The OneUps have just released their seventh studio album, appropriately titled “Part Seven”. The OneUps are a video game music cover band that performs arrangements of a wide variety of music, oftentimes in variations of jazz and rock styles. Their latest album, released just prior to this past MAGFest last month, continues this trend with new covers in a funk rock style. It includes a nice selection of songs, including some fairly familiar ones and some less so. Read on for the full review.
In many ways, this event was my favorite of the ones I have attended, it combined what I loved about Symphonic Shades with its diversity in style along the prestige and importance that Symphonic Fantasies offered. Most importantly, they dared to be a bit different and gave us exclusive takes on so many familiar songs, takes that will never fade in our memories due to being so different. It was a dream come true and a true gift to my life that I could be in attendance, one that I will always cherish and remember.
Back in September of 2010, this was my closing thoughts on Symphonic Legends, the Nintendo themed symphonic concert that took place in Cologne by the same team that has given us Symphonic Shades and Fantasies. Symphonic Legends was a musical treasure and dreamlike evening filled with some of the greatest selection of video game music, and now it was time to grace the city of Stockholm with the event just in time to celebrate the arrival of summer. But this was more than just a reprise…
Read about LEGENDS after the jump! (more…)
LEGENDS is now only a few weeks away and like the weather that is currently gracing the fine continent of Europe, things are heating up for the Nintendo based concert. Taking place in Stockholm on the 1st of June, LEGENDS will revisit the world of Nintendo’s vast music library, much like concert of 2010 before it, Symphonic Legends. However, this won’t be exactly the same concert as the German audience heard. LEGENDS will be an all new experience, showcasing all new arrangements with familiar tunes and motifs, and for the people who traveled to Cologne last year, the experience of LEGENDS will be just as exciting as it will for the all new ears in attendance.
To give the audience a bit of insight into what to expect and what goes into the process of arranging the legendary music, LEGENDS has for weeks posted updates from the arrangers Jonne Valtonen, Roger Wanamo and Masashi Hamauzu about their thoughts and feelings on the different pieces they are working on. With the final announcement posted, you can now read all the updates in English!
Read all the comments from the LEGENDS staff after the jump! (more…)
September rolled around again and it was now time for me to begin my journey to Cologne once again, in what has become a new tradition to me over the last few years. A tradition that leaves me with more wonderful memories and heartfelt moments with each year that passes. Last year the German hot spot offered the world Symphonic Fantasies which celebrated 4 different franchises from game juggernaut Square Enix. The concert and its subsequent CD release was hailed worldwide as one of, if not the finest symphonic event ever dedicated to video games. With such praise and respect, the excitement when WDR announced they would be holding an event this year was astronomical. What would they be performing this year?
The answer turned out to be Nintendo. The kid inside me sprung into the air upon hearing this as the company and games that I grew up with would now be performed live by an orchestra, some games for the very first time. I loaded up my music player with Super Mario Bros, Super Metroid and Fabio’s After Dark poem CD, which was for reasons that may never be spoken of.
So join me as I travel back to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe for another unforgettable event! (more…)
