Mario Paint – Creative Exercise

Part of the soundtrack for the classic art program on the Super Nintendo this 16-bit electronic gives a chill groove for you to bop your head to. The up and down bass, clicking clacking and warbly lower synth mix perfectly together to create a fun and wacky piece.

Cave Story – Last Battle

starting off with a haunting medieval feel with large bells and violin synths this piece quickly transforms into an intense high bpm banger with rapid swirling synths and a menacing tone. Halfway through the more classical side makes a return for a soft and enchanting interlude before heading straight back into the action.

DOOM Eternal – Gladiator Boss

This Aggressive fusion of heavy metal and electronic music is very in your face and acts like a sonic rollercoaster with pieces of the instrumental keeping constant tension by fading in and out of the mix giving way to more unsettling synths and noise elements.

Scott Lloyd Shelly – Terraria Underground Jungle Theme

The song begins by immediately setting tension through temple vibes and sounds you would hear in a jungle, fitting the purpose. This eventually winds down by getting less mysterious and more funky and groovy, but still maintaining that bit of mystery and uncertainty.

(While the video has been posted by some random dude the original composer is Scott Lloyd Shelly)

Aethernaut – Shine Get

This song builds up a bit of tension by bringing you right into the action and chaos of the song. The tension releases by bringing in more instruments and sounds and proceeding to give off a jumpy and fun atmosphere.

Alex Guidici – Team Fortress 2 Ride Behind You Remix

My friend sent me this song, and it doubles as both one I’ve never heard of and an example of tension and release. The song is basically synth and percussion for the most part, but there is tension which is shown at the start of the song using a car speeding down a road as ambient noise. It’s put there to make you wonder what’s about to happen and as such creates tension. The release comes in the synthwave that begins afterwards that slowly winds down that beginning tension. There is a bit more tension in the middle of the song where a police siren is added, then the synthwave returns, repeating the same idea.