Tiny Cartridge 3DS

Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae releasing solo album ⊟ 

More amazing Mega Man-related news! Manami Matsumae, composer of the first Mega Man game (among other Capcom classics!) is working on an original solo album with Brave Wave Productions.

“In THREE MOVEMENTS she does more than her signature chiptune sound and explores different styles – including trance and orchestral!“ A preview track will release on December 10. 

I can’t wait! Brave Wave has an excellent track record of enabling composers like Matsumae to stretch out into amazing solo work.

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Sonic Adventure soundtracks on vinyl ⊟

This winter, Brave Wave will issue separate vinyl soundtracks for Sonic Adventures 1 and 2, allowing those of us who haven’t played them for a bit to get refreshed on super sweet riffs and weird Knuckles raps.

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Brave Wave’s Ninja Gaiden albums out today ⊟

It’s a fact: Ninja Gaiden’s music is incredible. And the most incredible way to experience it -- a way that does not involve being pecked off a cliff by an eagle -- is Brave Wave’s two remastered Ninja Gaiden soundtrack collections, out today on vinyl, CD, and download. (DISCLOSURE: Brave Wave supports Tiny Cartridge through our Club Tiny program)

Volume 1 covers the arcade and first NES game, and Volume 2 includes Ninja Gaiden 2 and 3. A bundle is also available. I cannot stress enough how cool this music is, and how different it is to listen to it out of the context of the game.

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Exclusive: Stream "Lingua Franca” by Dugo ⊟

Excellent music label (and Club Tiny member) Brave Wave Productions got in touch with us to share an exclusive, pre-release stream of Dugo’s debut solo album “Lingua Franca.” You can listen to the whole album here before its launch tomorrow.

Lingua Franca by Dugo

So who’s Dugo? In his other career as a professional game musician, he goes by Takahiro Izutani. He's worked on Metal Gear Solid 4, Bayonetta, Shinobi 3D, and more, and now he's got a solo release that Brave Wave says was 10 years in the making!

Like the cover art? Here's a 4K version of the cover photo, taken on Mt. Santis by Brave Wave founder Mohammed Taher.

Brave Wave’s next Generation Series release is Ninja Gaiden ⊟

Two volumes, covering all three NES games and the arcade -- with remastering supervised by Keiji Yamagishi, Ryuichi Nitta, and Kaori Nakabai, composers for Ninja Gaiden 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

There’s no release date yet, but if you’re interested you can sign up to be notified. I love everything about this.

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Brave Wave issuing 2-disc vinyl Shovel Knight soundtrack ⊟

The Brave Wave Generation series of game soundtracks so far: Street Fighter II, Shovel Knight. That speaks highly of Jake Kaufman and Manami Matsumae’s soundtrack, and of the phenomenal success of Shovel Knight in general.

If you want this set-- featuring a cover by Mega Man artist Hitoshi Ariga-- you can sign up to get alerted to pre-orders here. Brave Wave will also release the art as a poster, which is Very Good News for my wall.

[Disclosure: Brave Wave is a Club Tiny member!]

BUY Shovel Knight, Shovel Knight amiibo, Gunvolt Striker Pack

Brave Wave has a fantastic stable of artists, including Panzer Dragoon composer Saori Kobayashi -- if you didn’t listen to her band Akane’s Journey, ohhhhh mannnnn. (Brave Wave also supports this site through Club Tiny, FYI)

Kobayashi has a new solo album coming out April 13. Just because it’s her album, though, that doesn’t mean it’s her alone. Terra Magica features work by vocalists Eri Ito and Yumiko Takahashi, guitarist Takahiro Izutani, and Michiru “Castlevania” Yamane.

Enjoy this preview track!

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Well, I told y’all I’d probably post this preview track, and I’m DOING IT. It’s happening. This is the first preview from Keiji Yamagishi’s Retro-Active Pt. 2, and maybe surprisingly for the Ninja Gaiden composer, I’m getting a Mega Man vibe?

The album is out February 5 for $7. And of course, Brave Wave is a Club Tiny sponsor etc., please keep that in mind when listening to my raving (although I think it’s sincere raving!) I’ve been consistently impressed with the way they’ve encouraged sort-of-retro but really exciting and new material from classic game composers.

Keiji Yamagishi’s “Retro-Active pt. 2″ coming next month ⊟ 

I’m thrilled to see the continuation of Keiji Yamagishi (Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo Bowl)’s “Retro-Active” project, the first part of which was SO GOOD.

Part 2 will be released on February 5, with a sample track out January 14. I’m sure I’ll post that too...

This album features a collab between Yamagishi and Ryuichi Nitta, Ninja Gaiden 2 composer!

[Disclosure: publisher Brave Wave is a Club Tiny member!]

Second chance at Street Fighter II vinyl soundtrack ⊟ 

Preorders for the first pressing of Brave Wave’s Street Fighter II: The Definitive Soundtrack sold out before I could even link to them. The company is making a second pressing, and has given us advance notice of the preorder period for that.

So, read the FAQ for shipping info, and then go to Brave Wave’s online store today at 12pm EST/9am PST to secure your own big huge record.

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Street Fighter II: The Definitive Soundtrack now available ⊟

Sorry about the vinyl, those all sold out before I could get a post up! But if you want CD or digital, I got you. Here’s where you can order that stuff.

The CD version ships in mid-December, and the digital release is available right the hell now, with multiple versions of all the music from the arcade game. Let’s see if I can remember to get this on our holiday guide, because this would make a rad gift!

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This exclusive sample compares the CPS-1 version of Zangief’s theme from Street Fighter II as remastered on Brave Wave’s new Street Fighter II The Definitive Soundtrack, versus a previous soundtrack release. You can download the sample for higher quality, but I am confident you’ll hear the difference. Here’s the track compared with a different soundtrack release:

It's so clear you can just picture the big fence and the Russian sign on the back (which I just looked up: says "it's forbidden for children to watch"!)

Brave Wave tells us that the collection is coming "later this year" on vinyl, CD, Bandcamp, iTunes, and other services (good for me because I sure don't have a record player). It includes versions of the SF2 tracks from both the CPS-1 and CPS-2 arcade hardware, and sound effects too.

Full disclosure btw: Brave Wave is a Club Tiny contributor, but this project is cool regardless.

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New Brave Wave release: Smoke Thief's "Heart Beat Circuit" ⊟ 

This album is from a first-time solo composer, Smoke Thief, but since it's a Brave Wave joint it features work by the label's unmatched roster: Manami Matsumae, Panzer Dragoon Saga's Saori Kobayashi, and-- wow! Bayonetta's Takahiro Izutani. "Smoke Thief experiments with a variety of musical styles to explore this concept album. He strives to contrast the mathematical aspect of music with its more human qualities by mixing genres from ambient to jazz, and fusing electronic elements with instruments such as saxophone and piano."

Sample the tracks and buy downloads or CD audio here! As always, I have to note that Brave Wave is a Club Tiny supporter.

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Brave Wave releasing remastered Street Fighter II soundtrack ⊟

Cool People (and Club Tiny members!) Brave Wave Productions have started a new “Generation Series” in which original game soundtracks are remastered under the supervision of the original sound teams.

The first game to receive this loving treatment is Street Fighter II.

I am really exciting about hearing the SF2 soundtrack in a new way. This is so cool and so important.

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Pay what you want for some Brave Wave albums ⊟ 

And help Syrian refugees. Pretty good combo IMO. The popular albums World 1-2, World 1-2 Encore, The Complete Collection, and In Flux are all available  digitally for whatever price you choose to pay, for the duration of the month of Ramadan. 

And for that month, 100% of the proceeds for those or any other albums by Brave Wave will go to Layan GCC, a non-profit helping with food, health care, and shelter for Syrian refugees.

As always, I must note that Brave Wave is a longtime Club Tiny supporter.

"First Contact" by Keiji Yamagishi ⊟

One of the perks of my job at Tiny Cartridge is that sometimes people send me cool music. Sometimes, like, I'll just get a whole album dropped on me containing new music by Ninja Gaiden composer Keiji Yamagishi, thanks to Brave Wave (who is also a Club Tiny sponsor, FYI!)

Yamagishi's album Retro-Active Pt. 1 comes out February 5, and you can hear the first track right here. It was officially revealed in this gigantic Polygon feature, where you can also read all about a reunion between Yamagishi and other Ninja Gaiden staff. You can even see the original artwork for the castle scene at the bottom of our website.

Anyway, back to the album. I've listened to it a few times; I put headphones on one of my 20-month-olds and had her check it out. Man, what an exciting, upbeat album. It's not entirely chiptune, it's chip plus other instruments for what Yamagishi calls "futuristic emotional chiptunes world." There's a lot of dancing in this world, or in my case a lot of energetic housecleaning.

After hearing this, I'm pretty dang happy to learn that there are going to be two more of these albums in 2015.

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50% off rad music at Brave Wave ⊟

Tiny Cartridge pal (and, full disclosure, Club Tiny member) Brave Wave Productions has just started its first-ever Black Friday sale, which extends to Cyber Monday. The sale allows you to get really dang cool music -- including work from Ninja Gaiden's Keiji Yamagishi, Mega Man's Manami Matsumae, Spelunky's Eirik Suhrke, and more -- for half off. Just enter the code BF50 at the Brave Wave store and get to listening!

Other music deals today: Bear and Walrus is giving away its two most recent albums, while MegaRan is selling his albums for just $3 apiece.

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