Well, today I was busy doing heavy lifting and receiving a paycheck (that's a change, isn't it?). Thus, instead of a real review or some random opinions on how strange the music industry is these days, I will discuss one of the things that has been on my mind for some time now.I was at a gathering of local writers one evening, and the topic of Beethoven came up. One of our more eccentric writers mentioned a study about Beethoven; the study concluded that, if Beethoven were alive today, he'd be making music for video games. The idea being that Beethoven was so experimental and powerful for his time, that if placed in a modern setting he'd be where the cutting edge is. Of course, this notion didn't sit well with some of our more tradition-minded writers (and I can't find the actual study itself), but I found the idea fascinating.
Perhaps our traditionalists were thinking of old Atari games or classics of Nintendo with cheesy chiptunes, but I argue that certain classics of video gaming had brilliant soundtracks. The one that I've been stuck on for awhile is the original NES Metroid. The title screen music, even as a chiptune, was quite amazing. The Legend of Zelda? Just plain cool. When we were young, we probably didn't pay much attention to the music, but now, we find those old themes captivating. I don't think I ever noticed how potent game music could be until Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo. That soundtrack was so good, it was made available on CD (mostly as an import from Japan; take that whatever way you please).
Technology has progressed to the point where games can have phenomenally rich music. If original music isn't quite the speed of the developers, current technology can accommodate a soundtrack consisting of real-world rock music (listen to the car stereos in the Grand Theft Auto series, for example).
Also, it seems like everyone and their dog has some kind of program to remix music on their computers. Video game music was certainly not forgotten in that respect, with vast legions of people layering unimaginative techno beats over old chiptunes. However, some have taken to remixing with a flair. Some aren't so much remixing as they are reinterpreting, using (gasp!) real instruments. Take this jazz variation on the Darkworld theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Slick.
I'm really impressed with where we've been and where we're going in this realm. It's a new world of technology and development, waiting for a musical genius to bring greater respect to this artform. If I am ever arrested for running an illegal Beethoven cloning experiment in my basement to achieve this end, please remember the cause and continue to fight the good fight.
Overclocked Remix (Fair warning: most are thumping techno. Listen before you download.)
a couple favorites from OCRemix:
Chrono Trigger "600 AD in Piano"
Metroid theme remix by efsisos
Bother me about putting up a decent review when my arms don't feel like they're going to fall off.
