Random Encounter is a rock group out of Orlando Florida that focuses on video game music whether its arrangements of your favorite classic game tunes or wonderful originals inspired by video game worlds. With the Big Blue LP, Random Encounter added a few new songs as well as spiced up old classics from their earlier albums.
The album starts with H.T from Trigun, which I must admit I am not very familiar with. Even still, the song itself is pretty catchy as Kit tears it up and gives you a small taste of what Random Encounter has to offer with this LP.
The next two songs will make you tap your feet and smile. Delightful Spekkio from Chrono Trigger and Lively Town from Shining Force II just have this whimsy filled outdoor café vibe to them. Whether it’s Careless’s masterful Accordion play or Konami make sweet love to his guitar, you are sure to feel like a better person.
Following that relaxing jaunt we are shoved into fast paced guitar frenzy of one of the BEST versions of Cutman I have ever heard. It even has a neat little drum solo and you can definitely hear the bass sounding loud and clear. It’s simply great.
Link’s Awakening Theme is the perfect follow-up allowing you to relax after such an intense song. Its really a quite nice arrangement.
Faxanadu is a game I remember seeing but I have never played so while I didn’t recognize the song, I still found it enjoyable.
The Kefka’s Theme starts off fairly simple but it gets increasingly complicated sounding over time and is kind of fun to hear develop. Much like it’s interesting to see the character Kefka develop. It’s an RPG for your ears!
Oh boy, I think I just got misty eyed. This version of Gerudo Valley is one of the best Zelda songs I’ve heard. All the parts just move together so well. It makes me feel like it’s my birthday and I am sitting in my room playing Ocarina of Time for the first time. Great song.
Ballad of the 3 Doctors is something that Random Encounter is LEGENDARY for. They are the masters of Mash-up. If you remember Purple Angel, well this is kinda like that. Take the Doctor Who Theme, a Jurassic Park theme, and the Back to the Future theme and put them together in one seamless quilt of musical bliss and that’s what we have.
Clash at the Big Bridge from Final Fantasy V is the next song and boy does it sound fantastic. I would swear Nobuo Uematsu was right there with them. My daughter loves to dance to this song as well. Fantastic.
Finally the song people have been screaming for, Big Blue from F-Zero. People have been shouting for this song for as long as I remember. They did it once on Unavenged but hadn’t played it much since. Now they’ve revamped it and made it tighter and it sounds great. They’ve even mashed another song into it, but I won’t ruin the surprise. Now that I’ve heard them master this song, I wonder if they are ready to take on Sky Shark.
The Big Blue LP is great if you love Video Game music. With the pay what you want price, it’s definitely worth it. If you can chip them off some coin, do it! If not, download it anyway and tell your friends.
