FreQuency
Encyclopedia
Frequency is a music video game
developed by Harmonix Music Systems
and published by SCEI. It is the first major release from Harmonix. It was released in November 2001. A sequel titled Amplitude was released in 2003.
s. As the player hits buttons corresponding to the note placement on the track, the "sonic energy" from within is released and the music
plays. If the player plays two measures
of the track without any errors, the track is "captured" and the music plays automatically until the next pre-determined section of the song. All songs on the frequency game are edited from its original version.
Some tracks are bonus tracks and only open up when all notes are played, allowing the user to pick up "freestyle" points. Powerups are available which allow the immediate capturing of the track or the doubling of points. If a player continually misses notes, their energy meter reduces until the game is over.
High scores are achieved in the game by quickly moving from track to track, as they are completed, which increases a point multiplier. Tracks with more notes are worth more points, so choosing those over simple tracks is advantageous as well.
The game features 8 different 'arenas' that the player could attempt the song in. These arenas, as well as the tracks and notes, take on the appearance of Tron
-style graphics, including limited video screens that would show the player's FreQ if the player was doing well, or static if the player was about to run out of power. Depending on the arena chosen, the track would curve and loop around indefinitely until the end of the song. One arena is noted for being a completely straight track, thus working well as a practice arena for some of the more difficult songs.
Frequency allowed players to create remix
es of any of the songs in the game. While the player was limited to the instruments and structure of the song, the remix could include different melodies or beat lines, change in tempo, and modulation of the sound of an instrument. Remixes could then be saved and played as normal songs, though no high score records are kept for these.
Frequency was one of the first games to be supported by the PS2 Network Adapter, allowing for up to four players to play against each other as well as to trade their remixes. Online play was added with an online-capable demo version (4 songs), supplied with the network adapter. The original disk could also be swapped after loading the demo disk, allowing online play with all songs. Multiplayer mode has all players attempting to complete the song on the same track, allowing for players to fight for the highest score. New powerups only available in multiplayer mode are able to disrupt the performance of another player. However, Sony has shut down the matchmaking server for online play and has made no provisions for third-party replacements.
, who served as a musical director for the game and is also a former member of the band Freezepop
. Some of his aliases include: DJ HMX (HMX standing for Harmonix, the game's developer), Symbion Project, and Komputer Kontroller.
Several of the artist featured in the game would contribute to its sequel Amplitude. These artists include: The Crystal Method, BT, Akrobatik, Chris Child (Kodomo, of Surgecore), Melissa Kaplan, Freezepop, DJ HMX, Symbion Project, and Komputer Kontroller.
This game also marks the first inclusion of Freezepop in a Harmonix game. Other Harmonix titles with a contribution from this band include Frequency' s sequels Amplitude, Karaoke Revolution
, Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II
, and Rock Band.
Here is a list of artists who perform in the game, with corresponding song title, in the order they are encountered:
"Cosmic Assassins" by DJ Q-Bert
is the version featured in the movie Wave Twisters
, not the version found on the album of the same name.
In the European version, there is one extra song on first stage, called "Reeload - Why".
but were told by now-former vice-president of game publishing Ed Fries
that no music-rhythm game would succeed without a custom hardware controller. This advice indirectly led Harmonix to become involved with Guitar Hero with a custom guitar-shaped controller, and leading to a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
developed by Harmonix Music Systems
Harmonix Music Systems
Harmonix Music Systems is an American video game development company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States...
and published by SCEI. It is the first major release from Harmonix. It was released in November 2001. A sequel titled Amplitude was released in 2003.
Gameplay
In the game, a player portrays a virtual avatar called a "FreQ", and travels down an octagonal tunnel, with each wall containing a musical track. These tracks contain sequences of noteNote
In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....
s. As the player hits buttons corresponding to the note placement on the track, the "sonic energy" from within is released and the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
plays. If the player plays two measures
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
of the track without any errors, the track is "captured" and the music plays automatically until the next pre-determined section of the song. All songs on the frequency game are edited from its original version.
Some tracks are bonus tracks and only open up when all notes are played, allowing the user to pick up "freestyle" points. Powerups are available which allow the immediate capturing of the track or the doubling of points. If a player continually misses notes, their energy meter reduces until the game is over.
High scores are achieved in the game by quickly moving from track to track, as they are completed, which increases a point multiplier. Tracks with more notes are worth more points, so choosing those over simple tracks is advantageous as well.
The game features 8 different 'arenas' that the player could attempt the song in. These arenas, as well as the tracks and notes, take on the appearance of Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
-style graphics, including limited video screens that would show the player's FreQ if the player was doing well, or static if the player was about to run out of power. Depending on the arena chosen, the track would curve and loop around indefinitely until the end of the song. One arena is noted for being a completely straight track, thus working well as a practice arena for some of the more difficult songs.
Frequency allowed players to create remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es of any of the songs in the game. While the player was limited to the instruments and structure of the song, the remix could include different melodies or beat lines, change in tempo, and modulation of the sound of an instrument. Remixes could then be saved and played as normal songs, though no high score records are kept for these.
Frequency was one of the first games to be supported by the PS2 Network Adapter, allowing for up to four players to play against each other as well as to trade their remixes. Online play was added with an online-capable demo version (4 songs), supplied with the network adapter. The original disk could also be swapped after loading the demo disk, allowing online play with all songs. Multiplayer mode has all players attempting to complete the song on the same track, allowing for players to fight for the highest score. New powerups only available in multiplayer mode are able to disrupt the performance of another player. However, Sony has shut down the matchmaking server for online play and has made no provisions for third-party replacements.
Songs
Some of the songs are actually "in-house" productions by Kasson CrookerKasson Crooker
Kasson Crooker is an American electronic musician, composer, and the artist behind Symbion Project, his solo moniker. He also works collaboratively in The Planets Won't Let You Sleep Tonight and his past bands are Freezepop, Splashdown, Larkspur, and Sirensong...
, who served as a musical director for the game and is also a former member of the band Freezepop
Freezepop (band)
Freezepop is an American electronic band from Boston, Massachusetts. They formed in 1999 with Liz Enthusiasm, Sean T. Drinkwater, and The Duke of Pannekoeken, an alias for composer Kasson Crooker. As of December 2009, the current lineup includes Enthusiasm, Drinkwater, Robert John "Bananas" Foster...
. Some of his aliases include: DJ HMX (HMX standing for Harmonix, the game's developer), Symbion Project, and Komputer Kontroller.
Several of the artist featured in the game would contribute to its sequel Amplitude. These artists include: The Crystal Method, BT, Akrobatik, Chris Child (Kodomo, of Surgecore), Melissa Kaplan, Freezepop, DJ HMX, Symbion Project, and Komputer Kontroller.
This game also marks the first inclusion of Freezepop in a Harmonix game. Other Harmonix titles with a contribution from this band include Frequency
Karaoke Revolution
Karaoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
, Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
, and Rock Band.
Here is a list of artists who perform in the game, with corresponding song title, in the order they are encountered:
- † - denotes an original track created specifically for Frequency
- The Crystal MethodThe Crystal MethodThe Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television...
- "The Winner" - AkrobatikAkrobatikAkrobatik is a rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He has collaborated numerous times with many fellow Boston rappers , and recently formed a hip hop collective named The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One....
- "Exterminator" - No DoubtNo DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
- "Ex-Girlfriend (Psycho Ex RemixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
)" - OrbitOrbit (band)Orbit is a Boston, Massachusetts-based power trio. Formed in 1994, the band went on hiatus in late 2001. Their initial releases were on drummer Buckley's own Lunch Records label before the band moved to major label A&M Records. They completed recording their second major label album, "Guide To...
- "XLR8R" - FreezepopFreezepop (band)Freezepop is an American electronic band from Boston, Massachusetts. They formed in 1999 with Liz Enthusiasm, Sean T. Drinkwater, and The Duke of Pannekoeken, an alias for composer Kasson Crooker. As of December 2009, the current lineup includes Enthusiasm, Drinkwater, Robert John "Bananas" Foster...
- "Science Genius Girl" - Dub PistolsDub PistolsDub Pistols are a London based dub music and big beat band, founded by ex-club promoter, Barry Ashworth, in 1996. The other members of the band were record producer and bassist Jason O'Bryan, Brooklyn producer and lyricist, T. K. Lawrence on vocals, Jap Slut guitarist John King, and turntablist DJ...
- "Official Chemical" - Lo Fidelity AllstarsLo Fidelity AllstarsThe Lo Fidelity Allstars are a British electronica group who have recorded since the late 1990s.-Career:Their members originate from various cities in Northern England where they were formed in Leeds, before relocating first to London where they came to the attention of major record labels...
- "Lo Fi's In Ibiza" - Fear FactoryFear FactoryFear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
- "Frequency"† - Paul OakenfoldPaul OakenfoldPaul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...
- "See It"† - Ethan Eves - "Selecta"†
- Powerman 5000Powerman 5000Powerman 5000 is an American Metal band formed in 1991. Through the span of over two decades, the group has released several albums and gained their highest commercial success with 1999's science fiction themed Tonight the Stars Revolt!...
- "Danger Is Go!" - OrbitalOrbital (band)Orbital are a British electronic dance music duo from Sevenoaks, England consisting of brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll. Their career initially ran from 1989 until 2004, but in 2009 they announced that they would be reforming and headlining The Big Chill, in addition to a number of other live shows...
- "Funny Break (One Is Enough) - Weekend Raver's Mix" - DJ Q-bertDJ Q-bertRichard Quitevis, born October 7, 1969, in San Francisco, California, known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Qbert , is a Filipino-American Turntablist and composer.- Early life :...
- "Cosmic Assassins"† - BTBT (musician)Brian Wayne Transeau is a classically trained and Grammy-nominated American music producer, composer, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter better known by his stage name, BT. He is an artist in the electronic genre...
- "Smartbomb" - CurveCurve (band)Curve was an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist/guitarist/programmer Dean Garcia.-History:...
- "Worst Mistake"† - Jungle BrothersJungle BrothersThe Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
- "What's the Five 0" - Funkstar De LuxeFunkstar De LuxeFunkstar De Luxe is a Danish House music producer and remixer.In 1999 and 2000 he had several hits. Remixes of two Bob Marley songs, "Sun Is Shining" and "Rainbow Country", peaked at numbers one and seven on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart...
- "Ignition" - Roni SizeRoni SizeRoni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
& ReprazentReprazentReprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997. Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008...
- "Railing Pt. 2" - Meat Beat ManifestoMeat Beat ManifestoMeat Beat Manifesto, often shortened to Meat Beat or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens formed in 1987 in Swindon, UK...
- "Dynamite Fresh" - Juno ReactorJuno ReactorJuno Reactor is a musical and performing act known for the cinematic fusion of electronic, orchestral, and global music. Central to the project is Ben Watkins and his collaborations with a constantly changing ensemble of musicians from across the world, including percussionist Mabi Thobejane from...
- "Higher Ground"† - Toni Trippi - "Motomatic"†
- DJ HMXKasson CrookerKasson Crooker is an American electronic musician, composer, and the artist behind Symbion Project, his solo moniker. He also works collaboratively in The Planets Won't Let You Sleep Tonight and his past bands are Freezepop, Splashdown, Larkspur, and Sirensong...
- "Ibiza Dreamz" (vocals by Melissa Kaplan)† - Symbion ProjectKasson CrookerKasson Crooker is an American electronic musician, composer, and the artist behind Symbion Project, his solo moniker. He also works collaboratively in The Planets Won't Let You Sleep Tonight and his past bands are Freezepop, Splashdown, Larkspur, and Sirensong...
- "Funky Dope Maneuver"† - Komputer KontrollerKasson CrookerKasson Crooker is an American electronic musician, composer, and the artist behind Symbion Project, his solo moniker. He also works collaboratively in The Planets Won't Let You Sleep Tonight and his past bands are Freezepop, Splashdown, Larkspur, and Sirensong...
- "Control Your Body" - Symbion ProjectKasson CrookerKasson Crooker is an American electronic musician, composer, and the artist behind Symbion Project, his solo moniker. He also works collaboratively in The Planets Won't Let You Sleep Tonight and his past bands are Freezepop, Splashdown, Larkspur, and Sirensong...
- "FreQout"† - Surgecore - "Luge Crash"†
- RobotkidRobotkidRobotkid is the alias of Josh Randall, an electronic dance musician, video artist, and video game developer from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Along with PK, he was part of the mid-1990s synthcore band Institute of Technology...
vs Inter:sekt - "End of Your World"†
"Cosmic Assassins" by DJ Q-Bert
DJ Q-bert
Richard Quitevis, born October 7, 1969, in San Francisco, California, known by his stage name DJ Qbert or Qbert , is a Filipino-American Turntablist and composer.- Early life :...
is the version featured in the movie Wave Twisters
Wave Twisters
Wave Twisters is a completely animated film, also known as the first turntablism-based musical. It is based on DJ Q-Bert's album of the same name....
, not the version found on the album of the same name.
In the European version, there is one extra song on first stage, called "Reeload - Why".
Development
Harmonix had originally pitched the concept of Frequency to MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
but were told by now-former vice-president of game publishing Ed Fries
Ed Fries
Ed Fries was vice president of game publishing at Microsoft during much of the Xbox's lifecycle. He was a prime evangelist of the platform to game developers and had an important role in the acquisition of developers Bungie Studios, Ensemble Studios and Rare....
that no music-rhythm game would succeed without a custom hardware controller. This advice indirectly led Harmonix to become involved with Guitar Hero with a custom guitar-shaped controller, and leading to a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Official websites
- Harmonix Music, Developer
- Symbion Project, Performer