Metroid Zero Mission was one of the first games I ever played as a kid (on the Gameboy Advance!) and it sparked my love for video games and by extension, video game music—Kraid's theme was the first song I ever learned on piano nearly 15 years ago. My personal favourite song on the album would have to be the Metroid Prime Theme. Although it initially wasn't my favourite composition out of the bunch compared to the more iconic songs like Samus's Theme, the direction I ended up taking it paired with trying different production techniques turned it into something vastly different in sound and feel from the original which I personally enjoyed.
In my previous remixing endeavours, my focus was achieving a lofi sound and tonality while preserving what was great about the original composition. For this project I still maintained that, but my focus shifted towards establishing a groove that could be improvised upon. As a result, this album ventures into several other genres, from chillwave to bossa nova what I can best describe as… lofi disco house? Writing essentially new compositions that incorporated different elements of the Metroid games' important themes was the goal here, a sort of process I picked up from my collaborator (and boss, and homie) Save Point. During the production of this album I developed new standards for what I personally wanted from lofi, and I certainly broadened my definition of what that term can mean. It was an incredibly fun process and it's always an honor to release music alongside the homies and peers at Curaga. Lofi fans and video game nerds alike, thanks for supporting my music.
Some of the records have stuck closely to the melodies and phrases that we as gamers have been so familiar with over the decades, whilst others have been more experimental, groovy and jammy in their takes. The production also, has been everything from incredibly scratchy, swirling, dulled, muted and minimalist to sweeping, trip-hop, starry-eyed poppy sheen, all fitting with the ongoing series vibe, and capturing the style of each producers’ tastes and idiosyncratic approaches.
Metroid certainly leans into the latter category here, and I was very much digging Floopy’s work on these tracks, especially as my personal thoughts of the music accompanying Samus’s exploits over the last quarter of a century through various console systems and interpretations were firmly in the camp that it can get pretty doomy and moody - which is absolutely fine - but over a full album could be a bit overwhelming.
Here, Floopy isn’t afraid to take the baton and really run with it, leading to some incredible moments, such as the low-key indie fanfare of Samus’s theme, through to the bubbling, grooving bass of Magmoor Caverns, absolutely stunningly-gorgeous-shimmering guitar lines in Lower Brinstar, or the subtly sinister, ‘80s throwback slasher horror vibes of Kraid’s Theme, and the lilting Eastern strings of Skytown to name but a few – I also have to throw in the very unexpected (and awesome) upbeat disco track that is Upper Brinstar!.
All of this is wrapped up in the classic Curaga lo-fi artwork and presentation, making it a must for fans of the Metroid series, especially those who aren’t afraid to see it taken in new startling and wonderful directions, with the artists’ stamp very much on this interpretation of a much-loved franchise. I very much look forward to what Floopy has in store for us in the future!
Track listing:
Samus's Theme (from "Super Metroid") Floopy & LoFi VGM 2:52
Brinstar (from "Metroid") Floopy, LoFi VGM & lost:tree 3:23
Magmoor Caverns (from "Metroid Prime") Floopy & LoFi VGM 3:09
Lower Brinstar (from "Super Metroid") Floopy, LoFi VGM & Save Point 2:33
Kraid's Theme (from "Metroid") Floopy & LoFi VGM 3:01
Crashed Ship Frigate Orpheon (from "Metroid Prime") Floopy & LoFi VGM 2:48
Upper Brinstar (from "Super Metroid") Floopy & LoFi VGM 2:55
Metroid Prime Theme (from "Metroid Prime") Floopy & LoFi VGM 3:39
Skytown (from "Metroid Prime 3") Floopy & LoFi VGM 3:31
Record Label: Curaga Records
Album Producer: Floopy
No comments:
Post a Comment
Like what you see in the Games Freezer?
Why not tell us what you think with a few well-chosen comments? :)
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.