Square Enix Music Released on YouTube

I love listening to video game music and often it soundtracks my life, whether I’m working, running or just chilling. However, there's so many amazing soundtracks that are forgotten simply because many people don't have easy access to them. So when Square Enix announced that they were releasing their own YouTube channel with tonnes of music, live music performances and composer interviews I was ecstatic. I went on there and there are thousands of tracks available to listen to… looks like my music mix is sorted for the foreseeable.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMx60HYcw1ieiPlZZagfqXQ/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=5

Square Enix Music
Square Enix Music

There are thousands of tracks on the Square Enix Music channel on YouTube.

Ori and Cuphead Soundtracks in Concert at Game Music Festival 2022

From March 5th to 6th 2022, the Royal Festival Hall, London, will host a concert featuring the music of fan-favourites Cuphead, Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Having played 2 out of the 3 games I can definitely say that the soundtracks are awesome with Cuphead being all big band jazz and Ori being more a more meditative, lush orchestral. The big draw on the second night is a 160 piece orchestra that will play the music on the second, and final night. Tickets (available at the official site) start from £25 but obviously rise with different seating positions.

Over the course of the weekend, there will be several workshops and events about video game composing which promises to be a great experience for those interested in that field.

Unfortunately, I can’t go as I’m here in Devon, living my best life, but for those who can why not experience some of the most iconic scores of the last few years!

Ikaruga Soundtrack Released by Data Discs

Data Discs have a great ‘track record’ (yup, I’ll get me coat) of releasing amazing soundtracks. I have already written reviews on the Streets of Rage, Sonic Mania and the stunning Okami vinyls. Now, they are releasing the Ikaruga soundtrack. I’m a fan of the Treasure game and like the music just fine but for me it’s not a purchase I’ll be making as I’m not that big a fan. However I know for many of you it may be something you like so why not order it here.

Ikaruga OST Data Discs

Yuzo Koshiro on Composing for Streets of Rage, Techno and Programming

Yuzo Koshiro, the composer behind the Streets of Rage games, was a pioneer when bringing the sounds of the clubs into games. The Streets of Rage soundtracks are amongst the most highly regarded of the 16-bit era and rightly so. Whilst The Orb, The Prodigy and Orbital were getting into the charts, Koshiro was applying the music styling of the genre into his soundtracks.

I have all three Streets of Rage soundtracks on vinyl and they are awesome!

I have all three Streets of Rage soundtracks on vinyl and they are awesome!

In an interview for Red Bull Music Academy, Koshiro discussed the early days of his career, how he and Motohiro Kawashima sought inspiration in nightclubs for Streets of Rage and why he never let limitations stop him from pushing forward. At nearly an hour and an half it’s an informative and interesting in-depth discussion about a very singular creator.

Sega Soundtracks on Spotify

The world may seem grim and things may get you down sometimes but there are moments of pure joy and pleasure and these are one of those times. Sega have released the soundtracks to many of their classic games including Outrun, Jet Set Radio Future, Virtua Fighter and NiGHTS on Spotify. I am not a subscriber to the service but if you are then this is pretty awesome!

Streets of Rage Soundtrack on Vinyl

Over Christmas I was lucky enough to receive the Streets of Rage soundtrack on vinyl from my wife. None more hipster maybe but the idea of playing a remastered album from a 1991 Sega video game on an outdated piece of analogue music technology in a time of pervading digital media appeals to me. 
The classic soundtrack is by Yuzo Koshiro and at the time was totally different to anything heard in video games, it was a time of trance and dance, when The Orb, The Prodigy and Orbital were getting into the charts. This soundtrack stood out among its contemporaries as it was not the usual bleeps and bloops of video games at the time... It spoke to many youths at the time, it was zeitgiesty and hearing the vinyl now it still feels special.
I've heard the music hundreds of times before, playing the game for months on end but I've never heard it like this. Now I'm no vinyl snob and I don't know which format of audio sounds better but I will say that on vinyl it does sounds different, but in a good way.

I would definitely recommend getting this album and hope DataDiscs continue to release more video game music soundtracks, Sonic 3 and Thunderforce 3 and 4 would be nice but beggars can't be choosers!

LINK: Vinyl- The Return of the Format

LINK: Digging the Carts (Video Game Music Documentary)