We have a guest post from Dagobot!
Enjoy:
They say that every hero needs theme music. A little pick me up to energize you to get by in your day to day. That extra push to get you to level up and button mash your way through the second to last miniboss. Music is important in our lives. Whether it’s that louder than anything on earth latest top 40 ringtone coming out of your friends cell or that one tune you remember couples dancing to what’s her name back in high school. Music can be a place where there is no stress and absolute escapism. Even if its only to break away for couple of minutes at a time throughout the days of our ever so busy lives. Here is a quick rundown of a few releases that have caught my eyes and ears recently.
Mega Ran: Black Materia (Final Fantasy VII)
While the Final Fantasy series might not be that near and dear to my heart, I would be stupid not to acknowledge the amount of love that this iconic touchstone commands. Actually, I have only attempted to play one of the chapters…once and then I gave up on it all too quickly. Mega Rans’ a.k.a. Random’s ‘Black Materia’ is making me rethink my hasty decision. What separates this project from the host of other video game meets rap, rock, polka, etc. efforts are Randoms skillful and precise lyrics about gaming, in this case Final Fantasy VII. He elevates over his ‘Nerdcore’ peers by being able to craft a concept album that is creative and pushes the boundaries of what hip hop and music can be. In a nostalgic way, it reminds me of Deltron’s 3030 LP (google that). I would assume it helps to be a fanboy (or fangirl) of Final Fantasy VII to connect with this universe and pick up on all the shoutouts. However, being the novice that I am with the FF identity it spoke to me on a musical and an RPG level. Random tells the plot and builds this epic tale…rhyme-by-rhyme and song-by-song. His passion for his subject matter shines through. The REALLY crazy thing is that this ambitious LP (running time of over 70 minutes!) blends nonstop with classic rap sensibilities and powerful production. Lost Perception (the albums ‘beat maker’) weaves together a tapestry of electronic and classical sounds filled with more progressive resonance then what is often heard with contemporary producers. Let’s hope some downloadable content drops in the months to come. Must haves: ‘Cry Of The Planet’ & ‘Aerith’s Theme’
Beastie Boys ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’
It’s been seven years since the Beasties dropped the underappreciated ‘To The Five Boroughs’ and while that album was more on the heavy handed side than antic ‘Hot Sauce Committee Part Two’ showcases the three emcee’s and their back to basics party rocking signature. Don’t bother pressing the ‘not interesting’ button, the 16 tracks of distorted melodic strut and rap eclecticism displays the fact that even after thirty plus years in the game their best days might be ahead of them. They sound like they are having a blast while still flexing their talents in new directions. Think more of an electronic ‘Check Your Head’ with nods to Ad-Rocks’ short-lived side project ‘BS 2000’ (google that). ‘Hot Sauce’ has all of the staples that we’ve come to except from a B.B. album; Infectious party mantra (Make Some Noise), Swank instrumental (Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament), Hard hitting punk scat (Lee Majors Come Again) & pitch perfect interludes that let you catch your breath before the next sonic assault (The Bill Harper Collection). ‘Hot Sauce’ is a welcome breath of fresh air in this postmodern ruse of generic musical soundscapes. As usual, the Beasties play it cool by just being themselves and the video for the jump off single ‘Make Some Noise’ is a HOOT. While this is not technically ‘Video Game’ based music it IS recommended listening while playing Co-Op dungeon crawlers and or anything that fits within the action adventure category.
L.A. Noire Soundtrack(s)
Possibly the most anticipated video game title of 2011, Rockstar’s detective simulator ‘L.A. Noire’ is set to drop on May 17th. I have never regretted buying a Rockstar game (The GTA series, Red Dead Redemption). In my opinion they are in an elite class of publishers/developers (Bioware is still number one!) and consistently reach for the upper echelon with each and every release. In their games, the devil is in the details from the meticulous environments to the polished scripts…and even in the sound design. The game boasts not one but two soundtracks. The official soundtrack, composed by Andrew Hale (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), draws heavily from the sounds of the 1940’s. A homage in the likes of Jerry Goldsmith and Max Steiner. It’s a mosaic mingling commonplace symphonic arrangements with re-visioned Jazz originals. It also boasts more than 30 classic tracks including Thelonious Monk, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday & others. The second, ‘L.A. Noire/Remixed’ is a six song mash up EP. Taking musical compositions of Jazz greats and having their songs reworked by some of today’s most diverse and creative producers & disc jockeys (I.E. Louis Jordan- Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens DJ Premier remix). Still, I can’t help to think what Danger Mouse, Gaslamp Killer or Damon Albarn could have done to some of these standards. Maybe, Rockstar and Verve records s saving that for the sequel. Both Soundtracks will be available on Itunes the same day that the game launches.
-Dagobot