So I was going to write a blog summing up the year for us at GM4A, and the video game inspired music scenes that I am involved with all around. But then I thought, "Man, people are here for the MUSIC, not me." So with that in mind. I gathered up as many quotes as I could from all the VGIM communities and posted them here for your delight!
Happy New Years Everyone! We hope 2008 is better for the musicians, the fans, the promoters, the writers and bloggers (like us!), the artists, the hardware and software, and the community as a whole!
"I think that with the advent of video games becoming more and more like real life, video gaming and it's culture has become self aware, and reality has became far too programmed. Zig heil! For great justice!
*motions of throwing a hand symbol of a cube up*" - Shawn Phase/Temp Sound Solutions
"For me, 2007 was about watching all the elements of the geeky culture music scenes finally slot into place, musically, commercially, and as a culture. 2008 is going to be about expanding that culture, breaking the glass ceiling that is perceived by any niche musical movement, and I think everyone involved is going to be blown away by what can come from a love of music and a passion for videogames" - MisterB
"2007 has been an amazing year for everyone, from the chiptune scene to the geek rockers to my own nerdcore family. Gamer and geek culture has become so pervasive that it's no longer shocking when we get press. Well, not to *us* at least. It's really been a phenomenal year, and I feel lucky to have been a part of it." - Z. of Hipster, Please!
"Sadly, it would have been frowned upon for my year to have been spent cutting people's heads off with a jagged blade. Luckily, I found the next best thing and wrote music inspired by the idea of cutting people's head's off with a jagged blade. Victory." - Renzokuken
"There were a lot of great game tunes composed and remixed this year! Let's make next year even bigger and better!" - Chris Kline/vertexguy
"There ain't no gettin off this train we're on" - This Arm is Gun
“I truly believe that there is a cultural renaissance in gaming going on across the world right now. People are playing games and proud to be playing games. It’s not seen as something for a few guys in their basements anymore. I’m extremely proud to be a part of it.”
- Matthew Myers/2EastMusic"It's a secret to everybody!"
For one, its what the moblin in 'Legend of Zelda' says AFTER you discover the ruppee. It doesn't seem to make sense at first, but in a way, since 'everybody' still includes those that have not heard it, and since 'everybody' generally describes the majority, it applies.
It's not a logic statement, its a general feel for the impact of this movement, if you want to call it a movement. This vg remix, cover, inspired music still is an underground scene. But by the end of next year, I wouldn't be suprised to see these musicians playing on SNL, Conan or (god forbid) Carson.
We are the collective 'Link' bringing it to the masses." - Doctor Octoroc
"I'm still amazed that half the world thinks that a nerd still wears glasses, a pocket protector, and hides in seclusion. You can see the shock when people meet the n-e-r-d named chozo_ninpo." - chozo_ninpo
"Nerdcore is how I /roll" - ZeaLouS1
"There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those who know binary and those who don't" - DJ RoboRob
"2007 was pretty good." - Atarimatt
"This year was a big year for VG music. It was kinda like the year the SNES came out. VG music went from good (NES) to gooder (SNES). Hopefully it starts to get even bigger and reach N64 status soon. When it gets to Wii, god help us all." - Leo of Push Start
"Splendidly Potato-Like." - Xiro
"With blip fest in NY and the chiptune alliance tour in the UK chip influenced music has gone fucking POW! ... so many more people into it...which in turn is a sweet thing!" - And.
"This year some seriously quality music was made and released. Artists are really starting to get their act together, and communities are still forming and growing. It's awesome." - Joe of Spheres of Chaos and Gamewave Podcast
"We did a lot of demos, but VGM inspired by many bands such as As The World Fades, and Sky Eats Airplane. Then we began listening to orchestra version of Zelda and Mario music. Then we got a keyboardist and did some cool sounds. So that's how we formed 8-Bit Romance!" - 8-Bit Romance
"nerdcore is the fucking bomb. z1 is awesome to hang with and everyone real nerdcore artist is fun to talk too" - Tony B (he was kind of drunk)
"Nerdcore is like Miley Cyrus.. I cant get enough of it!" I was then given a REAL quote which went, "Rap is something you do, Nerdcore is something you live." - Silent D (Also slightly liquored up.)
"Handshakes could be Joysticks
and love can be arranged by clicks
Doesn't matter, chicks or chips
as long they're made from 8 beloved bits." - Videogame Orchestra"Playing Piano is much more fun when you play Tetris music..... over and over and over." - vPn
"The VGM List: The poor man's GameMusic4All" - The VGM List
"2007 has been a pretty good year for the video game music remix community. What I've noticed this year is that a lot of remixing artists came into their own, releasing original EPs and albums. I was most excited about that. I'm getting older and more jaded so not too many arrangements from 2007 come to mind that just blow me away, though I gotta say I'm very excited about ARMCANNON and what they'll bring this coming year. 2008 should be a lot bigger than 2007 so suit up and get ready to rock. Also, anyone that plays Guitar Hero or Rock Band is totally lame." - Mustin of The OneUps
"Sometime in the future some kid is going to say, 'my favorite game music is from the first game I ever played, Mass Effect!' and retro gamers everywhere are going to feel that much older." - Videogame Music Preservation Foundation
“I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within.” - Titus Maccius Plautus
"We are a few hours away from stepping into the 2008 year, 2007 marked the year in which gamers all over the world were giving groundbreaking games such as Bioshock, and Crysis. 2007 is also the year in which the PS3 had a few games in its library like..... nvm scratch that. Have you guys played Deal Or No Deal the Dvd Game?" - Tubbytron
"Everything is better with Fire 'N Ice!" - pIENESS
"a) 2007 was a year full of surprises. Who knew making music could be this fun?
b) best. thing. ever." - IntEighty of Dual Core
"It's been a good year. I actually started out with pretty ominous feelings about 2007 but it turned out that I was really active and good things happened. i ended the year with write-ups in Illinois Entertainer and Real Detroit Weekly to boot. all in all, a decently busy year. it's gonna be a tall order topping 2007!" - William Sides Atari Party
"2007: The Megas spend all year recording, announcing, and delaying their first album.
2008: The collective faces of the VGM community are melted.
2009: Cake." - The Megas"It'll be done when it's done!" - Tim from Year 200X on their new album
"This was a good year for game music, although it was largely a transformational year for us. (We the collective of Random Encounter) We went through about three or four guitarists this year as well as our beloved pianist. We report now ending this year with the same drummer and accordionist, three new guitarists, and a new trumpet player (our Mascot, the stuffed squirrel 'Sparkles The Butcher' remains as well). While we didn't accomplish more than a few concerts this year the other game-bands seem to be doing well and seem to have multiplied from the dozen or two that existed a decade prior. This is not to say that we're saturated with a lot of generic game-music, but that we're blessed with a lot of surprisingly good bands that seemingly came out of nowhere." - Travis (accordionist/manager) of Random Encounter
"2007: unpredictable. the mainstream improved and the underground regressed overall to me." - Mega Ran
"2007 ushered the exponential growth of video game music influenced artists/bands and I feel like it has prepared more demographics of music fans for what is to come in the future for video game music and video game influenced music." - Thom V of Quarter-Circle Jab
"2007 wow, what a year.
I think gamers brought a new and interesting cultural awareness this year, perhaps more so than any other. Also, I think a gamers voice in pop culture has been held in a higher value this year, see the popularity of nerdcore, chip music, etcetera…
What makes gamers particularly special as an entity (and me proud to be one) is we are ballsy enough to publicly and eloquently voice when we think something is total crap, and equally vocal when we think something is brilliant. We all have a lot of imagination and are open to new and interesting experiences via gaming , film, and music, which is awesome for artists like me who push the envelope. Often times I look towards games , 8 byte sounds, and gaming related media for inspiration in my work…
I am hoping in 2008 that gamers keep and expand upon their unique cultural voice, their openness to new and interesting things, and their candor when something stinks!
VOICE ON GAMERS!!! To 2008!!!
ps – I will take anyone to school on FIFA for the DS…
as long as I can be the Arsenal!" - David Wilson of The Flight Orchestra, Dataage, and We are (a) RookDuane: "If I didn't get laid BEFORE I started playing video game music, I'd be screwed!"
BrandO: "No... you wouldn't." - 8-Bit Duane and The Amazing Brand0"As each year passes, video game music is becoming more widely acknowledged as a valid form of expression. What used to be regarded as beeping noises is now recognized as a genre of music that has no boundaries. I think the video game music cover/remix scene will only continue to grow in popularity in 2008." - Nanaki's View