Relax With This New Zelda & Piano Tribute Album

While I absolutely love lo-fi remixes for everyday listening, working, and studying, sometimes I prefer classical renditions of my favorite tracks when I’m in a more thoughtful or reclusive mood. This month, GameChops helped fulfill my need for classically reimagined Zelda tracks with their new album Zelda & Piano.

GameChops is a listener-funded record label that licenses video game remixes and covers. Some of the most recent GameChops-licensed Zelda and Zelda-inclusive albums we’ve covered here at Zelda Dungeon include Ocarina of Vibes, Zelda’s Memories, and Chilltendo II. I’m also quite partial to Gamechops’ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week “Video Game Study Lounge” stream. It’s like having a video game-themed radio whenever you need it.

Zelda & Piano is the debut album for GameChops’ new label Unplugged, which will focus on releasing classical, acoustic, and jazz music covers of beloved video game tunes. The album is also GameChops’ first solo piano album. Zelda & Piano was arranged and produced by Stushnoff, a collaboration between Nashville-based producer Kyle Horvath and his Royal Conservatory-trained pianist mother, Shawna Stushnoff.

While Zelda & Piano has a relatively short run-time of about 20 minutes, the new solo piano album features tracks from The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. You can honestly feel yourself transported from the NES to the Nintendo 64 to the GameCube and Wii, and then back again as you take in each piano cover. The beautifully arranged tracks include “Underworld,” “Zelda’s Lullaby,” and “Zora’s Domain.” As with many of their Zelda-themed tributes, GameChops’ YouTube video for the album plays the new piano tracks alongside footage taken from the weather and scenery of Breath of the Wild.

I personally appreciate how present the album feels. With every press of the keys, I’m grounded in the impressive technical work. I can also feel the human connection traveling up through my earbuds, between me and the pianist as she sits to play each piece. While the music captures the original feeling and emotion of each track, the way each one is arranged also gives the listener the space to reflect on their experiences playing games in the Zelda series and how each emotion registers in their memory. It’s truly a treat to take the time to simply listen to the album and meditate for those peaceful 20 minutes.

 

If you like Zelda & Piano, you’re sure to love the GameChops YouTube channel, which frequently uploads amazing licensed tracks and albums celebrating beloved video game franchises. The added bonus is that all of GameChops’ licensed music is made with love by talented musicians.  You can also listen to Zelda & Piano on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and Deezer.

If you want to support Stushnoff, the duo responsible for Zelda & Piano, you can find more of their work on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.

What do you think of Zelda & Piano? Have you given it a listen? How do you think it compares to other GameChops releases? Let us know down below!

Source: GameChops

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