Diversion Projects

Games to get excited about

Kaiser Tia — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:05:44 GMT

Part two of Update Tuesday, let's have a look at some games that look like they may have promise of something better than generic RPGs and war-'em-ups. List time!

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MadWorld (Wii)

Release Date: 2009

Clover are back! The studio behind the awesome Okami, the energetic Viewtiful Joe and the one of the most punishing modern beat-em-ups, God Hand, disbanded in March 2007, but have now reformed along with Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami and Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya to form PlatinumGames (these guys really don't like space bars), with Sega taking publishing duties from Capcom.

Anything from a triple-A bunch like that is going to warrant attention, and PlatinumGames have started off by announcing four projects: the PS3 and Xbox 360 "stylish action game" Bayonetta, the DS Arthur C. Clarke-inspired RPG full of "very high-level, philosophical science fiction stuff.", Infinite Line, an as-yet-unannounced mystery project, and finally MadWorld, which shows all the classics hallmarks of a Clover game: humour, action and an eye-catching visual style of black, white and red.

Early days yet, of course, but it looks like PlatinumGames is taking the opportunity to shine, if you'll pardon the pun.

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Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Release Date: 2009

After initial controversy about the setting of the new entry in the Resident Evil universe, you can almost picture Capcom sticking two fingers up to anyone with a racial complaint when the newly revealed female character says "Welcome to Africa" after saving Chris Redfield from a chainsaw-wielding maniac.

Resident Evil 5 is looking very much like Resident Evil 4 with better graphics, physics and enemy numbers. Since Resident Evil 4 was such a blast, a bit more of the same doesn't look like it's going to offend too many players or sales.

There is at the time of writing, no confirmation on whether The Merchant will be returning.

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Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations (DS)

Release Date: TBC

Good news, European Ace Attorney fans! After a brief scare where the release of the third and final Phoenix Wright game was called in to question, Capcom have confirmed that translation is around halfway complete, with the German ratings board listing it as on schedule for a multi-language release. Still no word on an actual date, but you take what you can get, especially when it's good news like this.

It's still a ridiculous delay, one that's seen the fourth game in the series released before the third, but at least non-English speaking, non-importing, non-ROMMING Ace Attorney fans can get their hands on this brilliant game at last.

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Project Zero 4: The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (Wii)

Release Date: TBC

The Project Zero (or Fatal Frame in the US) series started off strongly, with a story of a Japanese girl in an abandoned mansion with only an old camera to fight off the many tortured spirits that haunt its surroundings. After two sequels, it was clear that the series was stagnating, relying far too much on the same bloody-ancient-ritual-gone-wrong plotline, never coming anywhere close to fixing its clunky controls, with acting that only barely ranks higher than the original Resident Evil.

So far, very few details on the new Project Zero game have been confirmed, simply that the game's development is a joint effort between the game's original developers, Tecmo, publishers Nintendo, and, most interestingly, Grasshopper Manufacture.

Nintendo is taking an active interest in the development of the game, which is the first good sign about its development. And although the few screens shown so far don't stray too far from the established Project Zero template (young Japanese girl in elaborate, skimpy clothes, old camera, hideous spirits, flashlights in an abandoned mansion, etc, etc), the inclusion of Suda51, whose No More Heroes showed how action games can be done on the Wii, gives signs that this franchise might get the kick up the arse that it has sorely needed for two games.

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Siren: Blood Curse / New Translation (PS3)

Release Date: TBC

Like Project Zero, the Siren series has existed in the niche periphery of the survival horror genre, never really coming out of the shadows of the big boys like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Unlike Project Zero, Siren's sequel learned from its mistakes to deliver a far more streamlined user-friendly experience. The latest installment in the franchise looks to continue the slightly more mainstream trend, aiming to bring its unique experience to a wider audience. The publishers are even letting players choose whether they wish to play it through downloadable episodic content or buying the full game in retail version.

The premise for the third game in the series sees an American film crew going to the scene of the first game, Hanuda village in rural Japan. Naturally, they find that the village is teeming with the bleeding-eyed undead (called 'shibito') and have to get the hell out of there.

Siren's main strength is its stressful gameplay. You control various characters in a horrific situation, with events unfolding through a splintered narrative, often having to navigate through enemy-infested areas with nothing more than a psychic ability to see through nearby enemy's eyes (a technique called 'sightjacking') and maybe an umbrella for a weapon if you're lucky. Even if you do knock out an enemy, they're back on their feet and on patrol in a matter of minutes, so most of the game is spent hiding and working out the best time to make a run for it.

With the experience of the the past two Siren games behind it, and a boost in graphical presentation, Blood Curse (its Japanese subtitle) / New Translation (the American, and possibly European name) should hopefully deliver another intriguing entry in to the survival-horror canon.

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Prince of Persia (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

Release Date: Q4 2008

The Prince of Persia franchise is getting a reboot after the conclusion of Ubisoft's original trilogy, a series of games that started with lush Arabian Nights designs, but ended on a disappointing death metal and emo-styled note.

Using the ultra-flexible Assassin's Creed engine for what promises to be a more traditional action-adventure romp, it's hard to tell at this stage whether this game is going to stick with the ultra-cartoony, cel-shaded look from the screenshot above, or go with the slightly more bland presentation of the trailer. Time will tell, but Ubisoft have proven they can do action-adventure with a great deal of panache, though hopefully they'll leave the navel-gazing in the back burner this time.

My New Favourite Song #02 - A New Day Begins

Kaiser Tia — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:57:27 GMT

Where do you begin with the history of Parliament / Funkadelic? The history of both bands sprawls through over five decades of interchanging band members, copious drugs, swaps in musical styles, spin-off bands, recurring characters, and many, many costume changes. It's an overwhelming introduction to the world of funk. Just the mentioning the career path of one of the band's many musicians can lead you down a funk version of six degrees of Kevin Bacon, with George Clinton or James Brown as the gravitational centre.

I'm going to avoid the full-on lecture (although there are links below for the discerning funk historian masochist) and give a brief synopsis of the early years to put My New Favourite Song in context.

The history begins with Parliament / Funkadelic's creator, George Clinton, starting a doo-wop group called The Parliaments with three school friends in 1950's Nebraska. By the 1960's, the three friends were replaced by four new members, who practiced in the barbershop where George was working, and scored a few minor soul and R&B hits until traditional doo-wop fell out of fashion in the late 60's.

The essential Parliament / Funkadelic elements of tight vocal and instrumental harmonies, an almost nursery-rhyme approach to songwriting, and a gritty sense of what sounds good are present and correct in The Parliaments' recordings. Parliament and Funkadelic later covered a number of songs from this period, including drastically different versions of 'All Your Goodies Are Gone' and 'The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg', among others.

'A New Day Begins' isn't a major entry in the band's history, but it's a good example of Clinton's emerging talents, as he manages to take what could be a perfectly anodyne love song and crams in yearning, dramatic, hopeful lyrics (with delivery to match), accompanied by a fuzzy, bouncy bassline and testifyin' backing harmonies. All in just over 3 minutes.

That's why it's My New Favourite Song - at least for now.

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Buy Testify! - The Best of the Early Years for an extortionate used & new price off Amazon

A concise history of Parliament / Funkadelic

The official George Clinton website

Update Tuesday!

Kaiser Tia — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:46:49 GMT

Full-time work is over, and the site's been neglected for too long now. It's time for Update Tuesday!

Who doesn't want to be a ninja?

Kaiser Tia — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:03:40 GMT

Gyakuten Kenji trailer and a rant

Kaiser Tia — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:02:13 GMT

More Ace Attorney is always a good thing, except for Europe, where the final part of the Phoenix Wright trilogy, Trials and Tribulations, still hasn't received a release date. Even more worrying is that the company that handled the localisation of Apollo Justice doesn't have Trials and Tribulations on their project schedule.

This reminds me of the bad old days of the SNES, where Europe was frequently overlooked on the release schedule of some classic games. We didn't get a Final Fantasy until VII was released on the Playstation, and Dragon Quest finally came to us 20 years after the series began with VIII (or Journey of the Cursed King).

There are obviously many reasons why porting games for Europe can be time-consuming (translation into 5 languages or more being a huge one), but if companies like Capcom keep dragging their feet over the release of popular games, then why should they complain if people import or download fan-subbed ROMs? The internet provides what companies are too slow or unwilling to give to people who just want to play / watch something that takes their interest without having to wait for months or years for an official release in their region.

Sort it, Capcom!

Go on, make all the "Objection!" jokes you want...

Kaiser Tia — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:56:00 GMT

...but I doubt there's going to be much complaint about a new Ace Attorney game. Especially one starring Phoenix's occasional rival, Miles Edgeworth.

**On a side note, I have a personal objection with the fact the site was frozen and I was sitting on this update for over a week, sorry if this is old news to some people.**

Taking place after the events of Gyakuten Saiban 3 (or Trials and Tribulations in the the US and, eventually, Europe), Gyakuten Kenji (Turnabout Prosecutor) will see Edgeworth and Detective Dick Gumshoe investigating crime scenes, searching for clues and working to argue the case in court. Makes a nice change to see the prosecutors getting a few people put away for once.

The major difference gameplay-wise is a shift to a more point-and-click interface, with both Edgeowrth and Gumshoe on screen at the same time. Capcom are also promising new investigation techniques and ways to reach the final conclusion.

As yet, there has been no confirmation of a US or European release date, but it's pretty much a given that there will be one. Previous Japanese releases of Gyakuten Saiban have also included an English translation, so importers should keep an eye out for a similar feature with Gyakuten Kenji.

In the meantime, check out these scans from esteemed Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu showing how the game is looking so far (thanks to ace-attorney.net and whoever they got the scans from). Click on the pics for a bigger scan.

On a side note, aren't Japanese gaming magazines great? Not only do they have a load of screenshots, but there's space for concept art and sprite animation sheets as well! Take that, you po-faced gits at Edge.

Official Japanese website

Diversion: show 43 - 10/04/2008

Kaiser Tia — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:25:30 GMT

Wondering why this playlist took so darn long to be posted? Well, I've gone and got myself a time-consuming job that means this is going to be the last Diversion in a while. Oh yeah, and there was a whole bunch of technical nonsense behind the scenes. On with the show - I've put together a bunch of awesome songs for this one, so enjoy!

(01. The "In" Crowd - Quincy Jones - The Many Faces of Quincy Jones)

02. Come in Out of the Rain - Parliament - Osmium

03. Ape Is High - Mandrill - Mandrill Is

04. Black is Black - Sounds Orchestral - Sounds From the Lounge: Pop Covers, Lounge Style

05. Be My Friend - Darkel - Darkel

06. Less Talk More Rokk - Freezepop - Guitar Hero 2

07. Underwater BGM - June 'Chiki' Chikuma - Super Bomberman 3 OST

08. Every Day I Have the Blues - Count Basie - Count Basie: Verve Jazz Masters 2

09. Shout About Pepsi - Denny Wright and the Hustlers - The Sound Gallery vol. 1

10. Stingray - The Barry Gray Orchestra - No Strings Attatched

11. It Had Better Be Tonight - Lena Horne - Wild, Cool & Swingin' Too (Ultra-Lounge vol.15)

12. Shadrack - Louis Prima - The Best Of Louis Prima & Keely Smith

13. Camel Walk - The Latinaires - The NuYorican Funk Experience

14. Fire - Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

15. Remember Then - The Earls - The Doo Wop Box: The Birth of Doo Wop (1948-1955)

16. Pense � Moi - J.J. Johnson - Goodies

17. Dan Is The Man (In The Van) - The Mighty Sparrow - Explodes Into Calypso Time

18. Finders Keepers - Chairmen Of The Board - Skin I'm In

19. Dyambo - Hugh Masekela & The Union Of South Africa - Club Africa 2

20. You Are My Sunshine - Andy Williams - In The Lounge With...

21. Gerdundula - Status Quo - Down the Dustpipe

22. Mountain A Go Go Two - Captain Straydum

23. SOUL Kyuumeitai - Yasushi Ishii - Hellsing OST 2: Ruins

24. Cause I'm A Man - Peter Reno / Pretty Things - Unreleased Soundtrack Music from George A. Romero's...Dawn of the Dead

25. Black Rite - Mandingo - The Sound Gallery vol. 1

26. Hair / Aquarius - Hugo Montenegro - Moog Power

27. The Earthmen - Paddy Kingsland - The Sound Gallery vol. 1

28. Kelly Watch the Stars (Live at BBC Shepherd's Bush) - Air

29. E.V.A. - Jean Jacques Perrey - Moog Indigo

30. DND (Do Not Destroy) - Masafumi Takada - No More Heroes Original Sound Tracks

31. Neville Thumbcatch - Peter Wyngarde - When Sex Leers its Inquisitive Head

32. Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Chuck Berry

33. Pent Up In A Penthouse - Fats Waller - I Got Rhythm - Jazz Greats

34. Oh Happy Day - Ray McVay & His Orchestra - Showcase Ray McVay and His Orchestra

35. Theme Of Nakama - One Piece

Diversion: show 39 - Exotica Special! - 28/02/2008

Kaiser Tia — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:30:43 GMT

"My music has always been like fiction, no authenticity; I didn't want to make African music--I only wanted to suggest how African music might sound." - Martin Denny, pioneer of Exotica music

This was a fun show. I love Exotica music. The mythology it has built for itself is as phony as a 99p novelty voodoo kit, but that doesn't cheapen the stunning quality of the music. In what other musical genre do you get the pleasure of listening to a five-octave diva singing about sacrificial rituals, or a bunch of ludicrously talented musicians whooping like birds of paradise while effortlessly playing the vibes like a man with three pairs of hands? More than 50 years after its conception, Exotica music is still incredibly inventive and evocative - which is exactly what these artists were aiming for.

So, get out your tiki mug, mix yourself a drink, and let the armchair stereo safari begin!

Note: the artist biogs for this show are brought to you mostly by the wonderful Space Age Pop Music site. This is a great site to get yourself acquainted with the artists behind some of the best music of the 50's and 60's.

And if you haven't noticed already, I use a lot of music from the Ultra-Lounge compilation albums, a fine source of fabulous music!

01. Aloha-No Honolulu - Arthur Lyman - Hawaiian Sunset

02. Goomba Boomba - Yma Sumac - Mambo

03. Tahitan Sunset - Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra - Sampled vol.3

04. Caravan - 80 Drums Around The World - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

05. Taboo - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

06. Pyramid Of The Sun - Les Baxter - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

07. Quiet Village - Martin Denny - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

08. Tropical - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

09. Misirlou - Martin Denny - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

10. Babalou - Yma Sumac - Mambo! (and more...)

11. Jungle Drums - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

12. If I Should Lose You - George Shearing - Rhapsodesia (Ultra-Lounge vol.6)

13. Simba - Les Baxter - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

14. Jungla - Yma Sumac - Shou Condor

15. Brazil - Tino Contreras - Bongoland (Ultra-Lounge vol.17)

16. Malaguena - Chico Arnez & His Latin American Orchestra - Sounds From the Lounge: Latin Lounge

17. Lust - Bas Sheva + Les Baxter - The Passions

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COMPETITION TIME!!!

18. ????

It's video game related, very video game related, and very geeky. I hope someone gets it!

Email your answers here.

Last week's sample was from Resident Evil 2 on the PSOne. Congratulations to Mr.T, whose prize is winging its way to you as I type.

**Entries to be in by 05/03/2008**

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19. Voodoo Dreams-Voodoo - Les Baxter - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

20. Cubana Chant - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

21. Bongo Bash/Sax Con Ritmo - Pepe Dominguin/Jack Costanzo - Saxophobia (Ultra-Lounge vol.12)

22. Swamp Fire - Martin Denny - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

23. Moon Over a Ruined Castle - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

24. Deep Night Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise - Terry Snyder - Bongoland (Ultra-Lounge vol.17)

25. Atlantis - Les Baxter - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

26. Jivaro - Yma Sumac - Shou Condor

27. Brazilleros - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

28. Taboo - Leo Arnaud - Bongoland (Ultra-Lounge vol.17)

29. Alika - Webley Edwards - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

30. Bwana A - Arthur Lyman - Taboo

31. Fever - Richard Marino & His Orchestra - Rhapsodesia (Ultra-Lounge vol.6)

32. Zombie - Kava Kon - Departure Exotica

33. The Girlfriend Of The Whirling Dervish - Martin Denny - Mondo Exotica (Ultra-Lounge vol.1)

34. Song Of The Islands (Na Lei O Hawaii) - Arthur Lyman - Hawaiian Sunset

Diversion: show 42 - In the Lounge With Diversion... - 27/03/2008

Kaiser Tia — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:08:17 GMT

Get your cocktail kits out and put on your one-piece nylon speed suits. Sit back in a retro-style pad and let the sound of lounge take you on a mid-tempo trip. Perfect for 60s spies, the apres-ski set and the retro jet set crowd.

01. The Griots - Andrew Hill - The Blues Series Sampler

02. Blues Oriental - Cannonball Adderley - Things Are Getting Better (with Milt Jackson)

03. Bossa Nova (In The Restaurant) - Ken Thorne - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms - Film Bossa Vol. 6

04. So Nice - Roy Budd - Sounds From the Lounge: Latin Lounge

05. Route 66 - Laurindo Almeida And The Bossa Nova Allstars - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms - Film Bossa Vol. 6

06. Bewitched - Peggy Lee - TV Town (Ultra-Lounge vol.13)

07. Darth Vader's "Imperial March" Theme (Live at The Derby) - Richard Cheese - Dick At Night

08. Couleur Cafe - Serge Gainsbourg - Espresso Espresso

09. Blind Man, Blind Man - Donald Byrd

10. Que Sera Sera - Asuka Sakai, Charlie Kosei - Katamari Damacy OST

11. Samba Saravah - Francis Lai - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms - Film Bossa Vol. 6

12. The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. - Teddy Randazzo - Espresso Espresso

13. Berimbau - Os Cincos-Pados - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms

14. That Lucky Old Sun - Grant Green

15. So Nice - Wanda S�, Sergio Mendes - Bossa Novaville (Ultra-Lounge vol.14)

16. Fork in the Wall - Masafumi Takada - No More Heroes Original Sound Tracks

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COMPETITION TIME!!!

17. ????

Last competition's sample was the chest-opening theme from Zelda, congrats to Mike, whose prize is on its way as I type!

If you know which video game this week's music is from contact me.

**This competition is now closed**

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18. La Bamba - Dave Pike - The Best Of Latin Jazz

19. Spooky - Andy Williams - In The Lounge With...

20. Like Young - David Rose - Cocktail Capers (Ultra-Lounge vol.8)

21. Wave - Alan Haven - Sounds From the Lounge: Latin Lounge

22. Amy's Theme - Martin Denny - Bossa Novaville (Ultra-Lounge vol.14)

23. Light My Fire - The Tony Hatch Orchestra - Sounds From the Lounge: Pop Covers, Lounge Style

24. Nem Vem Que Nao Tem - Wilson Simonal - Espresso Espresso

25. The Bomberman Lounge - June 'Chiki' Chikuma - Saturn Bomberman OST

26. Groovin' High - Cannonball Adderley - Things Are Getting Better (with Milt Jackson)

27. Spider-Man Theme - Richard Cheese - Dick At Night

28. Modesty Blaise Theme - Cal Tjader & Eddie Palmieri - Espresso Espresso

29. Os Grilos - Os Catedraticos - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms

30. Finita - Tony Hatch - Sounds From the Lounge: Latin Lounge

31. Wave - Paul Desmond - CTI Master Series Sampler

32. Ya-Ya - Ed Lincoln - Ed Lincoln

33. A Man and a Woman - The Tony Hatch Sound - Sounds From the Lounge: Essential Loungecore

34. Ending: Pala Paya...Lounge Musique - Dr.Pris & Dr.Rachel - Space Channel 5 OST

My New Favourite Song #01 - DND (Do Not Destroy)

Kaiser Tia — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:50:00 GMT

Welcome to a new feature of Diversion. The title should explain it all, really.

First up is a track from the excellent Wii slash-em-up No More Heroes. I recently spent a solid couple of days playing this game, getting immersed in the rather odd world of Travis Touchdown, whose sole mission in life (or this game at least) is to defeat the top ten ranking assassins in the town of Santa Destroy to become #1.

Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda's soundtrack is nicely eclectic (it's definitely more listener-friendly than their previous work on Killer 7), from all-out rock battle music to 8-bit retro game ditties, but the one that's made an impression and become my new favourite song is DND (Do Not Destroy), the background music of Travis' motel room, the place where you can change clothes, go to the toilet (save), and play with his cat, Jeane.

DND's laid-back groove is the perfect music for the anime-obsessed hitman at home, taking in a bit of downtime before the cartoon bloodshed (or black pixelshed in Europe and Japan) begins again. As a part of the game's design, it adds to the contrast between Travis' life as an uber-cool hitman and the rather sad reality of his life in a motel room in a crappy town, with just his collection of anime tat and porn videos to pass the time with.

I could possibly write an essay on this game, so I'll summarise for now; It's a great game, and DND is a great tune - enjoy!

Buy the 3-Disc(!) No More Heroes soundtrack.

More reasons to move to Japan...

Kaiser Tia — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:27:11 GMT

On the 20th of April in Tokyo's Shinjuku Culture Centre, the Tokyo Philharmonic (the orchestra behind the excellent early 90's Orchestral Game Concerts) will be playing tunes from the Gyakuten Saiban (or Ace Attorney) series.

The series' producer, Minae Matsukawa has a development blog here, and stated that there will be a 'special announcement' at the concert. Initial speculation was that it was the inevitable Gyakuten Saiban 5 that would be shown off, but rumours have been spreading that it may not be a game that is announced, but something else involving 'video products' instead.

Either way, more Gyakuten Saiban news is always good news.

Watch this space...

The curse of Silent Hill... (cont.)

Kaiser Tia — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:15:01 GMT

All the way back in show 25, I tried to play a track from the Silent Hill soundtrack only to have it mysteriously come out garbled when it had been fine on pre-fade.

Anyway, many thanks to FUNGO of the awesome Silent Hill Media X who sent in an explanation:

"Internet radio compresses audio bitrate to that of 80kbps and below in order to have uninterrupted streaming. Silent Hill music uses a wide frequency range that, when compressed to a lower bitrate, can cause high pitches to turn into a strange digital jumble - and turn low pitches into silence."

Thanks, FUNGO!

Important news concerning this week's show...

Kaiser Tia — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:38:27 GMT

...there will be none. Working commitments have got in the way. Diversion will be back on the 27th of March, with another special!

In the meantime, I'll finally get around to posting a load of stuff that's been sitting on my desktop and in bookmarks for a while.

Kaiser Tia

Diversion: show 41 - Funky Flute - 13/03/2008

Kaiser Tia — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:30:00 GMT

Flutey and Funky, this is the Funky Flute Special!

01. Secrets - Count Basie - Count Basie And The Kansas City 7

02. Deve Ser Amor - Herbie Mann - From Latin...To Jazz Dance Vol.3

03. Latin Workout - Ray Ridera - Espresso Espresso

04. Cantata For Combo - Lalo Schifrin - Bullitt OST

05. Cohelo - Mandrill - Mandrill Is

06. Killer Joe - Quincy Jones - The Many Faces of Quincy Jones

07. Agent Double-O-Soul - The John Schroeder Orchestra

08. Chitterlings Con Carne - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers

09. Thank you (Fall etin Me Be Mice Elf Again) - Joe Thomas - Pulp Fusion

10. Gypsy Queen - Count Basie - Afrique

11. Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Mongo Santamaria - Mongo Santamaria's Greatest Hits

12. Willy's Headache - Cymande - Second Time Round

13. Kofijahm - Mandrill - Mandrill Is

14. In the Bottle - Brother to Brother - All Platinum Funk

15. A Song For Cathy - Lalo Schifrin - Bullitt OST

16. The Edge - David McCallum - Sampled vol.3

17. Theme From 2001 - The Ray McVay Orchestra and Singers - The Ray McVay Roadshow

18. Burning Spear - S.O.U.L. - Back to Breaks

19. The Phantom - Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen Plus One - The Funky 16 Corners

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COMPETITION TIME!!!

20. ????

Another video game sample, but what is it? If you know, contact me.

Last week's anime music was from Naruto.

**Entries to be in by 19/03/2008**

****

21. Flutes Ad Libitum - Raymond Guiot (France) & Guy Pedersen (UK) - Blow Up Presents Exclusive Blend Vol.3

22. Chutney - Mandrill - Mandrill

23. Samba De Orfeu - Bud Shank - The Bossa Nova Exciting Jazz Samba Rhythms - Film Bossa Vol. 6

24. Batucada - Roberto Delgado Orchestra - Espresso Espresso

25. Scarborough Fair - Ray McVay & His Orchestra - Ol� McVay

26. On the Way To San Mateo - Lalo Schifrin - Bullitt OST

27. No Puedo Darte Nada Mas Que Amor - Jaime Delgado Aparicio - Latin Disco

28. Rickshaw - Cymande - Cymande

29. Sound Success - Joe Wallis - The Sound of Funk Vol. 9

30. Bumpy's Blues - Isaac Hayes - Shaft OST

31. Peace and Love (Amani Na Mapenzi, Movement 3 - Time) - Mandrill - Mandrill

32. Kermesse Non H�ro�que - Guy Pedersen (UK/France) - Blow Up Presents Exclusive Blend Vol.3

Diversion: show 40 - 06/03/2008

Kaiser Tia — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:42:26 GMT

A bit late for technical reasons, here's the playlist and links for show 40

(01. Robot Portrait - Quincy Jones - The Quintessence)

02. Lowdown Popcorn - James Brown - Sex Machine - Live

03. Sticks and Stones - Boogaloo Joe Jones - The Mindbender

04. Feeling Alright - Maceo And All The King's Men - Funky Music Machine

05. Eu Sou Mais Eu - Ana Mazzotti - Brazil Boogie

06. KC Drive - Tommy Wills Man With A Horn - The Rustlers Roots of Funk

07. Sissy Strut - Joe Bravo - Texas Funk

08. Aredze - Letta Mbulu - Letta Mbulu Sings

09. Caramba - The Champs - From Latin...To Jazz Dance Vol.1

10. Hey Baby - Bruce Channel

11. Randy Scouse Git - The Monkees

12. Last Samba - Asuka Sakai, Yu Miyake - Katamari Damacy OST

13. A Nega Se Vingou - Walter Wanderley - Cha-Cha De Amor

14. Soul Sauce - Timebox - Sounds From the Lounge: Latin Lounge

15. Guy's Got To Go - Charlie Christian - The Jazz Selection vol.2

16. Baby I Like The Look Of You - Peter London - Maximum R&B - Doin' The Mod Vol.3

17. Les Electroniciens - Bruno Spoerri - The Mood Mosaic 10: Retro Active

18. The Model - Kraftwerk - The Man Machine

19. Green Onions - Mongo Santamaria - Mongo Santamaria's Greatest Hits

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COMPETITION TIME!!!

20. ????

It's from an anime this time.

Email your answers here.

Last week's sample was the Gamecube's alternate startup sound when you turn on the console holding down Z. Told ya it was geeky.

**This competition is now closed**

****

21. A Long Ways From Home - Hugh Masekela - Club Africa 2

22. Latin Quarter - Laurie Johnson - With A Vengeance

23. O Amor Que Eu Guardei - Ed Lincoln - Ed Lincoln

24. Sunny - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - Cold Shoulder

25. Blue 'n' Groovy - Paraffin Jack Flash Ltd. - The Easy Project

26. Sunshine Superman - Mel Torm� - On the Rocks, Pt. 1 (Ultra-Lounge)

27. Somebody Stole My Thunder - Georgie Fame - Blow Up A Go-Go

28. Handsome Boy - The Rwenzori's - Afro Beat

29. You Did It - Ann Robinson - The Sound of Funk Vol. 6

30. Rubberneckin' - Elvis Presley - The Memphis Record

31. I Had To Get With It - Jimmy McCracklin - The Soul of Minit Records

32.Hook & Sling - Eddie Bo - Back to Breaks

33. Money Honey - Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters

34. The Debt Collector - Blur - Parklife

35. You Can't Catch Me - Chuck Berry

36. The Calloway Boogie - Cab Calloway - The King Of Hi-De-Ho 1934-1937

37. Boom Boom - The Animals

No More Holdups!

Kaiser Tia — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:35:42 GMT

You may have noticed the site's been kind of sparse on updates recently. There's been trouble behind the scenes, the main problem being I couldn't even log in. Anyway, it's all fixed and dandy (thanks, Alan!), and we can continue Diversion as normal.

Starting with this...

Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a Wii and a sense of fun, go out and buy No More Heroes. This game is ridiculously stylish and deserves to be played. Made by Grasshopper Manufacture, No More Heroes is stylistically similar to Killer 7, but definitely makes a lot more sense plot-wise.

Here's an early trailer that will say more than I can

It's about time more games were made with this amount of style and class.

Diversion: show 38 - Valentine's Special - 14/02/2008

Kaiser Tia — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:50:13 GMT

Well, I couldn't have a show on Valentine's Day and not do a special! Enjoy this playlist of diverting love songs.

01. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Mildred Bailey - Doin' the Uptown Lowdown

02. Come In - Peter Wyngarde - When Sex Leers its Inquisitive Head

03. Got To Get'Cha - Maceo & All The King's Men - Doing Their Own Thing

04. I May Be Right, I May Be Wrong - Mill Street Depo - All Platinum Funk

05. Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) - Detroit Emeralds - Sampled vol.3

06. (I Wanna) Testify - The Parliaments - Testify! - The Best Of The Early Years

07. Let Love Find You - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - Cold Shoulder

08. Love Is Only Sleeping (Alt. Mix) - The Monkees - The Definitive Monkees

09. Don't Knock My Love - Wilson Pickett - Really Heavy Soul

10. Anti Love Song - Betty Davis - Harmless Sampler

11. In The Name Of Love - J.J. Johnson - Goodies

12. Love Is Blue - Hugo Montenegro - Good Vibrations

13. End Of Our Love - Nancy Wilson - Talcum Soul

14. I Love You Honey - John Lee Hooker - I'm John Lee Hooker

15. Number One In Your Heart - The Monitors - Mod Fave Raves Vol.1

16. Save My Love For A Rainy Day - The Temptations - With A Lot O' Soul

17. This Is My Happiness (Tom Jones A Go Go Mix) - Tetsuo Yoshida - Space Channel 5 Part 2: Non Stop Mega Mix

****

COMPETITION TIME!!!

18. ????

It's from a video game, tell me which one it is and you'll win a prize!

Email your answers here.

Last week's music was 'Soul and Sword' the theme of Seigfried from the original Soul Blade / Edge back on the PSOne

This competition is now closed

****
19. You'e Just in Love - Louis Prima

20. Love Today, Cry Tomorrow - Cyril Stapleton - Sounds From the Lounge: Essential Loungecore

21. Romantic Love - Masaya Matsuura - Parappa The Rapper 2 OST

22. Can I Get A Witness - Marvin Gaye - Ready Steady Go! The Sixties Sound Of Motown

23. I Can't Get Next to You - The Temptations - Puzzle People

24. Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes - Mod Fave Raves Vol.1

25. Feel the Need - Detroit Emeralds - Feel the Need

26. I Got The... - Labi Siffre - Back to Breaks

27. Take Me to the River - Syl Johnson - 70's Funk 'n' Soul Classics

28. What A Man - Linda Lyndell - Back to Breaks

29.Hard To Handle - Otis Redding - The Dock Of The Bay: The Definitive Collection

30. I Can't Stand The Pain - Dee Irwin - The Soul of Minit Records

31. The Same Love That Made Me Laugh - Bill Withers - 70's Funk 'n' Soul Classics

32. I'm Glad You're Mine - Al Green - Harmless Sampler

33. Hush - Joe South

34. Love At First Sight - Chairmen Of The Board - Skin I'm In

35. As Long As I Have You - Garnet Mimms - Talcum Soul

Stuff on MY cat!

Kaiser Tia — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:43:27 GMT

This a photo of my 19(!)-year old cat, Checker, that I sent in to stuffonmycat.com.

Stuff On My Cat is a fun site, dedicated to piling stuff on top of cats. Some of the stacks (that's the term for a pile o'stuff) are inspired, especially when the cat has that kind of 'dignity under duress' look; a hard thing to do with a bunch of Post-It notes stuck on it.

Some photos are just cats with the sort of crazy owners that think dressing animals in novelty costumes is cute, and refer to pets as their 'fur-babies' and such nonsense. However, you only have to suffer terms like that if you click on the comments section - you have been warned.

For more bizarre cat-related sites that don't involve cheeseburgers, try these sites:

Cats That Look Like Hitler

Cats in Sinks

The Infinite Cat Project

Diversion: show 37 - 31/01/2008

Kaiser Tia — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:10:39 GMT

A lively show, perfect for keeping the bad weather at bay...

(01. Minor Rama - Machito - Kenya)

02. H.N.I.C. - Blue Mitchell

03. Doin' The Uptown Lowdown - Mildred Bailey - Doin' the Uptown Lowdown

04. Hello Nurse - The Animaniacs

05. Satan Takes A Holiday - Jack Malmsten - Space Capades (Ultra-Lounge vol.3)

06. Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates

07. 5-4-3-2-1 - Manfred Mann

08. Ain't Nothing But a House Party - Show Stoppers

09. Watermelon Man - Monk Higgins - The Mood Mosaic 10: Retro Active

10. Never Let You Go - The Five Discs - The Doo Wop Box: The Birth of Doo Wop (1948-1955)

11. Watts Breakaway - Johnny Otis Show - Blow Up A Go-Go

12. Hypochondriac - The Swingin' Bachelors - Occasional Fidelity

13. You Need Help - Monguito Santamaria - Yo! Hot Latin Funk From El Barrio

14. Always Wear a Safety Helmet

15. The Motor-Booty Affair - Parliament - Motor-Booty Affair

16. Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley

17. Peter Gunn Mambo - Jack Costanzo & His Orchestra - Mambo Fever (Ultra-Lounge vol.2)

****

COMPETITION TIME!!!

18. ????

It's from a video game, if you know which one it is, contact me

Last week's music was the title theme of Sonic the Hedgehog, congratulations Joe Scott!

This competition is now closed

****

19. The Old Landmark - James Brown - The Blues Brothers Soundtrack

20. Back To The Apple - Count Basie - Atomic Swing

21. That Old Black Magic - Keely Smith, Louis Prima - Wild, Cool & Swingin' (Ultra-Lounge vol.5)

22. Soul Shack - Sonny Stitt & Jack McDuff - From Latin...To Jazz Dance Vol.3

23. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (part. 2) - Jimmy Smith - From Latin...To Jazz Dance Vol.4

24. Roz, Roz, Roz - Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar - The Kings & Queens of Bollywood

25. Cold Shoulder - Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers - Cold Shoulder

26. The 'In' Crowd - Dobie Gray

27. Gyakuten Saiban 2 - Court Begins Blue Note Scale - Metamorphosis Jazz Band - Gyakuten Meets Jazz Orchestra

28. Ololufe Mi - Koola Lobitos - Nigeria 70

29. Daydream - Gunter Kallmann Choir

30. Sissyneck - Beck - Odelay

31. Permanent Vacation - Tsuneo Imahori - Trigun OST

32. Bo Gha - Connell Dantzier

33. Walk Like A Panther - The All Seeing I - Pickled Eggs & Sherbet

34. I Did What I Did For Maria - Tony Christie - The Best Of Tony Christie

Ultra-dramatic events now unfolding!

Kaiser Tia — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:12:45 GMT

Hi all,

Well, it seems that show-stopping events happen fortnightly. After the iTunes debacle of 2 weeks ago, I'm cancelling this week's show due to a mild zombie infestation in my local area. I'm part of a clean-up squad that operates whenever the zombie threat level rises to 'rogue shambling'.

Or I might just have a cold...

Diversion will be back next week with the Exotica Special, oh yeah!

Kaiser Tia