will Self-Destruct?” is an orchestral piece that highlights the fact this soundtrack can do anything, and do it above par with this bitter and subtle end.

However, ZOE saves the best until last, with three superb vocal songs to treat us to. Each one stands on their own two feet and are among the elite in the VGM ending songs. ”Flowing Destiny – Ending Theme 1″ is a perfect orchestral and vocal song with a nice pop beat helping it along the way. “Kiss Me Sunlights – Opening Theme” is an original song that borders the dance genre, but is bittersweet (like much of the albums set pieces) with a hint of sadness in the seemingly very lively song. “A Light with A Name Of Hope -Ending Theme 2/Celvice’s Theme” closes the album on a quiet note with a sensitive song and a beautiful voice.

ZOE is a soundtrack that does everything and does it with panache. If you have a soft spot for dance/rave/techno-orientated music, I suggest you pick up a copy immediately. The rest of us however should only look at the other standout pieces and if you love those, the rest of the album quickly grows on you around those pieces. A very pleasant surprise!

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Higher Plain Music: Top 10 Game Soundtracks of 2012

Game music continues to spread its wings and blur into all kinds of mediums. It’s strange but in 2012, in some ways I’ve struggled to find soundtracks that I think “Yes, that is instantly a game soundtrack”. I guess I still hanker for and enjoy those 2 minute loops of pure fresh melodies that catch your imagination and stay in your head. That said, when the soundtracks I loved hit me – they really clouted me and for that I am reminded exactly why I love VGM.

There’s a couple of honourable mentions I’d like to make before the list starts. One is Ben Landis whose chip story album is fantastic but isn’t really a game so can’t make the list. The other’s go to Jessica Curry’s “Dear Esther”, The SQ Chip series and to a lesser extent the Final Fantasy Chip series which I’ve not had the time to digest yet. TheSword & Sworcery arranged album misses out purely because I only bought it on New Years Eve! Finally the “Dustforce” OST sat in 11th spot after a massive tussle for 10th so sorry Dustforce! Onwards then…

 

10) Jasper Byrne – Lone Survivor OST

The Lone Survivor soundtrack is a strange one because it is very low-fi but has an aura around it that likens it to a MIDI Silent Hill soundtrack. There’s plenty of guitar and bass and the track “Survival” has such a tense keyboard arrangement on top of the rest, you really get where the ambience is coming from. It really hits its stride with the big tracks and tries some interesting low-key stuff too.

09) Chikayo Fukuda – Asura’s Wrath OST

A few of his Hack works, Asura’s Wrath is a soundtrack of epic scale containing all the elements I like in game music. Strong melodies, plenty of drama, a wonderful fusion of Ancient Instruments and orchestrations to boot and a traditional Japanese singer going nuts in despair over the top. Seeing themes come up with different versions – all of which are beautifully accented is always a plus.

08) Various – Beer SQ

Square Enix went arrangement mad in 2012 and this is my second favourite of the ones they released. Beer SQ takes themes from Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Live A Live, Saga Frontier, Unlimited Saga & Seiken Densetsu and turns them into Irish jigs, gypsy travelling music, a good sing-along an eastern boogie. It’s one of the most adventurous arrange albums they’ve done and I absolutely loved it. Having only had the album a week, it’s already risen to number 8 and would have been higher  if I’d had more time with it. Now when can they follow Suikoden’s lead and start doing Celtic and Asian collections?!

07) Winifred Phillips - Assassins Creed 3 Liberation

Often I enjoy cinematic soundtracks but then they don’t stay with me beyond that listen because they aren’t as memorable even if the musicians craft is superb. For once, Assassin’s Creed 3 Liberation proved me wrong. Strong melodies and a wide range of genres keep things moving as well as recurring signatures and a very percussive push with the album. Phillips finest to date.

06) WiL Whitlark – Snapshot OST

“This soundtrack took 22 months to make” says the note attached and you can certainly see the labour of love involved. About as close to an old skool soundtrack as we’re getting in this top 10, the epic 46 track collection stays firmly in the electronic zone but proves many catchy riffs and melodies, never sitting still and always entertaining. There’s always something interesting going on with the instrument frequency levels too, like some are imprints fading away and others are freshly pressed. Superb.

05) Skyler McGlothlin – Retro/Grade OST

Retro/Grade’s excellence comes in the form of its 10 tracks, all of which sound like a complete synthpop album even without having a game to play shooting with. Each one has its own song structure and catchy riffs. Each song clocks in around the four-minute mark too and feels perfectly complete. Other tracks finish off the album too but this is chip-snyth at its finest!

04) Casey Ormand – Final Fantasy XII Piano Collections

I’m such a sucker for piano and wondered why FFXII had been missed out, much like VII on the piano collections front. I struggled with the original soundtrack as was curious to see these arrangements as I found the melodies were so hidden in the original works, I didn’t have the interest to find them. They certainly are there and are brought  to life dripping in emotional in what is more an ivory suite than a collection. The way each track seems to have passes and movements shifting from euphoric climaxes to the gentle plinks of high minor keys in a breath – it’s a joy to listen to and a far superior work than its source (for me at least).

03) Brian D’Oliveira – Papo & Yo OST

This soundtrack oozes Brazil. From the native percussion to the intricate guitar work to the hushed singing child, it’s all shimmering and perfectly balanced. It has a tone where things are playful but underneath you can still tell something is wrong – much like the game and its narration itself. There’s a sadness and a mystery in the mbira and woodwind – an emptiness even though there’s a warm tone to all the instruments. It’s clever and engaging and each time I hear the soundtrack I’m lost in its world.

02) DVA – Botanicula OST

Narrowly missing out on the victory (the top 4 are way clear of the rest) DVA put together an absolute blinder of a soundtrack from Botanicula. Sounding like a happy Sigur Ros on helium is no small accomplishment and once passed the magical main theme you’re into obscure percussive beats, double bass melodies, weird vocal ticks, industrial noises and animal sounds over god knows what. It’s a work of art that will stay in my heart for many years to come.

01) Austin Wintory – Journey

I’m not sure what can be said about the Journey soundtrack that hasn’t already been said before. It simply breaks my heart, rips it to pieces and then mends it with eye watering beauty. Coupled with the game its moving to the core. As a standalone musical work it is still one of the most impressive, important and emotional hours of music I feel like taking time and time again. Timeless.

All of the soundtracks here deserve your attention. I can’t wait to see what 2013 offers us.

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Winifred Phillips – “Assassin’s Creed III Liberation OST” Review

WinifredPhillipsSometimes an artist does something that I think showcases everything they are about. Their quality, their emotion, their commitment to their work. For Winifred Phillips this is her latest work “Assassin’s Creed III Liberation”. From start to finish its an utter joy to behold.

From the opening “Liberation Main Theme” that borrows from different soundscapes the soundtrack has this knife-edge point that makes everything seem very grande yet very intimate at the same time. Juxtaposing gentle vocals and piano plinks with soaring strings for example. “Stealth” too has the claustrophobia and the bubbling power running side by side. “Virtual Pursuit” on the other hand is a blood pulsing  fast paced electronic percussion and sawing strings escape-fest. “Abstergo Ops” reminds me of Ladysmith Black Mambazo with all the vocal samples interwoven with Harry Gregson Williams style dramatic tension.

Another way the soundtrack merges things side by side is in cultures. Ethnic instruments are wheeled out for “Secrets of the Bayou”  and “Mayan Labyrinth” with wonderful tuned percussion leading the way and “Poverty” has some beautiful interaction between the strings and olden instruments. There’s such a depth in even the quieter places – it really feels like every nuance is alive.

The dramatic pacing of “Aveline’s Escape”, “Chasing Freedom” and “The Hunt” (which to me gives a sly nod of appreciation to Clint Mansell) is something blockbuster movies are made of whilst “Society Suite in 4 Movements” harks to a baroque period with Harpsichord and the daintiest string arrangements giving you something you’d hear at a ball. Military music fans are catered for with big brass and drum rolls of “Bayou Fortress” too.

However there are quieter places in the soundtrack for melodic reflection. “Safe Harbor” is a warm and quietly rousing piece with an emotive chord structure and some wonderful woodwind instruments to get you feeling whimsy. It’s one of my favourite parts of this epic soundtrack. “Mayan Ruins” is particularly rousing – like an underplayed snake charm – really drawing you in. When played back to back with “River of the Mayans” they are like brother and sister in their presence.  ”Animus” too is a great abstract piece of sound effects and uneasiness that I’m really glad is included in the soundtrack as it holds its own space.

The soundtrack closes with two epic orchestral pieces “Agate’s Power” and “In the Service of Humanity” which demonstrate Winifred’s ability to command everyone into battle on the audio field with pizzazz and charm and then “Virtual Reality Room” leaves you slipping away into deep sleep with its ambient structure.

Put simply – this is a Tour De Force. I have always thoroughly enjoyed Phillips’ work before but this is something else. Definitely a contender for one of the best soundtracks of the year – there’s a certain roundness and emotion that has filtered through to me. Maybe its the merging of lots of different cultures and thoughts all together. I tend to go for the more straight forward melodic game soundtracks instead of dramatic soundscapes that become like a movie soundtrack. This does a brilliant job of merging the best of both worlds. Stunning.

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Rob Lach – “POP Methodology Experiment One OST” Review

roblachPOP Methodology Experiment One caused a lot of hi-5ing on the indie game scene and Rob Lach’s one man wonder game has a chip track to boot.

Opening with the disco intro “Sigh” its like we’ve been transported back to Saturday Night Fever and I wanted a disco glitter ball to be spinning. Things get more chiptune orientated with “Wasted Effort” which has a bold base line that is slowly enveloped by arpeggios of harsh computer 8bit ness. “Barely Music” then takes the harshness to extremes with some of the most razor guttural synths committed to music. Sadly it’s not really enjoyable – it hurts! “F-” however takes dance synths and gives them a metallic boing to their stride and sounds more like a really screwed up 80s Depeche Mode track. “No Idea What I’m Doing” retreats to spectrum like bleeps and tweets but with a thick bass kick drum. There is so much going on in the track its like a chiptune hedonistic freakout. Fantastic!

“Self Doubt” is a chugging mess of clashing chords and mashed up explosions that is difficult to listen to whilst “Boring” slowly develops actually into a nice low-fi dub track. “Why Try?” is a slow burning track that rotates around four chords on the bass and three on the higher synths but overstays its welcome a bit before “Failure” goes all celestial for its pretend finale. There are two bonus tracks included, the first “Missed Milestone 1″ is fun, the second “missed Milestone 2″ grates through your skull as a vibrating bass tone.

Rob Lach could not make further extremes if he tried. I admire someone who puts out something that is 100% true to the vision they wanted – it just that this soundtrack doesn’t transfer into a decent standalone product. Much better with the game!

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Jessica Curry – “Dear Esther OST” Review

Jessica Curry’s “Dear Esther” soundtrack is one that soaked heavily in emotion and stands on its own two feet apart from the game. The reason I think it is one of the most interesting soundtracks on 2012 is because having played the game – played being a figurative thing as its more of a graphic novel than a game – I am reminded of certain scenes and emotions for each track. When I played it to somewhere whom hadn’t played the game – they where telling me of a story similar to the one in the game. It’s like everything is mapped from the music.

Opening with the eerie piano of “Dear Esther” it transitions to the dark piano and strings of “I Have Begun My Ascent” which also uses warped low male vocals in places to creep you out. The mood is suitably sombre. “Remember (Donnelly)” is a strong string interlude before the rolling piano chords of “Twenty One” sounds like the opening of a Silent Hill soundtrack. “Golden Ratio” feels like a macabre Renaissance piece before the twisted vocal ambience of “Remember (Paul)” pulls you back to a more ghostly presence which is alluded to further in “On the Motorway” which plays out mostly around a sing note that hangs and hangs on different instruments before “Standing Stones” returns to the main theme as a broken gentle arrangement.

The soundtrack then takes a shift for “Always (Hebridean mix)” which is a nine minute collection or culmination of a lot of what we’ve heard with added sound effects and vocal ad libs. It feels tense and strained despite its relatively underplayed nature. Dis-quietening.

The second half of the soundtrack rejoins with “The Bones of Jakobson” which is similar to track 2 but this time things are slowly ramping up in the eerie ambience department, as does “Remember (Jakobson)” too. “This Forsaken Aerial” reminds me for some reason of the film Koyannisqatsi with its Philip Glass feel. “Moon in my Palm” utilises strings perfectly like the old Koudelka sountrack before the short “Remember (Esther)” brings the second act to a regal close.

“Always (Sanford Mix)” is a seven minute slightly different version of the previous Always but is more melodic and brings fully fleshed vocals to the fore. It’s painstakingly empty with the strings very high-pitched and airy whilst the female vocalist Clara Sanabras has a lower tone which sounds otherworldly against its backdrop. It’s great to hear her sing real words here after lots of murmurings earlier. “The Very Air” returns to previous themes almost like a conclusive outro before “Ascension” fittingly closes things with a slow rise in instruments, vocals and whispers over two rotating piano chords.

Its beauty is in the underplaying of the charms it has. “Dear Esther” is a strange beast that has the power to effect many and the music is beautiful with and without a gaming platform to sit beside.

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Gamadelic & Samy Cheboub – “Magical Drop V OST” Review

It’s so great to see Magical Drop back on our gaming systems and V comes with a free soundtrack too. What’s more it’s actually pretty darn good too!

Samy Cheboub opens things up with a rich orchestration with “It’s All Magic” that beautifully and wistfully uses the strings, the harp, the woodwind and xylophone to superb effect. Even the choir sample sounds rich here. “Get Ready!” is also rich with tumbling strings and huge brass arrangements that are more akin to a huge blockbuster movie. It’s rousing and instantly gets you into the mood for battle. “Hero Of Legend” then merges the rich orchestrations with Gamadelic’s stadium rock tracks. The result is something that is both headbanging and regal at the same time – similar to the Atelier series in many ways. “Final Battle” follows with catchy guitar riffs that are backed up with huge choir sections and big brass sections too. The guitar solos are superb. “Star’s Holiday” takes the drama away with this jolly jig with the piano and woodwind working in symbiosis in this bluesy shimmy. “Goddess Whisper” is a grande track of epic proportions with the ear being filled with an entire orchestra going for it.

On the flipside “I’m The Best!” returns to the techno fun music you associate with the genre more and kicks out cute fun riff after riff. Its catchy and it stands out more because of the music that surrounds it. “Fool’s Dream” is a track with great spirit as the brass lazily flourishes and the plinking xylophones give the track more character. Hidden underneath is also a lot of synth work that gives what seems a silly track a lot of depth. “Struggle to the Death” then ups the ante with a synth rock that has duelling violins breaking out while the electric guitar backs them up. “Exuding Courage” is ultra happy and plucky with its fast paced beat and 32 bit synth work approach. Sometimes game music is a bit po faced these days and this kind of fun needs to be had! “Mischief Rock’n Roll” is a rock track with a strange keyboard sample of a honky-tonk piano – but not quite – taking the lead in the verses before a cheesy guitar takes over the choruses.

“Lonely Battle” starts the final section of reprise with an epic orchestral rock track whilst “World Conquest” brings out everything that is synth in the soundtrack to a quirky final part for Gamadelic. The closing two tracks from Samy Cheboub are orchestral to the max. “Main Theme” is sweeping, grande and beautiful whiles “And the Story Goes…” reminds me of something you’d find in a Tim Burton movie with that playful eerie harp and xylophone combo playing the outro of a simple melody.

Magical Drop V’s soundtrack is a polished beauty. The fact its free makes it a must have for any VGM owner. It has character, punch and humour all wrapped up in a bundle.

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Jim Guthrie – “Indie Game: The Movie Soundtrack” Review

Whilst I was not the most enamoured person in the world with Indie Game: The Movie, I enjoyed it for what it was but did enjoy the soundtrack more. Jim Guthrie the composer works many themes in its stay.

Opening with “Maybe You’ll Get Some Maybe You Wont”, it’s almost like a playful Sigur Ros theme with bells, buzzing synths and slowly building drums into an explosion that never comes and just fades away in tinkering bells and clock chimes. “Synching Feeling” is like the underbelly of the previous track, a fizzing buzzing memory with marimba slowly clanking out the previous theme before “Army of Assholes” gives us a brass / keyboard track that is both comical and clumsy as it is like a slightly dazed merry-go-round. The title fits it perfectly! “A Row of Circles” is a track full of rising arpeggios in almost binary form before “Proof of Something” perfects the art of backwards rewinding over a track that DVA or Botanicula would be proud of. It all sounds very Icelandic and that can only be a plus surely. There’s a certain grandeur to the full produced tracks. “Toy Computer” sounds like its taken a random note melody from a stylophone or from one of my very old melody handheld games from the mid 80s. It’s a cutely warming piece even when it begins to sound like lots of dialling tones on heat!

“A Glow You Know”  then veers to chip tune status but with real instruments intercepting over the top as the percussion freeforming itself round the track as side B starts. “The Red Bull” is a simplistic piece initially that builds and builds with its foreboding synth work. This carries forward into “Last We Spoke” which sounds like an 80s pop song crossed with LittleBigPlanet’s energy ego. “Monsters” breaks out the guitar for something very LPB or Voodoo Vince like with that western cowboy feel throughout as the drums clippity clop their way onwards. “Lobby Music” is built on a single sustained note and then other synths warble their way around that single note. It’s impressive it feels fresh after three minutes. “The Fantabulous World of Jimmy 3 Guts” not only has an awesome title but also a wonderfully understated melody with the guitar and closely recorded drums really working in sync together to provide a fantastic track. Also a toy piano can never be underused. “The Other Castle” keeps the toy piano for a quiet and disillusioned track of ambience and ticking clocks that sets you off your centre.

Side C of this double LP soundtrack kicks off with “Young Lungs” which is a beautifully euphoric guitar driven track. “Waiting For Gomez” again brings in this theme of ticking clocks and this time emphasises it with tuned wooden blocks. “My Deepest Flaws and Vulnerabilities” uses keyboards and electric pianos to good effect as it does with twisted boings to make a percussive twisting beat. “Big Win” is suitably joyous in its tone but doesn’t actually break out into anything and is very restrained before “Trust” gives us the vocal song for the soundtrack. Layered main vocals over a piano/drum work very well especially as here they sound very late 60s – as indeed does the song altogether because of how the instruments are kept as a distance. “Chips at Sea” is a satisfying closure with a Enya-esque moment in the sand.

The final side opens with “Forever Beta” which is like the beginning of an epic 80s rock ballad with its pulsating grizzly bass and singular kick drum over glassy keyboards. “Harsh Tags Pt 1″ is suitably fun and quirky with lots of instruments and samples being pushed all over the shot which paves the way for “The Maelstrom” which takes the previous two tracks and merges it all into a fully functioning song only for “Harsh Tags Pt 2″ to then take things further with a mickey tag freakout version of all the above! The soundtrack closes with “Sympathetic Syntax” which is an excellent way to end the soundtrack with a downplayed guitar / digital bleeping swansong.

Jim Guthrie does well to paint a diverse picture here across the 23 tracks. Mostly keyboard, guitars and chip sets – it’s all merged together into a great mix of styles and variants and has this Icelandic atmosphere to it all. Think Sigur Ros crossed with Amiina but with more emphasis on digital effects.

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ForeverSonic – “Sonic Unplugged” Review

ForeverSonic’s little EP “Sonic Unplugged” is a low fi recording of some wonderful renditions of sonic themes. “Star Light Zone” is a great rendition as a bass guitar and two electric guitars jam the theme out with some excellent precision. “Casino Night Zone” turns into a folksy jam with the bass sounding like a double bass in places. The guitars now acoustic are really jamming out. “Scrap Brain Zone” instead is more of a lullaby than a jam but I can’t quite work out if something is slightly out of tune because there’s something that doesn’t sit quite right in places.

I do hope ForeverSonic is able to get some more polished recordings of his guitar skills as the playing is excellent. My mind is running riot over some arrangements he could do!

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Ben Landis – “Adventures in Pixels” Review

Ben Landis has gone one slightly beyond a lot of MP3 album releases. Where others place a picture of their album in the mp3 player screen, he has used each of his tracks to place a readable comic in them! As a result each track corresponds to one of the pages of the comic. It’s a fabulous idea and really adds to the wonderful chiptune album he’s created.

Things are definitely chirpy on the album. After the fanfare title opener and the cute “Chickens” we have “Mayhem in the Village” which is fully fleshed out with some catchy chords and multi layering of chip sets. The result is a fun, enjoyable and full sounding shuffle track. “Matt’s Theme” is suitably upbeat and has some regal qualities about during the slower sections before the drums return for the four chord refrain. “Defeat Dinosaurs” seems to change the drums for something more 16 bit/MIDI esque for the big rousing theme. It doesn’t quite fit the rest of the sound but the actual melody is catchy and fantastic. “Mountain” sounds really familiar as the song progresses from its main bass riff before the short but sweet “Frontier” which offers a quiet but actually complex break from the rousing themes so far.

“Castle” gets things back to chugging themes with something akin to a side scrolling platformer. It builds into a great chorus as many of the tracks do here. “The Scripted Battle” takes credit for not breaking out the percussion and getting dramatic and fierce without it. It makes it such a more interesting track and your really into the synth stabs when they and forming the spine of the song. “Awakening” suddenly brings out a proper piano synth from nowhere before out lovely chip sets return for a technical wizardry track where different sound banks are fading in and out. The sudden upgrade of technology continues with “Voices of Experience” where MIDI strings back the baseline of the track while the chips form the main voice melody. The two mesh very well and you almost forget up until just a minute ago it was chiptune all the way.

“Through the Forest” is a playful track with a really bouncy beat and melody. Its got a real shuffle in its step and a bit of jazzy hands blues to it too. Beautiful. “Terrible Tarantuloid” ups the ante with a throbbing beat and immediacy in the tune itself which is well constructed. “Power Up” sounds more like a continue screen whilst “High Stakes” brings in MIDI piano and guitar for a really different sound altogether. “Final Words” is a joyful track with a crude guitar strum sample that makes you smile as the main theme bashes out at high-speed in euphoria. “Breakthrough” is like a warm refrain. It’s cute and sounds like a score screen after you’ve completed a level. “Credits Music for an 8-bit RPG” is ultra cute with its four chord salute to all things end credits as the story comes to satisfying end. The album has two bonus tracks though and that’s “Matts Theme” and “Frontier” given a modern-day live feel. The former is utterly beautiful in an orchestral reawakening while the latter sounds much more well suited to this arrangement than the chiptune version.

Ben Landis has made an outstanding album. Brimming with smiles, personality, catchy riffs and hooks and a cute little comic for you to look at with each track. It’s a fantastic entry point for chiptune newbies and a firm flagship product for anyone wishing to promote the genre. I feel like I want to cartwheel until morning!

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12 Followers – Meteo Xavier – “Impulse OST” Review

12 Followers-Meteo Xaxier have been busy making the soundtrack for a new game Impulse. The result is a technological mesh of all kinds of different genres into one melting pot of electronica.

Opener “President Obama is a Juggalo” is a fun beaty and meaty track that flows nicely with some interesting combinations of monk choirs, keyboard samples and kickbeats. “Zin Kibaru’s Guitar” is like a space zither keyboard sample. It’s wonderfully melancholy whilst pressing forward with its beats and bass. It’s chilled out but definitely full of different soundscapes especially in the second half. “Elemental Fog” reminds me of VGM from the mid 90′s. It has a real throwback sound to it with its bassy drum loops, and gritty dirty keyboard pads. It’s a standout track. “Impulse Prime…Ribs…” is all about the tuned percussive edge to the main melodies. A dulcimer leads the way and I love the way how throughout the album 12 Followers – Meteo Xavier tamper with regular sounds – gently looping them or dropping audio in and out quickly because they don’t overuse it but make it effective and a fun play time.

“Sandsea Sanskrit” decides to get the pitch bender out and go nuts with some ethnic sounding samples and the most bendiest bassline committed to a non alien movie in a while! Great fun nonetheless “d(‘-’)m(‘-’)m^’(-’)^w(‘-’)” has a nutty title and also a hodge podge of instruments from chants to woodwind to guiros hooping to thick string keyboard synths. It strangely works quite well in a “Final Fantasy V Dear Friends” kind of way. Bold! “When You Find a Strange in the Alps” reminds me so much of VVVVVV and some of the classic C64 tunes – it’s easily my favourite track from the OST. Bold, strong, anthemic and pumping with energy. “A Shrine For My Mind” is slow mo techno track where a lot of the instruments are going at quite a speed and the drums initially aren’t going at the same pace but over time they speed up. It’s really clever and the synth solos are great.

“Combustion” has drums taken right from an 80s arcade machine. It has a beautiful retro feel and the thick stereo synths really drench the speakers in sound. “Reprise” starts off quietly with echoing pianos before bringing in a low-fi beat to pulsate and build the track into a grizzly low-fi dance track. The soundtrack closes with “Strange Rock In The Heavens” which is a beautiful track full of all kinds of auroras and arpeggios of celestial sounding samples. There’s guitar to balance it all out too and the whole track is excellently crafted.

Impulse is an excellent soundtrack. There’s a definite throwback vibe to what you now have on the remixed C64 scene with the likes of Huelsbeck and Lynne but this is a very worthy entry and anyone whom enjoys their keyboard synths loud and in full frontal positions will enjoy this offering from 12 Followers – Meteo Xavier.

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Austin Wintory – “Horn OST” Review

Austin Wintory earlier this year swept me away with the formidable Journey soundtrack which has become one of my favourite game soundtracks not just of the year, but of the last decade. In some ways, “Horn” feels very similar in its vein and it simply confirms for me Austin Wintory as a mega powerhouse in the game music world.

“Horn” opens with lots of ancient instruments. Pluckings of harps, sawing of strings and ocarinas in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicle fashion. I love this style. “A Blacksmith’s Apprentice” is sumptuous with its rich orchestration being led by an ocarina and a foot tap before “Reynes in Ruins” offers a moment of solitude in a reflective string arrangement before it delves into an Irish percussive rumble like its desperate to break out into a jig which the lutes provide. “The Pygon Curse” moves more into an ambient rumble of stories told past. The quite cymbal rolls and low ocarina are not often shown in a light like this so its fun to see that instrument used solemnly. “Cuthbert” stays in the same realm with clumsy drums and curious discord in the tune to create a semi state of madness. It’s cute and unnerving at the same time!

“An Empire of Stone and Steel” is a wonderful dance between the lute samples and the strings before “The Road Ahead” feels like it could sit on the Journey soundtrack with its whimsy strings and lack of a bottom end to the sound. Everything sounds so much more desolate without a bass. “The Great Wise One” uses twisted metal chimes to forge a main melody over the ancient instruments and feels more spooky than wise. It then breaks into a fantastic frenzy for the last minute where the strings soar and all the drums come out to play. “A Glimmer of Hope” isn’t upbeat at all but is beautifully played out, as is “Suddene” that has some crazy chords going on in the background with the harps which give the normal main melody something of an uncomfortable edge as you’re aware something is not quite right. Cleverly done.

“Through the Mountains” returns to the richer string led nature and “Bound in Stone” sounds so valiant I wanted to go on a quest myself by the end of, grab a woman and cheers a huge jug of mead with her! It reminds me so much of the soundtrack to the PS2 Hobbit game this track. “Westernesse” is equally as rich and beautiful as all the instruments slowly come together to create a warm ending to what begins a relatively desolate track. “The Knighting” is percussive led and continues to earmark the penny whistle and the ocarina as the vocal lead, as they are throughout the soundtrack. Having such a small instrument lead a bellowing orchestra is inspired. “Execution” is dramatic and dark in its interplay between the strings and the tuned percussive toms as things get more openly frenzied. This progresses into “The Final Trial” which builds you up in complex string arrangements and then exploding into folksy dance sections before combining the two styles perfectly. The soundtrack ends with “Yours To Name” which is a wonderful coda as things build and build to an emotive climax.

Austin Wintory has created another stunning piece of work with Horn. I love how small instruments are given a big place in the arrangements and that the sweeping soundscapes of the orchestra often play second fiddle to them. It makes things much more emotional and you connect so much more with the music. A wonderful collection anyone who enjoys instrumental music will enjoy.

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Big Giant Circles – “Puzzlejuice OST” Review

Big Giant Circles has been creating a name for himself with all these wonderfully small but perfectly formed soundtracks and Puzzlejuice is no different.

Opener “Puzzlejuice” introduces you to the sound palette used here. It’s heavily processed mini flicks and beats that to non game music fans I can describe as Bjork’s Vespertine only hyper driven. Opening with a cute melody it then drives into a wonderful juxtaposition with “Sipping Juice” where the percussion really builds into a mechanical firefly frenzy whilst an incredibly laid back and catchy keyboard melody casually echoes throughout. It’s a sublime contrast that sticks in your head. “Over-Juiced!” apart from having an awesome name takes the same jolly tones and fills in more of the gaps with more of a twisting and endless arpeggio feel to it. It still feels polite and sweet – a bit like a late 90s platformer soundtrack! “Mojito Punch” ups the tension slighty as the drums become more processed and fatter in the overall sound of things and the chord progression is no longer naturally all pleasurable. You know the tensions in when the strings come to play with rising chord patterns and glistening guitars. It absolutely works though and as a looping track it plays very well.

Bonus tracks are included such as “Puzzlejuice Trailer” which is a short one minute hybrid of the soundtrack as a whole before “Too Much Juice” comes in as an unused track. It feels much more trance orientated and it missing the warmth that embodies the rest of the soundtrack as its going for the jugular to get your pulse racing. There are also alternate versions of “Over-Juiced” and “Mojito Punch” to round of the album – both of which are much softer versions that don’t quite push their tense parts to the fore as much although they are very similar.

Again Big Giant Circles conceives a fantastic soundtrack. I love the mix of really warm keyboard sounds against a harsher percussive background and the tracks are equally memorable with their riffs. An excellent piece of work.

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Elmobo – “Aliens Incursion OST” Review

Aliens Incursion isn’t a game I’ve played (IOS – poor me with a non smartphone still) but elmobo has made a corker of a five track soundtrack for it. The sound is like taking all the theremin love from Alien b-movies and then shoehorned it into something that’s smoother than a chiptune but more like a 32 bit soundtrack.

Opening track “Aliens Incursion” showcases all of that with aplomb with a great hook, tons of atmosphere and a driving beat to get your blood pumping. “Deep Space” is a little more atmosphere heavy with a warbling bass line as the main driver behind the beat while thick keyboard pads chorus aaaaah their way through the track. “Warning! Warning!” gets predictably dramatic with rolling bass lines, theremin a plenty and big brass stabs to hit things home over the trademark stadium rock drums that this soundtrack loves so much as it breaks into an almight climax – fantastic stuff! “Capsules” goes for gritty orchestra electronica as big beats and string synths collide and the album rounds off with non game track “Leftovers” which is like a huge megamix of the previous four tracks.

Admittedly short, as IOS soundtracks are, elmobo has crafted a great sound. What I love is when these game music artists craft their own trademark sound and then release their own album of it aside from the games. Elmobo has us waiting in the queue!

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Whispers of the Plains: Penka Kouenva

HPM has the opportunity to chat to Penka Kouneva, the genius behind A Warriors Odyssey which is a wonderful CD taking all the trimmings from a game or film soundtrack and making it a standalone story. Let’s see what tasty titbits we got!

Congratulations on your latest work. It’s beautiful. How do you feel now its out to the world?

Thank you! My goal was to demonstrate my passion for game scoring, to learn new techniques, and to adapt my skills specifically as a game composer. I am satisfied! The initial impetus was to write a few action pieces building upon the sound of Gears of War 3 and Modern Warfare 3. Out of these few action pieces my album kept growing, loosely based on the archetypal hero’s journey – epic battle themes interspersed with personal moments of defeat, resilience, hope, and ultimately reaching victory.

What made you decide to record an album of music not tied to a production? How was it having complete freedom to build your own story with your music?

In the last few years Steve Jablonsky gave me opportunities to compose additional music for Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands; Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and arrangements on Gears of War 3. These were life-changing opportunities and I felt compelled to keep building upon them, to grow as a composer, and to come up with new, fresh themes that will also help me solidify my own voice. With A Warrior’s Odyssey I charted my own goals, my own trajectory. It was a very challenging and profoundly satisfying experience.

You settled on the theme of a Warrior, or Soldier and indeed there is a patriotic flavour to a lot of the themes. What draws you to a warrior? What made you think – yes there’s the story to tell?
First, the Warrior archetype has always resonated with me. I am a multicultural artist and a woman in a vocation with so few other women. The last 13 years in Hollywood felt like I was fighting relentlessly every inch of my way. Last year one of my TV clients complimented me, “Penka, you are a Ninja!” Then, to grow as a game composer I had to develop my ability writing epic battle themes. Once the album began to take shape, my artistic goal was to transform personal struggles into a universal and common human experience of fighting battles and ultimately prevailing. Thus, the album is meant to work on a narrative level (game battles) and also on a symbolic level – “from struggle and defeat, to hope and triumph.”
The album itself is divided into three very distinct sections. How did that come about? Was it part of the original plan or something that happened during or after?
The concept of an archetypal three-part “hero’s journey” probably coalesced sometime in the middle of two very intense months of composing. It was very important to me to solidify my voice as an Eastern European-Bulgarian artist, so I was going to have “Bulgarian-flavored” music. If you think of any “hero’s journey” (of Hercules, for instance) it made sense for the 3-part structure to be “The Battle Begins – Faraway Lands – The Battle Goes On –[Victory].

My personal favourite section is the “Faraway Lands, Ancient Times” where your instrumentation bleeds out into all kinds of wonderful instruments, some of which represent your own heritage. Was that important to you?
In film and game scoring (two extremely competitive fields) there are many richly talented composers. While it’s expected that each composer will be skilled and versatile, it is the personal unique voice and attitude that allows certain composers to excel. Think of Inon Zur in games, or Thomas Newman in film – how distinctive their voice is. I arrived in Hollywood in 1999 with one keyboard and one professional contact, and in 2001 was accepted as a Fellow at the Sundance Composers Lab. Sundance Lab is the most competitive forum and composers apply year after year to be accepted. At the time, I was stunned, pondering my luck and trying to understand why my music got picked over 250 other applications. The music I submitted had an authentic personal voice and blended my Bulgarian heritage with modern idioms. As a composer, I want to get selected to score the RIGHT job that will propel me forward, the way Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands became my “breakout” score and a life-changing job. So, with A Warrior’s Odyssey I wanted to explore my roots while blending those influences with modern film & game sound, in an effort to refine my artistic identity.

Do you have any specific fond memories of the recording process or funny titbits you can let us in on?
The recording session was an absolute joy. We had one day only – morning with the string quartet and afternoon – with the brass, in the beautiful Bridge Recordings Studio in LA. Because the album was composed so fast (in just two months – May through July, though I began thinking and sketching in January), I relied upon my long-time collaborators who helped with sequencing of some synths, orchestrated, and helped me deliver on time. It was the happiest, most joyful summer that I remember.

Now you’ve had complete free reign on this project, do you think that’ll help you or give you a different insight for any future compositions you are doing for TV, films and games?
Growing as an artist is what I set out to accomplish, and this growth will certainly help me in my future work. I understand more precisely the creative vision of my film and game collaborators, and I know technically how modern game music is composed and arranged. Without following a “temp score” I did listen closely to many beloved soundtracks: True Blood by Nathan Barr, Moon by Clint Mansell (for the interludes) and Act of Valor by Nathan Furst (for the military action, in addition to GOW3 and MW3). I would say that A Warrior’s Odyssey is probably the most important creative work I’ve done, precisely because of its lasting impact upon my future game & film collaborations.

Speaking of future projects – what’s next for A Warrior’s Odyssey and Penka Kouneva?
These days I am building relationships with game developers and film directors, while promoting A Warrior’s Odyssey. I have a few small games and indie films in progress (can’t quite discuss yet). My long-range goal is to score big action, sci-fi and fantasy games and films. I hope the game fans will enjoy my passion project for the game biz, A Warrior’s Odyssey!

Many thanks to Penka for joining us. A Warriors Odyssey is available from Amazon, iTunes, SumThing Else and many other digital & CD outlets.

Here are some wonderful behind the scenes photos from Lisa Bevis.