Video Game Grooves

Blog post link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/06/27/b-side-giovanni-rotondo-8-bit-time-adventures-the-legendary-decks

In a special "B-side" interview, we sit down with composer and creative renaissance man Giovanni Rotondo to talk about the third in his latest project to come to vinyl, The 8-bit Time Capsule at Enjoy the Ride Records. This third release of the 8-bit Time Adventures series adds another mashup of video game time and space to the series that already include a Paradox and a Machine. And because it's pretty far out there, we've got to talk about it before we put it on the turntable!

Giovanni describes some of his film score work and "speculative" music, shares his own background with video games and modern media storytelling, and explains how that background has fed into his recent video game projects and collaborations with other artists. We also get to hear about another foray into the world of physical musical media and storytelling, The Legendary Decks. We discuss some of the interactivity and programmatic options in the history of vinyl and in the future with projects like The Legendary Decks and what might be possible in the future.

The 8-bit Time Capsule (and represses of The 8-bit Time Paradox and The 8-bit Time Machine) are available at Enjoy the Ride Records now.

Find more of Giovanni's work at https://giovannirotondo.com/linkinbio

Join Giovanni's Discord server to be in touch with him and his community, and learn about new projects before everyone else! https://discord.gg/29pTP4p2Bk

Twitter: @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont @grotondoMusic

https://enjoytheriderecords.com/collections/enjoy-the-ride-records/products/the-8-bit-time-capsule-etr180

https://enjoytheriderecords.com/collections/enjoy-the-ride-records/products/the-8-bit-time-machine-etr129

https://enjoytheriderecords.com/collections/enjoy-the-ride-records/products/the-8-bit-time-paradox-ett017

Blog Link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/06/22/episode-106-kaze-no-notam-notam-of-wind-jet-lancer-mat-ombler

Up, up and away, in our beautiful balloon! Luxuriate in the wind, in our beautiful balloon!

We are joined by first-time guest cohost Mat Ombler from the GXM Podcast, lover of math rock (or was it numbercore?) to feature some very noticeable and discoverable albums. First, we tap into that balloon-DJ lifestyle with Kaze no NOTAM, also known as NOTAM of Wind. This aeronautic oddity is simultaneously chill and kickin, cerebral and meditative, and it's just not something we expected to exist. We spend some time appreciating Artdink as a studio and as a "Sound Team", which is the only credit offered for this one-of-a-kind soundtrack. The record can still be imported from Japan, but is it worth the trouble? Next, we climb into the cockpit of Jet Lancer, a "Luftrauser-like" which adopts a sound that's far different from the Robotech-esque looking style and jetting gameplay. Mat shows us an example of how the game's mathy sounds can either get our toes tapping or emotionally drain us with sheer brute force. St. Louis duo Fat Bard works overtime to give us the best of what math nerds demand.

We cover recent releases and offer our opinions on their relative worth (links below) and in our final segment we discuss whether vinyl is actually a good medium for discovery of music, or whether it always has to follow a noticeable moment on a digital playlist.

Outro: "The Black Knight" - Jet Lancer, by Fat Bard

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello, @matombler

GXM Podcast: Twitter, Linktree

Release Links

Suikoden II (Ship To Shore PhonoCo.)

   https://shiptoshoremedia.com/products/suikoden-ii-original-video-game-soundtrack

Gradius Gaiden (Ship To Shore PhonoCo.)

https://shiptoshoremedia.com/products/gradius-gaiden

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus (Laced Records)

https://www.lacedrecords.co/products/warhammer-40-000-mechanicus-deluxe-double-vinyl

Dragon Age: Selections From The Original Soundtrack (Spacelab9)

   https://spacelab9.com/products/dragon_age

Citizen Sleeper (Lost In Cult Records)(Stumpy Frog Records)

https://www.lostincult.co.uk/shop/p/citizenvinyl

https://www.stumpyfrog.com/sfr10

Airborne Kingdom (Mana Wave Media)

https://manawave.co/products/airborne-kingdom

LISA: Pain & Joy (Serenity Forge)

https://store.serenityforge.com/products/lisa-pain-joy-2xlp-vinyl-soundtrack

Neversong (Serenity Forge)

   https://store.serenityforge.com/products/neversong-1xlp-vinyl-soundtrack

Detroit: Become Human Vol. 3 (Quantic Dream)

https://shop.quanticdream.com/products/detroit-become-human-original-soundtrack-volume-3

Video Game LoFi: NieR Automata (Curaga Records)

https://floopy.bandcamp.com/album/video-game-lofi-nier-automata

Lame Genie Presents: Turtles In Time The Metal Album (Deep South Minneapolis Records)

https://dsmrecords.net/product/865003

You Are Filled With Determination (Undertale ska arrangement) (Fangamer)

https://www.fangamer.com/collections/undertale/products/skatune-network-undertale-vinyl

Mega Remix Man (2).EXE (Firaga Records)

https://roborobmusic.bandcamp.com/album/mega-remix-man-2-exe-2

Knockout City (Velan Studio)

https://thekoyostore.com/collections/knockout-city/products/knockout-city-original-game-soundtrack-3xlp

Soup's On (The 7th Guest & The 11th Hour arrangement album) | Two Guys Records | €50-200 (Kickstarter)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/twoguysrecords/soups-on-music-from-the-7th-guest-and-the-11th-hour-on-vinyl

Media Gallery

Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/05/24/episode-105-street-fighter-alpha-3-blaseball-discipline

It has been a spell, but in the spirit of of a timeless thing that is happening again for the first time, we have returned. And we've brought something special with us from the great unknown: video game music on vinyl record! This episode features Street Fighter Alpha 3, and we're pretty sure this is the final entry of all the Street Fighter vinyl that will ever exist, forever. Anthony appreciates the departures the game makes stylistically and musically from the rest of the series, observing that the game arrived at a particular technological and artistic nexus, and perhaps the Gameboy Advance game was truly the best version overall. Jeremy then gets out his wild-eyed conspiracy board persona to discuss the weirdest cultural event that has never ceased, with the iam8bit release of Blaseball: Discipline. Most of this segment is pretty breathless and confounding, but maybe you can learn a thing about the unfathomable energy and circumstance of Blaseball. Or if nothing else, listen to some cool music by The Garages.

We then cover the new releases (from a few weeks ago, regrettably, but many are still available!) and we discuss the question that really should have been asked from the beginning: is there anything that is just too weird to go into your collection, or admit to anybody you know?

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello

Release Links

Devil May Cry (Laced Records)

   https://www.lacedrecords.co/collections/devil-may-cry/products/devil-may-cry-limited-edition-deluxe-x4lp-boxset

   https://www.lacedrecords.co/collections/devil-may-cry/products/devil-may-cry-deluxe-x4lp-boxset

   https://www.lacedrecords.co/collections/devil-may-cry/products/devil-may-cry-deluxe-double-vinyl

Mega Man Battle Network 3 (Ship to Shore Media)

https://shiptoshoremedia.com/products/mega-man-battle-network-3-original-video-game-soundtrack

Virtua Fighter (Cartridge Thunder)

   https://cartridgethunder.com/products/virtua-fighter-original-game-soundtrack

Victoria 3 + Victoria 3: Melodies for the Masses (Paradox Interactive)

   https://vinyl.victoria3game.com/

Batman (NES arrangement) (Hello Sir Records)

   https://hellosirrecords.com/batman.html

Rebirth + Despair (NieR:Automata arrangement) (Mango Mage Records)

   https://www.mangomagerecords.com/products/rebirth-and-despair

Earthbound Papas - Dancing Dad (Dragon Memories)

   https://www.dragonmemories.com/products/2-vinyls-33t-cd-dancing-dad-nobuo-uematsu-earthbound-papas

The Fantastic Adventures Of Dizzy (8bit Is Enough)

   https://8bitisenough.com/products/fantastic-adventures-of-dizzy

They Are Billions (Microids Records) (Light in the Attic)

https://microidsrecords.com/en/products/they-are-billions-original-game-soundtrack-1

https://lightintheattic.net/releases/9625-they-are-billions-original-game-soundtrack

Arkanoid: Eternal Battle (Microids Records) (Light in the Attic)

   https://microidsrecords.com/en/products/arkanoid-eternal-battle-official-game-soundtrack

   https://lightintheattic.net/releases/9626-arkanoid-eternal-battle-original-game-soundtrack

The Many Pieces Of Mr. Coo 7" (game bundle) (Meridiem Games, Amazon)

Switch: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0C28BLQCG

PS5: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0C289CDQK

Scourge Of The Underkind (Eleventh Hour Games)

   https://www.a1200.net/shop/scourge-of-the-underkind-vinyl-gatefold/

THE LO-FI ONSLAUGHT CONTINUES

Zeldawave: Temples (Midwest Collective)

   https://marblepawns.bandcamp.com/album/--2

Needlemouse Mania (Sonic arrangement) (Firaga Records)

   https://robkta.bandcamp.com/album/needlemouse-mania

Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/04/12/episode-104-sonic-frontiers-the-music-of-starfall-islands

Occasionally the weird world of video game music presents us with something on vinyl that is so confounding, we simply have to talk about it. This is the case for today's episode as we dedicate this show to a box set with is truly special and wholly unexpected: Sonic Frontiers: The Music of Stafall Islands, by Tomoya Ohtani. The Data Discs release captures Anthony's heart and bends Jeremy's head as we try to make heads or tails of the gravitas and the quiet power of one of the best(?!) games of 2022. As we glide through the musical movements of the in-game islands, we hear from the composer's notes about the cultural flavors he aimed for, the musicians of past Sega games that contributed, and the existential miasma of fishing with Big the Cat. We will probably not be the same after this show.

We also cover new releases and announcements in the world of video game music on vinyl, and we end on a rather downer note as we reflect on the recent announcement of the significant downsizing of Mondo after it was bought by Funko last year. Is there something educational or even positive that might come from it? Probably not.

Outro: "Theme of Starfall Islands" - Tomoya Ohtani, Sonic Frontiers

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello

https://www.youtube.com/@TomoyaOhtaniChannel

Release Links

Suikoden (Ship to Shore) (Black Screen Records) (Very OK Vinyl) (Chipfreq)

  https://shiptoshoremedia.com/collections/featured/products/suikoden

Time Once Lost (Majora's Mask arrangement) (Mango Mage Records)

https://www.mangomagerecords.com/products/time-once-lost

Sifu (Laced Records)

  https://www.lacedrecords.co/products/sifu-deluxe-double-vinyl

Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection (Konami Shop)

  https://officialkonamishop.com/collections/vinyl-records/products/arcade-classics-anniversary-collection-lp-video-game-soundtrack

Final Vendetta (Bitmap Brigade)

https://shop.bitmapbureau.com/products/final-vendetta-original-sound-track-double-vinyl

The Last Spell (Kid Katana Records) (The Algorithm, Bandcamp)

https://kidkatana.com/shop/the-last-spell-ost-standard-vinyl-edition

   https://kidkatanarecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-spell-original-game-soundtrack

p e r s o n a (Wizard of Loneliness, Halcyon Tapes)

https://halcyontapes.bandcamp.com/album/p-e-r-s-o-n-a

Represses/Reissues

The Order 1886

   https://atthemoviesshop.com/products/the-order-1886

From_. piano works

   https://qrates.com/projects/27025-from_-piano-works-vinyl-edition

Image Gallery

Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/03/31/episode-103-last-ninja-2-kings-chill-vol-1

When time is a flat circle, the turntable of continuity brings familiar things around again. This is the case with today's episode as we plumb the depths of gaming nostalgia with Troels Pleimert, the Space Quest Historian. In this episode, we finally get a chance to talk about the Commodore 64 tour-de-force ninja simulator, Last Ninja 2 by Matt Gray. Our discussion reminds us that 30+ years ago, truly pioneering things were happening in the gaming space and in the music space that still echo in creativity today. Also we learn that ninjas and New York City were (and remain) the cultural touchstones of many a 1980s kid, wherever that 80s kid may be. We continue by vibing along to King's Chil Vol. 1, produced by Troels and Two Guys Records. We hear about the unusual origin of the album, the talented community that stepped up to create it, and learn a thing or two about floppy diskettes and seagull butts.

We continue with the new releases for the month, including some that have quickly been snapped up and still a few others that are calling to you to give them a forever home. The fare has been lighter than expected this year, but don't expect that to last!

Finally, we discuss the notable difficulty that music from games in the MS-DOS platform era have had being represented on vinyl. Troels discusses difficulties and opportunities in that vinyl space, and gives Video Game Grooves listeners advance notice of an upcoming crowdfunding project that will interest a number of PC gamers and FMV fans.

Outro: "Oracle (Infinite Knowledge Remix)" - Brandon Blume, King's Chill Vol.1

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello, @sqhistorian, @error47band

http://youtube.com/spacequesthistorian

http://www.error47.band

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Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/02/28/episode-102-best-of-2022-frederik-blipblop-lauridsen

This year we're sliding into your DMs (that's "decorationary meetings") with a brand-new undercarriage holding up the edifice of the best video game music on vinyl record released in 2022! That's right, we're doing this thing like a real awards show, reminding you of all the best stuff from absolutely ages ago. Bu the good part is that not only are we presiding over the best releases of the year that was 2022, but we have taken your votes all the way up to the end of December, and this year it's getting real.

As we are accustomed at these functions, we are joined by Frederik Lauridsen of Blipblop.net to choose the panel's favorite releases, and to count down your top 5 (or 10) ((or 11)) video game vinyl releases so that the will of the people shall be known. Thank you for voting, and thank you for listening!

Outro: "Victory Fanfare" - Octopath Traveler, by Yasunori Nishiki

http://www.blipblop.net/

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello, @blipblopwax

Oh you want to skip to the good stuff? It's a secret to everybody.

Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2023/01/31/episode-101-parasite-eve-pixeljunk-eden-2/

Our podcast returns in the year that is and will be 2023! We open with features of one of Anthony's all-time wishlist items (in unofficial off-the-back-of-some-guy's-vinyl-truck form), Parasite Eve. We reflect on the oddity of this memorable Square Enix PS1 title, both in its plot and its development, as well as Yoko Shimomura's dynamic snare drum skills. Is it possible to make this into a "lofi beats to study to" album? We weigh in. Next we shift subtly into the dreamythumpy sounds of Q-Games' Pixeljunk Eden 2, and the fingerprints of electronic artist Baiyon are all over it. We flash back to 2008 when the original Pixeljunk Eden came out and discuss the zeitgeist around the game, and reflect on the singularly simple mechanics and zone-out vibe. Jeremy discusses his desire for Eden-inspired wall art, and the after-market price of the game suddenly changes during recording.

We look at the "mercifully short" list of releases so far in January, although several big box sets (possibly from Japan!) are looming out there ready to grab your wallet and choke it to death.

Finally, we look at a recent article asking the question "did the music business just kill the vinyl revival", and we talk about whether the hobby is in a slump, a recession, or whether it's the nature of the beast. (Original article here.)

Glad to have you back in 2023! Niche team, unite!

Outro: "Se Il Mio Amore Sta Vincino - CM Version" - Parasite Eve, by Yoko Shimomura

The Quietus, on the topic of materials advances: https://thequietus.com/articles/31382-green-eco-vinyl

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello

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Gallery

Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2022/12/26/episode-100-streets-of-rage-4-mr-x-nightmare-traveler-journey-symphony-2022-in-review

Scene: an idyllic cabin on the wooded hilltop, piled high with fresh snow. Inside, the glow of a fire illuminates festive nerds surrounded by bearskin rugs, wooly blankets, mugs of mulled cider, and a pile of video game music on vinyl. Their highly-tuned ears mistake the light sounds of snowfall for surface noise on their records, and they fastidiously brush nonexistent imperfections from their prized vinyl in the quest for audio perfection which can never be achieved. And yet all is merry and bright, because the Video Game Grooves podcast is back for the final episode of 2022!

While we look forward to tabulating our favorites of the year in coming months, we are joined by Tom Quillfeldt of Laced Records to recap the numbers and preside over the facts and feelings about the year that was. But before we do, we discuss a couple of releases that we just have to blab about. First, Anthony features Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare, by Tee Lopes, which is the over-the-top banger-filled musical expansion to the brawler's recent revival. Everyone thrills to the fact that the soundtrack is nothing but hero tracks, but we somehow find a way to single out a couple to feature and we discuss Lopes dynamism, the "maximalist" style used in this release, and speculate where that kind of approach might also be used in the video game music scene. We slide over next to Traveler: A Journey Symphony, by Austin Wintory, which is a Wintory-on-Wintory adaptation of the celebrated thatgamecompany Jawa simulator from a decade hence. But does everyone celebrate it, or are our Journey feelings more complicated than that? We explore and make our way toward the distant mountain... of feelings.

Finally we get to the number-crunching and backward-looking for this year. Although we do not pick our favorites (yet), we take a look at some of the trends in genre, publisher, franchise, and other little statistical extractions that we make, thanks to some help from blipblop.net. We hope everyone has a wonderful close to 2022 and we'll see you in 2023!

Outro: "Aerial Justice" - Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare, by Tee Lopes

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Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2022/11/25/episode-99-symphony-of-zeal-art-of-rally

As we drift through the festal season of the year, Video Game Grooves returns like some kind of semi-mythic fae village which serves as the object of various musicmaking... Could be Zeal, could be Brigadoon, who can say? At any rate we are back with special guest Chehade Boulos from Mana Wave Media to see what he's been up to, lo these many years. And it turns out he's been quite busy, and we're excited to look at a couple of projects he contributed to! First, we explore the wonder and mystery of Symphony of Zeal, the symphonic adaptation of Chrono Trigger originally produced by Malcolm Robinson. We may just be confirming suspicions that this is a Chrono podcast disguised as a game music vinyl show, but what the heck, we like it. We take a moment to reflect on our discussion topic mid-selection: the relative high standard of quality control that we have enjoyed in the midst of huge production delays and resource scarcity. We then turn a tight corner and head into the turn with Art of Rally, which is simultaneously a casual car-racing time-trial game but also a hardcore education about rally racing by way of a speculative alternate history. And did we mention the music by composer Tatreal is super chill and awesome?

There's also plenty of new releases this season and a lot of stuff is shipping to you, so we take some time to remind you about all of that, and we hope your season-so-far is merry, bright, and filled with game music on vinyl record! We sure ❤️ that, don't you?

Outro: "Last Battle" - Symphony of Zeal, by Malcolm Robinson

Manawave Media website

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello, @manawavemedia

Links:

Kind Words (Mana Wave)

   https://manawave.co/products/kind-words-lp

Lifeless Planet (Serenity Forge)

   https://store.serenityforge.com/products/lifeless-planet-1xlp-vinyl-soundtrack

Final Fantasy XI 20th Anniversary Best Selection (Square Enix)

   https://store.jp.square-enix.com/item/SQEX_10964.html

Bravely Default (Square Enix Music)

   https://store.jp.square-enix.com/item/SQEX_10969.html

Various iam8bit releases

   https://www.iam8bit.com/collections/black-friday

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocture (Fangamer)

   https://www.fangamer.com/collections/shin-megami-tensei-iii-nocturne/products/shin-megami-tensei-iii-nocturne-vinyl-soundtrack-box-set

A Plague Tale: Requiem (Black Screen Records)

   https://blackscreenrecords.com/collections/all-releases/products/a-plague-tale-requiem

Tunic (Stumpy Frog x Mango Mage)

   https://www.mangomagerecords.com/products/tunic-original-game-soundtrack-4lp-vinyl-box-set

Konami Lofi Beats To Chill To (Ship To Shore PhonoCo.)

   https://shiptoshoremedia.com/collections/featured/products/konami-lofi

The Ninjawarriors (Ship To Shore PhonoCo.)

   https://shiptoshoremedia.com/products/ninjawarriors

Rogue Legacy (Fangamer)

   https://www.fangamer.com/products/rogue-legacy-vinyl-soundtrack

Sonic Frontiers (Data Discs)

2LP: https://data-discs.com/products/sonicfrontiers2lp

4LP box set (sold out): https://data-discs.com/collections/records/products/sonicfrontiers4lp

Fantasy Zone (Data Discs)

   https://data-discs.com/collections/records/products/fantasyzone

RuneScape: Elder God Wars (Laced Records)

   https://www.lacedrecords.co/collections/runescape/products/runescape-elder-god-wars-dungeon-deluxe-double-vinyl-digital-download

Resident Evil (PS1) (Laced Records)

Limited: https://www.lacedrecords.co/products/resident-evil-original-soundtrack-and-original-soundtrack-remix-limited-edition-deluxe-triple-vinyl

Standard: https://www.lacedrecords.

Blog link: https://videogamegrooves.com/2022/10/15/episode-98-banjo-kazooie-re-jiggyed-returnal

The time has come to return to our value-added past, and we are joined by Justin from Respawned Records to take a wild wormhole to an alternate version of bird and bear with Banjo-Kazooie Re-Jiggyed. Composer Grant Kirkhope explodes our (very prepared) expectations with a new interpretation of the original goofy and bouncy score with a new interpretation that goes...everywhere. We discuss the benefits of artist-led works, and challenge some of our notions about "cohesive listening experiences." We then decide to give everybody whiplash and we crash with abandon into Returnal, by Bobby Krlic. Jeremy evaluates his feelings about long droning game soundtracks, but will he find some value in the subtle inflections in this fast paced exercise in arcade action, dynamic repetition, and spooky sci-fi?

We hit the new releases and highlight a few things to be on the lookout for, and a few things that will be on their way to your turntable soon. Plus, we talk to Justin about the re-emerging convention scene, and what it's like to have video game music on vinyl out there on the floor to find new friends and loyal fans!

Outro: "Rusty Bucket Bay" - Banjo-Kazooie, Re-Jiggyed

Twitter – @vg_grooves, @jeremy_lamont, @ajohnagnello, @respawnedrec

http://www.respawnedrecords.com/

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