We’ve been writing a lot about Hiroto Saitoh’s jazz and bossa nova roots in our reviews of the POWER DoLLS 1 Soundtrack Resonance and Melodia albums, but now it’s time to take a look at how he tackles traditional RPG music. But this isn’t an RPG! Patrick has informed me that it’s actually a simulation life (SLG) title with real-time battles. One might think of it as a cousin to an RPG, but the gameplay doesn’t quite fit the definition. The game’s tagline is “Pure Fantasy Realtime Strategy,” so, I guess the developers wanted to make up their own genre…? Regardless of the title’s genre though, you’ll mostly be surprised to learn that it’s not all that jazzy, and it’s rarely relaxing.

You’ll find your standard town, battle, and dungeon themes here, but each with their own ethnic flair courtesy of Saitoh. For oldschool fans, you’ll also probably dig the fact that this sounds a lot like 16-bit era music. For those who aren’t into that so much, the second disc includes arrangements of some of the game’s most memorable themes. While I don’t know anything about the story (no Wikipedia entry, argh!), the game was released in the early 2000s and apparently features lots of chicks. I guess Saitoh has a thing for games featuring predominantly ladies. Sounds like a cool guy to me!

Hit the jump for our review of Saitoh’s Cross Hermit soundtrack. (more…)

Looking forward to the 7th Dragon piano and strings album due out next month? We revealed the tracklist to you a couple weeks ago, and now we’re providing you with an exclusive sneak peak of the music itself. We’ve been fortunate enough to hear the album in its entirety, and if you’ve been wondering what to expect, I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed.

While I love the music from both 7th Dragon and Etrian Odyssey, this sophomore effort from the Koshiro/Hibino duo takes things to a whole new level. From the variety of styles presented to amazing performances that will capture your complete attention, this album is an upgrade in every sense of the word, and that’s not saying the Etrian Odyssey arrange album wasn’t also an amazing piece of work!

Read our full preview of the Live Music by Piano and Strings 7th Dragon Super Arrange Version after the jump. (more…)

Alright folks, I have two absolute “steals” in terms of good deals that you’ll want to check out.

The first one caught our attention via board member “Crash” at Soundtrack Central. Nihon Falcom regularly has special clearance sales, and this week’s sale is a big, big deal. For 980 yen (that’s about $10), you get the import game Ys: The Oath In Felghana, alongside an eight disc soundtrack set which includes music from all previous forms of Ys III. Now, if you live in North America (or anywhere outside of Japan), they’re charging a hefty shipping fee (over $30). But, considering everything that comes in the box (and it is one heavy box), it’s probably worth the price. The bad news is that this deal ends in only a few days (June 11), so act fast! Check out this thread for all the details on how to special order from Falcom.

Also, GameMusic.com is clearing out the vast majority of their inventory with one awesome clearance sale. Plenty of Square Enix soundtracks are going for $15 or less (some are as few as $8). This is a good chance for you to help fill out your own personal collection. The caveat on the site is that they do not plan to restock after this stuff is gone, so again, act fast.

Also, thanks to contributor Carl for the photo of the Felghana box set.

During E3, Patrick and I had the opportunity to check out the latest installments of the Rock Band series. We arrived on scene, being ushered into a line outside of a makeshift Abbey Road. Soon enough, we found oursevles seated in front of a stage where we were treated to several performances of MTV Games’ latest title, The Beatles: Rock Band.

After the performance, we were given the opportunity to interview Harmonix Creative Director, Josh Randall. Some of you may remember Randall for his involvement in the mid-90’s synthcore scene as a member of Institute of Technology. His music has also been featured in games such as Frequency. He’s since been working at Harmonix on many of their recent titles.

Check out our interview with Josh Randall after the jump. (more…)

It’s the most distressing thing when netlabels call it quits and slowly fade into the abyss. While it’s inevitable that many of the people who dedicate their time and energy to these musical ventures will eventually move on to new vistas, it’s always a shame to see them go. I suppose it can be viewed in the context of a larger cycle of life. However, it’s always preferable to receive a formal goodbye rather than be left wondering what ever happened as the site ceases to be updated and eventually goes offline without a word.

In that regard, while it’s sad to see Camomille and Apeginine Recordings go, at least they’re doing it the right way. Instead of dropping off the face of the Earth, the labels have released a joint album featuring well-known artists from the demoscene titled Hypocondriac. We are not only left with the fond memories if their amazing CD and digital releases over the past 7 years, but are able to form new ones with this final distinguished crossover electronic offering.

Read about this thoughtful goodbye after the jump. (more…)

Konami is usually pretty on top of their stuff when it comes to audio in their games. There was a lot to see and hear at their press conference a couple days ago, so I thought it’d be fun to tell you about our first impressions of the audio in some of their newly-announced projects.

With three new Metal Gear Solid titles in the works, a new Castlevania, some DDR news, and our first look at Akira Yamaoka’s “Always on my Mind” arrangement for Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the only thing missing was a new Suikoden title! Maybe we’ll have to wait until Tokyo Game Show for more about my favorite series ever, but I’d saying the spread of titles shown in the press conference are far from disappointing.

Read our first impressions after the jump. (more…)

Every single person I’ve met from Bemani Productions is completely amazing. Last year it was Yuichi Asami at Comic-Con, and this time it was Naoki Maeda, who has risen the ranks at Bemani to become the Dance Dance Revolution producer, overseeing the reboot of the series that will take place in 2009.

We discuss with him what he believes is a re-revolutionizing of the series as well as his thoughts on musicianship, why we don’t see more in-house Konami composers contributing to the series, and what his favorite songs are from the Bemani catalog. I really wish you guys had been there with us, as Maeda-san is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.

Read our interview after the jump. (more…)