“Whether I’m writing an original or remixing something from a video game, my inspirations never change. My music listening history is one big collage, and I try to pull on all of that.”
- Dain Olsen, OC ReMix Interview
June 21, 2008
Fairfax, VA — OverClocked ReMix today published an interview with OC ReMixer & Dance Dance Revolution musician Dain “Beatdrop” Olsen, in addition to posting a brand new ReMix of his from the soundtrack to Capcom’s Mega Man X3 for the SNES. Dain talks about the creation of his latest mix, his approach to mixing game music, and his involvement with Konami’s DDR competition, which landed him a spot on the soundtrack to Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2.
Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music. Its primary focus is www.ocremix.org, a website featuring hundreds of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans.
We think you need to. For the past two years, we’ve been attending this event called MAGFest (that is, the Music and Gaming Festival). Short of knocking on djpretzel’s, zircon’s or my (Liontamer’s) door, this will be one of the best chances to not only meet us, the crew behind OC ReMix, but also to meet a whole ton of OC ReMixers. Not only that, but you’ll get to spend New Year’s weekend with us and party it up. This will be the seventh time they’ve thrown this shindig!
If you’re at all into video games and music, this will be the place to be this upcoming year. There’s so many fun things to do, you’ll wonder where your weekend went! Video game composers like Howard Drossin (with several Sonic titles to his credit) and Jake “virt” Kaufman (Contra 4 and TMNT on the DS) will be around. And Friday and Saturday nights are filled with concerts from video game bands! The Advantage, Minibosses, and NESkimos have all performed there in the past. This year’s lineup of bands will be out soon, including some familiar names from OCR.
The best part is that even after all of that, you haven’t even experienced half of the event! You can hit the video room and watch game movies and cartoons, buy stuff from the people in the marketplace, go to video game panels and discussions (including our own OC ReMix bash), or just play games the whole time. There’s over 10,000 square feet of just console, PC, and even arcade games, and it doesn’t close AT ALL during the entire duration of the event. If you want to play Rock Band on a stage for hours on end with José the Bronx Rican, you can! Or if you wanna challenge James Rolfe, the Angry Video Game Nerd, go ahead and call him OUT!
Here’s what me and some other folks had to say about last year’s MAGFest:
* http://www.vgfrequency.com/magfest-6-from-alexandria-va-13-day-1-report/
* http://www.destructoid.com/magfest-vi-highlights-65679.phtml
* http://revver.com/video/625357/magfest-vi/
* http://www.megatonik.com/2007/12/18/we-rock-hard-we-play-hard-magfest-cometh/
* http://gamemusic4all.blogspot.com/2008/01/magfest-vi-wrapup.html
Now that you want to go, lemme mention the important stuff:
- It’s in Alexandria, VA, in a 5-star Hilton, which is a quick ride from DC (Reagan National Airport).
- It’s Thursday-Sunday, Jan 1-4, 2009. If you’re not free on New Year’s Day, you can come Friday and not miss too much.
- Like many good things, it costs money. But $40 isn’t too bad for all weekend!
And here are a few links for you:
* Their site: http://magfest.org/
* The info on the hotel and directions: http://magfest.org/info/
* The preregistration page: http://courtwright.org/magfest/preregistration
Preregister for MAGFest soon to make sure you’re there! Their hotel is already accepting room reservations, and they even got the rates down for us that aren’t so lucky in the money department. It’s only $99 a night to stay at the hotel MAGFest is in, and come on, it looks like the Citadel! Split it with a few friends and that price goes down VERY fast. If you’re already sold on it, call them up and reserve a room at 703-845-1010 any time of day (they’re a hotel, ya know).
Let them know MAGFest and OC ReMix sent you (and make sure to be at the OC ReMix panel), and we’ll see you there!
Larry “Liontamer” Oji
Head Submissions Evaluator, OverClocked ReMix
Creator, VG Frequency
http://www.ocremix.org
http://www.vgfrequency.com
…because The OneUps are also gonna be bringing The OneUps Volume 2!
Indeed, if all goes according to schedule, Mustin and OneUp Studios will have everything for the upcoming 2-disc album produced, packaged and ready to go.
So if you missed them last year, no worries. If you’re not sure whether you’re gonna plunk down for the double CD at PAX when you get to Seattle, just check out their performance and see if you’re convinced. No pun intended, they’re planning to hit you twice as hard for Penny Arcade Expo 2008!
THE BAD DUDES ANNOUNCE NO BALLS, NO GLORY, A REMIX PROJECT BASED ON TECHNOS’ SUPER DODGE BALL Album Used In Promotion With Aksys Games’ Upcoming Nintendo DS Title Super Dodgeball Brawlers
The Bad Dudes, a group of the internet’s best video game music remixers, announces the upcoming release of their latest project: No Balls, No Glory. This internet EP, based on Kazuo Sawa’s music from the 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System video game Super Dodge Ball, contains sixteen unique arrangements spanning various musical styles, with a focus on ethnic arrangements from each dodge ball team’s country of origin.
This collection of music will be used by video game software developer Aksys Games in promotion of Super Dodgeball Brawlers, a Nintendo DS title based on the classic Super Dodge Ball Nintendo game. This upcoming release takes the classic game play of the original and adds new attacks, multiplayer gaming, and a host of other upgrades, and will be released on May 27th, 2008 for a MSRP of $29.99.
No Balls, No Glory project producer Mustin said, “I’m excited about releasing this project in conjunction with Aksys games and their Brawlers release. I hope the music pays suitable tribute to the Super Dodge Ball video game we all played as kids.”
About No Balls, No Glory
This is the third internet-release EP by The Bad Dudes, a multinational group of musicians that releases covers of video game music. This album was produced by Mustin of MustinProductions.com. No Balls, No Glory is available for download at NoBallsNoGlory.net.
About Aksys Games
Based in Torrance, California, Aksys Games is a third party licensee of Nintendo of America. More information on Aksys Games can be found online at aksysgames.com.
The University of Maryland Gamer Symphony Orchestra will hold its Spring Concert on Tuesday May 13th at 7:30PM. It will be held at the Kay Theater in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on the UMD campus. Admittance is FREE for everyone!
The details are:
Who: The University of Maryland What: Our Spring Concert Featuring Pieces from Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Portal, Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, Metal Gear Solid, and more!
When: Tuesday, May 13th 7:30-9:30PM (doors open at 7PM)
Where: Kay Theater, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland College Park (map)
Cost: NONE! FREE FOR EVERYONE!
Website: www.umgso.com
Contact: umgso@gmail.com
That definitely sounds like a good time, and it’s free! I’m certainly gonna be there right before I move back down at Atlanta. To check out the GSO in action, visit their Recordings section, where they have MP3s of the previous Spring and Fall 2007 performances!
College Park, MD — Danny “SGX” Adler, OC ReMixer, emerged victorious in OurStage.com’s April 2008 Music Finals. Adler’s Electronic channel-winning song “Coactive” bested fourty-three other channel winners out of a pool of over 27,000 entries to claim first place. Along with the $5,000 Grand Prize, Adler (www.sgxmusic.com) is also eligible for several other prizes and awards offered by OurStage and its partners.
The full version of Adler’s “Coactive” is the opening track of his original Electronic album, Chroma, available from his website, CDBaby.com, and Apple iTunes. SGX’s OurStage Music Finals victory follows up the previous month’s win by OC ReMix judge Jillian “pixietricks” Goldin with her original New Age/World track “Hajime.”
OurStage (www.ourstage.com) was launched in 2007 to increase the exposure of independent musicians and filmmakers through its democratic “battle” voting system, where users are able to judge each entry against all other competitors. OurStage winners earn cash prizes, along with the potential of other perks including magazine coverage, opportunities to perform at concerts and festivals, and mentoring sessions with established musicians and filmmakers.
“At 11PM, I was resigned to getting 20th. […] Seriously, you guys are the best! Thanks for sitting there clicking a web page for hours for me!” said Adler to the OC ReMix community moments after learning of his win. OverClocked ReMix provides support for developing artists for both game music arrangements and original music. Along with several other OC ReMixers, Adler’s music has been featured in Synthetic Light Studios’ popular web-based rhythm game Flash Flash Revolution.
Fellow OC ReMixers Andrew “zircon” Aversa & Jillian Goldin (as a duo) and Greg “Audix” Michalec also placed fourteenth and fifteenth in OurStage’s April 2008 Music Finals after wins in the New Age/World and Techno/Club/Dance channels, respectively.
About OverClocked ReMix
Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music. Its primary focus is www.ocremix.org, a website featuring hundreds of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans.
Jillian “pixietricks” Goldin’s latest newsletter is out, detailing today’s release of her new original album, Origins.
To receive Goldin’s newsletter, visit JillianGoldin.com and enter your email address in the signup box on the left-hand side:
Jillian Goldin - Notes #8 - April 22nd, 2008
Drumroll, please…
The moment we have been waiting for has finally arrived: the release of my debut album, Origins!!! Pick up your copy today! Physicals are at JillianGoldin.com, and digitals are available through CD Baby - both for $12.99. Why get it today, you ask? Read on.
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Earth Day Fundraiser
In honor of Earth Day, I want you to help me in contributing to The Nature Conservatory’s Plant a Billion Treescampaign! For every copy of Origins (physical or digital) purchased by 11:59 pm EST on April 22nd, I will donate one dollar to this cause. What can one dollar do? One dollar plants one tree! Help save the Atlantic Forest in Brazil - one of the most endangered rainforests in the world, with only 7% left of its original area. Unbelievable…
My goal is to raise $100 for the campaign this week. You can also contribute on your own separately by clicking on the image on this page. Mother Nature will thank you; I promise. Let’s do this!
Keep in mind that the number there on the page may appear lower at times because I will be donating my album proceeds in batches, as opposed to one order at a time. Also, please enjoy this recording of me at six years old - a song written by my father about saving the rainforests!
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General Awesomeness
A friend of mine - Kevin “Lorenzo” Sisk (a.k.a. debeerguy007) - put these fantastic desktop wallpapers together using my album art! I’ve hosted them for free download, so take what you like! There are different sizes available: single standard, dual standard, single widescreen, and dual widescreen. Thanks again, Kevin!
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So that’s that. Pleaselet me know what you think of the album! You can post reviews on the CD Baby page, leave a message on my guestbook, or discuss your thoughts on the forum. I would really love to hear your reactions and answer any questions you may have.
Shawn Galway, the Nostalgiaholic (and I’ll guess Martin Galway’s lost lost cousin), conducted an interview with me at Nostalgiaholic.com! I really enjoyed it, so of course I’m gonna share it with you guys.
We discussed what game soundtracks roped me into video game music, my responsibilities at OverClocked ReMix, and how game music connects with its fans. There’s also a mention of how OC ReMixers are now bringing it to video games as professional musicians, including a pimp of the upcoming Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. All that, AND I poop on Captain N!
Do me a favor a rate the article at the bottom of the page and/or throw Shawn a comment just to let him know you stopped by! Let’s get nostalgic, y’all.
Mustin’s always working hard trying to gain recognition not just for himself and his work with The OneUps, but for VGM in general. He’s looking for your help to make an impact in the 13th annual Northwest Arkansas Music Awards. Voting ends April 11, so drop by and show your support:
I am nominated for a couple of Northwest Arkansas Music Awards (NAMAs). With The OneUps under “Best Electronic/Groove” and myself as a Producer under “Best Studio/Producer” (Mustin Productions).
BALTIMORE, MD — Jillian “pixietricks” Goldin, OC ReMix judge and ReMixer, emerged victorious in OurStage.com’s March 2008 Music Finals. Goldin’s New Age/World channel-winning song “Hajime” bested thirty-six other channel winners out of a pool of over 30,000 entries to claim first place. Along with the $5,000 Grand Prize, Goldin (www.jilliangoldin.com) is also eligible for several other prizes and awards offered by OurStage and its partners.
Goldin’s “Hajime” is the opening track of her original New Age/World album, Origins, which will be available April 22nd through her website, CDBaby.com, and Apple iTunes.
OurStage (www.ourstage.com) was launched in 2007 to increase the exposure of independent musicians and filmmakers through its democratic “battle” voting system, where users are able to judge each entry against all other competitors. OurStage winners earn cash prizes, along with the potential of other perks including magazine coverage, opportunities to perform at concerts and festivals, and mentoring sessions with established musicians and filmmakers.
“I will also be making a donation to the community of OverClocked ReMix, because my friends and fans there have given [me] so much over the years,” said Goldin in an interview with OurStage’s Quinn Strassel. OverClocked ReMix provides support for developing artists for both game music arrangements and original music. Goldin has performed vocals for 2K Games’ Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword soundtrack as well as session vocals for composer Christopher Tin.
Fellow OC ReMixers Andrew “zircon” Aversa and Danny “SGX” Adler also placed third and fourth in OurStage’s March 2008 Music Finals after wins in the Techno/Club/Dance and Electronic channels, respectively.
About OverClocked ReMix
Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation, preservation, and interpretation of video game music. Its primary focus is www.ocremix.org, a website featuring hundreds of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans.
Chuck Whitby, creator of the progressively expanding gaming convention TooManyGames in Reading, Pennsylvania needs some help. Don’t get me wrong, things are going great for TMG as it heads into its sixth event on May 4th, including the first ever Twin GalaxiesGuitar Hero National Championships being held there.
So I was thinking today we have alot of video game bands on our friends list now. So what a better way to help promote them than to possibly play them at our show! Also I was thinking if any of you wanna mail us cd’s that we can give away as door prizes or contest prizes then that would help get word out about what you do. Just include a post-it if the cd is burned with your myspace email and website. I dunno if anyone is interested let me know!
Now, I’m not attempting to objectify the subject of this photo from last year’s TooManyGames 5. The Lady would kill me. I just saw it on the TMG Flickr account and was caught off guard by the sideways orientation. But hey, if you’re a band that wants to actually come down and play, perhaps you can also play Wii Sports: Bowling with the young lady. Then again, you’d probably strike…out.
Hope Fails‘ first place track “Puffball Promenade” tackled Kirby’s Dream Land 2 from the Game Boy. He’s really come a ways from earlier material in his game arrangement career, so it’s really nice to see that growth validated with the win here.
As we anticipate next month’s competition, a Sci-Fi Games theme, be sure to get your DoD fill this month and download these tracks inspired by the pink poofer:
Hope Fails: Kirby’s Dreamland 2 (Gameboy) - Puffball Promenade Musically Inspired, Jabo: Kirby Superstar - Thanks For The Help, Knuckle Joe! foXdiE: Kirby’s Adventure - Roy G Ambivalence
Fourth Place - Scaredsim: Medley - Pink Like a Bubble Gum
Fifth Place (tie) - ionvortex: Kirby Superstar - Save Cabin Getaway
Fifth Place (tie) - thesamareaye: Kirby’s Adventure - Smooth Like Butter
Seventh Place - Corax, Zachariasmith, hodded: Kirby 64 - Baby Blue Toque
Eighth Place - Noise and a Beat: Kirby Superstar - Gourmet Race of a Thousand Flames
Ninth Place (tie) - Millenial Fairs: Kirby - Kirby’s Nightmare
Ninth Place (tie) - Shnabubula: Kirby’s Adventure - OMG U SUXX
Head over to Leo’s GotCast page, sign up, and throw your vote in to potentially secure a video game music fan (and musician) a great television opportunity in joining G4.
Shnabubula was kind enough to let me check out the album on the sly back in January, but now that it’s finally out, I’m glad to post about it. Released via II(read: Pause), Controller 1 finally saw the light last week. That’s some pretty awesome concept art from Francis Coulombe, am I right?
Produced by chiptune scene fanatic Shawn Phase, this original chiptune-style album is inspired by the buttons of the classic NES controller, featuring titles all derived from the various controls. Quoth Somnambula:
Take a journey across the face of an old NES controller. Each button has a story to tell if you’re willing to listen. Some of them have been forsaken by their fellow buttons while others are living the good life. Come listen and find out what goes on inside your controller when you’re not around.
I’d recommend something specific, but you’re really not gonna go wrong checking any of this out. At just over 35 minutes and not costing you a dime, you’ve gotta swing over to II and grab this quickly. Tell your friends about it. This album is wild per Sam’s usual craziness.
The album art’s nothing to write home about, but that’s not selling point. The approach according to Dan is to “honor as many original details (keys, tempi, registers, chord voicings, sound layers) as pianistically reasonable.”
On his website, Brown went on the further state that he “felt that these tracks deserved more faithfulness and respect to the “original sound” versions than is usually heard in Final Fantasy piano arrangements.”
So basically, none of this. For all the cover bands in the scene, there really aren’t that many strict “cover pianists” so-to-speak. It’s inadvertently innovative, no? If you’ve got the dough, and want to hear this classic SNES soundtrack adapted to the ivories, see if you’re in for a Mystic Awakening.
Michael Gluck, more commonly known as Piano Squall (www.pianosquall.com), spoke with Andrew Aversa (zircon) recently about his album GAME and some of the logistics involved in licensing and royalties when it comes to selling game music arrangement albums:
“If you decide to release your own album, remember that royalties are only one of the many expenses involved. You also need to consider retailer margins, production costs, advertising costs, website development, photography, packing, shipping, inventory space, PayPal/merchant fees, and manufacturing costs. And of course, an album can take months to create, so you need to prepare for a substantial time investment.”
Rab Townsend’s latest set of photos is out on DeviantArt, this time with Mel in the casual setting of a dorm room (one with a nice view). My personal favorite of the shoot was “heart mel” featuring the understated, but make-or-break element of Mel’s signature on the window she posed in front of. Très bien. So instead of showing her, let’s take a nice long look at Rab himself, entitled “Sick and tired.” (In other words, you’ve got to click for Mel.)
For more background on Rab’s recent photography, check out earlier news on shoots with katitijani and Zoelene.
With guest appearances by a number of artists, including fellow Just Us member VanElliott “CYPH-LOW” Chambless, N00dle has been pimping the album left and right to anyone who’ll listen. If you’re a rap fan, you won’t be wasting your time.
For some of the tracks, the production lacked some polish that I would have pushed for, but favorites of mind included “Give Me Wings”, the slick beats of “Another Everyday”, and the subtle bass work of “What’s Goin On?”, and the groove-driven “I’m a Ride”. Besides the great music sampled and reworked for the mixtape, every one of those tracks plays to Escape Route’s most significant strength: fashioning personal, heartfelt, intelligent lyrics. If you don’t believe me, listen up:
KFSS Studios, creator of several of the first legally-released VGM fan arrangement albums in America (the ProjectMajesticMix series), announced today that it’s closing its doors.
Since there’s only a short window of opportunity for the message posted by label owners Stephen & Jana Kennedy to be seen, we reprint their closing announcement in full: (more…)
Congratulations to Andy for the spotlight as we at OCR await our first press coverage in a major music production publication, via Tracy and the good folks at Electronic Musician!
Hope Fails: Kirby’s Dreamland 2 (Gameboy) - Puffball Promenade
foXdiE: Kirby’s Adventure - Roy G Ambivalence
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