There’s a generation of musicians now old enough to have internalized the 16-bit soundtracks of their childhood, and they’re starting to do something interesting with that nostalgia. Adrian Elizondo is one of them.
His new instrumental project Lunar Hallow doesn’t just reference the chiptune melodies of Mega Man X or Castlevania. It treats them as legitimate musical heritage, worthy of the same respect given to Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. The self-titled EP, created with guitarist Jason Lester, runs 35 minutes across nine tracks that function less like songs and more like playable levels in a game that exists only in sound.
“If you combined classic video game music from the ’90s like Mega Man X, Castlevania, Sonic, Chrono Trigger with melodic metal, progressive rock,” Elizondo says, describing the distinct approach. It’s an unusual combination on paper, but the EP makes a convincing case for it.
This isn’t novelty music. Adrian Elizondo, 35, brings serious credentials to the project. He’s spent over a decade working as a freelance audio engineer in Los Angeles, collaborating with award-winning producers across rock, metal, hip-hop, and electronic music. But Lunar Hallow represents something different: a chance to explore what happens when childhood influences collide with adult technical skill.
The EP’s opening track, “2,300 AD,” establishes a post-apocalyptic world through industrial loops and dystopian synth work. It’s scene-setting in the truest sense, allowing listeners to build a starting image of the journey ahead. Then “Xero” hits hard right out of the gate, and the project’s real agenda becomes clear. This is where guitar-driven rock meets the melodic intensity of classic game composition, producing an adrenaline-filled sequence that feels like a perfect stage two track from Double Dragon or Contra. The fusion feels both retro and current.
“Xero was one of the first tracks we produced together and in my opinion functions as the core of the EP,” Elizondo explains. “Building songs from guitar riffs is how we made the EP.”
His path to this sound started conventionally enough. Growing up in Mexico, he played drums in local bands during high school, developing the rhythmic foundation that anchors much of Lunar Hallow’s more complex arrangements. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2012, he taught himself audio production before formalizing his training at the Los Angeles Recording School. The trajectory mirrors that of many working producers: formal education layered over self-taught experimentation.
What sets this project apart is how Elizondo and Lester work. “We get together to write in the same room, hang out and talk about video games,” Adrian says. “Our styles complement each other perfectly, often filling in the gaps we have individually. He is a more creative, melodic writer while I have a more technical and production style mind.”
It’s a deliberately analog approach to creating music that sounds digital, and the chemistry shows throughout the EP.
The project’s middle section understands something important about pacing. “Anima” slows things down with synth-heavy space vibes before its transition into guitar and drums, an unexpected shift that’s not something you hear often in instrumental rock. “Lunar Pulse” clocks in at 4:06 and stands out as one of the EP’s strongest moments, with synth additions that hit the Mega Man sweet spot perfectly. Then “Site 32” functions as a two-minute ambient interlude, taking an ominous twist mid-EP that creates a moment of reflection in the journey before “Fates Call” reintroduces strings and a rock structure that wouldn’t sound out of place in early Evanescence. It’s the kind of track that evokes a training sequence, the moment when the hero comes to terms with what needs to be done.
“Mapture of Rotion” pushes into progressive territory with layered guitar and synth arrangements. It’s technically demanding, deliberately chaotic, and the drums hit hard enough to evoke a high-speed chase. The shift in intensity midway through, where it grounds before building back up, feels like the hero finally unleashing everything they’ve built through the journey. It’s boss battle music in the best sense.
“New Endings” is particularly interesting. The title suggests resolution, maybe even triumph, but instead of a Final Fantasy-style victory fanfare, it goes unexpectedly heavy with guitar and drums. It’s a fake-out that works because the EP has earned enough trust by that point to subvert expectations. The closing track, “12,000 BC,” mirrors the opener’s electronic glitch aesthetic in a short 2:30 runtime, creating a bookend structure that gives the whole project a sense of intentional design and closure.
When asked what he hopes listeners take away from the music, Elizondo’s answer is simple: “Nostalgia and head banging.” It’s an honest assessment that undersells the technical sophistication at work here.
Adrian Elizondo’s current listening habits reveal how this sound developed. He’s moved from the pop-punk of his youth (Blink-182, Sum 41) through progressive complexity (Dream Theater) to modern metal acts like Spiritbox and Sleep Token, with synthwave artists like Carpenter Brut filling in the electronic side. Lunar Hallow synthesizes all of it, filtered through the specific melodic language of ’90s game composers.
The larger question is whether instrumental rock can sustain interest without vocals to carry narrative weight. Lunar Hallow makes the case that it can, but only if the composition is strong enough and the production sharp enough to fill that space. Elizondo and Lester handle both. The EP never feels empty, just differently structured.
There’s a broader cultural shift happening here. Video game soundtracks are no longer considered lesser forms of composition, and musicians who grew up with those sounds are reclaiming them as legitimate influences. Adrian Elizondo isn’t trying to recreate the past. He’s using it as raw material for something that couldn’t have existed in 1993. The technology available in a home studio now allows for the kind of layered, cinematic production that would require a full commercial facility three decades ago.
“Lunar Hallow is much more than an instrumental band,” Elizondo says. “It’s an artistic manifestation where technique, emotion, and a tribute to a generational sound culture converge.”
It’s the kind of statement that could read as overblown, except the EP backs it up. This is craft meeting nostalgia meeting genuine musical ambition, executed well enough to justify all three.
Adrian Elizondo is already working on new Lunar Hallow material while simultaneously producing for a punk-rock band from Simi Valley and developing a personal synthwave EP. For someone who’s spent a decade refining his technical skills across multiple genres, Lunar Hallow feels less like a side project and more like a statement of intent. The EP proves he knows exactly what he’s doing. What comes next will likely prove he’s just getting started.
The self-titled EP is available on Spotify and YouTube. Additional information can be found at adrianelizondo.com, with updates on Instagram and Facebook.
