Nerd Music Meltdown: Recent Episodes
Kent Ward
The Nerd Music Meltdown features interviews with the top acts and personalities in video game music, nerdcore, chiptune, and geek rock. Host extraordinaire Kent Ward picks the minds of these fine guests and plays some great tunes to bring you into the magical world of nerd music.
Presented by Ongaku Overdrive.
On November 14th, Marc with a C has a new album coming out, appropriately titled Steamed Hams. Definitely a great time to have Marc on the Nerd Music Meltdown one final time.
We not only talk about the new album, but also the importance of Pride Month, the end of The Geek Easy, focusing on family, the homogenization of "nerd media," and Marc's documentary. Even some anime talk!
You can preorder Steamed Hams at marcwithac.bandcamp.com. You can also follow Marc with a C at linktr.ee/marcwithac. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
A whole lot has changed behind the scenes over the last year at video game music netlabel and community GameGrooves. To get us up to speed on the new era of GameGrooves, Kent has Ro Panuganti, Ian Martyn, and Drew Gibson on to talk all about it. They are cookin! We discuss the leadership changes, community involvement on their Discord, what goes into planning their compilation albums, the Nintendo Music App and licensing, their upcoming "Summer of Sony" and Persona and Chrono Trigger albums. It's a whopper episode, and you can see what GameGrooves is up to at gamegrooves.com. Follow Ro Panuganti at linktr.ee/RoPanu. Follow Ian Martyn at linktr.ee/IanMartyn. Follow Drew Gibson at linktr.ee/drewbertisms. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Find out more about this Sunday' Virtua Ongaku Pride Charity Show at ongakuoverdrive.com/vopride. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Justin Taylor and Adam Payne of Final Fantasy metal band Knight of the Round are on the Meltdown to talk about their upcoming album Refractions, dropping on April 25th. Pre-order Refractions: knightoftheround.bandcamp.com/album/refractions Knight of the Round at Warriors of Light II: youtu.be/uJXNToRJws4 Kent and KOTR also discuss the evolution of the Final Fantasy games, Ergheiz, Power Stone, and their upcoming shows in Atlanta, Chicago, and Nashville. Follow Knight of the Round at knightoftheround.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
This year, Bonus Stage is turning TEN and we have founder Josh Pendlebury on to talk all about it! We also talk about Bonus Stage's transition from virtual to live events, Bonus Stage Ultimate in Vancouver this November, the upcoming VGMCon, the new generation of VGM acts, and touring with video game composer Danny Baranowsky and working on Crypt/Rift of the NecroDancer. You can follow Bonus Stage at bonusstage.ca and twitch.tv/bonusstagevan. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Super MAGFest brought us a lot of great music and games, and created some incredible memories we won't forget. To reflect on the weekend, Mr. Ongaku has brought on Ro Panuganti, Alyssa Kalugdan, and Klinkit from Zeldathon to share their favorite moments of the epic MAG weekend. But that's not all! Ongaku Overdrive and Zeldathon are teaming up with the VGM community on Sunday, February 16th to raise money for LA Wildfire Relief with Fairy Fountain: Hearts for LA. Find out more at ongakuoverdrive.com/fairyfountain. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's been a while since the last episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown podcast. A lot has happened in the life of Mr. Ongaku himself, and Kent Ward explains it all.
Lots of talk about Kent's return to game development, Super MAGFest this week, and what to expect from both Ongaku Overdrive and the Nerd Music Meltdown in 2025. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
We're all taking off for the Sunshine Resort at VGM Con! Taking place April 19th-22nd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, VGM Con celebrate video games and music with live performance, panels, and more!
We have Vaughn Rowles of VGM Con and The Bards Quartet along with Theology to talk about the VGM Con experience, what performers and events to look out for, and more. They will even be streaming the Warp Stage schedule on twitch.tv/vgmcon. Find out more about VGM Con at vgmcon.org. Follow Theology at linktr.ee/theologymusic. Fallow Vaughn's band, The Bards Quartet, at twitter.com/bardsquartet.
Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
We have video game and animation composer, musician, and audio producer Mason Lieberman on Nerd Music Meltdown! His credits include PUBG Mobile, One Piece, Made in Abyss, Soundfall, Apex Legends Mobile, RWBY, and more.
We talk about his start through Rooster Teeth and their shutdown, how VGM musicians can break into the game industry, GDC, how he manages his crazy schedule, and his video game band Tournament Arc. They just released their self-titled debut album and performed at Super MAGFest. You can follow Mason Lieberman at masonlieberman.com and twitter.com/MasonLieberman. Check out Tournament Arc at tournamentarc.bandcamp.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
SXSW is coming up in Austin, Texas this March and nerdcore will be repped very hard during the festivities with the official SXSW Nerdcore Showcase on March 16th, as well as the Nerdcore Dayz festival March 13th to 15th. We have Shubzilla, Bill Beats, and DJ R.O.C.K.M.A.N. to break it all down and why these events are significant in our community. Some folks like Billy Mitchell also get dragged and we discuss why rapping over vocals is BAD. Follow Shubzilla at linktr.ee/shubzilla. Follow Bill Beats at linktr.ee/billbeats. Follow DJ R.O.C.K.M.A.N. and Nerdcore Dayz at linktr.ee/nerdcoredayz Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Super MAGFest Prime was 4+ days straight of video games, music, partying, and friends. Kent actually worked for the event and has MAGFest performers Stemage (Metroid Metal), Katy Scary (Klaymore), and Jimmy Granger (Abandon Quest) on to talk about the weekend, favorite moments, getting dance pads and a Mother Brain robot on stage, and more. We also talk about what we want to see at MAGFest next year and what's good for 2024! Follow Stemage at stemagemusic.com and his band Metroid Metal at metroidmetal.bandcamp.com. Follow Katy Scary at linktr.ee/katyscary and her band Klaymore at klaymore.bandcamp.com. Follow Jimmy's band Abandon Quest at youtube.com/@AbandonQuest.
Learn more about MAGFest at magfest.org and follow them on youtube.com/magfest. Kent Ward runs Ongaku Overdrive and you can follow them on linktr.ee/ongakuoverdrive and visit ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also follow Kent at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive! "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Happy 2024! We are kicking off the year strong. Super MAGFest 2024 is NEXT WEEK. There are a lot of new acts performing on main stage for the first time, including 88bit and Dom Palombi.
We have both on to talk about their road to MAGFest, what they have planned for the weekend, how they have kept success on Twitch, Dom Palombi's upcoming album, and everyone's plans for 2024.
Follow 88bit at linkpop.com/88bit and twitch.tv/robkovacs. Follow Dom Palombi at bio.link/dompalombimusic and twitch.tv/DomPalombiMusic. You can learn more about MAGFest at magfest.org and see the main stage concerts at twitch.tv/magfest_concerts.
Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Get tickets to Mega Ran's "Black Materia Live" at Conduit in Winter Park, FL on January 25th at https://ongakuoverdrive.com/blackmateria "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Last episode of the year! GameGrooves has been cookin' in 2023 and have even more to look forward to in 2024. We have the found of GameGrooves, Allen Brasch, on to talk about how GameGrooves operates these days and the challeneges of running a video game music netlabel. Also, what are we doing at Super MAGFest 2024? Find out all that and more! You can follow Game Grooves at gamegrooves.com and gamegrooves.bandcamp.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Get tickets to Mega Ran's "Black Materia Live" at Conduit in Winter Park, FL on January 25th at https://ongakuoverdrive.com/blackmateria "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Mahn and Carrie Wood have formed a new symphonic metal band with Masikus called Premium Vintage. (That's a Hades reference.) They just released their debut album, The Symphony of Hades. And we talk all about that, favorite parts of Hades, the upcoming sequel, possible future projects, Sega Saturn, and the upcoming Super MAGFest. Follow Mahn at https://linktr.ee/mahnplaysmusic. Follow Carrie Wood at https://twitter.com/supitscarrie. You can check out Symphony of Hades at https://songwhip.com/premiumvintage/the-symphony-of-hades. Get tickets to Mega Ran's "Black Materia Live" at Conduit on January 25th at https://ongakuoverdrive.com/blackmateria Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The lads are back on Nerd Music Meltdown to melt your faces off! Lame Genie has been tearing it up at conventions and retro game expos all over the country, dominated YouTube, and dropped a bunch of music and still crank out weekly videos!
We talk about what Lame Genie has been up to, their song selection technology for live shows, the Street Fighter 6 OST, Turtles in Time on vinyl, car accidents, and more! Lame Genie will be back in the Sunshine State for Free Play Florida, taking place November 17th to 19th at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, FL.
Follow Lame Genie at lamegenie.com and youtube.com/@LameGenie. You can get tickets to teh Free Play Florida Afterparty at freeplayflorida.com.
The Keytar Kween Lacey Johnson just played at TwitchCon and now she is back in Orlando this weekend for the OngakuVania II. We talk about that, favorite spooky games, fighting games, playing all over the place, and managing an intense schedule of releasing music, YouTube videos, performing, and even teaching music! How does she do it?
OngakuVania II Halloween Party is October 29th at Conduit in Winter Park, FL. Get tickets at ongakuoverdrive.com.
Check out Lacey Johnson at youtube.com/laceyjohnsonmusic and laceyjohnsonmusic.bandcamp.com.
Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support also our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Back on the show is VGM prog rocker Big Ro Panuganti! His new album "SitarCraft" drops October 20th and will have a heavy amount of Indian music influence. We discuss the album, Indian culture and music in video games, being married to another video game musician, Legend of Zelda, playing more live shows this year, and more. You can preorder SitarCraft at ropanuganti.bandcamp.com/album/sitarcraft Get tickets to OngakuVania II in Orlando on October 29t at ongakuoverdrive.com/ongakuvania Check out Ro Panuganti at ropanu.com. and youtube.com/ropanuganti. Follow Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. You can support our podcast at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Representing DUUUVAL with pride are Florida fusion rock video game band The Limit Breakers. We have Jisun, Dani, and Lukas on to talk about what the band has been cooking this year. This includes a super successful Twitch fundraiser that got them to VGM CON, how they maintain a band their size, and their upcoming shows in Jacksonville and Orlando. We even talk about the Jax nerd scene! Follow The Limit Breakers at https://linktr.ee/thelimitbreakers. See them perform soon! 10/4 in Jacksonville, FL: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-limit-breakers-halloween-vgm-show-with-awesomus-prime-and-limo-scene-tickets-696114867307?aff=oddtdtcreator
10/29 in Orlando, FL: https://ongakuoverdrive.com/ongakuvania
Follow Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
“The Meltdown” theme by RoboRob
There is a Marc with a C documentary coming! Half Serious, Half Kidding: The Digital Footprint of an Obscure Rockstar chronicles 20+ years of Marc with a C's career as well as Orlando music history. Kent talks to director Jo Canterbury about how the documentary came together, how he got to know Marc and his music, and the process of telling Marc's story without filming a single thing. Half Serious, Half Kidding will be playing at the Orlando Film Festival this fall. Find out more about the documentary at halfserioushalfkidding.com. You can follow Jo Canterbury at twitter.com/ghostofjo. Check out Marc with a C's music at linktr.ee/marcwithac. Follow Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
“The Meltdown” theme by RoboRob
We're back from another hiatus and settled into a new studio! Kent gets everyone caught up and brings on the newest, funky video game duo of Ian Cowell and Carrie Wood, otherwise known as Bi Score, to chat about making music for people to score to from TWO different coasts. And being bisexual while doing it! Their first album, The Hot Light, just dropped and they got more music and shows coming, including this Sunday's Virtua Ongaku 17, LIVE on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive.
Follow Bi Score: https://linktr.ee/biscore
Follow Ian Cowell: https://linktr.ee/neoncowell
Follow Carrie Wood: https://twitter.com/supitscarrie
Follow Kent Ward: https://linktr.ee/greatkentward
Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
“The Meltdown” theme by RoboRob
EyeQ and Substantial are in the final week of their Friends and Fam Tour, which goes through MomoCon this weekend and concludes in Orlando on Memorial Day!
We talk about the current state of live shows, fun moments of the tour, free comic book day hauls, fan conventions finally embracing black culture, and both EyeQ and Substantial's upcoming albums!
Friends & Fam Tour tickets: https://www.songkick.com/artists/497738-substantial
Follow EyeQ at eyeqmusic.com and Substantial at iamsubstantial.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
“The Meltdown” theme by RoboRob
Back on the show is Mustin of The OneUps. He and Kent reflect on being at VGM CON in Minneapolis and what a time it was! PLUS, Mustin has a new album that he worked on with his 17-year old son called Mario Mixtape. We break that down, give thoughts on The Super Mario Bros Movie, discuss the new generation of VGM and THE FUTURE! Ongaku Overdrive's 10th Anniversary Show takes place on April 29th in Orlando, FL. Get your tickets at ongakuoverdrive.com!
You can follow Mustin at mustin.net and bit.ly/Mustin. Follow The OneUps at theoneups.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
“The Meltdown” theme by RoboRob
This weekend is VGM CON in Minneapolis and we have featured performer Theology on to talk about the event, the recent Midwest Gaming Classic, applying his club DJ background to VGM, Secret of Mana, and more! His new album, Theology of Mana drops this Friday on all platforms.
You can follow Theology at linktr.ee/theologymusic and youtube.com/theologyofficial. You can find out more about VGM CON at vgmcon.org.
Get your tickets to Ongaku Overdrive's 10th Anniversary Show at ongakuoverdrive.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. “The Meltdown” theme by RoboRob
String Player Gamer and Tiggs are back on the show, offcially teaming up as Scarlet & Violet! We talk about how they got together, performing at MAGFest, the current state of performing on Twitch, Pokémon, World of Warcraft, Zelda, and their Orlando debut at Ongaku Overdrive's 10th Anniversary Show on April 29th! (Tickets at ongaku10th.eventbrite.com)
You can follow Scarlet & Violet at twitter.com/scarvioletVGM. String Player Gamer can be followed at youtube.com/TheStringPlayerGamer and Tiggs can be followed at youtube.com/@TiggsVoice. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's a loaded episode with Austin Green, who is the founder of PC-gaming tribute band WASD as well as the site admin for video game remix competion community Dwelling of Duels. Kent and Austin talk about those things, WASD's latest album Escape, performing at MAGFest last month, Steel Samurai, VGM CON, and more!
Find out more about WASD at wasdband.com. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Bit Brigade speedruns NES games with a full rock band playing the game's soundtrack for incredible live concerts, and we have bassist Luke Fields on to talk about how Bit Brigade came to be and their process of putting their shows together.
We also debate future potential games that work in their standards of live video game concerts and breakdown their upcoming tour that starts this week!
Find out more about Bit Brigade at bitbrigade.net. Follow host Kent Ward at linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
MAGFest is the biggest event in our community and there was a whole lot to talk about this year. Kent gets Lauren the Flute, Allen of GameGrooves, and Jisun of The Limit Breakers to talk about the epic weekend, including favorite moments and performances, the evolution of MAGFest, and what we want to see happen next year. Follow host Kent Ward at https://linktr.ee/greatkentward. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
We have finally made it to the big hondo! Thank you all for supporting the show. Now we celebrate with a fun interview with the founders of one of the most legendary video game bands, The Megas! Eric von Doymi and Josh Breeding are on to talk about the creative process of the band, how The Belmonts project came to be, old Nerdapalooza stories, The Protomen, their love of Volcano Bay, and more. Get Equipped with a Good Ass Time. You can follow The Megas at https://linktr.ee/themegasband. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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It's been way too long since our last episode of Nerd Music Meltdown? What the hell happened? Kent gives an update on the podcast, and talks about OngakuVania, joining the MAGFest staff, and Give Kids the World.
Follow Kent Ward at https://linktr.ee/greatKentWard
Music: "Wood Man (Metal Cover)" by Lame Genie
It's been way too long since our last episode of Nerd Music Meltdown? What the hell happened? Kent gives an update on the podcast, and talks about OngakuVania, joining the MAGFest staff, and Give Kids the World.
Follow Kent Ward at https://linktr.ee/greatKentWard
Music: "Wood Man (Metal Cover)" by Lame Genie
We have VGM Powerhouse and Tiny Waves daddy Ben Briggs back on Nerd Music Meltdown, with all kinds of tea!
He has a new album dropping next week: VGM Essentials from Firaga Records. We talk about that, producing the album live on his Twitch, what's going on with Tiny Waves, K-Pop, Sonic Frontiers, RoboRob, Richie Branson, VectorU, Anamanaguchi, and more!
Check out Ben's music at benbriggs.net. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The one-man Nerdcore Punk Rock Band is running wild! Rhythm Bastard is back on The Meltdown to reminisce about the last ten years of making music and how that ties into his newest album, Hardcore Nerdcore Punk Rock.
We also talk about what happened to his music in RetroMania Wrestling, how performing at furry conventions differ from other cons, transgender inclusivity in our community, D&D, LOTS of Resident Evil, and much more!
Check out Rhythm Bastard at rhythmbastard.rocks and rhythmbastard.bandcamp.com! Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
From a desert in Parts Unknown, The Icarus Kid pops in on the Nerd Music Meltdown to talk about his love for both EDM and video game music, restarting his music career multiple times, his take on making electronic live performances exciting to watch, performing at VGMCon, and mental health coaching.
You can follow The Icarus Kid at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheIcarusKid. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Two of our favorite homies are back on tour and also on the show. It's Ran and Richie and they talk to Kent about the upcoming Generation of Miracles Tour that goes from Seattle to MomoCon in Atlanta this month. We also talk pandemic stories, new music, Sammus, Rustage, PAX East, Super Bitfest, the rise on anime rap on YouTube, and more!
Plus, Kent is going to talk about the latest controvery in nerdcore.. Oh boy...
Follow Richie Branson: https://linktr.ee/richiebranson
Follow Mega Ran: https://linktr.ee/megaran
Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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As we march toward episode 100 of Nerd Music Meltdown, we have a new face in our community who making some great progress. She is Allison Martin, a trombonist who creates brassy renditions of video game music. Kent met Allison briefly at MAGFest, so we talk about that, being a part of the "Line Them Up" project, living in Japan, favorite game soundtracks and composers, the importance of collabs in the community, and her upcoming album See The World.
Kent also gives some life and event updates in the open. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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We got a full event recap of VGMCon: Lift Off, a video game and music convention that took place this past weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Special guests Mahn, Gunderslam, and H808 performed at the event and recap the whole weekend, plus the Game Music Remix Awards and the big news for VGM coming out of this year's edition of the Grammy's!
Follow Mahn: https://linktr.ee/mahnplaysmusic
Follow Gunderslam: https://linktr.ee/Gunderslam
Follow H808: https://linktr.ee/h808_beats
You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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It's been a while since there was an episode of Nerd Music Meltdown. March was just too crazy for a lot of reasons, including ONGAKU 20XX in Orlando and Virtua Ongaku XIII on Twitch. Kent goes solo and reflects on what was a crazy month and how everything went down. If you want to hear how things go from an event runner's perspective, this is the show for you!
With things calmed down, we'll work on getting podcasts with guests out regularly. But if you want to hear about what goes into concerts in our community, this is a great episode to listen too.
You can support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music:
Lame Genie - Yogurt Yard (Kirby's Adventure) - https://youtu.be/aU6fhpD7U3M
Lacey Johnson - Ryu's Theme (Street Fighter II) - https://youtu.be/FrD4qj-RlIo
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Look who's back on Nerd Music Meltdown It's Marc with a C, who we have not talked to in a long time. We're talking about his plans to redefine who Marc is as a musician, what "Phase II" means to him, surviving cancer and how that affects is music career. Last but not least, we discuss everything that went into his brand new album Thantophobia and why it is so different from everything before.
Marc with a C has a virtual show on his Patreon in March. Be sure to check that out. You can also get all of Marc's music at marcwithac.com.
ONGAKU 20XX: Wily's Revenge takes place on Saturday, March 5th at The Abbey in Orlando, Florida. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Orlando has a new video game band with an Earthbound-inspired name! Trash Burger is comprised of our guests Stevie Albano and David Yasensky, as well as a couple of new faces. We talk about how the band came to be, how Under Polaris and Random Encounter tie in, the ONGAKU 20XX show that Trash Burger will be performing at, virtual concerts, and what the goals of the band will be.
See Trash Burger's Virtua Ongaku performance: https://youtu.be/lMKcy115kWo
ONGAKU 20XX: Wily's Revenge takes place on Saturday, March 5th at The Abbey in Orlando, Florida. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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We have the good lads Lame Genie, the finest video game band from Rhode Island on the show to talk about everything from BT Jones to Gilbert Gottfried, being inspired by first-gen video game bands, YouTube shenanigans, OSW Review, upcoming releases, and more!
Lame Genie will be performing in Orlando, Florida on March 5th at ONGAKU 20XX: Wily's Revenge with Bit Brigade, The OneUps, and trash Burger. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com.
Get more of Lame Genie at lamegenie.com and youtube.com/c/LameGenie.You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Happy New Year! Kent started things off strong with a trip to Super MAGFest. What was this year's event like? Kent brought on MAG performers Tiggs and Dom Palombi (of Game Night) to talk about the whole weekend and favorite moments.
Follow Tiggs: vrmaxfield.com
Follow Dom Palombi: www.dompalombimusic.com
See Virtua Ongaku 12 on January 29th on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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Once upon a time, MAGFest was owned and ran by the guy who would become chiptune legend Inverse Phase. We talk about what MAGFest was like back in the day, how the festival inspired Inverse Phase to publish music seriously, meeting Trent Reznor, the bassy farts of the Sega Genesis soundchip, de-making Pretty Hate Machine and Guilty Gear in 8-bit, and much more.
You can check out Inverse Phase at inversephase.com and inversephase.bandcamp.com. He also owns and operates the Bloop Museum in Baltimore, MD. Inverse Phase will be performing at Super MAGFest in January and we'll be there too! You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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Jewel Maiden is a video game remixer, DJ, and cosplayer from Canada who has been breaking out with virtual performances on shows likes MAGWest and Bonus Stage. We about all that plus her love for Mega Man and Inti Creates, which veteran VGM producer motivated her to get stared, her take on the rise of women in our community, and more!
Get more of Jewel Maiden at jewelmaiden.carrd.co and youtube.com/jewelmaidenart. Check out the Virtua Ongaku Holiday Special this Saturday on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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Ian Martyn performs in the video game European-style folk band The Travelers and has a bunch of his own solo music outside of that. Ian is a master of many instruments and we discuss that, plus LOTS of RPG talk, how virtual shows benefit solo acts like Ian, and the upcoming virtual shows he has coming up.
Get more of Ian Martyn at ianmartyn.com and ianmartyn.bandcamp.com. Check out the Virtua Ongaku Holiday Special on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
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The morning sun has vanquished the horrible night because Shubzilla and Bill Beats of NOIR GRIME are back on the show to talk about their next album, The Belmont Tapes! This of course leads to a lot of Castlevania conspiracy chat. We also discuss touring tips, their Beat Battle tournament, and what they are planning for 2022.
Support The Belmont Tapes on Indiegogo at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shubzilla-x-bill-beats-the-belmont-tapes. Get more of NOIR GRIME on noirgrime.com and see them on noirgrime.tv. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Get ready for some PINK ROCK because we got Ian Luckey from Kirby's Dream Band to talk about the upcoming Brew Game Plus 3 video game music festival in Orange County, California and what to expect. Plus we talk about about Ian's love for Kirby games and how that led to Kirby's Dream Band, Sora in Smash, Metroid Dread, MAGFest memories, what's next for KDB, and Ian's new music project!
Get more Kirby's Dream Band at kirbysdreamband.bandcamp.com. Brew Game Plus 3 takes place on Saturday, October 16th at Aztec Brewery in Vista, CA. Get your tickets at brewgameplusvgm3.brownpapertickets.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Beaming all the way in from Belgium we have nerdcore emcee Ryako, who combines electronica and hip hop for some slick sci-fi raps. She won this year's Nerdcore VPC with Kadesh flow and will be performing this Saturday on Virtua Ongaku 11. We talk all about that, the Belgium nerd scene, KEANU REEVES, Cowboy Bebop, Metropolis, SXSW, and more.
Get more of Ryako at ryakomusic.com and ryako.bandcamp.com. See Virtua Ongaku this Saturday on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The True Player For Real MC Lars is back on the road for the Four-Eyed Horsemen Tour with Mega Ran, MC Frontalot, and Schaffer the Darklord. Lars talks about what it's like to be back performing in front of people, how safety measures will be implemented, their take on online shows, Luigi's Mansion 3, and his upcoming album, Blockchain Planet.
Get more of MC Lars at mclars.com and mclars.bandcamp.com. Get your tickets to the Four-Eyed Horsemen Tour at nerdcoretour.com. Virtua Ongaku 11 takes place on September 25th on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Mark Cooper has been making waves from MAGWest to Blerdcon, and on multiple Twitch concerts in-between. He keeps getting better with each show, and his nerdy nostalgia raps are growing a bigger audience.
Kent talks will Mark all about that, pro wrestling, Power Rangers, making music as therapy, the fear of success and failure, representation in nerdom, and his next two albums and what to expect from them.
Get more of Mark Cooper at itsmarkcooper.com and reign.bandcamp.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Fresh off an amazing performance at Virtua Ongaku X, TeraCMusic, comes on the show to talk about her upcoming album, her stream setup and how she plans shows, licensing video game music, Animal Crossing and her other favorite games, and the evolution of women in the video game music community.
TeraCMusic also has a brand-new album coming out on August 25th. Cross Worlds: Music From Chrono Cross is available for pre-order now. We talk about the game, composer Yasunori Mitsuhada, and what went into making this album.
Check out TeraCMusic at youtube.com/teracmusic and teracmusic.bandcamp.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
One of the greatest video game bands of this era are the quintet known as The Game Brass. In just four years, they have released 5 stellar albums, including their latest Horns of Hyrule.
We have founding members Daniel Romberger and Robby Duguay to talk about how The Game Brass manages an intense production schedule, with members spread throughout America and Canada. Plus, they discuss their love for Legend of Zelda and how that led to Horns of Hyrule, forming the group at MAGFest, being involved in Line Them Up, what to expect from their next album, and more!
Get more of The Game Brass at www.thegamebrass.com and youtube.com/thegamebrass. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
After charting on Billboard and all the craziness of last year, we got RoboRob back on Nerd Music Meltdown to discuss the return of live shows (including his on July 31st) and his latest album, Mega Remix Man.EXE.
This means we talk plenty of Mega Man, why he's producing TWO remix albums for it, and our thoughts and concerns about starting events back up. RoboRob also reveals his plans for the future, including some surprising updates with both Tiny Waves and Materia Collective.
Get more RoboRob at roborobmusic.bandcamp.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Orlando's newest video game band is GG CAT. and they will be performing live on Ongaku Overdrive: The Whims of Fate. We have GG CAT's founder, guitarist, and controllerist Luis Guerrero on to talk about the band and how it came to be.
Plus, Luis talks about performing at the recent Orlando Fringe, the evolution of jazz in video game soundtracks, Castlevania, Overwatch, Persona, cat sounds, and what to expect at their performance for the upcoming Ongaku Overdrive event.
You can find more about GG CAT at ggcatmusic.com. Ongaku Overdrive: The Whims of Fate will be on Sunday, July 11th at Soundbar in downtown Orlando. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The dust has settled on E3 and we got some games to talk about! Orlando hip hop artist O_Super is back on Nerd Music Meltdown to talk favorite games and presentations from E3, but that's not all!
This weekend is Bytes and Beats Juneteenth Festival, which O_Super will be performing on with over 40 POC artists. We talk about that, the passing of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, the music of CEO Gaming and this year's event, plus performing live at Ongaku Overdrive: The Whims of Fate on July 11th.
You can find out more about Bytes An Beats Fest at bytesanbeatsfest.com. You can follow O_Super at twitter.com/osuperwins and twitch.tv/osuperwins. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's a fully vaxxed edition of the Nerd Music Meltdown! The turning point we have been waiting so long for appears to be finally upon us! Kent talks about going out among the people with Mega Ran and raising over $2K for the Asian Pacific Fund with Virtua Ongaku 9. After that, he interviews video game vocalist and audio engineer Tiggs.
We discuss the return to live shows as Tiggs will be performing live in NYC with ConSoul on July 2nd, We also talk about Tiggs breaking into the game industry on the audio side, her video game signing debut with the upcoming PS4/PS5 game Lost Soul Aside, being on Line Them Up! at vgmtogether. and more!
Find out more about Tiggs at vrmaxfield.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Nick Marinelli worked for many years at MAGFest in different roles, including executive director of the whole event! Since then, he has co-founded Video Games in Concert, a booking service designed to get the best video game music acts booked all over from conventions to corporate functions and festivals.
We talk about Nick's time with MAGFest, the immense growth of that event, and the recent controversies and future. We all talk what VGIC does and how live events are looking this Summer and beyond!
Find out more about Video Games in Concert at gamemusic.rocks. Virtua Ongaku 9 takes place on May 22nd on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive and will benefit the Asian Pacific Fund. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music Used:
Final Fantasy VII Main Theme - 88bit
Spelunking Shuffle (from Metroid) - ConSoul
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
TWO interviews on this edition of Nerd Music Meltdown. VGM CONline is this weekend (April 22nd to 25th) on their Twitch. It will feature a bunch of music, panels, gaming, speedruns, and even an awards show!
In part 1, we have VGM CON operations director Vaughn Rowles (@vaughnyboy8) to talk about the event and how VGM CON came to be in 2018, how things went last year right before the pandemic, and gaming culture in Minneapolis.
In part 2, Kent runs down the Game Music Remix Awards with showrunner Jeff Penny. (@JeffPennyMusic) This awards show will feature musical performances and also be a part of the VGM CON weekend (Friday, April 23rd at 7pm EST) Definitely check that out!
Find out more about VGM CON at vgmcon.org. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music used:
Lacey Johnson - Butterfly (from Dance Dance Revolution) Gunderslam - Hornet (from Hollow Knight)
Ro Panuganti - Potion Shop (from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The Nerdcore VPC is a vocalist/producer challenge in which teams of two compete over five unique rounds for a major cash prize, but the real winners are the fans as there are over 40 teams competing in Nerdcore VPC 7, witch some heavy-hitters in the mix.
We have the Czarina of the competition, Whitney Harper, and one of this year's judges, Navi to talk about what the Nerdcore VPC is, how it's evolved, and what to expect from this exciting seventh edition!
Find out more about Nerdcore VPC at nerdcorevpc.com.
Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Classic rock about video games?! Crazier things have happened, but The Arkadian shreds and sings some amazing tunes about retro games and arcade culture. We talk to The Arkadian about his rock influences, how meeting Ronnie James Dio changed his life, playing at the last live VGM festival before the pandemic shut everything down, what VGM CON is, and much more!
The Arcadian will be performing on Virtua Ongaku 8 Deluxe, live on March 27th at twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Get more of The Arkadian at arkadianvgrb.bandcamp.com.
Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
This weekend is vgmtogether, a notable VGM virtual convention featuring live music, panels, and community gaming. Kent has vgmtogether event co-director Doug Perry, known in the community as DumUltimA, on to talk about the event and how it came together.
We also talk about OverClocked Remix, MAGFest, video game musicians in high school band, favorite game soundtracks, Marimba vs Merengue, and more!
vgmtogether is March 12th to 14th on Twitch and you can find out more at vgmtogether.com. Check out more of Doug Perry at dougperrymusic.com.
Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Today is the 35th anniversary of the original Legend of Zelda. The series is a favorite to many and Kent shares memories with the founder of Zelda metal band Master Sword, Matt Farkas.
We talk about our favorite Zelda games, what the series means to us, what inspired Matt to start a Legend of Zelda metal band, the struggles to get it going, the turning point when singer when Lily Taylor joined, happy hour on their Patreon, and what to expect from Master Sword in the future. Kent also shares his thoughts on the recent Nintendo Direct.
Get more Master Sword at masterswordband.com.
Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
We got Ohm-I on episode 69. Nice. Ohm-I drops BARS about hacking, technology, identity, and other topics related to nerd culture, with mixes of storytelling and humor.
We talk about all that, racism in nerdcore and conventions, that savage diss rap on None Like Joshua, YouTube Nerdcore, and what Ohm-I wants to do when this pandemic is finally over.
You can get more Ohm-I at mcohmi.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Diwa de Leon loves video game music so much that he became String Player Gamer, made tons of viral VGM videos, and emigrated from the Philippines to the United States. String Player Gamer has accomplished a lot and now he will be playing this Saturday on Virtua Ongaku VII.
We talk about all that, love for Nintendo, the legal tightrope of creating VGM covers, and more! Find more of String Player Gamer at stringplayergamer.com.
Virtua Ongaku VII, featuring String Player Gamer and more, is on Saturday, January 30th at twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive.
Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The OneUps are one of the first video games bands to ever exist, and Mustin has been the face of the band for quite some time. They've played at the first-ever MAGFest, they've played on stage with legendary composers such as Yoko Shimomura, and have released tons of great video game music.
We talk about all that, favorite video game acts of today, and what The OneUps plan to do to keep up with the new generation as the approach their 21st anniversary.
Check out The OneUps at theoneups.com and Mustin's solo work at mustinenterprises.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
We're ending this, uh, memorable year with an incredible success story from one of the O.G.s of YouTube nerdcore... None Like Joshua!
Anime raps have exploded on YouTube over the past year, with over a dozen emcees dropping new rap videos each week to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, sometimes MILLIONS of views. It's crazy, but NLJ was there before it all happened and we talk about it all happened, how the YouTube Nerdcore community works like a network, Josh's creative process for tracks, favorite anime of 2020, what he's got coming in 2021, and more!
Find out more about None like Joshua at nonelikejoshua.com and subscribe to him on YouTube at youtube.com/nonelikejoshua. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's been long overdue, but we finally have Rob Carballo on Nerd Music Meltdown to talk about everything he does, including running geekbeatradio, how it started and it's evolution, co-founding the MAGFest chipspace, and eventually becoming the head of booking for Super MAGFest's music department. And WIZARD ROCK?! Oh yeah, it's gonna be wild.
Check out geekbeatradio at geekbeatradio.com and follow them on twitch.tv/geekbeatradio. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music used:
Sega Sound Team - "Friday Night" (from Yakuza 0) - spoti.fi/37D4llu
The Game Brass - Sinking Old Sanctuary (from Castlevania: Bloodlines) - thegamebrass.bandcamp.com
The Chunderfins - Better Than You Remember - chunderfins.bandcamp.com
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Alyssa Kalugdan is a major part in the operation of Ongaku Overdrive events, whether they be live or virtual. She also performed in Orlando nerdy a capella group Geekapella and is now part of a brand-new group called Royalty!
Kent and Alyssa talk about what Ongaku Overdrive's 2020 was supposed to be and what it ended up being, how the whole VGM/nerdcore community adapted to the situation, how the past Virtua Ongaku events have gone and who has stood out, the Pulse tribute show, Alyssa's time and Geekapella and why she left, and what to expect from Royalty.
Speaking of virtual shows, Virtua Ongaku 6: MEGAMIX takes place on Saturday, November 21st on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music:
"Simple and Clean" by Geekapella - https://youtu.be/Zjjc6Ip8tlw
"The Baddest" by Royalty - https://youtu.be/lEizKQ-Z4w8
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's Election Day, and we have Danny Flam - the founder of NYC-based video game big band ConSoul. We talk about how the band came to be, performing with Cuphead composer Kris Maddigan, playing in The Game Brass, getting Covid-19 way back in March, aspirations to perform in VR concerts, and more!
ConSoul and Kris Maddigan will be releasing their live Cuphead album on November 13th. Find out more about ConSoul at smarturl.it/consoulnyc. And don't forget to vote!
Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
LadyJ and Cam3 of Wreck the System just released a new Kingdom Hearts-inspired album called Vessels of Light. We talk about the album, the obstacles they faced producing it during the pandemic, what Kingdom Hearts means to LadyJ and Cam3, what's new with Wreck the System, running a studio, ideas for future concept albums, and more.
Check out LadyJ at createladyj.com. and Cam3 at cam3mix.com. Wreck the System can be found at wreckthesystem.bandcamp.com. Virtua Ongaku 5 will be LIVE on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive on Saturday, October 24th. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
GameGrooves not only brings fans news, interviews, and editorials in the world of video game music, but they are also a VGM publishing label as well!
We have GameGrooves founder and manager Allen B. to talk about what GameGrooves is, the Materia Collective vs Game Chops fallout, favorite VGM albums of the year so far, Fall Guys, YouTube VGM performers, the shift to covers of contemporary VGM, and the albums that GameGrooves has released so far.
You can check out GameGrooves at game-grooves.com and at gamegrooves.bandcamp.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music:
Confronting Myself (from "Celeste") by Lacey Johnson from Her Music: A Tribute to Women in Gaming
Break it Down (from "Persona 5") by Legendav from Steal Your Heart!
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
VGM metal man Ro Panuganti is on to discuss many topics, like the fifth anniversary of Undertale and his Fallen Hero album that was released to celebrate that. How does a 24-track metal album get produced in less than 9 months on top of weekly music video releases on YouTube? That's a wild story Ro tells.
We also talk about a year without MAGFest, Ro's British and metal musical influences, Legend of Zelda, his relationship with Materia Collective, and what to expect from him this Saturday at Virtua Ongaku 4!
Check out Ro Panuganti at ropanu.com. You can watch Virtua Ongaku 4 on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Cleveland -based pianist and video game composer 88bit has been one of the more prominent acts in the era on virtual concerts.
On this episode we talk classic games and their soundtracks, composers like David Wise, Tim Follin, and Nobuo Uematsu, piano technique and practice, the Cleveland gaming scene, the importance of virtual concerts for musicians, his part in the Forever Famicom remaster, what 88bit has coming up next including his upcoming game, and more.
Get more 88bit at 88bitmusic.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Press Start to Continue is an amazing radio show that plays video game music and nerdcore, and we have the host and founder of the show Morlock as our guest!
We talk about how the show came to be, the state of nerd music in 2013, OverClocked Remix, mc chris, the evolution of nerdcore, current acts we love, PAX East, and more! It's basically two nerds nerding out about nerd music.
You can find out how to listen to Press Start to Continue at starttocontinue.com and follow Morlock on twitch.tv/pressstartmorlock. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Music:
Adam WarRock - Columbia (from Bioshock Infinite)
A_Rival - Wind Shear (from Mega Man 2)
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
One of the emerging stars of the virtual concert era is Lacey Johnson. She can play nearly every instrument and has been thriving on YouTube and Twitch. We talk about that, Lacey's crazy content creation schedule, her desire to compose for video games, thoughts and theories on Final Fantasy VII Remake, her band Super MadNES, and more!
Check out Lacey Johnson on youtube.com/laceyjohnsonmusic and twitch.tv/laceyjohnsonmusic. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Video game music, whether it be OSTs, remixes, or covers, are an industry now, and one of the labels at the forefront of this is Materia Collective, headed by our guest Sebastian Wolff.
We talk to Sebastian on founding Materia Collective, his role in the game industry before that, significant albums Materia Collective has released, and the legal process of licensing rights from major game publishers and indie game devs to produce, market, and sell video game albums.
Find out more about Materia Collective at materiacollective.com. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Tokyo Elvis is may be one of the greatest performer names ever, and he also makes cute and catchy vocaloid tracks and video game remixes.
We talk to the Orlando-based producer about his origins, linking up with DJ Cutman and Gamechops, Animal Crossing, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, how vocaloid software works, and our various run-ins over the years.
Get more Tokyo Elvis at tokyoelvis.bandcamp.com. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Skyblew is an underdog in the world of nerdcore hiphop, but with his latest album Destined: The Realization and many other strong releases, his talent can no longer be denied. Kent talks to Skyblew about evolving as an artist, Skyblew's dedication to create, 90s cartoons, Avatar, thoughts on virtual concerts, the current situation with the pandemic and Black Lives Matter, and much more.
Get more Skyblew at skyblew1.bandcamp.com! Want to get new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
After many years, Professor Shyguy is back on the show to talk about his time during the pandemic, new music (including a K.K. Slider take on some classics), streaming, virtual concerts, whether or not MAGFest will happen, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and more!
Get more Professor Shyguy at professorshyguy.website. Professor Shyguy will be performing on Virtua Ongaku on June 27th with past show guests Jackson Parodi, Lauren the Flute, and Marc with a C. See it live at twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Our first international guest is on Nerd Music Meltdown! Hailing from Vancouver, British Colombia, we have Josh Pendlebury, who plays guitar for The Runaway Four and runs Bonus Stage Van and the Virtual VGM Fest!
The Runaway Four's take on video game melodies is progressive synth-rock based on themes instead of a specific game or series. We talk about how that came to be, the Vancouver nerd scene, other Canadian VGM acts, and putting on virtual concerts with Bonus Stage. The next Virtual VGM Fest will take place on Saturday, June 13th on Twitch.
Get more of The Runaway Four at therunawayfour.com. Follow Bonus Stage for the Virtual VGM Fest at twitch.tv/BonusStageVan. Want to support Nerd Music Meltdown and get future episodes before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
To kick off the next fifty episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown, Kent brought on an old friend who has been very busy! Travis Vengroff is known to our community as Careless from Careless Juja and previously Random Encounter, but he has also launched the Liberty Deception graphic novel series, multiple audio dramas and musicals, and a plethora of other entertainment.
We talk about everything Travis has been up to, including the recently released Those Who Fight album, the next Careless Juja album, the upcoming second volume of Liberty Deception (releases Wednesday!), how producing music independently helped him with his other endeavors, and so much more. Travis even has advice for aspiring content creators!
You can listen to Careless Juja at carelessjuja.bandcamp.com and find all of Travis' work at travisvengroff.com. Want to support Nerd Music Meltdown and get future episodes before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Can you believe we made it to FIFTY episodes of our Nerd Music Meltdown podcast? We did it and we celebrate and have a special guest: the founder of Mariachi Entertainment System, David Ortiz.
MES is the brainchild of David and a collective of longtime Texas-based mariachi players with a mission to take mariachi to the masses by combining it with beloved video game music to create some incredible arrangements. We talk about that, playing at MAGFest with David Wise, Mega Man, Final Fantasy VII, and David's thoughts on Cinco de Mayo.
Before that, Kent kicks off by reminiscing about this podcast and what it's accomplished, and gives thoughts on current events with COVID-19 and how it's going to change events once it's okay to go to them, including what's going on with Ongaku Overdrive.
Get more Mariachi Entertainment System at mariachimes.com. Want to get new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Chiptune violinist Aethernaut got Kent's attention big time at this year's Super MAGFest, and now Aethernaut is on the Nerd Music Meltdown!
We talk about playing violin since the age of five(!), making his MAGFest main stage debut this year, how he fell in love with chiptune, how his custom electric violin came to be, the Denver chiptune scene, Sega Master System, and studying Computer Science online while we stay at home.
Get more Aethernaut at aethernaut.bandcamp.com. Want to get episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive!
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob. The photo is by Bradley Peace.
While we stay at home, GR3YS0N (fka NyteXing) comes on Nerd Music Meltdown with his "Gamer not a Gangster" mentality to share his approach to hip hop and fandom based raps. Plus, we cover his relationship with nerdcore acts such as Richie Branson, getting more recognition this past year, and plenty of hot takes on X-Men, Capcom fighters, Batman, and his favorite comic book super hero Nightwing.
Check out GR3YS0N's music at gr3ys0n.bandcamp.com. Want to get new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It has been a wild month for human civilization, but that will not stop new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown from coming out! We have LEX the Lexicon Artist back on the show and she has a new album coming out.
Alter Ego is the second full-length album from LEX and it drops March 31st. We talk about that, how she has evolved as a musician, touring with mc chris, Schaffer the Darklord, and Super Smack (with some interesting stories), and what do expect from LEX after Alter Ego drops. Kent and LEX also dissect Mob Psycho 100, which is an amazing show!
Before all that, Kent takes talks about the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it has impacted the nerd music community. Hopefully, we can all pull through.
You can get more of LEX at thelexiconartist.com. Like this show and want to get new episodes before anyone else? Subscribe on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Nerdcore's resident Ninja Warrior Creative Mind Frame is back! CMF will be performing at Super Bitfest this weekend in Texas and he also has Dirty 30s and Game Genie coming out. We talk about all of that, his intense Ninja Warrior training and whether or not Fresh Prince is the greatest rapper of all time.
Get more Creative Mind Frame at creativemindfra.me. Check out Super Bitfest at superbitfest.com. Want to get episode of Nerd Music Meltdown sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive!
Danimal Cannon will be performing at ONGAKU 20XX on February 29th at The Abbey in Orlando, so it made sense to get him on the Nerd Music Meltdown right before to build excitement. And it will be an exciting show!
We talk about what Danimal is up to these days, including his involvement in the video game Just Shapes & Beats and how that has affected his career, plus an update on Armcannon, vocaloid technology, hentai e-girls, quantum entanglement, favorite heel wrestlers, and what to expect at ONGAKU 20XX this weekend.
Listen to more Danimal Cannon at danimalcannon.com. Get your tickets to ONGAKU 20XX at ongakuoverdrive.com. Want to get episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
We have Joseph Devine from the video game/anime metal band known as Bitforce. They are straight out of Texas and have played everywhere from Game Stop midnight releases to MAGFest and PAX. They have even had tours with the likes of Mega Ran and mc chris, which includes at least one wild run-in with the law that we talk about.
Joseph is also involved in running a new nerd music event called Super Bitfest. It takes place Saturday, March 14th in San Antonio, TX. It of course will have Bitforce, but The Returners, Kadeshflow, Mariachi Entertainment System, Creative Mind Frame, Sonic Boom, Gimmick!, and many more will also be on the lineup, plus some other fun.
Get more Bitforce at bitforceband.com and check out Super Bitfest at superbitfest.com. Want to get these episodes before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's a most glorious day because we have one of the all-time greats of nerdcore hip hop, Schaffer the Darklord! This will not be an origin story episode, but we will look back on different points of Schaffer's extensive career, what he thinks of his old music and the current generation of nerdcore, The Department of Darkness, life in New York City, pro wrestling, burlesque, touring through blizzards, and more.
You can get more of Schaffer the Darklord at schafferthedarklord.com. STD will be touring with MC Lars and The Doubleclicks throughout February. Get tickets at nerdcoretour.com. Want to get episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Fresh off of both MAGFest and AGDQ, Kent sits down with one of the new faces of nerdcore, Super Smack. We chronicle Super Smack's first year, plus we discuss how his background in musical theater has influenced his music, being pulled into nerdcore by LEX the Lexicon Artist, his latest EP Neon Red, and lots of Nintendo talk.
Oh, and we definitely talk about that sweet JoyCon jacket. Get more of Super Smack at supersmackraps.com.
Want to get these episodes before everyone else? Subscribe on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
Let's close out the decade strong with video game music composer, audio engineer, and remixer James Landino! He's produced a ton of great video game remixes and EDM, and he's also engineered audio and music for many video games, including Rock Band 4 and Amplitude HD.
We talk about all that, breaking into the game industry at Harmonix, game dev stories, rhythm games, running the Pose Nightclub programming at MAGFest this weekend, what he's working on now, and more. Find out more about James Landino at jameslandino.com.
Kent also talks about the games he beat over Christmas and what to expect in 2020. Want to get these episodes before everyone else? Subscribe on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
Seattle's nerdcore duo Shubzilla and Bill Beats of NOIR GRIME just wrapped up their tour with mc chris, and we got them on to talk about how the tour has been going, their new album The Kong Quest, daily writing drills, being on different teams in the Nerdcore VPC, Shubzilla becoming a mom, having a strong support system, and more.
You can find more NOIR GRIME at noirgrime.com. You can also check out what's cooking with the latest Nerdcore VPC at nerdcorevpc.com. If you want to get future Nerd Music Meltdown episodes early, support us on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
EyeQ had a tremendous 2019 and we cover all of that here. We talk about how he blended anime and hip hop and celebrated Samurai Champloo at major conventions like Otakon and MomoCon with Bytes & Beats and how that all came to be.
We also talk performing at the Library of Congress and getting the music of Nujabes inducted there. Plus, we chat about Overwatch, Shing02, Fat Jon, why representation matters, and his future musical releases. Oh, and what's going on at MAGFest?
You can get more of EyeQ at eyeqmusic.com. EyeQ will be performing on Sunday, December 8th at Will's Pub with Mega Ran, Mickey Factz, and Alfred Banks. Like what we do? Support at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
We're excited to have the great Jackson Parodi back on the Nerd Music Meltdown! Last time we had him, Jackson was the accordionist for the video game band Random Encounter, which has since disbanded.
In the wake of that, Jackson has dominated on both YouTube and Twitch, got put over by Kenny Omega, and will be performing at the upcoming Zeldathon in December. We talk about the end of Random Encounter, learning piano, wanting to be seen a more than a musician, and of course pro wrestling and why Jackson went through a table and filmed it.
Get more of Jackson Parodi at jacksonparodi.com, twitch.tv/jacksonparodi, and youtube.com/jacksonparodi. Find our more about Zeldathon at zeldathon.net. Want to get these episodes sooner? Support us on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Right before Warriors of Light this Saturday, Mege Ran is back on the Nerd Music Meltdown to talk about his love for Final Fantasy and how that led to the creation of one of his most famous albums, Black Materia. What was Mega Ran's entry into the franchise and which Final Fantasy game is his favorite? How did Black Materia change his music career and what can we expect from the remake?
Oh that's right Black Materia is getting remade and released around when FF7R hits. The kickstarter ends on November 9th. Get on that soon! kickstarter.com/projects/megaran/black-materia-the-remakeon-vinyl. You can also get your tickets to Warriors of Light at ongakuoverdrive.com/warriors-of-light. You can find Mega Ran at megaran.com and megaranmusic.com. Want to get these episodes before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
After running his first 5K, Kent interviews one of the most pivotal figures in video game music community, DJ Cutman!
We cover a lot of ground, including the formation of Cutman's music label GameChops, embracing lofi video game remixes years before it became a major trend, Cutman's passion for video game music and why it's legitimate, and tons of philosophy on the VGM business. Cutman has been doing this for a while and he has a lot of knowledge and retrospective to share on this action-packed show.
You can find more DJ Cutman at www.djcutman.com and more of GameChops at www.gamechops.com. If you liked this episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown, find us on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play hit that subscribe button. And if you really like the show, you can get them before anyone else at www.patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
Knight of the Round is a powerful Final Fantasy metal band from the Chicagoland area and they have had quite a year, playing at MAGFest, PAX South, PAX West, and up next the Final Fantasy themed show Warriors of Light in Orlando, Florida.
Kent talks with Knight of the Round founder, arranger, and guitarist Justin Taylor about how the band came together, why they dedicated themselves to Final Fantasy, favorite FF games, the best FF7 girl, and what to expect on the next KOTR album. Find out more about Knight of the Round at knightoftheround.com.
Warriors of Light: A Final Fantasy Tribute takes place on November 9th at The Abbey in Orlando, FL and will feature Knight of the Round, Mega Ran, Descendants of Erdrick, The Returners, No Borders Art Competition, and more. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
Fresh off of performing at DragonCon, we have Twill Distilled from the super dope nerdcore group Wreck the System on as our guest. We do talk a little about WTS and how she joined, but this episode is mostly about Twill as a solo artist, the evolution of women in nerd music, and her brand new album, INVADER. Twill also opens up about overcoming health issues to make her musical endeavors happen. Get more of Twill Distilled at twilldistilled.bandcamp.com.
Kent also gives a sweet Warriors of Light update that has not been made public, and talks about CEOtaku happening this weekend. Get tickets to Warriors of Light at ongakuoverdrive.com. Want to get these podcasts early? Maybe get a shoutout on the show? Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/OngakuOverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
On the road to Warriors of Light, we have on the Nerd Music Meltdown the frontlady and founder of Austin-based video game band Descendants of Erdrick, and guitarist in Andrew WK's touring band. That's right, we have Amanda Lepre on the show!
Amanda and Kent nerd out for Super Nintendo games for a bit, and then discuss how Descendants of Erdrick came to be, the different incarnations of the band, and what to expect from their upcoming album, Mythology. Plus, how did Amanda become a part of Andrew WK? That is an amazing story that also includes the late Rustin Luther of Urizen.
You can find out more about Amanda Lepre at amandalepre.com and and Descendants of Erdrick at descendantsoferdrick.com. Descendants of Erdrick will be performing at Warriors of Light in Orlando, Florida on November 9th, 2019. Get your tickets at ongakuoverdrive.com. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" Theme by RoboRob.
We have one of the hardest-working musicians in the Florida nerd music community, the one man punk rock band, Rhythm Bastard! (@rhythmbastard) We talk about that, getting inspired to make music from rhythm games, playing the Florida convention circuit, making music for an upcoming wrestling video game, how he feels the furry community is similar to punk rock, and various social topics.
Rhythm Bastard has several convention performances coming up at OtakuFest in Miami, LumiCon in Tampa, and Anime Iwai in Fort Lauderdale. Find out more at rhythmbastard.rocks.
Kent also talks about his recent appearances at GAAM and Twitch Orlando and what those groups mean to their communities. Like to get these episodes early? Subscribe to us at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
While Kent was in Dallas, he got to hang out with the incredibly talented Lauren the Flute! (@laurentheflute). Lauren is the frontlady of the Texas-based video game band The Returners and she also is a part of the video game music label Materia Collective. We talk about her role in that, how The Returners came to be, and what game made her a fan of video game music. We also gush about classic JRPGs and Lauren reveals what to expect from their next album. It's gonna be great!
You can find out more about Lauren the Flute at laurentheflute.bandcamp.com, The Returners at thereturnersvgm.bandcamp.com, and Materia Collective at www.materiacollective.com. The Returners will be playing at Warriors of Light in Orlando, FL on November 9th at The Abbey. Tickets will be available at www.ongakuoverdrive.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
We have Billboard-charting electronic musician and producer RoboRob on the show for a fun conversation. He just released his most successful album to date, Kingdom Heartbeats, but he's not finished yet!
RoboRob has more music and shows coming and we talk all about that, plus his origins, being dragged into nerdcore, finding love at Nerdapalooza, Beaker cookies, Crayondroids, nerdcore bath water, and why was Kent wearing a dress the first time they met? Get RoboRob's music at djroborob.bandcamp.com.
If you want to support the Nerd Music Meltdown and get the episodes before anyone else, subscribe to us at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
Marc with a C is back on the Nerd Music Meltdown to talk about a whole lot, including his Obscurity shows in Orlando on August 3rd and 4th, his upcoming 20th anniversary of being Marc with a C and what he has planned, making the same Grammy shortlist as Childish Gambino, what happened to Nerdy.fm, and more. It's a great conversation and you can get more if Marc at www.marcwithac.com.
Like what we do? Want these shows sooner? Subscribe on patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive! "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
To make your 4th of July weekend better, we have Kadesh Flow (@kadeshflow) back on the Nerd Music Meltdown. This interview was on the last day of MomoCon and Kent and Kadesh talk about why representation matters at conventions, getting respect in the industry, nerdcore growing up, playing with Janelle Monae, and more.
We also discuss his recent solo releases and his plans with The Last Excuse and Late to the Party. Also, what happened to those FMA and Zelda albums we talked about last time? Find out more about Kadesh at www.kadeshflow.com.
Before the interview, Kent also talks about working CEO Daytona and rocking games on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want these episodes soon? Support us at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
While at MomoCon in Atlanta, Kent sat down with the first act he ever booked for an Ongaku Overdrive event, the Otaku King Richie Branson. (@richiebranson)
Kent and Richie talked about the status of From the Underground to the Stars, Jupiter Jazz, and Spacenoids, overcoming thyroid cancer, the good and bad of playing conventions, hooking up with Rooster Teeth, and of course some anime talk. Get more Richie Branson at www.richiebranson.com.
Kent also looks back at Orlando Overdrive IV from last week and his favorite announcements from E3. Breath of the Wild sequel? Hell yeah! Like getting these episodes before everyone else? Become a patron at www.patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Since we have a new episode coming up with the Otaku King, Richie Branson (@richiebranson), Kent thought it would be great to add the first one he did with him, all the way back in December 2015. This BONUS episode from Propeller Anime Radio did so well that it led to the start of the Nerd Music Meltdown.
This interview covers Richie Branson's origins all the way to his release of Life After Death Star. We talk about Richie Branson's rise as a nerdcore hiphop artist, how he got into anime, his love for all things Gundam, THAT infamous show with mc chris, and the good and bad of playing at anime conventions. Get more Richie at www.richiebranson.com.
If you like this episode and want to support the Nerd Music Meltdown, join us at www.patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive.
On today's NMM, we have VGM powerhouse and Tiny Waves founder Ben Briggs! Ben (@bbriggsmusic) will be playing at Orlando Overdrive IV on June 8th at The Geek Easy with Orlando's best nerd music acts.
We do a rundown of OOIV, plus Ben's work on The Completionist YouTube series, how Tiny Waves came to be and what goes behind the scenes, raging on Twitch, his love for Donkey Kong Country and Diddy Kong Racing, his rival FamilyJules, and more! Get more Ben Briggs at benbriggs.net.
Get your tickets to Orlando Overdrive IV at ongakuoverdrive.com. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
We finally made it to 25 episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown! We celebrate with two nerdcore legends, MC Lars and Mega Ran. They just finished their epic Mount Nerdcore tour with MC Frontalot and Schaffer the Darklord. Next up: The Dewey Decibel System, which they funded successfully on Kickstarter and will release on June 7th,
We talk about how The Dewey Decibel System came together, Mega Ran vs Bully Ray at Madison Square Garden, the state of nerdcore and what it should do next. Should nerdcore cover more social issues? It's a hell of an episode that you don't want to miss. Check out MC Lars at mclars.com and Mega Ran at megaran.com.
Orlando Overdrive IV is June 8th at The Geek Easy and features Orlando's best and nerdiest. Get your tickets at ongakuoverdrive.com. "The Meltdown" theme made by RoboRob.
We are doing a deep dive into VGM band history on this episode with David Yasensky, who you may know best for his time in Random Encounter as their guitarist Konami. Before that, he played guitar in the chamber orchestra Select Start. Yes, he goes that far back.
We talk in-depth about David's time in those bands, plus the early years of MAGFest, Nerdapalooza, Florida anime conventions, and even touring with Video Games Live! David also gives his perspective on why Random Encounter ended and what he has next with his new moniker... Walmaster. We go from VGM to Synthwave with David and you can check out Walmaster at www.iamwalmaster.com.
Kent also talks about Avengers: Endgame, Final Fantasy VII, and Orlando Overdrive IV.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
On this episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown, Kent (@fistofthemfk) brings on Florida-based electronic music producer, remixer, and keytarist dj-Jo!(@DjJoMusic)
dj-Jo has been making music for a decade and played at last year's Orlando Overdrive III and Power, Wisdom, and Courage, along with plenty of anime conventions. He's also a big Legend of Zelda fan and we nerd out about that, dj-Jo's inspiration to become a musician, his evolution as a producer and performer, and building remixes from scratch, including collaborating with vocalists for anime songs. Oh, and we talk about his sexy-as-hell keytar. You can find dj-Jo's music though dj-jo.com.
Kent also reflects on his recent trip to New York and the passing of manga creators Monkey Punch and Kazuo Koike.
dj-Jo has some shows coming up, including MomoCon in Atlanta and something in Orlando in June. Listen to find out!
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
It's the dawn of a new era for the Nerd Music Meltdown! We are changing hosting and episodes are now on Spotify and Stitcher Radio. iTunes is coming soon. Be sure to follow us on those platforms! We also have a new theme song by RoboRob! "The Meltdown" is a fine jam.
Kent (@fistofthemfk) is in New York for wrestling and signt-seeing and talks about #GoingtotheGarden for the ROH x New Japan G1 Supercard. After that, we bring on nerdcore emcee, punslinger, and freestyler Shammers (@shammers) for a very excellent interview.
Shammers talks about his time in nerdcore, working as an intern for the final Nerdapalooza, joining freestyle rap collective Free Daps, integrating improv and comedy into his performance, and the elements of a great freestyle rapper. Shammers has been away from nerdcore for a while and we discuss if he would come back and how he would do it.
Check out Shammers at shammers.bandcamp.com and Free Daps at freedaps.com.
On this episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown, we have nerdcore veteran Mikal kHill (@mikalkhill), who has had a 20+ year run as a rapper is a part of groups such as Thought Criminals, NO FRIENDS, and Two Weeks Notice. We did this back at Super MAGFest and now it’s ready for you.
Mikal will be playing on the always epic SXSW Nerdcore Showcase on March 16th at Flamingo Cantina. We talk about Mikal’s involvement in that event, plus his origins, getting pulled into nerdcore, tour stories, overcoming cancer, and his future projects, which includes a slight return of Adam Warrock. Now you have to listen! Foll Mikal kHill at mikalkhill.com.
This time, Kent is going to try something new inspired by the “put over” segment from Mega Ran’s Mat Mania podcast. This time, it’s about the the Alita: Battle Angel film that has been in development for about 20 years.
A new episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown to kick off 2019! Kent got some work in at MAGFest including a couple podcast interviews. We have one with the electro pop duo, Crunk Witch! (@crunkwitch)
We had Brandon and Hannah last September for the Professor Shyguy and Kit birthday show and they blew everyone away. We talk about what it's like to be a married couple that makes music together and tours constantly, falling into the nerd music community, and what goes into putting together their live shows, music, and their fabulous fashion choices.
Crunk Witch is currently on tour and they will be at The Geek Easy this Saturday on January 12th with MagiTek and Under Polaris. We'll be there too! Check out Crunk Witch at crunkwitch.bandcamp.com.
Here's an episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown, recorded twelve hours after Ongaku Overdrive's NEXGEN, featuring LEX the Lexicon Artist! (@lextheconartist)
LEX grew up in Taipei, Taiwan and emigrated to America in 2012. While getting her degree in Psychology at UC Berkeley, she decided to pursue a career in music. While a newcomer to nerdcore hip hop, LEX got the entire scene’s attention in 2017 with her first EP, LEX is More and recently just released Raging Ego to rave reviews.
Kent and LEX briefly talk about her origins, representing women in her raps, her upcoming tour with mc chris and Dual Core, and her latest album Raging Ego. LEX has risen quickly to the top of nerdcore in a such a short time. What are her secrets to success? We talk all about that too.
Also, LEX teams up with Schaffer the Darklord in this dope music video for Why We Do, which will be on Vince Vandal's FNFII: Advance Friends and Fandoms, which is available for pre-order!
Check out LEX the Lexicon Artist at thelexiconartist.com.
Opening theme "The Meltdown" by RoboRob.
On this episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown, Kent (@fistofthemfk) interviews special guest O_Super (@osuperwins). O is part of the new generation of nerdcore hip hop, breaking into the Orlando nerd music community around the same time as past NMM guests EyeQ and Mag.Lo. He's also the music director of CEO Gaming!
O_Super has a poetic, lo-fi take when it comes to his raps and we talk about that, his lifetime around music, CEO Daytona, his friendship with Alex Jebailey, and new music he's got coming up this year!
Follow O_Super at https://soundcloud.com/technicolor-8bit
At this past MAGFest, Kent interviews chiptune rock master, Danimal Cannon (@armcannon). You may also know Danimal Cannon from video game bands like Armcannon and Metroid Metal.
We discuss the origins of Danimal Cannon as a solo artist and how his desire to make video game music and chiptune rock has taken him all over the world, performing in America, Japan, Mexico, Austrailia, United Kingdom, and Canada. And we cover Dan's work on indie games soundtracks and vocaloid technology. Kent also does a rundown on MAGFest and the upcoming Orlando Overdrive. Find out more about Danimal at www.danimalcannon.com.
"The Meltdown" theme is by RoboRob.
We have the chiptune pop artist who describes himself as the poor nerd's Justin Timberlake... Professor Shyguy! (@professorshyguy)
You may have heard his voice if watched the Toonami version Dragon Ball Super, as he sang the English version of Starring Star. He's also experimented with "chip opera" with his last album Fragmentation and has done some amazing things combining chiptune with pop music, rock n roll, and some pretty sweet dance moves if you get to see him live.
Kent (@fistofthemfk) and Shyguy talk about those things, plus expanding to audiences beyond nerd music, karaoke with Killroy of The Protomen, original music vs covers, and playing freakin' tabletop games. Professor Shyguy will be performing at Orlando Nerd Fest's Fantoku event on November 5th. You can hear Shyguy's music at professorshyguy.bandcamp.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
It's a post-Anime Weekend Atlanta edition of the Nerd Music Meltdown. Kent sits down with the performers of AWA's Nerdcore Live concert, None Like Joshua, Skyblew, and producer SublimeCloud.
Skyblew and SublimeCloud just recently made the "All For One" song for Funimation and we talk about how that came to be, plus we chat with everyone about the ups and downs of being an anime/video game hip hop artists, performing at anime conventions, the challenges of getting nerds to concerts, Nujabes, My Hero Academia, and whether or not Soulja Boy is the reason anime fans don't want to give hip hop a chance.
Find out more about None Like Joshua at nonelikejoshua.com and Skyblew at skyblew1.bandcamp.com.
Careless was a founding member of Random Encounter, a prominent video game band in Florida. He served as their accordion player for the first 10 years of the band's existence and has gone on to start another video game band known as Careless Juja and start a science fiction comic book series called Liberty.
We talk about all that, and also how video game music has taken Careless to interesting places in life including meeting Nobuo Uematsu, Yoshitaka Amano, Tommy Tallarico, and touring with Video Games Live. And did we mention that there are new Random Encounter and Careless Juja albums coming out in September?
Find out more about Random Encounter at http://randomencounterband.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
Hitting you harder than a New Day rap battle with Mega Ran on Smackdown, it's the Nerd Music Meltdown! On this episode, Kent sits down with the one-of-a-kind Mag.Lo (@themaglo) at the CEO Fighting Game Championships
Mag.Lo is an offbeat hip hop artist and producer from Deltona, Florida. Since 2012, fans and newcomers have enjoyed Mag.Lo's intricate flow and lyricism, high energy performances and off-kilter beats and compositions. We talk about Mag.Lo's origins, the Pulse tragedy, fighting games, favorite J-Rock bands, his unique approach to making music, finding escapism in art, and his future plans. Get more Mag.Lo at www.maglo.work.
And of course, because it's episode 13, we have hot mics and tables slamming. Still good times nonetheless!
Hot off the heels of Orlando Overdrive II, Kent chats with the good brothers Steve and Kit of Under Polaris! (@underpolaris)
Hailing from Spring Hill Zone, Florida (and also Orlando), these two are reinventing Under Polaris as more a metal act makes sweet video game covers and original chipmetal music with inspiration from their favorite video game soundtracks. We talk about all that, how they have been best buds since high school, video game soundtracks, the local nerd music scene, and even a little bit of pro wrestling! Get more Under Polaris at www.underpolaris.com!
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
It's a super fun episode of the Nerd Music Meltdown! On this one, Kent sits down with members of Orlando's nerdy a capella group Geekapella. (@geekapella) Geekapella will be performing at Orlando Overdrive II on April 22nd!
We talk with Tina, Ashley, and Alyssa about the origins of Geekapella at the University of Central Florida, picking and arranging songs, convention stories, Smooth McGroove, and lots of nerding out on anime, video games, and Dante Basco. There's even a live performance in this! Check out Geekapella at geekapella.com.
And Kent also sets the record straight on the move of Orlando Overdrive to The Geek Easy. Get tickets at www.ongakuoverdrive.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
The final episode of our MAGFest 2017 series of interviews concludes with nerdcore's #1 producer, the sound samurai K-Murdock! (@neosonix)
K-Murdock talks to Kent about his latest album, Hero Muzik Vol II, discovering Mega Ran back in the day, Chrono Trigger, up and coming nerdcore artists, and how to break into audio engineering and what equipment and software to check out. Get your K-Murdock fix at neosonix.bandcamp.com!
A massive thanks to Marc with a C for helping fix audio issues. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
We're keeping it fresh on the Nerd Music Meltdown as Kent interviews the Carlton Banks of nerdcore hiphop, Creative Mind Frame 1-UP. (@TheNotoriousCMF) Or is it 1-UP Creative Mind Frame? Find out!
We talk about traveling between consoles to save imagination in 1-UP's Nerdcore Emulation Station trilogy and how that idea came about, breaking into nerdcore, Sega Dreamcast love, expanding nerdom with the NPC Collective, 1-UP's chapstick addiction, and more! Get more of Creative Mind Frame 1-UP at creativemindframe.bandcamp.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
As a fun hotel party at MAGFest is going on, Kent chats with Sam and Steve... the Super Guitar Bros! (@superguitarbros)
Super Guitar Bros became best friends through video game music and they play some amazing tunes together. We talk about their origins, favorite video games, that one time Kent flew them down to Orlando, the evolution of video game music covers, making Twitch and YouTube their "local" audience, and more! Look out for their upcoming Ocarina of Time album at superguitarbros.bandcamp.com.
Before all that, Kent talks cool shows coming up throughout the country, including Orlando Overdrive 2017! Find out more at www.ongakuoverdrive.com
Back at this year's MAGFest, Kent chatted with one of the faces of nerdcore's new generation, Kadesh Flow! (@kadeshflow)
Kadesh has some quick and sick raps about his favorite anime and video games, and he plays a mean trombone. We talk about Desh's origins, breaking out while in college, KCMO, teaming up with Richie Branson on the Nerdcore VPC, the blurring between mainstream and nerd culture, and lots of anime talk. Plus, we discuss Kadesh's big plans for 2017! Get more of Kadesh Flow at www.kadeshflow.com.
Before that, Kent takes time to announce the details of Orlando Overdrive II. Get your tickets at www.ongakuoverdrive.com
It's the FIRST Nerd Music Meltdown of 2017 and on this episode Kent sits down with the baddest dudes from Buffalo, NY... Armcannon! (@armcannon)
Armcannon is hard-hitting progressive rock band that has been playing classic video game covers for over a decade. They have a fourth album in the works that will be changing things up and we're going to talk about that, plus Armcannon's origins, getting Twitch in an uproar at this past MAGFest, their stance on Hulk Hogan, Danimal Cannon's solo career, the nerd culture(or lack thereof) in Buffalo, and of course, the Buffalo Bills. Check out Armcannon at www.armcannon.com. "The Me;tdown" theme by RoboRob.
It's the final Nerd Music Meltdown of 2016 and Kent (@fistofthemfk) interviews a rising star in the nerdcore world: the titan slayer known as EyeQ. (@musiceyeq) On this episode, we discuss EyeQ's intro into nerdcore, the divide between nerdcore and the rest of hip hop, Attack on Titan, meeting Funimation, playing Anime Expo and Otakon, Chrono Trigger, and even some anime love. Check out EyeQ at www.eyeqmusic.com.
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob.
On the show, we have beautiful accordion man Jackson Parodi (@jacksonparodi), who plays in the video game band Random Encounter. But for years, he's played his own video game music, with dozens of videos on his YouTube channel, and he is classically trained in music.
We talk about how his love for video game music motivated him to learn accordion, how he got discovered by Random Encounter, and how they took to him. Jackson has been doing covers of WWE theme songs recently, which has gotten a lot of attention on social media. We'll be talking that, and nerding out about favorite wrestlers and video game composers. Check out Jackson Parodi at youtube.com/JacksonParodi
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob
On election eve, Kent (@fistofthemfk) sits down with one of Orlando's greatest musicians, Marc With A C! (@marcfi) Marc has been making music for over 15 years and became a part of the community when he played at the first Nerdapalooza in Orlando way back in 2008.
We talk about that, Marc's origins, his approach to making music, including while on Ambien! We also talk about future projects, why unicorns get more bacon, and how fans value art and music these days. Check out Marc With A C at www.marcwithac.com.
"The Meltdown" theme made by RoboRob
Welcome to the Nerd Music Meltdown, hosted by Kent Ward (@fistofthemfk). Each episode, Kent will chat with prominent people in the nerd music community, whether it be video game bands, chiptune artists, nerdcore emcees, and more.
In this episode, we have the head submissions judge and community manager of OverClocked Remix (@ocremix), Larry "Liontamer" Oji! We talk about the history of OC Remix and how Larry got involved. If you ever wanted to know how the submission process of of OverClocked Remix works, we go in-depth with that as well as album projects, and dealing with the likes of Capcom, Square Enix, and Nobuo Uematsu.
Check out OverClocked Remix at www.ocremix.org.
It's the debut of a new podcast, the Nerd Music Meltdown, hosted by Kent Ward (@fistofthemfk). Each episode, Kent will chat with prominent people in the nerd music community, whether it be video game bands, chiptune artists, nerdcore emcees, and more.
We start off with a bang, as we have one of the faces of nerdcore's Mount Rushmore, Mega Ran (@megaran)! How about that? We're going to talk about his latest albums RNDM and Mat Mania, his growing presence in the world of pro wrestling, the Alex Trebek vs nerdcore controversy, meeting Keiji Inafune, and having his music featured in Mighty Number 9.
Check out Mega Ran at www.megaran.com!
"The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob. Nerd Music Meltdown brought to you by Ongaku Overdrive.