Issue #7: Cryptic Passage & Gems 2
Two new releases + recommendations + drum machine review
Out now on Hel sublabel Abjekt Wave is “Cryptic Passage” (AW003), a new album and update to Alberto’s “Unholy Energy” soundtrack mod for the 1997 PC game Blood. The release features 9 dark, moody horror synth tracks - one for each level of the original Cryptic Passage game expansion.
The album is available in digital & cassette formats via Bandcamp. Also available on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
To experience the music in game, download the mod at ModDB and follow the included instructions. See issue #4 for the original mod release + beginner Blood gameplay tips.
Mooninite “Gems 2” Out Now
Also out earlier this month from Hel is the "Gems 2" single from Mooninite (HEL036). This includes 2 new tracks of outside the box house music + 2 remixes from UTA Trax.
This release is BUZZIN’ BEATS APPROVED. Grab it on Bandcamp, or stream it on Spotify & Apple Music.
Upcoming Events
AUG 08 2025: Mooninite at Craft Lake City, SLC, UT
AUG 30 2025: Mooninite at ABG’s, Provo, UT
Nintendo’s G-Funk Era
Let’s take a look back at a brief window of the time in the early 2000s when Nintendo was making some weird G-Funk inspired music.
Starting off just before the Gamecube launched, with a 2000 N64 track from the Japan-only Mario Artist: Talent Studio. Kazumi Totaka, Kenta Nagata, and Toru Minegishi were credited as composers for this game, although this track sounds like it could just be Toru Minegishi (see below). “Talent BGM 1” has a super hooky progression and includes a great approximation of a talkbox.
In 2001, Kazumi Totaka would strike again (this time with Shinobu Tanaka) with a super funky & playful track from Luigi’s Mansion, which was one of the Gamecube’s launch titles. Kind of an outlier on the soundtrack, but it’s a great one. That 808 cowbell intro really gets your attention.
And here’s one that more people should be familiar with. This track is also in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it originates from the 2001 release of the original Animal Crossing for Gamecube. This one is credited to Toru Minegishi and has some great west coast synth leads (and seems pretty similar in style to the Mario Artist: Talent Studio track above). I always liked that scratchy sound that comes in around 35 seconds in.
6m0d6 Drum Module Review
In my search for the ideal drum machine (see issue #5 for a previous drum machine review), I've returned to the world of eurorack synthesizers. While planning out my drum modules, the 6m0d6 from Tubbutec & LPZW definitely caught my interest and I picked it up as soon as possible.
This is a expanded clone of a Roland TR-606, packed into a single module. You do lose the 606's sequencer (although a separate sequencer module is available), but you gain a ton of sonic flexibility. The original 606's drum sounds could not be altered at all, but here on the 6m0d6 we have a pretty large amount of control. All the parts can be tweaked to pretty extreme degrees (the faceplate has handy orange markers on each parameter that indicates the original 606 position).
The 6m0d6 goes even further than that, though. For the cymbals & snare you can change the noise source (both white and metal noise can also be tweaked via the left side knobs). It also has individual drum outputs, 6 inputs for modulation, and the drums can be controlled via MIDI or trigger signals. One unique feature is the “swap” toggle that switches the open & closed hi-hat sounds. Very cool.
They really pushed the 606 sound & functionality to its limit, and the result is a very cool machine. No real drawbacks to speak of here (minor complaint: the knob position indicators can be hard to read in certain light conditions), so if you like the 606 sound then this is basically the perfect modern version of it.
Cool Track Spotlight
Here's a cool track from 1985 from Sandra Ann Lauer & Michael Cretu, who would go on to collaborate 5 years later on the worldwide new-age commercial smash hit MCMXC a.D..
The track's awkward intro turns sharply into a chill verse, which flows into a dramatic chorus with back & forth vocals. The lyrics are cool and weird, and the production has that dreamy Italo style. I'm not too crazy about the "orchestra hit" sounds, but the imperfections here only add to the track's appeal.
Thanks for reading!
Compiled by KJ
Reach out at hello@helaudio.org
helaudio.org
HEL036 download codes:
glvt-5a4m
3cgy-72eg
aju3-vhf3
89wm-6e54
22h9-ku2a
redeem @ https://helaudio.bandcamp.com/yum
AW003 download codes:
jvbs-7vsk
6bvs-5kw8
kdbe-38l2
zqvf-cfvc
ngbm-wazw
redeem @ https://abjektwave.bandcamp.com/yum