"Flashback: It’s Friday night. You and your friend have stocked up on pizza, cola, and an assortment of highly processed cheese-flavored snacks. You’ve just returned from the rental store with an armful of games. You dash down to the basement, set the TV to channel 3, and get ready for…an evening of jazz covers?

OK… OK… so maybe that’s not exactly how it went.. But as you probably know, at iam8bit we are experts at remixing & reviving nostalgic ephemera in new and unexpected ways. That’s why we’re so thrilled to present this compilation of toe-tappin’ jazz renditions from the uber-talented Blueshift Big Band.

Seriously, these musicians are smile-inducingly good, performing familiar tunes from Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more, with a decidedly magical moxie, as if from a bygone era, before video games even existed. A smokey club, dapper attire and the energetic frolic of so many instruments having a grand ol’ party — this is the stuff of Gatsby, but wayyyyy nerdier. You will absolutely fall in love with the Blueshift sound. (That’s a non-legally binding promise!)

For the first time ever, you can hear these incredible jazz reimaginings on compact disc. We’re proud to present Joystick Jazz Volume 1: The Blueshift Big Band Plays Iconic Video Game Hits CD in all its Digipak-wrapped glory. Plus, you’ll get a digital download for the entire album, perfect for adding some jazzy flare to your on the go devices. Wrap it all up in beautiful Saul Bass-inspired artwork from iam8bit superfriend Mark Borgions and you’ve got a package worth so much more than its weight in game-night snacks."

Music by The Blueshift Big Band
Album Art by Mark Borgions

Composer:
  Grant Kirkhope (01)
  Takashi Tateishi (02)
  Masato Nakamura (03)
  David Wise (04)
  Koji Kondo (05)
  Mutato Muzika (Mark Mothersbaugh, Josh Mancell) (06)