Zach Bilcsik is a resourceful, talented musician who creates his music in the comfort of his bedroom. He is an excellent composer who mixes retro inspirations with modern production techniques. His innate sense of mixing styles in ways that have never been heard before is characteristic of his raw talent.
The latest mini-album from Zach Bilcsik, “Videogame!”, is the musical love letter done right to the sonic splendor of our digital playgrounds. This is a rather six-track odyssey across the aural tapestries of gaming.
From the very first track, “Videogame!” proudly announces itself as a sonic exploration into the real-but-fantastical land of video games. The opening track, “The Grind,” is a case study in tension and release. The pulsing rhythm keeps pushing steadily, like leveling up, with sharp percussive accents for attacks that hit their marks.
“Shop” starts differently with a dramatic and somewhat dreamy soundscape. The introduction of lush, string-like keys and echoing beats brings subtle changes to the mood and sets a sense of intrigue and anticipation. The track shows a firm grasp on pop tastes and suggests a desire to include them in his varied genres.
“Character Creation” is a quite frolicsome, playful take on sonic textures. Sweet, melodious beats bring to mind the elation at the discovery of exactly what a new character can do. The slow tempo and subtle dramatic flourishes are evocative of feelings of wonder and anticipation, matching the excitement of customizing a new avatar.
“Energy Reserves” is almost a sonic kaleidoscope in which one gets to see Bilcsik’s mastery of layering and arrangement. Colorful keys dance over a wet bed of bass and echoing synths that display all the moves and create a dynamic, engaging soundscape, emphasizing the versatility of this track. It flows seamlessly between instances of introspective calm and energetic bursts of activity, much like gameplay.
“Title Screen” is the final track on this album; it closes with flair. Alien spaceship sounds, floating synths—the music’s awe and wonder are overwhelming, as one becomes enveloped by the music into a galaxy of endless possibilities. He has carefully done spatialization with the sound design to gain an immersive experience where the music flows left and right in your ears.
The production quality throughout “Videogame!” is faultless— showing that Bilcsik paid close attention to detail. Tracks are made intricately with lots of very subtle sonic niceties rewarded by repeated listens. In terms of both rich textures and complex arrangements, the album reflects Bilcsik’s enviable skills as a producer and sound designer.
“Videogame!” feels less like a collection of tracks and more like a recording that slightly goes beyond genre. Be it seasoned gamers or casual listeners, “Videogame!” is going to submarine-dive you through pixelated wonder and sonic delight, so hop onto Spotify tonight and give it a big listen.