Game Music has Changed my Life

Anyone who has played either one of the Jet Set Radio games released on the Sega Dreamcast and Xbox knows that they have some amazing soundtracks. The inclusion of some great Japanese indies bands and tasteful remixes made the soundtracks some of greatest in videogame history. Aside from introducing me to bands like Cibo Mato and Scape Goat Wax the games introduced me to a little known band out of Tokyo called Guitar Vader. The band was featured in both games with songs like "Magical Girl", "I Love Love You" and the now legendary (among fans) "Super Bros."The games unfortunatley didn't enjoy stellar sales and were fairly quickly forgotten when more realistic skating game likes "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" came out. Although the games themselves didn't enjoy huge success the sountracks helped bands like Guitar Vader get on the map.

In Guitar Vader's particular case the games created a worldwide fan base which loves them however they still enjoy very little success in their native Japan. What most people wrote off as an incredible soundtrack for a videogame, bands like Guitar Vader embraced as a chance to get their name out. Unfortunatley for the band living in Japan has proven to be a hinderance. They have been able to tour abroad only once in the U.K at which time they played to sellout crowds. The scene back in Japan isn't so bright. Often the band is tucked away playing with far less talented artists in low key live houses around Tokyo. There are many people who will proabably recognize a Guitar Vader song if they hear it but they won't know the name of the band. This is the bands struggle. T

he simple fact is that the band other than their brief stint in the Jet Set Radio games has had little commercial offerings come their way even though their music has deserved it. With the previous release of four cd's the band is still struggling to survive with their new release "Happy East". The music of Guitar Vader has so affected my life that I have since left my gaming roots in America and moved to Tokyo. I am now playing full time keyboards in the band. What I once thought must be a band playing large clubs and sellout crowds turned out to be three normal people struggling to get their art out to the mass public. The reality is that Guitar Vader will probably never enjoy mass riches and commercial success and that is ok. In today's market it seems that Japanese music just doesn't appeal to American mainstream audiences (Utada Hikaru). What is even sadder, is that a band responsible for helping to make one of your gaming experiences enjoyable is on the verge of calling it quits due to lack of support. Guitar Vader's diehard fans probably won't believe this due to the bands high quality and commitment to excellence but I assure you that it is true. As a gamer and a music fan I urge anyone reading this article to please give Guitar Vader a shot by checking out their web site or purchasing their new cd "Happy East".

Steven Laity

www.guitarvader.com, www.japanfiles.com