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Thread: Do Video Game Soundtracks Have Any Merit/Respect Among Progressive Rock Listeners?

  1. #1
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Do Video Game Soundtracks Have Any Merit/Respect Among Progressive Rock Listeners?

    I think this is a reasonable topic to discuss. More and more musicians are growing up in an age in which such forms of entertainment as video games and computer games dominate childhood culture. As such, the majority of the music they hear is no longer the progressive rock that many here grew up with; instead, they're becoming familiar with a form of music that I think relates closely to progressive rock but really isn't. It seems that many younger musicians nowadays are in one way or another able to relate to music from video games; the influence that these compositions have had is growing on a constant basis and I feel as though it will have an impact on prog artists of the future. I think there are similarities between the progressive rock we listen to and the video game music that kids these days are hearing. In fact, I'm sure prog had a strong influence on the composers of many video game soundtracks. They are, after all, soundtracks, and many try to adhere to a story; while many recent soundtracks have attempted to be very score-like and have abandoned rock arrangements for orchestrated arrangements, a lot of earlier material gravitated towards rock, pop and electronic genres, generally featuring synthesizers in some capacity as well. I think younger listeners are able to take video game music quite seriously. A few well-respected musicians have composed soundtracks for video games: Stewart Copeland, for example, composed the soundtrack for Spyro the Dragon. Nile Rodgers overlooked the Halo 2 soundtrack (which Steve Vai and Incubus also play on). Video game soundtracks are music, and they can span any genre.

    My question is whether our community members feel the same way about video game soundtracks? They are, above all, real compositions; is there a stigma attached to music of this form or do you feel differently?

    Here are some examples.



    From AllMusic about Halo 2's soundtrack:

    http://www.allmusic.com/album/halo-2...k-mw0000633408
    Producer Nile Rodgers steps in to give the soundtrack to the video game phenomenon's sequel some extra commercial appeal. Halo 2, Vol. 1 builds off of the themes created by composers Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori by adding remixes and alternative metal to the stew, resulting in a -- better than it should be -- collection of mood pieces and art rock excess that's likely to please both geeks and mainstream, twentysomething males alike. Steve Vai capably shreds through the newly updated theme before passing the torch to Pennsylvanian alt-rockers Breaking Benjamin, who manage to escape the "music inspired by" abyss by producing a pretty memorable slice of apocalyptic angst. Halo however really belongs to Incubus. Their four-movement suite, "The Odyssey," is so steeped in Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd that it's effectively jarring when the nu-metal guitars come roaring in, making this second installment, despite a truly wretched and useless offering from Hoobastank, one of the first fully realized soundtracks in the growing video game genre.



    Tangerine Dream helped compose the music for the Grand Theft Auto V soundtrack.



    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mus...d_Theft_Auto_V
    Grand Theft Auto V is the first entry in its series to make use of an original score.[3] Music supervisor Ivan Pavlovich noted that creating original score for the game was "daunting" given that it would be a first for the series.[4] Like previous entries in the series, the game also contains licensed music tracks provided by an in-game radio. Pavlovich noted that the team did not want the original music to detract from the use of licensed music as well, but rather to accompany it.[5] He further considered that the team had to balance the "ambient subtext and tension" of the score with onscreen action in the game.[6] To work on the score, Rockstar brought The Alchemist, Oh No and Tangerine Dream on board with Woody Jackson, who had collaborated with the team on three previous projects, Red Dead Redemption (2010), L.A. Noire (2011) and Max Payne 3 (2012).[7] In collaboration with each other, the team of producers composed twenty hours of music which scores the game's missions.[8] In addition, music plays dynamically throughout the game in both the single-player and multiplayer modes.[9]
    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 12:40 PM.

  2. #2
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 10:50 AM.

  3. #3
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Sorry, no. I had a very brief listen to a couple of these and what I heard was that fast, disco-y sound that always seemed to back up video game play as the player kicked the shit out of an opponent. Not really my idea of music I might listen to on my own.

    EDIT: Unless I'm mistaken, you've switched your links to almost all different soundtracks than you originally included. So maybe comments no longer apply.
    Last edited by JKL2000; 03-07-2015 at 09:07 AM.

  4. #4
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    Sorry, no. I had a very brief listen to a couple of these and what I heard was that fast, disco-y sound that always seemed to back up video game play as the player kicked the shit out of an opponent. Not really my idea of music I might listen to on my own.
    I realized that prog fans aren't looking for hooks and catchy melodies, so I've provided different examples from adventure-based games.

    There are discussions below about this:

    http://www.progarchives.com/forum/fo....asp?TID=25059
    http://www.progarchives.com/forum/fo....asp?TID=18242

    According to one member:

    I'd say a lot of Final Fantasy VII music sounds like something Genesis and some other groups did.
    Far-fetched? Maybe not?

    This topic is titled "Video Game Music can be very proggy."

    http://www.progarchives.com/forum/fo....asp?TID=69912

    It's interesting to note that Koji Kondo (composer of a lot of the Mario and Zelda music) is actually a proggy and credits Genesis and ELP as influences.

    Someone here pointed out before that Zelda's Lullyby sounds slightly similar to Hands of the Priestess Part 1 off of Voyage Of The Acolyte. It may just be a coincidence but the first few notes are quite uncanny.


    Early hardware limitations forced the composers to only use synths to record. I'd say since the late 1990s they've been able to use real instruments to record, which explains the change in sound.

    This soundtrack features Paul McCartney.



    The Journey soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy in 2012.



    http://www.wired.com/2012/12/video-g...ammys-journey/
    Wintory’s music has been featured in many independent films and games, but Journey has been his highest-profile work thus far. Earlier this year, Journey‘s score became the highest-charting original videogame score ever on the Billboard 200 chart. (The only game music CD to beat it was a compilation CD released for Activision’s Guitar Hero III.) The soundtrack also dominated iTunes charts around the globe for the “soundtrack” category when it was released in April. On Friday, it won the award for “Best Original Score” at the Spike TV Video Game Awards ceremony.

    This marks the second time that games have been recognized in some fashion by the Grammy Awards. In 2010, composer Christopher Tin won ‘Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)’ for “Baba Yetu,” the opening theme for the strategy game Civilization IV.

    Wintory says he was unaware of his Grammy nomination until he received a congratulatory e-mail from Tin, his friend.

    “It’s a long time coming,” he said of videogames’ recognition at the music industry’s awards show. “I almost feel ashamed that so much great stuff has been done over the last decade that for reasons unknown didn’t make the cut.”
    Video game soundtracks have apparently become the lengthiest as well; this one is 6 hours in length and is mostly orchestrated music. This appears to be the norm for most current soundtracks.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLLUQ03RWro
    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 11:23 AM.

  5. #5
    Actually I own several game soundtrack-type deals, including two different Far Cry soundtracks (the one by Power Glove and the one by Cliff Martinez). I also own a great soundtrack for Watch Dogs.

    Those scores are generally money for a synth fan like myself. The Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon in particular scratches a similar itch as my Umberto, Gatekeeper and College albums...
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  6. #6
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Kids are listening to this kind of stuff when they turn on their Wii. If anything, video games are part of the revival of prog.



    For a lot of young people, I can see this being their The Geese and the Ghost. It's folk/symphonic/progressive/world.



    This is Shadow of the Colossus, the game featured in the 2007 film Reign Over Me. Just like the film, it has a very heavy tone.

    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 10:50 AM.

  7. #7
    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WeatherWiseCDC View Post
    More and more musicians are growing up in an age in which such forms of entertainment as video games and computer games dominate childhood culture.
    That's been the case since the 1980s, when I was a kid. Some video game music is more proggy than most prog but I don't think video games are making kids interested in music (with the exception of Guitar Hero/Rock Band and those games are not even popular anymore).
    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

  8. #8
    Sixties relic Relayer56's Avatar
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    I like the soundtracks by Jeremy Soule. This one is the best imo.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GOq...04DD9&index=11

  9. #9
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Quote Originally Posted by zravkapt View Post
    That's been the case since the 1980s, when I was a kid. Some video game music is more proggy than most prog but I don't think video games are making kids interested in music (with the exception of Guitar Hero/Rock Band and those games are not even popular anymore).
    I think they are. OverClocked ReMix is definitely an example.

    http://www.avclub.com/article/staff-...-list-t-212621
    The staff and artists of OverClocked ReMix make us a list of their favorite video game-inspired songs
    By Matt Gerardi@Gerardi
    Dec 11, 2014 12:00 AM

    Fifteen years ago today, David W. Lloyd (better known as djpretzel) completed work on “Legacy.” It’s a relatively simple track—a faithful rearrangement of the title theme from Phantasy Star III for a digital orchestra—but it turned out to have an unforeseen lasting impact. Lloyd created the “DJ Pretzel’s OverClocked ReMix” database (derived from OverClocked, the name of his existing web-comic project) as a way to share it and the rest of the remixes he would compose. Over the next few months, he began adding contributions from other musicians as well, and his repository of reimagined and rearranged video game music gradually branched off on its own as OverClocked ReMix.

    Today, OverClocked ReMix provides a home for nearly 3,000 remixes, with inspiration drawn from almost 900 games and every musical style—electronic, jazz, hip-hop, heavy metal. It’s proven to be a valuable starting point for musicians looking to break into video game music professionally, with a handful of ReMixers moving on to compose or contribute to beloved game soundtracks, like Super Meat Boy, Mass Effect 2, and Shovel Knight. But the spirit the site fosters—one of celebration, artistic engagement, and collaboration—defines its legacy.
    This site and the various rearrangements as well are inspiring future youth to pick up music.

    The two bands below are heavily inspired by game soundtracks; their band names are even game references. They may decide to write original tunes one day, although game music has brought them to this point. Composers for new games will be required to write new music. Some bands may wish to branch off and do entirely standalone music. The band in the first video has six game music cover albums under their belt; that said, they're a jazz rock band.





    I think this answers our question:



    I think the above documentary series' scope is limited, as it neglects post-1980s music and certainly ignores the fact that there were many game composers from elsewhere in the world at the time, including from North America and Europe. That said, it echoes the point that this subcategory of music is having an influence on our youth.

    I think a lot of aspiring musicians at a young age might begin to take influences from game music instead of just what they hear on the radio, incorporating elements of prog when otherwise they might not be exposed to it. Kids are more likely to accidentally stumble upon many of the above soundtracks as opposed to some of our prog classics. There used to be a site called VGMix.com where people would post lots of video game song covers (and to qualify for OCReMix, the covers need to be substantially different from the originals). It's a phenomenon. They may go on to write original music. The genre is young and I think it will gain notoriety with time; I see opportunities for prog to have an influence on aspiring musicians (indirectly?).

    Video game music is becoming proggier. This at least is playing a role in keeping prog afloat among our youth, I think. It's a gateway towards a greater diversity of genres.
    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 08:12 AM.

  10. #10
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Listened to samples of Mario and Zelda. It sounds randomly generated and like it's performed on a Casiotone.

    I'm just not buying this - it seems fine as music to go with the games, but that's about it.

  11. #11
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    Listened to samples of Mario and Zelda. It sounds randomly generated and like it's performed on a Casiotone.

    I'm just not buying this - it seems fine as music to go with the games, but that's about it.
    You think everything in Post #6 was done on a Casiotone?

    http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...l=1#post382802

    Does anyone else agree with JKL that the samples in this thread were randomly-generated? I think that's what he's implying.

  12. #12
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    The Far Cry 3 isn't bad - sort of a Vangelis sound. My son loves that game and the music, apparently.

  13. #13
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    No video game music has ever surpassed Pac Man's OST.

  14. #14
    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    This game had the best music ever:

    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

  15. #15
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    ^^ The beginning tone sounds like the music from A Clockwork Orange - the beginnine of Beethoven's Ninth, the synth version.

  16. #16
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, 2007 Grammy Award winner.





    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 11:46 AM.

  17. #17
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Computer games peaked with Trek73, the teletype game.

    This was actually more exciting than most modern video games.


  18. #18
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    A couple of my favourite selections from World Of Warcraft:







    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

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  20. #20
    I've heard symphonic scores for some games that are far better than most of the stuff happening in movies right now. And some of the ambient music for games like Flower and Unfinished Swan is amazing. The Minecraft music is primitive but charming.

  21. #21
    cunning linguist 3LockBox's Avatar
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    About ten or eleven years ago when I was listening to Camel's Echoes my strepson came in during the latter instrumental portion and thought I was listening to the Sonic The Hedgehog soundtrack.

  22. #22
    WeatherWiseCDC
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    Written for the 2014 game Destiny. The music video uses the game's graphics and places Paul "in the game". There's a behind-the-scenes video on Paul's official channel.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaP4_uyJE1s

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/so...uture-20141223
    Hope for the Future
    Paul McCartney
    Hope for the Future
    By Jon Dolan December 23, 2014


    Paul McCartney has lived through plenty of cultural changes – including, it seems, an era in which video games have soundtracks written by legendary former Beatles. This song for the new game Destiny is a gently ringing paean to human possibility and discovery recorded with a massive orchestra that comes complete with a sci-fi video where he appears as a tomorrow-world hologram: "Hope for the future/It will belong to us/If we believe," he sings. You can't help but think of John Lennon's "Imagine," which was recorded 43 years ago. The world John asked for hasn't arrived yet. Let's hope Paul's gets here before 2057. It sounds jet-packingly awesome.
    http://www.paulmccartney.com/news-bl...elease-details
    Paul McCartney’s new song
    'Hope For the Future' to be globally released on 8th December

    Digital bundle to include Paul’s original anthem from the biggest entertainment release of the year ‘Destiny’ plus four exclusive mixes

    Paul’s new song 'Hope For The Future' will be globally released on Monday 8th December. The song was written by Paul for the record-breaking video game 'Destiny', and until now has been exclusively available within the game itself. Produced by Giles Martin, 'Hope For The Future' is as epic as the game, which sold-through more than $325 million worldwide in its first five days[1].

    It goes without saying that Paul has written countless hit singles, orchestral scores, electronica works, film themes, and has consistently changed the world with his music. Listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the 'World’s Most Successful Composer and Recording Artist of All Time', Paul has now added another first to his impressive list: 'Hope For The Future' marks the first time that Paul has ever written specifically for a video game — one poised to become the most successful franchise of its kind.

    Details of the release are confirmed today and the original version of the track from the 'Destiny' credits will be made digitally available alongside four special mixes.
    Last edited by WeatherWiseCDC; 03-07-2015 at 11:35 AM.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Relayer56 View Post
    I like the soundtracks by Jeremy Soule. This one is the best imo.
    I actually happened to play to a few tracks from the Skyrim soundtrack today, although his score to Morrowind is possibly better. I've got about 27 hours of video game music on my iTunes, but I very rarely listen to it.

    Still, it's odd to me that anyone writes off video game music. For me that's like writing off film music: it's just music written for video games instead of films, and it can be in any genre. If people don't like bit-tunes, that's fine (it's admittedly a pretty narrow audience) but there's more to game music than bit-tunes and some game music is very "progressive" if you count dark ambient styles of music as progressive.

  24. #24
    Estimated Prophet notallwhowander's Avatar
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    I've been really impressed with the way Bethesda handles sound. (It that Jeremy Soule?) Anyway the mix between the music itself and the actual design and implementation within the game, has thoroughly impressed me in Fallout 3 and Skyrim. From a design point of view, I think there is some serious genius happening.

    I'm not going to buy a soundtrack, or listen to the music outside the game, mind you. But I've played those games for hours and haven't grown tired or annoyed with the ambient music. That really says something.

    As far as Skyrim goes, however, they needed more variation in the tavern music. I wearied of "Ragnar the Red," et al, very early on. That being said, the little cheer from Sovengard when my character levels up always makes me smile.
    Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world.

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by notallwhowander View Post
    I've been really impressed with the way Bethesda handles sound. (It that Jeremy Soule?) Anyway the mix between the music itself and the actual design and implementation within the game, has thoroughly impressed me in Fallout 3 and Skyrim. From a design point of view, I think there is some serious genius happening.
    The final disc (of four) in the Skyrim soundtrack is a 42:35 track called "Skyrim Atmospheres". If Steven Wilson had released it as Bass Communion or David Sylvian had released it as an unearthed piece of Alchemy-era instrumental music people around here would probably be praising it to the skies. On the other hand, if you heard it in a spa during a facial you wouldn't be surprised either ...

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