VGM composers side projects & albums

[dropsmegamega]

Have you ever liked so much a game soundtrack that decided to search everything related to said game composer and found out they have solo albums or participated of other groups and whatnot? This is a thread for non-game related music of video game composers!

I think a good example would be Troubadour Records, a 90s label created by the sampling masters that produced a wide variety of albums, from a YMO parody band called Oriental Magnetic Yellow, to solo albums and collaborative projects.

(part of 2197 album in which many VGM artists collaborated including Akira Yamaoka, one of the SE:Lain artists made this track specifically though)

(Takayuki Aihara (J99) solo album, yes the same dude that made half of Drakengard 1 OST)

So yeah, share your favorite non-vgm works of game music artists!

 

[DunkeyKong]

Yes! Love this

Unfortunately, it's a bit hard for me to search what else they've made other than games OST. But I do know that Yoko Shimomura always brings that feeling in her OST

For example

 

[tropicalavera]

I got into Dreams Come True the same way most westerners do.

I've actually had, like, the opposite thing happen more often?? Artists that I've followed for a while suddenly composing for videogames!! For some artists (notably chiptune outfits like disasterpeace and anamanaguchi) it wasn't much of a surprise, but GOSH!! as an old anticon label fangirl I was REALLY bewildered to find doseone was behind the Enter the Gungeon OST??? Similar shout-outs to machine girl's ost for neon white, bo-en's now illustrious career as a vgm composer, and the handful of black dresses tracks that wormed their way into bomb dolls.

OH! I got into COIL (not the british post-industrial collective - the other coil...) via Gitarooman if we want to count that.

 

[bjork]

I did the reverse of this, with games that have music involving members of Pizzicato Five - I had to have a copy of "beatmania: the sound of tokyo" because Konishi Yasuharu did the music for it. Then years later, Nomiya Maki was on a track in the We Love Katamari soundtrack. If there's more than that, I'm unaware, but having two examples is more than I ever thought I'd see.

 

[Bonkers225]

Not game related, but A Clockwork Orange soundtrack got me into Wendy Carlos, and Electronic music from other artists.

Very intriguing video on how she produced her sounds.

 

[Tonberry]

Motoi Sakuraba (best known as the composer for Mario Tennis, Golden Sun and Dark Souls 1 among others) has made some insanely cool, ultra prog solo projects, they're totally wild:

Motoi Sakuraba - Gikyokuonsou

Teile deine Videos mit Freunden, Verwandten oder der ganzen Welt

youtube.com

 

[tropicalavera]

I did the reverse of this, with games that have music involving members of Pizzicato Five - I had to have a copy of "beatmania: the sound of tokyo" because Konishi Yasuharu did the music for it. Then years later, Nomiya Maki was on a track in the We Love Katamari soundtrack. If there's more than that, I'm unaware, but having two examples is more than I ever thought I'd see.

Whilst not an original piece composed for a videogame, I distinctly remember playing an RPG Maker game around 2010 that used a slightly sped up (or maybe slowed down??) version of tout va bien as the battle theme. Just in case you absolutely need to hunt that down.

 

[sandogma]

If anyone is familiar with the music from Xenogears, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, composer Yasunori Mitsuda also has a few albums outside of gaming that are fantastic.
The track I'm sharing here is from the album Kirite and is one of my favorites that would totally fit in an RPG town or over-world. Its a beautiful track that starts dreamlike and then goes full on percussion before closing back into dreamy tones.

It's one of my favorites of his and I'm happy to be sharing it with anyone who enjoys Mitsuda-san's work but isn't familiar with this one.
My youtube links for this track have been taken down and I couldn't find a new youtube link so I've uploaded an MP3 for those interested in listening.

 

[dropsmegamega]

Motoi Sakuraba (best known as the composer for Mario Tennis, Golden Sun and Dark Souls 1 among others) has made some insanely cool, ultra prog solo projects, they're totally wild:

Motoi Sakuraba - Gikyokuonsou

Teile deine Videos mit Freunden, Verwandten oder der ganzen Welt

youtube.com

This is so good!! Always liked this composer for his many jrpg contributions and this feels like him composing without any limitations.

If anyone is familiar with the music from Xenogears, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, composer Yasunori Mitsuda also has a few albums outside of gaming that are fantastic.
The track I'm sharing here is from the album Kirite and is one of my favorites that would totally fit in an RPG town or over-world. Its a beautiful track that starts dreamlike and then goes full on percussion before closing back into dreamy tones.

It's one of my favorites of his and I'm happy to be sharing it with anyone who enjoys Mitsuda-san's work but isn't familiar with this one.
My youtube links for this track have been taken down and I couldn't find a new youtube link so I've uploaded an MP3 for those interested in listening.

I remember Kirite, it feels like the soundtrack of a ps2 jrpg! Would definitely recommend for fans of Mitsuda's work too.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

Megalomachia duology my beloved
(Overkill Age is by Shinji Hosoe, who gets crazy overshadowed by Yousuke Yasui, Super Reflex eclipses everything else and it's a real shame)

 

[dropsmegamega]

For today's post I bring you Osamu Sato, the creator of games such as Eastern Mind and LSD: Dream Emulator. He has always been first and foremost an artist and still makes music to this day and just as trippy. I love his works.

 

[Antilocal123]

There’s a rumor that the Composer for SMT and Fata Morgana is actually Taylor Swift, that’s a crazy side hustle!