Win the WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE Soundtrack!

So you say you are a fan of our site?  Prove it...and win!

You can win one of the best video game soundtracks of 2011, WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE by composers Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco!  All you have to do is become Tracksounds' TRUE FAN OF THE MONTH!  Be the fan with the most points at the end of October and that will earn you the title of True Fan of the Month!

Here's how:

Visit the official site for more details


-------------------------------------------------


More on the Space Marine Soundtrack


SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS RELEASES
WARHAMMER® 40,000®: SPACE MARINE®
THE SOUNDTRACK

Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Score Composed by
Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco

New York - September 15th, 2011 - Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc. proudly presents Warhammer® 40,000®: Space Marine® - The Soundtrack featuring the original music score from Relic EntertainmentTM's critically acclaimed 3rd person action/shooter published by THQ Inc. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - The Soundtrack is scheduled for release on September 20th, 2011 to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and for digital download at www.sumthingdigital.com, Amazon MP3, iTunes® and other digital music sites.

In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine you are Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, humanity's last hope for survival in a war-ridden future. Step into the armor of this superhuman warrior and use a lethal combination of deadly weapons to crush overwhelming alien forces. Fight against the savage Orks and the unholy forces of Chaos in a brutally violent world based on one of the most popular science fiction fantasies.

Inspired by the stunning cinematic visuals and visceral gameplay of Space Marine, the renowned duo of composers Sascha Dikiciyan (TRON: Evolution) and Cris Velasco (God of War Series) crafted an expansive emotional score featuring anthemic orchestral compositions and contemporary Hollywood music production, reflecting the epic scale of this rich, sci-fi fantasy.

Sascha Dikiciyan and Chris Velasco's WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE Soundtrack

SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS RELEASES 

WARHAMMER® 40,000®: SPACE MARINE®

THE SOUNDTRACK

Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Score Composed by

Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco

New York - September 15th, 2011 - Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc. proudly presents Warhammer® 40,000®: Space Marine® - The Soundtrack featuring the original music score from Relic EntertainmentTM's critically acclaimed 3rd person action/shooter published by THQ Inc. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - The Soundtrack is scheduled for release on September 20th, 2011 to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and for digital download at www.sumthingdigital.com, Amazon MP3, iTunes® and other digital music sites.

In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine you are Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, humanity's last hope for survival in a war-ridden future. Step into the armor of this superhuman warrior and use a lethal combination of deadly weapons to crush overwhelming alien forces. Fight against the savage Orks and the unholy forces of Chaos in a brutally violent world based on one of the most popular science fiction fantasies.

Inspired by the stunning cinematic visuals and visceral gameplay of Space Marine, the renowned duo of composers Sascha Dikiciyan (TRON: Evolution) and Cris Velasco (God of War Series) crafted an expansive emotional score featuring anthemic orchestral compositions and contemporary Hollywood music production, reflecting the epic scale of this rich, sci-fi fantasy.

Set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe created by Games Workshop®, Space Marine is now available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. For more information please visit http://www.spacemarine.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.

SoundCast Interview: Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco (Mass Effect Arrival)

Interview:  Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco (Mass Effect Arrival)
Recorded April 8, 2011
Published April 15, 2011

Two composers...two interviewers...The SoundCast reaches critical mass! Composing-duo Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco talk with Christopher and Marius about some of the their recent projects including:  TRON EVOLUTION, MORTAL KOMBAT, and MASS EFFECT ARRIVAL.

Episode Highlights

00:37 — Introduction
02:45 — Collaboration and proximity
07:33 — Tron Evolution
18:30 — The new Mortal Kombat
27:40 — Mass Effect Arrival
41:05 — Inconspicuous Tweets and Conclusion

Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 — "The Mass Relay (Mass Effect Arrival) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
06:50 — "The Tron Codex" (Tron Evolution) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
16:43 — "Enter the Grid" (Tron Evolution) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
26:35 — "The Begining of the End" (Mass Effect Arrival) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
28:38 — "Mission Kenson" (Mass Effect Arrival) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
31:41 — "Captured" (Mass Effect Arrival) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
38:32 — "Base Escape" (Mass Effect Arrival) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco
46:30 — "Base Escape 2" (Mass Effect Arrival) by Sascha Dikiciyan/ Cris Velasco

Download the episode here

Subscribe and more info here

Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan Score Mass Effect: Arrival (DLC)

BIOWARE™ HIRES COMPOSING TEAM TO CREATE THE “ARRIVAL” SOUND

Original Mass Effect 2 DLC Soundtrack Features the Work of Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco

Los Angeles, CA – March 28th, 2011 – The game industry’s top composing team, Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan, have created an original hybrid-orchestral score for the biggest Mass Effect™ DLC yet, titled “Arrival.”

Known for their unique ability to merge orchestra with heavy electronics, Velasco and Dikiciyan created an epic score influenced by the likes of Vangelis and Tangerine Dream. “We wanted to pay homage to the great 80s sci-fi -sound of the first score while moving the music forward, delivering a sound that matched the cinematic quality of the game,” says Velasco. “Sascha and Cris perfectly nailed the retro-futurism style that has become a key part of the Mass Effect franchise,” says Rob Blake, Audio Lead for Mass Effect 2.

In “Arrival,” the final DLC, Shepard will travel to the edge of the galaxy, rescue an undercover agent and discover the truth about the Arrival. Admiral Hackett, a favorite of the series, will be playing a prominent role in the new mission. This exciting final mission will act as the bridge for the new upcoming game.

“Arrival” will be available on March 29 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. For more information,
visit http://masseffect.bioware.com/

Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan are two of the most in-demand composers in the video game industry today, having scored more than 30 AAA game scores. Their unique fusion of cutting-edge electronica and cinematic orchestra have garnered critical acclaim for versatility and fearlessness of pushing the boundaries of music – whether it’s composing an elegant string arrangement, dramatic orchestral score, hard-hitting rock tracks, or raw electronic beats.

For more information, please visit www.sonicmayhem.com or www.monarchaudio.com.

Soundcast Interview: Cris Velasco and Mike Reagan (Darksiders)

Interview: Cris Velasco and Mike Reagan (Darksiders)

Recorded January 8, 2009
Published February 2, 2010


Episode Highlights

00:27 - Introduction and Welcome
02:25 - How did you come be involved with Darksiders?
04:27 - How does your gameplan change when you come into a situation where previous music exists?
07:20 - Replacing scores in the game industry.
09:33 - What made you both say "Yes" to this project?
16:20 - The lyrics and language.
18:10 - Are there any musical surprises?
21:44 - Comparing work on God of War and Darksiders.
27:30 - Have you heard about the film-adaptation talk?
28:22 - Working with Sascha Dikiciyan versus with Mike Reagan.

Music Clips (Select music clips contained in this podcast)

00:00 - Main Theme (Darksiders) by Cris Velasco and Mike Reagan
08:44 - Final Days (Darksiders) by Mike Reagan
15:30 - Main Theme (Darksiders) by Cris Velasco and Mike Reagan
21:10 - Duel with Ares (God of War) by Cris Velasco and Mike Reagan
29:45 - Last Judgement (Darksiders) by Cris Velasco

Download the interview here

Subscribe and more info here

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Video Game) - Making the Music

While you may have been diggin' on our first High Score! Interview with composers Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco regarding their work for the video game, PROTOTYPE, they have also been knocking out the video-game-tie-in for G.I. JOE: RISE OF COBRA. Once again, the two have composed in parallel to a film scored by Alan Silvestri (Beowulf and Beowulf: The Game) and once again, it sounds like they've done an admirable job. In the video below, you'll get to hear a nice slice of the score, from both Dikiciyan and Velasco, conductor Tim Davies and audio director, J.P. Walton.

Gametime 2009 - Interview with Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco (Prototype)

Well, it's GAMETIME once again here at Tracksounds! Once a year, we like to get our game (music) on around these parts...and we like to bring you along for the ride. This "new era" of video game music continues to provide, not only gamers, but many traditional fans of film music, with hours of experiential music to feast upon. Video game titles are getting at least as much attention as major feature films these days. People are hunting for every tidbit of information they can scrounge up on their favorite game franchise. We are waiting for hours in line to be among the first to dive into a new gaming world or back into a world we have devoted countless hours to already. The world's love-affair with video games continues to grow and in the answering of such great demand, comes a lot of exciting music that should not be overlooked. High Score! exists to put the spotlight on some of this great music.

To launch things, we have a great podcast interview with composers Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco who share about their most recent collaborative work for the video game, PROTOTYPE.

Check the interview and full feature here

Tracksounds is Twitcasting...err Twitcamming?

Livestream (a great company with a great webcasting product) just released TWITCAM today. It's a very interesting idea and simple way to do a video webcast via your twitter account.

As a bit of a test, I did about 30 minutes worth of "twitcasting" today...just to see how it all works. To keep it from being just me staring blankly into the webcam, I decided to give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of me editing an upcoming interview. Ooooo! I know.

Now, before you finish your *yawn*, you do get to hear a few significant segments of the interview with SASCHA DIKICIYAN and CRIS VELASCO on their recent project PROTOTYPE. Not only that, but you get to hear a few bits of the score itself. I also talk a little bit about why our High Score update has been delayed so long.

Anyway...check out our first Twitcast...and if you start twitcasting be sure to let us know. We'll watch.

You can find our Twitcast page here, but whenever we do cast...it will be auto-tweeted so just follow us to be notified of our next cast!

Let me know what you think about the twistcast.

Interview with Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco - Beowulf: The Game

Just prior to the release of the BEOWULF the film and the Ubisoft video game tie-in, Tracksounds was able to fire off a few questions to one of the most prolific scoring duos of the game world. Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco talk about their work on BEOWULF: THE GAME, influence from Alan Silvestri's score, recording at Skywalker Sound, meeting George Lucas, and their careers beyond the genre of game music.

Read the full interview here

Beowulf: The Game Soundtrack by Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan

Between, ASSASSIN'S CREED, CALL OF DUTY 4, HALO 3, CRYSIS, and LOONEY TUNES: ACME ARSENAL (ok...that last one is a pure guilty pleasure of mine) ...between all of these recent and upcoming releases, will people have time and money for any more gaming?

I'm not sure, but if Robert Zemecki's upcoming animated, feature film, BEOWULF is half as good as its various trailers, then, BEOWULF: THE GAME should have a good chance of making a dent in this season already jam-packed with excellent games.

Regardless of how good the game is, one thing is for sure, the stops were pulled out again for the game's score. Composers CRIS VELASCO and SASCHA DIKICIYAN wrote a powerful orchestral score, contracted some of the San Francisco Bay Area's best musicians and recorded at the famed Skywalker Sound studios!

Don't miss the 3 SAMPLE TRACKS from the score HERE!

Below is the official press release.

SAN FRANCISCO - November 8, 2007

Today, Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that top video game composers Sascha Dikiciyan and Cris Velasco have created an original orchestral music score for Beowulf™, the new action combat video game based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's upcoming feature film Beowulf™. The Beowulf™ video game is scheduled for worldwide release in conjunction with the movie's opening in November 2007.


Created by the industry’s most in-demand composer team in Dikiciyan and Velasco, the Beowulf™ video game score is an epic musical journey featuring anthemic choral/orchestral compositions and bombastic action cues driven by heavy brass and thunderous percussion. The grand orchestral score was recorded with many of San Francisco’s best symphony musicians at the world famous Skywalker Sound studios.

"The biggest challenge we had for Beowulf’s soundtrack was that the music not only had to support and enhance the game’s actions, but it also had to follow the evolution of Beowulf universe; starting as a very heavy middle age Barbarian music and ending as a modern and powerful Hollywood score,” stated Manu Bachet, Music Supervisor at Ubisoft. “Within a very aggressive schedule, Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan managed to compose the most refined barbarian soundtrack ever heard on this side of the Danes kingdom."

"Working with Ubisoft on Beowulf reminds me of why I love being a game composer; it was an amazing experience from start to finish,” said Cris Velasco. “We began by meeting with all the creative teams from around the world to review the incredible visuals and game play that we would use as inspiration for the music. The score was recorded using top players and singers from the San Francisco area, and over the course of two days we had a great time both working in the studio and hanging out at the Skywalker Ranch."

The Beowulf™ video game takes players deep into Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis’ vision of the classic saga, Beowulf. Gamers live the life of Beowulf, the legendary Norse warrior with the strength of 30 men who is torn between the nobility and brutality within him. Arrogant, self-serving, and lustful for gold and glory, Beowulf will journey to Denmark to destroy a bloodthirsty beast wreaking havoc on a frigid land. But evil persists, and Beowulf succumbs to its lure of even greater fame, quietly maneuvering to claim the Danish throne. As King, Beowulf must face the consequences of ambition, even as war descends on the realm. As Beowulf, players lead their men, called Thanes, into battle, slay the Titans of a dying age, and crush the enemies that threaten to annihilate both their kingdom and people. Only then, when Beowulf looks Destiny in the eye, will he know what kind of hero he has truly become.

For more information on the Beowulf™ video game, please visit http://www.beowulfgame.com/

For more information on the movie, visit the official site at
http://www.beowulfmovie.com/.