Soundtrack of the Month

Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 10/2008: Seiken Densetsu 2 OSV (Secret of Mana)

October 3, 2008 | Patrick Gann | 5 Comments Share this

Most people that read this site know, at the very least, the “big names” of Japanese VGM. Nobuo Uematsu, Koichi Sugiyama, Yasunori Mitsuda, Motoi Sakuraba, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Yoko Kanno, and others are well-recognized not only for the vast quantity of music they’ve produced in the last 2 decades, but also for their quality.

But not everyone knows about the extremely talented Hiroki Kikuta. There are reasons for this: Kikuta’s body of work is relatively small, and scattered across a variety of sources (though most know him from Square/Square-Enix titles). Today, we take a look at the soundtrack that put the man right into the middle of VGM stardom: Secret of Mana.

Hit the jump and enjoy! (more…)
Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 09/2008: Breath of Fire III Original Sound Track

September 1, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

Let me start by saying I am completely in love with Akari Kaida. While she has been involved with titles such as Dino Crisis, Luminous Arc, Okami, and of course Breath of Fire III, we haven’t heard nearly enough from this amazing jazz composer. With Kaida teaming up once again with Breath of Fire III co-composer Yoshino Aoki on Luminous Arc 2 (due out later this year), I thought it was as good a time as any to revisit this memorable soundtrack.

Breath of Fire III features a lot of jazz. Most of it is upbeat, but some of it is down and moody. Some rock influences enter through the surprisngly catchy battle themes. There’s an epic opening theme, a J-pop vocal track during the credits, and even some arranged versions of some of the tracks tucked away on this album. The only complaint that I have is that the 1-disc soundtrack doesn’t house all the game’s awesome music!

So, let’s find out why this soundtrack deserves our soundtrack of the month pick for September after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 08/2008: Lumines Remixes Winter

August 1, 2008 | Patrick Gann | 3 Comments Share this

Lumines (pronounced Loo – mih – ness, similar to “luminous”) is a fun, fast-paced, and popular puzzle title that can be found across many platforms. This past holiday season, additional modes and music were released in the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) “Rockin’ Holiday Pack.” The songs featured in this advance pack were then released by publisher BrainStorm. And guess what?

They’re really good.

After the jump, details about the music in our August soundtrack of the month: Lumines Remixes Winter. (more…)
Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 07/2008: Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack Premium Box

July 1, 2008 | Patrick Gann | 4 Comments Share this

Alright, so I’m cheating. This month’s featured soundtrack on OSV is not just an OST, it’s a boxed set! That makes it all the easier to boast about, since one would expect to find at least some good music across seven discs of content. But what if I told you it was all good, and that two of the seven discs have previously unreleased music that you cannot purchase anywhere else? Yeah, now you’re excited! (I hope).

Prepare yourself for a breakdown of what is (and isn’t) in this box set, and learn more about how to buy it without having to go to an import store after the jump. (more…)
Anime

Soundtrack of the Month 06/2008: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

June 1, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

Nausicaä is actually a cool movie about the environment if you can believe such a thing exists. Giant bugs, the voices of Patrick Stewart and Mark Hamill, the creative vision of Hayao Miyazaki, and most importantly, the music of Joe Hisaishi (okay, maybe not the most). I don’t joke, however, when I say that Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is my favorite Miyazaki film, so it makes sense that it is also my favorite Hisaishi soundtrack. Its blend of orchestral majesty, bizarre electronics, and clever effects make it a memorable score worthy of our top pick for the month of June.

Find out why I care so much after the jump. (more…)