Review: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
For me Daft Punk is and will forever be a part of our gaming lexicon. Whether it’s their electronic sound that affords them such a relation by proxy or simply a sharing of a universal demographic, the two are inseparable. So I felt it only natural to review this album. That and my love of their music over the years doesn’t hurt either.
Da Funk
When I first heard to the lead single “Get Lucky” from Daft Punk’s upcoming “Random Access Memories”, I was left slack jawed from the hand of funk which had slapped me upside the head. The intro bass groove backed by a solid drum rhythm leading to the chunky melodic guitar licks of Nile Rogers flowing seamlessly into the bright and poppy vocals of Pharrell, it was spot on. And just when your ears itched to hear the soulful robotic harmonies of the duo, they come in with impeccable timing. Pitch perfect collaboration
A few weeks back, Brandon, Shawn and I found ourselves sitting in my basement listening to the track extolling its’ glory. In that moment sitting there slowly bobbing our heads to the beat in coincidental unison. It felt like a song from an alternate 1970; Inherently familiar yet uniquely vibrant. It was like I had heard it before but not phrased this exact way.
Like the rest of my grooving compadres, I was excited and anxious as the release date approached. With the magical day finally here, only one question remains: does RAM work or does it fail? Well yes and no.
NES Games Like You’ve Never Heard Them Before
Remember when the Beatles released a box set compilation comprising all of their remastered stereo recordings? Well if you don’t, it was quite a big deal. Audiophiles and Beatles fans were clamoring to hear the music they grew up with in a completely new way. And although I enjoy the Beatles, I never grew up with them in the same way my father or his generation did. Instead I grew up to the 8-bit chipped tunes of the NES. Now after 25 years, we have a brand new way to listen to our favorite NES soundtracks like never before: completely remixed and remastered in stereo.
Need a Megaman Fix? Check out this Megaman 11 Soundtrack
Ok, so I may have lured you in under false pretenses. Before you fly off to Capcom Unity in search of a trailer, no, there is no Megaman 11 coming out (not yet anyway). What we have right here is the hard work of the videogame composer and chiptune artist Xavier “mv” Dang.
Earlier last week Dang released a tribute to classic Capcom NES soundtracks in the form of a completely original 24 track soundtrack for a ficticious Megaman 11. Complete with 8 robot master designs and tons of extra downloadables (including Stepmania simfiles!) this is one album that you don’t want to miss.
For a little background here is a blurb taken from the Bandcamp page describing the development.
Get Funk’d by the Latest Album from the OneUps
For more than a decade The Oneups have been offering their amazing renditions of classic videogame tunes with a Funk-Jazz flair, and ever since their first first album, I have found it nearly impossible to put them down (seriously, I currently have 205 complete listens of the discography on Spotify). Today they finally released their latest album “Intergalactic Continuum” for digital purchase and stream on their Bandcamp page with wider digital, and physical releases on their way as we speak. Or if you are lazy, check out the whole thing below, right now!
Capcom Original CPS2 Track ‘Downtown Network’
YouTube user WizzyWhipitWonderful is back with one of my new favorite original CSP2 tracks. For those unfamiliar with his work, Wizzy utilizes the Capcom CPS2 sound chip to create new original scores with a classic Capcom arcade vibe. His newest track is appropriately titled “Downtown Network”. Even the picture fits the theme perfectly as Strider faces Hayato in a rain soaked battle atop a subway car.
Tron Meets Ice-T in ‘Colors of Tron’ Mashup
The Culternauts show us the brutal reality of the Grid in their mashup video ‘Colors or Tron’. It’s a clever mix of Ice-T’s hip-hop classic track ‘Colors’ and some well timed scenes from Tron. Who knew the Grid could be so gangsta…werd.
Why Overexposed is the Worst Maroon 5 Album
You may not know this but I’m a huge Maroon 5 fan. Like many I was hooked with the release of ‘Song About Jane’. The album was a perfect mix of pop, guitar, and a touch of funk. ‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long’ hit and completed my full on Maroon 5 man crush. ‘Hands All Over’ followed with less than stellar results while still being a decent album.
I had hoped ‘Overexposed’ would be a return to form. Instead I’m faced with possibly the worst Maroon 5 album to date. I know this sounds a bit presumptuous, harsh, and even a tad trollish, but this is an undeniable fact. Now before you ready your Adam Levine themed torches and pitchforks let me explain.
