Video Games Live Skips Recording Companies for Album's Kickstarter
Concert series Video Games Live has started a Kickstarter campaign to produce a fourth album called Level 4, spreading the legitimacy of video game music. Having come off of a successful tour, the group is ready to work with fans to bring music from the tour to a recorded, mixed, and mastered studio album.
The group successfully raised funds on Kickstarter last year [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1916334303/video-games-live-level-3-game-composers-of-the-wor] for the previous album, Level 3. Video Games Live decided Kickstarter remained the best avenue for crowdfunding its albums.
"No record company is willing to invest a lot of money to produce a big symphonic album like this and quite frankly... I'm glad!" Tommy Tallarico, CEO, executive producer, and host of Video Games Live, said in an interview with The Escapist. "I'd much rather have our audience decide what to put on the album than some record company exec who's never played a video game!"
Two stretch goals for the project - at $300,000 and $350,000 - will allow backers to vote on one additional track per those two stretch goals. Tallarico said he hopes to include a song from Command Conquer, but he's also interested in new segments, such as Katamari Damacy, Devil May Cry, Earthbound, Phoenix Wright, Okami, or Secret of Mana.
If the project is successful, recording for the album will take place over three days in world famous recording studios with a 72-piece orchestra. Between 12 and 15 tracks will be on the album. So far, Tallarico confirmed arrangements from the following video games will be on the album: Final Fantasy VI, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Donkey Kong Country, World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, League of Legends, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Earthworm Jim, Uncharted, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed, and Cave Story.
Video Games Live's initial goal for the Level 4 album is $150,000 -- $100,000 less than what it asked to produce Level 3. Tallarico explained why Video Games Live is asking for less money for Level 4.
"We've toured a lot this year (as for the past 10 years!) so I'm able to put more of our own money into the project this year if needed," he said. "I've never taken a paycheck from Video Games Live in the 13 years since I've created it. Everything goes directly back into the project after the expenses are covered."
Video Games Live tries to tour to as many places as possible; however, it can't go to every venue. To fans who would like to see locally see Video Games Live, Tallarico suggested contacting local symphonies to bring Video Games Live there.
Video Games Live plans to release the album on February 18, 2015. An ambitious stretch goal at $750,000 would see the production of a feature-length documentary about Video Games Live.
Source: Video Games Live (Kickstarter) [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1916334303/video-games-live-level-4-lets-do-it-again]
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Video Games Live looks to fans to help produce its latest album, Level 4, without the aid of record companies. Concert series Video Games Live has started a Kickstarter campaign to produce a fourth album called Level 4, spreading the legitimacy of video game music. Having come off of a successful tour, the group is ready to work with fans to bring music from the tour to a recorded, mixed, and mastered studio album.
The group successfully raised funds on Kickstarter last year [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1916334303/video-games-live-level-3-game-composers-of-the-wor] for the previous album, Level 3. Video Games Live decided Kickstarter remained the best avenue for crowdfunding its albums.
"No record company is willing to invest a lot of money to produce a big symphonic album like this and quite frankly... I'm glad!" Tommy Tallarico, CEO, executive producer, and host of Video Games Live, said in an interview with The Escapist. "I'd much rather have our audience decide what to put on the album than some record company exec who's never played a video game!"
Two stretch goals for the project - at $300,000 and $350,000 - will allow backers to vote on one additional track per those two stretch goals. Tallarico said he hopes to include a song from Command Conquer, but he's also interested in new segments, such as Katamari Damacy, Devil May Cry, Earthbound, Phoenix Wright, Okami, or Secret of Mana.
If the project is successful, recording for the album will take place over three days in world famous recording studios with a 72-piece orchestra. Between 12 and 15 tracks will be on the album. So far, Tallarico confirmed arrangements from the following video games will be on the album: Final Fantasy VI, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Donkey Kong Country, World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, League of Legends, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Earthworm Jim, Uncharted, Resident Evil, Assassin's Creed, and Cave Story.
Video Games Live's initial goal for the Level 4 album is $150,000 -- $100,000 less than what it asked to produce Level 3. Tallarico explained why Video Games Live is asking for less money for Level 4.
"We've toured a lot this year (as for the past 10 years!) so I'm able to put more of our own money into the project this year if needed," he said. "I've never taken a paycheck from Video Games Live in the 13 years since I've created it. Everything goes directly back into the project after the expenses are covered."
Video Games Live tries to tour to as many places as possible; however, it can't go to every venue. To fans who would like to see locally see Video Games Live, Tallarico suggested contacting local symphonies to bring Video Games Live there.
Video Games Live plans to release the album on February 18, 2015. An ambitious stretch goal at $750,000 would see the production of a feature-length documentary about Video Games Live.
Source: Video Games Live (Kickstarter) [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1916334303/video-games-live-level-4-lets-do-it-again]
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