LACED WITH WAX

Many video games want players to feel hyper powerful — here are a few of the best music cues crafted especially to get the blood pumping.

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Young Gallic composer Yoann Laulan opens up about his classical influences, game jamming his way into the industry, and what it’s like to score an early access game.

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Listening to classical music can be glorious, even life-changing, but it’s a field that’s daunting to navigate. We highlight some accessible (but still brilliant) classical works that fans of video game music will love — with the help of composers Jessica Curry, Austin Wintory and Lloyd Coleman, podcaster Emily Reese, and the Videri Quartet.

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In our final Ode to Joysticks excerpts piece, we hear from the likes of Jessica Curry, PlayStation, and C64Audio.com about reimagining video game music through live performance — and how a Game Boy is actually a versatile instrument. By Thomas Quillfeldt and Ben Eshmade

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Ever sing along to a video game song? Learn the lyrics to an emotive title theme? We asked a bunch of VGM connoisseurs about their favourite original vocal tracks from games.

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We spoke to concept artist and illustrator Kellan Jett, one of the minds behind indie story-em-up Where The Water Tastes Like Wine — about the game’s aesthetic, his OST vinyl sleeve, and tips for aspiring artists. By Thomas Quillfeldt

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Depictions of hell, and similar demon dimensions, are common in video games — we delved into the depths to find some devilishly dark music that’s been used to soundtracked virtual hellscapes.

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Part 2 of our edited quotes from the Ode to Joysticks podcasts features Austin Wintory, Jesper Kyd, Eímear Noone and others musing on the value of game music in immersing players in otherworldly settings.

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We look at some of the different ways in which video game composers have soundtracked watery settings such as the high seas, underwater caves and the deep, dark abyss.

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We teased out some choice quotes from the experts interviewed in the video game music podcast series Ode to Joysticks. Part 1 explores the musical creativity of the leading ’80s chiptune composers.

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We were inspired to take a snapshot of some fantastic composers and recent video game scores from across six continents.

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We talked to three co-hosts of Sound of Play, a podcast dedicated to video game music, about the origins of the show, their favourite eras of game music and advice for others thinking of launching a pod.

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Laced With Wax spoke to Where the Water Tastes Like Wine composer Ryan Ike to find out how he and his cohort of collaborators approached the intimidating brief: ‘Create a soundtrack that encapsulates the whole of the USA.’ No sweat.

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We chatted to composer, arranger and orchestrator David Peacock about his lifelong love of video game music, how one goes about rearranging classic tracks (when the original composer is looking over your shoulder) and the collaborative nature of the VGM community.

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We highlight some more beautiful and bonkers vinyl sets that show how inventive artists, labels and designers can be with the format.

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