Music shapes us all. We listen to it on our iPods on our way to class. We hear it as we stand awkwardly in the elevator. And we also experience the nostalgia of it when we play video games.
Video game music has had a profound impact on the music industry. Major orchestras, like Tour de Japon, play video game music as part as their concerts. Artists like Wiz Khalifa rap over “Chrono Trigger” music. Video game music has inspired new musicians on the Internet to compose music for this genre, as well as simply make fun of it.
Here are some interesting trends that are occurring with the video game music industry on the Internet and some ways that you can score some free gaming inspired music.
8-Bit Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
If you are a fan of Joss Whedon’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog” (starring Neil Patrick Harris and Felicia Day), then you might be pleasantly surprised to find a classic Nintendo interpretation of the game on YouTube.
This version of “Dr. Horrible” goes through a condensed version of the entire storyline, and all of the music is inspired by the original musical. You can watch Horrible complete “missions” throughout the game to further the story.
Though you cannot “play” the classic video game inspired version of “Dr. Horrible,” you can watch and download the complete 8-bit soundtrack for free at doctoroctoc.com/8-bit-dr-horrible.
The Adventures of Duane and BrandO
If you are strapped on time, and cannot complete your favorite classic game, just listen to it! Musicians Duane and BrandO take original music from games like the “Legend of Zelda” series or “Street Fighter” and rap over it in a creative and funky style.
What is really impressive about Duane and BrandO’s work is that they mainly rap over the entire storyline of the video games, usually in a short amount of time. These artists use only original work from the games, with a little bit of added instrumentation for flavor.
Typically the music they use is in the order in which you would reach the music in gameplay. These guys can rap to any type of crazy beat, even the off-centered music of “Earthbound.”
Though these two artists technically are not performing together anymore, you can still download all of their music for free at their website, duane-and-brando.com. However, be warned. The musical content is not safe for work and is for adult audiences only.
Video Game and pop mixes: “Sonic” and Michael Jackson
Following Duane and BrandO’s trend of mixing genres, YouTube user “Yuzoboy” appropriately blends music from the Sega series “Sonic the Hedgehog” with pop icon “Michael Jackson.”
You may find yourself reliving the past in Yuzoboy’s blend of “Thriller” and the “Marble Garden Zone” music from “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” The music overlaps extremely well, and even compliments each other at certain points in the song.
However, it is no surprise that the combination of Jackson’s music with Sonic works really well. According to an article on MTV.com, Brad Buxer, Michael Jackson’s composer, told the French-based Black and White magazine that Jackson actually had a hand in composing the music for “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.”
However, Buxer said Jackson was never credited for his work because he was “unhappy with the sound coming out of the console.”
Whether or not Jackson actually had a hand in composing the music for “Sonic 3,” one thing is for certain: Yuzoboy’s Jackson-Sonic mixes certainly add spice to these classic musical genres.
Guile’s Theme goes with everything
Speaking of Internet trends, if you are a fan of Guile from the “Street Fighter” series, then you should know be familiar with this YouTube phenomena.
Originally started by YouTube user “guilesthemefitsall,” “Guile’s Theme Goes with Everything” is a series of YouTube videos that places Guile’s theme from Street Fighter in extremely random and often funny, situations. The theme has been placed in clips of “Maury,” a Church’s Chicken commercial, and even in a “Walker, Texas Ranger” movie.
The music used in the videos is typically Guile’s theme music from “Hyper Street Fighter II” for the arcade and Super Nintendo Systems.
The most intriguing part about Guile’s theme is that it seems to go with everything. Tempo is very moderate for this theme, so most situations fit nicely.
If you want to see this phenomena for yourself, just YouTube “Guile’s Theme Goes with Everything.” Be careful though, you may get it stuck in your head.
