Chris Hülsbeck in Concert
 

Hey everyone!

Do you have any ideas for your summer trip in 2008? No? Perhaps that's something for you:

There will be a concert with music written by Chris Hülsbeck in Cologne in August 2008. A "big orchestra and chorus" will perform new arrangements of tracks among other things from Apidya, Giana Sisters, R-Type and of course Turrican.

Source (Attend that the news is currently available on the German part of the website only; the English equivalent should follow soon I guess)

Well, if that not enough, Games Convention is in August, too! And most likely there will be a Symphonic Game Music Concert again. Could be a hot summer for VGM lovers. :)

News in English:

Huelsbeck Announcement.

Looks like fun!

This is actually an event that interests me, as Hulsbeck is probably my favorite composer. Regrettably, I have too much going on to fly anywhere on vacation.

I don't follow concert news often; is it common for live performances to be recorded, then released for the fans' enjoyment?

I can only imagine how fantastic it must be to hear "Freedom" performed live.

Count me in. I hope the advance sale of tickets starts soon. It couldn't take place at a more perfect time and city than August next year in Cologne.

I'll try to make this

I met Huelsbeck last year, we discussed Jim Power on PC Engine alot, such a nice guy

Just a quick update information: The concert will be calling "Symphonic Shades" and tickets can be ordered in early 2008.

Source: vgmconcerts.com Newsletter

It's sold out! If you have a ticket, be happy, if not, don't worry. It could be that a CD record of the concert will be available but depends on the feedback of the fans, so sign in to I-want-the-Huelsbeck-in-Concert-CD and show how epic you are! ;)

*push*

Okay, everybody. CD will come. Check it out and preorder it! ;)

Really awesome that Maz Sound is doing that. I haven't seen that name in ages. Used to be a demoscene resources for sample libraries and such.

Posted up the first English interview about this concert yesterday here. Coincides nicely with the CD announcement and includes some very interesting details.

Great interview, man! I'm really looking forward to this CD. Thomas is a cool dude, too!

Thank you for the interview! Wah, more stuff from Thomas Böcker & Co. Amazing. Can't wait for any announcement.

Yes, Thomas is a very polite guy and just the right man for VGM projects. I'm happy that he didn't quit after Leipziger Messe GmbH said "no" to an sixth Symphonic Game Music Concert.

I'm really excited about what Thomas will be doing with the WDR next as well!

Although I won't be attending the concert myself, I can't wait to hear Valtonen's arrangements and orchestrations on the CD. It's a rare privilege to hear all original and high quality arrangements on a game concert.

More fantastic news here:

Live Radio Broadcast for Symphonic Shades - Huelsbeck in Concert

It's wonderful this will be live plus very impressive that it is reaching such a large audience. With the impressive arrangements, this will really help to increase appreciation for VGM.

Great option for all who can't attend the show live in Cologne.

Studio quality CD sounds nice but I will miss the audience's reaction a bit.

Some fantastic insight from Jonne Valtonen here. I really love what he says about each of the arrangements he discusses. There's also an interview with Takenobu Mitsuyoshi at the bottom. Look out for Yuzo Koshiro and Arnie Roth soon.

Just a head's up to everyone that this concert is being broadcast live over the radio right now! Check it out!

Online radio? Where?

Additional Spam:
Ah found it. Missed Mr. X's post.

Radio

Yeah, the second half has just started. I've been really impressed so far. The intermission was interesting too with the fragments of English interviews plus the use of Drammatica. Can't wait for the CD.

I tuned in just after the intermission. Just....WOW!

I could kick myself for missing the first half.

Definitely going to BUY this CD.

Not every day when you can turn your basement into an orchestra while eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. This is so awesome. =)))

I don't live in a basement. ;_;

Additional Spam:
SO wishing I had surround sound right now.

Christ, I wish I could actually see Ronny Barak doing his stuff on percussion.

My headphones do fine :3

Headphones could not ever give justice to the bare minimum concept of a live orchestra.

Not saying my desktop speakers are any better, but at least the sound bounces off the back wall. =p

Of course it won't have anything on actually being there, but it'll certainly sound better than any number of computer speakers can put out.

Seeing Rony Barrak live is just an awesome experience. Those people in Cologne must have amazed. I've really enjoyed everything on the second half so far. Was that a theremin on Shades?

I hope somebody is recording this, so I can catch the first half I missed.

Hmmmm . . . is there a release date for the CD?

The site says Quarter 4.

The apocalypse has arrived by the sounds of this introduction. This piano concertino is going to be awesome.

And that was truly amazing. One can hope that it becomes an annual concert series.

That sounded spectacular, and it was only on a 128 internet broadcast, I can't imagine how good the CD will sound, or even how great it was live.

But definitely what horseman said.

I had a feeling they'd leave the Turrican theme for the end. That was wonderful. Thanks for sharing, guys. =)

That was amazing! Everything I could have hoped for. The "Turrican 3 Suite" was a total flashback to 2006. Great music, great arrangements, funny MC. And I was totally stunned at the VGM featurette. Read that: It didn't suck, no, it was actually interesting!
Kudos to Mr. Böcker and Mr. Fechner who brought that event to those who couldn't attend.

I recorded the whole concert from the ASTRA Digital Radio broadcast (just like the PROMS concert earlier this year).

I won't release the music this time as I think it's too important to support the sale of the CD. It'll hit the web as soon as it is released, it's just that I don't want to be the one responsible for it.
Thomas Böcker needs to be supported, as he is the most engaged producer of video game music concerts at the moment. The amount of time and effort he invested in his Symphonic Game Music Concert series is unbelievable. And the success of Symphonic Shades makes a revival of the traditional concerts for the new annual trade fair GAMESCom in Cologne all the more possible.

However, I will provide all the MC comments and the VGM featurette in FLAC form, as I expect the official CD not to include them.

Just wondering... since you said that the VGM featurette was interesting would it be possible for you to translate it into English and post it? It certainly did sound informative despite my lack of being able to actually understand it.

Just got back from the concert (yeah 9 hours after the concert..) and long story short it was awesome. There was a meet and greet before the first concert, I got autographs from Chris Hülsbeck, Jonne Valtonen, even Thomas Böcker, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and Yuzo Koshiro, several photos with the latter two, shook all sorts of hands and finally enjoyed a really good live concert, just like several other gamingforce members who came all the way to Cologne.

We actually had discussions if people will actually listen to this on the internet and it seems it did get a lot of resonance.

I must say even though this was Hülsbeck's concert, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi left the biggest impression on me, he's the coolest game music composer in the world.
All in all, it was a very satisfying experience and I already know my favorites are Jim Power, Apidya II and Tunnel B1. And you really have to experience Rony Barrak in person.

Who else went?

Sure, I'll get around to it. Maybe today, if not, then later this week.

Thanks for the impressions, Teioh. Glad you enjoyed it!

Just came back home in Norway, i flew down for this and it was worth every penny and minute.

I got to meet and have conversation with my all time favorite composer, Mitsuyoshi, he signed my Loud 2 Low album and sang Rent-A-Hero for me, and talked about how sexy he looks. So truly the coolest composer alive as Teioh said. The concert itself was amazing, Jim Power and Gianna Sisters were probably the highlights for me.

Also hanging out with Teioh himself was a great experience, he's an extremely nice, funny and smart guy, so i really enjoy the little time we had together, and hope we will meet up soon again. Hamu-Sumo was also such a great guy, and i really want to thank them both for hanging out all night.

After a bit sleeping I'm here as well. Guys and gals it was simply fantastic. I've paid 128 euros for the train (out and back) and I don't regret any single one of them.

I don't want to go in any details since Mr. X is waiting for my report but three points now: 1) The atmosphere was splendid. 2) Mitsuyoshi-san is a really really cool and funny guy and it seems he enjoyed his time in Cologne every single minute. 3) Mitsuyoshi-san's wife/girlfriend (or was she just his manager? Don't know) is damn cute and sexy :D He has taste! ;)

A lot of photos were taken by me, some not in the quality as I wished but flash light was forbidden. Well, fortunately taking pictures in the concert hall was allowed, as I first talked with an employee he told it isn't. However, I'll upload all the pictures in near future and make a link here.

By the way, in the concert hall there was an TV camera installed (and running as I saw). So maybe a TV broadcast is possible in some time in the future.

Thanks to Teioh, AkumuHau and his friend for the after show talk through the night. It was interesting even your knowledge about H-Games. :D

Ok so away from the attention hungry americans here

I preordered the cd from this concert today, along with C64 Orchestra's RUN 10. PLAY is coming to Denmark later this year so hopefully Hamu, Teioh and I can make it to that.

Soooooo....

Did anybody record the broadcast that's willing to SHARE it? That CD won't be out for months.


Oh, and Tommy, your name shows up 6 times everytime you post. You don't have to type your name at the bottom of your message every time. ;)

YES HE DOES. GOOD GOD HE DOES. IT'S LIKE GETTING HIS AUTOGRAPH EVERY TIME. =D

Still working on the translation of the feature. Seems like I underestimated the amount of text, big time. After all it's still 25 minutes long.

Take your time, man. No need to make this a chore. I wouldn't want hassle you or guilt you into this. Thanks a bunch, dude. =)

I have moved several of Mr. X and Tommy's posts to a private thread. Contact me if you have any problems.

I've also listened to most of the concert Saturday and I concur it was pretty awesome. At first I wasn't too certain I'd enjoy it much since huge-sounding orchestral music is not what I listen to everyday, but I guess the quality of the arrangements and original compositions, plus the top-notch performance, helped me get over it and appreciate the fabulous music. The pieces that had the biggest effect on me are probably "X-Out" and "Shades", but ultimately there wasn't one I disliked. Would have loved to be in Germany that night to experience the concert fully, but I'm still grateful for the live broadcast.

The featurette was quite a nice surprise indeed, even if I couldn't follow it accurately. A translation of it would be really neat to read. Many thanks in advance for taking care of this, Prime Blue.

Also, we've been in talks at VGM Rush of conducting an interview with the main arranger of the concert, Jonne Valtonen. While the list of questions is already populated, there's still room for a few more. So if you have any good ones about either the concert or other aspects of the artist's career, send them my way and I'll slip them in!

By the way folks, Winfried Fechner, manager of the WDR Orchestra, told in an interview about plans for a big concert at Kölner Philharmonie during GamesCom next year.

GamesCom is a new gaming expo in Cologne which should replace Leipzig's Games Convention and is hold from September 9th till September 13th.

The Kölner Philharmonie is a much huger concert hall than Funkhaus Wallrafplatz or Leipzig's Gewandhaus (the place of the Symphonic Game Concerts). German Wikipedia is telling about 2,000 seats. You can get a 3D view here.

No more details yet but could be awesome when the plans come reality.

Man! I missed the broadcast, what a fool I am! Oh well, I guess I'll wait for the cd.

It took a while but pictures are finally up. Enjoy! -> Click me!

Thanks for the pics.
That pipe organ has a cool winged design motif

Pretty cool, Hamu-Sumo!

Translation is still in progress. I'll pull the standard excuse of "being very busy lately" (though it's the truth). Progress is at 30 % right now.

Today i got a thank you letter from Winfried Fechner, thanking me for attending and apologizing for not giving me real tickets, so he supplied chocolate, and a 2 cd set of the live recordings from the concert!!

Man this rocks

Pic or it didn't happen!! :p

I'll scan it later

The chocolate was tasty, WDR chocolate

haha, Chris Hülsbeck barely changed from his 80's pics. hueg chin is still hueg ~

Time has taken it's toll on Yuzo Koshiro, though. He's not the dandy he used to be. ;_;

Awesome pics. Thanks !

To be honest Koshiro-san was a mystery that evening but Takenobu Mitsuyoshi rocks hard! Forget metal, guys, \m/ is the Mitsuyoshi pose! :D

Alright, translation finished, here it is.

Grab the feature here.

You can order the Symphonic Shades CD now, at MAZ Sound Tools. It will be released on December 11. There are only 1000 copies of the recording and they deliver worldwide, so you'd better be quick!

The CD is 70 minutes, so it seems they dropped the MC comments. I'll release them sometime after the album release.

Just ordered!

The CD will be released next week, on December 17th. The press plant made a misprinting of the booklet, resulting in a small delay.

MAZ Sound Tools on the other hand seems to be well-prepared... ;)

http://i38.tinypic.com/28cqd5k.jpg

Shit, I was hoping that I could take my copy into vacations and listen it there. Now it has to stay at home (leaving in two days). :(

For those who would like to learn more about the main arranger of Symphonic Shades, check out an interview we did with Jonne Valtonen at VGM Rush. We discussed about the concert, his career as game and demoscene composer, and more.

http://www.vgmrush.com/feature.php?id=4

We also published a review of the Symphonic Shades CD. Chris, the reviewer, concluded that it is "the best orchestral game music album ever created", so it's definitely an album to look into!

Additionally, we're currently running a review contest of which the prize is a copy of the Symphonic Shades CD. If you're interested in participating, you can find the details here.

Just a quick info: Symphonic Shades is also available on iTunes now!

Sounds like the first edition has sold out. They have a second edition coming out this May. I ncase you missed it though, OSV is giving away two copies of the first edition here: Contest: Symphonic Shades 1st Edition, Get Them Before They’re Gone!

Good to hear the album has done so well. I hope there is enough demand to make a second edition worth it.

The second edition of Symphonic Shades just came in at MAZ. They're selling it for 17.95 euros. I'm debating if I should pick this up or not . . .

You should ;)

Haha, I caved pretty shortly after I made that post. Just had to listen to that last Turrican song again on Youtube to convince me.