Last year Scarlet Moon Records released a video game music arrangement album titled Prescription for Sleep: Game Music Lullabies. The project had an interesting premise. Take some of the more mellow and relaxing tunes from video game soundtracks and arrange them as soothing lullabies for piano and saxophone. The group arranging on the album was Gentle Love, comprising of saxophonist Norihiko Hibino (composer for Bayonetta and the Metal Gear Solid series) and pianist AYAKI. The Gentle Love duo have collaborated on a few projects, primarily performing and making music to provide therapeutic relief to others after the wake of Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The original Prescription for Sleep album and this sequel is an extension of that work and mission.
The fist album consisted of well known tunes like “Dry Dry Docks” from Super Mario 64 and some lesser known pieces like “Song of the Ancients” from NieR. The album received praise from a number of reviewers, including members of the team here at Original Sound Version. Thanks in part to the success of the first album, this sequel has been released. Prescription for Sleep: Volume II sees Hibino and AYAKI return to cover music from various games in the form of tranquil lullabies. What does this latest addition cover and how does it compare to the first album? Read on to find out. (more…)
