Wipeout

Experimental, Music Production

Tim Wright’s Ch’illout” Album misses CD Release, on Digital in June

May 30, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | 1 Comment Share this

Ryan’s recent post on the Wipeout Omega Collection tracklist reminded me about my own Wipeout posts. Specifically, Psygnosis composer Tim Wright’s attempt at creating and producing an album of “chilled out” Wipeout remixes which has been in the works since, wow, December of 2015. Over the last year and a half the project has hit all the roadblocks you’d expect from a largely one-man production.

Through a series of updates on the official Ch’illout” facebook page Wright has relayed a job change that led to a move across continents, health problems, and most detrimental of all, a breakdown with the company handling the album’s physical production. With each announcement the date slipped farther and farther through 2016.

On May 18th Wright offered the latest update, admitting that the double disc CD release isn’t going to happen “at the moment”. The album is now lining up to release digitally alongside the Wipeout Omega Collection on PlayStation 4 in early June. Along with the sincere apology to those who pre-ordered the album, Wright offers all of his future digital music “for free for life” and hopes to be able to send out some kind of physical goods once the album is out; he mentions the gatefold poster that would’ve come bundled with the CD as a possibility.

At last count the album had grown to include 18 tracks, each one a slowed-down remix of Wright’s contributions to both the original Wipeout and Wipeout XL on PlayStation. Over the months Wright has released a few demo tracks on his Soundcloud page or you can take a listen above.

Full disclosure, I’m one of those folks who pre-ordered the album back when it was first announced. It’s disappointing to miss out on the physical release but I can appreciate the risk and challenges involved in bringing something like this out yourself. And the music’s still coming which is ultimately what I really wanted to begin with.
Experimental, Music Production

Update: Wipeout Remix Album Delayed to July

May 16, 2016 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Update: Wipeout Remix Album Delayed to July Share this

Previously in the saga of Tim Wright’s Wipeout remix album, the original release date had slipped from late March into late April thanks to an intercontinental relocation for the composer and his family. Now that it’s mid-May and we still haven’t seen a release he’s issued another update detailing the woes of creating a physical product largely on his own.

“Doing these physical projects is a bit like giving birth I think. The reason mothers even consider having more than one child, given that it’s painful beyond belief, is because the human brain doesn’t actually remember pain that well, or so I read somewhere. In effect, the fun of having children outweighs the trauma and 9 months of feeling like you swallowed a beach ball.”

Yikes. The labor pains for Ch’illout” have been brought on by complications with the fulfillment company that’s pressing the 2-disc album and its accompanying mini-poster. A staff change has caused further delays on top of a renegotiated quote, increasing the cost as Wright puts it, “close to profitless”. He’s not increasing the price for those who pre-ordered the album but the situation has forced him to change his plans.

On the bright side, he’s taking the extra time to create even more tracks on top of the original fourteen and the whole album will be released digitally on Bandcamp ahead of schedule. Anyone who pre-ordered the physical album will also get a code to grab the digital version and there’ll be a period of exclusivity before it’s released to the general public.

Wright is clearly holding back some disdain for the fulfillment company in his email update which I won’t quote in full here. Suffice to say, he’s talking to other companies to see if they may be able to press and ship the album ahead of its new ETA in July. As a parting consolation he’s shared another sample from the album bringing us all 30 seconds closer to the eventual release.
Experimental, Game Music

Tim Wright Confirms Delay for Wipeout Remix Album

March 16, 2016 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Tim Wright Confirms Delay for Wipeout Remix Album Share this

Just about two weeks after publishing his first update, Tim Wright is back with a second post on his downtempo Wipeout remix album, Ch’illout”. In his previous update Wright mentioned that an intercontinental move was in store for he and his family and that he’d soon be working remotely from Switzerland. Understandably, this upheaval had the potential to push the Ch’illout” release beyond its promised date of March 31st… and it looks like it has.

“That teeny-tiny issue of moving here has indeed impacted completion. I had to move a week before I thought I would, so that put a lot of pressure on sorting out my main day job so that I could fly out earlier. This has added maybe a week to the proceedings, but nothing too worry-some,” Wright states in his update email.

The advanced move wasn’t the only thing that’s gotten in the way of the album release. “The company I’m using to produce the whole thing have told me they can’t fit me in until mid-late April now, as they have a large production run in front of my proposed job.”

There’s no time to sit on his hands until the production run begins. Wright adds that the album is “almost completely mastered now” and that work continues “finishing off those last few mixes”. He finishes off the update stating that his best guess is that he’ll begin final shipping to buyers in the last week of April.
Experimental, Game Music

Tim Wright Issues Update on Ch’illout” Remix Album

March 3, 2016 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Tim Wright Issues Update on Ch’illout” Remix Album Share this

Back in December, composer Tim Wright (aka CoLD SToRAGE) announced plans for a chilled out remix album of his tracks from the classic PlayStation racing series Wipeout. After a brief extension in January the pre-orders have officially been closed and Wright has sent out the first update on the project for anyone wondering when their CDs will arrive.

“The music is progressing really well. I’ve completed the compositional work, and the next couple of weeks will see me mastering and getting everything ready for shipping at the end of March.”

He goes on to add one “teeny-tiny” caveat: He and his family are moving from the UK to France and he’ll soon be working in Switzerland all while running a company and finishing the Ch’illout” album. There’s definitely potential for the album to slip past its current shipping date of March 31st so we’ll be back with an update as the end of the month draws closer.

Wright also provided a couple test render images produced by original Psygnosis artists that will feature on the album’s two-disc packaging and poster. Though pre-orders have closed the site currently offers interested parties an email address where they may still be able to purchase a copy of the album.
Experimental, Game Music

Tim Wright Puts the Brakes on Wipeout with Upcoming Chill Album

December 14, 2015 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Tim Wright Puts the Brakes on Wipeout with Upcoming Chill Album Share this

Who do we have to thank for Ch’illout”, the surprisingly chill remix album of original music from the Wipeout series? None other than Wipeout composer himself, Tim Wright (aka CoLD SToRAGE, Shadow of the Beast 2 & 3). As the story goes:

“I was driving home earlier in the year, and I started whistling a tune. It seemed very familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. When I arrived at home, I happened to glance at my game collection and my eyes landed upon the Wipeout 2097 box. It was then that I realized the melody was from ‘Operatique’, one of my music tracks from the original WipEout game. However… I’d been whistling it at a much slower pace, and that’s when the idea of a chilled or ambient mix took hold.”

He continues, “As an experiment, I took that very song and broke it down into it’s component parts, to develop a more moody piece. I was really pleased with the results, and decided to put it to my fan base for a reaction… thankfully it got the thumbs up!”

The experiment has blossomed into Ch’illout”, a forthcoming 2-disc, 14-track album of slowed-down and chilled mixes of Wright’s contributions to Wipeout and Wipeout XL. Take a listen to a work-in-progress track in the video above and get a peek at Wright’s production setup. Aside from the music the £18.96 (approximately $30) album will also feature guest artwork from original Wipeout artists on the 6-panel CD packaging and double sided poster. Those who pre-order before December 28th will also have a chance to win one of three copies of Strix Memoria, Tim Wright’s rearrangements of his work on the Commodore Amiga presented on a Psygnosis-shaped flash drive.

The album is expected to be finalized by March 31st, 2016 at which point orders will begin shipping. Being a passion project by Wright and his colleagues there are a few details you’ll want to check out on the official site before you plunk down your money. But don’t wait much longer, you only have until December 28th to pre-order and secure a physical copy.

[Disclaimer: I immediately pre-ordered this album for myself as I was writing this post]
Game Music, Indie Music

The Wipeout Legacy Perfect Lap Edition – Available Now

October 1, 2015 | Ryan Paquet | 1 Comment Share this

Shiryu has just released an album that is a culmination of his twenty years experimenting with the music of the Wipeout series. The album is titled The Wipeout Legacy Perfect Lap Edition and is a digital release collecting six albums, and just under six hours of music! This is how he describes his journey in creating this release:

I have stated this before but it is always nice to remember: There would not be Shiryu Music if not for “Wipeout”. It was the game and it’s sequels that stirred the already ongoing pot of wanting to know how to make those sounds. This special edition is a compilation of all my previous works, including all four original releases plus an “The Outer Haven Sessions” EP. I often wonder if this is my Magnum Opus… will I ever do something as great as these tracks in the future? Or like “Wipeout” my time shinning on stage is running out and I am destined to be forgotten? Time will tell. Hope you enjoy discovering or rediscovering these tracks, each filled with fond memories of the time I made them.” – Shiryu

The album is available on Shiryu Music’s bandcamp page for 15 Euros which is a bit under $20 USD. Also available for 2 Euros, is the EP The Wipeout Legacy: The Outer Haven Sessions which is his latest Wipeout creation and a perfect compliment to The Perfect Lap Edition. I now have the perfect music for my next road trip.

Are you a fan of the music from the Wipeout series?