interview

Mutazione, a quirky game created by the studio Die Gute Fabrik, has one of the most laidback soundtracks ever. From his very relaxed studio on Sardinia, Alessandro Coronas created a wonderful mix of low-fi, accoustic and synth sounds to accompany young Kai on her voyage to save her grandfather on a very unusual island.

Led by arranger and founder Charlie Rosen, the 8-Bit Big Band has rekindled a love of swing with fans of game music. Following a sold-out show in New York City, the band has invited high-energy sax virtuoso Grace Kelly to join them for two concerts in Boston on March 1.  

For every classic NES video game that we all remember, like Castlevania, Zelda and Super Mario, there are literally hundreds that have fallen into obscurity. Pianist, composer and arranger Rob Kovacs is on a mission to bring these long-lost treasures to a new audience with his note-for-note piano transcriptions of themes from obscure games like The Adventures of Lolo, Arkista's Ring and Marble Madness.

Writing the score for the award-winning animated short film The Wrong Rock gave BAFTA-nominated composer Grant Kirkhope a chance to spread his wings and offer an enjoyable change of pace from a busy year composing game soundtracks. As Grant told me, getting the perfect theme for Martin, the courageous mushroom who didn't fit in on his home rock, was the key that unlocked the music. 

Composer John Paul Hayward has such great memories of playing Square Enix's classic Chrono Cross that he created an orchestral tribute to Yasunori Mitsuda's soundtrack, imagining what it would sound like if John Williams had arranged it. John's album, Cross Symphonic, was released in November 2019, on the exact date Cross was released in 1999. John told me it was an incredibly ambitious project.