Enjoys animation, comics and video games. Loves sharing ideas and meeting new people.
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My Favorite Music from 2011
Movie and video game soundtracks are at the core of what makes me a geek. They’re responsible for well over 50% of my iTunes music library (and probably partially responsible for most girls having no interest in me during high school). 2011 was a fantastic year for new soundtracks; listed below are some of my favorites of the year in different categories.
Favorite Video Game Soundtrack
WINNER: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by Jeremy Soule
Receiving the signed 4-disc collector’s soundtrack did nothing but confirm my undying love for this score. It’s an exquisite example of what I love about video game music. Soule strikes the perfect balance between melody and atmosphere, allowing the score to accompany the game without being too distracting yet plays wonderfully as an album on its own.
Runner Up: Ni No Kuni by Joe Hisaishi
Favorite Movie Soundtrack
WINNER: The Adventures of Tintin by John Williams
After a three-and-a-half year hiatus, John Williams is back with two scores for 2011. The music doesn’t break any new ground, but it certainly completes the classic Spielberg feel present in Tintin. Williams’ distinct style may not have shifted too drastically over the years, but that might be for the best — each theme stays memorable, and each note feels magical. In a time when soundtrack-lovers are asking who the next John Williams is, he kindly reminds us: no one.
Runner up: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Favorite OverClocked Remix Album
WINNER: Wild Arms: ARMed and DANGerous
http://armed.ocremix.org/As many of you know OCRemix may in fact be my favorite website on the entire internet. For those of you unfamiliar, OCR is a non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form. You can check out the site, along with thousands of free remixes here. The site posts new remixes on a regular basis, and every now and then they release a full album.
The fact that I never played Wild Arms speaks volumes for how in love I am with this remix album. My initial draw to video game remixes is the connection I feel to the memory of playing the game, but this release proves that OCR’s quality of remixes transcends the initial nostalgia factor that started my interest in the site. ARMed and DANGerous is OCR’s largest album to date with over four hours of music spread over four discs. If you’ve played the game or are a fan of OCRemix, the free download is a no-brainer, but if you’re interested in starting with an album from a game you’ve played feel free to browse their ever-growing selection here.
Runner Up: Sonic the Hedgehog: The Sound of Speed
http://sos.ocremix.org/Favorite OverClocked Remix Single
WINNER: “Suite for Violin and Piano” by Gabriel Terracciano and Shnabubula from Metroid
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02278/In some cases less is more, but not for Terracciano and Shnabubula’s ten-minute tribute to the original Metroid. In light of the series’ 25th anniversary, there were plenty of remixes to choose from in virtually any style imaginable. I’ve always loved the way Metroid’s themes sound on piano, as these arrangements always show a much different perspective to the themes which are usually heard through a lens of eerie electronic sci-fi timbers.
Runner up: “Nullification” by PrototypeRaptor from The Legend of Zelda
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02226/BONUS: Favorite Album Normal People Listen to
WINNER: The King is Dead by The Decemberists
Sometimes it’s easy to forget January releases on lists like these, but not true for me and The Decemberists’ new album. After 2009’s epic rock opera album, The Hazards of Love, the more traditional King is Dead may seem like a step back at first, but it offers ten solid tracks, including one of my all-time favorite Decemberists’ songs, “Rise to Me”.
Runner Up: Meyrin Fields EP by Broken Bells
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