SQ Series

Game Music

Don’t Miss Square Enix’s Live SQ Concert On Ustream This Thursday

September 28, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

Yes, we’ve seen lots of events and concerts streamed on Ustream over the last couple of years, but never a Square Enix event. Square Enix is putting on an SQ series-themed concert titled SQ Party LEVEL1 on Thursday, September 29 at the 2.5D venue in Japan, and they’ll be streaming it live on Ustream for fans who can’t attend.

Just what will be performed we’re not sure, but a couple of my favorite SQ series arrangers, including RE:NDZ and SEXY SYNTHESIZER will be present along with several others. The concert takes place at 20:00 in Tokyo, so be prepared to wake up early to tune in at 4:00 AM PST or 7:00 AM EST to check it out. The 2.5D venue Ustream channel can be viewed here.

Are you interested in this event, and will you be tuning in on Thursday morning?

[Special thanks to Kai Ohler for translating some of the concert details]

[via Destructoid]
Game Music

SQ Chips and NieR Tribute Album Get Full Track Lists and Samples

August 11, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

Square Enix has released the track listings for two of OSV’s most anticipated albums of what’s remaining of this year. We talked about both SQ Chips and the NieR Tribute Album during our interview with Izumi Tsukushi and Akio Shiraishi, and also recently reviewed the sampler of the SQ Chips album.

As for the NieR Tribute Album -echo-, it does appear as though it’s turning into somewhat of a NieR SQ album with some returning arrangers although the sound is much darker and mature, which is more in line with the original score. You can check out the full track list at VGMdb and listen to samples on the official tribute album website which includes samples of “Grandma,” “Emil,” “Song of the Ancients,” and more, all of which sound amazing.

Moving on to SQ Chips, there’s quite a lengthy list of tracks which includes some surprises such as music from Einhander, Nanashi no Game, and Final Fantasy XIII among many others. The bad news? My two favorite tracks from the SQ Chips Preview Mini Album, “Crisis” from Seiken Densetsu 2 and “A Place to Call Home” from Final Fantasy IX are not on the album. I guess that’s why they didn’t have “[Demo Version]” in their track titles. Actually, Mitsuto Suzuki’s “Chips de Chocobo” also doesn’t appear, but I’m betting it’ll be a hidden track. We asked Square Enix about the missing tracks and were told that they didn’t make the deadline for making it onto the album, and may be released as a bonus on another album on a future date. Look forward to that! In the meantime, check out VGMdb for the track listing and the official website for a sound sample.

Are you surprised by anything on either one of these albums? Which one are you more excited about?
Game Music

SDCC 2011: Where the Heck is Cafe SQ?

August 4, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this SDCC 2011: Where the Heck is Cafe SQ?

We have more to tell you from our interview with Izumi Tsukushi and Akio Shiraishi from Square Enix. I absolutely loved Chill SQ last year even though it was incredibly short, and when it was announced that Cafe SQ would feature the same chillout vibe, I was immediately interested. Strangely, however, we’ve heard nothing about the album since it was announced, and even more strange is the fact that it was announced before SQ Chips, which will be out in just about a month.

During our chat I asked about the status of Cafe SQ. As it turns out, only two tracks are completed and ready to go thus far. We weren’t told how many tracks would be featured overall (there were seven on Chill SQ), but it doesn’t sound like they’re very far along. Still, of note is the fact that it is Izumi Tsukushi’s most anticipated album coming from Square Enix Music right now that’s announced. I’m with him in having high hopes for this album.

Oh, and if you care, the album cover was illustrated by Black Butler artist Yana Toboso. And excuse the grainy image, as is there is no high-res cover art available yet.

Are you looking forward to Cafe SQ, and are you surprised by the fact that it’s been announced with so little progress being made?
Game Music, Reviews

Square Enix’s United States of Odaiba Trio: SFX, SQ Chips, and Type-0 (Review)

August 3, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

We mentioned a few weeks back that Square Enix was preparing a trio of albums to commemorate Fuji TV’s 2011 United States of Odaiba event. These included previews of the upcoming SQ Chips album and Final Fantasy Type-0 soundtrack as well as a sound effects collection CD. I was excited for all three, and the 500 Yen asking price made them an affordable treat for anyone who could make it out to the event.

So what do they offer? While you’ll be able to enjoy SQ Chips and Final Fantasy Type-0 in their entirety in a matter of months, the Square Enix Sound Effect Collection is a release that is unique to the event.

Are they worth you putting in the effort to track them down? Find out after the jump! (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

More BETTER or More of the Same? More SQ (Review)

March 9, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

The SQ series from Square Enix has admittedly been pretty hit or miss. The first album, Love SQ featured an eclectic mix of 10 arrangements from a pretty varied list of Squaresoft titles, while Chill SQ tackled the chillout genre to great results. While the “X’mas album” wasn’t an SQ album in name, it was in spirit, and we’re now getting the third official installment of the SQ album, More SQ.

Have they perfected the formula by now, or is this album just more of the same? With 13 arrangements and the longest run-time of any of previous SQ albums, there’s certainly more to consider.

Hit the jump for our review of More SQ. (more…)