Diggin' in the Carts - A new six-part documentary series about Japanese video-game music

Like video games? Like electronic music? Like video games AND electronic music? Then this should interest you. To coincide with Red Bull Music Academy coming to Tokyo, I interviewed one of the filmmakers behind a new documentary series that explores the connection between the two.

The series features exclusive interviews with some of the greatest composers of the genre, including Hirokazu Tanaka (Tetris), Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage) and Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy). Alongside this are contributions from some serious names in the electronic music scene: Flying Lotus, Dizzee Rascal, Just Blaze, Joker, Fatima Al Qadiri, Kode9, Havoc, J-Rocc and Ikonika – explaining how they themselves have been heavily influenced by video game music.

It premieres tomorrow. Watch the trailer and read the interview here.

  On 9/3/2014 at 3:19 PM, jar said:

It premieres tomorrow.

Yes, it looks awesome.

Check redbullmusicacademy.com tomorrow!

indeed pretty hyped

none of the guys who did castlevania 1-4? it's pretty much the best musics

  On 9/3/2014 at 6:53 PM, MisterE said:

none of the guys who did castlevania 1-4? it's pretty much the best musics

I for one was expecting a relatively high quality chronology of japanese videogame music from an energy drink company

Just watched this, actually very well made and thoroughly intriguing! Wasn't expecting as much from Red Bull of all people, but now I can't wait for the next episode.

  On 9/10/2014 at 12:38 AM, NI64 said:

Wasn't expecting as much from Red Bull of all people, but now I can't wait for the next episode.

in some ways I'd be more interested in a look at what influenced Japanese video game composers originally. Like did the makers of the Castlevania music listen to Goblin? What kind of prog and hair metal did Japanese video game composers like? Were the makers of the Contra soundtrack Iron Maiden fans? stuff like this has always interested me, but I think it's probably a given that any electronic musician over 25 was heavily influenced by videogame music from their youth. no? I have almost zero interest in hearing people like Kode9 and Flying Lotus talk about japanese video game music

  On 9/10/2014 at 12:38 AM, NI64 said:

Just watched this, actually very well made and thoroughly intriguing! Wasn't expecting as much from Red Bull of all people, but now I can't wait for the next episode.

yup. enjoyed that first episode as well. only wish they had a way i could cast it so i didn't have to watch it on the computer but oh well...

  On 9/10/2014 at 1:10 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

in some ways I'd be more interested in a look at what influenced Japanese video game composers originally. Like did the makers of the Castlevania music listen to Goblin? What kind of prog and hair metal did Japanese video game composers like? Were the makers of the Contra soundtrack Iron Maiden fans? stuff like this has always interested me, but I think it's probably a given that any electronic musician over 25 was heavily influenced by videogame music from their youth. no? I have almost zero interest in hearing people like Kode9 and Flying Lotus talk about japanese video game music

Pitch it to redbull with your resume, they might go for it. heh. nvr noe.

  On 9/10/2014 at 4:32 AM, delet... said:

 

  On 9/10/2014 at 1:10 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

in some ways I'd be more interested in a look at what influenced Japanese video game composers originally. Like did the makers of the Castlevania music listen to Goblin? What kind of prog and hair metal did Japanese video game composers like? Were the makers of the Contra soundtrack Iron Maiden fans? stuff like this has always interested me, but I think it's probably a given that any electronic musician over 25 was heavily influenced by videogame music from their youth. no? I have almost zero interest in hearing people like Kode9 and Flying Lotus talk about japanese video game music

 

Pitch it to redbull with your resume, they might go for it. heh. nvr noe.

 

Those are all excellent questions. I'm always disappointed by documentaries that interview people with more name recognition than substantive insight. I mean, I like Kode9 and Flylo but I kind of feel like I know their views on VGM based on their music. Though Kode9 is an academic, maybe he'll have more to day...

I guess I'll have more to say when I actually watch the doc.

I really am not enamoured of this trend from the last few years that spends more time interviewing celebrities on their opinion on the topic of the documentary than actually just getting on with telling the tale. They do this in all kinds of settings, from the rock and roll star eulogy, to what do you think about that bankrobber with his pants down video c list hollywooder. Producers probably think it's great though cause the celebs give their film caché and drawing power, but for me it misdirects the whole venture down a tunnel of warm and fuzzy i don't give a fuck.

  On 9/10/2014 at 1:10 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

in some ways I'd be more interested in a look at what influenced Japanese video game composers originally. Like did the makers of the Castlevania music listen to Goblin? What kind of prog and hair metal did Japanese video game composers like? Were the makers of the Contra soundtrack Iron Maiden fans? stuff like this has always interested me, but I think it's probably a given that any electronic musician over 25 was heavily influenced by videogame music from their youth. no? I have almost zero interest in hearing people like Kode9 and Flying Lotus talk about japanese video game music

http://youtu.be/MCVIn-WXMUU

(near the end for both)

i bet many of them listened to ymo, not because they're japanese, but because there are some obvious similarities. i think "technopolis" was a template for many videogame tracks

no ZUN :(

  On 9/10/2014 at 1:10 AM, John Ehrlichman said:

in some ways I'd be more interested in a look at what influenced Japanese video game composers originally. Like did the makers of the Castlevania music listen to Goblin? What kind of prog and hair metal did Japanese video game composers like? Were the makers of the Contra soundtrack Iron Maiden fans? stuff like this has always interested me, but I think it's probably a given that any electronic musician over 25 was heavily influenced by videogame music from their youth. no? I have almost zero interest in hearing people like Kode9 and Flying Lotus talk about japanese video game music

It's of minor interest only in that I think the documentary's primary or maybe secondary goal is to show how influential this kind of music is (hey look everyone from this DJ you probably never heard of, to established artists all have been influenced by this niche thing). I agree though that since the docs are 20 min episodes I would rather have the focus be on a great number of other topics related to this (i.e. specific hardware/software that was used or created for this purpose, the composer's musical background and ideas about what video game music can/should/is, the list is long).

That said one factor in all of this is that, from my somewhat limited understanding and feel free to contradict me, in Japan there is substantially more music education opportunities available to children. From mandatory music classes to high school clubs (i.e. not the American idea of a school band, which largely exists to entertain people at sporting events, but school clubs dedicated to the "study" of genres such as metal, folk, and other western musical styles in addition to traditional Japanese music), to conservatories for college students; Japan just has a generally more European attitude about the study and importance of music in society than the USA does.