Video Game Lo Fi: Undertale (Vol. 1) Vinyl Review By Britt 📀💿 @CuragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

In this collection, producers Hotline Sewhani & Emunator join the long-running Curaga Records Lo Fi series with a chillhop take on music from the seminal indie game. Featuring ten tracks that all clock in at under three minutes each, this is an album that packs a lot into a short space of time, and fleshes out the originals with airy synth, lush melodies, delicate, glassy percussion, trip-hop beats and even a touch of slap bass (good), all wrapped up in the usual Curaga Records high quality presentation and artwork.

The cover – rich with shimmering golds – features the in-game characters Frisk and Sans facing each other across a pond with a deeply symbolic red heart floating on the water between them, the selectable options from the game HUD are featured across the edge of the flooring, which is checkerboard brown and gold, with golden marbled pillars standing tall behind them. The title of the album is tastefully in the top-right hand corner, allowing the image to fully take centre stage.

Flipping the cover over, we can see the standard album rear that Curaga Records tend to go for, that holographic style is again featured, but in a change from previous releases the track listing numbers are in a gold that reflects the cover image, as opposed to the silver usually used. The record is stored in a plain black sleeve, and is itself golden in colour, the theme running through the artwork is very much one of reverence, class, and style.

Also included is a four-page full colour booklet that features Frisk sat on a pier, with an acoustic guitar propped up against a cave wall, as waterfalls cascade all around them. Opening this booklet again continues the golden hue, bleeding out to grey across the pages, which again feature Frisk and Sans in a stand-off on opposing sides of a heart. Across the top of these pages are some introductory words from the producers (Hotline Sewhani (I love that name!) & Emunator), below this are their notes on each track, in play order.

As I always say, these add such fantastic context to the listening experience, with Emunator especially taking the role of an evocative narrator, placing the listener in their mindset, and vividly expressing the locales and emotions that they were trying to conjure and capture on the golden wax.

The album is a very rich and experiential one, with wavering melodies, epic waves, textured tracks, and synth layers creating a dreamlike landscape that is brought to life through Save Point’s mastering. It’s almost embarrassing to say, but I’ve actually never played Undertale – it’s somehow skipped me by all these years! – but even to a newbie to the game such as myself, the quality of the melodies and their more ambient reworkings here really do bring you in to a unique world that feels childlike and oddly mature at the same time, certainly one of the more expressionist Curaga Records that isn’t afraid to lean heavily into a sort of aural whimsical fugue state that captures the heart of the game beautifully.

Track List

1. Undertale Theme (from "Undertale") (Chillhop Edit) - Hotline Sehwani & Emunator -2:58

2. Fallen Down (from "Undertale") (Chillhop Edit) Emunator - 2:39

3. Home (from "Undertale") (Chillhop Edit) Emunator - 2:57

4. Hopes and Dreams (from "Undertale") (Lo-Fi Edit) Hotline Sehwani & Save Point - 2:49

5. Snowdin Town (from "Undertale") (Chillhop Edit) Emunator - 2:20

6. Waterfall (from "Undertale") (Lo-Fi Edit) Hotline Sehwani - 2:17

7. Quiet Water (from "Undertale") (Lo-Fi Edit) Hotline Sehwani - 2:34

8. It's Raining Somewhere Else (from "Undertale") (Lo-Fi Edit) Emunator & Save Point - 2:24

9. His Theme (from "Undertale") (Lo-Fi Edit) Hotline Sehwani - 2:21

10. CORE (from "Undertale") (Lo-Fi Synthwave Edit) Hotline Sehwani & Emunator – 2:35

From the Curaga Records site:

Producers Emunator and Hotline Sewhani have joined forces to collaborate on a new project called "Video Game Lo Fi: Undertale Vol. 01". The duo has carefully crafted a 10-track lo-fi hip-hop and chill hop tribute to Toby Fox's beloved Undertale soundtrack. The result is a nostalgic and expressive journey that is sure to delight fans of the game and music lovers alike.

Emunator Artist Quote: In December of 2023, I decided to walk away from the career path that I’d been pursuing my entire life. I was burned out and planned to take a long break to relax and do absolutely nothing. That plan lasted all of 30 minutes before I got bored and decided I needed something to do. After my last day in the office, I came home and immediately began working on an arrangement of “Home” from Undertale, which would eventually become the first single for this project. The rest is history - over the next two months, with the help of Save Point and Hotline Sehwani, we brought this album to life. I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it all turned out.

Hotline Sewhani Artist Quote: I was very excited to tackle this album project! Undertale is a series known for its highly recognizable music and themes. It was important for me to ensure a balance between the recognized themes and fresh takes on the music throughout this project. Fans of mine have long requested covers from Undertale, so I hope this album satisfies both my music lovers and the die-hard Undertale fans alike.

Toby Fox’s Undertale was a huge hit in the gaming world upon its release back in 2015, with the winning not only numerous awards, but the hearts of players worldwide. No small part of this was the soundtrack – also by Toby Fox – which went to tease the top twenty charts in the UK & US (Billboard & OCC).

Curaga Records Purchase Link