Welcome to the world of video game music
Join Jessica Curry on a brand new adventure as she delves into the exhilarating and joyous world of video games music. Today she chats to Mario and Rabbids composer Grant Kirkhope
Join Jessica Curry on a brand new adventure for Radio 3 as she delves into the exhilarating and joyous world of music for video games.
Some of the most cutting edge, dynamic and expressive music being made today is composed for video games. And the music, like the games themselves, comes in all shapes and sizes: from intimate chamber music to full jazz bands or electronica to symphonic music on the largest scale, so if you’ve never listened to music from games before, prepare to have your expectations confounded!
Jessica presents a heady mix of music to delight the most ardent gaming fans as well as enticing those who may never have even played a video game - with classic scores, new releases and some of her favourites.
Today she talks to composer British composer Grant Kirkhope who has scored some of the best loved video games characters from Banjo-Kazooie to Mario alongside a catalogue of hit games that have sold over 30 million. Grant chats about the terror involved in scoring the iconic moustachioed plumber and how melody is the key to great games music.
Plus we hear from music fans at EGX - the UK's biggest video games show.
Get in touch - email soundofgaming@bbc.co.uk
Full playlist:
Koji Kondo - Gusty Garden Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy)
Christopher Tin - Sogno di Volare (Civilisation VI)
Nainita Desai - Dawn (Telling Lies)
Grant Kirkhope - Oven Fresh Day (Viva PiΓ±ata)
Grant Kirkhope - Main Theme (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning)
Grant Kirkhope - Showdown Town Square (Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts)
Todd Baker - Impossible Worlds (Monument Valley II)
Nobuo Uematsu - To Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X)
Simon Hale - Temptation, Pt 1 (L.A. Noire)
Andrew Hale - Main Theme (L.A. Noire)
Traditional Russian - Korobeiniki (Tetris)
Cris Velasco - Theme for The Long Dark (The Long Dark)
Andrea Boccadoro - John Whitgift (Astrologaster)
Grant Kirkhope - Mid Boss Mayhem (Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle)
Grant Kirkhope - Tirnoch (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning)
Saori Kobayashi - The Ark (Resurrection: Panzer Dragoon Saga)
Jake Kaufman - Flowers of Antimony (Shovel Knight)
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Music Played
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Koji Kondo
Gusty Garden Galaxy (Super Mario Galaxy)
Composer: Mahito Yokota. Music Arranger: Andrew Skeet. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Skeet.- Warner Classics.
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Christopher Tin
Sogno di Volare ('The Dream of Flight') from Civilisation VI
Choir: Angel City Chorale. Choir: Cappella SF. Orchestra: Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra. Conductor: Oleg Kondratenko.- Digital download.
- Tin Works.
- 1.
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Nainita Desai
Telling Lies - Dawn
Orchestra: London Contemporary Orchestra. Conductor: Hugh Brunt.- Digital download.
- Annapurna Interactive.
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Grant Kirkhope
Oven Fresh Day (Viva PiΓ±ata)
Orchestrator: Nic Raine. Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nic Raine.- Digital download.
- Sumthing Else Music Works.
- 2.
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Grant Kirkhope
Reckoning Main Theme (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning)
Orchestrator: Nic Raine. Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nic Raine.- Digital download.
- Sumthing Else Music Works.
- 1.
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Grant Kirkhope
Showdown Town Square (Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts)
Orchestrator: Nic Raine. Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nic Raine.- Sumthing Else Music Works.
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Todd Baker
Impossible Worlds (Monument Valley II)
Performer: Todd Baker.- Digital download.
- ustwogames.
- 1.
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Nobuo Uematsu
To Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X)
Orchestra: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra. Conductor: EΓmear Noone. -
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Simon Hale
Temptation, Pt 1 (L.A. Noire)
Composer: Andrew Hale. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.- Digital download.
- Rockstar Games.
- 13.
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Andrew Hale
Main Theme (L.A. Noire)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.- Digital Download.
- Rockstar Games.
- 1.
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Trad.
Tetris Theme (Korobeiniki)
Music Arranger: Andrew Skeet. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Skeet. -
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Cris Velasco
Theme for The Long Dark
Performer: Cris Velasco.- Digital download.
- Hinterland Studio.
- 1.
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Andrea Boccadoro
John Whitgift (Astrologaster)
Lyricist: Katharine Neil. Singer: Emily Dickens. Singer: Ruth Kiang. Singer: Benedict Hymas. Singer: Robin Bailey. Singer: Jimmy Holiday. Singer: Christopher Webb. Singer: Benjamin Woodgates.- Digital download.
- Air-Edel Records.
- 8.
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Grant Kirkhope
Mid Boss Mayhem (Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra.- Digital download.
- Ubisoft Music.
- 13.
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Grant Kirkhope
Tirnoch (Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning)
Orchestrator: Nic Raine. Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nic Raine.- Digital download.
- Sumthing Else Music Works.
- 35.
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Saori Kobayashi
The Ark (Resurrection: Panzer Dragoon Saga)
Performer: Saori Kobayashi. Performer: Maho Azuma. Ensemble: Triforce Quartet.- Digital download from Bandcamp.
- Brave Wave Music.
- 10.
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Jake Kaufman
Flowers of Antimony (Shovel Knight)
Composer: Manami Matsumae. Performer: Jake Kaufman.- Digital download.
- Big Lion Music.
Broadcast
- Sat 26 Oct 2019 15:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
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Sound of Gaming
A journey into the exciting worlds of video games and gaming music.
