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From the beeps and boops of chiptunes in the 80s to the fully orchestrated, cinematic soundtracks of today, video game music is a flourishing genre that deserves to be celebrated. Join our hosts Anjuli Dodhia, Connor Henricksen and Devin Gay as they take you on a journey through the world of video game music and share their experience as music lovers and gamers. Video games are for everyone and so is the music, so whether you’ve been playing them all your life or you’ve never even picked up a controller, there’s something here for you.
New episodes air every week, Fridays at 3 PM and repeating Saturdays at 6 PM on our classical service, or listen here.
Pacific Northwest AAA Video Games
Music from big-budget games made by big-name developers in the Pacific Northwest. Highlighted developers include Bungie, Sucker Punch and Valve.
Pacific Northwest Independent Games
Music from small, independent game developers in the Pacific Northwest, including Cyan, Fullbright, Extremely OK Games, Bay12 Games, Hopoo Games and ConcernedApe.
Series Highlight: Minecraft
A deep cave-dive into the music of Minecraft and how it has evolved since the game’s original full release over a decade ago.
Composer Highlight: Borislav Slavov
A look at the works of Borislav Slavov, with special attention to his compositions for the critically acclaimed and widely beloved role playing game Baldur’s Gate 3.
Halloween Special
A selection of songs from the games we like to play on Halloween, with a focus on the sillier side of spooky, as well as a few tracks from some true horror masterpieces.
Indie Darlings
Independently developed games that had a big impact on the gaming community. Featured games include Hollow Knight, Outer Wilds, Rimworld, and Stardew Valley.
Series Highlight: Super Mario Bros.
A look at the music of the Super Mario Bros. franchise through the years, a series that is emblematic of the shift from simple chiptunes to orchestral soundscapes and beyond.
Composer Highlight: Austin Wintory
Celebrating the works of composer Austin Wintory, whose work on the game Journey was the first video game soundtrack to be nominated for a Grammy.
Games We Played in 2020
Video games released in the year 2020 that we played while stuck at home during the pandemic. Featured games include Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom (2016), Half-Life Alyx, Bugsnax and Stardew Valley.
NWPB’s Staff Favorites
The staff at NWPB chimes in with some of their favorite video game tunes, including tracks from a wide variety of games through the decades.
Composer Highlight: Toby Fox
Showcasing the compositions of Toby Fox, celebrated indie developer whose debut game Undertale skyrocketed him (and his music) to worldwide fame.
Grab Bag Special
Some of the music we wanted to play, that wouldn’t fit into any other episode, as well as previews of music from games we will feature in the future.
Winter Special
Music for the winter season, maybe some tunes that evoke the holidays, maybe some that just feel like cold snowy weather.
