#1April 30th, 2011 · 03:08 PM
117 threads / 20 songs
1,422 posts
United States of America
PPPPPP: retro game music
I wanted to share this bit of music that a friend introduced me to the other day:

From SoulEye (website), creator of the music to the game VVVVVV:

SoulEye wrote…
My name is Magnus. I live in Sweden and make computer game music!
I've been into games since I first laid my hands on some Game&Watch handhelds from Nintendo.
It then continued with C-64, Amiga 500, Amiga 1200, and later on PC.
I love the music those machines had. The gaming music. The OLDSCHOOL gaming music!
(Most of) my tunes reflect this; lo-fi samples, catchy melodies, and the retro feeling
you get when listening to them.

Anybody who loves their Atari/NES roots will appreciate the style of music, but with extra complexity that the old game consoles couldn't deliver at the time.

Some of my favorite tracks on the soundtrack, called "PPPPPP", are found on YouTube (roughly in the order that I like them):

"Pushing Onwards"



"Pressure Cooker"



"Passion for Exploring"



"Potential for Anything"

#2April 30th, 2011 · 03:21 PM
76 threads / 5 songs
529 posts
Cook Islands
Wow! Definitely something I really want to buy. His style is flawless.
I would have to say "Pressure Cooker" and "Potential for Anything" are my two favorites.

Thanks TLS. Really needed this!
#3May 1st, 2011 · 03:06 AM
371 threads / 187 songs
3,394 posts
United Kingdom
Potential for anything is a nice composition - it's dam hard to get midi to sound decent imo, but then it does seem to work well with computer games
#4May 1st, 2011 · 03:22 AM
117 threads / 20 songs
1,422 posts
United States of America
Part of the guy's strategy is that he's using the actual sound controlling chips found in the gaming consoles from the 1980s, not just generic MIDI soundbanks.  There's a really distinctive set of sound effects found in the Nintendo Entertainment System, and it's amazing just how many dead-on sound effects I recognize in the mixes.

I really feel like the songs stand on their own, driving the composition.  When I listen to lyric-less digital tunes, I think it's really easy for the author to create something pretty contrived, making obvious movements from one section to the next.  But in these songs (particularly the first one), the big picture evolves as it goes, and even builds to a rhythmic apex right in the middle.  It's like digital music that follows the form of modern 3:30 radio songs, which is strangely refreshing, I think.
#5May 1st, 2011 · 08:16 AM
341 threads / 59 songs
4,361 posts
Cymru (Wales)
OK! I did not listen to all the of the first one .. it got long , same beat.
I can appreciate the musical licence in using the original technology ... but it's still long and plinky

But the second I enjoyed ... it must be because I enjoyed watching the game at the same time ?

The other two I lost patience with too but they are intrinsically good musical creations
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