video-game-music
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Like WildStar music? There's a concert for that
If you happen to be in Poland on September 26th, make sure to grab tickets for the GameOn multimedia show, the first part of which will feature selections from the scores of popular video games, including MMOs like WildStar. Composer Jeff Kurtenacker blogged that he is "absolutely honored to announce that the GameOn concert in Krakow, Poland, will be premiering a new arrangement of Our Perception of Beauty (Drusera's Theme), which [he] composed for the MMO WildStar by Carbine Studios." According to Kurtenacker, this concert will mark "first time WildStar music will be played in a concert setting"; he also notes that flutist Sara Andon, spotlighted throughout the WildStar score, will again perform at the concert. Music from World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and other games will also be featured. Kurtenacker spoke to Massively's resident Jukebox Hero last year about his work on WildStar. He has since released several exclusive and free music tracks for players.
Video Games Live heads around the world on tour
Video Games Live, which plays your favorite video game music (including some of WoW's greatest hits) with a full orchestra, is off on a world tour this year. This means that wherever you are, there's a reasonable chance they'll be playing somewhere in the vicinity. The tour kicked off in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend and is heading to Mexico before jumping around the US and then moving on to China, the Middle East, Europe, South America, and Canada. (Sorry, Australia!) If you're interested in catching Video Games Live, well, live, check out their tour dates page for tickets and backstage packages -- though tickets to shows later this year and next year aren't available yet. And if they aren't stopping anywhere in your area, they have three albums of great gaming music -- Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 -- available on iTunes and Amazon to get your game on.
Hearthstone's tavern-style music available to stream or download
If you have a love for video game music or just Blizzard music or just Hearthstone music, you'll be pleased to know that Blizzard has posted several of Hearthstone's music tracks online for the very affordable price of free. So if you're in the beta, but enjoy Hearthstone's tavern-style tunes -- or you aren't in the beta but really want to be -- you can download or stream three Hearthstone tracks from the game's media page. Whatever your interests, they're good listening -- and if you want to know more about the music itself, Destructoid has a music-centric interview with Hearthstone team members Eric Dodds, Jason Hayes, and Peter McConnell. Still need more music? Blizzard tunes have recently been added to the Video Game Music station on Pandora. Rock on!
YouTube Skyrim cover phenom Malukah on epic music and playing WoW
Hauntingly beautiful music from a hauntingly beautiful voice ... You'd have to have the soul of a black dragon not to be transported by the strains of video game music composer, arranger, and musician Malukah of Monterrey, Mexico. Malu's evocative cover of "The Dragonborn Comes" from Bethesda's video game Skyrim catapulted the unassuming musician to more than 8 million views across her own channel, Bethesda's blog, and countless other gaming sites that couldn't get enough of her ethereal voice. And wouldn't you know it? She's a World of Warcraft player. While she was reluctant to discuss exactly which WoW track she's been toying with for an upcoming cover (but come on, given her style, is it so difficult to figure out?), we did get her to chat with us about her music and her love of gaming: Malukah, on the cusp of becoming a musical force to be reckoned with.
'Top Score' public radio podcast gabs on game music
Since mid April, Minnesota Public Radio has been producing the excellent "Top Score," a biweekly podcast focusing on video game soundtracks. The show is hosted by Emily Reese and has her interviewing today's leading game music composers, and exploring their processes and the inspirations for their music. The next episode will be available next Tuesday, May 24, and features BioShock composer Garry Schyman. The first three episodes had Reese interviewing Dragon Age's Inon Zur, the sound team behind Double Fine's Stacking and Dead Space composer Jason Graves. You can download the show from Top Score's page or grab it from iTunes. If you'd like to donate to the program, check out the Minnesota Public Radio site.
Four Grammy Awards renamed to include 'video games music,' underline its growing importance
Video games have never had a problem sitting alongside movie DVDs and music CDs (back when such things were distributed physically) in stores, so it's frankly overdue to see them pop up in a mainstream awards show like the Grammys. The US Recording Academy has finally deigned to address video games and their aural landscapes as a separate class of entertainment, and has now amended four of its awards to spell that out. What was formerly known as "Motion, Television, or Other Visual Media" is now reclassified as "Motion, Television, Video Games Music, or Other Visual Media," leading to there now being four awards that explicitly recognize excellence in video game music scores. Guess that was inevitable after Christopher Tin's Baba Yetu won a Grammy this February, ostensibly because of its inclusion as one of the marquee songs on Civilization 4, but in a category entirely unrelated to gaming. Skip past the break to hear it for yourself, along with a couple of other favorites of ours.
15 Minutes of Fame: Student composer brings WoW music to video game choir
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. You have to admit: Running your own choir to perform video game music is a pretty sweet gig for a portfolio-building college student. "We perform student arrangements of game music, and last fall we decided to do a WoW medley," explains Video Game Choir Founder/Director Julia Seeholzer, aka Bloodsong of Perenolde (US-A). "The choir and orchestra are all student-run, and we're all incredibly passionate about video games!" Julia's passion obviously extends to World of Warcraft; her thoroughly professional tip to WoW Insider concluded with a friendly, "Now, back to my raiding..." The Video Game Choir is made up of students from Berklee College of Music, the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz and popular music, the Boston, Mass., school also offers degrees in composition, contemporary writing and production, film scoring, jazz composition, music business/management, music education, music production and engineering, electronic production and design, music therapy, performance, professional music, and songwriting -- a perfect meeting spot for enthusiasts of the burgeoning field of video game music.
Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite piece of music in WoW?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the Aol guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. World of Warcraft is a game with great sound and great sound design. Players might not always notice it, but for those of us who play with the music on, these themes can really set the tone for the game. Ashenvale music never fails to remind me of my first foray into the zone; after Darkshore, which was a bit bleak, my baby druid stepped into Ashenvale and it seemed like all of Azeroth opened up, wide and colorful and filled with swelling orchestral tracks. Though the game world seems much smaller to me now, I still remember that moment whenever I hear the Ashenvale theme. My favorite piece of WoW music, however, has got to be the one in Mulgore. I play mainly Alliance, so I don't go there often, but every time I visit the zone for the Darkmoon Faire or head to Thunder Bluff for some holiday achievement, I'm struck by the beauty and tranquility of the Mulgore music. It really fits the environment, and it never fails to relax me when I fly through. The slow, soft yearning reminds me of the Tauren people and their culture, while the undercurrent of tension hints at the conflict brewing in the world outside that secluded valley. What's your favorite piece of WoW music? Does it remind you of a particular time or a nostalgic feeling, or is it the pure beauty of the composition that you admire? When do you feel the WoW music is at its most epic?
Video Games Live comes to PBS this summer
Video Games Live, the wildly popular traveling concert series that performs music from major video games, is visiting a new venue this August: the television. VGL was founded in 2002 by video game composers and game industry veterans Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. Since its inception, the symphony performance has prided itself on introducing the experience of a live orchestra performance to an entirely new generation of listeners; most attendees are viewing the symphony for the first time. In addition, it's a celebration of the gaming industry, the creative process of designing music for video games, and a showcase for art of video game music to both gamers and non-gamers. The concert series literally travels the world, performing in countries such as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, England, Scotland, France, Taiwan, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal and most of the United States (including, of course, BlizzCon). Both because of the subject of the concerts and because of the quality of entertainment, concerts can easily sell out. Thankfully for those of us who haven't been able to afford the cost or simply live nowhere near the touring locations, PBS will be airing a 90-minute Video Games Live special, consisting of never-before televised live musical performances from the Mario, Zelda, Sonic, Halo, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, God of War, Civlization, Chrono Cross and Guitar Hero franchises, including a musical journey through classic gaming. And of course, music from both Warcraft and StarCraft will be making an appearance as well. For those who don't catch the televised performance, there will also be a CD and DVD/Blu-ray release that coincides with the nationally televised special, including over three hours of bonus material. Check out the trailer above for more details about what is sure to be a gorgeous night of entertainment!
Video Games Live special brings orchestral game music to PBS
Are video games art? That question may still be a cause of debate for some, but there is little question that there is artistry in video games -- like the music, which often doesn't receive the attention it deserves. Game music composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall have been doing their best to change that for years now with their symphonic Video Games Live show, however, and it looks like they'll soon have what could be their largest audience yet. The group recently announced that PBS will be debuting a 90-minute Video Games Live special on July 31st, which will continue to air throughout August, and be available on DVD, Blu-ray and CD. Check with your local PBS affiliate for the exact time and air dates in your area, and head on past the break for a taste of what's in store.
Sampla tests your video game music knowledge, reflexes
Have you ever wondered why you're so terrible at remembering the phone numbers, email addresses and, quite possibly, names of your dearest friends and family members? Simply put, it's because you're using all of your brainspace to store melodies for classic video games. Yeah, it's pretty tragic, but it's not completely without its usefulness -- it'll help you do really well in John Freeborn and Geekadelphia's recent Flash game collaboration, Sampla. The premise of Sampla is simple: Listen to a clip from a MIDI-fied version of a classic video game theme song, and pick it from a multiple choice list. The faster you answer, the more points you get, and the deeper the stark reality sets in that you can remember the theme to Double Dragon 2, but not your dad's middle name.
Russell Brower at Video Games Live
If you were planning to go to the Video Games Live performance on April 1st, now you have even more reason to go: Russell Brower, Director of Audio/Video for Blizzard, will be there. It's going to be (hopefully) shown on PBS in July, so if you just can't get down there, you can at least be on the lookout for it. If you like WoW's music (or that of other Blizzard games... I'm a huge sucker for Diablo II's soundtrack) it should be worth catching. If you happen to be in the area, tickets for the show are still available from Ticketmaster.
Ivor Novello awards to recognize music from video games
Get out those SAT skills! The Ivor Novello awards : Grammys :: The SAG awards : Oscars. They're the smarter, more peer-reviewed way for the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors to reward excellent songwriting and composing. And as the BBC reports, for the first time, it'll be honoring video game music. The bleeps and bloops of your favorite console games are becoming one of just six total categories at the Ivors this May. And it's because they aren't just bleeps and bloops any more. A member of the award committee says that the music in video games has "matured beyond recognition," and that composing music for games pulls some muscles that most composers don't have, like "non-linear and multi-layered composition." No word on the nominees yet, but keep in mind, any game you nominate needs to have at least 1/3 of the composers be British or Irish, according to the Ivor rules. For instance, the music for Flower was great, but unless there's a hidden "O'" in front of Vincent Diamante's last name, you probably won't see it win.
Blizzard music to be featured at Gamer MusiCON '09
If you're looking for a way to relax this weekend, why don't you hie off to Houston and get tickets to the Gamer MusiCON '09, an all-day event celebrating music from the video game industry. If you're familiar with the Video Games Live, the whole event has expanded somewhat with the help of Blizzard Entertainment and will now have a full hour-and-a-half Blizzard Live! to go along with the traditional Video Games Live! concert.Blizzard Live! will feature music, both old and some never performed ones, from Blizzard's different game worlds - Diablo, Starcraft, and Warcraft - paired with exclusive game footage and synchronized lighting. The Video Games Live! segment features music from other popular games like Chrono Trigger or Mega Man. Of course, just like any great geek and gamer event, Gamer MusiCON will feature a lot of fun in between, such as costume contests, Guitar Hero faceoffs, a Q&A with Blizzard's composers, autograph signings, and lots of swag. The event, conducted by Jack Wall and hosted by Tommy Talarico, comes to life with the help of the Houston Symphony. It will be held at the Jones Hall in downtown Houston. You'd better get your tickets today! Oh, and don't forget to bring a date.
Variety profiles video game composers
To make up for our poor understanding of a recent GameStop post, we've taken a few finance classes and we're ready to show off the results with a little math. In a really interesting piece profiling video game composers, Variety reports that they "can make anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 per minute of music, and many games demand 80-100 minutes." So, calculation time:($1,000 to $2,500 per minute) x (80 to 100 minutes) = Oh God, have we ever chosen the absolute wrong part of the video game industry to be involved in.[Via Kotaku]
For your listening pleasure: Electro-Orchestral Warcraft music
Video Game Orchestra is a group of avid gamers who are creating an archive of music from popular video games. Music titles enshrined on their site include Super Mario World, Sonic the Hedgehog and, this takes me back, Golden Axe. For World of Warcraft, they have done something a little different. Taking the orchestral Call To Arms music from the game, they have remixed an electronica version. Take a listen, it's quite good. I can't wait until someone uses that in a Machinima piece.
Tesla coil produces electric Mario music
The era of fan-played game music has just ended, thanks to this video. Can your nerdcore, forget your a cappella renditions of classic video game themes, and cancel your tour, because these people have just won. It's over. We're banning all video game music reproductions starting ... now.Why? Because the Tesla coil in the video after the jump is rocking out with Super Mario Bros. and Tetris themes, and it's just about the coolest (sparkinest?) thing we've ever seen.
Video Games Live seats in Indy up for sale
Tickets are now on sale for the two Video Games Live shows planned in conjunction with Gen Con Indy Friday & Saturday, August 11-12.After a stop in Philly earlier this month, the VGL tour is moving on to Houston July 14th, Chicago August 5th, and then Indianapolis the weekend after that. More on reserving seats for the Hilbert Circle Theatre can be found on the official announcement page (via the pic to the right or the Read link below).Judging by the reviews of the Philly show so far, Video Games Live sounds like it could be a lot of fun. If they keep providing public access to Guitar Hero II, they may have sold this blogger on going already. We hope Midwestern gamers not attending the Chicago show can make a pitstop in Indy to keep Tommy's show on the road. So, yeah ... rock on.See also: Official VGL report from Philly (with some local links to boot) Video Games Live ticket purchases opened a bit early The official page for Gen Con Indy PS2 impressions: Guitar Hero II
