Indie composers of video games are leading the way with their creativity, ingenuity and hunger to create the next wave of classics. One such composer is Nicole Marie T, who we had the pleasure of interviewing. From her love and appreciation of Sega to her evolution into a Sony fan, Nicole’s video game upbringing shines …
Barry Leitch is mostly known for his compositions on the Top Gear racing game series, and more recently, Horizon Chase Turbo. But if you dive deep enough, you’ll uncover a wealth of video game music magic from a man who was inspired by the greats of the C64 era. Starting out as a teenager, his …
When Playtonic Games set out to develop a new 3D Action Platformer in the vein of Donkey Kong Country and Banjo Kazooie, they went back to the original composers who made those games sound so fantastic: David Wise (DKC) and Grant Kirkhope (BK.) But how did those games influence the sound with this new franchise …
What oozes neon, smells of decaying bugs and gives you a neck injury? Why, it’s Valfaris, of course! Released in 2019, Valfaris brought a 1980’s Heavy Metal Magazine aesthetic to the run-n-gun genre, and along with it came an equally brutal, tranquil, and exciting soundtrack by Ex-Celtic Frost member, Curt Victor Bryant. It’s not everyday …
Grit your teeth as you plow through innocent bystanders, hold up stores for insurance protection, and burn forests down with your flamethrower…it’s your world in Shakedown Hawaii. The successor to Retro City Rampage had a lot to live up to, and thankfully it doesn’t suffer from sequelitis, as it’s one of the best indie games …
Freedom Planet, the 2014 indie darling developed by Stephen Diduro (aka Strife) set the bar for games influenced by Sonic the Hedgehog and Rocket Knight Adventures. But a Sonic style game needed a Sonic styled composer…or did it? Enter Leila “Woofle” Wilson, who brought her love of JRPGs, Funk and New Jack Swing to compliment …
Read more “Episode 25 – Freedom Planet with Composer Leila “Woofle” Wilson”
Plenty of games nowadays have tried to emulate and pay tribute to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. But few are able to pull it off utilizing the minute details, especially when it comes to the music of the Playstation era. Enter, Timespinner, 2018’s indie darling. A game that tells the story of a blue-haired Time …
Though his life was short, Ryu Umemoto crafted some of the best music available on various Japanese computer system games. From Eroge visual novels to working with CAVE on their bullet hell shooters, Umemoto poured his heart and soul into creating music despite not being a classically trained musician. Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and …
Read more “Episode 9 – In Memory & Celebration of Ryu Umemoto”
On today’s episode, XVGM Radio ventures into unknown indie territory when we interview video game music and chiptune composer stalwart artist, Coda. We’ve hand picked some truly amazing tunes from his blossoming career and hear about his progressive rock interests, how his appreciation and friendship with Jake Kaufman inspires him, and try to figure out …