The Sound Test

I won't be here next week because of a holiday, so this episode gets all kinds of spooky in advance of Halloween. We skulk from the shadows of one creepy track to another as we explore the ghoulish sounds of various horror-themed games. Despite the darkness, regular features light the way! From news about a new Mario movie, Gotham Knights and more on the horizon from TDK to another twist in the ta...

Get sat comfortably, class, and prepare for this week's lesson - history! Whether it's Vikings, Ancient Egyptians, the Swinging Sixties or 15th Century Bohemia, this episode dips into a variety of historical video games. Besides my own Top 5, and choices from my regulars, we hear all sorts of history-inspired fantasy titles and, of course, check in on all the regular features. Test yourself with a...

Snacks at the ready, because this episode takes a look at some of gaming's tastiest delectables. From Pac-Man's fruit to the glorious culinary delights of Final Fantasy XV, you're sure to feel hungry as the show rolls on. Besides the gastronomic glory, I take a look at three interesting developments for Quickfire News and the SFX Showdown continues with an ever-growing scoreboard. An untrustworthy...

As VGM lovers, we all come across tunes and soundtracks from games we've never played. In this episode, I explore my personal Top 5 games that, despite never playing, have excellent music. My regular listeners get in on the theme too, and plenty of recommendations are thrown around. Otherwise, Quickfire News continues on strong with three new segments, while bookending rounds of the SFX Showdown s...

Besides a mic-levels blunder at the very beginning, this is one of my favourite Sound Test broadcasts ever. Within, we celebrate incredible video game music largely brought to the table by my Discord members. Across the course of this episode, you'll hear how many of my regular listeners came to love VGM and the tunes that started their passion. Of course, I've got a Top 5 of my own formative choi...

The show gets a polish up this week, with a whole new QuickFire News segment and a special COVID-inspired Top 5! What video game characters would you feel most comfortable bumping into in the supermarket during this pandemic? I take a look at my Top 5 masked characters, all while fumbling my way through all the usual features and a nice, chunky playlist. This week's playlist: Cocoa and the Time Ma...

Following on from my ST2 Racing Special, I take a look at some of my personal favourite racing games over the years. Unlike how I usually structure playlists, I've made this one follow a bit of a timeline. Across the course of the show, it dips in and out of different consoles, showing off their capabilities and general style. Also, this show is shorter than most, coming in at about half length. I...

From the oldest arcade cabinets, racing games have been incredibly popular. They’ve revved their way through just about every console and computer chip imaginable, and drifted around every audio innovation with ease. What was once a dedicated and focused profession has widened in scope, especially since the introduction of licensed music and the ever-increasing prevalence of orchestral instrumenta...

I'm back on my own this week, but that doesn't stop the tunes a-flowing! Not only is the playlist nice and strong this week, but we return to presenting a full selection of features - for the first time in months! Alongside the usual SFX Showdown and VGM SongFight segments, Quickfire News is reinstated, with all the usual clumsiness intact. Otherwise, Daisy gets a couple of barks in, and the SongF...

Unfortunately, Bethany's had to return to her homeland of Northern Ireland, so this is her second and final appearance - for now! In time, Bethany'll be back, and we'll continue on with more of my clumsy attempts at explaining VGM. Until then, this is a fun, chaotic show that sees us both slowly lose our faculties thanks to some intense heat. A playlist full of interesting tracks from a variety of...

For Bethany Wilson's very first appearance as a Sound Test co-host, we sail through a playlist that (clumsily) provides a bit of a history lesson! As best as I can with wine, I try to explain some of the fundamentals of VGM and how it evolved. All the way, we hear some prime examples from a variety of chips, with a bit of an accidental concentration on the SNES. We also spend plenty of time in the...

Along with all the old features, ST LIVE returns for its first fully-fledged broadcast in a month! Streamed from Shady's (and featuring him playing Lemmings for the YouTube version), this episode is a triumphant return to the manic, varied fun of the past. Within, you'll hear a whole new round of the SFX Showdown, another VGM SongFight chapter and one of the strongest playlists yet. It's good to b...

Due to not getting internet installed in my new home until August, I'm unable to stream LIVE shows until then! Instead, here's another remastered version of The Sound Test's second show of all time! This time, I speak an unbelievable amount of bollocks. There are parts of this episode that really make me cringe, but I think longtime listeners will enjoy hearing some of my naivety and growth as a V...

Due to not getting internet installed in my new home until August, I'm unable to stream LIVE shows until then! Instead, here's a remastered version of The Sound Test's very first broadcast, featuring Dale Fowler. Previously, this episode was only available to patrons, but I've given it a clean up and posted it here ready for the usual stream time. Essentially, I've replaced the music with better q...

A third "Lee's busy moving house" castaway edition, in which things remain nice and chilled out for a short, peppy playlist. We check back in on music from ST2 Racing Special guests (after the premiere of my WipeOut BONUS), hear yet more from Chris Abbott and relax to several great choices and requests. For the pick of the week this week, though, Lee tells the story of "Puggs in Space", and how it...

My full BONUS interview with Tim Wright, also known as CoLD SToRAGE! Tim has worked on several racing games in his time, but is possibly best known in the genre for his original WipeOut music. I spoke to him about his audio and composition for various racers in this expansive interview, which approaches two hours in length. Due to the level of detail Tim fit into the conversation, I eventually dec...

Another off-season, castaway episode! This time, Lee runs through a very snippy playlist, filled with absolute tunes. Short and sweet is the approach, and hopefully this compact patty of VGM goodness will just about do the trick! "Degree Absolute" Podcast SNEAK PREVIEW: https://youtu.be/Gvq9GahVeEs This week's playlist: The Rooftops – Matt Furniss [Predator 2] Dunk Baby Academy – Laura Shigihara [...

Styled as a 2D RPG adventure, Rakuen follows the emotional journey of an unnamed Boy and his mother. Hospitalised by a difficult illness, the boy finds solace in stories of a magical land. As the narrative unfolds, music becomes integral to the experience. Melodies tie directly into plot threads, and help drive gameplay in some inventive ways. You’d expect nothing less from Laura Shigihara, who jo...

An off-season, castaway episode in which Lee presents a number of updates about The Sound Test and his own personal life. Although the main point of this stream was to get out certain bits of news, its shorter playlist is nonetheless absolutely banging. From obscure 90s racing games to Mushroom Men and all sorts in between, this will hopefully satisfy longtime ST listeners who have been missing th...

For this season finale, Lee takes a look at some of his all-time favourite side scrolling beat 'em ups! Of course, the show is bolstered by an array of requests and other unrelated choices, which all come together to form a particularly bass-heavy playlist. The show will return with a fourth season on July 17th, 2020; allowing Lee to catch his breath and focus a little on ST2. Hopefully, this clos...

To follow on from last week's question about gaming's best playable animal characters, this show delves deep into the wild. With a whole host of choices from listeners, alongside Lee's personal top five, it turns out that there are a lot more iconic digital animals than you might think. There are so many, in fact, that most of the show's regular features are put to one side until next week. Aptly,...

Contemporary chiptune enthusiast, Mike Richmond, returns to The Sound Test for another great conversation! This time, we catch up on his recent work with the AY chip, featured in later versions of the ZX Spectrum along with various arcades, pinball machines and other home computers. A very similar chip was used in the Atari ST, which Mike has also been composing for lately. Finally, we cover more...

This week's focus is the wonderful world of gaming robots! Throughout, Lee takes a look at various iconic playable androids and AI characters; presenting choices from listeners alongside personal picks. Thanks to a week off, the VGM SongFight takes a hiatus and the SFX Showdown teases a winner, while a new question is posed for the next episode. Finally, the News Cop gets jumpy before we finish up...

In Fat Bard's second Sound Test appearance, Zach, Pat and I cover their recent work on two very different titles - Jet Lancer and Levelhead. With the former drenched in guitars alongside an array of retro-influenced synths, and the latter presenting an electronic tapestry of textures and ambience, the two prove their skill for different styles yet again. In this episode, we talk about the producti...

After last week's film-to-game extravaganza, Lee takes a look at his top five game-to-film adaptations! We also hear all about a metal suited Japanese superhero, Lee's near death experience and many more stories about gaming obscurities and gems. Additionally, the SFX Showdown finishes up with round five, and M. Bison gets cocky in the SongFight! Including: SFX Showdown VGM SongFight ( BACKSTORY )...