Lesser known game music

[jthm]

Okay, we all know that Nobuo Uematsu, Akira Yamaoka and Koji Kondo are great composers. Yoko Shimomura and Manami Matsumae as well. (i.e. we're not posting final fantasy, megaman, silent hill or zelda today). Who are a few lesser known composers / what are a few less appreciated songs/sound tracks that you feel we should hear? I'll start!

For those of you who didn't frequent the arcades back in the early to mid 90's or own a nintendo 64, you probably missed out the sequel to the SNES Killer Instinct. It was really the only good fighting game that poor system had. Composer Robin Beanland has been a rareware soundtrack composer for a while, also doing Jet Force Gemini, Conker's Bad Fur Day and Golden Eye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddfUJ0klAYk&feature=related

And as an added bonus:Taro Bando and Hajime Wakai F Zero X
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC9XV8jRCU4

 

[Broady Brio]

Other than Shōji Meguro most notable from the Shin Megami Tensei series, I know no such thing.

It's a good thing I played Persona 4, otherwise I'd have nothing to discuss.

 

[jthm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-FdrYGTR0

Come on, I know I'm not the only one who digs this stuff.

By the way, this song is from "Rule of Rose" on the ps1

 

[weker]

The only music that rings a bell that I like, and isn't that well know is from the scott pilgrim game

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Probably the stuff by the Falcom Sound Team for the Ys game series. I mention Ys, and nobody has ever heard of it. I play a song for a gamer, "oh hey, what's this?" I reply "from Falcom JDK" and I get "who?" I mean c'mon, these guys are amazing!

I get shivers when I hear Dreamy and Boisterous Holy Land and Genesis Beyond the Beginning ^.^~

 

[Rabish Bini]

All the music in this game is incredible actually. The folk guitar, the soothing vocals, it's so relaxing and fits the game beautifully.

 

[isometry]

While not obscure, the soundtrack of Megaman 2 on the NES is a lesser appreciated classic.

 

[gyroc1]

I don't know people usually, just content. So I suggest whoever did VVVVVV (aka "V", "V6", or "The letter V six times") even if the composer hasn't done much.
EDIT: composer is Magnus Pålsson and he's done stuff. LOOK IT UP!

 

[Stefan Hay]

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the wonder that is Kow Otani's score for SOTC?

<img src=http://luisangelset.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/shadow-of-the-colossus1.jpg>

 

[TheJazzyH]

Takeharu Ishimoto happens to be a composer for Square Enix. He composed the music for both Final Fantasy Dissidias, and also The World Ends With You, which the latter is what makes him one of my personal favorites.

TWEWY's Main Theme(?):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dThaK8pIIc

And one of my favorite videogame raps of all time (and strangely energizing battle music):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCaz0--Ap4Q

 

[A Weary Exile]

I hardly ever see this song


mentioned despite how brilliant it is.

 

[-Seraph-]

The Ys series has some of the most awesome music I've heard in any game series. Has a varying styles of music, but it's most notable stuff is like a mix of like 80's power metal and symphonic music.

My favorite theme in the entire series:

Spoiler: Some of my favorite themes from 1,2,3, and 7

Not a series known to many, and it deserves a lot more mention. I could list some of the obvious choices out there, but damn does Ys music always get me in a rocking mood when listening to their more intense tracks.

Probably the stuff by the Falcom Sound Team for the Ys game series. I mention Ys, and nobody has ever heard of it. I play a song for a gamer, "oh hey, what's this?" I reply "from Falcom JDK" and I get "who?" I mean c'mon, these guys are amazing!

I get shivers when I hear Dreamy and Boisterous Holy Land and Genesis Beyond the Beginning ^.^~

*brofist*

Falcom have a really talented music team that deserves more recognition. Some of their tunes have pretty much cemented themselves into my list of routine tunes that I listen to almost every day.

 

[Neverhoodian]

Jeremy Soule is an excellent composer. He's best known for the soundtracks of high profile games like Morrowind, Supreme Commander and Skyrim, but I think the score to Total Annihilation is one of his finest creations:

Spoiler

Another composer of note is Clint Bajakian. He, along with Michael Land and Peter McConnel, was responsible for the music in many early LucasArts games, including Tie Fighter and Dark Forces:

Spoiler

 

[Zaer]

Not sure if this is really obscure or not but I do like the soundtrack to Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. It's by Shoji Meguro, who Broady Brio's already pointed out, but here's a couple of examples from this particular OST...

Ginza [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtl-2PhBdlU]
Large Map/Tokyo Pre-Conception [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YNKEQ8w8Pw]
Large Map/Tokyo Post-Conception [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8_JUQXCgxI]
Normal Battle [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8VXPVhv8WI]
Hijiri's Theme [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq_WT8wJThE]

 

[Elvis Starburst]

The Ys series has some of the most awesome music I've heard in any game series. Has a varying styles of music, but it's most notable stuff is like a mix of like 80's power metal and symphonic music.

Not a series known to many, and it deserves a lot more mention. I could list some of the obvious choices out there, but damn does Ys music always get me in a rocking mood when listening to their more intense tracks.

Probably the stuff by the Falcom Sound Team for the Ys game series. I mention Ys, and nobody has ever heard of it. I play a song for a gamer, "oh hey, what's this?" I reply "from Falcom JDK" and I get "who?" I mean c'mon, these guys are amazing!

I get shivers when I hear Dreamy and Boisterous Holy Land and Genesis Beyond the Beginning ^.^~

*brofist*

Falcom have a really talented music team that deserves more recognition. Some of their tunes have pretty much cemented themselves into my list of routine tunes that I listen to almost every day.

You've earned so much of my respect ^.^ *epic brofist* And just for fun to mention, my character skin on Minecraft is Adol Christin :3

 

[kelmaro]

Mark Denardo who did some or all of the music for Dino Run and im not sure but believe he did music for other Pixeljam games

And Kikiyama who made Yume Nikki though I find alot of the remixes for Yume Nikki to be better then the originals

and whoever did this track from Hard edge(aka T.R.A.G)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B7wAfa1984&feature=related [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B7wAfa1984&feature=related]

 

[JCBFGD]

Arcanum had awesome music.

Spoiler: Main theme

Spoiler: Vendigroth Wastes

Reminds me of Vitamin String Quartet. And VSQ's so awesome, I put some of their music into Arcanum. That made the soundtrack about 20% cooler.

 

[Bonecrusher]

Okay, we all know that Nobuo Uematsu, Akira Yamaoka and Koji Kondo are great composers. Yoko Shimomura and Manami Matsumae as well. (i.e. we're not posting final fantasy, megaman, silent hill or zelda today). Who are a few lesser known composers / what are a few less appreciated songs/sound tracks that you feel we should hear? I'll start!

Hmm, there is an issue here,
American gamers and gaming media mostly plays Japanese, especially Nintendo games.
They talk about how good of Mario music, Megaman music, Zelda music, Metroid music, Castlevania music.
Even in gaming symphony festivals, you will see a lot, really a lot of Japanese game musics. Some of those even will be ordinary musics, but they'll still neglect some really good Amiga/PC game musics.
Funny part is, composers of these neglected ones are mostly American.

I'll write some well known musics between Amiga/PC gamers, but forgotten or not known in American media...

first, some old game themes:

Spoiler

composers of Unreal Tournament musics are Tero Kostermaa, Daniel Gardopee, Kai-Eerik Komppa, Alexander Brandon, Peter Hajba, Andrew G. Sega, Michiel van den Bos,
and composers of Deus Ex musics are Alexander Brandon, Daniel Gardopee, Michiel van den Bos
If we take intersection of these two composers, we will get Alexander Brandon, Daniel Gardopee, Michiel van den Bos (and they are the only guys in Deus Ex team).
They created a very interesting atmosphere in both Unreal Tournament and Deus Ex musics.

Spoiler

Crusader: No Remorse and No Regret, another great soundtrack from Daniel Gardopee and Andrew G. Sega

Spoiler

But my most favorite composer is Mark Morgan, He worked in many games especially Planescape Torment and Fallout 2. I really wish to see his musics in those frequently organized "game musics festivals". But there is a problem, they can not cover, symphonize or play as good as Mark's original songs. hehe

Spoiler

System Shock 2 has a very creepy soundtrack thanks to Eric Brosius
Even if you never played SS2 before, you will get chilled while listening the songs.

Spoiler

Russell Shaw is another great composer. I first realized his great songs in Dungeon Keeper. And also he created very fascinating songs for Fable 3 as well. Especially the song "Kalin" affects me and enthralls my whole body.

Spoiler

Kelly Bailey made unforgottable musics (I can even say cyberpunk atmosphere) for Half-Life game.

Spoiler

One of my most favorite game and soundtrack is Quake 2. Its musics made by Sonic Mayhem, kicks ass.

Spoiler

Black Moon Chronicles have great orchestral songs, it is not a very widely known game, but still listen the songs...

Spoiler

and lastly, two songs from Omikron.

Spoiler

thank you for giving me this opportunity, hehehe.

 

[jthm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27-DsLJ76aA

Awesome, a few I expected to see mentioned and a few I didn't. Here's another that rarely ever gets mentioned. To be honest, this opening movie and song were some of my favorite parts of this game. Not to say it wasn't great, but it really shouldn't have been the sequel to Chrono Trigger. As a stand alone game it would've fared better.