JamSpace, OCReMix, concerts and more at Otakon in Baltimore, MD July 17th-19th

So Right after Nerdapalooza (Don't worry, I am working on that lengthy post) comes Otakon! and Dom (of MAGFest fame, and of course, brilliant musician, and host of Dom's Live Videogame Music Show) has informed me that Otakon (otakon.com) is the place to be for VGM lovers such as you and I.

For those in the Baltimore, Maryland area, you can look forward to the ever amazing JamSpace, which is an incredible all day room filled with instruments for any and all musicians to take a crack at. This once experiment of MAGFest is now a beloved tradition and host to some amazing moments in VG inspired music history. Amazing sets, insane collaborations, and hilarious jam sessions all take place in what is the ever incredible JamSpace.

On top of this there is also word that there will be an OCReMix discussion panel going on at 6 PM on the Saturday of the event. Should be filled with some amazing talent, and very interesting discussion about vgm and the ocremix community. And what about the concerts!? Oh man, are there some concerts! Friday night, starting at 5 PM, Otakon is host to the incredible Random AKA Mega Ran. Not to mention the ever hard rocking and experimental This Place is Haunted (who have some new songs from their upcoming album available to listen to by the way)! The insanity doesn't stop there though, as Baltimore locals Armadillo Tank and Dom's band Rare Candy storm the stage Saturday at 1:30 PM and 3 PM respectively.

If that isn't enough to satiate your thirst for awesome VGM shenanigans than you are simply impossible to please. Definitely check out the show, and say hi to Dom as well for organizing JamSpace and generally kicking ass!

Nitro Game Injection #120: Skyrocket Slam

Nitro Game Injection is back with their 120th episode! The podcast is a look into VGM as well as the VGM doujin and remix scene, hosted by the very capable KyleJCrb and Larry "Liontamer" Oji. This could possibly be the longest running VGM related podcast around it seems. Anyway, episode 120 was released on July 4th, which might give meaning to the title Skyrocket Slam. Check out the newest episode at kngi.org and check out the info for their newest podcast below

Happy Alien Invasion Day! To help tide you over between the food, booze, and explosives, we have a brand new episode.

Kyle shows that he did not do the research on any discussion points, and unashamedly peddles for money via the NGI Amazon Store while Larry dreams of being famous and mounting 22-inch rims to his wall while swimming in dollar bills. They also discuss the many lyrical interpretations of Mega Man, hate on RPGs, pay tribute to the loss of game development’s whipping boy Duke Nukem Forever, and as always, much more!

Chiptots - l.i.g.u.e.o.s.p.i.x.e.!.s album release

So soon after Chibi Ma wrote about their latest EP Chiptots are already back with their first full length album l.i.g.u.e.o.s.p.i.x.e.!.s, and as anticipated it is truly something amazing!

The eleven song album picks up where the self titled debut ended. With more catchy rhythms, chippy chirps, video games samples, and rock and roll attitude. Unfortunately, as with their last release, I don't speak Portuguese so sadly I have no idea what their songs may be about. Luckily it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of their hard rocking tracks. Hopefully I may have a fuller review of this album out soon as I am a huge fan and this small blurb can in no way do this impressive album justice!

Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy

On the night of July 10th, 2009, Dreams came true. At the Benaroya Hall in Seattle, WA the Seattle Symphony decided to hold a Distant Worlds concert. For those of you that don't know what Distant Worlds is, it's a concert performed by professional orchestras across the globe playing various pieces from the Final Fantasy series. They have gone to many places already including Singapore, Stockholm, Taipei and the upcoming San Francisco performance which is on July 18th, 2009 at the Davies Symphony Hall. For those of you who know me or have read my first blog on here know what a big Final Fantasy fan I am. I have also mentioned in my first blog about how Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of Final Fantasy, is my hero and I would love to meet him. Well, the chance came by after reading news of Nobuo Uematsu will be attending the Distant Worlds concert in Seattle. It was 2 weeks before the concert and I instantly needed to go. A good friend and I figured out our money, got gas, and on Friday started driving to the city.

When we finally got to Seattle we parked the car and headed in to the big Benaroya Hall. As I walked in, people were everywhere in semi-formal clothing and the occasional someone with a moogle hat or an FF plushie of some sort. Final Fantasy was in the air and I was on cloud nine. The doors open and we went in to take our seats. The inside was 3 levels high (I was on the orchestra floor) and the room was instantly packed. Made me even more thankful I was able to get tickets in time. As we waited I could hear the orchestra tuning their instruments and getting prepared. Hearing glimpses of Aerith's Theme and To Zanarkand already had me at the edge of my seat. As the concert started, Nobuo Uematsu himself walked out on to the stage and bowed to the audience. Everyone stood and cheered in praise of him. I was taken back, I wasn't expecting to see him right away! After that pleasant surprise the conductor, Arnie Roth, came out to get things started. The spotlight was on the Choral and the Final Fantasy VIII logo flashed across the screen. A huge smile grew across my face for they were singing/playing Liberi Fatali. Images from the game played with Squall Leonhart and Seifer Almasy fighting added with scenes of Rinoa Heartilly and the antagonist Sorceress Edea. A great way to start off the concert! After, Roth said his welcomes and told us what we were in for tonight. The next song they played was To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X. I have to say, this was probably the most beautiful version I have heard of this piece. Although I like this piece a lot and have always found it hauntingly beautiful it didn't really stand out to me. But this performance totally changed my view. I was literally brought to tears on this one. Scenes of Tidus and Yuna was just absolutely wonderful. The screen cleared and then we saw FFVIII game play! The whole crowd chuckled for we knew it was random battle time. Don't Be Afraid was epic! There was so much power behind it. I definitely felt the energy from the performance. What came afterwards is something very dear to my heart, Aerith's Theme. First, Aerith Gainsborough happens to be my favorite video game character ever so to hear her theme performed by a professional orchestra live is absolutely breathtaking. Combine that with scenes with Aerith and you have a moved Chibi Ma. Are you ready to get old school? Medley I-III was awesome! It had it all, town songs, battle, chocobo themes, etc. Definitely can bring up anyone's mood. For Final Fantasy V, you had acoustic with a mix of Amano art. Very well done! I do wish they showed some FFV game play but in the end, lovely. Vamo alla Flamenco was fun and lively! Good pick from Final Fantasy IX. FFIX also is my favorite Final Fantasy so I wish they had other song picks but this works.

Here's my favorite from the concert, Love Grows from Final Fantasy VIII. I'm a total hopeless romantic and a big fan of Squall and Rinoa so to hear the main love theme made a very content moogle here. Okay, not a big fan of Final Fantasy XI but great song none the less! Ronfaure gave you the big adventure feeling as it should! To end part one, they played the Final Fantasy Main Theme. Need I say more? This song is a staple to a FF concert. To not have it would be outrageous. Off into part 2 they had to make a few changes unfortunately. They went straight into FFVII: Opening-Bombing Mission, good pick to open the second half! Fisherman's Horizon from FFVIII afterwards was wonderful as always. Another FFXI, Memoro de la Stono was big, deep, and just enjoyable. The Man with the Machine Gun from FFVIII was great and Swing de Chocobo was hilarious. Now here’s the sad part for me, they had to cut out Theme of Love from FFIV. This song happens to be one of my most favorite FF songs so i was disappointed to not hear it. Opera-Maria and Draco from FFVI was gorgeous. It was sung by Angela Niederloh, Stephen Rumph and Michael Delos. To finish off the concert was Terra's Theme from FFVI. Another favorite, done wonderfully! As the credits for the concert played the crowd cheered and clapped (especially for Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshitaka Amano and of course Nobuo Uematsu).
In conclusion, this concert was something to remember. Listening and watching made me realize how Uematsu's work has brought so many different kinds of people together. That not only gamers but others outside are starting to appreciate it for it is. These masterpieces need to be known and acknowledge and it was!! The Meet and Greet with Nobuo Uematsu at the end was what really meant something to me. Nobuo has been a hero of mine since I was 13 years old. His music has inspired me, motivated me, and is the reason why I know the piano today. I never thought I would ever get to meet him. Yet there I was shaking his hand. Nobuo Uematsu is so nice and polite. He's down to earth and treats his fans so well. I am so thankful I got to meet him. Something I will remember for the rest of my life. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this concert, fantastic music, spirited audience, and a legend to meet and memories to share. This is a chance that shouldn't be missed.

iqtu - Rollie Poley Years EP release

Imagine taking all the serious business of preschool playground activities, now imagine adding a soundtrack to that. Where you would end up is probably pretty close to the new album Rollie Poley Years by iqtu. The 9 song EP is 15 minutes of relaxing melodies and smooth sounds. I could best describe the EP as nostalgic dreaming music. The songs move quickly between one another and the soft notes definitely give you that reminiscing feeling. Also, this one is especially a great album to listen to while writing I must say (since I am listening to it as I type this)! Definitely head over to Pause right now and grab this album, then just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Letters VS Numbers episode 019: "I came SO close to chipmunking the whole thing"

We are back from our unwarranted hiatus and after my mixing failures in episode 18 MisterB is back at the reigns of production! So let me introduce you to the highly refined Letters VS Numbers episode 019: "I came SO close to chipmunking the whole thing". This week we argue about Sony's advertising, decide what fictional creatures are allowed to exist, and even take more of your awesome tweets! Not only that but we announce the production of the fictional Shakespeare based video game, "Gaming of the Shrew." So go into your local game retailer and pre-order it today! We also take this podcast to the next level! Whatever that means.

Remember that you can head over to twitter.com/lversusn and follow us! We will tweet when we are recording, then you can tweet questions or comments to us while we are on the air!

Listener Emails
We have a boatload of emails this week! So many I don't even feel like naming who sent them! Remember to send us emails at lettersvsnumberspodcast AT gmail DOT com so we can read them on air!

To listen in (and for full track listings and info) be sure to head over to (the brand new domain) lettersvsnumbers.net Or subscribe to our RSS feed, or subscribe through iTunes.

zan-zan-zawa-veia - mole soul ep release

Lately I have been falling behind on all the great releases over at Pause and am now trying to rectify that terrible mistake! I begin my bit of catch up with the mole soul ep by zan-zan-zawa-veia. The album is 6 adventerous tracks of simple melodic tones infused with glitchy sounds and textures. I think zzwv explains it best.

This cream of nine month’s work is a set of curious songs sung by a neglected NES, buried alongside the sounds of dinosaurs - progressive rock, the earliest game soundtracks, cabaret and other such styles left to hibernate. All six pieces avoid the immediate and mechanical, instead delving naturally into exploration.

With an explanation like that it's no wonder this album is such an odd smattering of music. The album is definitely better for it though. You can hear the influence of old game soundtracks with the infusion of small catchy riffs that will have you feeling like someone is playing a classic NES game of your youth off in another room. As with all Pause releases this one seems to bring something new to the table and is an interesting listen to say the least.

STFUAJPGM, a new chiptune podcast

Fans of video game music, art and culture should check out a sweet little podcast called STFUAJPGM. This fairly new project describes itself as "a miniature micro-music mixtape magazine", with each episode featuring video game style music, videos and other art focused on a particular theme.

There are currently three episodes available for download and so far the show has featured contributions from Animal Style, alex mauer, Shnabubula, NESMETAL and Lawrence Power. The show is always on the lookout for contributions of any form too, so get in touch if you're interested.

alex mauer - Vegavox 2 album/cartridge release

What can possibly be said of alex mauer? Both an amazing chiptune musician, and artist alex mauer has released his new album Vegavox 2 via pause in both mp3 and nes rom cartridge format for free download (link to download here). Not only this, but for the big fans and collectors, alex mauer (with coding by nocarrier) also saw fit to make this his third album to be released on an actual Nintendo Entertainment System cartridge! For $30 the limited edition one of a kind Vegavox 2 album will be yours to place into your NES and rock out with the lovely on screen graphics and effects. For a taste check out the preview below.

Now as for the actual music. It's of course stellar to say the least. Kicking off with Zenith the album comes with a space age tune but the following track Floating Point has us searching through a deep dark cave. Gravity Hill brings us out of the cave and into a dangerous forest, and from there we arrive at the Law of Cosines, which is the boss battle if there ever was one! The album is quite on the short side but doesn't suffer for it. As mentioned the music will take you on a catchy trip from one land to another and you will enjoy every beat and pulse of it!

IAYD full concert set at Pulsewave - shot by 2 Player Productions

Found this amazing footage via Nobuoooo and posted at Offworld. On 06/27/09 IAYD (I Am Your Destruction) played at Pulsewave in New York, and REFORMAT THE PLANET filmmakers 2 Player Productions were there to film it all. So check out the footage over at the 2PP Vimeo page or just watch the embedded video below.

IAYD @ Pulsewave in NYC, 06.27.09 :COMPLETE SET: (1/2) from 2 Player Productions on Vimeo.

IAYD @ Pulsewave in NYC, 06.27.09 ::COMPLETE 40m SET:: (2/2) from 2 Player Productions on Vimeo.