Music
Welcome to the main focus of the site: My music! (And you thought it was my dashing good looks.)
This is a simple listing of all of my tracks. You can get more specific and zero in on certain types of music by selecting a subcategory, or simply by searching for tags or keywords.
Browse subcategories
- Arrangements (38)
- Chiptunes (40)
- Game Soundtracks (138)
- Forgotten Tides Demoreel (29)
- Handhelds (109)
- General MIDI Sequences (14)
- Original (Full Production) Songs (53)
- Demoscene (3)
Songs in this category:
I wrote this as my entry for Blockparty 2009’s Music competition, in which it won first place. It’s supposed to be a “placeholder” theme song for a futuristic anime series with a sort of apocalyptic vibe. This is my first released song using Yamaha’s VOCALOID2 software, and also my first “singing choir” using Quantum Leap [...]
This is the first new NES chiptune from me in quite a while — this won first place in the Oldschool Music competition at Blockparty 2009. If you’re a fan of my chiptunes, you probably want to hear this. Additionally, and this is kind of a big deal, the IT version contains… all of my [...]
My soundtrack for the conceptual demo, Sans Titre. I wrote this on site at Blockparty (using Ableton and Reason) after my friends, the Northern Dragons, asked me to help bail them out since their usual musician didn’t have a track ready. I had to write this while techno music blared in the background (it was [...]
This is Nugget’s Theme. For anyone who doesn’t already know, Nugget is my adorable puppy (there’s a link to a picture on my About page). This song is for and about him — his own simpler, more upbeat counterpart to “Staring at My Spaceship”. The mini-melodies during the silent pauses are the “fanfares” our Roomba [...]
This is one of the three new songs I debuted at MAGFest 7 – An FM journey into an epic past where metallic wizards do battle on high windy cliffs with guitars and lightning. Dedicated to Wizwars, who couldn’t be at Magfest, and who was deeply missed in an otherwise incredible chiptune concert.
Nugget was being clingy and annoying while I tried to calibrate my condensor mic setup in my closet. So, I brought him in there with me, exasperated, and started singing to him in my famous “operatic” “tenor”. He sat there still as a rock, either fascinated or terrified, as I proceeded to record the song [...]
Recently I started working out, in a futile attempt to avoid diabetes, so I did what any sane person would do: Wrote my own training montage music to play every time I go to the gym, to get me pumped up and ready to rock. It is strongly influenced by (and dedicated to) Vince DiCola, [...]
This is the enhanced version (orchestra, piano, drums) of the song I wrote for Kristi. The plain-NES version is featured on 8bitpeople’s 8BP050 compilation CD, which you should buy immediately.
This isn’t actually DnB for most of it, I just called it that. It’s uptempo dance stuff, though, and contains my most complex Little Sound DJ track yet (as well as FM and PCM elements. The tracks within are named Stas, Tomato Formula, and Vectors.
This started life as a Kwakfest (and is one of the few Kwakfest tracks not on my new CD) and ended up being played at Blip Festival 2007. Chibi-tech, one of my chiptune-writing friends and one of the most talented mofos in the whole scene, danced to it in a maid costume. I’m not making [...]
A full-on arrangement of my favorite track from Shantae, this one combines GBC, GBA, and sampled instruments.
An FM+VRC6 arrangement of one of my favorite songs in the universe, by one of my favorite bands. Performed this at Blip Festival 2007, and it was a crowd favorite, whee!
FM + PCM, the third entry in my Blast Off series, this is designed to feel like you’re playing a Neo Geo shooter, taking off and shooting up some alien hordes.
An unapologetically cheesy early-90s pop song in the style of Janet/Michael Jackson, and other Teddy Riley new jack swing-style stuff. Done as my first “demo song” on my new Yamaha Motif XS6.
A progmetal medley of Day of the Tentacle (Red Edison’s theme) and Monkey Island arrangements. Completely different from what I imagined the “stylistic intent” of the original songs to be; just a gratuitous metallification of completely non-metal themes. Nothing I can say will prepare you for the wank levels. Might even break your Widdly Meter.
The theme was “SONGS THAT ARE STUCK IN YOUR HEAD” and, as you know, arranging complex songs from memory (sometimes things I haven’t heard in a decade) is my favorite twisted pastime. In hindsight, the Katamari bassline is way off because at the time I’d never heard the song outside my bassless TV, but I think we can agree I fixed [...]
Katamari, done with NES+VRC6. And great minds think alike: my friend Steven (surasshu) did something similar with Lonely Rolling Star. Now we just need YOU guys to fill in the rest of the brilliant Katamari soundtrack, and we can release a whole fan album. Please?
I wrote this TurboGrafx16/PC Engine song in Notepad, using MML (Music Macro Language) and the HuSIC MCK player. This is a chip-ification of a Kwakfest song.
My first song done using Little Sound DJ. LSDJ is a tool for Game Boy (original and color) that lets you track songs using only the Game Boy itself. It’s spawned an entire scene of musicians who compose and perform using it.
Bruce Lee at his best (no arguments please). One of my favorite movies, and the first song in the first solo set I ever played live in NYC.
This is the first piece I wrote for FX3, and the only one which received extra FM treatment, heard in this recording. I played this live by playing keyboard with one hand and guitar with the other, which may not have been such a great idea.
I really don’t know why I did this, but I was playing Karnov the other day and I was like HEY imagine if they had a movie version of Karnov and they got Danny Elfman to do the score. I don’t know why I had that thought but this is the result. Took about an [...]
This is the first release on which I’m using EWQL Symphonic Orchestra samples, and the last on which I’ll be using BFD drums and my Ibanez RG220b. I’m retiring both in favor of Drumkit From Hell Superior (regular and custom/vintage) and a beautiful Schecter 007 (scroll down on that page for pics). I’m planning to [...]
For my friend, Ben “Diablo” Shelton (1974-2005), #trax regular, sysadmin guru, beer connoisseur, rally racing fan, telecom geek. Ben once told me that he liked my fake guitar, so in shock after his passing, I wrote this for him. I still tear up a little typing this summary in Q4 2008 — He is deeply [...]
A one-hour kwakfest tune becomes a full-fledged vocal song! Apologies if you didn’t like the 80s (in which case you should probably get off of my site!) This will serve as my “before” snapshot in my vocal training, like how they have before and after shots of fat people in dieting infomercials.
This is a 22-minute medley of every song in the super metroid soundtrack (except wrecked ship), done for the Metroid-themed DoD compo. It was an important milestone, showing me how far I’ve come and how much I have yet to learn, but it’s very satisfying to have actually pulled it off instead of just sitting [...]
Whenever someone asks why something is malfunctioning or, in general, why something frustrating is happening, I like to reply with “SPACE PIRATES!” (formerly “TERRORISTS!”). How appropriate, then, as a title for a ..disco rendition of the metroid ending theme. Entered as a “joke tune” in DoD.
Guerrilla war is one of the most underrated NES soundtracks I’ve ever heard, and I knew that i had to arrange it for a DoD compo, despite its obscurity and unnecessary length guaranteeing defeat (I got 5th). You probably won’t like it if you’re not a Guerrilla war fan (it drags on a bit) but [...]
There was a “shred competition” involving castlevania 3’s “clockwork” track for a DoD competition, and despite lacking confidence in my shredding abilities, I entered and played the most complicated / acrobatic stuff I could. I underestimated the level of composition the other guys were putting into theirs, so mine is an oversimplified, less progressive arrangement.
This was done for my friend Ian (zsazs) a couple months ago for his wedding. I tend to do wedding chiptunes a lot, because nothing can possibly be happier than an upbeat chiptune! If you can’t smile while listening to chiptunes you have a cold, black heart and are probably a terrorist.
This is the first stage and boss music from the semi-obscure turbografx/pc engine game, Aeroblasters. I have been wanting to arrange this for a hell of a long time, but I couldn’t play guitar or bass well enough to pull off the 70s rock style I envisioned until recently. I’m especially happy with the bass, [...]
Remember? It has been included in every Windows from 3.1 (maybe earlier?) up to WinME. In case you’ve somehow never heard it, here. Its full title is “Trip Through the Grand Canyon”, and it was written by George Stone of Passport Designs.
**UPDATE 7/26/08: OH MY GOD!!!! LOOK IN THE COMMENTS!! The actual composer of the [...]
Best pop song of all time, hands down. I figured it had to be the one song I’d allow myself to use vrc6 sounds to cover, since doing it with the normal 2A03 channels would have been much more simplistic and arpeggiated. If all that is greek to you: This is a cover of Michael [...]
I entered Dwelling of Duels, the monthly themed compo held on the Minibosses message board! This time the theme was Zelda, and I figured it was time to finally seriously attempt a Zelda medley. Here is my entry. I think I’m managing to improve my tone after so much help from Prozax and Ailsean, and [...]
I love to make demo tunes whenever I get a new piece of gear, and this is a super-cheesy latin jazz fusion synthesizer demo that I made using only my yamaha mu100r days after getting it.
Made just to show off my new yamaha wx5 midi-sax and acoustic-electric guitar. Whenever I get new gear I have to make a demo with it.
This is one of the few times I’ve arranged a song from a system more powerful or recent than the NES. I felt this was just totally screaming for a heavy guitar-based treatment. Obviously, it’s one of my favorite games ever.
Yet another song named after one of Kristi’s choice phrases, this one has to do with knitting. Anyway, this is the first song on which I’ve used a live electric bass. Sort of backstreet boys-ish smooth jazz with a steady beat.
Also from memory though this one might be a little less accurate because it’s more complex, but I think I got the voicings right. Hope your sound card can set pitchbend range via rpn!
Reggae this time! I happen to like this one a whole lot because it’s such a departure from my usual discocheese kwakfest entries. This was difficult to pull off in an hour.
Kwakfest entry – and probably my best one to date. It’s very complex, listen on an awe-series card or sblive if you can, because it uses the resonant filters on those cards for the synth line.
Kwakfest entry.. 4 and a half minutes, written in an hour. They’ve started like skipping over my tunes each time :(
Written in an hour for a general midi ‘kwakfest’ compo at vgmix, this is a rock/celtic tune.
The entire star wars opening theme, arranged exactly as it is in the orchestral recording, only here I’m using my voice for all the instruments. Yep.
A jolly little tune! Written in an hour for a ‘kwakfest’ general midi compo at vgmix.
This one was done in 40 minutes (!!) Because I couldn’t get my midi interface working, so I didn’t have time to tweak or correct timing, this is just raw playing, track after track. :(
Written, yet again, in an hour for a ‘kwakfest’. Yes, I write gmidi insanely fast, much faster than any other composition method.
(almost) the entire soundtrack from shadowgate arranged in a hard rock megamix. Yes, the ending is abrupt, but that’s how it is in the game when your torch runs out!
Yeah, that’s me singing in japanese. The lyrics were from a song by an 80s boy-band group, apparently, but I’ve never heard the song, I just liked the lyrics so I made my own song around them.
This weekend, partially cloudy with a high of 70 and a low of 62, with a 20% chance of showers.
This is more 80s dance than disco, but it fits with the others in its love-song theme so I’m including it in the ’series’.
Best if you do voiceovers: ‘we have been unable to find the intruder..’ ‘you must find him! He must not esc….there he is!’ ‘yaa-haaaaaaaa’ smash! Pow! ‘Hoyoooooooo’, etc.
An old standard, performed by me on the piano and my cocker spaniel singing. Yep.
Written for a hentai dating simulation soundtrack I’m writing together with tz, this is for meranii, the independent and spunky girl who plays dancing games and likes to beat people up with bricks.
The first thing I’ve done using my reaktor NES chip simulator, shows off some of the effects I’ve written for it. All notes are just plain notes, the echoes and stuff are handled by the player engine, which should dramatically quicken my composing process
Whipped this up in a couple of hours, posted it as ‘midigrrl’ on the vgmusic forums, watched the forumgoers drool over ’such a brilliant girl’ for several hours (most of whom would have torn it to pieces had they known it was by me). Yes, I used to troll forums by composing music.
A follow-up to my thong song cover, this is nelly’s ‘hot in herre’ complete with chip vocals. The entire song.
Yeah I don’t have much of a voice, but who else do you know who has this much free time to spend on a not-safe-for-work vocal harmony r&b megahit?
Haha before I was confident enough to really play my guitar, I tried to make the most realistic synth simulation I could using my oasys. Used in a dense mix, it can be pretty convincing (the lead tone, not the rhythm)… But now that I can play for real, there’s no need.
Easily the happiest thing I’ve ever written. Most of the instruments come from physical models on the oasys, which I love more than I can tell you. It gets busier and more new-orleansy after the second bridge.
This is a full on arrangements/remix of blast off, done with my synths and stuff just for this occasion! Grab this if you like blast off!
(gyruss) in the real game, an absolutely brilliant “konamization” of bach’s toccata and fugue in dmin plays. This is what I would do instead.
(top gun) a much more aggressive and frantic tune than the original, with guitar solos, and the original dpcm jet hum in the background.
(contra) this is the most sparse of all the songs, but contra is one of the sparsest konami soundtracks, too. I did some weird rhythmic stuff here.
The full-quality mp3 renderings, recorded straight from impulse tracker, exactly as they should sound. This is the entire package in a zipfile, it’s 20 mb but I think you will be happy with them and keep them for some time!
(gradius 2) traditional konami “shooter music” – a genre that is completely exlusive to games, and immediately recognizable.
(tmnt 1) starts out with my version of overworld music, then sort of goes off on a huge tangent and skips to later in the game, and inside later buildings, then bosses and stuff. Gets really progressive-wank later on.
(tmnt 3) tmnt3 is my favorite NES soundtrack of all time, and this is my attempt to pay homage to it. I love the “hey!” sample so, so much.
You’ve finished the game, here’s a summary of all the damage you’ve inflicted.. (points tallying sound)
Haha, it’s fun to sit there and adlib r’n’b gospelizations over this one. Yaaayyyeaayahh
Round one! Fight! This is the stage where you fight the imaginary chinese girl who whirls the staff around and has her hair all did up. Every game has one.
Michael was an undeniable badass in maniac mansion, and on the nes, his music completely ruled. This is a rap interpretation. Will the madness ever end!!!1
A hybrid cover of ‘oldtime2.mid’ and ‘flipper.mid’, two of my old gmidi songs, for a vaudeville comedy feel
As bluegrass as I can get with 2 freaking channels of pcm… I actually used real riffs from my dad’s banjo style.
Written for a hentai dating simulation soundtrack I’m writing together with tz, this is for kurisuti, the bashful, geeky girl whom you try to seduce during dates at the arcade.
Done in an hour and a half, if I remember, for a kwakfest compo that used an FF7 SoundFont. This is my best attempt at ‘uematsu battle rock’.
The title music has the ‘rugrats theme’ in it, but this is the better interpretation, played after a game ends.