In the not-too-distant past, mid/late May of 2015, newcomer Data-Discs announced their plans to release 2 classic SEGA soundtracks on vinyl format (read that article here), Streets of Rage and Shenmue. I am proud to say I received my copies a couple of days ago. Unfortunately for me, my receiver needs to be fixed before I can truly appreciate the sound, but on the outside, they look truly marvelous. Now that their first 2 pressings (labeled DATA001 and DATA002 respectively) have finally seen the light of day, they are hard at work on DATA003, DATA004, and possibly more!

In a recent email sent to Data-Disc subscription members, the announcement was made that DATA003 and DATA004 would be pressed very soon! 003 and 004 will be two retrogaming soundtracks known for their gameplay as much as their score, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master and Super Hang-On, respectively. Continuing their exclusive partnership with SEGA, Data-Discs wasted no time moving on to new ventures that will please retrogaming enthusiasts everywhere. Data-Discs had this to say about Shinobi III:

“…we are delighted to announce our vinyl release of ‘Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master’ (or ‘The Super Shinobi II’, as it is known in Japan). With music composed by Hirofumi Murasaki, Morihiko Akiyama, and Masayuki Nagao, ‘Shinobi III’ is a relentless bass-driven soundtrack which, upon its release in 1993, pushed the Mega Drive’s audio capabilities to its limit. Its strong percussive elements are something of a technical marvel and, like all of the greatest soundtracks of the 16bit era, showcases the ingenuity and resolve of game composers when faced with extremely limited hardware.

With audio sourced directly from a Japanese Model 1 Mega Drive (AV Intelligent Terminal, VA5 with stereo output mod) and painstakingly remastered for vinyl, ‘Shinobi III’ should appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in video game culture, FM synthesis, or electronic music in general.”

For anybody who is following or has ever followed my work on Nerd Bacon or other areas of the interwebs, you are undoubtedly NOT surprised at my level of fanboy excitement here. My SEGA adoration is as transparent as ever, almost as transparent as my appreciation and love for the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive. Personally, or you could almost call it “professionally” at this point in my career, I find Shinobi III‘s soundtrack to be one of the most memorable and brilliant scores of the 16-bit era. Period. It has a distinctive sound that is synonymous with the name SEGA making it an obvious choice for DATA003.

Super Hang-On is less obvious as the DATA004 release, but is still a worthy contender for this coveted role. Here’s what Data-Discs had to say about Super Hang-On:

“Using audio sourced directly from the 1987 arcade machine sound board, we are proud to present the first ever vinyl pressing of SEGA and Yu Suzuki’s classic driving game, ‘Super Hang-On’. Featuring music by Koichi Namiki, Katsuhiro Hayashi and Shigeru Ohwada, ‘Super Hang-On’ was one of the defining arcade games of the 1980s and had a soundtrack to match. With audio carefully extracted, restored and remastered specifically for vinyl, this classic soundtrack is sounding better than ever.”

Both records will be pressed and released on 180 gram vinyl and packaged in 400gsm matt finish cardstock sleeves. For those with pre-order access, you will receive an email with a password unique to your brief ordering window on October 2nd, 2015. The website will be closed that day as the server will be intentionally limited to those with exclusive access. Open-Public access dates have not yet been disclosed.

FOR THOSE WHO MISSED OUT

For those who missed out on Streets of Rage or Shenmue, Data-Discs has informed us that they will be repressed later in the year. This applies to the basic translucent colour editions only and not limited edition (“colour” not “color” because they’re bloody Englishmen).

DATA005 & DATA006

Continuing their partnership with SEGA, Data-Discs will be releasing yet another arcade-classic, Out-Run. Once again, they will be extracting the audio from the original arcade soundboard. And to add to the success of Streets of Rage, Data-Discs will be collaborating with composer Yuzo Koshiro for a release of one of the most influential game soundtracks of the 1990s, Streets of Rage 2. I can only hope they release a soundtrack of Streets of Rage 3 so I can brag about owning the entire trilogy! IN YO FACE!

FINAL NOTES

While most would think that vinyl records are obsolete and dated, they are actually regaining popularity in our nation’s subculture, especially with the “hipster” crowd. Vinyl can be very expensive for consumers, roughly $30 to $35 for brand new records. With that knowledge, it should comes as no surprise that digital media is still the most popular format for folks looking for their favorite tunes, followed by compact discs. Fortunately we don’t have to deal with Cassette tapes anymore, at least not in the United States. So while you can find 2015 albums on vinyl, and that’s not uncommon, video game soundtracks on vinyl is a very new concept! So get your vinyls while the gettin’ is good.