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7. Video Game Music

Updated: Mar 25, 2021

Memories of a Forgotten Childhood


If you’ve watched Ratatouille there’s a pivotal scene where food critic Anton Ego tastes the dish prepared by the Remy the rat. Anton is visibly affected by Remy’s cooking, recalling a vivid childhood memory in which he is comforted by his mother’s cooking. Video Game Music often evokes this same powerful feeling of nostalgia. Just listen to the hometown theme of the first Pokemon game you played (LITTLEROOT FTW) and all the memories will instantly come flowing back to you. There is something unexplainable about nostalgia and how music, especially VGM, evokes these feelings. Is nostalgia as potent as it is because the past is always sweeter and simpler than the depressing present and uncertain future? Whatever the answers are there is no denying that VGM is some of the most evocative music out there, as these songs could very well be the soundtrack to the childhood you unknowingly and reluctantly left behind.


The Badassery of Boss Themes


To any of you who play games without the sound on, I seriously question your basic life choices. Apart from the iconic opening and level themes of your favourite games, boss music is another sub-category of VGM that honestly deserves its own playlist. It’s one thing to WATCH the climax of an action movie with a sweeping orchestral soundtrack scoring the moment. But when you’re facing a boss in a game, you control the character and that badass orchestral boss theme is essentially accompanying YOUR fight. It takes immersion to new heights and it would not be nearly as riveting without that epic music supplementing that tension.


Inspiration is boundless


Renowned Warner bros cartoonist and animator Chuck Jones has a brilliant quote regarding inspiration:


“You can’t force inspiration. It’s like trying to catch a butterfly with a hoop but no net. If you keep your mind open and receptive, though, one day a butterfly will land on your finger.”


In other words, there’s no way that you will be able to like everything. There will be songs you love and songs you hate. That is inevitable. But that doesn’t mean your hand has to stay down, for that butterfly will never land on your finger. Search for musical inspiration in places you would not expect, places outside of your comfort zone, places outside of music itself. Have an open-mind. Explore the unknown. You really never know, and that's the exciting part of it all, that the little flash of inspiration you needed could be found even in the childhood games you once played.


Listen to TnD Curates here




(from 3:56 onwards)



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