The Sound Test

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93: BONUS - WipeOut and More (w/Tim Wright aka CoLD SToRAGE) Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

My full BONUS interview with Tim Wright, also known as CoLD SToRAGE!
Tim has worked on several racing games in his time, but is possibly best known in the genre for his original WipeOut music. I spoke to him about his audio and composition for various racers in this expansive interview, which approaches two hours in length. Due to the level of detail Tim fit into the conversation, I eventually decided to release it as its own BONUS edition (instead of including it in the full ST2 Racing Special).
In addition to discussing the WipeOut series, our talk also includes insight on: Formula One, Thunder Truck Rally, Supertruck Racing, TT Superbike Legends, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Slipstream GX, Table Top Racing, Pacer, No Escape, Krazy Ivan, Microcosm, the well-known "Puggs in Space" Amiga demo and more!
All music by CoLD SToRAGE, except:
Chemical Beats - The Chemical Brothers [Exit Planet Dust]
P.E.T.R.O.L. - Orbital [In-Sides]
Loops of Fury - The Chemical Brothers [Loops of Fury]
Afro Ride - Leftfield (feat. DJUM DJUM) [Leftism]
Know Where to Run - Orbital [The Middle of Nowhere]
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
CoLD SToRAGE on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CoLDSToRAGE
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
Pledge to this Patreon to help support The Sound Test's second season, and unlock backdated episodes of its LIVE version (and other content)!

92: LIVE - 10/07/20 [Weekly VGM Radio & Podcast] Jul 11, 2020

Show notes

Another off-season, castaway episode! This time, Lee runs through a very snippy playlist, filled with absolute tunes. Short and sweet is the approach, and hopefully this compact patty of VGM goodness will just about do the trick!
"Degree Absolute" Podcast SNEAK PREVIEW:
https://youtu.be/Gvq9GahVeEs
This week's playlist:
The Rooftops – Matt Furniss [Predator 2]
Dunk Baby Academy – Laura Shigihara [Dunk Lords]
Brainiac Maniac – Laura Shigihara [Plants vs. Zombies]
Wrong Part of Town – Shawn Lee [Bully / Canis Canem Edit]
Super Mario Athletic R’n’Mix – Megalaorganiste (originally composed by Koji Kondo)
Hightension Wire – Hiroki Kikuta [Trials of Mana]
Mine Cart Madness – David Wise (restored by Jammin’ Sam Miller) [Donkey Kong Country]
Hydrocity Zone Act 1 – Brad Buxer and Michael Jackson [Sonic the Hedgehog 3]
Sprawling Savannah – Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo and/or Yasuaki Iwata [Super Mario 3D World]
Café Counsel – Tsunku and/or Masami Yone [Rhythm Tengoku]
Polaroid – Laugh & Peace [Vib-Ribbon]
Bend Over – Wagon Christ [Musipal]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
"The Sound Test" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher

91: ST2 #11 - Rakuen (w/Laura Shigihara) [COMPOSER INTERVIEW / PODCAST] Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

Styled as a 2D RPG adventure, Rakuen follows the emotional journey of an unnamed Boy and his mother. Hospitalised by a difficult illness, the boy finds solace in stories of a magical land.
As the narrative unfolds, music becomes integral to the experience. Melodies tie directly into plot threads, and help drive gameplay in some inventive ways. You’d expect nothing less from Laura Shigihara, who joins me for her third Sound Test appearance.
Throughout this podcast, we’ll explore some of Rakuen’s key themes, and what inspired them. There are also a few details about story beats, including the ending, so be warned of spoilers!
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Laura Shigihara on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/supershigi
Extra credits:
Visualisations by the incredible Laundry_Hamper!
Instrumental version of "Jump" by goodpea2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvFsitAqRzM
Instrumental version of "Build a Little World with Me" by AndrewFMs:
https://youtu.be/E2z1glM4aE8
Also available through:
YouTube
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
and many more...
Early access, unedited interviews, LIVE shows and more:
http://patreon.com/_secretcave

90: LIVE - 03/07/20 [Weekly VGM Radio & Podcast] Jul 04, 2020

Show notes

An off-season, castaway episode in which Lee presents a number of updates about The Sound Test and his own personal life. Although the main point of this stream was to get out certain bits of news, its shorter playlist is nonetheless absolutely banging. From obscure 90s racing games to Mushroom Men and all sorts in between, this will hopefully satisfy longtime ST listeners who have been missing the show!
This week's playlist:
HK.Dance2 – SEGA SOUND TEAM [Shenmue II]
01 – Ian Livingstone [F1 World Grand Prix: 1999]
01 – Ian Livingstone [Global Touring Challenge Africa]
The Amazon – Takane Okubo and/or Katsunari Kitajima [Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems]
Glass House – Shawn Lee [Bully/Canis Canem Edit]
Flash Flash Flash – Nobuyuki Ohnagi [Bosconian]
Luigi’s Mansion - Staff Roll – ConSoul (originally composed by Kazumi Totaka and/or Shinobu Tanaka)
Final Fantasy VII - Tifa’s Theme – ConSoul (originally composed by Nobuo Uematsu)
Jump – Laura Shigihara [Rakuen]
Forest’s Requiem (Restored) – Cyanne (originally composed by Motoi Sakuraba) [Golden Sun]
Onyx - Yr Araf Brechdan Version – CoLD SToRAGE [Chillout]
Scratch Pad 1 – CoLD SToRAGE [Slipstream Volume Two]
My Console – Eiffel 65 [Europop]
Pigstep – Lena Raine [Minecraft: Nether Update]
Amanitas/Mean Mr. Mushwoom – Les Claypool [Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
"The Sound Test" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher

89: LIVE - 12/06/20 [Weekly VGM Radio & Podcast] Jun 13, 2020

Show notes

For this season finale, Lee takes a look at some of his all-time favourite side scrolling beat 'em ups! Of course, the show is bolstered by an array of requests and other unrelated choices, which all come together to form a particularly bass-heavy playlist. The show will return with a fourth season on July 17th, 2020; allowing Lee to catch his breath and focus a little on ST2. Hopefully, this closing mix of VGM joy will satisfy until ST LIVE comes back!
#DefundNewscop
This week's playlist:
Title – David Wise [Battletoads]
Dervish D (Multisid) – LMan (originally composed by Vangelis) [Commodore 64 Remix Classics - 80s Synth Hits, Vol. 1]
Comets That Are Crazy – Hubbard & Donne [Hubbard ‘80]
Thing on a Spring – Rob Hubbard [Commodore 64 Sid Anthology, Vol. 3]
Echoes in My Mind – Mandrill [The Warriors]
Saints of Rage - Stage 3 – Malcolm Kirby Jr [Saints Row IV]
If You Dare – Megan McDuffee [River City Girls]
ROUND 4 INDUSTRIAL AREA 2 ROUND 6 – Manami Matsumae, Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, Yasuaki Fujita, Hiromitsu Takaoaka, Yoko Shimomura, Junko Tamiya and/or Harumi Fujita [Final Fight]
Moe’s Tavern – Norio Hanzawa [The Simpsons]
Kick ‘n’ Punch – David Wise [Battletoads/Double Dragon]
Cluffy Flouds 1 – TDK [CyberSpeed Unleashed]
Northern Kremisphere (Restored) – Eveline Novakovic [Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!]
Thirty Seven After Six – Mike Morasky [Half-Life: Alyx]
Deep Jungle – Yoko Shimomura [Kingdom Hearts]
The Instinct – Robin Beanland [Killer Instinct]
Mach Rider – Hideki Kanazashi and/or Hiroaki Suga [Super Smash Bros. Melee]
Power Drift – Chris Abbott (originally composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi or Alberto Jose Gonzales)
Rydeen (Daley Thompson’s Decathlon C64) – Chris Abbott (originally composed by Yellow Magic Orchestra) [Commodore 64 Remix Classics - Imagine/Ocean Vol. 2]
Labyrinth Zone Remix – Plasma 3 Music (originally composed by Masato Nakamura) [Sonic the Hedgehog]
In the Poachers’ Forest – Isao Abe and/or Syun Nishigaki [Cadillacs and Dinosaurs]
Dilapidated Town – Yuzo Koshiro [Streets of Rage]
Blast Power – Yuzo Koshiro [Bosconian]
Chase – Grant Kirkhope [Project Dream]
Bully – Grant Kirkhope [Project Dream]
Daybreak (Staff Roll) – Takayuki Iwai, Yuki Iwai, Isao Abe, Hideki Okugawa and/or Tetsuya Shibata [Street Fighter Alpha 3]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
"The Sound Test" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher

88: LIVE - 29/05/20 [Weekly VGM Radio & Podcast] May 30, 2020

Show notes

To follow on from last week's question about gaming's best playable animal characters, this show delves deep into the wild. With a whole host of choices from listeners, alongside Lee's personal top five, it turns out that there are a lot more iconic digital animals than you might think. There are so many, in fact, that most of the show's regular features are put to one side until next week. Aptly, Lee's dog, Daisy, prances onto the show for a cameo appearance, not best pleased at being left out of the conversation.
This week's playlist:
Black Dawn: Rebirth – Mike Richmond
Cluffy Flouds 2 – TDK [CyberSpeed Unleashed]
Replay 01 – Ian Livingstone [F1 2014]
After Burner (FM Towns) – Hiroshi Kawaguchi [After Burner]
Main Theme – Fat Bard [Guinea Pig Parkour]
Turtle Woods – Josh Mancell [Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy – Cortex Strikes Back]
Ghosts 2 – Andy Blythe and Marten Joustra or Matt Furniss [Mickey Mania]
Chop the Dog – Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist, DJ Shadow and Oh No [Grand Theft Auto V]
80’s Annelid – Tommy Tallarico [Earthworm Jim Anthology]
Dream Weavers - Home – Stewart Copeland [Spyro the Dragon]
Bubblegloop Swamp – Grant Kirkhope [Banjo-Kazooie]
Cosmo Canyon – Nobuo Uematsu [Distant Worlds IV]
Title – Spencer Nilsen, Brian Coburn and/or Andras Magyari [Ecco the Dolphin]
Creek – Yann van der Cruyssen [Seasons After Fall]
Mora the Spider – Gareth Coker [Ori and the Will of the Wisps]
Schweine – Glukoza [Grand Theft Auto IV]
Casino Night Zone – Masato Nakamura [Sonic the Hedgehog 2]
Monkey Smash – Grant Kirkhope [Donkey Kong 64]
Aquatic Ambiance – David Wise [Donkey Kong Country]
Rock Village – Josh Mancell [Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy]
BGM #03 – Steve Collett, Takayuki Iwai, Yuki Iwai, Isao Abe, Hideki Okugawa and/or Tetsuya Shibata [Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper]
Stage 23 – Taku Sakakibara [Tokyo Jungle]
Stage 3 – Taku Sakakibara [Tokyo Jungle]
Bitmap Soft Loader – Mike Richmond
Glammoril – Mike Richmond [Hired Sword 2]
Pokemon Medley – New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra [Smashing… Live!]
Mouth of Mordremoth – Maclaine Diemer [Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns]
Funky HQ – Olivier Deriviere [Streets of Rage 4]
Monty on the Run – Rob Hubbard
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
"The Sound Test" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher

87: BONUS - Mike Richmond Interview (Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and more!) May 30, 2020

Show notes

Contemporary chiptune enthusiast, Mike Richmond, returns to The Sound Test for another great conversation! This time, we catch up on his recent work with the AY chip, featured in later versions of the ZX Spectrum along with various arcades, pinball machines and other home computers. A very similar chip was used in the Atari ST, which Mike has also been composing for lately. Finally, we cover more of his C64 and Amiga music, making this bonus a very nice expansion on my ST1 Commodore 64 Special!
Mike's previous Sound Test interview:
https://youtu.be/fMrK828ngCw
(also available on other platforms)
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Mike Richmond on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/richmondmike
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
Pledge to this Patreon to help support The Sound Test's second season, and unlock backdated episodes of its LIVE version (and other content)!

86: LIVE - 22/05/20 [Weekly VGM Radio & Podcast] May 24, 2020

Show notes

This week's focus is the wonderful world of gaming robots! Throughout, Lee takes a look at various iconic playable androids and AI characters; presenting choices from listeners alongside personal picks. Thanks to a week off, the VGM SongFight takes a hiatus and the SFX Showdown teases a winner, while a new question is posed for the next episode. Finally, the News Cop gets jumpy before we finish up with a risky wildcard...
Including:
SFX Showdown
Top 5
This week's playlist:
Canopy Slam – Fat Bard [Levelhead]
A Cave is a Sideways Hole – Ryan Ike [West of Loathing]
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked – Cage the Elephant [Borderlands]
Aigis’ Theme – Atsushi Kitajoh [Persona 4 Arena]
A Crack in the Glass – Fat Bard [Jet Lancer]
Options – Jon Holland [Vectorman]
Mining Area – David Bergeaud and/or Niels Bye Nielsen [Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando]
Super Stripe – Hiroshi Kawaguchi [After Burner]
Famicom Medley – Various [Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]
Hakuna Matata – Frank Klepacki, Dwight Okahara, John Wright, Zack Bremner and/or Patrick Collins (originally composed by Elton John and Tim Rice) [The Lion King]
Robo’s Theme – Yasunori Mitsuda [Chrono Trigger]
Cait Sith’s Theme – Nobuo Uematsu [Final Fantasy VII]
We Are “BUSTERS” – Keisuke Tsukahara [Alien Storm]
Cybernate-Q – Keisuke Tsukahara [Alien Storm]
Submerged – Tommy Tallarico [Earthworm Jim]
Metal Man – Takashi Tateishi [Mega Man 2]
Air Man – Takashi Tateishi [Mega Man 2]
Voice of No Return – Keiichi Okabe and/or Keigo Hoashi [Nier: Automata]
The Glasshouse with Butterfly – Tomas Dvorak [Machinarium]
Victorious – Takeshi Furukawa [The Last Guardian]
Markus Main Theme – John Paesano [Detroit: Become Human]
Vegetables (ZX Spectrum) – Mike Richmond [Vegetables]
Corey Coolbrew (ZX Spectrum) – Mike Richmond
A Child Recalled – Eliot Goldenthal [Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within]
Pac-Man's Park - Akira Usukura [Pac-Mania]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
"The Sound Test" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
Also available through:
YouTube (also includes live speedruns of Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and Mega Bomberman)
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher

85: BONUS - Fat Bard Interview (Jet Lancer & Levelhead) May 24, 2020

Show notes

In Fat Bard's second Sound Test appearance, Zach, Pat and I cover their recent work on two very different titles - Jet Lancer and Levelhead. With the former drenched in guitars alongside an array of retro-influenced synths, and the latter presenting an electronic tapestry of textures and ambience, the two prove their skill for different styles yet again. In this episode, we talk about the production of each, creating sound effects, COVID-19 and more!
Fat Bard's previous Sound Test interview (Guinea Pig Parkour):
https://youtu.be/7OndsSHX4h4
(also available on other platforms)
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Fat Bard on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Fat_Bard
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
Pledge to this Patreon to help support The Sound Test's second season, and unlock backdated episodes of its LIVE version (and other content)!

84: LIVE - 16/05/20 [Weekly VGM Radio & Podcast] May 17, 2020

Show notes

After last week's film-to-game extravaganza, Lee takes a look at his top five game-to-film adaptations! We also hear all about a metal suited Japanese superhero, Lee's near death experience and many more stories about gaming obscurities and gems. Additionally, the SFX Showdown finishes up with round five, and M. Bison gets cocky in the SongFight!
Including:
SFX Showdown
VGM SongFight (BACKSTORY)
Top 5
This week's playlist:
Electric Night – Model 500 [Detroit: Become Human]
Wireless Play Menu – Shiho Fujii, Atsuko Asahi, Ryo Nagamatsu and/or Yasuaki Iwata [Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]
End Titles – Michael Land [The Curse of Monkey Island]
??? - ??? [Street Fighter: The Movie (PS/Saturn)]
Ryu’s Theme – Kyle Johnson (originally composed by Yoko Shimomura and/or Isao Abe) [Street Fighter: The Movie (Arcade)]
Dr. Wily’s Castle 1 – Takashi Tateishi [Mega Man 2]
Shirk Blubber – Fat Bard [Levelhead]
Chipmusic is Dead – 4mat [Surrender]
Goosebumps – Caspro [Dark Digital]
Home Invasion – Graeme Revell [Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]
Pikachu vs. Charizard – Henry Jackman [Pokemon Detective Pikachu]
Green Hill Zone – Jon Batiste (originally composed by Masato Nakamura) [Sonic the Hedgehog]
Suit Up – Fat Bard [Jet Lancer]
Zeus Cannon – Elliot Goldenthal [Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within]
Control? – Yiannis Loannides [The Stanley Parable]
Theme of M. Bison – Masahiro Aoki, Hideyuki Fukasawa, Keiki Kobayashi, Takatsugu Wakabayashi and/or Zac Zinger (original composed by Yoko Shimomura and/or Isao Abe) [Street Fighter V]
J-E-N-O-V-A (FFVII AC Version) – Nobuo Uematsu [Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children]
Wutai – Nobuo Uematsu [Final Fantasy VII]
Ryu’s Meditation – Tetsuya Komuro and/or Yuji Toriyama [Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie]
Space Sheriff Gavan – Akira Kushida [SELFCOVER COLLECTION]
Some Assembly Required – Mike Morasky [Portal 2]
Spellbound – Arranged by Chris Abbott, composed by Rob Hubbard [BIT 6]
Dominic Armato Monkey Island Demo Reel
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
"The Sound Test" on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
Also available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher

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