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Album: GIANTS
Legend of the Master Musicians – A Video Game Music Concept Album
Release on: Brave Wave
Featuring Various Artists, from past, and present
Out: April 19th 2024
Celebrating ten years, of creating amazing music, plus bringing awesome talents together from around the world. GIANTS, is an album, that takes listeners on a journey of video game music’s past, present, and future. A project made with heart, soul, and passion. VGM is an artform that creates an atmosphere, a world, from start to finish, an epic adventure or quest you will never forget.
When video game music began, it was carried through melodies, unforgettable songs. Since then, vgm has evolved tenfold, but also lost some of its identity. GIANTS goes back in time, exploring what made vgm special in the first place. Those melodies revisited, given new life, composition, and possibly connecting with old, and new audiences.
GIANTS is a project years in the making, bringing together talents that brought to life tons of amazing games you might have played. Plus songs that tap into that nostalgia, taking you back to another time, and space.
Tracklist
1] Waldgeist
Artists: Super Strikers
The start up song of this awesome album! Welcome to the adventure!
“Waldgeist” also happens to be a mythological forest spirit
2] Face Off At Mammoth Mountain
Artist: Manami Matsumae
A dramatic, yet epic tune that will get you amped for this awesome rush of music
3] Wily Stage 1 & Boss (Mega Man / Rockman)
Artists: Super Strikers
You have made it to the end, challenged various bosses once more, only to take on the Doctor. The music builds, the traps are ingenious, but never give up hope, keep on fighting!
4] Iron Whale (Shovel Knight)
Artist: Akari Kaida
A more recent adventure, but inspired by the great platformers of old: Ducktales, and many more. A challenging battle, but delivered in a fiery flamenco style.
5] Ultramarine
Artists: Takashi Tateishi, Tee Lopes, Harumi Fujita
Something legendary, something blue. But dang oh so good. One of the most classic, and unforgettable Mega Man songs of all time. Bringing together an all star team!
6] Quick Man Stage (Mega Man 2)
Artist: Takahiro Izutani, Monomirror
Fast, but also deadly, in this wild stage where the unpredictable can lead to an instant Game Over screen. But do not fret, there is a way to get through every obstacle. Study every platform, and leaps of faith. The boss may be a challenge, but that song sticks with you, long after the battle.
Taking on a more mellow melody, this unique take on the song is enhanced, driven, and focused. The incredible part, it retains that vibe we were connected to back on the Famicom/NES long ago.
7] Wily Stage (Mega Man 2)
Artist: Yoshitaka Suzuki, Takahiro Izutani
Orchestral? Wait no its even more epic! With some electronic sprinkled throughout. Still a difficult, and unforgettable boss theme. But dang does it hit even harder. Taking you back to that moment, it is down to the wire, the music builds, and your health bars are nearly wiped.
By golly this new take is awesome! If this song was not stuck in your head before, it is now!
8] Full Circle (Mega Man 3)
Artist: Harumi Fujita, BUNBUN (the collab team of Harumi Fujita, and Yasuaki Fujita)
An unreleased classic, made by awesome composing duo Harumi Fujita, and Yasuaki Fujita (no relation). In the past, they were known as the vgm music team BunBun. Plus Harumi’s son Ayato helped with the song as well.
9] Needle Man Stage (Mega Man 3)
Artist: Danimal Cannon
Catchy? Sick? Memorable? Oh yes! One of the best, crafted by the masters. But this, brought to life a fan of the vgm arts. Given a new spin, a rocktronica vibe. While keeping that melody that keeps you humming.
10] Wily Medley (Mega Man 3)
Artist: Mamomo
Dr. Waweee (ahem) I meant Wily. A theme song etched into our brains. But also can take on a different form in vgm. From trance, techno, rock, or orchestral and beyond. But when it is a rendition of several versions put together, it becomes something even more intense. One of the most unforgettable bosses in gaming, with a theme that is epic, while being super catchy. Interesting note about this Medley, it actually feels like something from Final Fantasy VI.
11] Mission (Pulstar)
Artist: Smoke Thief, Harumi Fujita
The SNK SHMUP classic! Incorporating a sci-fi vibe, but with a melodic, electronic vibe that connects to the atmosphere of the game perfectly. Building up, it feels like we’re in a ship computer’s mind choosing options before we head out on our mission. Then the world opens up, a vast cyberspace, with a barrage of enemies whizzing by, and numerous obstacles that are in our way. As the music carries you through, telling you to keep going.
12] Ronin
Artist: Keiji Yamagishi
Also be sure to check out Retro-Active pt1, and Retro-Active pt2
Ryuichi Nitta, Kaori Nakabai Also composed the music for Ninja Gaiden III
The ninja looks upon his challenges, only death will stop his mission. Moving forward, tons of obstacles stop your path, from other ninja clans, traps, and supernatural beings. Braving through it all, the music keeps going, the ninja you are playing as is powerful, and fights with every last breath.
This awesome track reunites legends from the classic Ninja Gaiden series. A notoriously difficult platformer that was on every system. Anyone who dared to keep going after the first level was welcomed to levels, and stage themes forever embedded in our minds.
13] The Amazing Ryu (Ninja Gaiden)
Artist: Maxo
The classic theme song reborn! Don’t press the Start button right away! Let this bop play out first! This unforgettable classic is remastered by one of the awesome legends in the series composing sound team. Originally based on an edit from a cassette tape originally composed by Yamagishi-sama, brought back to life in modern style. Ryu’s theme song is timeless, and amazing
14] The Parasprinter (Ninja Gaiden 2)
Artist: Pentadrangle
Every challenge, and obstacle brought you to this space. No matter what, a Ninja never fears death! This song is your battle cry! Swords clash, enemies rise and fall, but nothing will stop you.
15] Stage 4-2 & Stage 1-1 (Ninja Gaiden 3)
Artist: Xavier Dang
One thing that can be said, Ninja Gaiden music never feels boring. It is intense, dramatic, melodic, but also hyper, brutal, and powerful. It drives you to keep going, no matter what gets in your way. This unique medley mashes together various themes that are heard throughout the 3rd entry in the series.
16] Terra Incognita (a tribute to Panzer Dragoon)
Artist: Saori Kobayashi, Takahiro Izutani
This beautiful track blends melodic themes, fantasy, and a sick guitar. From another time, and space, it carries that feeling of flight, freedom, and the unknown.
17] Art Thou The Holy One (Panzer Dragoon Saga)
Artist: Lena Raine, Saori Kobayashi
Many Panzer fans may recognize this song. Now brought back to life, as part of this amazing album. A blend of sounds, and styles that echo the past, with even more inspired elements of the present. Exploration, adventure, and a vast world that is open to you, or may be hostile. A pilot, and their dragon flying across the skies, and challenging what comes along the way.
18] Atolm Dragon (Panzer Dragoon Saga)
Artist: Super Strikers, Lena Raine
The Battle theme! High energy, and blows clash as the song blazes across the skies. The song carries you through, zipping by anything that is thrown at you. While volleying back with all of your might. It builds as things get more intense, with more damage delivered, or received. The Dragon wails, you try to figure out a strategy, together you are one.
19] Quiet & Falling (Celeste)
Artist: ABSRDST, Lena Raine
From the game Celeste. Every obstacle, to dangers, this song echoes all you feel throughout the journey. But it also connects to the character, their hopes, dreams, and wishes since the start, to where you are now. Is it all for not? Or is there something after that last leap of faith?
“Quiet and Falling” feels like a blend of Oceanlab, Gabriel & Dresden, plus Daft Punk, with Everything But the Girl in a Hybrid Mix. The echoes, melodies, use of various instruments, and also amazing lyrics and vocals that have a life of their own.
20] Apricot Dreams
Artist: Masashi Kageyama, Dino Lionetti
A laidback, cool, and synth filled song. Feels like something from Tangerine Dream. Still something fun to listen to.
21] Ultimate Medley (Gimmick!)
Artist: Super Strikers
A classic platformer from long ago, once thought to be a toy, turns out to be a Yokai named Yumetaro (Yokai can be defined as a ghost, monster, shapeshifter, or trickster). This neat medley celebrates the fun character’s unforgettable adventure, plus numerous songs throughout the journey. The classic game was recently re-released as a special edition, that thrives on testing all of your patience, and dexterity.
22] Echoes
Artist: Mamomo, Super Strikers
The End Credits song. Thank you for playing! Congratulations you completed the adventure!!!
GIANTS is an awesome album, that has something for every music fan. Going beyond from what the games that were originally composed for, each track is hand picked by its artists to deliver a completely new experience that you will want to share forever. This awesome album is available now!
By the way, if you want to learn more about this awesome album, be sure to read “Ten” a behind the scenes article of how GIANTS came to be.
