Final Symphony: Music From Final Fantasy on iTunes
Orchestral album Final Symphony: Music From Final Fantasy has been released for digital download through iTunes, recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. The licensed series of Final Symphony concerts includes arrangements of music by Masashi Hamauzu, Jonne Valtonen and Roger Wanamo.
Consumers / Smallest collaborations on SoundCloud
Four vocal tracks by chiptune group Consumers and Tokyo-based rapper Smallest have been uploaded to SoundCloud. Pioneering experiments in the chip-hop genre, "Landing And Bounds," "Brave Man," "La Noble Felice" and "Moonless Night" were composed using Nanoloop real-time sound editing software for Game Boy.
Origin chiptrance album by Xinon streaming online
Origin, the latest album by chip musician Xinon of Japan, is streaming in full on Bandcamp and SoundCloud, and available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon. Created using the LSDJ music software for the Game Boy console, the 14-track album explores an intersection between lo-fi gaming audio and the trance music genre.
EarthBound Valentine's song from Itoki Hana
For Valentine's Day, Kyoto-based game arranger and vocalist Itoki Hana has uploaded a rendition of "Pollyanna" from the Super Nintendo role-playing game EarthBound. The musician's songs based on background tracks from the Kirby, Pokemon and Mega Man X series are streaming on YouTube and SoundCloud.
Gunsport features score by Ice Choir songwriter
Independent developer Necrosoft Games has released the debut trailer for Gunsport, the story of a near-future cyberpunk volleyball tournament. The multiplayer eSport for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One features an original soundtrack by songwriter Kurt Feldman of the Brooklyn-based '80s inspired band Ice Choir.
Capcom previews Monster Hunter Disco Remix
Capcom's recent album releases have reinterpreted the music of Okami, Mega Man and Mega Man X within numerous, disparate genres. Monster Hunter Disco Remix continues this pattern through its stylized '70s aesthetic, which can be previewed on the Cap'stone Capcom sound team website.
The Ongaku of The Month: February 2015
The Ongaku of The Month feature for February 2015 highlights recent, remarkable game-related albums, available for free download or "name your price." This month's edition includes Famicom soundtracks reimagined by Kirby Pufocia and Wally Chantek, and chip music compilations from 8BitLA and Toy Company.
1H1D!!! vol.36 slated for 2/28 at Cafe la Siesta
Late-night chip music event 1H1D!!! vol.36 has been slated for the evening of Saturday, February 28 at Kyoto's Cafe la Siesta venue. Beginning at 10:00 pm, guest artists Sulumi, Komadori Brothers and Kunio will be joined by 1H1D crew members KAZ a.k.a.HIGE, Foilverb and Toriena, among other game-inspired artists.
Kirby Pufocia mixes Castlevania III Famicom score
Metroid Metal band member Kirby Pufocia has uploaded his own personalized mix of the music score to Famicom action game Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Streaming on Bandcamp, the album seamlessly integrates audio content both from the Japanese release incorporating the VRC6 coprocessor chip and more limited overseas cartridge.
People Music by I Am Robot And Proud
Toronto-based musician Shaw-Han Liem, co-creator of the PlayStation-exclusive Sound Shapes, has scheduled the next installment in the I Am Robot And Proud album series for a March 4 debut. "Circles" from People Music is currently streaming online, with the digital album available for preorder through Tokyo's 7e.p. netlabel.
Final Fantasy Type-0 HD tracks on SoundCloud
Square Enix in-house composer Takeharu Ishimoto has posted music tracks "Machina Kunagiri," "Servant of the Crystal" and "The Beginning of the End" from the Final Fantasy Type-0 HD music score to SoundCloud. The soundtrack to the action RPG for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is due out on Blu-ray on March 25 in Japan.
Grim Fandango Network streaming soundtrack
After the physical release of Peter McConnell's original soundtrack album went out of print, The Grim Fandango Network received permission from LucasArts to make the score available online in mp3 format. According to designer Tim Shafer, a remastered soundtrack album is not currently planned for publication, due to copyright issues.
8BitLA sampler previews Frequency Festival 4
Chip music scene 8BitLA will be bringing the fourth annual Frequency Festival to Downtown Los Angeles on January 30 through February 1. A Bandcamp sampler is currently available for "name your price" in your file format of choice, featuring lo-fi music by 8 Bit Weapon, Crashfaster, Grimecraft and Fighter X.
