The Sound Test

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53: ST2 #06 - Ori and the Blind Forest (w/Gareth Coker) Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

When Ori and the Blind Forest first released in 2015, it made waves for its beautifully realised landscapes and emotional narrative. Inspired by a number of classic platformers, gameplay concentrates on running, jumping, climbing and shooting through a plethora of striking environments. It was developed by Moon Studios, who represent a collective of talented and experienced creatives from around the globe, all coming together for a single, breathtaking, work of art.
Music plays a gigantic role in Ori and the Blind Forest, which always sounds as gorgeous as it looks. Composed by Gareth Coker, the soundtrack was quickly noted for its evocative melodies and rich sound, which is thankfully set to continue into the upcoming sequel – Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Previously, Gareth and I discussed the five albums of material he wrote for Minecraft, which can be found here.
Follow-up, covering Ori and the Will of the Wisps:
https://youtu.be/3X-uk-_Ps8w
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Gareth Coker on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/garethcoker
Now available through:
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iTunes
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and many more...
Support, early access, unedited interviews, backdated LIVE shows and more:
http://patreon.com/_secretcave

52: LIVE - 06/12/19 [Weekly VGM Radio] Dec 08, 2019

Show notes

SPECIAL MARATHON EPISODE!
This features nearly five hours of VGM, but also has us getting progressively more drunk throughout the show!
A brand new iteration of The Sound Test LIVE! This time, I'm joined by Shelley Moncaster for fresh VGM playlists and all the old features, including:
SFX Showdown
SongFight
Quickfire News
Top 5 (THIS WEEK: Top 5 ST1 Eps)
All future streams:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jf-ef67-A3H79fLoRDtoQ
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
or
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
This week's playlist:
The Waters Cleansed (feat. Tom Boyd) – Gareth Coker [Ori and the Blind Forest]
Beat Around the Block (City) – Gareth Coker [Minecraft: Battle & Tumble]
Ultra VCF – Nathan McCree [Blam! Machinehead]Blueprint for a Slow Machine – 65daysofstatic [No Man’s Sky]Monsaic Lines – Michael Bross, Ellen Meijers & Josh Gabriel [Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee - New ‘n’ Tasty!]
Egypt Midwave Loop B – Peter McConnell [Plants vs. Zombies 2]01 – Tim Follin [Time Trax, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]The Red Woods – Matt Furniss [Puggsy]The Road of Trials – Austin Wintory [Journey]No Tree Grows to the Sky – Austin Wintory [The Banner Saga]Taswell – C418 [Minecraft]Clanker’s Cavern (Inside Clanker) – Grant Kirkhope [Banjo-Kazooie]Windy & Co. (Edit) – Robin Beanland [Conker’s Bad Fur Day]Shroudbroken – Robin Beanland [Sea of Thieves]Fall (Raven’s Descent) – ConcernedApe [Stardew Valley]Luke Skywalker’s Theme – Paul Webb (originally composed by John Williams) [Super Star Wars]Crystalgard – George Sanger (originally composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) [Loom]Buzzkill - Kara – Philip Sheppard [Detroit: Become Human]Investigation - Connor – Nima Fakhrara [Detroit: Become Human]Title – Matt Furniss [Torvak the Warrior]02 – Russell Shaw [Hi-Octane]Title Screen – Steve Rockett & Nick Stroud [Jelly Boy]Title – Matt Furniss [Soccer Kid]Out of this World – Paul Weir, Rob Lord and/or Mark Bandola [Glover]Moongrains (In-Game) – Laura Shigihara [Plants vs. Zombies]The Train – Clint Bajakian [Outlaws]14.3 Billion Years – Andrew Prahlow [Outer Wilds]The Crossing – Ben Ottewell [Blackwood Crossing]Race 2 – TDK [CyberSpeed]Replay 01 – Ian Livingstone [F1 2014]Choose Your Destiny – Deon Van Heerden [Broforce]Logic and Trick – Masakazu Sugimori or Naoto Tanaka [Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney]BGM3 – Steve Rockett (originally composed by Takayuki Iwai, Yuki Iwai, Isao Abe, Hideki Okugawa and/or Tesuya Shibata) [Street Fighter Alpha 3, GBA]Funky’s Flights – Grant Kirkhope (originally composed by David Wise) [Donkey Kong Land 2]Alien Forest – Nathan McCree [Bubba ‘n’ Stix]Creature Big Fight – Russell Shaw [Black & White]Mr. Frustration Man – Peter McConnell [Grim Fandango Remastered]The Midnight Tea Shop – Laura Shigihara [Rakuen]Nighttime Excursion – Vincent Diamante [Flower]Knucklebusters – Slaygon (originally composed by Rob Hubbard) [Cinematic 64]01 – Matt Furniss or Stuart Duffield [G-Police]Granite – Pendulum (contains elements of Koji Kondo’s “Sub Castle BGM” from Super Mario World) [Pure]Want You Gone – Jonathan Coulton & Ellen McLain [Portal 2]Title – TDK (contains elements of Koji Kondo’s “Sub Castle BGM” from Super Mario World) [Mario’s Time Machine]Stop What You Are Doing – Mike Morasky (credited as “Aperture Science Psychoacoustic Laboratories”)*Reaver Mansion (Edit) – Russell Shaw, Kostas Zarifis and Robert de Visee [Fable III]Follow Me – Christopher Larkin [Expand]Dung Defender – Christopher Larkin [Hollow Knight]In Rapid Succession – Vincent Diamante [Skullgirls]Chubby Chubby Chip Chip (Original Amiga Mix) – TDK [Reawakening]01 – Ben Daglish [Return of the Mutant Camels]Brasil – EOB [Brasil]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World] *There’s also a chance that this was composed by Kelly Bailey.
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51: LIVE - 29/11/19 [Weekly VGM Radio] Dec 01, 2019

Show notes

A brand new iteration of The Sound Test LIVE! This time, I'm joined by Shelley Moncaster for fresh VGM playlists and all the old features, including:
SFX Showdown
SongFight
Top 5 (THIS WEEK: Top 5 Plants in Games)
All future streams:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jf-ef67-A3H79fLoRDtoQ
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
or
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
This week's playlist:
Reach – Christopher Larkin [Expand]
Decisive Battle – Christopher Larkin [Hollow Knight]
Stage 2 – Takushi Hiyamuta [Metal Slug]
Cybernoid 2 – VinylCheese (originally composed by Jeroen Tel)
Haunted Castle – Jeroen Tel [Suske en Wiske: De Tijdtemmers]
Ai no Uta – Strawberry Flower [Pikmin]
Outlaws From The West – Woody Jackson [Red Dead Redemption 2]
Swing De Chocobo – Nobuo Uematsu [Distant Worlds]
Rotten Day, Wario’s Megalovania – Timberwoof101 [Remix of Toby Fox’s “Megalovania” from Undertale and Norio Hanzawa/Minako Hamano’s “Greenhorn Forest” from Wario World]
Choose Your Destiny – Deon Van Heerden [Broforce]
Halfway Till Bliss – Tom Salta (as “Atlas Plug”) [Crackdown]
Watery Graves – Laura Shigihara [Plants vs. Zombies]
Library – Matt Furniss or Andy Blythe & Marten Joustra [Mickey Mania]
Stage 1 - 1 – Tokuhiko Uwabo and/or Shigenori Kamiya [Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse]
Endlessly Hungry – (*deep breath*) Masabobu Matsunaga, Shoh Murakami, Yasuhisa Baba, Hiroki Morishita, Saki Kurata, Yoshito Sekigawa, Masanori Adachi, Kiyoshi Hazemoto, Tomoko Sana, Kosei Muraki and/or Hiroaki Hanaoka [Paper Mario: Sticker Star]
Inside the Deku Tree – Koji Kondo [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]
Besaid – Masashi Hamauzu [Final Fantasy X]
Riding the Wind – Gareth Coker & Rachel Mellis [Ori and the Blind Forest]
Altin Peak/Inside Tret – Jonathan Shaw (original composition by Motoi Sakuraba) [Golden Sun]
L’Ultima Diligenza di Red Rock – Ennio Morricone [The Hateful Eight]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
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50: ST2 #05 - Hollow Knight (w/Christopher Larkin) Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight, funded by a Kickstarter in 2017, is a prime example of the ongoing strength of indie games. Players quickly became enamoured with its masterful Metroidvania gameplay, brought to life at every turn by a strikingly unique visual style. It’s a title you can truly lose yourself in, through its dark, atmospheric environments and dense sound design.
Besides some individual character voices, the entirety of Hollow Knight’s audio is the work of Christopher Larkin. His soundtrack for the game is a perfect reflection of the dank surroundings you explore, and it becomes all the more immersive as it subtly changes depending on your movements. This episode features Christopher in his first Sound Test appearance, discussing Hollow Knight’s audio at length. His next episode, set for release in 2020, will cover Outfolded and Expand, two smaller games with their own fascinating tales to tell.
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Christopher Larkin on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/composerlarkin
Team Cherry on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/TeamCherryGames
Now available through:
YouTube
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
and many more...
Support, early access, unedited interviews, backdated LIVE shows and more:
http://patreon.com/_secretcave

48: BONUS - MediEvil (w/Paul Arnold & Andrew Barnabas a.k.a. Bob & Barn) Nov 24, 2019

Show notes

This BONUS episode appeared basically out of nowhere, as a short 15-min interview about the latest MediEvil game turned into a 50-min exploration of the entire franchise!
Paul Arnold and Andrew Barnabas (probably best known as "Bob & Barn") are true musical masterminds, who have worked on a number of interesting titles in their career. Notably, they've composed for every single iteration of MediEvil over the years, from its first games on the PS1 all the way to today.
MediEvil is one of those games that's earned its place in popular culture through addictive and rewarding gameplay, lovingly sprinkled with consistently endearing characters and environments. Bob & Barn scored it all with memorable orchestral elements, which grew from using simple MIDI samples to full live ensembles as the series marched on. In this BONUS, you'll hear intricate details of how they approached MediEvil, along with some extra thoughts about composing for TV and another of their games, Primal!
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Bob & Barn on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BobandBarn
Available through the following platforms:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
and many more...
Support, early access, unedited interviews, backdated LIVE shows and more:
http://patreon.com/_secretcave

49: LIVE - 22/11/19 [Weekly VGM Radio] Nov 23, 2019

Show notes

A brand new iteration of The Sound Test LIVE! This time, I'm joined by Shelley Moncaster for fresh VGM playlists and all the old features, including:
SFX Showdown
Quickfire News
SongFight
All future streams:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jf-ef67-A3H79fLoRDtoQ
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
or
https://www.facebook.com/thesoundtest/
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
This week's playlist:
Modern Minigame B – Peter McConnell [Plants vs. Zombies 2]
Zombies on Your Lawn – Laura Shigihara [Plants vs. Zombies]
Dog Ending Music – Akira Tamaoka [Silent Hill 2]
Stage 2 – James Shimoji (as “James & Gang”) [Pepsiman]
Arkanoid High Score – Jeroen Tel & Martin Galway [The Galway Works]
World of Water – Bob & Barn [Primal]
Song of the Ancients - Fate – Keiichi Okabe, Kakeru Ishihama, Keigo Hoashi and/or Takafumi Nishimura [Nier]
Gym Leader Battle – Minako Adachi and/or Go Ichinose [Pokemon Sword & Shield]
Normal Duel – Ichiro Shimakura [Pokemon Trading Card Game]
Ocelot Youth Confrontation – Harry Gregson-Williams and/or Norihiko Hibino [Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]
Choose Your Destiny – Deon Van Heerden [Broforce]
Colonius – Alexander Brandon [Jazz Jackrabbit 2]
Dilapidated Town – Yuzo Koshiro [Streets of Rage]
Chobu 4 (?) – Ryuji Iuchi (?) [Shenmue III (?)]
Theme – Lucas Pope [Return of the Obra Dinn]
Zif (Parallax, 1995, Amiga AGA)
Crystal Peak – Christopher Larkin [Hollow Knight]
Tank Park Salute - John Peel Session, 12th May 1991 – Billy Bragg [Best of Billy Bragg at the BBC 1983-2019]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes

47: ST2 #04 - Plants vs. Zombies (w/Laura Shigihara & Peter McConnell) Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

Popcap are probably best known for a string of browser and mobile games that helped define their respective genres. Among their most successful series is Plants vs. Zombies, which has spawned several spin-offs and sequels since it first released in 2009.
It was also one of the games that established Laura Shigihara as a formidable musical talent. She provided such accomplished work to the game that Peter McConnell, who took over composing duties from PVZ2, has kept it firmly in mind for every sequel since. Because of that, the series has carved out its own distinctive feel, and one that expertly matches the cartoonish fun on screen.
In this episode, following on from her first short appearance in this series’ Minecraft episode, Laura Shigihara returns to the show for her first of two lengthier conversations. Additionally, Peter McConnell makes his Sound Test debut ahead of an expansive LucasArts podcast in 2020. In this Plants vs. Zombies special, the three of us explore what makes the franchise’s music stick out, and fit so well with the madcap world around it.
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Laura Shigihara on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/supershigi
Peter McConnell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/PeterNMcConnell
Now available through:
YouTube
iTunes
Spotify
Stitcher
and many more...
Support, early access, unedited interviews, backdated LIVE shows and more:
http://patreon.com/_secretcave

46: LIVE - 15/11/19 [Weekly VGM Radio] Nov 17, 2019

Show notes

NEW LIVE STREAM EVERY FRI AT APPROX. 8pm UK!
A brand new iteration of The Sound Test LIVE! This time, I'm joined by Shelley Moncaster for fresh VGM playlists and all the old features, including:
SFX Showdown
Quickfire News
SongFight
Top 5 (THIS WEEK: Top 5 Zombie Games)
This week's playlist:
Asimov - 65daysofstatic [No Man's Sky]
Clock Tower Stage - Tetsuya Shibata and/or Mitsuhiko Takano [Marvel vs. Capcom 2]
Showdown at Escalera - Bill Elm & Woody Jackson [Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare]
Modern Minigame A - Peter McConnell [Plants vs. Zombies 2]
Collision Chaos - Naofumi Hataya and/or Masafumi Ogata [Sonic CD]
Main Theme - Fat Bard [Guinea Pig Parkour]
Beach Theme - Fat Bard [Guinea Pig Parkour]
Foulwater Falls - Tomoya Tomita and/or Minako Hamano [Wario Land: Shake It! (aka Wario Land: The Shake Dimension)]
Mall Music 1 - Hideki Okugawa and/or Marika Suzuki [Dead Rising]
Obliterator - Allister Brimble (originally composed by David Whittaker) [David Whittaker Amiga Works]
RoboCop - Allister Brimble and Jonathan Dunn [The Spectrum Works]
Gatling vs. Zombies - Cris Valesco, Nicole Garcia and Apocalype Ensemble [ZombiU]
Dummy! - Toby Fox [Undertale]
Battle Tower - Toby Fox [Pokemon: Sword & Shield]
Let's Go Away - Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and/or David Leytze [Daytona USA]
Wall Tune - Tommy Tallarico [Cool Spot]
I'm a Swing It - House of Pain [Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]
Ocelot Youth Confrontation - Harry Gregson-Williams and/or Norihiko Hibino [Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]
Theme - Lucas Pope [Papers Please]
Fortitudo - RIDICULON [The Legend of Bum-bo]
The Journey - Paul Weir [No Man's Sky]
Gallowmere Waltz - Andrew Barnabas & Paul Arnold [MediEvil: Resurrection]
Two Part Invention in B-Flat Major - Wendy Carlos (originally composed by Johann Sebastian Bach) [Switched-On Bach]
One Bad Man - Midnight Riders [Left 4 Dead 2]
Stage One - Tetsuya Kawauchi [House of the Dead]
You're Mine - Carpenter Brut [Furi]
Between Heaven and Earth (from "Fire Emblem: Three Houses") - Celestial Aeon Project (originally composed by Takeru Kanazaki, Hiroki Morishita & Rei Kondoh) [Fire Emblem Reimagined]
BB's Theme - Ludvig Forssell & Jenny Plant [Death Stranding]
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
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iTunes

45: ST2 #03 - No Man's Sky (w/65daysofstatic's Paul Wolinski & Paul Weir) Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

For ST2's third episode, I specifically wanted to explore something more up-to-date. No Man's Sky's soundtrack is among the best received VGM OSTs of the past few years, and that's even more impressive considering the game's initial negative reception. Though the title itself has been updated numerous times, significantly warming people's perceptions in the process, 65daysofstatic's great music remains intact.
In this podcast, I'm joined by one of the band's principle members - Paul Wolinski - for a long talk about No Man's Sky's infinite music machine. We discuss how an electronic and post-rock band has to adapt to composing video game music, and some of the challenges that come with the process. I also spoke to Paul Weir, who was heavily involved in the design and implementation of the systems that govern the soundtrack. He also helmed the game's sound effects and creature vocals, which we talk about in a dedicated section.
Between the two Pauls, this is a truly detailed episode that I hope does justice to No Man's Sky and its fascinating legacy. Once a game I disregarded myself, I now absolutely love its subjective space exploration and gorgeous landscapes. If you haven't yet given it another try, this episode may just inspire you to!
Lee Tyrrell on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Paul Wolinski on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/polinski
Paul Weir on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/earcom
65daysofstatic on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/65dos
No Man's Sky/Sean Murray on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NoMansSky
Now available through:
YouTube
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
and many more...
Support, early access, unedited interviews, backdated LIVE shows and more:
http://patreon.com/_secretcave

44: LIVE - 08/11/19 [Weekly VGM Radio] Nov 10, 2019

Show notes

A brand new iteration of The Sound Test LIVE! This time, I'm joined by Shelley Moncaster for fresh VGM playlists and all the old features, including:
SFX Showdown
Quickfire News
SongFight
All future streams:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jf...
Requests and contact:
https://twitter.com/GreenT128
Original episodes of The Sound Test LIVE, with Dale Fowler, are available through Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/_secretcave
This week's playlist:
White Rose – Russell Shaw [Fable: Legends]
Outro – Russell Shaw [Black & White]
The Agency Heist – Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist, Oh No & DJ Shadow [Grand Theft Auto V]*
Central Park Main Theme (from “Last Ninja 2) – Matt Gray [Reformation: The Best Of]
Little Red Courgette – Mike Richmond [Vegetables]
Alien Breed II – Allister Brimble [The Amiga Works]
BGM 2 – Matt Furniss & David Dundas [Fido Dido]
Graze the Roof (IN-GAME) – Laura Shigihara [Plants vs. Zombies]**
Real Redline #1 – The Story of Flaca Segal
Space Control Remixperience – Martinland [Remix of Rob Hubbard’s “Warhawk”]
Soak Patrol Alpha – Jake Kaufman [Mighty Switch Force 2]
Everybody Jump Around – Richard Jacques [Jet Set Radio]
Can You Feel the Sunshine? – Tee & Mariana Lopes [ORIGINALLY COMPOSED BY RICHARD JACQUES!]
Ken’s Theme – Yoko Shimomura and/or Isao Abe [Street Fighter II]
Ocelot Youth Confrontation – Harry Gregson-Williams and/or Norihiko Hibino [Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]
The Final Fight – Chris Huelsbeck [Turrican 2]
Moe Moe Kyunstep (Parts 1 & 2) – Chibi-Tech
Parhelion – Shora [Malval]
*Lee’s Pick-of-the-Week
**Shelley’s Pick-of-the-Week
MAIN THEME:
Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Koji Kondo & Yasuake Iwata - World 8 [Super Mario 3D World]
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Spotify
iTunes

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