Ian Luckey of Patient Corgi recently produced his largest compilation album of N64 covers with Tribute Album N64 , an eighty-seven-track album available for free on Bandcamp for any to purchase. I had the opportunity to chat with Ian Luckey, a.k.a. Patient Corgi, about his background in game music and how this massive tribute album ended up coming together.
The North American anniversary of the launch of the iconic Nintendo 64 console is coming up this Thursday, and it’s not going uncelebrated. The folks over at Patient Corgi (Super VG Christmas Party, SOUND WAVES: A Tribute to Ecco the Dolphin) decided to put together a massive fan tribute album to mark the momentous occasion!
Tribute Album 64 will be a huge 87-track mega album done by a large assortment of bands and musicians within the video game music community over five discs covering the greatest the Nintendo 64 had to offer us all.
“Some of the most beloved themes in all of video game history were born on this console from the minds of great composers like Koji Kondo, Grant Kirkhope, Robin Beanland, Kazumi Totaka, Graeme Norgate, and so many others. We’re incredibly thankful for the astounding number of talented bands and artists that have teamed up with us to pay tribute to the music of this iconic system, and I personally couldn’t be happier with the result. Be sure to check out the contributors’ websites for more great music (and the same goes for the original composers). Enjoy, and thanks for listening!”— Ian Luckey, Producer
If you’re a huge oldschool Sega fan like myself, then you are likely familiar with Ecco the Dolphin; the game where you take control of a lone bottlenose dolphin and swim the seven seas achieving everything from reuniting with your pod to battling aliens to being a time lord. (that last one is speculation)
If you’re equally a fan of the game’s music by Spencer Nilsen, Brian Cobourn, András Magyari and several others through the series, then you’ll be happy to learn of the new arrangement tribute album that just released. Sound Waves: A Tribute to Ecco the Dolphin is a rather large compilation of arranged tracks from several music pieces from across the franchise created by a large assortment of musicians and artists across the game music fandom. Groups such as Armcannon, Do a Barrel Roll, Kirby’s Dream Band and even individuals like composer Alexander Brandon (Dues Ex, Unreal Tournament) have all lent their skill to the huge 39-track, three-disk album.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the entire series, or you only played for five minutes on your friend’s Sega Channel before quitting in a fit of rage, Ecco the Dolphin made a distinct impression on gamers across the globe with its unexpected, immersive, and haunting world of marine exploration, aliens, and time travel. Once Colleen and I began thinking about how we wanted to follow-up our last compilation, Super VG Christmas Party, the unique ambiance of these soundtracks came to mind almost immediately. – Ian Luckey, Producer
What’s best is that the album is completely free for download! Check out the album’s Bandcamp page to grab the entire tribute and enjoy yourself some awesome marine music marvels.
Sound Waves: A Tribute to Ecco the Dolphin – Bandcamp
