Culture
The Mandalorian Returns With a Twist on Award-Winning Composer Ludwig Göransson’s Score
When Ludwig Göransson originally designed the theme and score for the first season of The Mandalorian, he wasn’t necessarily interested in keeping it traditionally “Star Wars-like.” Of course, the veteran composer and producer loves and respects the original music, but the Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy winner was more focused on capturing the magic and nostalgia that the most famous Star Wars tracks give off rather than simply recreating “The Imperial March” or the iconic main title theme. Needless to say, Göransson’s intergalactic Western vision worked, and The Mandalorian quickly became essential viewing and listening regardless of anyone’s feelings on previous Star Wars material. Having worked with a who’s who of music, film, and TV, Göransson’s expansions and twists on the music of The Manda...
Wizard of Legend’s Soundtrack Has Been Casting a Spell on Roguelike Fans for Over Two Years
If you’re not familiar with video games, the dedication many fans have to a title like Wizard of Legend is probably a bit confusing. With a retro look and feel not unlike something you might’ve seen back in the Super Nintendo days, the magic-slinging game is a prime example of what’s known as a roguelike — a short journey through a procedurally-generated dungeon that could be completed in a few short hours, except it’ll likely take many unfamiliar gamers several days just to get through the first couple of bosses. Roguelikes are games that are made to be played numerous times (with each playthrough varying in level design and getting the adventurer a little closer to their goal), so designing a soundtrack for them means coming up with a score that captures the emotion and tension of the fi...
Dave Hause and Tessa Violet Headline Next Week on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream
This week on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream was awesome. We had a Q&A with Mayday Parade, some Mario Kart action from Paper Jackets, a full-blown listening party with pluko (whose new EP is out now), and more. But let’s not live in the past (although you can still see those sets on our Twitch for a bit before they go up on YouTube), as next week could be even better. We’ll start things on Monday with Black Satellite, carry you through the midweek with Tessa Violet, and let Dave Hause rock us into the weekend to celebrate his new release – and that’s not even all of it. It’ll be a week full of unforgettable performances and intimate moments with your favorite artists, so head to our Twitter and Instagram for more updates and reminders as the d...
Street Fighter V’s Final Season Brings New Life to the Historic Series
It’s impossible to talk about the history of video games without mentioning Street Fighter. Whether in an arcade or on a home console, Street Fighter II and every successive iteration (the original Street Fighter didn’t catch on with most of the world) has become synonymous with video games of all types. Characters like Ryu, Chun-Li, and several other members of the roster are now pop culture symbols reaching far beyond the gaming community (just ask Nicki Minaj), and the series’ influence can be felt as widely as that of The Simpsons. As we near the end of the current generation of consoles, the gaming giants at Capcom have announced that the next season of new characters and content set to roll out for Street Fighter V over the next several months will be its last. But just because ...
Eddie Van Halen Guitars, Smashed Kurt Cobain Guitar to Be Auctioned
Two of the late Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitars — his custom-designed, red-and-white-striped, stage-used 2004 EVH Charvel Art Series, and a black-and-white striped Fender Stratocaster-style headstock numbered on the back #54 — are going on the auction block. Each guitar is estimated to sell between $40,000 – $80,000 at the Icons & Idols Trilogy: Rock ‘N’ Roll annual music auction on Dec. 4 and 5, live at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills and online here. The event will span over 700 historic artifacts of every genre, including items from the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Guns N’ Roses, Little Richard, Cher, and many more. In 1991, the Charvel Art Series guitar with the red body, below, was gifted to Van Halen’s friend Bryan Cash, the o...
Mayday Parade Headlines Next Week on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream
Surprise! We’ve got a last minute addition to this week’s entertainment on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream, which is a brand new episode of Kat Calls featuring an interview with the legendary Rusko. You can catch that tomorrow at 2pm PT / 5pm ET, and head to our Twitter and Instagram for more details. Of course, we still have the doubleheader today from ONR (12pm PT) and Kulick (4pm PT), so you won’t want to miss those, and the full sets from earlier in the week are still on Twitch for a few more days before they move to YouTube. As for next week, we’re bringing in the heavy hitters with Mayday Parade on Wednesday, following hangouts with Seaway, Mario Kart, and much more. Plus, we’ll be celebrating pluko’s official partnership with Twitch and brand new tra...
Carrion Lets Gamers Be the Monster This Halloween, Thanks to Legendary Composer Cris Velasco’s Score
With Halloween around the corner, there’s no shortage of monster-themed video games to dive into for the spookiest time of the year. But the games where you get to actually be the monster are far harder to come by. Sure, the asymmetric survival horror genre has become popular for multiplayer titles — allowing one gamer to play as an array of iconic villains while the others try to survive and escape — but there’s really only one title where you can jump into the shoes of an overpowered rampaging monster and clear out security guards, scientists, and anyone else who stands in your way: Carrion. Of course, a reverse horror game in which the amorphous tentacled murderer is actually the protagonist is going to require a slightly different development and creation approach than most other title...
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Modernizes a Multiplayer Classic
When Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles launched on the GameCube in 2003, it was seen as a pretty significant departure from the main Final Fantasy series. In addition to being a Nintendo exclusive, the title kept little from its brethren aside from the very basics laid out within the Final Fantasy universe (magic, dungeons, etc.) and put an emphasis on multiplayer rather than one person controlling the entire party. It also picked up a number of awards and nominations and launched a handful of sequels and spinoffs while developing a devoted following outside of the more mainstream series. This summer, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition was announced and released, meaning that modern gamers would finally get a taste on the innovation they may have missed 17 years ago. Althou...
New Releases and Concerts Come to SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream Next Week
If you missed the excitement this week on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream, you can thankfully still watch the sets from Prema777, Ghost Liotta, Tatiana Demaria and more on Twitch for a few more days before they move to YouTube. Don’t worry about our lack of Friday plans though (thanks, COVID cancelations), as we’ll be back on Monday for a full week of brand new livestreams. Not only will there be live sets from GILT, John-Robert, ONR, and Charming Liars, but we’ll also have an exclusive showcase from Pop Can Records and a premiere from the one and only Kulick. Life is uncertain and things are always changing, so keep an eye on Twitter and Instagram for any information on date swaps or surprise guests. Oh, and don’t be shy about helping us keep the Twitch stream’...
Los Blenders, Mario Kart, and More Come to SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream Next Week
This week has already been a banger, and we’ve still got some time with Running Touch later today on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream. That comes after we’ve already seen some sweet sets from the likes of Kelsy Karter, Dot Cromwell, LUNA AURA, and more — all of which you can still catch on Twitch for a bit longer before they move to YouTube. We’re not taking our foot off the gas pedal next week though, as we kick things off with a dual set from Prema777 and iNTeLL (who also happens to be second-generation Wu-Tang Clan). From there, we’ll jump to electronic supergroup Ghost Liotta, our Mexico City favorites in Los Blenders, and a little Mario Kart action from the Paper Jackets crew. You’ll definitely want to stay in touch with us via both Twitter a...
Square Enix Reveal New Track From Pulse: FINAL FANTASY XIV Remix Album Ahead of Release
For those who can’t wait until tomorrow to hear some more remixed tunes from Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix has given SPIN access to “‘Neath Dark Waters” a few hours early. Pulse: FINAL FANTASY XIV Remix Album features 14 of the game’s top tracks, all remixed and reimagined in ways as they’ve never been heard before. Considering that the original soundtrack was popular enough to spawn a concert series and significant fanfare, it’s no surprise that the physical pre-orders have long since sold out (although more are coming in a few weeks for those who want to be added to a waiting list). For the digital crowd, the album will also be available on all major streaming platforms at midnight local time. In the meantime, check out this exclusive reveal of “‘Neath Dark Waters” a...
Kelsy Karter and More Headline SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream Next Week
It’s Friday and we’re hitting you with a double shot of streaming today courtesy of the Swedish rockers in Solence and a live celebration with LUVK and VenessaMichaels on SPIN’s Untitled Twitch Stream. We’ve also already seen electrifying sets from the Foxies, Akinyemi, Irontom, and the Happy Fits (all of which are still on Twitch for another week or so before they move to our YouTube page). Since we like to look toward the future, we’re already going to let you know what we’ve got in store for next week. Lumer and Skofee will kick things off on Monday and Tuesday, and then Kelsy Karter will take over the stream live on Wednesday ahead of the release of her latest album, Missing Person, on Friday. Thursday evening will be a very special production from Luna Aura, a...
