The String Arcade (CD)

It has been a very long time since I've covered music of any kind on this blog. Between game reviews, and dvd reviews it just hasn't been possible for me to seek out new artists like I hoped I could. Thankfully though a certain PR contact came to the rescue recently, and brought to my attention a new CD release that incorporates two things that I'm very passionate about. These two things include both the gaming genre, and the classical music genre. The CD in question which is appropriately titled, "The String Arcade" began as a kickstarter campaign by Dren McDonald in order to support a cause he's passionate about himself. Unlike most kickstarter developers though this guy doesn't want to make a profit for himself, but instead aims to do something very noble with the money that is gained from sales. All of the funds gathered from the sale of this special CD soundtrack will go to the "Alameda Music Project" in order to get children to start participating more in the music field. If that isn't awesome I honestly don't know what is. That's why I'm here today to share the details of this CD, and hopefully get you to join in on supporting this noteworthy cause.

Yesterday evening I spent about an hour listening to the 17 tracks of the CD soundtrack, and it sounded fantastic. There were recognizable pieces from Galaga, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Portal 2, The Legend of Zelda, Altered Beast, and even Plants vs Zombies amongst others. As the title of the album suggests this classical music collection that was inspired by popular retro video game soundtracks of old utilized the talents of a select group of musicians who also wanted to contribute to Dren's cause. The talented artists involved included local musicians as well as the Boston-based "Videri String Quartet". Dren McDonald, the lead man behind the project also used his own musical talents to conduct the music he had composed himself. It definitely sounded like they poured their hearts into this classical tribute.

The CD is currently available for pre-order, and will be available in a variety of different formats on February 11th including a digital download copy from the iTunes store, and a physical CD. I for one would rather have the CD, but seeing as a lot of people are turning to the digital options you might want to go with the digital download copy. Keep in mind though that the CD comes with two extra tracks that the digital copy doesn't. The digital download of course will cost less though, and will only set you back only ($7.99). The CD version will cost $2 more ($9.99), but you have to remember that your money will be going to a good cause. Dren's charity of choice which is a k-5 tuition free after school program will be starting in September of this year (aka, Alameda Music Project).

Classic video game music reimagined in The String Arcade, now available for preorder

String quartet album releases February 11; all profits support Alameda Music Project after-school program

ALAMEDA, Calif. - January 28, 2014 - In August, Bay Area composer Dren McDonald led a successful Kickstarter campaign for The String Arcade, a recording of classic video game music reimagined for string quartet. The finished recording was distributed to backers this month and is now available for preorder to the general public from iTunes and BandCamp (see below for links). The String Arcade will officially release February 11 for digital download and CD.

About The String Arcade -- http://www.thestringarcade.com

The String Arcade is a well-curated collection of music arranged for string quartet by Dren McDonald (Ghost Recon Commander, Ravenwood Fair) and Jason Poss (Lord of the Rings film trilogy, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King). The arrangements go far beyond chamber music emulations of the original themes, with each piece creatively interpreted, embellished, and reimagined to capture emotions evoked by the games. In conceiving the project, McDonald was inspired by John Lurie's Stranger Than Paradise film soundtrack (1984), which featured a moody, string quartet score.

Besides giving gamers a new way to enjoy beloved classics, The String Arcade is also poised to inspire young musicians to pick up a violin, viola, or cello. Several tracks were specifically chosen from games popular among kids, and all album proceeds will be donated to the Alameda Music Project (http://www.alamedamusicproject.org), a tuition-free K-5 after-school program launching in September.

About The Music

The String Arcade's 15 original arrangements (plus 2 CD bonus tracks) were inspired by games from Galaga to Minecraft and performed by local musicians, with a special appearance by the Boston-based Videri String Quartet. One preview track, Plants Vs. Zombies' "Grasswalk," has been released as a free digital download: https://soundcloud.com/dren-mcdonald/plants-vs-zombies-from-the

The String Arcade spans a few decades in video game history, from stand-up arcade classics (Galaga, TRON), through the 8- and 16-bit eras (Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Ecco the Dolphin) and the golden age of 1990s adventures (Monkey Island 2, Outlaws), to more recent hits (Portal 2, Minecraft), indie favorites (FTL -- Faster Than Light, Scurvy Scallywags), and mobile/social games (graBLOX, Pettington Park, Ravenshire Castle). For a full track list, visit http://www.thestringarcade.com/#!about/c10fk.

Preorder Details

Until the album's February 11 release, The String Arcade digital download can be preordered from iTunes for $7.99, a 20% savings over the normal $9.99 price: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-string-arcade/id805763356

The CD version, which includes two bonus tracks not included with the digital download, can be preordered from BandCamp for $9.99 (regularly $11.99): http://thestringarcade.bandcamp.com