Chillout

Game Music

Doni gives Streets of Rage 2 the Chill-out Treatment

March 23, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Doni gives Streets of Rage 2 the Chill-out Treatment Share this

Yuzo Koshiro’s soundtracks to Streets of Rage 1 and 2 made for defining moments in the sound of the Sega Genesis. They’re generally fast paced soundtracks and are even daunting to listen to at times, but on the latest EP release from electronic producer Doni, the familiar themes get slowed way down.

The Streets features five themes from Streets of Rage 2 remixed in a chill-out style with a bonus re-remix from RobKTA. “Go Straight” may be the most immediately familiar theme but the change in style is most apparent on “Alien Power”. The tune in the game feels appropriately spooky for the alien landscape it accompanies and quickly erupts with tinny percussion and an otherworldly synth. Doni manages to retain the melody and the overall vibe but smooths down the garish tones into something chill and pleasant.

I picture it as the stage music before the avenging heroes show up and kick things into action. Or maybe the music the thug above is listening to as he relaxes on a bench at the ballpark. The EP album is available now for $5 from Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play or you can stream it through Apple Music and Spotify. GameChops has also uploaded four of the six tracks in their entirety to YouTube if you need more than a quick sample before purchasing.
Miscellaneous, Reviews

Chill Out, Christmas Style: David Arkenstone’s Christmas Lounge (Review)

December 22, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

With the holidays in a full swing, and having just seen world music and World of Warcraft artist David Arkenstone perform this past weekend (more on that later this week), it seems as good a time as any to dig into some of his Christmas offerings. While Visions of Christmas is his latest holiday album, I did want to revisit his 2009 release, Christmas Lounge.

Just as the album title and this post title would suggest, this isn’t your typical David Arkenstone. Gone are the Celtic influences, small ensemble instrumentation, and even the unique aural storytelling that Arkenstone is known for. Instead, this is a serious electronic chillout album featuring David Arkenstone and arranger Seth Osburn.

Does the album fall flat, or does Arkenstone have a Christmas hit on his hands? Find out in our review after the jump! (more…)
Game Music

Sounds Promising: Chill SQ Samples On YouTube

May 12, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

So, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke (thanks for all of that, Cedille!). Chill SQ is coming out this month, and it’s sounding damn good. I suppose it helps that this kind of album is right up my alley. Square Enix has posted several (7, actually) minute-long samples from the album on YouTube, which covers everything from Seiken Denstsu, SaGa, Live a Live!, and Front Mission to Final Fantasy IV, V and VI. It’s good to see more variety compared to last year’s Love SQ.

And after all that talk of variety, I have to say that the English trance version of “Aria” from Final Fantasy VI and the funky version of “Theme of Love” from Final Fantasy IV sound quite promising. I’m also excited to see Mitsuto Suzuki handling SaGa, and the Live A Live! track sounds pretty sweet as well. I’m definitely looking forward to this album on May 26. And how about that cover art?

The samples are currently availalbe on Square Enix’s official YouTube channel.

What do you think of the samples that Square Enix has posted to YouTube? Which track is shaping up to be your favorite?
Game Music

UPDATE: 4-Disc FFXIII Soundtrack Not Enough, Plus Chill SQ

March 31, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 11 Comments Share this

Yes, if the newly added entries on VGMdb are legit, Square Enix has two new albums slated for a May 26, 2010 release. The first is the interestingly titled Final Fantasy XIII Original Soundtrack -PLUS-, which would seemingly expand upon the amazing 4-disc soundtrack that was released in January. Some have already taken notice that this naming convention, “-PLUS-,” is similar to the Final Fantasy IX Original Sound -PLUS- album that featured many of that game’s cutscene tracks. Will this one be similar?

Also listed is Chill SQ, which we can only guess is a follow-up to Love SQ, which we reviewed last year. From the name, we figure it will focus on relaxing chillout music rather than the upbeat arrangements we heard in Love SQ. Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to finding out more about it!

What do you make of these new releases? Are you looking forward to one over the other?

UPDATE: So, is this an April Fool’s joke or not? We’ve been on a wild goose hunt all morning thanks to Cedille’s shenanigans, but these look to be real releases. Check out Square Enix’s official FFXIII -PLUS- website and Cedille’s comments for more information.
Demoscene, Reviews

Jap Jap: A Monotonik Discovery (Review)

March 27, 2009 | Robert Halvarsson | 3 Comments Share this Jap Jap: A Monotonik Discovery (Review)

Jap Jap is an electroncia moniker for Dutch resident Jasper Boer. Behind him is veteran net-label Monotonik, famous for their output of excellent releases of all things idm and electronica. When Monotonik is in the news I pay attention, and to my mind the EP A resonant discovery is one of their greater releases over the years. Containing a dreamy and colorful cast of songs this free EP will hopefully find it’s way to music-lovers everywhere.

Find out more about this excellent release after the jump (more…)