Tsuyoshi Sekito debuts Guitarworks Selection 2
Square Enix in-house composer Tsuyoshi Sekito today published the second volume in the musician's series of progressive rock covers, reinterpreting console gaming themes. Brief samples from T. Sekito's Guitarworks Selection 2 are streaming on iTunes, featuring music from The Last Remnant and Final Fantasy XIV.
Okami Jazz Arrange excerpts on Capcom website
Capcom has posted excerpts of five pieces to the e-Capcom online store from the Okami Jazz Arrange album, scheduled for publication in Japan on February 11 through the developer's Suleputer record label. The eleven-track album is the companion piece to the recently released 8-bit Okami remix compilation.
dreeps devs on the making of the alarm playing game
"Alarm Playing Game" dreeps is an independently developed iOS application inspired by the pixel art and chip music of classic console RPGs. We caught up with Tokyo-based illustrator Hisanori Hiraoka, programmer Daisuke Watanabe and composer Kyohei Fujita to hear about the objectives of the three-person design team.
Capcom posts Rockman Dystopia album samples
Excerpts of five tracks from the Mega Man X concept album Rockman Dystopia have been posted to Capcom's online store. Due for release in Japan on February 11, "Dystopia" treats the Boomer Kuwanger, Chill Penguin, Armored Armadillo and Crystal Snail stage themes to aggressive techno arrangements.
Marshall Art album coming to Ubiktune this Saturday
Marshall Art, chiptune prog-rock duo based in Canada and Russia, will release their debut self-titled album through the Ubiktune netlabel on Saturday, January 24. The five-track album features a collaboration with chip music artist Spamtron, with mixing by Cory Johnson, known for his Legend of Zelda and EarthBound cover albums.
dreeps alarm playing game set for January 21st
An iPhone application that draws on the visuals and sounds of early console RPGs, dreeps is due for release on January 21 on the iTunes Store. The experimental APG (alarm-playing game) has been independently developed in Tokyo by illustrator Hisanori Hiraoka, programmer Daisuke Watanabe and musician Kyohei Fujita.
Maltine Records shares ᘐЯᓮᗰᕮ☾ᖇᗩƒ☂ EP
Tokyo-based dance music netlabel Maltine Records starts off the new year with the release of the ᘐЯᓮᗰᕮ☾ᖇᗩƒ☂ EP, composed by Bay Area game cover artist Grimecraft. All four tracks from the upbeat future bass concept album are free to download in mp3 format, sporting futuristic cyborg cover illustration by Tokiya Sakba.
Capcom posts Okami Retro Arrange samples
Capcom has posted music excerpts from the Okami Retro Arrange album, published earlier this week in Japan through the publisher's Suleputer label. Five music samples are streaming on the e-Capcom store, while additional full-length mp3 files can be downloaded by poking around the Okami official website's 8-bit section.
Distant Worlds III album excerpts streaming online
Square Enix has posted brief samples of all thirteen tracks from orchestral album Distant Worlds III: More Music from Final Fantasy, scheduled for release on January 21 in Japan. Music for the third album in the series, overseen by Chicago-based conductor Arnie Roth, is composed by Nobuo Uematsu and Masashi Hamauzu.
Toy Company posts "Automate" Chipspeech songs
The organizers of Toy Company's lo-fi techno music parties have posted a compilation of songs utilizing the Plogue chipspeech vintage voice synthesizer plugin. Coinciding with the release of the electronic vocals tool, Automate Songs can be downloaded for free from Bandcamp, featuring music by Goto80, Cuckoo and C-jeff.
Matt Simmonds on the design of 4mat chipmusic
Cambridge-based composer Matt Simmonds participated in the Amiga demoscene in the early '90s, placing him in a unique position to contribute to the growth of chip music as a popular genre. In this interview the musician discusses the interplay between developing games and recording for 4mat studio albums.
Brian Cubría shares Bouncing Dude theme
VCONCERT featured artist Brian Cubría has shared his main themes from developer HyperBeard's Android and iOS titles Bouncing Dude and Muertitos, available for "name your price" through Bandcamp. Cubría previously published a collection of piano arrangements, reinterpreting music from Chrono Cross and Mega Man X.
Takeaki Kunimoto Band live concert on YouTube
Earlier today the Takeaki Kunimoto Band performed a live acoustic concert of 8-bit NES and role-playing gaming themes in Nakano, Tokyo, including several vocal renditions. The full two-hour program has been archived on YouTube, featuring music from the Dragon Quest series, Final Fantasy series, ICO and Chrono Trigger.
