tommytallarico

posts about #tommytallarico more →
Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
Chrono Trigger, Shenmue, Mega Man, and More Coming To VGL
Video Games Live CD Coming October 15th
Video Games Live Releasing DVD, CD
Video Games Live Orchestrates Special Blizzard Concert Events
Advent Rising Remembered

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erthos
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
I'll kick the shit out of whoever calls him a deuche.
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Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.
03/27/09

@erthos:E-TTTTTHUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGING.
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Foxstar is in love with Kotaku's two Brians.
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
He was a raging asshat back when he did the music for Skeleton Warriors for Saturn and rambling on and on about how bad ass he was and he has only refined his asshat skills.
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Omnimon
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
Tommy Tallarico makes VGL what it is, and when we went in summer of '08 here in Austin, it was awesome.

Seems like a really nice, high-energy guy. Doesn't have a bad blood line to be in this whole music gig, either. :)
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AnthonM2
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
Western musicians don't deserve to win anything, but as usual we can't do anything, we are forced to see them win and just sit there and watch, they were good in the C64 and Amgia days but now they are awful.
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Omnimon
03/27/09

@AnthonM2: "Western musicians don't deserve to win anything"

Wow. Nothing like taking a back-handed slap at a whole region of people. You and Miley Cyrus would get along great!

Now, back to those Western musicians that you have so much in common with...
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Avonej
03/27/09

@Omnimon: I would kind agree with AnthonM2, but I would redefine that to "most modern American video game musicians". Good Japanese video game soundtracks seem to have very emotionally charged songs. Good European video game soundtracks have very quirky songs. Both are styles that I don't expect to find in any other medium. American video game soundtracks, on the other hand, seem to draw purely on movie soundtracks. Most "good" modern American video game soundtracks I've heard sound exactly the same: an orchestra plays an "epic" piece, and singers join in when it gets to the intense pieces of the song. Tallarico deserves an award as an organizer; through Video Games Live, he helped bring video game music to concerts. While the concerts definitely have room for improvement, they have the potential to become very good, and Tallarico helped (and still helps) run these concerts. However as a musician, Tallarico doesn't seem to have done anything significant these past few years.
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Omnimon
03/27/09

@Avonej: Actually, you really don't agree with AnthomM2. Saying you hear general consistencies within music produced in regions is not the same as "they should all starve because they don't deserve to make a living or walk on the same planet as me."

Even if I 100% agree with your total and utter generalization of a medium and lack of recognition of people as individuals, it's just a matter of your opinion. You like emotionally charged songs, you like quirky songs, but epic orchestral pieces with singing (which might be emotional and/or quirky) are 'not good music'.

I don't support any stance on something as subjective as music that generalizes based upon some irrelevant basis (geography in this case) and dismisses a group of people.

That being said, Tallarico deserved the award that he was given, the Ambassador Award.
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thedap
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
Advent Rising was a very good game, but like most games you have to look past the flaws. Whoever this girl is, she should quit from this industry.
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aw3str1k3r
03/27/09

@thedap: You just told a Kotaku employee to quit.
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TheCakeisaHalfTruth
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
Tommy always comes off as such a douchebag to me in every interview/show, etc. I have to give credit to his work, but man... show a little humility once in awhile.
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Adam Barenblat
03/27/09

@TheCakeisaHalfTruth: He's actually a really nice down to earth guy. I didn't get any douche vibes from him at all.
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aw3str1k3r
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
Ah, I love Tommy. He does love what he does.

I'm still unhappy that G4 cut Judgment Day though. I thought that the reviews were a bit more fair than X-Play's, but alas... (still respect the Sessler though)

And congrats Tommy, you're taller.
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Grisaille: Flip it, Ninja!
03/27/09

In reply to Game Composer Tommy Tallarico Talks Music, Disease
You know, waaaaaay back when in G4s history, Tommy would actually visit the forums.

He actually responded to me - it was like some crazy meta experience, having someone on TV actually refer to you.

No, I wasn't star-struck, it was just pretty awesome of the guy to have a legitimate interest in the community he' in.
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BubbleF**kingBuddy
03/27/09

@Grisaille: Turkey Smackin Those That Say |First|: I always liked Tommy. He's like one of the guys.
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Andronix
03/27/09

@Grisaille: Turkey Smackin Those That Say |First|:

Mr Tallarico is a down to Earth guy, friendly and into the games! The Video Games Live concerts are a fantastic celebration of the video game genre and I loved seeing the show in London. Seeing Tony doing his guitar solo really did bring back memories of Martin McFly playing at the Hill Valley concert.
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Kobun
03/27/09

@Andronix: I liked him well enough until an NPR interview he gave regarding his VGL concerts seemed to trash old video game music. I don't hate the guy or anything for it, but to dismiss everything prior to CD media seems silly especially given how much he contributed to great PCM audio.
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Omnimon
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
Then maybe Minnesotans need to buy some more tickets to his events? :p In Austin they scheduled a THIRD VGL appearance for this tour due to the first two selling out the first time through earlier in 2008.
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MM1
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
When you consider the overall budgets for next-gen titles these days, $240,000 on the high end for an integral part of the puzzle is cheap. It sounds like a lot, but for what goes into the entire process and the amount of time actually spent working on the project, it's more than reasonable and appropriate for the industry being worked in. $1000/minute is pretty standard across film, game and television mediums. Obviously, some of the stuff you hear on HGTV, TLC, Discovery and the like is a bit different.
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Omnimon
01/14/09

@MM1: I'm sure that this is $2,000 per minute for only the composer and his composition, not for the actual instruments and people that play them, studio time, etc.
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dunetiger - he's up on the effin' roof!
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
Wow, someone brilliant needs to undercut everyone else and set the bar a little lower. That's just ridiculous.
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d_r_e
01/14/09

@dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pleased:

I'll take $100 a minute!
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Numanoid: Derpatron
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
Is this why Twilight Princess' was all in MIDI?

(Yes, I'm still bitter -_-)
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d_r_e
01/14/09

@Numanoid:

You still have to compose that music.
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ShaggE wants to join the Egg Council.
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
Shit, I could do that. Allow me to present a piece I like to call "Single Chord Repetition (In G)".

I'll take my monies now.
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Witherbucket
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
I would like to know how much Kow Otani got for Shadow of the Colossus because whatever it was it should be more. That definitely ranks up there as one of the best scores I've ever heard and the only one I bought on CD.

The Katamari scores are pretty close, but that might be a different scenario.
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Bialia
01/14/09

@Witherbucket: Shadow of the Colossus really had brilliant, stirring music. I agree, worth every penny and then some.

Brilliant music can help edge an already brilliant game into unforgettable territory. Katamari is another great example.

I shelled out for the Japanese import of the Chrono Trigger soundtrack back in the 90s. Still have it to this day. It really opened my eyes to just how brilliant video game music can be.
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Antiterra
01/14/09

@Witherbucket: SOTC has easily one of the best original soundtracks I've heard (notice I didn't say "for a videogame" - it's just that good). Games that rely so heavily on mood and atmosphere cannot work without a suitable accompanying soundtrack.

I thought Mass Effect had some fantastic music, too. The entire last segment of the game (from Ilos onwards) is driven by one beautiful piece after the other. From The Wreckage in particular was just perfect for that wonderful, post-final-boss scene.

And, of course, every Silent Hill game has an amazing soundtrack. Love Yamaoka's music, love Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's voice (from SH3 on).
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d_r_e
01/14/09

@Antiterra:

Yeah, Mass Effect had a wonderful soundtrack. And of course, Akira Yamaoka is the man!
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KuromanKuro Live and PSN
01/14/09

@Witherbucket: Katamari is quite different. The soundtrack of Katamari Damacy was composed of songs written by writers and performed by singers who were popular in the 80's in Japan. I'm pretty sure they aren't demanding as high of fees as say... Gackt or L'arc en ciel... Actually, where's the Rock Band download for those artists? That's what I want.
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Bialia
01/14/09

@KuromanKuro Live and PSN: That's a niche thing, but a solid one. Guaranteed downloads for those. They really oughta think seriously about making some J-rock available.
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Ra is on Sons of Anarchy
01/14/09

In reply to You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield
Suddenly I feel that video game music is my calling in life.
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djgeki
01/14/09

@Ra is on Bones: I've been trying to get a game composer job for 7 years now...it's not easy to break in, but if you've got a modicum of talent, then do your best to make it by any means!
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d_r_e
01/14/09

@djgeki:

I've been trying get a job composing a game for the last 3 years or so. It always seems like there's no job postings for a composer, or a music director.

*sigh*
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