Events

Events, Game Music, Indie Music

AUSTIN WINTORY Launches A Light in the Void Concert on Kickstarter!

March 15, 2018 | Ryan Paquet | Comments Off on AUSTIN WINTORY Launches A Light in the Void Concert on Kickstarter! Share this

On March 14, 2018, composer Austin Wintory (Journey, The Banner Saga Trilogy, and Abzu), revealed at last the Kickstarter project he has been teasing on Twitter for some time. The project is called A Light in the Void and is described as the first-of-its-kind. A live concert experience meant to inspire and sustain a life-long love affair with science through the emotional power of music and storytelling. You can view the video detailing the project below:

A Light in the Void tells the story of science itself through sweeping cinematic music, real-life scientists speaking on-stage (accompanied by the orchestra!), and wildly entertaining theatrics, video packages, and animations… all performed LIVE and broadcast globally for the entire world to experience. To put it simply: amazing scientists tell unforgettable stories in an audio/visual spectacular! Our goal is singular: elicit the profound, life-affirming joy of scientific discovery. This isn’t a show about teaching nifty science trivia … it’s about enriching life itself.

Austin Wintory will compose the music for the event which will feature three acts delivered live on-stage (with full orchestral score) by three of the world’s greatest living scientists.

You can read more and back the project over on its Kickstarter page. Check it out, for music and science’s sake!
Events, Game Music, Music Production

2018 PAX East composer panel “Maestros of Video Games” Announced

March 6, 2018 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on 2018 PAX East composer panel “Maestros of Video Games” Announced Share this

PAX East has had an ongoing series of panels the past couple of years that invite composers of AAA and indie games to panel and discuss the intricacies of making music for wildly popular games. This year’s event is going to be no different, inviting several big-name composers from all over the game music industry to come speak to con-goers and answer questions.

The 2018 PAX East composer panel “Maestros of Video Games” will feature the following music star lineup:

Kristofer Maddigan
Cuphead.

Wilbert Roget, II

Call of Duty: WWII, Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris.

Cris Velasco
Dauntless, Overwatch, Resident Evil 7 biohazard, Bloodborne, God of War.

Darren Korb

Pyre, Transistor, Bastion.

Tom Salta

Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, Killer Instinct Season 3, Halo: The Fall of Reach, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.

The panel will be moderated by Emily Reese, award-winning radio host and producer of “LEVEL with Emily Reese” podcast. Following the panel join the composers for a meet & greet / autograph session at the Queue Room from 6:30pm-8:00pm. For information on PAX East visit: http://east.paxsite.com/.
Chip Music, Events, Game Music

Community Question: What’s Your Favorite Live VGM Experience?

January 19, 2018 | Brenna Wilkes | 2 Comments Share this

If you’re like me and have been within the video game and nerd music scene for any given amount of time, chances are you’ve been to a few shows featuring cover and tribute bands playing music live for a captivated audience. With Super MAGFest having just wrapped up not quite two weeks ago, and things like Rockage San Jose and VGM Con in the near future, I feel now is a great time to ruminate on all the performances I’ve been to and what stands out for me as some of the best I’ve ever been to, and hopefully exchange my experiences with other fans as well.

Two experiences pop into my mind. This past MAGFest featured Transformers and Rocky IV composer Vince DiCola joining VGM band LONELYROLLINGSTARS on stage for a live performance of some of the most iconic themes of his career. (Can be seen in the title image.) I’ll keep my synopsis brief as the whole show was beyond amazing, even beyond my bias (Full disclosure, I was artist liaison for LRS working MAG this year.) and the fact it was not technically game music, the moment when “Death of Optimus Prime” was played by DiCola and LRS and the scene displayed on the big screen, my heart felt like it was punched in it’s heart-gut. It made for a ridiculously memorable experience and one of the best shows I’ve ever been to for the music and the experience both.

The other show I can safely safe was probably the best in my lifetime of going to VGM shows was my first MAGFest, which was MAG 10 in 2012. This was the event that managed to get Final Fantasy composer legend Nobou Uematsu and his band the Earthbound Papas to come pay at the event. I have to say that it wasn’t the music that was the best part of that show, but the sheer excitement Uematsu displayed in stage while playing. When a legend in the game music industry cracks open a Sam Adams on stage, trolls the audience with a Colossus Roar, and moves onto the next song, it makes for a wild moment for fans.

So I ask the readers, what are your most memorable experiences attending game music shows, concerts and performances in your lifetime? Was it the music, the energy or just your general thrill that made it special? Let us know in the comments and let’s keep such memories alive as we keep making more in the future.
Events, Game Music

All Your Bass, Game Music Festival Debuts in England in 2018

November 20, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on All Your Bass, Game Music Festival Debuts in England in 2018 Share this

The National Videogame Arcade in Nottingham, England has announced the debut dates and details for its new game music and audio festival All Your Bass. Taking place January 19th and 20th, 2018, All Your Bass will bring performances, talks, and more to The National Videogame Arcade and the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham.

Masaya Matsuura will be on hand to talk about his pioneering work in the “rhythm action” genre that brought us PaRappa the Rapper, Um Jammer Lammy, and more. The National Videogame Arcade will also be presenting the unique soundtrack for its building which was commissioned by Matsuura. On more hometown turf, legendary British game music composer, Rob Hubbard, will present a “director’s commentary”, a behind-the-scenes discussion of his musical influences and the technology he used through the heyday of the UK’s classic computer game era.

The announced performances will bring unique experiences to the concert hall setting. Friday evening closes with a special edition of the recently announced Dear Esther Live tour. The Liverpool Philharmonic and Thomas McMullen will be joined by Dear Esther composer Jessica Curry to perform, play, and narrate the experience followed by a post-show discussion with Curry.

Later in the weekend, classical music composer Maria Kallionpää and the University of Nottingham’s Mixed Reality Lab will present ‘Climb!’. A virtuoso piece composed for ‘Live Pianist, Disklavier and Interactive System’, tests the skills of the performer with the interactive system mimicking an invisible chamber music partner. This “partner” presents the challenge by jumping to different points in the score, keeping the performer and audience on their toes.

Check out the NVA’s site for updated ticket and event info or use our handy new Events Calendar to keep tabs on All Your Bass and other game music performances.
Events, Game Music, Japanese

Disney invites Concert Attendees to play along on 2018 Japan Tour

November 15, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Disney invites Concert Attendees to play along on 2018 Japan Tour Share this

Ever fancy taking to the stage at an orchestral game music concert to play your own instrument alongside the performers? That’s almost exactly the plan for the Brass Band Disney tour that will be performing across Japan between January and March of 2018.

At each of the ten scheduled shows the Siena Wind Orchestra, who you may know from their BRA★BRA Final Fantasy series, will play a selection of songs from Disney’s animated films, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean. For the finale, everyone in attendance is welcomed to join the stage or even play from the aisles for one of the most raucous performances these concert halls have ever held.

The communal composition isn’t a Disney standard like the “Mickey Mouse Club March” though, it’s the main theme from one of their most popular new properties, the mobile game Disney Tsum Tsum. Those planning to perform can grab the sheet music to practice and listen to a few baseball “cheer song” renditions of the theme from Disney’s site. Don’t worry if you can’t play an instrument, clapping and whistling are encouraged as well.

It’s a wild (and trusting) concept, having fans play alongside the orchestra, and I hope at least a glimpse of it gets out to YouTube once the tour starts. In the meantime, what game music do you think would benefit from a communal performance, umm, if any? Let us know in the comments.
Events, Game Music, Music Production

Jessica Curry’s ‘High Score’ returns to UK radio in November

October 18, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Jessica Curry’s ‘High Score’ returns to UK radio in November Share this
Despite being a huge success for the UK’s Classic FM radio station I completely missed the first series of their video game focused show High Score. Between April and May, Jessica Curry — co-founder and composer of The Chinese Room’s Dear Esther and Everbody’s Gone to the Rapture — hosted the show to examine and celebrate orchestral game music. It proved to be a hit with fans of both games and classical music, garnered an audience of new, younger listeners, and was the most popular program on the station’s rebroadcast series, Listen Again. Unfortunately, there’s no simple way to go back and listen to High Score so it’s especially noteworthy to find out there will soon be a new series!

Between November 4th and December 9th Jessica Curry returns each Saturday for six hour-long episodes, beginning and ending with special all-request shows. Looking back at the tweets Curry received in the Spring there were a ton of requests and while they couldn’t comply at the time, the message was clearly received: there’s a new page on Classic FM’s site to submit your special requests for the show. The intervening four episodes will be based on themes and trends. Here’s the full schedule:
- November 04: All-request Show
- November 11: Depictions of Love
- November 18: Quests!
- November 25: Spoken and sung voices within games
- December 02: The Best Video Game Music of 2017
- December 09: All-request Show
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to present a second series of High Score for Classic FM. The first series was so much fun to do and the huge response that the show received was absolutely incredible. I’m just over the moon that people enjoyed it. I’m raring to go on the next one and can’t wait to hear what people come up with for the requests shows!”

– Jessica Curry

Listeners in the UK can tune in on 100-102 FM, digital radio, at ClassicFM.com, and on the Classic FM app. Those of us outside the territory may have to type in a valid UK postcode but should still be able to listen live from the site. In the meantime, don’t forget about Music Respawn, Kate Remington’s game music composer interview show on WSHU public radio from here in the States.

Did you catch the original run of High Score? Are you looking forward to the new series? What requests would you like to hear? Let us know in the comments below.
Events, Game Music

GSPO Confirms World Premieres & More ahead of July 15th Show

June 30, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on GSPO Confirms World Premieres & More ahead of July 15th Show Share this

If you missed the news during the flurry of E3 headlines, let’s recap: The Golden State Pops Orchestra is putting on their third Video Game Soundtracks series performance in Los Angeles, California on July 15th. When we posted about the show before there were teases of the games and guests that would make appearances but the GSPO is back with a more concrete listing. Making their “world premiere” live performances will be music from:

Detroit: Become Human (game releases Fall 2017)
Gran Turismo (game releases Fall 2017)
World of Warcraft: Legion
Halo Wars 2
Prince of Persia
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

The show will also feature new arrangements and favorite pieces from the GSPO’s past Video Game Soundtracks shows including:

A Salute to Final Fantasy
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor
Civilization IV & VI
Star Wars Battlefront
Halo
Afrika
and special surprises…

Just after the “special surprises” they list featured composers who have appeared at past shows like Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Debney and Richard Sherman so start thinking along those amazing lines to guess at this year’s surprise guests. The GSPO did confirm a handful of special guest composers and performers who will be on hand for the evening and those include:

Russell Brower – Emmy winning sound designer and composer
Jessica Curry – BAFTA winning composer
Gordy Haab – G.A.N.G Awards winning composer
Penka Kouneva – Ovation award winning composer
Christopher Tin – Grammy award winning composer
Christopher Tin – Grammy winning composer
Austin Wintory – BAFTA winning composer
Jack Wall – Award winning composer
Victoria Atkin – co-star of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

Finally, the ticket prices have been announced, ranging from $28.50 for the balcony and running up to $70.00 for the main auditorium seats. Tickets are available now from the GSPO’s website.