Music that Battle Garegga was based off

[emphatic]

Nice, CJ Bolland!

https://www.discogs.com/CJ-Bolland-The- ... ster/27473

[Exy]

I've always thought the piano part in Fly To The Leaden Sky was a reference to/inspired by Strings of Life, also by Rhythim Is Rhythim, aka Derrick May (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFQZndywOR4, right at the beginning). In fact, I was surprised to see Derrick May mentioned in the OP but no mention of this track specifically. I guess I'm either completely wrong or this comparison was too obvious to mention, heh.

Honestly, I think the music in Battle Garegga is hands down the best music in ANY shmup.

I would second that, although I'm kinda sad it's missing the Manabu Namiki trademark reprise of stage 1 at the end of the game.

[scrilla4rella]

I originally planed to give the interview feature another read and type up more but things have been stupid busy so I'll just post some of my quick and dirty notes (stuff in parenthesis is my own commentary):

####
-The feature has quotes from Namiki but it's mostly written in the third person.

-Naniki says he originally got into techno not through 12"s or visiting clubs (unlike the handsome Yuzo Koshiro) but through CD compilations that were released in Japan back then. At the time CD releases of this type of music were relatively rare. Namiki adds that he's a CD guy and not especially into vinyl or anything like that.

-Stage 6 was influenced by Carl Craig's 'They Were'

-Stage 5 was influenced by Dan Curtin's 'Subconscious Awareness'. Namiki notes that a white guy doing techno struck him as uncommon (my how things have changed). This track was originally meant for stage 1 but after a loc-test they received comments saying that that it didn't sound like a stage 1 track. Afterwards he rushed back to the office and started writing what it now the stage 1 track.

-Namiki also goes on a bit about how he couldn't help but make connections in his head between the game's steampunk aesthetic (isn't it more like diesel-punk?) and the harsh and gritty environment from which techno was born, i.e. 1980s Detroit.

####

Anyway, they're lots of other great details to gleam from this feature. I'll try to write more of it up when I get a chance.

[Mantrox]

Thanks for that

[kuze]

Really great thread, glad it was necro'd or I'd never have seen it. The "Fly to the Leaden Sky" connection is pretty clear, will have to check out some more CJ Bolland.

[uchuukeibitaisdf]

heyyyy what a great idea for a thread! manabu namiki is one of my favorite game musicians out there, these influences are definitely no surprise. its crazy to see how closely his songs are based off their respective inspirations, makes me wonder how nobody saw this sooner

[scrilla4rella]

I've always thought the piano part in Fly To The Leaden Sky was a reference to/inspired by Strings of Life, also by Rhythim Is Rhythim, aka Derrick May (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFQZndywOR4, right at the beginning). In fact, I was surprised to see Derrick May mentioned in the OP but no mention of this track specifically. I guess I'm either completely wrong or this comparison was too obvious to mention, heh.

I need to go back and take another look but I think Namiki said that he was going for something with a general house vibe with the piano bits and didn't specifically mention The Innovator.

[Randorama]

great thread; I am glad that I spotted it again, also because the Doctor said that I need more Detroit Techno in my life.

Scrilla: I believe that Dieselpunk is a newer, still less popular term (<10 years?).
I am convinced that for quite a few people not particularly interested in "-punk" sub-genres, "steampunk" describes anything that looks retro and industrial.

Personally, I was convinced that it was a technical SF term (well, jargon) until 1 year or so. I am currently working in China, so I was quite surprised when some students asked me if I was into Dieselpunk, since I mentioned to them that I liked "old shooting games" (eh!).

[NeonLightIllusion]

Sorry to necro. I do not know much about the history of techno, but Degeneracy (Plant) is definitely inspired by Paradise Planet (Area 1) from R-Type Leo. I have no idea what went into the writing/inspired the R-Type song though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtSkxqWE0B8 (Paradise Planet)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHJJ0Q9xaa8 (Degeneracy)

[Stanshall]

What a brilliant thread, I never saw it originally or after the first necro so thanks! I love Detroit techno and the Garegga soundtrack is easily one of my favourites in the genre, if not all gaming.

[XoPachi]

I love shit like this. Just reminds me of how much Sonic brilliantly samples. I love seeing different cultures and wildly different subject matter pull from each other to make something great. This is so cool.

[Cannonballs]

Good thread, a playlist on YouTube would be cool.

[WitNeSs_tH3>>FiTπeSs]

Sorry to necro. I do not know much about the history of techno, but Degeneracy (Plant) is definitely inspired by Paradise Planet (Area 1) from R-Type Leo. I have no idea what went into the writing/inspired the R-Type song though.

It was suggested earlier in the thread that it might have been influenced by Mad Mike Bank's (leader of UR) Happy Records releases.

Hard to say though... or even to the degree he is influenced by these things

https://www.discogs.com/label/1713-Happy-Records

https://youtu.be/brTZ4a1reBY

https://youtu.be/CwbpAgOCiLM

[Randorama]

I am resurrecting this glorious thread because I mentioned it here, but also because I noted Dieselpunk being mentioned in some of the posts. Personally I believe that this SF sub-genre was invented by Miyazaki, at least from an aesthetic point of view.

BG would definitely qualify in my book, but I wonder if somebody sees other SF influences in the overall design of the game (OST, graphics). Detroit Techno supremes Underground Resistance were/are deep into Afrofuturism, which is generally influential on DT (more info here). Maybe BG has non-obvious AfroFuturism themes?

Personally, I suddenly would like a shmup with a Drexciya OST

[Randorama]

Double post, but I believe that it is worth it:

I was wondering if Kawamoto Tamayo was influenced by Detroit Techno when composing the Arranged OSTs for the Ray series. I found an interesting article as an answer to this question. The short answer from the author of the article, Lewis Gordon, is "yes, but then again most videogame musicians were into techno, at the time". The article specifically cites Metal Black, Battle Garegga and Raystorm, and in general it outlines a strong connection between techno, dystopian/cyberpunk/etc. SF and shmups (though the author never mentions the genre in a really explicit manner).

A single quote from the article should tell you that it is a great, informative read: "Gaming culture is simultaneously entertainment and a bootcamp."(not from the author but from...).

EDIT:

This one is also great, though it mentions Metal Black but not BG.

[devilfish]

Double post, but I believe that it is worth it:

I was wondering if Kawamoto Tamayo was influenced by Detroit Techno when composing the Arranged OSTs for the Ray series. I found an interesting article as an answer to this question. The short answer from the author of the article, Lewis Gordon, is "yes, but then again most videogame musicians were into techno, at the time". The article specifically cites Metal Black, Battle Garegga and Raystorm, and in general it outlines a strong connection between techno, dystopian/cyberpunk/etc. SF and shmups (though the author never mentions the genre in a really explicit manner).

A single quote from the article should tell you that it is a great, informative read: "Gaming culture is simultaneously entertainment and a bootcamp."(not from the author but from...).

Tamayo on RayForce was definitely inspired by Detroit techno. I couldn't say which artists per se, but there are distinct Optic Nerve, Jeff Mills, and The Martian flavours that seep through. Examples below:

Optic Nerve (Keith Tucker/Aux 88 side project focusing on sci-fi techno with detroit electro elements)
- the vibe and eerie sci-fi elements

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... RfLuMCrX9h

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... 44cQj9_Mez

Jeff Mills (part of the original UR lineup before breaking away to become the world's no.1 techno DJ)
- more so the eerie sci-fi synth leads or pads.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcGw ... L-C7KCPHqw

The Martian (aka Will Thomas who was part of the UR crew)
- sci-fi elements, pads and stabs

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL3V ... eXCTGDts4i

[Randorama]

Brilliant stuff devilfish, thanks a ton! I believe that the Ray Series ASTs display influences by Dan Curtin, who's early works tend to have minimalist structures (i.e. simple melodies repeated and expanded in flexible manners), jazz-influenced tempos and trance-style sound tapestry. Personally, I am noticing Jeff Mills' influence in Tamayo-san's much more thanks to your links.

I'd add that Raycrisis, both OST and AST, also include tons of influences from Japanese techno masters like Ken Ishii and all kinds of "world music"-inspired tones (quite a bit of Geinoh Yamashirogumi, for instance). Note also that Tamayo-san founded Betta Flash with CYUA, and they produce "intellectual tribal techno", according to the description on the discogs page (...with copious amounts of world/tribal music influences, I would add).

In my view, Raycrisis's Rayons de l'air and Dan Curtin's New World EP, in particular, seem to share quite similar sonorities, aside the "tribal/ragtime" feeling. Then again, these OSTs and their ASTs are such complex works of music that peeling off all the influences would take a while...I wish that we could just ask Tamayo-san, honestly. The most amazing thing, of course, is that this is the lady who created Last Duel, Ghouls'n Ghosts and [Black Tiger[/i]'s OSTs when she was at Capcom (her Discography, though the very early entries should lump these titles' OSTs and some of her other Capcom's works).

Please forgive me for not adding links to songs in youtube but I am currently in China (work), and using VPN is a hassle. I hope that the discogs/VGMDB entries are good enough.

EDIT: The Rayforce Megamix from this game's OST release is by deep/abstract house Japanese maestro Yukihiro Fukutomi, who has at the time starting his musical career.

[Rastan78]

I'm really hearing Aquarium from Raystorm in this one:
https://youtu.be/T1qaztdvcJ8

Here's Tamayo's track:
https://youtu.be/1HFMnjdY8kg

I made this post in another thread a ways back. The song seemed to have been a very clear influence on Raystorm stage 2. The problem is i can't identify the song now since it got removed from youtube.

[Rastan78]

https://youtu.be/WiLjDF_sA2g?si=_hn0T-i7KH0MGVOT

I think this was it. The noises that emulate dolphin sounds along with the beat remind me of Aquarium from Raystorm.