Our streamed performance of "Sigma Stage 1" (Mega Man X) for Free Play - an international, online video game music jazz festival - on August 31, 2019. Mega Man X was one of my favorite video games growing up due in no small part to its soundtrack, so I always knew I wanted to arrange a tune from that game.

Our streamed performance of "Fire Eyes" (Secret of Evermore) for Free Play - an international, online video game music jazz festival - on August 31, 2019. Our trumpeter Brandon did an incredible job with this arrangement--it's one of my favorites to play.

Our streamed performance of "Uwa!! So Temperate♫" (Undertale) for Free Play - an international, online video game music jazz festival - on August 31, 2019. Undertale became an instant classic due in no small part to Toby Fox's incredible score for the game.

Our streamed performance of "Cosmo Canyon" (Final Fantasy VII) for Free Play - an international, online video game music jazz festival - on August 31, 2019. While the first VGM/jazz arrangement I did was back in 2009, it was dreaming up this arrangement - first drafted in 2013 - that got me serious about forming what would end up being The Hard Modes in 2017.

Our streamed performance of "Into the Thick of It / Did You See the Ocean?" (Secret of Mana) for Free Play - an international, online video game music jazz festival - on August 31, 2019. "Into the Thick of It" would have been fun enough to arrange, but then I came across a track I had forgotten existed - "Did You See the Ocean?"

Makoto Niijima presents: Our streamed performance of "Beneath the Mask" (Persona 5) by Shoji Meguro for Free Play - an international, online video game music jazz festival - on August 31, 2019. After a hard hitting tune like "Did You See the Ocean?", I knew we had to bring the high back down a bit.

The Hard Modes perform a jazz arrangement of "Mysterious Woods" by Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano, and Kozue Ishikawa from the Game Boy masterpiece, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. This arrangement was performed, debuted, and recorded live during the band's "Level 2" show at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on February 23, 2019.

We closed out our Level 2 show with Yasunori Mitsuda's "Radical Dreamers" from Square's PS1 classic, 'Chrono Cross.' This cut was performed live at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on February 23, 2019. From arranger Greg Weaver: Contrary to the game's convoluted storyline, Mitsuda's compositions have clear direction from start to finish, and "Radical Dreamers" is no exception.

The Hard Modes perform a jazz arrangement of "Corridors of Time" by Yasunori Mitsuda, a classic from one of the greatest RPGs of all time, Chrono Trigger. Alongside the melody of this tune, our arrangement features nods to a few other Chrono Trigger tracks--can you name them all?

The Hard Modes perform a jazz arrangement of "Beneath the Mask" by Shoji Meguro from Persona 5 (and sneak in a hint of another one of Meguro's tracks from the game!).

"I Was Born for This" (Austin Wintory, Journey; arr. Gregory Weaver) Premiered live at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on September 30, 2017. The Hard Modes is a jazz sextet based in Charlottesville, VA, that plays original jazz arrangements of video game music.

"Beneath the Mask" (Shoji Meguro, Persona 5; arr. Gregory Weaver) 0:00 - Introduction 1:24 - Tune start Premiered live at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on September 30, 2017. The Hard Modes is a jazz sextet based in Charlottesville, VA, that plays original jazz arrangements of video game music.

"Find Your Way" (Nobuo Uematsu, Final Fantasy VIII; arr. Gregory Weaver) Premiered live at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on September 30, 2017. The Hard Modes is a jazz sextet based in Charlottesville, VA, that plays original jazz arrangements of video game music.

"The Girl Who Stole the Stars" (Yasunori Mitsuda, Chrono Cross; arr. Gregory Weaver) Premiered live at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on September 30, 2017. The Hard Modes is a jazz sextet based in Charlottesville, VA, that plays original jazz arrangements of video game music.

"Whistle Concert (Proto Man)" and "Gemini Man" (Harumi and Yasuaki Fujita, Mega Man III; arr. Gregory Weaver) Premiered live at C'ville Coffee in Charlottesville, VA, on September 30, 2017. The Hard Modes is a jazz sextet based in Charlottesville, VA, that plays original jazz arrangements of video game music.