Respawn

Taking a summer vacation was a challenge this year, so The  Game Brass created their own! Their third full-length album: Brassino Isles Tropical Cruise takes listeners on a voyage to Dragon Roost Island, Treasure Trove Cove, Monkey Island, and many other ports of call. The Game Brass also brought along some friends! They invited a who's who of game music performers to add to the fun. Every track features a different musican or ensemble, including Disco Cactus, Grant Kirkhope, Ocobanda, the Videri String Quartet and many others.

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.  

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. 

Golem, created by Highwire Games and released in November, has been one of the most-anticipated VR games in recent years. The game puts the player in the world as the younger child of a family who live near a huge ruined city filled with treasures and populated by massive golems. With a special artifact, the children are able to inhabit a golem themselves and explore the city.

It's been an incredibly busy year for composer Jason Graves: writing music for the terrifying Dark Pictures: Man of Medan from Supermassive Games. He also scored episodes of DC's Swamp Thing, and in the midst of all that terror, carved out time to return to the charming world of Quill, the young mouse hero of Moss. I caught up with Jason to talk about all three projects.