Sony

Anime

Otakon 2009: A Casual Sit-Down with Becca

July 21, 2009 | Don Kotowski | 1 Comment Share this

I recently went to Otakon to see a few concerts and interview a couple people. One of which is Portland, Oregon native, Becca. During the interview, I found out that she’s becoming a bigger fan of anime since doing some voice work in Ultraviolet: Code 044, loves the fashion sense in the Harajuki district of Tokyo, and wants to visit Mt. Fuji next time she goes.

Although she has yet to debut in the United States, she’s becoming more popular in Japan, set to release her second album there soon. Check the break for a bit of history and an in-depth look at some of her work and some advice she gives other artists looking to follow in her footsteps! (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

inFAMOUS Gets Famous With Amon Tobin on iTunes (Review)

June 26, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on inFAMOUS Gets Famous With Amon Tobin on iTunes (Review) Share this

I’m a big fan of Amon Tobin, so when it was announced that he was involved with inFAMOUS, I was immediately intrigued. Interestingly, this isn’t Tobin’s first game project, as he was also involved with the Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory soundtrack. While I’m not familiar with that work, he certainly manages to pull off a more cinematic style with inFAMOUS that contrasts with his solo work.

It also turns out that Tobin didn’t work alone on the inFAMOUS score, although his name has been used extensively to promote the game’s soundtrack. There is actually a large list of artists involved, including Jim Dooley, Mel Wesson, JD Mayer, Martin Tillman, and Working for a Nuclear Free City. A big team for sure, but each of their individual styles truly meld into a cohesive listening experience through the 20 tracks on this iTunes release.

Our review of the inFAMOUS Original Soundtrack is waiting for you after the jump. (more…)
Anime, Japanese

The US Debut of Kalafina, Yuki Kajiura’s Songstress Project: Album Release and Live Performance

May 15, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | 8 Comments Share this

I am a huge fan of Yuki Kajiura’s work on the Xenosaga series, although I admit I’m not overly familiar with her expansive credits in the anime industry. Back in 2007, Kajiura went on a hunt for some talented singers for her projects, creating Kalafina. Since then, the group has gone on to release a number of charting singles, and back in March, they released their first studio album in Japan, Seventh Heaven.

Well, we have some good news for Kalafina’s US fans, as Seventh Heaven is now available on iTunes, Napster, and other digital outlets. Even more, Kalafina will be performing and taking part in an autograph session at the Anime Boston convention later this month, so we’ll be sure to have more coverage of the group in the coming weeks. While there hasn’t been an announcement regarding a physical release of Seventh Heaven in the United States, it’s great that Sony is thinking of Kalafina’s Western audience.

Have you been following Yuki Kajiura’s Kalafina project? Do you have a favorite single from the group, and are you interested in seeing them live in Boston later this month?
Game Music

GDC 2009: Interview With Gerard Marino and Carmen Rizzo

April 21, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on GDC 2009: Interview With Gerard Marino and Carmen Rizzo Share this

Here we are with the last of our coverage to come out of GDC 2009. I’m honestly still recovering from the five day conference last month, but it surely was a lot of fun. On the final day of the conference, we were able to sit down with Gerard Marino and Carmen Rizzo to discuss their panel and talk about the game they’ve been busily working on over this past year.

As more information about this title becomes available, you can bet we’ll be covering it as the music sounds absolutely amazing. In the meantime, enjoy our discussion about blending musical styles, the potential for collaboration in the future, and Rizzo’s thoughts on digital versus physical distribution and film and games in general. The infamous Gerard Marino holiday party Guitar Hero contest where I supposedly “hustled” (or beat) him also comes up, so be sure to check that out. We already knew Gerard was awesome, but I hope gamers come to know Carmen Rizzo’s music as he’s extremely talented and a cool guy all around.

Read our interview with the duo after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

My New Favorite Soundtrack: LittleBIGMusic (LittleBIGReview)

December 17, 2008 | Patrick Gann | 6 Comments Share this

I couldn’t be more pleased about this release. One of the greatest things about Media Molecule’s hit game LittleBigPlanet for PlayStation 3 is the strange feeling of cohesion between all its elements. The gameplay mechanics, the “build-your-own-world,” the visuals, and the audio all seem to blend and swirl in some sort of watered-down psychadelic trip that could only come from the minds of 21st century British artists and programmers. I had hoped that a separate soundtrack would be published for this title. Behold, it has!

After the jump, check out our “little big review” for the music to LittleBigPlanet! (more…)