Sometimes our favorite game composers release little original treats for us to chew on inbetween games or after a long hiatus, such as Hip Tanaka’s recent release of his original chiptune album. Now it’s Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae’s turn to release her own original tunes.
Matsumae, in collaboration with music label Brave Wave Productions, unveils her first-ever original solo album THREE MOVEMENTS, which celebrates her thirty years of working as a composer in the video game industry. Matsumae’s career began in 1987 when she graduated from the Osaka University of Arts and joined Capcom’s Sound Production Department that same year. With THREE MOVEMENTS, she ventures into a new batch of chiptunes, trance and orchestral compositions, all stretched across three distinctive parts.
“By this point, I’ve created music for a number of video games. These songs come in a variety of genres, and I want everyone to listen to the different styles I’ve experienced throughout the years, which is why I ended up creating my album in this fashion.” – Manami Matsumae
The album is also inspired by a trip Matsumae and Brave Wave producer Mohammed Taher took to the Swiss Alps, using imagery captures by photographer Bao Hgo during the trip to influence the segments of the album itself.
“Unlike the typical solo album, this isn’t a genre album. Manami crosses chiptunes with everything from classical piano and SNES-inspired beats to melodically vague soundscapes and orchestral numbers. The music influenced our photography, and we toured around the Swiss Alps looking for the perfect shots.” – Mohammed Taher, Album Director
The solo album will be released on December 17th, thirty years after the release of the original Mega Man, and is currently available for pre-order on Bandcamp. The CD and vinyl will also be available to purchase on December 17th from the Brave Wave stores at Fangamer and Big Wax. The 2xLP vinyl gatefold is limited and individually signed by Manami Matsumae, and will include three exclusive tracks.
