Ryukenden: Hikari by Bad Acid Cult

Sometimes the greatest friendships come from the smallest things.

In the Fall of 1990, a school year that would nearly break me completely, I met Rob Neville-Neil, a new kid who just moved to town who would end up being my only friend after all my grade school friends abandoned me in middle school for fear of being beaten like I was at the hands of bullies. We got to talking about the video game “Ninja Gaiden” during PE class, and he said he knew how to beat a boss that I couldn’t for the life of me defeat. He offered to come to my house and show me how it was done. Together we beat that boss, the rest of that game, and “Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos.”

Rob was my best friend from that moment on, and through all of middle and high school, and who also became my roommate in college. We became like brothers. We always talked about someday getting houses next to each other and raising our kids to be buds like we were.

Unfortunately, fate decreed that he would be stricken with a cancer that, while he battled against bravely, he eventually succumbed to when we were the tender age of 25, and just a few days away from the day of his birth.

To honor his memory and the brotherhood we had, I decided to remix, rearrange, and reimagine the music from those two games that helped found our friendship. These albums are brothers, bound not by blood but by the true bonds of fellowship. This one, titled "Ryukenden: Hikari", is the first of the pair. The second being called "Ryukenden: Kage."

I do have one request if you do download this album. Make a donation to the American Cancer Society in Robert’s name to help him live on in spirit, and to help those who are still living who are continuing their battles with these horrible diseases. (PLEASE NOTE: it will say “Pay What You Want” but DO NOT PAY FOR THESE ALBUMS. They are free, just put in “$0” in that field and if you want to give money, go to the American Cancer Society’s website (cancer.org) and click the “DONATE” button.) If you wish to support my work, purchase any of my other albums besides this one and "Ryukenden: Kage."

Bad Acid Cult is the electronic music project of Jason J. Robertson, spanning multiple sub-genres of electronic music and specializing in the hybridization of them all.

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