What's that in the sky? It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Music of the Year 2016 on Rhythm Encounter! This year we've trimmed the fat a little to make each of our three MOTY podcasts a little easier to digest. Our first episode kicks things off with a few of our dedicated staff members sharing their favorite musical selections from 2016. Take a listen and you may just be able to remember the year fondly after all! Featuring: Caitlin Argyros, Peter Triezenberg, Robert Fenner Links for this epis...
Feb 25, 2017•1 hr 22 min
In our second interlude, we check out music from the latest Deus Ex, the cutest little Final Fantasy out there, and the most recent entries in the venerable Atelier and Pokémon series. Join us for a short and sweet look at some excellent, recently released music! Featuring: Caitlin Argyros, Mike Salbato, Marcos Gaspar; Edited by Mike Salbato Links for this episode: Episode tracklist & post on RPGFan Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: music@rpgfan.com Twitter: @rpgfancom Instagram: @rpgfancom...
Jan 20, 2017•37 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 30, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Love 'em or hate 'em, an RPG just isn't the same without a good villain. And every good villain needs a good theme song. On this episode of Rhythm Encounter, we explore some choice themes for evil empires and the bad guys who run them. Take a walk on the dark side with us, and don't forget to bring your doomsday weapon, ancien...
Dec 30, 2016•1 hr 43 min
In our very first Interlude, we test the waters with music from Falcom, Motoi Sakuraba, and a bevy of Final Fantasy greats. Join us as we discuss these recent releases in our new Interlude format! Featuring: Caitlin Argyros, Mike Salbato, Marcos Gaspar Links for this episode: Episode tracklist & post on RPGFan Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: music@rpgfan.com Twitter: @rpgfancom Instagram: @rpgfancom Facebook: rpgfancom Twitch: rpgfancom...
Nov 20, 2016•35 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 29, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! A new school year is upon us, and it brings with it countless hours of reading, classwork, and exams. But never fear! Rhythm Encounter is here with a collection of music perfect for the new scholastic year. Whether it's soothing music to listen to while studying, or tunes that remind us of our days in the classroom, Caitlin, M...
Nov 06, 2016•1 hr 51 min
The amazing group of musicians known as Materia Collective are working on a new orchestral album featuring music from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Rhythm Encounter has the exclusive scoop! Join Marcos as he chats with Eric Buchholz and Sebastian Wolff about this exciting new arrangement! Featuring: Marcos Gaspar, Eric Buchholz, Sebastian Wolff Links for this episode: Show notes & post on RPGFan Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: music@rpgfan.com Twitter: @rpgfancom Instagram: @r...
Oct 28, 2016•26 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 28, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! World maps have changed a lot over the last few decades. The overworld is now something of a rarity and players are much more likely to explore a game through a series of connected fields than to have the traditional world map experience. The spirit remains the same, though, and the music remains awesome. Caitlin, Mike, and gu...
Oct 01, 2016•1 hr 43 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 27, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Forests are an interesting mainstay in RPGs today. So many games have them and there are so many different types. The music accompanying these locales is just as varied, giving us bright, happy forests; dark and sinister jungles; and mystical yet mysterious woodlands (to name just a few). Join Caitlin, Mike, and returning gues...
Aug 25, 2016•2 hr 8 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 26, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! We're a little late in celebrating the 20th and 15th anniversaries of Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, but alas, we can't travel back in time to bring it out sooner...or can we? Kidding aside, the music of Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross is special to many RPG fans, and we at Rhythm Encounter are no exception. In addition to m...
May 01, 2016•1 hr 48 min
It's our Music of the Year finale on Rhythm Encounter, which means it's time for your intrepid hosts to share their favorite music from 2015. We've got picks from some of the biggest games of the year, as well as indie gems and new arrangements of some classic themes, so tune in and enjoy! Once again, this finale episode features a host of bonus music played in the background, and while we don't discuss them during the episode, we listed each of these songs in a bonus tracklist to identify what'...
Feb 17, 2016•2 hr 2 min
Every year, we invite some special guests from outside RPGFan to join us for Music of the Year. For 2015, we've dedicated an entire episode just for them. Welcome back friends of the show Jayson Napolitano (Scarlet Moon Productions), Michael Cunningham (RPGamer), and Don Kotowski (VGMOnline)! They've brought some unexpected and undeniably catchy picks from 2015 to share with the RPGFan nation, so tune in and enjoy! Featuring: Stephen Meyerink, Caitlin Argyros, Mike Salbato, Jayson Napolitano, Mi...
Feb 15, 2016•2 hr 12 min
It's the most wonderful time of the year! No, not Christmas. It's Music of the Year again on Rhythm Encounter, and in keeping with tradition, we have a trio of episodes chock full of guests and awesome tunes from 2015. Starting things out with a bang are some truly swell selections from our very own Peter Triezenberg, Mike Sollosi, and Marcos Gaspar! Featuring: Stephen Meyerink, Caitlin Argyros, Mike Salbato, Peter Triezenberg, Michael Sollosi, Marcos Gaspar Links for this episode: Episode track...
Feb 14, 2016•1 hr 42 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 25, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! It's been a long road, but Rhythm Encounter has finally reached the final boss in our miniseries on battle themes! The regular crew is joined by the awesome and social media savvy Stephanie Sybydlo as we listen to some choice music while saving the world (and sometimes, the galaxy too). We fight evil space aliens, would-be god...
Dec 30, 2015•3 hr 12 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 24, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! The Rhythm Encounter crew are taking on big, bad bosses in our second of three episodes devoted to battle themes. Stephen lets the SNES live again with some lesser known picks, Caitlin has an uncontrollable love for crazy piano and strings, and Mike brings some explosively awesome tracks to round out the show. Don't miss our r...
Nov 04, 2015•2 hr
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 23, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Rhythm Encounter presents a trio of episodes devoted to battle music and we're kicking things off with regular battle themes! We've got some things old and some things new, some things well known and others more obscure. So join us for an hour (and change) of the music we love to fight bad guys and the occasional woodland crea...
Oct 17, 2015•1 hr 21 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 22.9 (yes, really), as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! While Stephen gets settled in Japan, Caitlin and Mike are joined by the always awesome Marcos Gaspar to present a special, express episode of casual themes. Whether it's chilling in outer space, grabbing a pint at the local tavern, or chatting with a friendly, weapon-selling bear, we've got tunes to suit just a...
Oct 10, 2015•1 hr 16 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 22, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Following in the hallowed footsteps of other awesome shows about ducks, Rhythm Encounter brings you its first interview podcast of 2015 with a discussion featuring the talented Irish composer duo HyperDuck SoundWorks. Chris Geehan and Dan Byrne-McCullough talk about their beginnings, their inspirations, the soundscape of the 1...
Jun 09, 2015•48 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 21, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! After a well-deserved break following our Music of the Year mega feature, Rhythm Encounter is back! This time we're talking about travel themes, from airships to giant mechs to all-powerful gods. Stephen flexes his music muscles with some classic ship themes, Caitlin gets really moved by some of her oldest and newest favorites...
May 16, 2015•1 hr 37 min
The grand finale of our Music of the Year podcast extravaganza features music selected by your intrepid Rhythm Encounter hosts and tunes requested by you, our faithful and awesome listeners. There's truly something for everyone here, with music from the classics, more recent releases, and even some rare games you probably have never heard of all getting their moment in the spotlight. Featuring: Stephen Meyerink, Caitlin Argyros, Mike Salbato, John Tucker, Robert Steinman... and you! Links for th...
Apr 05, 2015•4 hr 37 min
Music of the Year 2014 continues on Rhythm Encounter with even more guests and, you guessed it, more music! We thought about simply playing the rest of Dragon Age: Inquisition and Persona Q and calling it a night, but ended up throwing in some Square Enix and indie tunes for variety's sake. And be sure not to miss our very special guests, including Don Kotowski of Game Music Online, Kim Wallace of GameInformer, and Emily Reese of Minnesota Public Radio/Top Score Podcast! Featuring: Stephen Meyer...
Apr 02, 2015•4 hr 45 min
We may be well into 2015, but on Rhythm Encounter it's never too late to talk about our favorite music from the past year. We've got a full party of hosts and special guests, and so much awesome music to discuss that we couldn't fit it into just one episode. Join us for part one of a trilogy of episodes devoted to RPGFan's Music of the Year 2014! Special Note: Due to an unforeseen technical error, you may hear a higher than normal amount of background audio interference in this episode. We apolo...
Mar 30, 2015•4 hr 46 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 20, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Rhythm Encounter rings in the new year with an episode of chill tunes to warm up with. Stephen's got Etrian Odyssey (or at least series composer Yuzo Koshiro) on the brain, Caitlin rebels with a few unconventional picks, and Mike serves up some classic snowy tunes to round things out. As always, we also listen to some cool tra...
Feb 13, 2015•1 hr 56 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 19, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Surprise, podcast listeners! Bet you thought we were done with interviews for the year. Well, Mike still needed to get his fanboy on, so we got a hold of one of his favorite musicians, the talented violinist Taylor Davis. Tune in as we find out how Taylor got her start, how she develops her music, and-- most importantly-- what...
Dec 10, 2014•51 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 18, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! It's all about characters on this episode of Rhythm Encounter, and I'm not just talking about our colorful cast of charismatic hosts. Join us as we discuss some of our favorite character themes from RPGs both well-known and not-so-well-known. Featuring spiky-haired kids with Disney characters for friends (I'm sure you all know...
Nov 24, 2014•1 hr 53 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 17, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! We're shaking things up a little in this episode of Rhythm Encounter with a new host, a (slightly) different approach to recent music, and a lot of "new game" tunes. We search RPGs both new and old, Japanese and Western for some of the finest tracks to start a fifty-hour quest with, from title screens to opening cutscenes to b...
Oct 09, 2014•1 hr 58 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 16, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Rhythm Encounter takes a break from the usual schmoozin' to schmooze with a special guest: Sean Schafianski, the man behind the curtain that is Video Game Music Remastered. I was able to pronounce his name right on the first try. Do I get a special prize? Whether you can say it or not, listener, you'll still want to tune in to...
Aug 22, 2014•47 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 15, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! In the spirit of travel, Stephen takes the Rhythm Encounter ship on a trek through some of our most beloved town themes. Listen as the team gets wild with Wild ARMs , toughens up with some Brave Fencer Musashi , grins hard with Grinsia , and commits original sin with Divinity: Original Sin , among many other exciting highlight...
Aug 01, 2014•1 hr 49 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 14, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! Don't just sleep there, let's get to it. Grab a pillow, there's nothing to it. The latest and laziest episode of Rhythm Encounter features a bevy of sleepy, gentle, relaxing RPG melodies. We bring you some of our favorite picks across a smattering of beloved games, from the tranquil world of Mana to the dark ambiance of Koudel...
Jul 03, 2014•2 hr 1 min
Note: We had to re-number our episodes several years after publishing. This was originally Episode 13, as reflected in the audio. Don't worry, you're not missing anything! We're back! The dystopian future that is 2014 opens (a little late, as always) with our favorite tunes from our favorite science fiction games. We enlisted the aid of veteran RPGFanner John Tucker to seek out some of our favorite spacey, roboty, occasionally bound-to-the-earth tunes, so be sure to check out the latest and grea...
May 24, 2014•1 hr 58 min
Closing off our coverage of the grand year that was 2013, we turn our ears to the music YOU most wanted to hear. Join the Rhythm Encounter crew (plus two) as we listen to absolutely anything you told us to, even if it wasn't from 2013! Blue Dragon , Sen no Kiseki , Baten Kaitos , Might and Magic —the mix here is crazy, so be sure to listen in! Featuring: Stephen Meyerink, Derek Heemsbergen, Mike Salbato, Brian Tomlinson Links for this episode: Episode tracklist & post on RPGFan Get in Touch:...
Mar 16, 2014•2 hr 3 min
