Press release:
Tokyo, Japan – April 18, 2016 – Brave Wave Productions is thrilled to present Ninja Gaiden The Definitive Soundtrack in limited edition CD and vinyl formats. The release–spanning two volumes but also available in combined Volume 1 + 2 set–marks the third and fourth entry into their award-winning Generation Series, which began in 2015 with the smash hit Street Fighter II The Definitive Soundtrack. The classic Ninja Gaiden soundtracks for arcade and the NES are newly recorded and restored exclusively for this release, with supervision and commentary from the team of composers who composed the original music, including Brave Wave founding member and Ninja Gaiden composer Keiji Yamagishi.
Ninja Gaiden The Definitive Soundtrack is currently available on Bandcamp (physical CD and digital) and Big Wax (vinyl). Vol. 1 contains the original arcade and NES Ninja Gaiden soundtracks, while Vol. 2 features Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos and Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. The first allotment of the combined Volume 1 + 2 4xLP set sold out within a few seconds, so fans will want to stay tuned for inventory updates, although there are no current plans to offer additional signed box sets:
Ninja Gaiden The Definitive Soundtrack on Bandcamp
Ninja Gaiden The Definitive Soundtrack vinyl on Big Wax
“Street Fighter II The Definitive Soundtrack set a high standard for our Generation Series brand,” comments Brave Wave CEO Alex Aniel. “Ninja Gaiden The Definitive Soundtrack marks our first foray into restoring NES audio, and the inclusion of Ninja Gaiden on arcade extends our signature work in offering unmatched restorations of arcade music by our Billboard-charted team. With four complete soundtracks across two volumes, these releases offer a chance for fans to experience the roots of TECMO-era composers Keiji Yamagishi, Ryuichi Nitta, and Kaori Nakabai in unprecedented clarity.”
In addition to re-recording and restoring all of the franchise’s beloved compositions from the source for this release, Brave Wave was able to revisit Tecmo Koei’s archives in order to bring the wonderful artwork from the series back into the spotlight for fans to once again enjoy.
Learn more about Ninja Gaiden The Definitive Soundtrack and the Generation Series on the official website:
Generation Series Official Website
Disclaimer: The included music was created when each music supervisor was affiliated with TECMO LTD. and the music was composed as work for hire.
About Brave Wave Productions
Brave Wave is a music label based in Japan, dedicated to exploring the interplay between videogames, music and nostalgia. The dual-natured label produces and publishes music albums, both solo and compilations, as well as composes music for video games. It is run by Kuwait-based Mohammed Taher, with operating duties handled by Tokyo-based Alexander Aniel, plus special co-directing from Manami Matsumae and Keiji Yamagishi.
The label is known for bridging the gap between Western and Japanese creators, best evident in the videogame Shovel Knight (by Yacht Club Games) which Manami Matsumae was able to contribute music to, as well the mega-hit World 1-2 album, which hosted a wide array of composers from all over the world. Most recently, Keiji Yamagishi’s Retro-Active Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 was a chiptune sensation blending original compositions by Yamagishi with remixes by Brave Wave’s global roster of talent. This marriage between Western and Eastern cultures is unique to our label and the foundation of our vision.
Jonas “O.J” Ek
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheGamingGround
More by Jonas Ek:
Tags: Brave Wave Productions, Game music, Keiji Yamagishi, NES, Ninja Gaiden, Nintendo, The Definitive Soundtrack