VGM WAX Awards - 2019
Welcome to the last WAX Wednesday of 2019!
Hey everyone, what an absolutely incredible year in video game music on vinyl! So many wonderful albums were released this year, and I am just so thrilled with all of the amazing creators out there putting these wonderful round discs out for us all to enjoy. This was a pretty magical year for a lot of you — some of you even started brand new and incredible labels from out of thin air to bring us all a bit of yourself in 2019 and beyond. I am so deeply proud of each and every one of you for giving us fans and creators alike another wonderful year filled with music. I didn’t think it was possible, but you all made me fall in love with video game music on vinyl even more this year. I am so thankful every day for the gift that you all have given me.
2019 was also an incredible year for the VGM WAX website, it has grown to be something bigger than I ever imagined and that is thanks to each and every one of you. This year I took a leap and began bringing interview content to the website and what a journey that has been. Getting to talk with and listen to all of your wonderful stories was absolutely magical for me, and something I would never trade for the whole world. Helping share those stories with equally passionate fans has been an absolute pleasure. Unveiling the love of your work with the world has filled my heart with so much joy. I can’t wait to share even more stories and new content in 2020.
Speaking of new content, today I have launched a store page on the site filled with lots of cool little merch items that I have been working on. In addition to all the little mugs, cups, stickers, and shirts — I have designed a super limited edition print run of stickers and shirts to celebrate the Vaporwave community. Until New Year’s Day you can scope this limited design as a sticker or T-Shirt to show off your VGM WAX and Vaporwave pride!
ALSO… I am currently working on a project that I am excited to share with all of you! Head on over to this special little page I created to give you all a tease of what’s in store for 2020.
Because of your incredible work this year, I have decided to expand the VGM WAX Awards beyond the original six in 2018 to a total of sixteen in 2019! I hope that in some way I can give back to you the love you have shared with the whole world. Without further ado… I give to you the VGM WAX Awards 2019!
All the love in the world!
- Jacob
Community Choice Award
Children of Termina by Rozen
This year I decided to sponsor the community choice poll put on by the fine folks over at the Video Game Grooves podcast & the amazing Blip Blop. The votes are in and the winner is Children of Termina by Rozen. As the culmination of Rozen's incredible foray into the Legend of Zelda series, Children of Termina is a nightmarishly beautiful adventure through all the dark and time bending corridors of Majora's Mask. As a love letter from Rozen to us fans and the great musicians that inspired him, Children of Termina is by far one of the most premium releases put out this year!
Check out the end of the year Video Game Grooves podcast to hear Jeremy and friends gush about their favorite albums of 2019!
Much love to all of you and thank you so much for all your votes!
Put This On Vinyl Award
Grindstone by Sam Webster
Grindstone is a super groovy soundtrack to one of the most surprising game releases this year for me. Flying under a lot of people's radar due to its exclusivity to Apple Arcade, Grindstone's soundtrack is seriously one of the coolest albums I've heard this year. Sam Webster has this way with the beats on this album that absolutely leaves me entranced the entire time. A true dark horse album of 2019 for sure. Someone should definitely put this album on vinyl in 2020!
Content Creator of the Year
Tom Quillfeldt for Laced With Wax
Tom's work on Laced With Wax this year was undoubtedly some of the best work in video game music journalism that I have ever experienced. The amount of work he puts into every article he writes truly captivated me and kept me checking in on his blog every time he posted this year. His work on the Chris Christodoulou article earlier this year was without a doubt my favorite read of this year, and I for one can't wait to see what Tom does in 2020. Thank you so much Tom, for all the wonderful articles this year!
Best Gatefold
Łukasz Sienkiewicz for Children of Termina
Rozen and the team at Materia Collective went above and beyond in delivering a truly premium feeling package with the Deluxe Edition of Children of Termina. Among all the other beautiful extras and pieces of art included in this fantastic release was the triple gatefold artwork from Łukasz Sienkiewicz. This incredible piece of art is one of the greatest tributes I have ever seen to Majora’s Mask and perfectly illustrates the wonderful orchestral world that Rozen brought to our very homes. This is seriously one of the best gatefolds in my collection.
Box Set of the Year
Skies of Arcadia Eternal Soundtrack by Wayô Records
The Skies of Arcadia box set from Wayô Records is a testament to what I feel box sets should be. The included booklet with concept and character art is what completely stole the show for me. The included stories from the producer, director, and artists behind the Skies of Arcadia soundtrack was such a fantastic read. Getting to experience their candid memories of their time developing the Skies of Arcadia soundtrack was one of the most wholesome memories I had with a vinyl release this year. This is absolutely the kind of content I’d like to see in more vinyl releases in the future. Wayô Records brought us one of best box sets ever made in 2019 and I can’t wait to see what all they dream up in 2020!
Best Vinyl Color
Pokémon Piano Collections Red & Blue by Materia Collective
There were so many great colored vinyl releases this year across the entire industry. This is such a hard category to judge for me, because of how subjective it is. However, there was one album that kept jumping out to me from my memories this year, and the Kickstarter Exclusive variant of Trevor Alan Gomes’ Pokémon Piano Collections Red & Blue was without a doubt the most stunning splatter work I have ever seen on a record. Coupled with the watercolor style front cover… the two vinyl together just creates a beautiful piece of art that is worthy of being framed!
Best Layout/Design:
Bani-Chan & 100% Electronica for the CURSEBREAKER X Singles
The CURSEBREAKER X Act I, II & III Tryptic was easily one of the most creative and collaborative projects I’ve ever seen executed by a label and its artists. The work that Bani-chan did in executing label head George Clanton’s vision for these singles made for one of the most incredibly creative pieces of art I have ever seen printed on vinyl. When lined up together, these three singles combine to give us a breathtaking view that illustrates the story behind CURSEBREAKER X in Bani-chan’s iconic art style. These singles are not only worth having for the amazing remixes and ECCOJAMS but as a piece of artwork that stands on the creative vision of everyone involved!
Excellence in Sound Design
James Primate for Rain World
James Primate’s work on Rain World is absolutely unparalleled. The sheer work and love that went into creating this otherworldly soundtrack to the game he helped create made for one of the most enjoyable albums I have ever heard. Getting to hear James gush about his work earlier this year during my interview with him gave me a greater appreciation for the musician he is. The experimental found sound, and obsessive creativity that James poured into this project is beyond anything I experienced in 2019.
Mastering Engineer of the Year
Marc Junker
Marc Junker is without a doubt one of the most talented people in the industry right now. As a vaporwave artist (R23X), Marc has delivered some of the greatest VGM Vaporwave music of all time, and his continued dedication to bringing quality music to people's ears has culminated into his audio engineering genius with The Yetee and beyond. Marc's auditory vision for music is contagious to say the least and his respect for what music means to the artists that create it helps him to deliver some of the best sounding records I've ever heard! Big love to you Marc! I can’t wait to see the all the magical things you do in 2020!
Best New Label
Debug Records
Debug Records have hit the ground running this year with their first two albums. As a fan-built passion project headed up by Caleb Denney, Debug Records has quickly become one of my favorite labels! Caleb’s passion and determination to bringing quality vinyl records to our doorsteps is so palpable. As an active member of the community, Caleb takes pride in providing a super personal experience with the fans of the albums he produces! I am so very excited to see what this label has in store for all of us in 2020!
Cover Album of the Year
Mother Fucking Earthbound by ErichWK
Erich Beckman of Kirby's Dream Band completely won me over this year with his Earthbound cover album. The sheer amount of love and skill that he poured into this project is above and beyond anything I ever imagined a cover album could be. This is without a doubt the best cover album I have ever heard and one of the best albums released in 2019. Believe me when I tell you that this album is a must-own for all video game vinyl fans!
VGM Vaporwave Album of the Year
CURSEBREAKER X by EQUIP
CURSEBREAKER X is one of the most imaginative concept albums I have ever had the privileged of listening to. The pure love and passion that Kevin and all of his friends poured into bringing this album to life in front of our very eyes is unlike anything I have ever experienced in the music industry. The incredible drip feed lore posts showing the evolution of EQUIP leading up to the albums release was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had following an albums release, and one of my favorite memories from 2019. What Kevin achieved with this album is truly unique. It's no doubt in my mind that CURSEBREAKER X will go down as one of the greatest vaporwave albums of all time!
Album Art of the Year
Joel DuQue for BattleTech
Joel's work with Harebrained Schemes is phenomenal to say the least. As their senior concept artist, Joel has helped bring the stories of Harebrained's incredible sci-fi worlds to life. Through him and his team's vision, we have seen incredible universes that once only lived in dreams. Joel's artwork for BattleTech's vinyl release is just exquisite! The rusted out mech being reclaimed by nature after falling in an eons long war just evokes a sense of scale through visual storytelling that is unparalleled. The fact that the artwork spans across the front and back of this release is just another earmark in design perfection that makes for one of the most stunning album artworks I have ever seen. Thank you Joel for bringing our imaginations to life!
Record Label of the Year
Black Screen Records for Excellence in Distribution
Black Screen Records have had an absolutely stellar year! Their growth in 2019 alone has seen them branching out into more distributed titles than ever. By doubling down on that effort they have created a gateway to bring the best albums from across the industry in the West to the hands of fans and enthusiasts in the UK and abroad, and that's just heartwarming! Beyond all of that, Black Screen Records has released some of my favorite albums of this year! Their strive for excellence in everything they do gives us all an amazing experience from production all the way to our turntables — There's something magical happening over at Black Screen Records and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us in 2020!
Artist of the Year
Jon Everist for BattleTech
Jon Everist is easily one of my favorite artists of all time, and his work on BattleTech is some of his best work to date. A true evolution of his sound, BattleTech shows the growth that Jon has had since his incredible emergence into video game music with Shadowrun. BattleTech's soundtrack elevates the game beyond anything I think anyone could have ever imagined and that all has to do with Jon's impeccable work. Thank you Jon for bringing a wonderful soundtrack to one of the best games of this decade!
Soundtrack of the Year
Below by Jim Guthrie
Below is without a doubt my favorite soundtrack released in 2019. This insanely dreamy synth-laden folky trek through the cavernous depths of Jim Guthrie’s musical journey with Capybara Games was an album that kept calling to me to release it from its gorgeously designed packaging. As one of the darkest albums I have ever heard Jim write, I have to say there is a lot of amazing parts twinkling within the catacombs of the grooves here that just brought me back, again and again, this year. As an incredible evolution of Jim’s iconic sound, Below holds on to Jim’s lo-fi indie roots all while being totally and completely removed from time itself. Below isn’t just a great soundtrack it’s an amazing standalone album that is a must-own for sure!
