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Bob Katsionis – Amadeus Street Warrior

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Bob Katsionis - Amadeus Street Warrior

Bob Katsionis - Amadeus Street Warrior
3.9

Rating

 3.9/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • 1990's video game feeling
  • Great atmosphere, nice production
  • Versatile songs

Flyctory.com Cons

  • It's quite nerdy 🙂

There are these very special e-mails in your life. One of those I received in mid-June 2020, when one of the Greek promoters who feed me which special stuff like my beloved Redeye Caravan, sent me a mail about a fictive 16-bit computer game soudtrack album. That’s the way to attract my attention – and shortly after reading the press release, I just had to scan the full press kit.The artist behind Amadeus Street Warrior is the Bob Katsionis, who will release the album on 3rd July 2020.

 

Bob Katsionis – About The Artist

Robert Babis Katsionis was born on 17th February 1977 in Athens, Greece. His musical home has been Heavy Metal and Power Metal, the most famous band he played for is likely Firewind. In the Greek version of the Metal Hammer magazine, he won the reader’s poll as the best keyboardist of the country five years in a row, 2006-2011. In addition, he is also a good guitar player. In addition, he is owning the Progressive Vision Group, which is specialized in producing music videos, especially in the rock music and metal genre. He also released five albums as a solo artist, the last one has been Prognosis & Synopsis in 2018. His solo releases are instrumental.

 

Bob Katsionis – Amadeus Street Warrior – Track by Track

The album lasts ten tracks and 39 minutes.The album is completely instrumental.

1. Into The Asylum

Especially in projects like this, you typically know after few seconds if the album has a thumbs up-potential or not. Into The Asylum sound a lot like Amiga 500… Maybe not in the most expertise way of squeezing fantastic sounds out of the good old machine… But it definitely sounds like gaming in the early 1990’s.

2. Seline City

I definitely enjoy Seline City more than the first track. It has more atmosphere. When you close your eyes, you can imagine so many different scenes. At the beginning, it even has a touch of being in a submarine – but then it becomes more and more urban. Back to the submarine theme – which also gives some threatening feeling. Cool!

3. Boss Fight I – The Doctor

I love that album. Not just because it makes me feel some 25 years younger… But… You read Boss Fight I and you really listen to a boss fight. Bob Katsionis must have spend quite a bunch of time with video gaming in his younger years… At least he creates perfect feelings. Victory or game over? The song does not tell you.

4. The Mansion

When I listened to The Mansion first, the xylophone-alike beginning reminded me of the Inspector Gadget theme. Again, I like how music is creating atmosphere in these songs. The music could have more musical layers maybe, but it is definitely cool.

5. Amadeus Main Theme

I guess Katsionis would call this one the title track. The Amadeus Main Theme has a lot of speed and feels like a great video game starting screen background. I also like the duration of the tracks: this one, for example is 3:33 minutes – so it is really a full-length instrumental track.

6. The Castle

Is it getting more dramatic now? The Castle definitely has a lot of power at the beginning, but also is having nice, quick melodies.

7. Bay Area Highway

Bay Area Highway starts with a touch of Outrun to me. I really like the last songs on the album, they create a lot of atmosphere and also have a nice speed.

8. Twin Peaks

Twin Peaks is significantly slower. By that, it becomes one of the most significant and catching songs of the whole album to me. Towards the end, it feels like an anthem. Sounds like we have a winner soon.

9. Boss Fight II – The Mad Mouse

Before any victory, there is obviously The Mad Mouse. You of course had it in video games already so often that the music is emphasizing the mood and character of the situation you are just in… But here, where the game is missing, you see how intense music can be.

10. End Credits Theme

After 35 minutes (of music) the virtual video game of Amadeus is over. The good old credits screen is there. I feel that Amadeus Street Warrior was a good game – though I never played it and will never play it.

 

Bob Katsionis – Amadeus Street Warrior – Bandcamp

As far as I understand, the digital version of the album will be on Bandcamp only. This is also the place where you can order the album in the highest level of style – on audio cassette:

 

Bob Katsionis – Amadeus Street Warrior – My View

That is cool, definitely. I am sure that 95% of you will feel it is a strange album – but I really like it. It moves me back in time, to the times of Speedball 2, R-Type or Street Fighter II. The album creates feelings and memories – it is just powerful. And nerdy. Good one!

 

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