The origins of video game music and electronic dance music share many parallels. 30 years ago, Yuzo Koshiro brought VGM and EDM together in Streets of Rage, and transcended what was possible for the medium.
In 1991, Streets of Rage introduced authentic cutting-edge House music to video games. It was only possible thanks to a small piece of technology shared by the Sega Genesis and the famous synthesisers of the 80’s.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 – Ahead of its Time
0:52 – Street Fights and Strobe Lights
1:59 – A Household Name
3:14 – Synths of Rage
7:02 – Beats to Beat ’em Up to
8:28 – Transcending Game Music
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All game footage from this video is from Streets of Rage, captured by myself.
Music tracks used in this video, in order of appearance:
The Street of Rage (Title Screen) – Streets of Rage (Yuzo Koshiro)
Fighting in the Street – Streets of Rage
Can You Feel It? – Mr Fingers
Keep the Groovin’ – Streets of Rage
Player Select – Streets of Rage
Dilapidated Town – Streets of Rage
Moon Beach – Streets of Rage
Stealthy Steps – Streets of Rage
Move Your Body (House Music Anthem) – Marshall Jefferson
Sadeness, Part I – Enigma
Get A Life – Soul II Soul
Violent Breathing – Streets of Rage
Expander – Streets of Rage 2 (Motohiro Kawashima)
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Game Score Fanfare is a show that celebrates music in video games, an aspect so overlooked as that’s often the point: to work without you even realising it’s there. I look at games through the lens of its score, discovering the unique perspective and roles that music can bring.
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It's the time to share this video to everyone, doesn't matter if the other people are gamers or not.
Hell fuckin' yeah buddyyyy
This was a welcome surprise in my sub feed! Streets of Rage and its sequels have some of my all time favourite game soundtracks (got the first two on vinyl), it was really cool to learn more about the specifics of how Koshiro created the music for the hardware of the Mega Drive. Excellent video, can't wait for you to talk about the sequel.
Super interesting. Thanks for the video.
Even in a hugely compressed and bitcrushed state, that 909 kick still pumps and IMO that's the thing that separates this soundtrack from all others.
Thanks for posting this!
Oh. didn't know i was listening to EDM at the time.
All I know is that the sounds were groovy.
I even remember times when I purposefully don't move in the game just to listen to the tunes back then. Even in the title screen.
Ya know, I wasn't super interested in this . . . never played Streets of Rage, and never been into any EDM. But dives into these obscure bits of history are always fun (and let's be real, I'm not going to skip one of your videos!)
Goodness, after FF8, how'd you know to make another episode specifically for me? C:
Super stoked for volume 2! SoR2 is one of my favorite games of all time.
Techno and House is not EDM. EDM is a term invented and recently used by people who attend Tiesto gigs, never listened to Larry Heard and think its all shuffling and pre-recorded sets with elaborate firework displays.
Amazing video! Great job looks absolutely amazing!
What a treat! I always learn so much more from your videos than I expect to!
💖💖💖
3:31 Wow, porn stores were way cooler in the 80s
Your editing is soo gooood
Good stuff as always. Quite informative too i must say.
Tho i also would say that calling the early 90s the "golden age of video game music" is a bit of a disservice to what has come after. I think it is all up to the unique and distinct sound that the vgm of the time had, in comparison to later on.
L A T I N X
Excellent as usual! 🤘🏻😁 Streets of Rage is iconic, but I didn't realize it pulled so much from real songs. Do you think you'll talk about SoR4's music?
Synth history is always so cool!