Extra 2008 announced. Information here. It'll occur on October 13 at Studio Coast. As for the artists:

- DS-10 Trio (Nobuyoshi Sano x Yasunori Mitsuda x Michio Okamiya)
- Idolm@aster / Famison 8 Bit
- Motoaki Furukawa and Voyager
- Yuzo Koshiro x Norihiko Hibino
- Shinji Hosoe
- Hirokazu Tanaka
- BETTA FLASH
- Sega Sound Team H.
- KPLECRAFT
- quad (luvtrax)
- DJ Uraken

I actually don't think the artist list is as impressive as last time. For instance, no Basiscape, The Black Mages, Kenji Ito, or Akira Yamaoka. But still I'm expecting great things! And an album release of course!

I think it sounds freaking awesome anyway.  =/

Wish I could go!

Oo, I think I may have to go to this.  I still have yet to see Yuzo Koshiro live in-person.  Anyone else?  Tickets go on sale on September 13th.

Thanks for the info!

- Justin Pfeiffer

f--- YEAH!!!

I was still kinda kicking myself for missing the considerably EPIC conglomeration of artists last time, so I'm likely gonna hop-the-pond to personally enjoy the hell out of this party.

Not as many artists as last time? They were flexing an INSANE amount of vgm muscle which would be practically impossible to top! This lineup is quite generous while remaining manageable. 

Besides, Studio Coast's capacity is only 2,402 in Standing Room Only mode (or 1174 in Seated Mode) and people said it was freaking PACKED and LOUD, do you really want to cram even more people in there?

Also, last time there were many artists added in as the date grew closer which weren't mentioned in the initial announcement, so there's still the possibility that even more acts could be added in later.

Anyways, this is fantastic news that totally brightened my day

Justin: Better pick up 2 tickets. 

Extra on the 10th.  (VGM fest)

TGS on 11-12th.  (Game fest)

M3 on the 13th.  (Doujin fest)  Oh wait, M3 is Nov.24, it's the circle entry deadline on Oct 13th, bummer...

Now THAT'S the way to spend a weekend!

I think the DJing talent is even better than last time. KLPECRAFT was awesome on Psyvariar The Mix and Uraken works with Hibino so must be awesome by default. I won't miss Kimitaka Matsumae. His mixes have never clicked with me.

I hope there's more artists announced too. I think Manabu Namiki deserves his own stage this time actually. With the boom of the new Gradius, Death Smiles, Trauma Center 2, and DoDonPachi Dai Fukkatsu, he's definitely had a great year.

There are some mistakes,

Extra will be on 13th. (It is a holiday in Japan by the way)
"M3 Autumn 2008" will be also on 13th, and "M3 Festa" in November which Carl mentioned.

What's more, GMT 2008 will be held at the venue of TGS, after that on 11th. Though there will be artists who familiar with VGM, I can't say surely they will perform much VGM. But at least GhM Sound Team will be there!
http://expo.nikkeibp.co.jp/gmt/

So there will be:

TGS on 11-12th.  (Game fest)
GMT on 11th. (VG(?)M fest)
M3 on the 13th.  (Doujin fest)
Extra on the 13th.  (VGM fest)

Thanks for the clarification, Kago. 
I was so excited yesterday that I couldn't type/think straight, haha.

Hmm, didn't know about GMT, thanks for mentioning it.
I recognize YMCK and Grasshopper Manufacture Soundteam...

Here's an interview with 5pb Records producer and EXTRA organizer Masatoshi Nakamura regarding the event, his future plans (including his hope to bring the show overseas), and how he came up with the crazy name:

http://www.originalsoundversion.com/?p=609

I would love to see this event come to the United States, but I imagine the composers would have to pay their own way because it'd be so expensive.  Still interesting to learn about Nakamura's background and desire to please fans above all else.

Good to hear that the 2007 Extra Vol.2 and DVD aren't being held up by Copyright issues, but rather quality control issues. (which would seem much less of a headache to me)

Ooo, just checked the Extra blog and they've announced some of the material to be performed..

Furukawa will be playing stuff from Otomedius G, Gradius II, Xexex, Akumajo Dracula, and A-JAX

Koshiro & Hibino will be doing Live versions of songs on the upcoming Etrian Odyssey: Strings & Piano Arrange album!, they show some pics of the album's recording session.

Sound Unit [H.] will be performing Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On

Not so sure about the Famison 8-Bit IdolMaster stuff, but looks like there's gonna be stage dancers aplenty for that segment.

Chris Kohler's writeup of the event for Wired
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/10/sce … m-the.html

Jeriaska's writeup for Siliconera
http://www.siliconera.com/2008/10/13/ex … nostalgia/

I'm still lobbying for H. to branch out some more, maybe explore more iconic 90's Sega brands in their funk style. I did a profile on them here: http://shufflerinthedark.blogspot.com/2 … -deal.html

It's exciting to see Furukawa doing some of his older stuff, hopefully he can recapture some of his greatness from that era.

I wager the most exciting news from the night was Koshiro's surprise Fillmore live arrange. Perhaps he's dropping a hint that he and Hibino will seriously persue a new Actraiser arrangement album.

For me, Furukawa is actually the least exciting person in the lineup. Since going freelance, all he's really done is more and more samey poppy jazz fusion works for solo projects, GuitarFreaks, and arranged albums. Last year I counted how many Gradius arrangements he's done since he's gone freelance and it's in the double digits. It's nice to commemorate the Konami classics but I'd be more interested in hearing a less tired and more versatile musician do it.

I think Koshiro would be an awesome musician to do something a bit like Drammatica. Sure, not all his works would fit, but ActRaiser, Shinobi, Culdcept, Shenmue, and Thor? Hell yeah!

Wow... standing room only....for 5 hour event?
That must have been rough on the body, but worth the price paid.

I doubt all 5 hours of this will be on DVD/CD though.

Game Watch's report!
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/doc … 014/ex.htm

Interesting, now [H.] has real drumms...
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/doc … 4/ex16.htm

Famitsu's report
http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1219034_1124.html

Love how they projected the close-up-cams of the screens as the DS-10 synths being operated in real time

Betta Flash chicks are both looking a hell of a lot cooler and sexier this year.

Our own Xanadujin's exhaustive report.  Including the full set list.  Amazing stuff:

http://www.originalsoundversion.com/?p=906

I feel like I've been there after reading this.

Awesome, awesome review Justin, I really mean it.
Thanks for writing all your impressions for us.

…I’m going to go cry now.

Video of "Scars of Time" performed by Trio the DS-10 in EXTRA 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1Ly0yeeTBU

Finally!!  I checked Aqi's Youtube videos last week and it wasn't up then, but I'm glad they finally added this.  Totally awesome!!