This is an archive of old news updates from the Audiosurf client.
March 21st, 2008[]
We're pleased to introduce a couple of new indie artists on Audiosurf Radio this Friday, and hope to make a tradition of bringing you some fresh new indie sounds for your listening pleasure each weekend.
First up we have the song "Paths" from Fantastic Mr. Fox. He's a 19 year old alternative hip-hop/electronica producer who's recently remixed/worked with the likes of Maps, Son Lux, Marissa Nadler, Kid Harpoon, Make Model, Shitdisco & Seb Rochford and is working towards a full length album in the near future.
We're also featuring the eclectic sounds of "Beware Fashionable Women". They describe themselves as a melange of The Eels, The Beach Boys and the Violent Femmes, and their debut album is coming out Summer 2008.
3.21.08
March 28th, 2008[]
This Friday we're featuring new music from:
--Mansbestfriend, the latest incarnation of the musician Sole. You should enjoy cruising around on his epic track "Missile Defense"
--I Kill Pxls, music described by its creator as "what the son of Prince would sound like if he was raised on nothing but video game and electro music."
We're also featuring some soundtrack items from the indie game The Apolcalyptic Game about Penguins! (TAGAP for short). Penguins with miniguns?? You gotta love that. Head on over to tagap.net to learn more.
Also lots of people are modding tunnels and background effects--head on over to audio-surf.com/forum to try them out!
3.28.08
April 4th, 2008[]
New Radio music Friday April 4:
The Atlanta band titofelix is excited to bring its catchy, upbeat rock sound to the Audiosurf community. They sincerely hope that you enjoy surfing their music on Audiosurf radio and suggest you check out their free album "All Good Things" available on their website titofelix.com
We're also featuring some awesome Bach-meets-sci-fi tunes featured in Void War, a 3D space combat game from indy developer Rampant Games. Check it out at http://www.rampantgames.com/voidwar
4.4.08
April 11th, 2008[]
New Radio songs Friday April 11--The Low Miffs
The Low Miffs are from Glasgow, Scotland. They love Bertolt Brecht, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Pertwee, but not exclusively. They love leaping around and indulging in Victorian literature, but again, not exclusively. If you go to their website, however, they will love you exclusively forever and ever. http://www.myspace.com/thelowmiffs
4.11.08
April 18th, 2008[]
Music news April 18: we're proud to feature Heavy Jack on Audiosurf Radio this week. If you're not singing these songs in the shower there must be something wrong with you.
Formed by three brothers, Heavy Jack has been writing & rehearsing original material for nearly a decade. In the time they've been together they have managed to craft a unique voice in music, and have recently started the process of getting their album Multiply released. The first single Peace Soldier can currently be downloaded for FREE @ http://www.heavyjack.com
4.18.08
- This news used to have two incorrect dates: First date was listed as 'April 17', and at the bottom, it said '4.11.08'[1].
April 25th, 2008[]
This week we're proud to highlight one of the most popular bands ever to appear on Audiosurf Radio--Asynchronous. Frontman Chris Chappel grew up in the suburbs of Seattle loving Depeche Mode, The Cure, and every Tim Burton movie he could get his hands on. Now all grown up and living in LA, Chris still retains his love of black turtlenecks and synth-pop. His most recent creative effort is "Asynchronous", a blend of vintage and modern sounds and textures. Chris' other passions include film editing, anime, and singing Duran Duran in the shower.
4.25.08
May 5th through May 16th, 2008[]
The news for these dates is missing - please add it here if you have a source for these.
May 23rd, 2008[]
Last week we announced our collaboration with Aardvark Records. This week we're proud to announce our collaboration with Polyvinyl Records on Audiosurf Radio.
We're starting off with some songs from the band Headlights and their aptly named album "Some Racing Some Stopping." These songs are a blend of different textures and moods, with sometimes energetic and sometimes breathy vocals. The common thread that runs through them all is a sense that something really important or meaningful is just around the horizon. There's an optimism to these songs that says everything just might make sense in the end.
Headlights is making a quick swing through Montreal and Toronto the 24th and 25th, and then it's on to Northampton and Cambridge MA next week if you want to catch them live.
5.23.08
May 30rd, 2008[]
Dylan discovered Jack Conte via his youtube mashup of Chopin and Radiohead. Ever since that we've been smitten with Jack's creations and are pleased to feature him on Audiosurf Radio this week.
Jack's sound is a blend of acoustic and electronic styles, and he seems to enjoy defying categorization (which appeals to us indie folk). He has a beautiful voice and plays piano, guitar, accordion--you name it--and all the while he creates a sound that is both energetic and haunting. It's a sound that says to us "yeah, we're a bit lost in the cosmos--but we'll have a great time while we're wandering." (Maybe we've been watching too much Battlestar lately, but you get the point).
He's got one CD out and a new one coming soon, so check him out.
5.30.08
June 6th, 2008[]
We're pleased to feature a few more artists from Aardvark Records this Friday. First up we have the UK's "Little Spitfire". "Honest", "passionate", and "in your face" are the words most frequently used to describe their sound. They claim their drummer is a cross between Keith Moon (The Who) and Animal (The Muppets) so get ready for some downhill racing.
We're also featuring Jason Sean, a trance/electronica artist from Germany. Jason says his biggest musical influence is Bach, and you can hear some echoes there in the structure of the enveloping soundscapes that he creates. Enjoy!
6.6.08
June 13rd, 2008[]
It's getting to be summertime in Audiosurf-land, so this week on Radio we figure it's time to kick back completely, sip a glass of lemonade and listen to a band like Ida. Ida is a husband and wife team who recorded their latest album "Lovers Prayers" in their Catskills barn. They say "If you listen closely enough you can hear the fireplace, a bird flying around the rafters knocking things over, tree frogs and insects. In the barn sounds seem to resonate and hang in the air in just the right way."
We're also featuring a few songs from trance artist Jeff Alford for those of you not in need of kicking back. This year Jeff is on the Global Trance Session tour doing live and unique remixes with every performance.
6.13.08
June 20th, 2008[]
On Radio this week we're featuring Eric McCallaghan (simply called Eric M to those not in the know), a keyboardist, composer, producer and DJ. He lives in South Africa, which we're told has a wicked surfer culture with some seriously dedicated ravers. So if you're looking for a laid back party scene in the Southern hemisphere with a great vibe, South Africa is the place to be, and Eric M could be your soundtrack.
6.20.08
June 27th, 2008[]
We have a special treat for you this week on Audiosurf Radio--we're featuring one of our favorite bands, Girls Against Boys. More artists from their label, Jade Tree, will be coming soon.
To mark this momentous occasion, each of the Girls Against Boys songs has something unique about its gameplay:
Basstation: 4 lanes for all characters.
All the Rage: 3x white/black blocks.
The Come Down: Mono characters only. No Stealth bonus.
Let It Breathe: Minimum match size is 5.
Freeride (all 4 songs): 1st person camera
Enjoy! Lebeth
6.27.08
July 4th through July 11th, 2008[]
The news for these dates is missing - please add it here if you have a source for these.
July 18th, 2008[]
Jeff Alford and Air One
This week on Radio we've got Jeff Alford from France and Air One from Germany. Both are top-knotch electronica/trance artists with memorable twists. Expect fast rides and a lot of challenge.
July 18th, 2008
July 25th, 2008[]
The news for these dates is missing - please add it here if you have a source for these.
August 1st, 2008[]
This week on Radio we bring you Chris Hale's breaks and Clubbfire's euro techno. These rides are fast and thick so get ready for a challenge!
Since moving to Tokyo, Chris Hale has become a fan favorite at clubs like Womb and Worship. He's an innovator and does it all simply to make music he wants to dance to.
Clubbfire is Stephan Lohmann. He's known for high production values and creates hard dance tracks with inspiring vocalists. German clubs like Nanu and Viva have welcomed him with open arms.
August 1st, 2008
August 8th, 2008[]
This week is brought to you by the letter Z!
Zero Zero starts it off with their single True Zero where a frantic start blends into a speedy tune that you'll be singing all week. Then they take us Back to Hell where horns and organs reign supreme. Go grab their album AM Gold for more.
Zetan spore is up next with their unique blend of hard trance and house. In Adrenaline Vortex you're the villain gaining ground fast or maybe just a madman out weaving traffic for no reason. Burn Up promises to deliver a thrill if the flames can build high enough...(hint: they do).
August 8th, 2008
August 15th, 2008[]
Livingston, this week's Radio talent, got their big break when they won the Carling UK National Battle of the Bands, and they've recently released an album with Manta Ray. They're a multi-cultural bunch--Paolo is from Italy, Jakob's from Germany (I must say, thanks to Jakob I've learned a new slang term: I guess German hippies call themselves "mueslis". Who knew?) Chris and Beukes are from South Africa. Beukes attributes his singing talent either to all the boring church songs he sang as a kid, or the fact that his mom took opera lessons while she was pregnant with him. Either way, he's got a powerful voice that is a great match for the driving melodies and rhythms this band puts out.
We hope you enjoy. Lebeth
August 15th, 2008
August 22nd, 2008[]
This week's Radio band, The Tunics, comes to us from Croydon, UK, which they say is infested by flying ants (we'll take their word for it). They recently released their debut album "Somewhere in Somebody's Heart" and we're happy to bring you several tracks from it. The Tunics take a classic Brit-rock sound and incorporate their own stylistic twists, and lead singer Joe Costello's voice has been described as a youthful British snarl (in a good angst-filled way). They've got shows this fall in London, Tilburg and Norwich if you want to check them out in person.
We hope you enjoy. Lebeth
August 22nd, 2008
September 5th, 2008[]
Attention all you fierce competitors--6 new Steam achievements are out this week. "Ambush" and "Brutus" focus on besting your friends, and "Ninjutsu" is a nod to all those elite mono players out there in need of a new challenge. Mouse to the little orange star on the character select screen to view them all.
For our rock fans, this week on Radio we have a few songs from Berlin's "The Rain" from their album "The Involver". And for those of you more on the techno side of things, we have a few tracks from Ninja Kodou (otherwise known as Eyal Menahem from northern Israel). Maybe he'll inspire you to ninja your way through the new achievements...
We hope you enjoy. Lebeth
September 5th, 2008
September 13th, 2008[]
Haven't had time to play around with any of our special gameplay modes yet? This week we make it easy for you on Radio:
Suicide Machines by Loveless has a special mode set so that matches collect slowly (hint: this makes Match 21 easier).
Saturday by Rachel Cantu has a shorter board than usual--only 4 rows so it's a bit more challenging--watch out for overfills!
Dance by the Hardformers has more white/black blocks than usual, but there's a catch--they're harder to get since the minimum match size is 5.
If you want to create special gameplay modes for your own songs, head on over to the "discussion" section on www.audio-surf.com/forum to learn more. Lebeth
September 13th, 2008
September 19th, 2008[]
We've got some German techno in the house for Radio this week--if you liked some of the tracks from Hardformers previously on Radio, you'll like this week's featured artist, Firedance. Sydne from Hardformers teamed up with Daniel Kloss to form Firedance, and these tracks make for great rides.
And also for Mono enthusiasts, we've got an old favorite--Pedro Camacho's "Driving For Your Life" with some special buffs for mono players.
Dylan will be down in San Mateo, CA this weekend for PC Gamer's "Showdown LAN" tournament, so if you're an Audiosurf fan in the neighborhood, feel free to drop by!
September 19th, 2008
September 26th through December 26th, 2008[]
The news for these dates is missing - please add it here if you have a source for these.
January 2nd through February 13th, 2009[]
The news updates for these dates is missing, please add it if you have a source.
February 20th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we're proud to present some tracks from Little People's album, "Mickey Mouse Operation." We've really been enjoying these instrumental trip-hop tracks and hope you do too. Pandora radio kept recommending Little People to us and we're glad it did.
"Start shootin" begins with a piano loop and has several peaks. "Basique" ramps up at first then has a strong piano/drum combo. The last three tracks are mostly uphill but still great rides: "Moon" is a subtle riff on Moonlight Sonata; "Above the Clouds" has a nice 70s groove to it (probably my favorite this week); and "Gravitas" rounds things out with a strong snare beat.
For most of these I'd suggest the chill out or cyclone sound effects, depending on your mood.
February 20th, 2009
February 28th, 2009[]
We've been getting a steady stream of requests for some metal music on Radio, so this Friday is for you metal fans out there. First up we have a couple of songs from the Italian band "Revolution Republic" (trilled Italian 'r's sound great in a metal song!). Then we have a couple instrumental tracks from the group "Haza" that made me smile remembering the Beavis and Butthead days (it's hard not to headbang to these).
Then as a study in contrast, we have an instrumental classical guitar song by Jeff Wyatt called "Arizona Wedding March." I know I probably lost most of you at "wedding" (or was it "Arizona"?) but give this one a shot. We're still trying to figure out how to make the new [as-steep] tag its best, and this song is a good example of steep done well.
February 28th, 2009
March 6th, 2009[]
I've been feeling sort of snackish, so on Radio this week, we have some bite-size portions of light-hearted techno from "Krypt" for you.
"Intro 2009" is a quick start, and then we move into the steep peaks of "Endless Seven". Next comes the hand-clappin beat-matchin-ness of "Drachen Sollen Fliegen" and the ups and downs of "Mellow 2008". We wind things up with the cool tunnel sections of "In my fantasy."
These songs are like a big bag of popcorn to me--I keep thinking--hmm, just one more and then I'll be done...
March 6th, 2009
March 13th, 2009[]
Fasten your seatbelts and prepare to remember the Prodigy days!! This week on Radio we bring you some electronic/breakbeat tracks from The Phase. I think they're talking about The Phase I was in when I liked to pretend I was in The Matrix doing the lobby shooting spree scene all the time.
I had a hard time picking my favorite for a lead-in track, so in no particular order we have: "Dirty Angel" (downhill with a few breaks); "Fallen" (three jagged peaks); "Nomore" (2 huge uphills and downhills) and "Dirty Angel (Raze Remix)" (downhill and a bit shorter and sweeter than the original).
Try circuits sound effects for these.
March 13th, 2009
March 20th, 2009[]
I've been searching high and low for some energetic piano tracks to show off the [as-steep] tag, and I've finally found them. Yunus' "Tsunami" and "Against the Storm" are both great steep-i-fied, and the beat matching of "Against the Storm" is particularly fun to ride.
And then for the dancy-er among you, there are a few tracks from DJ iPep: "Activation" (also using the steep tag)--ah, you had me at the cowbell. Then "Can you dance?" and "Tequila" are a lot of fun if you can embrace a few corny voiceovers and some sirens. But come on--it's dance music and who doesn't love a good siren??
March 20th, 2009
March 28th, 2009[]
It's a bit of an eclectic week on Radio. I realized we hadn't had any vocals for a while, and found two catchy tunes by Julandrew, "Crazy As" and "Without You". Julandrew is a Texan husband and wife team, and they've taken the blending-our-names-together trend to new levels with their band name.
Next up is further experimentation with jazz on Radio--"Blanc Bleu" is a piano/bass/drum song by JP Mounier. JP is a 71-year-old Frenchman and Sagittarian with a lively blog, so you know he's cool. I'd recommend cyclone sound effects for this one--maybe I need to make a whole other set of sound effects for jazz.
And lastly we have a couple of songs from Pretonika for the electronic fans among you: "Fly Away" and "Afterlife". They've got both uphill and downhill stretches and are on the mellow/contemplative side of techno.
March 28th, 2009
April 3rd, 2009[]
This week on Radio we lead off with some techno from Speedsound. First up we have what I'd call an old-school Audiosurf techno track, Prisma's "Psycho Trip"--it's got uphills, downhills, and it's a glorious 7 minutes long. There's some 80s to it--like if I was going to psych myself up for a Footloose-style tractor race, I might listen to this beforehand. Next there's Overflow's "Shadow Dancer". This is a good one for the chaining-masters among you (hit the forum for chaining tutorials).
After all the great comments on previous piano tracks, here's more. Torley is truly a prolific composer--he's got a compilation out right now with an amazing 176 short piano compositions. If you wonder how we pick stuff for Radio, it's a time-tested method: these are the ones our 3 year old daughter bounced to most vigorously while she was sitting on my lap. She works even better than my magic 8-ball.
April 3rd, 2009
April 10th, 2009[]
--text missing--
April 17th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we're featuring several tracks from Josh Woodward's brand new album, "Only Whispering". Josh is an acoustic musician from Ohio, and I really like his blend of guitar and piano work, and his melancholy lyrics. At times in these tracks, the juxtaposition of a happy phrase and a sad lyric reminds me of Radiohead, or in peppier moments, of Ben Folds. The straightforward social-commentary lyrics on some of the songs even remind me of Jonathan Coulton. In any case, it seems to be just the right sound for me as we're transitioning from winter into spring.
"Goodbye to Spring" is a peppy track (with some sad lyrics!) that makes the most traditionally satisfying Audiosurf rollercoaster run. "To lose the war" draws a parallel between disgruntled prom queens and George W Bush (you heard me right!).
All in all, there's some wonderful layering of sounds and lyrics here, and a lot of complexity. Enjoy!
April 17th, 2009
April 24th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we've got an electro-instrumental bonanza for you. First up are a couple songs from Luca Capozzi's new album "Apocalypse Meow". The first one "The Prophecy" is an intense soundtrack-like song, and then "Zo-ology" is a bell-shaped track with a really intense percussive back section.
Then we have a couple of remixes done by Plastic Vision--"The trend is to stay focused all the time" has a video game-ish sort of vibe to it. And we wind things up with "Feel like a bird", which will have you soaring on the wings of all your 80s memories. The back section of this song is also really intense, and there's an insane cluster of reds at the end that I love.
April 24th, 2009
May 1st, 2009[]
This week on Radio we start out with some genre-bending music from Chris Skinner, a musician from Cheltenham UK with a gentle, resonant voice. "Moscow Satellites" starts out acoustic, then gets a little blues twang, and unexpectedly goes to full blown rock within the space of a few minutes. "Cardshark" has 3 peaks and 3 downhill sections.
And then I couldn't pass up the German/celtic/metal fusion of Haderlump. "Des spielmanns Lied" comes complete with a catchy tune and faux-bagpipe, and "Der Krieg" is a fun downhill run.
May 1st, 2009
May 8th, 2009[]
First up on Radio this week we have the hard-driving Led Zeppelin-esque stylings of Houston's Liquid Kitchen. "Graveyard" brings out the Neil Young-like qualities of lead singer Jason's voice, and "Big World" opens up into a wider, more optimistic sound.
Then for my techno/trance boyz (and girlz) we have two 7-plus-minutes-long, high traffic tunes from Speedsound's Radioactive Project compilation: "Playing in the Moon" (223 traffic rating, lots of fun anticipation for the downhills) and "In my head" (246 traffic rating).
May 8th, 2009
May 15th, 2009[]
First up on Radio this week we've got a couple badass industrial songs by France's Heet Seas: "Kink Drop", (basically all red tunnels with a few breaks) and "POAWL"(downhills and some flats--watch out for the sudden ending!)
And next...get ready to put on your rumba shoes (if there are such things) because we've got two spanish guitar tracks for you from Barcelona's El Perez: "Rumba Francesa" and "Rumba Alemana."
And then we move into the trippiest song yet to appear on Audiosurf Radio--an 8-minute long sitar and spoken word sound scape by Dutch artist KraftiM called "Divan". The lyrics are: ""Words are weak and far to seek/When wanted fifty-fold,/And so if silence do not speak,/And trembling lips and tearful cheek/There's nothing told." Far out, man.
May 15th, 2009
May 22nd, 2009[]
This week on Radio we start you off with some electronic tracks from Germany's Chill Carrier. "Boo" has a great bumping bass pulse, and "Galactic Valley" is a more straight downhill ride. "Hugs" is a laid-back uphill groove tune that reminds me a lot of Air (and of Leon Phelps the ladies man--grab your courvoisier).
And then it's time to (ahem) get jiggy with two quick celtic folk tunes that will rock your world. Ceili Moss' "The Bee" and "Lonesome Man's Dance" will get your fingertips dancing.
May 22nd, 2009
May 29th, 2009[]
The titles of our three Radio songs this week from France's "The Kelks" translate roughly to: "No, I'm not OK! Take off your jeans and let's eat a grilled cheese sandwich!" (at least that's with my feeble seventh-grade grasp of the language). "Je ne suis pas d'accord", "Deboutonner ton levis" and "Croque Madame" are three fast, furious and extremely french pop tunes that are serious shower-singing material.
And then we wind things up with two sweet little songs from the dutch band The Very Sexuals. "Carla" and "Anti-Valentine" are full of fluffy marshmallowy goodness (with almost a 50s soda shop vibe in there) and will round out your meal of grilled cheese nicely.
Have fun!
May 22nd, 2009 {sic}
June 5th, 2009[]
This week on Radio, we lead off with a catchy pop track (despite its name) called "Dying" from Spain's Zooner.
Next we move onto some electro-jazz from Italy's Antonio Belantoni. "Palm" is a groovy bass track with some screaming sax thrown in the mix), and "Noirswing" is more of a straight electronic track with sprinklings of sax and vocals.
And finally we finish with some fusion/texana/banda/latina from Jalisco's Proyecto T (I had to feature them since those are all new words for me!). Bump along with "Quen la Quere" and then enjoy the horns and gypsy-like swing of "El Modesto".
Have fun!
June 5th, 2009
June 12th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we start out with some arcade-style electronic songs from Yukikaze: "City", "Web" and "Urbain". These are quick, high-traffic, and great for that short summer attention span.
And then we have some music from Juanitos--the band members seem to be 60s Gidget-style surfers trapped in the bodies of modern-day french guys. Or it could be they've just watched Austin Powers way too much. Either way, their songs "Glitter Bomb" and "Super Exotic 60s Beat" crack me up and are fun to ride. Somebody better come up with some psychedelic skyspheres for these ones--I'm talkin lava lamps and shag carpets, people.
Have fun!
June 12th, 2009
June 19th, 2009[]
We start out Radio this week with some goodies for our trance devotees: Speedsound's "Imagination" and "Pure Dream" are both over 7 minutes long with high traffic densities.
I learned a new word this week from our second band, Ukraine's To Leave a Trace: "screamcore". Dylan's always had a thing for screaming lead female singers, so this one's for you honey. "Endless Song of One Day" is pretty much mega-scream, then "Fight Your Evil Side" is slightly less screamy, but retains that screamy goodness.
Have fun!
June 19th, 2009
June 26th, 2009[]
First on Radio this week we have a group of nostalgic 80s/90s-style electronic tunes from Portugal's Nuno Ferrao. "nunorock3speed110" has lots of red tunnel turns with short breaks of snare drum grooviness (great ride but beware of a somewhat abrupt start and stop). "nunoewf12" begins with an ultra-90s-style keyboard intro and then goes into some catchy guitar riffs. "sp1" has a backbone of snare and cymbals with some wailing guitar over the top, and "tecnos" is a super-bumpy drum-focused ride. All these songs are pretty short so rack up the points while you can!
Lastly we're featuring "Palilalia III", a minimalist electronic song from Poland's Serberis. This song has sort of an electro-Egyptian thing going on--it wormed its hypnotic way into my brain and wouldn't get out.
Have fun!
June 26th, 2009
July 3rd, 2009[]
This week on Radio we bring you some more minimalist electro from Poland's Serberis. "Findings" is a downhill run punctuated by red tunnel drumrolls. "Digging" generates a particularly pretty rainbow-colored track, and has some cute 80s-video-game-style sounds. "Nights" has a great driving pulse and a lot of buzzes and squawks that made me wonder if something was wrong with my computer...in a good way (much like Portishead's "Third").
For our next artists, think Rafael Nadal meets Elwood Blues. Killing Jazz is a group of guys hell-bent on bringing some Squirrel Nut Zippers-style swing music to Madrid. "Safronia B" and "I'll go crazy" are both catchy tunes with liberal doses of harmonica and yelled-out background vocals.
Have fun!
July 3rd, 2009
July 17th, 2009[]
It's chill-out sound effects week on Audiosurf Radio! If you have not tried this finger-snappin group of sound effects, now would be the perfect time.
First up, we have a group of songs from the French group Huxley Met Soda. There are echoes of Air and recent Radiohead in here. "Stalkers" is an instrumental ode to the bongo; "The Runner" and "The Wave" bring some nice vocals and guitar work into the mix, and "Ulan Bataar Motel" is another instrumental that combines the guitar with a nice bass line and some drums.
We wind things up with a 6-plus-minute jazz piece by Joel Holmes called "African Skies". All the instruments come together periodically to repeat the main section, then each of the instruments have their own say with solos. I must say I was surprised how many red tunnels the piano/drum solo created near the end!
Have fun!
July 17th, 2009
July 24th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we're featuring some songs from Avastar, our first Radio artist from the nation of Luxembourg! Chris Nickels, half of the band, apparently worked at a nuclear research center in Geneva for a while. Something in all those particles he was studying led to some great electro-pop. We present all four songs from their "Fake Plastic World" release.
Then in our ongoing quest to highlight eclectic music genres, we have some horror-ska (a new one for me) from Argentina's Calmanino. "Los Muertos" blends some Rob Zombie-like screaming with some trumpets. Is it a combination like peanut butter and chocolate, or more like peanut butter and pickles? Tune in to decide.
Have fun!
July 24th, 2009
July 30th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we've got a battle of the bands between two American groups: MMO and Grayscale.
The sound of LA's MMO most closely resembles Foo Fighters. Their style is to mix modern, topical lyrics with guitar solos on songs like "Textual Healing", "Drunk Dial of the Year" and "The Fake'r the Better".
The sound of Cleveland's Grayscale is a little lighter and dreamier. Their songs "Any Girl Would Do", "I'm stuck with me" and "A summer washed away" are catchy and relentlessly optimistic.
So...which band will win out? We'll see which tops our popular songs chart.
July 31st, 2009
August 7th, 2009[]
Hold on to your attention spans and be on the lookout for some seven-figure scores--it's endurance techno week on Radio. We're featuring some songs from Speedsound's Psytranceproducts Vol. 2 compilation.
First up we have "Team Radio--I Like Me". It's 8 plus minutes of 277 traffic congestion. Next there's "Mahadef-Mojo" which is also over 8 minutes long, with 197 traffic and some interesting peak patterns. And then last but not least, "Static-insane Deep Connection"--it's an even 10 minutes long, 224 congestion.
See you on the scoreboards!
August 7th, 2009
August 14th, 2009[]
This week on Radio, we're featuring some songs from Melbourne Australia's Tenpenny Joke. Reviewers most frequently compare their sound to Nickelback.
"She" has an Indian/middle eastern riff to it (beware of the uphill orchestral finish--it's unexpected). "Sirens" is pretty much straight downhill with a head-bobbing, catchy refrain, and "Flood" is an instrumental guitar showpiece.
And in our somewhat-weekly nod to genre-bending music, we present a French rock/ska/chanson song from Whiskybaba, "Ma Vie Mon Oeuvre". Lots of fun stop-and-start trumpet action.
Have fun!
August 14th, 2009
August 21st, 2009[]
It's fan-created content week on Radio!
First up we have music from Audiosurf fans and Scottish Band members The Anyways. "Steel String Jockeys" is a fast and twisty ride, and "For Hope" has a double peak shape and fun tempo changes.
Next we have music from The Dark Gigantosaur, recommended by one of our players Pyritie. "Galactic Adventure" has an epic feel to it, "Hungry for Chips" is a nod to video game sound effects, and "Overwhelming Fear" is short with a crazy traffic count. You can go to the Audiosurf steam community page to learn more about this week's artists.
If you have music you'd like featured on Radio, email me at elizabeth@audio-surf.com. Videos of you playing the song are most helpful.
Have fun!
August 21st, 2009
August 28th, 2009[]
First up this week on Radio we have a techno track from Speedsound's Prisma Promo compilation called "Heaven is Near." It's 7 minutes long and has a traffic congestion rating of 249.
Next, we have some music from the Dada Weatherman's new album, Mind of Blue. I think they are referring to The Blues, as in the musical style, because there are some hard-driving blues beats in "Whirlwind", "What Gandhi Said" and "Autumn Night." When combined with the lead singer's gentle voice the combination is really unusual.
As a note to our Radio fans, next week's Radio won't be out until Saturday September 5. We're taking a (gasp!) day off.
Have fun!
August 28th, 2009
September 5th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we've got more red tunnels than you can shake a stick at. We're featuring some "impressionistic instrumental rock" from Danish one-man band Savium. These songs are unabashedly lighthearted, but something about their sheer musicality and the intense guitar work pulls them back from being cheesy. They're just a whole lot of fun to ride with tunnels switchbacking and flying all over the place.
We hope you enjoy the cheerful trio of "Animus Girl", "Steena Luv" and "Amiable Boy". We then finish off with the faux-western, Tarantino-style epic ballad "Cacophony". All these are a nice, bite-sized 3 minutes or so.
I love the faint echoes of surf guitar that run through these pieces--we just spent a beautiful week on Kauai so aloha to everybody.
September 5th, 2009
September 11th, 2009[]
Professor Kliq is back on Radio!
Waaaay back in the day we featured some of Kliq's music for you. He's got a new compilation album out called "Community Service", so we're delighted to bring you another dose.
We hope you enjoy the funky beats of "Bust This Bust That", "Plastic Flashing Lights" and "Surf's Up".
There's something about these tunes that feels decidedly homespun--Kliq's beats remind me of a great big homemade oatmeal cookie with lots of chunks in it as opposed to that pre-processed stuff in a uniform package.
Yummy.
September 11th, 2009
September 18th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we're featuring some songs from Canada's "Staggered Crossing." (or StagX as Canadians in the know call them). StagX is a group of high school friends who've been together for over a decade now, and they've recently formed their own record label.
I had a hard time figuring out which tracks from their eclectic album "Burgundy and Blue" to include to give you a good sampling of their sound!
The first song "Burgundy and Blue" is a blend of some ambient electro-pop mixed in with some drums and vocals. "Nuclear Winter" begins with a light, almost folk-pop feeling and ends with a Collective Soul-esque rock section. "Under Circumstances like these" has a country-folk feel to it, and "My Disease" has a bit of a Tom Petty thing going on. Lastly, "Save me Tonight" is a ballad to set you back down closer to ambient-land where we began.
I was liking the "chill out" sound effects for these. Enjoy!
September 18th, 2009
September 25th, 2009[]
So I know you get asked this question often, but how do you like your Spanish/celtic ska hybrid music? If you prefer heavy on the bagpipes, I'd recommend Ness' instrumental track "Balboa." If you prefer to emphasize the screaming Spanish vocals, I'd suggest "Fiesta". Both flavors are served up on Radio this week.
We're also featuring two instrumental acoustic guitar tracks from Kazakhstan's Alexandr Fillipov. "Friday" has a jazzy feel with lots of trills and flourishes, and "Tango" is true to its name. Watch out for crazy bumps since they're using the tag [as-steep].
Enjoy!
September 25th, 2009
October 1st, 2009[]
Well hello there!! Do you like our new look? This new loading screen allows you to access all the features of the new Audiosurf community stats website from within the game. Sign in to the website at any time to access your own personal stats page, keep track of your friends' stats, add friends, search for songs, or manage your account settings.
To launch the new website on a celebratory note, we've brought back one of the original Audiosurf Radio launch artists, Asynchronous. They're now under a different moniker, Killing Thursby and they're creating "analog inspired post pop" for your enjoyment.
"Little Kingdom" is the catchy title track from their new EP. "Crooked Fingers" has a fast treble pulse which creates tight block clusters. "Resonance" has fast downhill tunnels in a middle section with some high-pitched frequency sounds, and "512" has a groovy bass line.
Enjoy!
October 1st, 2009
October 9th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we bring you some japanese electronica from zddn. These songs sometimes have an otherwordly, dreamy quality to them that really hooked me.
First we start out with "kumo kage tristesse", the most dragonforce-like song on their album "Fragments of the End." Next we move onto "byacco", a hardcore trance track with some slow sections for variety. Then there's "here we are" which straddles the line between ambient and danceable. Finally, "gienb" is a 10-minute-long electronic soundscape track for those of you wanting an endurance challenge.
Enjoy!
October 9th, 2009
Charge Shot!!! review of this week's Audiosurf Radio now avalaible! Read it to see which song they call "16-bit Rammstein".
Today's Top Scores update: skill ratings have been reduced for casual rides.
October 16th, 2009[]
Audiosurfers, meet Spunkshine - you two are going to get along well. Actually, you may already know each other. Spunkshine's music has been used in trailers for Grindhouse, Lucky Number Slevin, and Sahara.
First up is a deliberately speedy ride, With Deliberate Speed. The Deviant Career then takes it down a knotch before Preemtive Grooving turns it back up to 11. An Ability to Compartmentalize keeps up the pace and May Day then ends the set nicely.
I've been enjoying these on Pandora lately and asked to offer them here. Thanks to Dave Asma (Spunkshine) for the great rides!
October 16th, 2009
October 23rd, 2009[]
This week we bring you some songs from the prolific and generous indie acoustic rock musician Josh Woodward. His new album "Breadcrumbs" just came out this week. "Swansong" features a banjo and a glockenspiel, and is a bell-shaped ride. "I'm not dreaming" has an epic feeling to it with some epic bumps to match. "Stars Collide" is our slow dance song of the week, again with the glock (and I'm not talking about the gun), some piano and some hand clappin.
We're also featuring a short jazz piece by Sam McNally called "Rabbit Funk". It sounds a lot like the piano music from "The Firm" and a sax solo in the middle spices things up a bit.
Enjoy!
October 23rd, 2009
October 30th, 2009[]
Trick or treat? It all depends on how you feel about Speedsound's 8+ minute, crazy traffic density trance tunes "Love in Paz" and "Chemical Trip." These songs will put your sugar-rushed brains and twitchy fingers to the test.
We've also got a couple of Halloween-ish themed songs from KJBO, "Future ghosts." and "It's hard to love a ghost." I'm sure the internet will kick the crap out of me for suggesting that the lead singer's voice resembles a male Courtney Love in texture. There you go, internet--take your best shot. To take the Halloween theme to a corny level, try the spoooky 'cyclone' sound effects with these.
Watch out for all those ghouls this week.
October 30th, 2009
November 6th, 2009[]
This week at Audiosurf Global Headquarters (aka the living room) we've been playing a bunch of old Cure records. So maybe that's why the Robert Smith-esque stylings of The Sway grabbed our attention. "Going Blind" has a pretty guitar riff and a stair-step-shaped track. Don't let the beginning orchestral bars of "No one comes (close to you)" fool you--this is a downhill track with plenty of twisting curves.
Then we bring you some modern, bossa nova meets electronica music from Brazil's Pipo Pegoraro. "Nonsense" and "Me Despeco" both have fun rhythmical surprises and sexy Brazilian vocals.
November 6th, 2009
November 13th, 2009[]
This week on Radio, the French surfer-rock band Juanitos returns with a few tunes off their latest compilation album. "Everybody loves the party" and "She dance flamenco" have that unique France meets Austin Powers style. Last time we featured Juanitos, one of our top players dschallert made some custom lava lamp sky spheres to enhance the 60s ambiance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKlZ9_k8cOU
And next we have the inaugural appearance of the didjeridoo on Radio. Frenchman Phillipe Mayne has managed to create two blues/jazz tunes featuring the didj ("Unplugged" and "Blues for Didj") that I really enjoyed riding. I found that the "circuits" sound effects worked the best with this instrument.
November 13th, 2009
November 20th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we're featuring the electro/ambient/world-music stylings of France's Phillipe Caerou.
First up is "Anthem," which reminds me of Moby in some thick-layered guitar sections. Next is "Eden", which has some dream-like chimes layered over a steady beat. Then there's "Wires," which starts out with a Gregorian-like chant section and ends with some wicked red twisting tunnels. This one reminds me of a more electro-fied version of some of Peter Gabriel's instrumental soundtracks.
I also included a couple more experimental-style tracks as a bonus: "Jhada" has lots of that very Chiense-sounding flute I don't know the name of, that Chinese harp I also don't know the name of, and gongs. "Moonsoon" has a Chinese/Indian/new-age spa texture to it, with some Native-American elements thrown in for good measure.
I was liking "Circuits" sound effects on these.
November 20th, 2009
November 27th, 2009[]
This week on Radio we bring you some lovely songs from Paris' David Chapel (otherwise known simply as 'david'). "Amoureux du soleil" is a nice blend of chanson and country western/honky tonk, complete with harmonica. It reminds me a bit of the Allman Brothers' "Jessica." "Delirante planete" crams a lot of beautiful french consonants into just a few minutes. The guitar work as well as the traffic gets thicker as the song goes on.
"J'y suis j'y reste " reminds me in chords and in tone of "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's It has such a cute lil ending. "Le petite guignol" seems to be a political protest ditty, what with the mentions of "Sarkozy" and the fact that 'guignol' means 'puppet'. See, you learn a new thing each week here on Radio! It's got an almost polka-like feel to it with an oompah bass line and some accordion.
As if you needed another reason to visit Paris, david has several gigs there in the next month.
November 27th, 2009
December 4th, 2009[]
We start Radio off this week with an 8-minute trance number from Speedsound called "Dark Star." It's got a series of hills and valleys--it's fun to get a big match to clear off at the bottom of a dip so you can coast up a hill and reflect on your awesomeness.
Next we have some Greco-Roman inspired electronica from Italy's Oreste Fiengo. Maybe this is the kind of stuff Titus Pullo would have listened to if there was techno in his day. "Dyanah" has a strong almost middle-eastern beat to it. "Cornelia" is built around a melody sung by a female voice and a violin.
And we round things off with a short folk/reggae/slightly surfer inspired tune. "Tu En Mi" by Marle Kani just made me think of hanging out on the beach in the warm sun.
Enjoy!
December 4th, 2009
December 11th, 2009[]
Look familiar? If not, go play CANABALT! (my top score so far: 3470)
The theme song is an awesome ride and it's available on Audiosurf Radio this week!
We've even got five other tracks straight from the musician himself, danny B. They're all fast and fun, but be especially sure to ride BOSS FIGHT AAAHHH from upcoming WiiWare/PC game Super Meat Boy.
December 11th 2009
December 24th, 2009[]
Happy holidays! This week on Radio we've got some songs from the one and only Jonathan Coulton!
We start off with "Chiron Beta Prime," a fast-paced futuristic Christmas carol. Then we move onto "Christmas is Interesting," a cynical tune for those of you who are more of the bah-humbug variety.
Next we've got a couple of songs about shopping: "Ikea", a fast-paced ode to the home of allen wrenches and meatballs, and "Skymall," which combines the themes of shopping and traveling.
We used a couple special modes: Ikea has grey blocks for every character and Chiron Beta Prime has extra white/black blocks.
You may know Jonathan Coulton as the "Still Alive" guy--and yes, he is, but there quite a few other gems in his collection. A ton of his songs are for sale on Amazon mp3 downloads and are also available on his website, and other online music stores.
December 24th, 2009