Another year has gone by and another MAGfest is upon us. Last year, Sean Orange and I made the trek to MAGfest X to take part in the 4-day music and gaming geekery that surrounded us, and this year we’ll be doing another round and taking in all the highlights (and even maybe some hilarious lowlights!) that the event has to offer.
This year features 3 special guests in terms of composers. Following up last year’s spectacular appearance by Final Fantasy’s Nobou Uematsu, MAGfest XI has the legendary combined talents of Kuniyo Yamashita (Castlevania, MegaMan X3), Chris Huelsbeck (Turrican Series, R-Type) and the great Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Actraiser) gracing the Gaylord National Harbor hotel. This will also be the first time Koshiro will be playing a DJ set in US shores, which provides event-goers with an extra special treat!
There are a huge amount of bands and performances this year as well; 38 concerts and visual performances to be exact! (the largest amount thus far!) Included in the lineup are mainstays such as Metroid Metal, The One-Ups and The Megas, but also included are a ton of new-comers to the MAGfest scene such as Lords of Thunder, Fighting in the Streets and The Tri-Force Quartet. There’s even band-personifications of two of the better institutions for video game music arranging: Overclocked Remix’s Overclocked University and Dwelling of Duels Live! Throw in tons of panelist and entertains like Arin “Egoraptor” Hanson, The Angry Video Game Nerd and yet another return by Jon St. John, and you’ve got the most ambitious MAGfest to date!
The event runs January 3-6 at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel, Maryland with tell that there are tons of tickets still available at the door. Sean and I will bring coverage of the fun little things we run across at this gamer’s paradise and bring it to you for your viewing enjoyment.
Last month, I reported on a fantastic fundraising project started by German video game composer, Chris Huelsbeck (Turrican, The Great Giana Sisters, R-Type, etc.). The fundraiser, based on Kickstarter, was a project started to raise funds for a new fully-orchestrated soundtrack anthology dedicated as a tribute to all three of the Turrican games.
Within 2 weeks of the project start, the entire goal of raising $75,000 in order to fund production was fully amassed, of which Huelsbeck was excited for. However, what he perhaps wasn’t prepared for was for it to nearly double it’s original goal. With less than 2 weeks left of the June 3rd cutoff, the fund has nearly broken $140,000. With this extra support from fans and backers, Huelsbeck has increased the pledge rewards as a thanks for any and all contributions, from signed exclusive merchandise to early beta releases of the anthology music, to a hand-crafted music box featuring Turrican music!
It just goes to show how much dedicated fans are willing to give to pay homage to the great loves of our childhood.
So this is one of those rare non-gaming Lost Classics, but it’s justified since there are plenty of games based on the WWF (or WWE as it’s called now), and there are plenty of games featuring hip hop music. [Read the rest of this entry…]
Remember back when I did that review about the Amiga and all the games I had remembered playing on it, and said that Turrican 2 was my absolute hands-down favorite because it’s music alone was what helped me find the game again after 15 years? Well, that was an understatement really, because the music of not only Turrican 2, but the entire Turrican series are some of the best of that era of gaming. Composer Chris Hülsbeck really outdid himself when he crafted the music for the Turrican series, going above and beyond what alot of games at the time were doing and cementing himself as a legend in the game music field.
Well now, 20 years after releasing his original Turrican Soundtrack Album, Hülsbeck is stepping it up a notch with a Kickstarter Project to help fund a new Turrican Soundtrack Anthology!
I’d like to create a Turrican Soundtrack Anthology Limited Edition Box Set, with nearly all of the music from the Turrican Series of Games. At least 3 CDs will contain these brand new, pristine studio recordings. Even music pieces that were featured on the 1993 Turrican Soundtrack CD will be newly recorded and arranged to update their sound. Highlights will include for the first time: the whole ‘Turrican 2 Title’, ‘Credits’ (all versions), ‘Metal Stars’, ‘Tower of Morgul’, ‘Unidirectional Flight’, ‘Concerto for Laser and Enemies’ and ‘Hall of Heroes’ – all as full length recordings/arrangements.
To fund the project, Hülsbeck has set a goal at $75,000. Those who donate get special goodies, such as signed copies of the early album release, and other signed memorabilia. So far the project has raised over 20k of the goal in just over 24 hours alone! With a June 3rd deadline, it’s not hard to believe that this dream could become a reality, but not without fan help! Please go donate and help Turrican and Hülsbeck fans relive a bit more of our childhoods!
by FakeTrout, filed in Uncategorized on Apr.01, 2011
We we we so excited.
Master thespian James Urbaniak, best known to our readers and Dr Thaddeus Venture, has put the nail in the coffin of the “Friday” meme by joining comedy music professionals Paul And Storm on stage for a dramatic reading of teen scream Rebecca Black’s hit(?) song. Also joining is Wil Wheaton, who raps.
You know those certain types of bands that sing a certain type of music that’s so damn catchy, despite whatever your musical tastes are, you can’t help but nod your head in beat with the rhythm? Lady Gaga is many a person’s guilty pleasure for that fact alone, so we all know it happens.
That’s pretty much what Mindless Self Indulgence is – though much more palatable and a bit less shame-inducing. (for me, anyway) [Read the rest of this entry…]
The very attractive girls from Team Unicorn collaborated together to make a song with music video on just how acceptable it’s become to be a geek and a gamer these days. “Geek & Gamer Girls” (a parody of Katy Parry’s “California Girls”) stars the 4 lovely ladies as well as some generous face time from Seth Green, as well as cameo appearances by Katee “Lady Starbuck” Sackoff and the comic book master himself, Stan Lee!
Konami Code. Han Shot First. How many geek references can you find?
by FakeTrout, filed in Uncategorized on Jan.21, 2011
The Dismemberment Plan – “The City”
The Dismemberment Plan haven’t toured in 7 years. I’d seen them a dozen times over in their native DC, and the last time I saw them onstage it was in Milwaukee in 2003.
Last Night they appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, making their live TV debut, and this weekend they’ll storm DC again with shows at The Black Cat and The 930 Club.
They’re releasing their album Emergency & I on vinyl LP for the first time. If you don’t have a record player, you can still buy the MP3s too.
The D-Plan also stuck around after the show for another song, which is available online only– [Read the rest of this entry…]
PS3
Famicom Dojo
KEEP PLAYING
KEEP PLAYING: Rewind
Powet Toys
Powetcast
Hitchhiker's Guide POWETcast
Another year has gone by and another MAGfest is upon us. Last year, Sean Orange and I made the trek to MAGfest X to take part in the 4-day music and gaming geekery that surrounded us, and this year we’ll be doing another round and taking in all the highlights (and even maybe some hilarious lowlights!) that the event has to offer.
on vinyl LP for the first time. If you don’t have a record player, you can still 