The Story of Thor: A Successor of The Light – Britt's Vinyl Review 💿📀 #vgm #videogamevinyl #vinyl #vinylrecords #OST

Originally released on the Sega Mega Drive back in 1994, as part of the 30-year celebrations, Wayo Records have released this deluxe 2-disc vinyl set, with audio captured as purely as possible for absolute authenticity.

Known as Beyond Oasis in North American markets, the game was Ancient’s take on the Zelda formula, and tells the story of Prince Ali, who has found a golden armlet and must travel the land of Oasis, visiting four spirits in order to gain the eventual powers and abilities to defeat a rising evil who has located the corresponding silver armlet.

The music for The Story of Thor was composed by the mighty Yuzo Koshiro, someone that Wayo Records have previously worked with in their release of ActRaiser, and I’m sure is a luminary that our readers here will be very much aware of from his incredible resume of solid gold on the 16-bit machines. Heck, we named our son after one of his characters!

Wayo Records releases are always of exceptionally high quality, and this soundtrack doesn’t shy away in terms of its presentation. The cover features Prince Ali brandishing his weapon, with the gold armlet in view and various in-game characters rising up behind him. The rear continues the Arabian / Anime art style and shows two further characters, with the track listing laid out on the right-hand side. 

The main colouring of the background here is white, and it gives a crisp, clean feel that allows the illustrations to pop. The collector’s edition comes with an incredible shikishi signed by Yuzo Koshiro himself, this shikishi features the same characters as featured on the LP cover, but in a style that leads more towards anime. It has to be said, Yuzo Koshiro is such an important figure in the realm of video games that this is a very cool inclusion for the fans out there.

Opening the gatefold shows a double-page spread of character portraits, with Prince Ali on the right, and the characters Dytto, Efreet, Shade, and Bow spread across the pages, which have a faux-marble background. Inside is also where we find the classic Wayo records booklet – a favourite inclusion of mine – which begins with the track listing and story before moving on to two full colour pages of key scenes from the game itself – a mix of action shots and moments from cutscenes. 

There is then a two-page spread of Q&A that was compiled by Ancient Corp. from various social networks that add context to the choices made by the Ancient development whilst designing the game. 

Following this there are two pages of concept art, that then leads us on to the back pages, which consists of a Japanese style comic strip, and the credits. These are incredibly valuable in terms of the information they provide with no space wasted, as there are small illustrations of Prince Ali in each bottom corner in various action poses, whilst on the very back cover there is a drawing of Prince Ali mid-combat. 

The hand-drawn style is very tasty, and I was especially keen on a small section below the credits that details the audio extraction process followed for the creation of the vinyl, to give the purest possible sound.

The records themselves are ensconced in two anti-static sleeves (always appreciated), and the inner-circles of each contain the detail of Prince Ali utilising various in-game items and weapons on each image -honestly, there are tiny details everywhere to enjoy. The vinyl are transparent yellow, and this is a double-disc edition, with 34 tracks spread across each record.

SUMMARY

Wayo Records really know their stuff, and this is again a celebration of a key Mega Drive title with an incredible amount of care and detail that evokes memories of the game itself. Pure, pristine production – the record was mastered by Benjamin Joubert – means that this is very much one for your turntable, and you can flick through that luxurious booklet as the music washes over you, and takes you back to the land of Oasis. Another cracking release from Wayo records.

Right, I’m off into the garden to see if I can dig up a golden armlet.

Wayo Records – Purchase Link

TRACKLIST

SIDE A

1 Introduction

2 Awakening

3 To Begin

4 Peaceful

5 Battle

6 The Story of Thor

7 Holiness

8 Aqua

SIDE B

1 Burning Cave

2 Fortress

3 Vessel

4 Indication

5 Stone Place

6 Boundless Cliff

7 Raging Wind

8 Abyss

SIDE C

1 Mysterious Green

2 Chaos

3 Evil Territory

4 Water Cave

5 The Huge Creature

6 Voice From Darkside

7 Last Battle

8 Triumph

9 Item Get!

10 Magic Jewel

SIDE D

1 Encounter

2 Requiem

3 Concentration

4 Fire Ball

5 Deep Hole

6 Confession

7 Ending

8 Master Mind

Video Game Lofi: Kirby - Britt's Review 💿📀 @CuragaRecords #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM

🔗Video Game LoFi: Kirby | Besso0 & GlitchxCity | Curaga Records

We are once again in the cosy arms of another in the Curaga Records LoFi series, this time centred around the music of the Kirby games, specifically; Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022), Kirby’s Adventure (1993), Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe (2014), Kirby’s return to Dreamland (2011), Kirby Air Ride (2003), Kirby’s Epic Yarn (2010), Kirby Super Star (1996), and Kirby’s Dream Collection (2012), together - representing almost thirty years’ worth of music from the world of the lovable pink puffball across various systems, from SNES to Switch.

Cursed to Golf (Original Soundtrack) Mark Sparling | Vinyl Review By Britt 💿 @blackscreenrec @Markymark665 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Purchase Link

The last time I came across Mark Sparling’s music was back in 2021 when I reviewed A Short Hike, Mark Sparling composed the – quite idiosyncratic – soundtrack, which was released through Stumpy Frog Records, and acted as one of my first forays into the word of VGM vinyl.

The artwork alone of Cursed to Golf makes a huge impression, created by Crisppyboat, it’s a great Claymation-style image of the golfer protagonist smashing his ball towards the viewer as various Claymation interpretations of in-game characters and scenarios surround him.

Rich with pastel colours, and devoid of any text, the whole front cover is purely dedicated to this striking image, as is the reverse, which acts as a continuation of the image, showing a trophy atop a pillar in a graveyard, the cartoonish spookiness of the game absolutely nailed here in a totally different – and very cool art style.

Britt's Vinyl Fantasies 6 | 💿 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

It’s been almost a year since the last Vinyl Fantasies post, it’s been extremely busy here at GF HQ, and in that time we’ve covered some incredible records, which I’d like to shine a light on here.

As usual, the list is in no particular order, if the record was previously covered in a full article, a link will be included should you wish to know more.

Hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed listening!

Video Game Lo-Fi: Metroid Vinyl Review By Britt 📀 @floopymusic #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

Floopy (from the Curaga Records website:

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.

Coffee Talk EP.2 – Official Soundtrack Vinyl Review By Britt ☕️📀@blackscreenrec #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Having played – and enjoyed – the Coffee Talk games on Switch, I was excited to get the chance to really delve into the soundtrack, as I’m a big fan of hypnotic, trip-hop music – and the music was such a big part of Coffee Talk, enriching the atmosphere off the game without being intrusive or too abstract.

The nascent (well, to me at least!) ‘cosy’ genre revels in acting as a digital hug to its fans, and the music of Coffee Talk excels at this. It also arrived at a great time for me personally, as it was quite a stressful time related to family illness, and I’d had trouble settling on something to listen to as I worked, in my then-current state of mind my usual podcasts seemed irritating, familiar music grated on me, and I lacked the energy to seek out fresh sounds.

And so, when Coffee Talk Ep.2 arrived, it was a balm to my ears and mind, turning out to be exactly what I needed.

MEGA REMIX MAN (2).exe Vinyl Review By Lo Fi Lee 💿📀 @RoboRobMusic #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Firaga Records and Materia Music combine once more to bring us the second instalment of producer RoboRob’s take on music from Mega Man. As with all Firaga releases, the presentation is the first thing you notice. 

The single clear vinyl record comes in a very nice gatefold jacket and illustrated inner sleeve, both by Leon Tukker. Ten tracks are presented here from across Capcom’s series, mainly the numbered instalments but with one from outlier Mega Man & Bass. 

VGM Essentials: Halloween Vinyl Review By Lo Fi Lee 💿📀 @FiragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

We’re back with another instalment in Firaga Records’ VGM Essentials series, this one taking on the spooky side of remixing with ten tracks split across a single disc. Artwork and presentation are of the usual high Firaga standard, with a printed jacket with artwork by Gingko housing a record pressed on pumpkin orange vinyl in a plain black sleeve.

Video Game LOFI – Celeste | Vinyl Review By Britt "recommended listening for lazy Sunday afternoons or boozy, woozy evenings" 🍓@nokbient #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Games can mean a lot to people, anyone who has read my Tux and Fanny review will know this. Celeste is a game that several of my close friends hold dear, and often refer to when discussions of ‘the best games ever’ crops up. As such, I was acutely aware of the regard in which Celeste is held, the soundtrack especially – and so I was curious how the music would be treated here by Nokbient.

From Nokbient’s Bandcamp:

Just breathe.

You can do this.

Slow down with ephemeral beats and drifting melodies, and wave-dash lofi melodies from Celeste Mountain directly into your subconscious. Join producer Nokbient as they explore a chill reimagining of Lena Raine's soundtrack to the 2018 indie game phenomenon Celeste by Maddie Makes Games.

"Special thanks to Rob Anderson and Bas van den Eersten for their help on this album. Without your friendship and incredible musical ability, this album wouldn't have happened. You have truly elevated this project to a whole new level, and I can't thank you enough for that. Additional thanks to Lena Raine and the entire Maddy Makes Games team for their incredible work on Celeste, an experience which touched my heart and helped me get through a difficult moment in my life, and one I strived to honor with this album. From the bottom of my heart, thank you everyone. Made with love for those who listen." - Noel Keith (Nokbient)

Wipeout – CoLD SToRAGE: The Zero Gravity Soundtrack Review By Britt 💿🎶 @LapsusBarcelona #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

A truly seminal and timeless soundtrack, sought after for years, Wipeout has finally been brought into the hands of fans by Lapsus records, and it is absolutely worth the wait.

Composed by Tim Wright (A.K.A CoLD SToRAGE, a fellow Welshman) for the 1995 video game Wipeout, a futuristic racer with a heavy focus on music and atmosphere, the Wipeout soundtrack has some key tunes that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has played the game. It’s a creation of many iconic images, from the font through to the colouring, shape of the crafts that the player races, the names of each fictional company, the flow and weave of the in-game courses, and of course, the music. 

VGM Essentials - SARE Vinyl Review By Lo Fi Lee "Music across all eras and systems, ranging from 1997’s Final Fantasy 7, all the way up to Genshin Impact" 📀 @FiragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

The mighty Firaga Records return, this time with an album from British producer SARE and a cast of co-producers and featured artists. The VGM Essentials series consists of covers and remixes of game music across all eras and systems, in this case ranging from 1997’s smash Final Fantasy 7, all the way up to current mobile gachathon Genshin Impact. The ten-track record, pressed on black vinyl, comes in a card sleeve with anime-themed artwork from Ginkgosan.

Grandia II Memorial Soundtrack Vinyl Review By Britt 🎶💿 @WayoRecords #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM

An incredible triple vinyl collector edition that celebrates the music of Grandia II, Wayo records’ release is another incredibly-presented box-set that Grandia fans will clamour for.

Originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000 and eventually ported to the PS2 (and beyond), Game Arts’ Grandia II was a more mature affair than the 1997 prequel, and featured a lot of the returning original staff – including Noriyuki Iwadare, the composer of all three main Grandia games. The game told the story of Ryudo, a mercenary of wobbly morals who gets tasked with a seemingly simple escort mission that evolves into a grand(ia) adventure. 

Radical Dreamers (Digital) Album Review By Britt 💿🎶 @AmerigoGazaway #VGM #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

Radical Dreamers is billed as an album that blends “melodic hip-hop beats, razor-sharp lyricism and the allure of old-school RPGs Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger”. I mean, all of that sounds good, so let’s give it a go.

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.

Kingdom Heartbeats Vinyl Review By Lo Fi Lee "Firaga Records Bring Us Another RoboRob-Helmed Remix Album" 📀 @FiragaRecords #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM

Firaga Records bring us another RoboRob-helmed remix album here, this time centred around venerable JRPG series Kingdom Hearts. The record comes beautifully presented, with a glossy gatefold sleeve inside a printed polybag housing a ten-track LP on clear vinyl.

Save Point and Patrick McBride interview - Jazz Hop Standards 📀 @CuragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #LoFi

We recently had the pleasure of covering Curaga Records’ Jazz Hop Standards, a release from the label that took a different approach to previous records, using the stylistic approach of classic jazz standards to interpret covers of some well-loved video game tracks.

Britt caught up with Save Point and Patrick McBride, who were kind enough to answer some burning questions on how the album came to be, shine some light on their creative process – and tell us what the future holds.

Video Game Lo-Fi: Jazz Hop Standards Vinyl Review 📀 @CuragaRecords #VGM #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

The latest entry that we’ve received here at GF HQ in the Video Game Lo-Fi series from Curaga Records, Jazz Hop Standards is a different beast to other entries in that it features more of a collaborative effort, heavier involvement of acoustic instrumentation, and in a more tangible sense – a full size, four-page booklet that gives background and context to the music, a welcome involvement that enriches the listening experience.

Video Game LoFi: Pokemon Vinyl Review by Lo Fi Lee 💿 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM @MateriaStore @CuragaRecords

The next instalment in Curaga Records’ Video Game LoFi series takes on the behemoth that is Pokemon. Producers Besso0 and Save Point bring us ten tracks running the gamut of older entries in the franchise, pressed on classic black vinyl. The cover is the series standard holographic card with a nice shiny finish.

Metal Slug 4 Original Soundtrack Vinyl Review "I was first introduced to Metal Slug in the back of a dingy record store" 💿 #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM

Since the first release in 1996, the Metal Slug series was a long-time staple in arcades over the world. I was first introduced to Metal Slug in the back of a dingy record store (Rainbow Records) in my hometown of Pontypridd, it was one of three cabinets at the back of the shop (the other two were Aliens and Power Drift, if memory serves), and I was instantly hooked on the high-octane action that the game delivered with it’s intense militaristic soundtrack, colourful visuals and zany animations (I’ve always loved the Metal Slug reload animation) – even the in-game slowdown added an oddly cinematic quality to the experience, and made it feel like you were causing so much on-screen carnage and havoc that the game was struggling to keep up with you, good! It’s a series to which I often return, usually when visiting arcades scattered around the UK, as a blast on a Metal Slug title – especially with friends - always brings back great memories.

Ridge Racer Infinity Vinyl Review By Lo Fi Lee 💿🎶 #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #VGM

Long-time readers might remember I reviewed and loved the digital version of the Ridge Racer Infinity album a while back (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2022/10/ridge-racer-infinity-video-game-music.html). 

And I’ve now got my hands on the vinyl version, which for a record nerd like me is beyond excellent. The album comes in a matte card sleeve made up to look like a PS1 cover, which really scratches that retro itch. The record itself comes on classic black vinyl in a black paper inner.

The track list pretty much follows the digital release, with two tracks swapped over, probably for reasons of runtime, while the last but one track is a slight rework of the original Night Stream, now called Ultra Stream. 

The rest of the album is the same as before, but now in all its physical glory. And yes, the thunderous Drivin’ U 2 Dancin’ is still the best song (and not just on this album). 

Buy, listen, dance.

🔗ROBKTA - Ridge Racer Infinity (Soundtrack) Vinyl at Juno Records