This isn’t your adorable Horsez simulation game! Derby Owners Club 2008 is the real deal when it comes to horse racing, and the best thing about it? It includes Takenobu Mitsuyoshi who was responsible for the orchestral recording. He seems to have a thing for racing (in fact, I hear there’s a Daytona USA Anniversary Box coming out next month), and he has teamed up this time with Mitsuharu Fukuyama, another racer guy from SEGA with albums like Sega Rally 2006 and the Outrun 20th Anniversary Box under his belt.
The score is orchestral in style, sounding as regal as some of Koichi Sugiyama’s work at times (who I hear also likes horse racing) and as whimsical as some of Hitoshi Sakimoto’s music at others, so it goes without saying that this album surprised me. The duo recorded the FILMharmonic Orchestra Prague, which we recently heard on the Halo Wars soundtrack, and the powerful themes and Western approach definitely make for something new and exciting.
Hit the jump to find out exactly what I’m talking about after the jump. (more…)
