Nerd Music Meltdown

It's been way too long since our last episode of Nerd Music Meltdown? What the hell happened? Kent gives an update on the podcast, and talks about OngakuVania, joining the MAGFest staff, and Give Kids the World. Follow Kent Ward at https://linktr.ee/greatKentWard Music: "Wood Man (Metal Cover)" by Lame Genie

We have VGM Powerhouse and Tiny Waves daddy Ben Briggs back on Nerd Music Meltdown, with all kinds of tea! He has a new album dropping next week: VGM Essentials from Firaga Records. We talk about that, producing the album live on his Twitch, what's going on with Tiny Waves, K-Pop, Sonic Frontiers, RoboRob, Richie Branson, VectorU, Anamanaguchi, and more! Check out Ben's music at benbriggs.net. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

The one-man Nerdcore Punk Rock Band is running wild! Rhythm Bastard is back on The Meltdown to reminisce about the last ten years of making music and how that ties into his newest album, Hardcore Nerdcore Punk Rock. We also talk about what happened to his music in RetroMania Wrestling, how performing at furry conventions differ from other cons, transgender inclusivitey in our community, D&D, and much more! Check out Rhythm Bastard at rhythmbastard.rocks and rhythmbastard.bandcamp.com! Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

From a desert in Parts Unknown, The Icarus Kid pops in on the Nerd Music Meltdown to talk about his love for both EDM and video game music, restarting his music career multiple times, his take on making electronic live performances exciting to watch, performing at VGMCon, and mental health coaching. You can follow The Icarus Kid at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheIcarusKid. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Two of our favorite homies are back on tour and also on the show. It's Ran and Richie and they talk to Kent about the upcoming Generation of Miracles Tour that goes from Seattle to MomoCon in Atlanta this month. We also talk pandemic stories, new music, Sammus, Rustage, PAX East, Super Bitfest, the rise on anime rap on YouTube, and more! Plus, Kent is going to talk about the latest controvery in nerdcore.. Oh boy... Follow Richie Branson: https://linktr.ee/richiebranson Follow Mega Ran: https://linktr.ee/megaran Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob  

As we march toward episode 100 of Nerd Music Meltdown, we have a new face in our community who making some great progress. She is Allison Martin, a trombonist who creates brassy renditions of video game music. Kent met Allison briefly at MAGFest, so we talk about that, being a part of the "Line Them Up" project, living in Japan, favorite game soundtracks and composers, the importance of collabs in the community, and her upcoming album See The World. Kent also gives some life and event updates in the open. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

We got a full event recap of VGMCon: Lift Off, a video game and music convention that took place this past weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Special guests Mahn, Gunderslam, and H808 performed at the event and recap the whole weekend, plus the Game Music Remix Awards and  the big news for VGM coming out of this year's edition of the Grammy's! Follow Mahn: https://linktr.ee/mahnplaysmusic Follow Gunderslam: https://linktr.ee/Gunderslam Follow H808: https://linktr.ee/h808_beats You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

It's been a while since there was an episode of Nerd Music Meltdown. March was just too crazy for a lot of reasons, including ONGAKU 20XX in Orlando and Virtua Ongaku XIII on Twitch. Kent goes solo and reflects on what was a crazy month and how everything went down. If you want to hear how things go from an event runner's perspective, this is the show for you! With things calmed down, we'll work on getting podcasts with guests out regularly. But if you want to hear about what goes into concerts in our community, this is a great episode to listen too. You can support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music: Lame Genie - Yogurt Yard (Kirby's Adventure) - https://youtu.be/aU6fhpD7U3M Lacey Johnson - Ryu's Theme (Street Fighter II) - https://youtu.be/FrD4qj-RlIo "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Look who's back on Nerd Music Meltdown It's Marc with a C, who we have not talked to in a long time. We're talking about his plans to redefine who Marc is as a musician, what "Phase II"  means to him, surviving cancer and how that affects is music career. Last but not least, we discuss everything that went into his brand new album Thantophobia and why it is so different from everything before. Marc with a C has a virtual show on his Patreon in March. Be sure to check that out. You can also get all of Marc's music at marcwithac.com. ONGAKU 20XX: Wily's Revenge takes place on Saturday, March 5th at The Abbey in Orlando, Florida. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Orlando has a new video game band with an Earthbound-inspired name! Trash Burger is comprised of our guests Stevie Albano and David Yasensky, as well as a couple of new faces. We talk about how the band came to be, how Under Polaris and Random Encounter tie in, the ONGAKU 20XX show that Trash Burger will be performing at, virtual concerts, and what the goals of the band will be. See Trash Burger's Virtua Ongaku performance: https://youtu.be/lMKcy115kWo ONGAKU 20XX: Wily's Revenge takes place on Saturday, March 5th at The Abbey in Orlando, Florida. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

We have the good lads Lame Genie, the finest video game band from Rhode Island on the show to talk about everything from BT Jones to Gilbert Gottfried, being inspired by first-gen video game bands, YouTube shenanigans, OSW Review, upcoming releases, and more! Lame Genie will be performing in Orlando, Florida on March 5th at ONGAKU 20XX: Wily's Revenge with Bit Brigade, The OneUps, and trash Burger. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com.  Get more of Lame Genie at lamegenie.com and youtube.com/c/LameGenie.You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Happy New Year! Kent started things off strong with a trip to Super MAGFest. What was this year's event like? Kent brought on MAG performers Tiggs and Dom Palombi (of Game Night) to talk about the whole weekend and favorite moments. Follow Tiggs: vrmaxfield.com Follow Dom Palombi: www.dompalombimusic.com See Virtua Ongaku 12 on January 29th on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Once upon a time, MAGFest was owned and ran by the guy who would become chiptune legend Inverse Phase. We talk about what MAGFest was like back in the day, how the festival inspired Inverse Phase to publish music seriously, meeting Trent Reznor, the bassy farts of the Sega Genesis soundchip, de-making Pretty Hate Machine and Guilty Gear in 8-bit, and much more. You can check out Inverse Phase at inversephase.com and inversephase.bandcamp.com. He also owns and operates the Bloop Museum in Baltimore, MD. Inverse Phase will be performing at Super MAGFest in January and we'll be there too! You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Jewel Maiden is a video game remixer, DJ, and cosplayer from Canada who has been breaking out with virtual performances on shows likes MAGWest and Bonus Stage.  We about all that plus her love for Mega Man and Inti Creates, which veteran VGM producer motivated her to get stared, her take on the rise of women in our community, and more! Get more of Jewel Maiden at jewelmaiden.carrd.co and youtube.com/jewelmaidenart. Check out the Virtua Ongaku Holiday Special this Saturday on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Ian Martyn performs in the video game European-style folk band The Travelers and has a bunch of his own solo music outside of that.  Ian is a master of many instruments and we discuss that, plus LOTS of RPG talk, how virtual shows benefit solo acts like Ian, and the upcoming virtual shows he has coming up. Get more of Ian Martyn at ianmartyn.com and ianmartyn.bandcamp.com. Check out the Virtua Ongaku Holiday Special on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

The morning sun has vanquished the horrible night because Shubzilla and Bill Beats of NOIR GRIME are back on the show to talk about their next album, The Belmont Tapes! This of course leads to a lot of Castlevania conspiracy chat. We also discuss touring tips, their Beat Battle tournament, and what they are planning for 2022. Support The Belmont Tapes on Indiegogo at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shubzilla-x-bill-beats-the-belmont-tapes. Get more of NOIR GRIME on noirgrime.com and see them on noirgrime.tv. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Get ready for some PINK ROCK because we got Ian Luckey from Kirby's Dream Band to talk about the upcoming Brew Game Plus 3 video game music festival in Orange County, California and what to expect. Plus we talk about about Ian's love for Kirby games and how that led to Kirby's Dream Band, Sora in Smash, Metroid Dread, MAGFest memories, what's next for KDB, and Ian's new music project! Get more Kirby's Dream Band at kirbysdreamband.bandcamp.com. Brew Game Plus 3 takes place on Saturday, October 16th at Aztec Brewery in Vista, CA. Get your tickets at brewgameplusvgm3.brownpapertickets.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Beaming all the way in from Belgium we have nerdcore emcee Ryako, who combines electronica and hip hop for some slick sci-fi raps. She won this year's Nerdcore VPC with Kadesh flow and will be performing this Saturday on Virtua Ongaku 11. We talk all about that, the Belgium nerd scene, KEANU REEVES, Cowboy Bebop, Metropolis, SXSW, and more. Get more of Ryako at ryakomusic.com and ryako.bandcamp.com. See Virtua Ongaku this Saturday on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

MC Lars is back on the road for the Four-Eyed Horsemen Tour with Mega Ran, MC Frontalot, and Schaffer the Darklord. Lars talks about what it's like to be back performing in front of people, how safety measures will be implemented, their take on online shows, Luigi's Mansion 3, and his upcoming album, Blockchain Planet. Get more of MC Lars at mclars.com and mclars.bandcamp.com. Get your tickets to the Four-Eyed Horsemen Tour at nerdcoretour.com. Virtua Ongaku 11 takes place on September 25th on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Mark Cooper has been making waves from MAGWest to Blerdcon, and on multiple Twitch concerts in-between. He keeps getting better with each show, and his nerdy nostalgia raps are growing a bigger audience. Kent talks will Mark all about that, pro wrestling, Power Rangers, making music as therapy, the fear of success and failure, representation in nerdom, and his next two albums and what to expect from them. Get more of Mark Cooper at itsmarkcooper.com and reign.bandcamp.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Fresh off an amazing performance at Virtua Ongaku X,  TeraCMusic, comes on the show to talk about her upcoming album, her stream setup and how she plans shows, licensing video game music, Animal Crossing and her other favorite games, and the evolution of women in the video game music community. TeraCMusic also has a brand-new album coming out on August 25th. Cross Worlds: Music From Chrono Cross is available for pre-order now. We talk about the game, composer Yasunori Mitsuhada, and what went into making this album.  Check out TeraCMusic at youtube.com/teracmusic and teracmusic.bandcamp.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

One of the greatest video game bands of this era are the quintet known as The Game Brass. In just four years, they have released 5 stellar albums, including their latest Horns of Hyrule. We have founding members Daniel Romberger and Robby Duguay to talk about how The Game Brass manages an intense production schedule, with members spread throughout America and Canada. Plus, they discuss their love for Legend of Zelda and how that led to Horns of Hyrule, forming the group at MAGFest, being involved in Line Them Up, what to expect from their next album, and more! Get more of The Game Brass at www.thegamebrass.com and youtube.com/thegamebrass. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

After charting on Billboard and all the craziness of last year, we got RoboRob back on Nerd Music Meltdown to discuss the return of live shows (including his on July 31st) and his latest album, Mega Remix Man.EXE. This means we talk plenty of Mega Man, why he's producing TWO remix albums for it, and our thoughts and concerns about starting events back up. RoboRob also reveals his plans for the future, including some surprising updates with both Tiny Waves and Materia Collective. Get more RoboRob at roborobmusic.bandcamp.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Orlando's newest video game band is GG CAT. and they will be performing live on Ongaku Overdrive: The Whims of Fate. We have GG CAT's founder, guitarist, and controllerist Luis Guerrero on to talk about the band and how it came to be. Plus, Luis talks about performing at the recent Orlando Fringe, the evolution of jazz in video game soundtracks, Castlevania, Overwatch, Persona, cat sounds, and what to expect at their performance for the upcoming Ongaku Overdrive event. You can find more about GG CAT at ggcatmusic.com. Ongaku Overdrive: The Whims of Fate will be on Sunday, July 11th at Soundbar in downtown Orlando. Tickets are available at ongakuoverdrive.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

The dust has settled on E3 and we got some games to talk about! Orlando hip hop artist O_Super is back on Nerd Music Meltdown to talk favorite games and presentations from E3, but that's not all! This weekend is Bytes and Beats Juneteenth Festival, which O_Super will be performing on with over 40 POC artists. We talk about that, the passing of Berserk creator Kentaro Miura, the music of CEO Gaming and this year's event, plus performing live at Ongaku Overdrive: The Whims of Fate on July 11th. You can find out more about Bytes An Beats Fest at bytesanbeatsfest.com. You can follow O_Super at twitter.com/osuperwins and twitch.tv/osuperwins. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

It's a fully vaxxed edition of the Nerd Music Meltdown! The turning point we have been waiting so long for appears to be finally upon us! Kent talks about going out among the people with Mega Ran and raising over $2K for the Asian Pacific Fund with Virtua Ongaku 9. After that, he interviews video game vocalist and audio engineer Tiggs.  We discuss the return to live shows as Tiggs will be performing live in NYC with ConSoul on July 2nd, We also talk about Tiggs breaking into the game industry on the audio side, her video game signing debut with the upcoming PS4/PS5 game Lost Soul Aside, being on Line Them Up! at vgmtogether. and more! Find out more about Tiggs at vrmaxfield.com. You can also support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Nick Marinelli worked for many years at MAGFest in different roles, including executive director of the whole event! Since then, he has co-founded Video Games in Concert, a booking service designed to get the best video game music acts booked all over from conventions to corporate functions and festivals. We talk about Nick's time with MAGFest, the immense growth of that event, and the recent controversies and future. We all talk what VGIC does and how live events are looking this Summer and beyond!  Find out more about Video Games in Concert at gamemusic.rocks. Virtua Ongaku 9 takes place on May 22nd on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive and will benefit the Asian Pacific Fund. Support Nerd Music Meltdown at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music Used: Final Fantasy VII Main Theme - 88bit Spelunking Shuffle (from Metroid) - ConSoul "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

TWO interviews on this edition of Nerd Music Meltdown. VGM CONline is this weekend (April 22nd to 25th) on their Twitch. It will feature a bunch of music, panels, gaming, speedruns, and even an awards show! In part 1, we have VGM CON operations director Vaughn Rowles (@vaughnyboy8) to talk about the event and how VGM CON came to be in 2018, how things went last year right before the pandemic, and gaming culture in Minneapolis. In part 2, Kent runs down the Game Music Remix Awards with showrunner Jeff Penny. (@JeffPennyMusic) This awards show will feature musical performances and also be a part of the VGM CON weekend (Friday, April 23rd at 7pm EST) Definitely check that out! Find out more about VGM CON at vgmcon.org. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music used: Lacey Johnson - Butterfly (from Dance Dance Revolution) Gunderslam - Hornet (from Hollow Knight)Ro Panuganti - Potion Shop (from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

The Nerdcore VPC is a vocalist/producer challenge in which teams of two compete over five unique rounds for a major cash prize, but the real winners are the fans as there are over 40 teams competing in Nerdcore VPC 7, witch some heavy-hitters in the mix. We have the Czarina of the competition, Whitney Harper, and one of this year's judges, Navi to talk about what the Nerdcore VPC is, how it's evolved, and what to expect from this exciting seventh edition! Find out more about Nerdcore VPC at nerdcorevpc.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

Classic rock about video games?! Crazier things have happened, but The Arkadian shreds and sings some amazing tunes about retro games and arcade culture. We talk to The Arkadian about his rock influences, how meeting Ronnie James Dio changed his life, playing at the last live VGM festival before the pandemic shut everything down, what VGM CON is, and much more! The Arcadian will be performing on Virtua Ongaku 8 Deluxe, live on March 27th at twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Get more of The Arkadian at arkadianvgrb.bandcamp.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

This weekend is vgmtogether, a notable VGM virtual convention featuring live music, panels, and community gaming. Kent has vgmtogether event co-director Doug Perry, known in the community as DumUltimA, on to talk about the event and how it came together.  We also talk about OverClocked Remix, MAGFest, video game musicians in high school band, favorite game soundtracks, Marimba vs Merengue, and more! vgmtogether is March 12th to 14th on Twitch and you can find out more at vgmtogether.com. Check out more of Doug Perry at dougperrymusic.com.  Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob   

Today is the 35th anniversary of the original Legend of Zelda. The series is a favorite to many and Kent shares memories with the  founder of Zelda metal band Master Sword, Matt Farkas. We talk about our favorite Zelda games, what the series means to us, what inspired Matt to start a Legend of Zelda metal band, the struggles to get it going, the turning point when singer when Lily Taylor joined, happy hour on their Patreon, and what to expect from Master Sword in the future. Kent also shares his thoughts on the recent Nintendo Direct. Get more Master Sword at masterswordband.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

We got Ohm-I on episode 69. Nice. Ohm-I drops BARS about hacking, technology, identity, and other topics related to nerd culture, with mixes of storytelling and humor. We talk about all that, racism in nerdcore and conventions, that savage diss rap on None Like Joshua, YouTube Nerdcore, and what Ohm-I wants to do when this pandemic is finally over. You can get more Ohm-I at mcohmi.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

Diwa de Leon loves video game music so much that he became String Player Gamer, made tons of viral VGM videos, and emigrated from the Philippines to the United States. String Player Gamer has accomplished a lot and now he will be playing this Saturday on Virtua Ongaku VII. We talk about all that, love for Nintendo, the legal tightrope of creating VGM covers, and more! Find more of String Player Gamer at stringplayergamer.com. Virtua Ongaku VII, featuring String Player Gamer and more, is on Saturday, January 30th at twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

The OneUps are one of the first video games bands to ever exist, and Mustin has been the face of the band for quite some time. They've played at the first-ever MAGFest, they've played on stage with legendary composers such as Yoko Shimomura, and have released tons of great video game music. We talk about all that, favorite video game acts of today, and what The OneUps plan to do to keep up with the new generation as the approach their 21st anniversary. Check out The OneUps at theoneups.com and Mustin's solo work at mustinenterprises.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

We're ending this, uh, memorable year with an incredible success story from one of the O.G.s of YouTube nerdcore... None Like Joshua! Anime raps have exploded on YouTube over the past year, with over a dozen emcees dropping new rap videos each week to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, sometimes MILLIONS of views. It's crazy, but NLJ was there before it all happened and we talk about it all happened, how the YouTube Nerdcore community works like a network, Josh's creative process for tracks, favorite anime of 2020, what he's got coming in 2021, and more! Find out more about None like Joshua at nonelikejoshua.com and subscribe to him on YouTube at youtube.com/nonelikejoshua. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

It's been long overdue, but we finally have Rob Carballo on Nerd Music Meltdown to talk about everything he does, including running geekbeatradio, how it started and it's evolution, co-founding the MAGFest chipspace, and eventually becoming the head of booking for Super MAGFest's music department. And WIZARD ROCK?! Oh yeah, it's gonna be wild. Check out geekbeatradio at geekbeatradio.com and follow them on twitch.tv/geekbeatradio. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music used: Sega Sound Team - "Friday Night" (from Yakuza 0) - spoti.fi/37D4llu The Game Brass - Sinking Old Sanctuary (from Castlevania: Bloodlines) - thegamebrass.bandcamp.com The Chunderfins - Better Than You Remember - chunderfins.bandcamp.com "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob 

Alyssa Kalugdan is a major part in the operation of Ongaku Overdrive events, whether they be live or virtual. She also performed in Orlando nerdy a capella group Geekapella and is now part of a brand-new group called Royalty! Kent and Alyssa talk about what Ongaku Overdrive's 2020 was supposed to be and what it ended up being, how the whole VGM/nerdcore community adapted to the situation, how the past Virtua Ongaku events have gone and who has stood out, the Pulse tribute show, Alyssa's time and Geekapella and why she left, and what to expect from Royalty. Speaking of virtual shows, Virtua Ongaku 6: MEGAMIX takes place on Saturday, November 21st on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music: "Simple and Clean" by Geekapella - https://youtu.be/Zjjc6Ip8tlw "The Baddest" by Royalty - https://youtu.be/lEizKQ-Z4w8 "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

It's Election Day, and we have Danny Flam - the founder of NYC-based video game big band ConSoul. We talk about how the band came to be, performing with Cuphead composer Kris Maddigan, playing in The Game Brass, getting Covid-19 way back in March, aspirations to perform in VR concerts, and more! ConSoul and Kris Maddigan will be releasing their live Cuphead album on November 13th. Find out more about ConSoul at smarturl.it/consoulnyc. And don't forget to vote! Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

LadyJ and Cam3 of Wreck the System just released a new Kingdom Hearts-inspired album called Vessels of Light. We talk about the album, the obstacles they faced producing it during the pandemic, what Kingdom Hearts means to LadyJ and Cam3, what's new with Wreck the System,  running a studio, ideas for future concept albums, and more. Check out LadyJ at createladyj.com. and Cam3 at cam3mix.com. Wreck the System can be found at wreckthesystem.bandcamp.com. Virtua Ongaku 5 will be LIVE on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive on Saturday, October 24th. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

GameGrooves not only brings fans news, interviews, and editorials in the world of video game music, but they are also a VGM publishing label as well! We have GameGrooves founder and manager Allen B. to talk about what GameGrooves is, the Materia Collective vs Game Chops fallout, favorite VGM albums of the year so far, Fall Guys, YouTube VGM performers, the shift to covers of contemporary VGM, and the albums that GameGrooves has released so far. You can check out GameGrooves at game-grooves.com and at gamegrooves.bandcamp.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music: Confronting Myself (from "Celeste") by Lacey Johnson from Her Music: A Tribute to Women in Gaming Break it Down (from "Persona 5") by Legendav from Steal Your Heart! "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

VGM metal man Ro Panuganti is on to discuss many topics, like the fifth anniversary of Undertale and his Fallen Hero album that was released to celebrate that. How does a 24-track metal album get produced in less than 9 months on top of weekly music video releases on YouTube? That's a wild story Ro tells. We also talk about a year without MAGFest, Ro's British and metal musical influences, Legend of Zelda, his relationship with Materia Collective, and what to expect from him this Saturday at Virtua Ongaku 4! Check out Ro Panuganti at ropanu.com. You can watch Virtua Ongaku 4 on twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Cleveland -based pianist and video game composer 88bit has been one of the more prominent acts in the era on virtual concerts. On this episode we talk classic games and their soundtracks, composers like David Wise, Tim Follin, and Nobuo Uematsu, piano technique and practice, the Cleveland gaming scene, the importance of virtual concerts for musicians, his part in the Forever Famicom remaster, what 88bit has coming up next including his upcoming game, and more. Get more 88bit at 88bitmusic.com. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Press Start to Continue is an amazing radio show that plays video game music and nerdcore, and we have the host and founder of the show Morlock as our guest! We talk about how the show came to be, the state of nerd music in 2013, OverClocked Remix, mc chris, the evolution of nerdcore, current acts we love, PAX East, and more! It's basically two nerds nerding out about nerd music. You can find out how to listen to Press Start to Continue at starttocontinue.com and follow Morlock on twitch.tv/pressstartmorlock. Want to get future episodes of the Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. Music: Adam WarRock - Columbia (from Bioshock Infinite) A_Rival - Wind Shear (from Mega Man 2) "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

One of the emerging stars of the virtual concert era is Lacey Johnson. She can play nearly every instrument and has been thriving on YouTube and Twitch. We talk about that, Lacey's crazy content creation schedule, her desire to compose for video games, thoughts and theories on Final Fantasy VII Remake, her band Super MadNES, and more! Check out Lacey Johnson on youtube.com/laceyjohnsonmusic and twitch.tv/laceyjohnsonmusic. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Video game music, whether it be OSTs, remixes, or covers, are an industry now, and one of the labels at the forefront of this is Materia Collective, headed by our guest Sebastian Wolff. We talk to Sebastian on founding Materia Collective, his role in the game industry before that, significant albums Materia Collective has released, and the legal process of licensing rights from major game publishers and indie game devs to produce, market, and sell video game albums. Find out more about Materia Collective at materiacollective.com. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Tokyo Elvis is may be one of the greatest performer names ever, and he also makes cute and catchy vocaloid tracks and video game remixes. We talk to the Orlando-based producer about his origins, linking up with DJ Cutman and Gamechops, Animal Crossing, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, how vocaloid software works, and our various run-ins over the years. Get more Tokyo Elvis at tokyoelvis.bandcamp.com. Want to get these episodes sooner? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Skyblew is an underdog in the world of nerdcore hiphop, but with his latest album Destined: The Realization and many other strong releases, his talent can no longer be denied. Kent talks to Skyblew about evolving as an artist, Skyblew's dedication to create, 90s cartoons, Avatar, thoughts on virtual concerts, the current situation with the pandemic and Black Lives Matter, and much more. Get more Skyblew at skyblew1.bandcamp.com! Want to get new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

After many years, Professor Shyguy is back on the show to talk about his time during the pandemic, new music (including a K.K. Slider take on some classics), streaming, virtual concerts, whether or not MAGFest will happen, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and more! Get more Professor Shyguy at professorshyguy.website. Professor Shyguy will be performing on Virtua Ongaku on June 27th with past show guests Jackson Parodi, Lauren the Flute, and Marc with a C. See it live at twitch.tv/ongakuoverdrive. Want to get new episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

Our first international guest is on Nerd Music Meltdown! Hailing from Vancouver, British Colombia, we have Josh Pendlebury, who plays guitar for The Runaway Four and runs Bonus Stage Van and the Virtual VGM Fest!  The Runaway Four's take on video game melodies is progressive synth-rock based on themes instead of a specific game or series. We talk about how that came to be, the Vancouver nerd scene, other Canadian VGM acts, and putting on virtual concerts with Bonus Stage. The next Virtual VGM Fest will take place on Saturday, June 13th on Twitch. Get more of The Runaway Four at therunawayfour.com. Follow Bonus Stage for the Virtual VGM Fest at twitch.tv/BonusStageVan.  Want to support Nerd Music Meltdown and get future episodes before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob

To kick off the next fifty episodes of Nerd Music Meltdown, Kent brought on an old friend who has been very busy! Travis Vengroff is known to our community as Careless from Careless Juja and previously Random Encounter, but he has also launched the Liberty Deception graphic novel series, multiple audio dramas and musicals, and a plethora of other entertainment. We talk about everything Travis has been up to, including the recently released Those Who Fight album, the next Careless Juja album, the upcoming second volume of Liberty Deception (releases Wednesday!), how producing music independently helped him with his other endeavors, and so much more. Travis even has advice for aspiring content creators! You can listen to Careless Juja at carelessjuja.bandcamp.com and find all of Travis' work at travisvengroff.com. Want to support Nerd Music Meltdown and get future episodes before anyone else? Subscribe at patreon.com/ongakuoverdrive. "The Meltdown" theme by RoboRob