Masashi Hamauzu garnered quite a fan following during his time at Square Enix. Working in the background on the SaGa franchise and other peripheral Square Enix properties, he made a name for himself by developing his own distinct sound. Contributing to Final Fantasy X and later scoring the entire Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack, however, brought his name to the forefront of game music, and shortly after completing his work on the game, fans were surprised to hear about his departure from Square Enix.
While he’s focused mostly on arrangement work since that time, working on Thomas Boecker’s concerts as well as with Square Enix on the Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection and the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII-2, he’s recently found a creative outlet for his original works. Teaming up with vocalist Mina at MONOMUSIK, the duo has performed several times in Japan and Europe, and has put together a small EP that is now available to fans on iTunes.
Does IMERUAT retain Hamauzu’s distinctive sound, and is their EP worth your attention? Find out after the jump.
To answer that first question right out, the answer is yes. The opening track of this three-track EP, “IMERUAT,” starts with warm and swelling strings and piano before electronic elements come into the mix. The soundscape is dreamy and encompassing, not unlike some of Hamauzu’s work on Final Fantasy XIII, but it’s the introduction of Mina’s digitized vocal work seals the deal. I can imagine exploring Cocoon’s synthetic landscapes with this track as a musical accompaniment. The live guitar and string work raises the bar even higher, setting the stage for this music to be performed live.
The second track, “Cirotto,” is much less energetic, plodding along contemplatively as layer after layer is added to the mix. Hamauzu’s signature piano work starts us off before twangy guitar notes enter. Glitchy percussion and crystalline belltones add an ethereal quality, although the live violin work and Mina’s brief vocal performance provide an organic foundation.
“Haru no Kasumi” again sports Hamauzu’s playful piano work to which strings, gentle whispering, and a fuzzy, almost rain-like presence s added. It creates an image of quietly watching a rainstorm through the window of your warm and comfortable bedroom.
This EP has definitely left me impressed and wanting more. The three tracks total almost 12 minutes of music, meaning the group probably has many more pieces under their belt since they’re actively touring with this music. The live performances are great, and Hamauzu’s composition work is beautiful and otherworldly. I just hope they’re able to make it to the United States someday.
The IMERUAT release was being sold exclusively at their live performances, but has recently been made available online through venues like iTunes. I can’t recommend checking it out enough (only $2.97 for the three tracks). You can also check out the group on MySpace.
Let us know what you think of Masashi Hamauzu’s experiment. How far would you be willing travel to hear them perform live?
Tags: Digital, IMERUAT, Instrumental, iTunes, Masashi Hamauzu, Mina, Music Reviews, Reviews
Well worth the price. I wish there were more tracks and I would pay $10 for a full album like this. People are giving Hamauzu-san a hard time with the XIII Soundtrack as with when Sakimoto-san composed the XII soundtrack. The music for both games fit perfectly with both games. I’m easily impressed with most video game music. I own over 110 soundtracks (legit) and they were all worth the price of import. One thing that I wish would happen is for Hamauzu-san and Nakano-san to get back together and make another classic soundtrack. Everything they have worked on, has been amazing. (FFX, Musashi: Samurai Legend, Front Mission: Gun Hazard) by the way, why has there been no mention of a re release of the Gun Hazard album? It’s one of the best soundtracks from the SNES, if not the best.
Wasn’t Gun Hazard some sort of spin-off of Front Mission? They talked about that in the interview with Tsukuzhi Izumi and Akio Shiraishi.
Bought it. Loved it.
XII OST didn’t do it for me.
XIII was perfect. Been a fan of Hamauzu since he did Dirge of Cerberus (and FFX of course).
I have read somewhere that Imeruat will first have a single and then a full album release. I hope this is true for I love the three tracks in this. The music is Hamauzu through and through, but it really takes you to a whole new dimension upon listening. My favorite track is “Cirotto”. It is so full of emotion and I love Mina’s voice in this one as it is without electronic effects. This music is definitely worth the $2.97! I would recommend this EP for those who want something new and refreshing!
Jayson,
Any chance of interviewing Hamauzu about this EP? It would be interesting to see if he is planning a full album with Mina.
Yes, Gun Hazard is a spin off, it is a side scrolling RPG, I have yet to really play it but the soundtrack alone is amazing. If you get a chance to interview Masashi Hamauzu, you should ask him if there is a small chance of releasing this again. I know it’s really up to Square Enix I guess but maybe he could help out somehow 🙂
Think it would probably be a part of the Front Mission soundtrack box then. Talked about that a few weeks back here:
http://www.originalsoundversion.com/sdcc-2011-square-enix-music-interview-with-izumi-tsukushi-and-akio-shiraishi/
Oh, how I love that EP! I just can’t stop praising Hamauzu in general, and here of course Mina’s wonderful voice and skills on the Ainu instruments, too 🙂 I really do hope that the album is coming soon! People seem to have liked the Imeruat performances in Poland and France much, so i hope they’ll be able to build a fan base and gain some attention around the globe. They deserve it <3
I was at the Paris concert, it was wonderful. Little surprise, there was also Hironobu Sakaguchi in the attendance!
I have read somewhere that the Paris concert had some Final Fantasy arrangements.
Here is a video on YouTube that highlights new music as well as the three tracks on the single.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMhFtOfgqJQ
It is confirmed that Imeruat’s first album will be available soon. It is called Black Ocean.
@Matthew
Um… you do realize that Hamauzu and Nakano contributed only 4 tracks each to Gun Hazard? While Uematsu did 28 and Mitsuda 24?