AudioPanicRoom
55 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingThe best video game music you have never heard.
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Episodes
Episode #055: Reyn Ouwehand
July 20, 2023 20:28 - 76.4 MBThis show features music by Reyn Ouwehand who started out in the Dutch C64 demo scene of the late 80s. He went on to compose a number of impressive soundtracks for games, most of which came during his short stint … Continue reading →
Episode #54: MUSE
June 23, 2023 22:40 - 73.7 MBA contribution to Masters of VGM, this episode showcases MUSE, a sound unit headed by Akira Sato which composed and arranged music for visual novels back in the 90s. Their work appeared almost exclusively on computers like the PC-98 series … Continue reading →
Episode #53: Namnam Special
December 21, 2018 14:04 - 70.1 MBFor the last show of this year, we have a selection of great game and demo tracks that touch on a wide variety of themes such as disorderly legislation, dinosaurs, Finnish polka, and the first CPC track ever to be played on the podcast. Continue reading →
Episode #52: Vox Femina
November 19, 2018 22:09 - 77.1 MBThe rumors are true, we are back with a new episode! This time, it's all about tracks with female vocals - in seven different languages, no less. Enjoy! Continue reading →
Episode #51: Streets of Rage
September 08, 2018 22:37 - 74.7 MBDuring the late 80s new genres of electronic music like house and techno were hitting the mainstream. These styles were also adopted by game composers and demo artists and became an ingredient of many soundtracks of the following decade. This podcast features a selection of tracks inspired by club music of that era arranged for contemporary FM sound hardware. Continue reading →
Episode #50: Moby
July 21, 2018 13:01 - 76.2 MBNo, not that one. Frédéric Motte aka Moby is a French composer who had his start in the Amiga demo scene and also composed a number of game soundtracks for companies like Coktel Vision, Atreid Concept, and Kalisto. This playlist features a selection of tracks from the early part of his career that draw from from a wide range of influences – from rock to funk to blues and jazz. Continue reading →
Episode #49: Adlib Noraebang
June 06, 2018 07:36 - 76.8 MBA look at the Korean music scene of the 1990s. Drawing from an eclectic mix of influences ranging from arcade soundtracks to old K-pop and anime scores, it created an impressive catalog of music for the FM chips commonly found in PC sound cards of that era. Continue reading →
Episode #48: Micro Cabin
April 19, 2018 17:05A podcast with music by developer and publisher Micro Cabin, best known for the Xak series and its various spin-offs. Many of their early releases originated on Japanese computers and featured an excellent line-up of composers like Tadahiro Nitta, Ryuji Sasai, Yasufumi Fukuda, and Yukiharu Urita who created some spectacular soundtracks, especially for the 'lesser' FM chips like OPLL and OPN. Continue reading →
Episode #47: Knick-Knack
March 19, 2018 12:04 - 73.2 MBAn episode with fantastic music covering a wide area of topics such as other-worldly champions,cat secretaries, questionable learning methods, and whatever happens in Nancy's room. Enjoy! Continue reading →
Episode #46: Thomas Detert
February 16, 2018 14:13 - 67.6 MBThomas Detert was a founding member of the demo group X-Ample that became a fairly prolific C64 game developer during the early 1990s. Most of the games he worked on were published on disk magazines and therefore tended to fly under the radar. This didn't prevent him from becoming a fairly respected composer of the late C64 years though, with a signature style that combines Galway-esque anthems and funky Maniacs of Noise grooves. Continue reading →
Episode #45: Game Arts
January 23, 2018 13:40 - 76.1 MBGame Arts is a game developer and publisher that is mostly known in the West for the RPG series Lunar and Grandia. The company had their start on Japanese computer systems of the 1980s, where they produced some classics like Silpheed or Thexder. Much of the catalog from this early period was scored by the sound team Mecano Associates. Continue reading →
Episode #44: Pan Flute Heroes
December 21, 2017 07:40 - 72.1 MBWhile often derided for its shallow trial-and-error gameplay, the release of Shadow of the Beast proved to be hugely influential in the Amiga gaming scene. It's atmospheric score, featuring a mix of pan flute, synth pad, bass, and percussion, became a popular template for many games to come, eventually creating its own sub-genre of Amiga music. Continue reading →
Episode #43: Wolf Team
November 24, 2017 19:23 - 78.8 MBWolf Team was a Japanese developer that was initially formed as subsidiary of Telenet, spent a few years as an independent studio, and was later reintegrated into Telenet again. During that time they created an incredible diverse catalog of games, featuring over 50 releases in many different genres. And while their games were often just shy of something great, they are highly regarded for their excellent music, composed by a talented sound team around Motoi Sakuraba. Continue reading →
Episode #42: Plastic Fools
October 27, 2017 21:16 - 76.8 MBIt's been a while since we had a free play show, so sit back and enjoy this 100% topic-free episode of Audio Panic Room. Continue reading →
Episode #41: Dr.Awesome
September 28, 2017 22:29 - 67.4 MBBjørn Lynne aka Dr.Awesome is a Norwegian composer who started his career as a member of the demo group Crusaders and went on to compose the soundtracks for a number of games on Amiga and PC. His style draws influences from genres like electronic prog, synth rock, and ambient, creating soundscapes that were pretty unique for that era of video games. Continue reading →
Episode #40: Funky Town
September 11, 2017 06:43 - 79.2 MBWelcome to Funky Town, the home of driving rhythms and groovy bass lines. This episode of Audio Panic Room features a selection of tracks that were all inspired by funk in its various guises. Continue reading →
Episode #39: Game Music History ~1990~
August 23, 2017 23:23 - 156 MBA double-length episode featuring game music from 1990. This was the year the SNES was released in Japan, the Amiga reached its peak in Europe, and the MT-32 became the go-to device for many PC soundtracks. The playlist is supposed to reflect the very diverse gaming market of that era and is ordered roughly by release date. Continue reading →
Episode #38: On the Swing
August 01, 2017 06:06 - 81.1 MBGet ready to channel your inner Frank Sinatra with this fine selection of tunes! In today's episode we take a trip back to the 1930s with a playlist full of Swing and Swing-inspired music. Continue reading →
Episode #37: Chemool
July 05, 2017 10:24 - 69.6 MBAn episode featuring music by Takahiro Yonemura aka Chemool. He was a founding member of the doujin circle 'Firecracker', and one of the main contributors to their series of music discs released on PC88/98 throughout the 1990s. Very proficient with both FM and MIDI hardware, he also had a fairly lengthy career in the gaming industry, composing and arranging soundtracks for publishers like Tenshindo, Giga, or TGL. Continue reading →
Episode #36: Carl Lewis Unplugged
June 18, 2017 05:26 - 68.4 MBCarl Lewis is a former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals and is one of only three Olympic athletes who won a gold medal in the same event in four consecutive Olympic Games. This is all awesome, but did he ever spend an entire afternoon listening to MDX files? Does he know who Chris Hülsbeck is, or how different revision 3 and 4 of the SID chip can sound like? Well, I don't know to be honest, but what I do know is that I wouldn't trade nine gold medals for this stuff. Co...
Episode #35: Codemasters
May 30, 2017 07:14 - 72.5 MBCodemasters were one of the UK's biggest publishers of budget games, and one of the few companies to still develop original 8-bit computer titles when most publishers had already abandoned that market in the early 90s. While most of their games originated on the ZX Spectrum, it was usually the C64 and Amiga ports that featured the most impressive soundtracks, supplied by a stellar line-up of composers like Allister Brimble, David Whittaker, Steve Barret, or Matt Gray. Continue reading →
Episode #34: Manabu Saito
May 11, 2017 21:19 - 76.2 MBManabu Saito was a Japanese musical prodigy, who started his career at System Sacom when he was just 18 years old. His music, often a blend of classical and jazz influences with a great sense of melody, were an important component of System Sacom's genre-defining Novel Ware games. During his time with the company he also composed the first Japanese soundtrack with MT-32 support, 38 Man Kilo no Kokuu, and was an early adopter of CD audio on the FM Towns. Sadly, he passed away from kidney failu...
Episode #33: Danish Delights
April 25, 2017 00:03 - 70.9 MBLike elsewhere in Europe, the late 1980s saw the rise of the Danish demo scene, a vibrant (lol) environment that created some of the most well-known computer musicians of that era. This podcast features a collection of tracks from games and demos 'made in Denmark' on various 8 and 16 bit systems. Continue reading →
Episode #32: Kunio-kun
April 02, 2017 11:00 - 73.7 MBTechnos Japan's Kunio-kun series started in 1986 with Renegade, an arcade game that was one of the precursors to the beat'em up genre. From there the franchise developed into multiple spiritual sequels and spin-offs featuring the same cast of characters, including an entire sub-series of sports games. The typical sound of the Kunio-kun games was defined by series mainstay Kazuo Sawa and is heavily influenced by Western popular music of the 50s and 60s. Continue reading →
Episode #31: Ultima
March 16, 2017 06:58 - 72.1 MBUltima is not only one of the most influential series in gaming history, the basic structure of its soundtracks with overworld, town, dungeon, and battle themes has also been the template that many RPGs since have followed. This podcast includes a selection of tracks from the entire series: from Ken Arnold's minimalist compositions for the Apple II, the more elaborate arrangements for MIDI synths, to the orchestral scores of the modern era. Continue reading →
Episode #30: Forever Minor
February 22, 2017 09:18 - 80.2 MBJust another bunch of random stuff which I have been listening to lately. And by lately, I mean for the last 30 years or so. Enjoy the show! Continue reading →
Episode #29: Stéphane Picq
February 08, 2017 01:39 - 80.3 MBThe style of French composer Stéphane Picq is one of the most unique within the world of video game music. Drawing from a wide range of influences, his soundtracks mix elements like ethnic rhythms, electronic and acoustic instruments, dysphonic vocals, industrial, techno, or trance, often even in the same track. The result is a strangely hypnotic sound that is hard to classify to any particular genre. Continue reading →
Episode #28: IDES
January 17, 2017 12:14 - 79.1 MBIDES was the parent company of labels like Cocktail Soft, Fairytale, or Red Zone and one of the most prolific publishers of visual novels during the 1990s. With musicians like Akira Sato, Yuki Nakayama, Ryu Takami, or BAKI they also had a fairly impressive line-up of composers that created a huge library of awesome FM soundtracks on Japanese computers from that era. Continue reading →
Episode #27: Chiptunes
December 18, 2016 13:12 - 86.5 MBThe term 'chiptune' was originally coined for a sub-genre of Amiga music that incorporated instruments similar to those found in the music of 8-bit computers like the C64. Popular with the demo scene, this particular style was also frequently used in game soundtracks from that era. In this podcast we look back at almost 30 years of chiptune making, from the early beginnings with SIDMon and Protracker to more recent efforts by the tracking scene. Continue reading →
Episode #26: Hiroaki Sano
December 04, 2016 05:06 - 78.9 MBHiroaki Sano spent much of his early career composing for visual novels of publishers like Discovery or Studio Twinkle. As a master of both FM synth and MIDI arrangements, his soundtracks are pretty good showcases for the stylistic diversity within the music of this genre. This podcast features a selection of tracks that he composed for the PC-9801. Continue reading →
Episode #25: CP Verlag Chronicles
November 20, 2016 11:21 - 51.5 MBIn the early 90s the C64 gaming market started to dry up as most developers had moved on to 16 bit computers and consoles. This gap was partially filled by a number of disk magazines, like those issued by German publisher CP Verlag. And while the games on these disks were usually nothing to write home about; their soundtracks, often created by people from the demo scene, were a last hurrah for game music on the C64. Continue reading →
Episode #24: Human Insects
November 07, 2016 03:07 - 75.5 MBAnother mixtape with no particular theme. This time we are hanging out with the titular human insects, swing down the highway of funk, and brave the data storm while harboring forbidden feelings for King Golli. Continue reading →
Episode #23: FM Metal
October 23, 2016 18:00 - 81.2 MBLock up your daughters, get out the air guitar, and crank the volume up to eleven! This is FM Metal, a collection of some of the finest metal tracks to ever grace FM sound chips. Continue reading →
Episode #22: Game Music History ~1989~
October 10, 2016 04:03 - 159 MBWe close out the 80's with a look at the state of game music in 1989. As usual, the playlist is ordered by release date. Continue reading →
Episode #21: Kenichi Arakawa
September 25, 2016 16:57 - 76.9 MBKenichi Arakawa is mostly known for his work on visual novels like Jewel Bem Hunter Lime or the Viper series. He got his start composing in the doujin scene, contributing music to a number of PC-88 disk mags under the alias Thomas Brown, before moving on to (mainly) work for Silence and its adult brands Sogna and C-Class. This podcast spotlights this early part of his career, featuring music composed for the FM sound chips of systems like the PC-98 and X68000. Continue reading →
Episode #20: Thalamus
September 11, 2016 08:15 - 77.9 MBThalamus was a British publisher, mostly known for their small, but fine selection of C64 releases, which included some of the most impressive games on the system. Equally impressive were their soundtracks, composed by an assortment of SID legends, like Rob Hubbard, Jeroen Tel, Martin Walker, Matt Gray, or Steve Rowlands. This podcast features a selection of some of Thalamus' best tracks on the C64 and Amiga. Continue reading →
Episode #19: Mighty Luna
August 28, 2016 20:20 - 79 MBWe're back with another un-themed selection of great tunes. An assortment of orcs, bees, evil aliens, and other delightful things is waiting for you on this edition of Audio Panic Room. Continue reading →
Episode #18: Pinball Delusions
August 14, 2016 09:26 - 81.6 MBWelcome to the wonderful world of pinball music! This episode features a fairly eclectic mix of music from real pinball machines, demo scene-influenced Amiga and DOS soundtracks, awesome hard rock from 90s-era pinball games, and (almost) anything in between. Continue reading →
Episode #17: Game Music History ~1988~
July 31, 2016 01:31 - 154 MBA look at the year 1988 in game music. The year that saw the first CD and MIDI soundtracks, arcade boards started the transition from FM to PCM, and some real classics were released on the NES. Meanwhile in Europe the C64 had reached its commercial peak in a market that was slowly being taken over by the new generation of 16-bit computers. As always, the playlist is in rough chronological order. Continue reading →
Episode #16: Ryu Umemoto
July 17, 2016 19:31 - 77.9 MBA tribute to the late Ryu Umemoto and his work on the PC-9801. In the West, he is mostly known for his contributions to various Cave arcade shooters, but in Japan his claim to fame comes from these expertly crafted FM-synth soundtracks he composed for various visual novels in the 90s. Continue reading →
Episode #15: Draconian Outlaws
July 02, 2016 08:55 - 77.4 MBWe are back with another episode featuring a diverse range of topics such as puzzle games, cowboys, haunted houses, and rampant passions. Continue reading →
Episode #14: Game Music History ~1987~
June 19, 2016 08:49 - 150 MBA look at the state of video game music in 1987. The games are roughly in chronological order according to their release dates. Continue reading →
Episode #13: Undercover
June 04, 2016 08:44 - 82.4 MBA sack full of covers, some more silly than others. First person to laugh at this gets punched in the face. Continue reading →
Episode #12: Linear Arithmetic
May 22, 2016 06:45 - 90 MBA little excursion into the wonderful world of Roland's LA synth modules. Continue reading →
Episode #11: Charles Deenen
May 06, 2016 06:37 - 68.7 MBA podcast featuring a selection of tracks from Charles Deenen's fairly diverse catalog of music. Enjoy! Continue reading →
Episode #10: Tumbling Trixie
April 24, 2016 06:26 - 76.7 MBAnother episode with no particular theme, bringing you a selection of great tracks from the vault of video game music. Continue reading →
Episode #9: Game Music History ~1986~
April 11, 2016 06:19 - 132 MBA look at some of the best game music from 1986. As with the previous episode, I tried to put the tracks in roughly chronological order. Continue reading →
Episode #8: Masahiro Kajihara
April 03, 2016 06:11 - 72.4 MBA tribute to Masahiro Kajihara, one of the most prolific composers on FM-based sound hardware. He is probably best known for his work on the Princess Maker series, but he also played an integral part in the creation of the Japanese computer music scene of the '90s as his PMD sound drivers were widely used for game soundtracks and demo music. Continue reading →
Episode #7: Come and Dance!
March 25, 2016 06:10 - 80 MBNo special theme this time, just a selection of (hopefully) good music. Continue reading →
Episode #6: Game Music History ~1985~
March 20, 2016 10:37 - 108 MB1985 was arguably one of the most important years for video game music. Most major arcade developers made the switch from PSG to FM, composers like Rob Hubbard and Martin Galway began to unlock the full potential of the SID, and soundtracks in general became more complex and varied in style and structure. Continue reading →