Videogame Music and Vinyl

I love videogames and a huge part of the experience is often the soundtracks. In fact, sometimes the soundtrack can often be the only saving grace (NES Silver Surfer is the go to for this one) or can turn a good game into a great game (Nier).

Certain game music reminds of places I've been and the people I've been with; game music is the sound of my personal journey and the many worlds I've visited. The fact that videogame music can be diagetic and react to your actions also makes it seem personal and unique to your playthrough, even if it isn't really it seems personal to you.

I've attended a few concerts in my time including the Dear Esther (Barbican), Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses (Wembley Arena) and the PlayStation in Concert (Royal Albert Hall) and the sight of seeing some of the worlds most prestigious orchestras playing these iconic scores is truly amazing. I was lucky enough to see Anamanaguchi perform at Heaven, London, way back in 2014 and their chiptune inspired music and seminal Scott Pilgrim soundtrack brought videogame music to the mainstream as there was a cross-pollination of pop and chip tunes. Meanwhile, Austin Wintory's BAFTA winning score for Journey brought videogame music to the classical music aficionados, a venn diagram that doesn't often overlap. Ever since then, we have been living in a bit of a golden age of video game music with Sound of Gaming, High Score and Game Play offering radio airtime and podcasts for the formally niche genre on major radio stations like Classic FM, BBC Radio and the BBC Sounds app.

What was a cottage industry of VGM vinyl companies is now a thriving business with many companies including Black Screen Records, Data Discs and Mondo being a few amongst many. I personally buy the soundtracks to games I've played and loved or have fond memories of, thus my abundance of Sega Megadrive game soundtracks. Like my curated videogame collection, I only buy what I really want. I'm not a completist but just get what resonates and matters to me. What's wonderful is discovering arranged soundtracks where the composers are given another chance to rework their class scores with full orchestras or instruments that were unavailable due to technical limitations. It's great to see what the original composers and fans of these pieces come up with. The Grammy's seem to realise that this is a thriving scene that is here to stay and have created a new category for videogame soundtracks in 2023, whilst Kirby Super Star by the 8-bit Big Band won the Grammy this year. The statement of intent is clear; videogame soundtracks are here to stay. Add the fact that the Proms held their first ever VGM night and we can see there has been a change in attitude to VGM, no longer classified as bleeps and bloops.

I've bought a few videogame CD soundtracks in my time including Shadow of the Colossus and Ico but in England the availability of these was difficult. However, over the years, there has been a boom in video game soundtracks being sold, especially on vinyl. There is pleasure in having something so digital and ephemeral as VGM presented in vinyl, an old analogue format and I guess many people want something physical to show their fandom.

There are a couple of white whale soundtracks that I'd love to own including the Sayonara Wild Hearts and Ecco the Dolphin Sega CD soundtrack. Both ARE phenomenal yet prohibitively expensive and, whilst I played and completed Sayonara, I discovered the Ecco soundtrack whilst listening to a game music podcast.

Whilst the cost of living crisis and other adulting costs keep my hobby in check, I do pick up a vinyl here or there and have amassed quite a good collection (currently 18). My most recent buys have been the soundtracks to Sable, Astro’s Playroom and Nier Automata. I’ve loved wrapping myself in a blanket and reading a book whilst listening to this genre of music as it takes me back to simpler times. Waves of nostalgia wash over me but, importantly, the music is just amazing!

LINK- Ico and SOTC: Reflections of a Gaming Life

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK- The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next- Book Review

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- Nintendo: My One True Gaming Constant

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LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Akira Soundtrack Vinyl Review

New Moominvalley Soundtrack on Vinyl

I have a love for the Moomins as many of you may know. I've discussed the Moomins multiple times before, when talking about the 80s stop motion animation, the recent classic 80s animation vinyl soundtrack release, the exhibition at the Southbank Centre or when I mentioned visiting Moomin World in Finland.

With the new Moominvalley show premiering on Sky One on Good Friday this Easter I am super excited and today, I received the new vinyl soundtrack. I’ve only listened to it a couple of times and love it. I’ll write a review once I’ve listened to it more.

The Clangers Soundtrack on Vinyl Review

Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin were giants of British animation, creating Bagpuss, Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine and, of course, The Clangers. With their stop motion animation studio, Smallfilms, they have delighted legions of fans young and old over the last 50 or so years. Part of the charm of Smallfilms was the craftsy handmade products they made, and that could also be reflected in the magical music. I've already discussed that the Bagpuss Soundtrack had recently been released on vinyl but far more exciting for me is the recent re-release of the out of print Clangers Original Television Music by Vernon Elliot.

The music is from the original 26 episode run of the series from 1969, which was recorded in a local Kentish village hall. 50 years after their initial recording, these pieces of music have lost none of their wonder and charm. The Clangers soundtrack remains a seminal work piece of work, not just of children’s television, but of music as a whole. Composer Elliot's contribution to The Clangers was great as he created a warm and recognisable soundscape in an alien world. Listening to the music away from the show you can appreciate the craftsmanship that went onto the compositions; it is all beautifully minimalist performed mostly on a bassoon (in which Elliot was an expert) and a clarinet, harp, glockenspiel and flute. Highlights for me include Music, Cloud and Music of the Spheres as they are all very unique soundscape pieces that stand on their own.

The Clangers Soundtrack is a wonderful album that can be appreciated for its music in isolation from the show and is highly recommended.

LINK- The Moomins 80's Soundtrack Vinyl Review

LINK- Inspector Gadget Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Ulysses 31 Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- The Mysterious Cities of Gold Retro Soundtrack Review

LINK- Sonic Mania Video Game Vinyl Soundtrack

Top Chiptune Soundtracks You Don't Know

Soundtracks nowadays are similar in style and vein to movie scores, full of cinematic scope and bombast, which is great as it leads to fantastic scores like the ones for Journey, Thomas Was Alone or DMC. However there was a simpler time where space was limited and the sound files had to be compressed and optimised to fit on a cartridge with 8 or 16 megs. This economy of scale led to thoughtful and creative masterpieces that are still iconic even today.

Now we could rattle off the famous game soundtracks that usually fit into many of the 'greatest Megadrive / SNES / NES soundtrack compilations' which you can find on YouTube but I want to choose a few pieces that time has forgotten. This is away from the usual Castlevania, Sonic, Megaman and Mario soundtrack scores as everyone knows them and loves them. I'm talking about the rarely heard soundtracks of yore. Here are a few of my favourites, maybe you could tell me yours!

This music plays during the Underwater levels from the Disney game World Of Illusion. It also plays during Mickey's Coral Reef section.

Music from R-Type 1987 by Irem- this level could be described as looking like the contents of a stomach, possibly after eating genetically modified food.

Thunder Force 3 - Stage 5: Ellis. This music was so upbeat and rocking that I loved leaving it to last!