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Classy video game music for a wedding

Pure DinPure Din Boston-areaRegistered User regular
My fiance and I are getting married and we're putting together a playlist of video game music to play during cocktails and dinner (after dinner we'll switch to more popular music for people to dance to).

We want it to be upbeat and sort of jazzy, and not alienate the majority of our guests who are older family members and non-gamers. Also the guy who is going to DJ for us said we should try to find nice quality music so it sounds good on the big speakers.

I put together a youtube playlist with some songs I have albums for, with the idea that he could mix those into the playlist of cocktail party music. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for other albums or cover artists who might fit the theme? Thanks in advance!

Posts

  • Pure DinPure Din Boston-areaRegistered User regular
    PS: I am marrying the guy with the potted plant although the plant died soon after he bought the engagement ring. (Hopefully that's not a bad sign?)

  • NotoriusBENNotoriusBEN Registered User regular
    edited May 2015
    I would think it would be ok as long as you put them between 2 to 4 other songs that are more recognizable. If you can get more jazz songs, I wouldn't see a problem since it all has the same tone. It's you and your fiancee's party, you can choose the music. Just be aware that your relatives will judge you. (They always always do, though).

    I would toss the zelda track from the oneups. I'm sorry to say that for almost the first minute or so, it sounds like someone is cutting a raspberry.

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  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User, Moderator, Administrator admin
    The London Philharmonic Orchestra did two CDs of Video Game music, including a humorous symphonic rendition of the Angry Birds theme (along with fun things like Mass Effect, Uncharted, Mario medley, etc.). It's under "The Greatest Video Game Music" and "The Greatest Video Game Music Vol. 2". I'd also recommend "Distant Worlds" I, II, and III (Final Fantasy music). They are great things to have playing in the background while not alienating the general public.

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  • KirbithKirbith Registered User regular
    My husband and I used the Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestration cd that came with Skyward Sword as the music playing before our wedding. I don't know if it's exactly the kind of music you're looking for but we enjoyed it quite a bit and it wasn't alienating to any of our guests. Most of them didn't realize it was related to video games at all.

    Backloggery | Steam - Kirbith | PSN - Kirbith | 3DS: 4957-2249-4817
  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    My fiancee is walking down in the aisle in a couple of weeks to part of Lindsey Sterling's Zelda medley. We are also playing The Prelude from Final Fantasy while people are getting seated.

    (We are also using the Star Wars throne room fanfare for the recessional. Not actually game music but I thought it was worth mentioning.)

  • AkilaeAkilae Registered User regular
    The Ace Attorney Jazz remix disk is all you need.

  • NocrenNocren Lt Futz, Back in Action North CarolinaRegistered User regular
    Gaslight wrote: »
    My fiancee is walking down in the aisle in a couple of weeks to part of Lindsey Sterling's Zelda medley. We are also playing The Prelude from Final Fantasy while people are getting seated.

    (We are also using the Star Wars throne room fanfare for the recessional. Not actually game music but I thought it was worth mentioning.)

    I was going to recommend Lindsey Sterling as well. Violin renditions of game music is a good way to ease people in.

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  • pirateluigipirateluigi Arr, it be me. Registered User regular
    My wife and I did a lot of video game music at our wedding. We played Final Fantasy prelude while people were being seated and she walked down the aisle to Tifa's Theme (specifically this version https://youtu.be/sDSZji7YbW4 )
    Our recessional was Dr Mario from Smashing Live. We also played some other songs from Smashing Live and the Italian Plumber and Wily's Wedding from OC Remix.

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  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    If you have time, you can head over to Overclock Remix and browse through their stuff. There is a lot of electronic / techno music but there is also a lot of remixes in... just about every style you can name.

  • Pure DinPure Din Boston-areaRegistered User regular
    Thanks for all the recommendations so far! I think I should clarify, we're only looking for cocktail and dinner music, not ceremony music. I'll check out some of the more orchestral stuff recommended but I'm worried it will be too dark or not upbeat enough, or won't fade into the background very well.

    @NotoriousBEN that might have to do with the YouTube compression, because I don't hear that on the zelda track at all? Though it's easy enough to get rid of that track just in case.

  • Local H JayLocal H Jay Registered User regular
    The One-Ups do jazzy covers of lots of classic games.
    The OneUps - Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone: https://youtu.be/aeQJCH4KIeY
    The OneUps - Kirby's Dream Land - Green Greens: https://youtu.be/z08Fyx9VCOY

  • W2W2 Registered User regular
    The Grim Fandango soundtrack is upbeat and jazzy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-K8R1hDG9E

  • EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    If you are a fan of Secret of Mana, search "Spectrum of Mana" and you will get a really solid orchestral, jazz, and techno mixture of that amazing soundtrack (the album is free and there are about 50 tracks).

  • pirateluigipirateluigi Arr, it be me. Registered User regular
    For background dinner music, bladiator has some great piano mixes. Especially Grand Valse Mario and A Dangerless Road. http://www.bladiator.vgpiano.com/site/remix.htm
    For really upbeat, I love Get On the Bus, an Earthbound remix by virt. https://youtu.be/RhVyJRWkCVo

    http://www.danreviewstheworld.com
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  • CambiataCambiata Commander Shepard The likes of which even GAWD has never seenRegistered User regular
    Because I have to contribute something Mass Effect related: Shepard's tango is a dance piece -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2pu7zWGHkg

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  • ceresceres When the last moon is cast over the last star of morning And the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
  • EnigmedicEnigmedic Registered User regular
    edited May 2015
    Dance with the Balamb Fish
    Waltz to the Moon
    Breezy

    These are all pretty upbeat and don't really seem too much like video game music. I love Final Fantaasy 8's soundtrack. As an added note the first 2 are actually from dances in the game.

    edit* I guess I could also add "Real Emotion" and "1000 Words" from the Final Fantasy X-2 soundtrack. Those were both from concerts in the game and I at least like 1000 words as an actual song.

    Enigmedic on
  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    There's Yasunori Mitsuda's jazzy arrangements of the Chrono Trigger soundtrack The Brink of Time
    I recommend
    • "Chrono Trigger" (though it has about 1:08 of filler at the beginning, so the DJ will have to be aware of that)
    • "Secret of the Forest" and
    • "The Brink of Time"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug_O8WPlJ3I&list=PLB4C1A64798777AC2

    Also, WOW, I was the first post on your link there. I totally forgot about that. I'm glad to hear that your fiancee didn't die.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    edited May 2015
    Oh yeah, and then there's the SMB soundtrack...

    Maybe a little too loud? The Forest Funk is probably the most jazzy.

    EDIT: I listened to your tracks and decided SMB's sound is too video gamey. I'll double my recommendation for "The Brink of Time," however.

    DisruptedCapitalist on
    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • cloudeaglecloudeagle Registered User regular
    I was only able to sneak this one into my wedding dinner, but it worked well:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u589pvON9nE

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  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    Ok last one:

    The Theme to Mirror's Edge sung by Lisa Miskovsky:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzmUde_EK5Y

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • Xavier1216Xavier1216 Bagu is my name. Show my note to river man. Greater Boston AreaRegistered User regular
    There's a great album on Spotify called Multiplayer: A Tribute to Video Games. The first two things that came to mind were their covers of Pokemon's Pallet Town and Castlevania's Vampire Killer. And they have a fun cover of Robo's Theme from Chrono Trigger that slides into Never Gonna Give You Up for a half minute or so.

    I think someone suggested The OneUps already, but they're worth mentioning again (especially Volume 1).

    There's also an artist named Sean Schafianski who has a lot of arranged (mostly Square-Enix) music.

    Devin Taylor's D Tech has an interesting set of remixed themes.

    The Module Years 1996-1999 by Glejs has a few synth and bass Final Fantasy VII tracks, including a pretty energetic Rocket Town.

    The plant dying after he bought the ring is not a bad omen, by the way. The plant has passed the torch to the ring as the symbol of your relationship; it died knowing that it had fulfilled its duty.

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  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    I had to look up Robo-Astley mashups.

    Wow... there are a lot of them. I'll never hear that right ever again.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    The L.A. Noire soundtrack is jazzy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bW75OwVXZI

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  • darkmayodarkmayo Registered User regular
    The Scars of Time always gets me right in the feels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs2y4Nqku2o - Original https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ595N9NZVg Live Orchestra

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  • DraygoDraygo Registered User regular
    Ok I'm going to kinda drop a few things here because my bro had a wedding with some videogame music.

    For the ceremony anything will be fine, but keep in mind in the reception that music that has really soft and loud parts will be disruptive to the guests. When a song goes from barely audible to souring and loud it can be tricky for the DJ to keep it in check to keep it a comfortable level. So if you are picking through music I would avoid music that does this and stick with music that keeps a steady dynamic for the dinner portion. That way you make it easy on the dj not having to worry about guests not being able to hear the music at all over the chatter of the room, or the guests not being able to hear at all because of the loudness of a section of music.

    Scars of time wouldn't be a good piece for the reception at all, you wont hear the first part and the middle tends to get really loud.

    Waltz for the moon would actually be fantastic to dance to, as its a waltz (obviously!). It also has an even dynamic so it would work well as background music for the dinner portion as well.

    Keep in mind I am in no way saying 'no' here to videogame music. If you want to do it, do it! there are lots of great things to choose from! Just be a bit careful with your selection if you want a quality experience. This is based on feedback from dinner guests at my brothers wedding.

  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    A big chunk of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack was big band music or inspired by it, so pretty jazzy, and there are plenty of jazz arrangements like the OC Remix series Kong in Concert.

    Examples: DK Island Swing

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ9Z0YwFkyk

    Bonus Room Blitz

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S62AX1_HTkA

  • Pure DinPure Din Boston-areaRegistered User regular
    I just wanted to update since the wedding already happened --

    It turned out that it didn't matter what music played during cocktail hour and reception, because most guests don't pay attention to the background music at all. However, there was one moment when my younger brother's table stopped talking after they got their meals, and a few minutes later he runs across the dance floor screaming at me and my husband: "Do know there is Chrono Trigger music playing at your wedding?!" That alone made it totally worth it.

    Another interesting thing: in retrospect, I think my husband and I worried too much that our older guests wouldn't agree with various decisions, but instead they told me that it was the most fun wedding they've ever been to. So my advice to future couples is that if the basic structure of the day is a 10 minute ceremony followed by a 4.5 hours of food and open bar, you can pretty much get away with anything. I kind of wish we had picked out music we liked for dancing as well, because most of the old people only danced for about an hour and then spent the rest of the evening just drinking and chatting. Oh well.

    PS: My brother is getting married next year, and told me he's adding The Consouls to the playlist:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCiSHodF5rk

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