Video Game Lo-Fi - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest Vinyl Review By Britt 💿 @CuragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM

First off, I feel a fool! A fool I tell you! Up until receiving this record for coverage, I’d been under the impression that the second in the Donkey Kong Country series of games was called ‘Diddy Kong’s Quest’…but it’s actually ‘Diddy’s Kong Quest’ – I don’t feel too bad upon discovering this, as my fiancée was also under the same misapprehension, I’d barely taken the cellophane off this Curaga Records release, and I was already learning.

Part of the Lo-Fi series, this record continues the isometric landscape style of shiny artwork featured in the other Curaga Lo-Fi releases. This particular release references key visuals, locations, and characters from the video game itself, and comes on a single black vinyl ensconced in a plain white sleeve, ensuring a continuation of the uniformity already established in the Curaga Lo-Fi series.

Producer Michael Staple takes a mellow approach to the album, allowing the grooves to swing and giving the melodies space to become deeply hypnotic and almost otherworldly. SAVE POINT – as with all Curaga releases – handles the mastering and artwork, doing a cracking job here of giving the tracks a fully rounded, ethereal vibe. David Wise originally composed the Diddy’s Kong Quest soundtrack on the SNES, and the SNES sound-chip is the perfect starting point for trip-hop / lo-fi takes on music in this vein, as it already has a somewhat uniquely muted aural palette in terms of percussion and orchestration, as opposed to the crunch and bite of the Mega Drive sound style. 

I found myself listening to this record quite a lot in the mornings / afternoons, and it remained on my turn table for quite a while - always a good sign - as I found myself always in the mood for it, pressing play as I walked past the record player in my office to start my day. It’s melodic approach and soft production style was unobtrusive and yet always caught the ear, it provided a great start to many, many mornings here at the GF Welsh Branch HQ.

I noticed that the songs were also a touch longer than on previous Curaga Lo-Fi releases – often hovering around the 4+ minute mark – and this made a surprising amount of difference in terms of letting the tracks ‘sit’, the casual (and yet incredibly strong and evocative) soundscapes washed around the room, filling it with mellow vibes.

This isn’t an album of twisted experimentation, complex time signatures, or booming production, instead it acts as a calming balm that high-fives David Wise’s originals and morphs them into versions that feel as if they are effortlessly floating silently across the dead sea in a cool, stoned coma.

Upon my first listen, by the time I reached the final track - and to me the album pinnacle in terms of mood evocation – ‘In a Snowbound Land’, I already knew that I’d fallen for the magic woven by the record, and the fact that the hazy thematics run throughout gives the record a sense of cohesion that is almost addictive, and on several occasion I’ve found myself re-starting the side again, or just flipping over and over, listen through multiple times. Good.

SUMMARY

I’m a very big fan of Michael Staple’s approach and I hope that he returns to the Curaga fold in future, as the rich and rounded vibe here works perfectly when presented on the warm grooves of a vinyl, I have a strong feeling that this is one record that will be making many return trips to my turntable! 

Standout Tracks - 

Stickerbush Symphony
In A Snowbound Land

Curaga Records – Purchase Link

Producer – Michael Staple