Interviews

Featured, Game Music, Indie Music

INTERVIEW with Composer Robyn Miller on the Obduction Soundtrack

August 29, 2016 | Ryan Paquet | Comments Off on INTERVIEW with Composer Robyn Miller on the Obduction Soundtrack Share this

Last week we reported on the release of the soundtrack to Obduction a new game from Cyan Worlds, the creators of the original classic games Myst and Riven. Robyn Miller composed the music for Obduction and he graciously took the time to talk to Original Sound Version about composing the score.

In our interview Robyn Miller provides insight on how he became a part of the project, his approach to scoring the game, and his favorite tracks on the album. He also answers a question I’ve had for years about the Cyan introduction music. Read on for our extensive interview and listen to tracks from the score that formed part of our discussion.

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Featured, Game Music

VGM Vinyl Talk with Data Discs (Interview)

August 3, 2015 | Brenna Wilkes | 3 Comments Share this

Last month, I took a look at the recent prevalence of video game music being released on vinyl records. The idea that older game music is being re-released onto a audio medium that was on its way out by the time the NES was dominating the gaming market was a fascinating concept, and I wanted to look deeper into it.

I was fortunate to be contacted by the fine people of Data Discs, who pride themselves as being the first record label solely dedicated to releasing video game soundtracks to vinyl. Having recently released licensed record OSTs for Streets of Rage and Shenmue, I was curious to learn more about this business and what goes into the process of getting classic game soundtracks onto a classic format such as vinyl, and they were gracious enough to answer some of my questions.

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Featured, Game Music

Interview with Americana Dawn’s Composer Shnabubula

December 8, 2014 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Interview with Americana Dawn’s Composer Shnabubula Share this

With the Kickstarter for the JRPG Americana Dawn by indie developers Bit-Bonton chugging along, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to get ahold of the composer for the soundtrack; Samuel “Shnabubula” Ascher-Weiss!

The artist known as Shnabubula, for those who don’t know, is an amazing pianist and chiptune artist who has produced several albums, including NES Jams, Starbound and Fading Light. He also worked on the original, much smaller Kickstarter for Americana Dawn: Civilized Folk.

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Featured, Game Music

Interview with Ragnar Tørnquist re: Dreamfall Chapters & its Music

September 9, 2014 | Patrick Gann | 1 Comment Share this

A little over a week ago, OSV ran a story regarding Red Thread Games, the studio behind the upcoming Dreamfall Chapters, and a fan-requested music submission contest they had put together. We posted this article based on incomplete information; it didn’t take long before a storm hit our comments section, some sharply criticizing our site, others doubling down in an ill opinion of Red Thread Games.

Now, we at OSV generally don’t hold Masters or PhDs in Communication or Journalism, but we do pride ourselves on getting the story straight, even if that means having to give it a second go. It’s within that spirit that we now present to you our interview with Ragnar Tørnquist, director of Dreamfall Chapters and founder of Red Thread Games. I urge you to read it, especially if you were disappointed by the music contest’s existence and/or cancellation and all the rumors floating around it. We hope to set everything straight in this interview. (more…)
Chip Music, Featured, Film, Game Music, Indie Music, Music Production

Game Audio Documentary ‘Beep’ is Looking For Backing on Kickstarter

August 25, 2014 | Michael Hoffmann | 1 Comment Share this

Creators of a new game documentary have launched a Kickstarter. The project titled Beep is intending to take a look at the history of game music and sound. Everything from the old school sounds of arcade games all the way to the games of today. The focus isn’t just on the music of these games. The documentary will also be an exploration of audio design, voice work, and the use of chiptune and other game sound technology outside of the gaming medium. A book will also accompany the documentary to supply more detailed information about the various subjects covered in the film.

There are already plans for interviews with major members of the game audio community. Raising money through Kickstarter will aid the creators in being able to travel and interview composers and sound designers. Several composers have already been named for interviews including Tommy Tallarico, Winifred Phillips, Shota Nakama, Peter McConnell, and many more.

Rewards for backers include copies of the documentary, book, soundtrack, t-shirts, and many other physical rewards. The Kickstarter has already raised over $15,000 of the needed $40,000 pledge goal. If this sounds like a project you’d like to see made, definitely check this Kickstarter out.
Game Music

Return of Hiryu – Strider 2014 OST (Review & Interview)

March 19, 2014 | Brenna Wilkes | Comments Off on Return of Hiryu – Strider 2014 OST (Review & Interview) Share this

It has to be hard to have to be the person who is tasked with creating the soundtrack to a remake of a beloved classic game. The expectations are high from the studio creating the game and even higher from the fandom of the original. Will you have the same tracks as the original game arranged? Will you make completely new tracks? Will it be a similar style as the old game or something radically different? Or will it be any combination of these traits? It certainly cannot be an enviable position to be in and have such pressures weighing you down.

However when it came to composing the soundtrack for the updated Strider game from Double Helix Games, Michael John Mollo took the ball from original Strider composer Junko Tamiya, ran with it, and didn’t look back.

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Game Music

Turrican Soundtrack Anthology: Review w/ Chris Huelsbeck Interview

December 21, 2013 | Brenna Wilkes | 4 Comments Share this

It’s been an interesting year for video game revivals. So many classic games and franchises of the late 1980s and early ’90s have gained new attention in form of remakes, re-releases and re-imaginings.

Last year, the Turrican series received its own revival in the form of a push by series composer Chris Huelsbeck to completely rearrange and re-record pretty much the entirety of the music of the Turrican game’s soundtracks. Praised as some of Huelsbeck’s best work in video game music composition, the futuristic melodies and powerful soundwork has survived through the years in the hearts of fans and the works of fellow composers who were inspired by Huelsbeck’s work with the series. Armed with such appeal in mind, as well as a personal desire to revisit the soundtracks he’d created two decades earlier, Huelsbeck sought to make his dream of reworking the Turrican soundtracks using updated recording technology and orchestral backing by the WDR Radio Orchestra Cologne (who had performed the Turrican tribute Symphonic Shades for Huelsbeck). For such an undertaking, however, he would need fan support. Thus, a Kickstarter was created in April of 2012 to help fund the project.

And boy, did it get funded. Within it’s first week, over two-thirds of the project’s $75,000 requested budget had been secured through fan pledges. In the end, the Kickstarter had produced over 200% of it’s original goal, with a total pledged amount of $175,000. It had become one of the most successful Kickstarter drives in the crowd-funding site’s history at the time, and certainly meant Huelsbeck could achieve his dream and thensome.

And on November 26th, over a year and a half after the project’s successful funding, the Turrican Soundtrack Anthology was completed and released to its adoring fans.

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