Video Game Lo fi: Sonic Frontiers – Vinyl Review By Britt 📀 @CuragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

The newest project from lost:tree – who has been involved with several other of Curaga Records’ projects such as their lo-fi interpretations of Kingdom Hearts and Sonic (a personal favourite of mine!). 

This release focuses on the music of Sonic Frontiers, the 2022 open-world Sonic the Hedgehog game that was well-received upon release, and was seen as a return to form for open-world Sonic titles. The ten tracks here are curated from the 150(!) song soundtrack of Sonic Frontiers, and home in on a dreamy, mellow vibe – it also includes some vocal-led tracks to mix things up and add emotional resonance.

The cover of the album continues the art style used in the Curaga Lo-fi series thus far, with the stylised world of Sonic Frontiers viewed from an isometric point. Whilst I have liked covers of the past, this one doesn’t quite seem to ‘pop’ as much as they usually do, possibly due to the fact that Sonic Frontiers isn’t as instantly recognisable and seminal as others in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, leaving the cover feeling a little sparse and incomplete, somehow. That said – the holographic shine and production is still as well-presented as ever. The plain black record is in the standard matt black sleeve and is a perfect pressing with no technical or audio issues whatsoever, as always – Curaga Records are incredibly reliable when it comes to their products, even when posted delivered across continents.

Track List

Side A
Vandalize

The album begins with muted drums, swirling, echoing guitar and a heavily effected male vocal over big chords and punchy bass. The chorus is catchy and understated, and I’ve mentioned before how lyrics in video game soundtracks don’t usually connect with me, and the same is true here – they seem a little teenage and generic, the first time in a while I feel that I’m not quite the target audience for the main lyrical connections – which is fine. The production is clean, and repeated listens reveal string sections and different layers, a breezy opener.

Kronos Island

Solo piano rings out to begin this, the second song of the album. A shuffling hi-hat beat soon joins in with the piano before big ol’ bass jumps in to take control and guide the instrumentation, the crisp rimshots and bass eventually lead to a string-section centric centrepiece which is haunting and understated, before returning to a twinklier, lighter piano run. This is very much a track reminiscent of a sun-kissed beach.

Cyber Space 1-2 Flowing

Breathy, dance-lite vocals repeat over a trip-hop beat, giving this one a little more heft than the preceding track, but the use of voice samples really gives this one a retro ‘90s vibe that makes it pop. A great follow-on track from Kronos Island, and a song that continues that cool ocean vibe.

Theme of Koco

Toy-like percussion is our entry point for this, the fourth track on side A. Simple drums soon underpin the melody before it sweeps open, underscored by warm bass, akin to an aural blanket. The whooshing synth and melodic layers hint at an almost Eastern theme. These last three tracks really bring the sunlight and lift the album in terms of mood and warmth. The cool drum and bass rhythms - in perfect tandem - open up the second half of the song, a highlight!

Undefeatable

those effected vocals return, airily tied to a bouncing bass/drum melody, the drums on here are fantastic with a ghost-roll laden shuffle that adds groove to the breathy delivery. A half-speed middle-eight pulls the music back for some vocal acrobatics at centre stage, but that saucy drumbeat is the star of the show for me as the song builds to its crescendo.

Side B
Ares Island

We are back to the beach vibe here, as Eastern strings, groovy percussion, and hand-drums bring the groove. That warm upright bass returns and plays out a simple melody that allows a lot of the space underneath it for the various instruments to weave and find their place.

Find Your Flame

This is a slow, moody track with breathy, emotive vocals making a return. The clean, shimmering guitar tones here work their magic with the bass as the male and female vocals conversationally play off each other. Again, whilst the lyrics don’t resonate with me personally, the production is undeniable and the vocal melodies act as almost a colouring on the top of the meat of the track, which is that roomy low-end. A very dreamy track.

I’m With You

Not an Avril Lavigne cover, rather a continuation of Find Your Flame, as it has melodic call backs, and seems to sample dialogue from the game – albeit briefly – at the start. Seemingly more of a coda to Find Your Flame as opposed to a new track, this has a more hopeful melody running through that leads to a celebratory climax, and some wonderfully scattershot piano runs to end the song.

Dear Father

A track that begins with melancholic piano but is soon joined by groovy upright bass, trumpet leads in to one of the two most vocal-centric song (courtesy of the talents of LIATOGO) on the entire album. It’s a simple narrative monologue delivered with a breathy voice that suits the track well, helped along by the groove underneath. The layering here can’t be undersold, it keeps all of the tracks interesting and evolving.

One Way Dream

the final track on the second side, it opens with clean guitar and high piano playing off each other, which are then joined by vocals (RAAAYO), that have lyrics that focus on self-empowerment and positivity. It’s a bright and hopeful note to end the album on, and I am a big fan of the retro synth that has a moment to shine over a tasteful bassline.

SUMMARY
Whilst my personal tastes lean towards the first side, with its easy beach vibes and moods, those looking for an empowering, positive album filled with upbeat lyrics will no doubt be swept away by the emotional vocal performances here. 

A Curaga Records release with all of the pristine production that I’ve come to expect, this is a breezy interpretation of the music of Sonic Frontiers that I can imagine will make a lot of fans happy!

Purchase Link

From the Curaga Records website:

Gotta go… at a relatively chilled pace! Curaga Records alumni lost:tree returns with their 3rd full length chill hop release, Video Game LoFi: Sonic Frontiers. From the moment you hit play, lost:tree flips the script on the newest adventures of our favorite blue hedgehog into a mellow, dreamy chill hop soundscape with pop tendencies and a warm lo-fi finish. This 10 track album features collaborations with Save Point, foreteller, and GlitchxCity, and lost:tree personally provides incredible vocals throughout with additional vocal features from LiaToGo, and Raayo.

Artist Note:

The music of Sonic the Hedgehog has always been an huge inspiration to me. When Sonic Frontiers released, I knew the music was going to be challenging to remix and so I had to level up my sound from my previous albums.

From the music of the Starfall Islands, to Cyberspace, and some of the boss themes - remixing this soundtrack in a LoFi/Chillhop format was a very interesting process. I tried newer sounds, sang a lot more, and collaborated with my favourite producer and vocalist friends to bring this to bring this album to life.

I want to thank Curaga Records, Save Point, foreteller, and GlitchxCity for working with me on this album, and also to Raayo, and LiaToGo for providing their amazing vocal talents.

I hope you all enjoy this album as much as I do! Till the next one!