I'm going to start things off with a track from the Rhythm & Pixels podcast and their 15-9 episode titled "Medical Music". These guys have made it their mission to always provide you with surprising topics and it's always as fun to hear what they come up with that relates to the theme. It's safe to say it's impossible to guess, except that Ristar will be in there somewhere (Rhythm & Pixels inside-joke). It's a great way to discover new music and new games to check out. In this episode they play a tune called "Persuade the Flame" from the game Lifesigns: Surgical Unit, which is just about the 200th game on their show I had never heard about. It has a great tempo and beat, and I would so not want to perform surgery to this. But dance, oh yeah, I can dance to this.
Next up is a track from the very first episode of the VGMBassy podcast, "Echoes of Ecco" which is all about the Ecco the Dolphin series. This whole episode is amazing and helped me completely revamp my view of the Ecco-series. I couldn't recommend it more, so go listen to it. Ecco The Dolphin also has a really great ambient soundtrack, and I am a sucker for great ambient soundtracks (hello Super Metroid). This one is one of the first you come across (both in the game and in the podcast). It's just so haunting and creepy. It really sets the mood that something has gone terribly wrong.
My next track is from the Nerd Noise Radio podcast which is one of the few commentator-free VGM podcasts I listen to. This provides you with a full episode of just music around a theme, with no talking (well, a little bit of talking at the beginning and end). Sometimes that is all you want and need. Interestingly enough this episode (episode 15) played a tune from Ecco the Dolphin as well, and what is probably my favourite one - the Undercaves. But the tune I want to highlight is a completely different one, called "Hardcore Combat" from the game Vay. It just has exactly that 90's techno beat that I am absolutely in love with and I just can't stop listening to this. It's a blast the speakers kind of moment here and I get Streets of Rage and Mortal Kombat-vibes from it. What more do you need?
Last but not least I have two honorable mentions;
In The Battle Bards ep 121 (about Myst Online), Syl mentions the soundtrack to a game called Pit People. It's not technically what the episode is about but I can't not mention an electro swing soundtrack when I hear it.
Secondly is the Episode 57 "Commodore 64 in the 21st Century" episode from Forever Sound Version. It reminded me how great the Commodore 64 sounds and I have no idea why I don't listen to more of that. Well, consider that rectified. The whole episode is a great listen and I would like to link to some of my favourite tunes but unfortunately I can't find any youtube/other easily linkable format to so. So instead I am going to link you to the High Voltage SID Collection homepage where you can dig up your own SID chip treasure.
Wow! I am soooooo honored that you included me in your highlights list! That means the world to me! Also, episode 15 is one of my favorites too! Of course, Sega CD music is so great, that it makes the job of making a good episode out of it very easy, eh? ;-)
ReplyDeleteAlso, you've got great tastes in podcasts! The only show on this list that I wasn't already following is Battle Bards, and I will check them out straightaway!
As far as the other shows we already have in common, Ed and Mibri are totally class acts, and luminaries in the scene! I can't elaborate, but I have a collaboration planned with one of them sometime in 2019. So stay tuned!
And then Rob and Pernell? My goodness, I absolutely adore those guys! They're such wonderful people who have an unmatched yin and yang dynamic in their show, and have great taste in music too!
Outside of Brent and Rob of LMH fame, and probably KeyGlyph, I think R&P are very likely my favorite faces and voices in the scene!
Anyway, thank you again, so much! It's quite an honor to even be named in the same proverbial sentence as the likes of these greats!
Happy New year's, and I look forward to 2019 very much, not only for these guys' shows and others, and not only for what's coming in mine (though I think I've got some good stuff in store for you), but also just for the future interactions I'll get to have with you and the rest of the people in this increasingly excellent scene!
Cheers!
-St. John (Nerd Noise Radio)
Glad to hear it! This is a lot of what these posts are about, both as a way for me to throw out some tunes I like, but also for me to spread the word about all the great VGM podcasts that are out there, and yours is in my roll :)
DeleteYou should definitely check out Battle Bards, they're among my favourite (to be fair, I really enjoy all the VGM podcasts I listen to, which is why I listen to them after all ^^). They do have a unique take though which mix things up a bit, so they're always great fun to listen to. Looking forward to more great VGM tunes with you and all the other great podcasts out there in 2019!