With Level Up KL Play happening in just a few more days, we figured it’d be a good time to talk about one of the biggest attractions of the event itself, and that would of course be the first ever Malaysian debut of the ever-popular Video Game Orchestra.
I’m sure a lot of you are asking, what exactly is the Video Game Orchestra? Well don’t worry folks, I’m here to enlighten all of you, and maybe get you hooked on them yourselves.
The Video Game Orchestra is a project created by Okinawan-born Shota Nakama, a Berklee College of Music graduate. The project was based in Boston, and was founded in May 2008.
What separates VGO from other video game concert or orchestral acts is their signature “rockhestral” sound. What this means is that instead of a traditional orchestra arrangement, this one also includes a rock band playing centre stage, as well as a choir. This brings out a whole new sound, which is the core element of VGO, and one that has proven to rock the socks off every show they’ve done so far.
Speaking of shows, their list of appearances is nothing short of spectacular either. From starting out with their debut concert, titled “A Night of Symphonic Video Game Music” at the Old South Church in Boston on July 2008, they’ve gone on to be part of some truly wondrous achievements, the most notable ones being personally selected by Arnie Roth as one of the Distant Worlds: Final Fantasy orchestras in 2012, to even partnering with Square Enix to orchestrate the compositions created by Masashi Hamauzu for the game Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII in 2013.
In 2019, at PAX East, the group has even done rock arrangments for popular game soundtracks, such as for the song “Life Will Change” from the highly popular Persona 5, as well as the classic “Vampire Killer” from the Castlevania franchise.
2019 will mark the first year that this group has ever performed in Malaysia, and in my personal opinion, this is one show that should not be missed by anyone. If you are a fan of rock music, but also enjoy the harmony of an orchestra, you owe it to yourself to catch these guys in action.
Tickets for the Video Game Orchestra live show at Level Up KL Play are still on sale, and they can be purchased on the day of the event itself. A worthy investment, if their track record is anything to go by.
- General seating will cost RM108
- Concert + Meet & greet session for the cost of RM228
If you’d like to know more about them, you can find them on their Facebook page, while if you’d like to check out what they’ve done so far, they also have a YouTube channel.
Follow THE MAGIC RAIN’s Facebook and Instagram for a chance to score FREE tickets to Video Game Orchestra for yourself!
