Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The Return of Video Game Music LP (Alfa, 1985)

Tracklisting

Side A
Fanfare From Pole Position II
Grobda
Dig Dug II
Dragon Buster
Metro Cross (Part I)
Gaplus
The Tower of Druaga

Side B
Mood Organ #27
Meta Magic Game
Merry Goes Around (Dedicated to Mariko Kunimoto)
Standard Theme
Mechanism of Vision
Metro Cross (Part II)

This LP is the sequel to the "Video Game Music" album arranged by Haruomi Hosono of YMO. This time around, arrangement duties fall in the hands of Koji Ueno of Guernica fame, who does a pretty alright job. It can't be a simple, really, as most of these early arcade compositions were meant to be looped indefinitely until the player succeeds or loses, cueing another soundbite. Ueno (and Hosono before him) don't ignore that fact, and admirably present the music in all its incessant glory, with in-game sound effects, chance deaths, and subsequent victories disrupting any sort of logical song-structure. This sort of video game music is actually pretty bizarre taken out of context...
Side B get's a bit bogged down with some original (non-video game) compositions, but the wacky "Meta Magic Game" is a highlight.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this one, especially the b-sides!

I have a request, if you have a download for the first Video Game Music album by Hosono I am having difficulty finding it. Please make a post about Video Game Music by Hosono, the legendary man-turtle! Or if you could, point me in the right direction? Thank you!

c.patera said...

Anonymous,

Sure thing! Give me some time... I seem to be busy these days.

Best,
c.