GameChops and arranger Rob Araujo Trio announced the release of Zelda & Jazz. This is a 12-track album that serves as a tribute to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It also marks the debut of The Deku Trio, the band known to elevate videogame music through the use forward-leaning arrangements which feature jazz piano, upright bass, and mellow percussion.
The highlight of the album includes the likes of "Great Fairy Fountain," Zelda's Lullaby," and "Song of Storms." What makes this album a good addition to your collection is that that band's coffeehouse-style reimagining of the tracks feature cozy ornamented piano arrangements along with interesting reharmonizations, soulful basslines, and those delicate drums and percussion.
The Deku Trio also pays tribute to the music composed by Koji Kondo through artwork and character designs by award-winning comic author Riana Dorsey. Here are the other people involved on the album:
- Piano – Princess Keys
- Drums – Lincoln Beats
- Upright Bass – G. Dorf
- Arranged by Rob Araujo
- Mastered by Dj Cutman
- Executive Producer Chris Davidson
Talking about this album, GameChops founder and artist Dj Cutman said in a statement that when he first found the company decades ago the videogame cover scene was mainly dominated by rock bands and even jazz bands. This made it difficult to get recordings and Cutman shared that they started this label with the intent to focus on dance music. He went on to say that with this new album, he hopes to recreate the experience people might have enjoyed in the early 2000s, particularly in nightclubs or small venues.
Here's the full track listing for Zelda & Jazz:
- Ocarina of Time
- Zelda's Lullaby
- Lost Woods
- Sheik's Theme
- Gerudo Valley
- Song of Storms
- Jabu-Jabu's Interlude
- Zora's Domain
- Great Fairy's Fountain
- Kakariko Lullaby
- Epona's Song
- Gerudo Valley (Reprise)
Zelda & Jazz is out now on all online stores and streaming platforms.
GameChops is the original game music record label. The studio has produced licensed cover songs and remixes of videogame music. It was founded by producer and engineer Chris Davidson (Dj Cutman) back in 2011, Since then GameChops has had a dedicated following of gamers and game music fans.
