Entry 1404 - Stardew Valley - Part 2 - Spring

Style: video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: The world is coming to life, the bees are out, the flowers are blooming, and the cows need tending

Thoughts: Winter is finally over, it's time to get out into the fields and start preparing for the new year! In this second record for Stardew Valley the songs of Spring are contained. New life is popping up on every corner and the simple sounds of nature coming to life are captured within these songs.

The music retains the cozy feel of winter, however the music here is more active. The melodies contain more notes and quite a few more songs have accelerated tempo's compared to the winter tracks. The whole thing makes me want to get up and start preparing a meal, or cleaning the house, or getting the fridge stocked... or doing something productive. That's what spring is all about.

This is the half way point in Stardew Valley, and while musically I prefer the winter album, the spring one fits just as well thematically as the colder one of the two. I'm looking forward to hearing what the next few albums have in store.

Entry 1403 - Stardew Valley - Part 1 - Winter

Style: Video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: The freezing cold and slow pace of winter is exemplified in these tracks

Thoughts: I was never really able to get into Stardew Valley that much. The whole Harvest Moon thing is not my typical kind of game. Regardless I picked up the boxed set years ago and hardly ever listened to the music. I need to fix that so today these records are hitting the turntable.

Each record revolves around one of the four seasons, with the first being winter. Every song on this record feels like it belongs in winter. I can see the snow flakes falling down when the piano plays. I can feel the frost on my face as the synths slowly progress their melodies.

The whole record embraces the cold yet cozy feel of winter. The songs are all slow, never having a hectic pace. It's the middle of winter, it's cold, there's nothing better to do than to sit in your house by a fire and read. Nothing. We just wait it out till spring.

Entry 1402 - Shenmue II

Style: Video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: the continuation of Ryo's journey in musical form

Thoughts: Shenmue was/is always supposed to be multiple games. Game one was chapter 1 and this game spans multiple other chapters. I think at this point we can assume that the game's scope is too ambitious for how well it sold. Shenmue III was a miracle that was arguably squandered since it did not conclude the story.

Shenmue II however was made before all of this junk happened. It was back in the glory of the Dreamcast days and none of the 18 years in between games was even on peoples minds yet. But what about the music? How could it possibly live up to the epic that was the first game?

Well in many ways it does not. It incorporates much of the same music that the first game has, but includes quite a bit more of traditional video game music into the fold. The score is has a more epic scope than the original game as we are progressing the story at an accelerated pace at this point. 

Is this soundtrack as good as the first entry? Absolutely not. Is it still good? Absolutely. The music continues the score in a direction fitting of the story and by the end of it we actually know what Shenmue means. 

The game and music feel like a relic of a long lost time, a game that could only have been made when it was. This and the first game's records feel like we are looking back in time. A time when games were less grandiose than they are today. A period where games like these could be made, a time where someone like Yu Suzuki could create a game that is so unique and get the full backing of Sega. Those times are long gone, and we may never see a game like this ever again.

Entry 1401 - Shenmue

Style: video game music, traditional Chinese

Primary Emotions/Themes: A boy seeking revenge for his fallen father but the responsibilities of life get in the way of enacting vengeance 

Thoughts: Shenmue was a game that blew me away when I was younger. The mechanics of the game were unlike anything I had ever seen before, and when I heard the music (what little there was) it nearly brought me to tears. I had mp3's downloaded of the soundtrack for years on my iPod and never thought I would get a physical copy of the soundtrack. Well I was wrong and now this fabled story's music is on my turntable.

The thing that is so moving about Shenmue's music is how simple it is. It never tried to do more than it should, and by keeping it simplistic the music hits all the harder. Be it the Chinese violin playing the main theme, or the piano playing some of the more minor melodies of the soundtrack, everything works and works exceptionally well.

What initially drew me to this soundtrack was the erhu or the Chinese violin. The way that those strings sing the sorrow of what Ryo felt when his father fell before his eyes and the profoundness of the music when he finds the phenix mirror. There is no other instrument that could have portrayed this better.

Shenmue is a flawed game. The quick time events were wonky and overdone. The training was annoying, but oddly fun. The day to day activities were simple yet somehow it all worked. The ending of the game though was more than disappointing. I wish that it had continued. Seeing as Shenmue III also had an open ended ending I don't know if we'll ever get the conclusion to this epic. Regardless we still have the incredible music to fall back on. That is enough for me... it truly is.

Entry 1400 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Style: video game music, modern classical, traditional Japanese

Primary Emotions/Themes: A dramatic suite of classical music that prominently features traditional Japanese instrumentation 

Thoughts: Video games sure are something else aren't they? The only qualification for something to be video game music is for it to be featured in a video game. This can mean anything from 8 bit chip tunes to full orchestral scores. It's one of the most diverse genres out there.

The music in Sekiro pushes the bombastic boundaries of what we consider video game music. The entirety of these four disks is orchestral, and we even get a smattering of traditional Japanese instruments scattered throughout as well. 

The score itself balances two opposing forces well: the still of the night with Wolf sneaking around, and the climactic battles that take place all over the game. The way that they are laid out here has the soundtrack exploring the calmer side first and slowly working in the climactic battles as the album continues. 

By the final disk we have massive battle after massive battle and their aftermaths. Truly the pacing on this record set is impeccable. There's rising action leading into the dramatic climax and then finally the release at the end. Expertly arranged.

This is not a record set I listen to that often. In fact this may be only the second or third time I've listened to it. I've often thought about if I need it in my collection, but whenever I do put it on I'm reminded of how well done the music is and I find myself wanting to listen to it again in the future. So whenever that moment comes to future me, I hope you enjoy it as much then as I am now.

Entry 1399 - Paysage d'Hiver - Im Wald

Style: black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: finally the debut album from this legendary project

Thoughts: So we finally get the first official full length of Paysage d'Hiver, and its two hours long. I don't get excited about new releases very often, but god damn I was excited for this one when it was announced. It had been years since anything from the project came out and I was eager for new material.

The first thing I noticed was that the production was impeccable, especially for Paysage. I can hear all of the instruments clearer than ever before, the bass is also much more defined, especially with the drums. It's odd to hear things so clearly, but also it's nice to not have to dedicate a massive amount of concentration to get through the layers upon layers of fuzz to enjoy the music.

Outside of the obvious production changes, not much has changed from Das Tor. The songs are long, roughly around ten minutes each with some small interludes. The songs are highly atmospheric and many channel the same ambient/dungeon synth feel that the early works did. It even has the trademark winter sample at the beginning of the album, the same one that has been in nearly every single Paysage release since the beginning of time.

Im Wald is an epic undertaking in both execution and listening. The tracks go on for what seems like forever, they draw me into a cold wintery landscape even if it's the middle of summer. The music is cold and yet more welcoming than other entries into the huge discography that Wintherr has created. 

In reality we all know that this is not a debut album, this is more an extension of everything that has led up to this. This is a grand statement to the state of Paysage in 2020, and triumphantly declares that the project has returned full force. 

Entry 1398 - Nier - Automata

Style: video game music, vocal, orchestral

Primary Emotions/Themes: a continuation of some of the finest music on the planet

Thoughts: Keiichi Okabe is possibly my favorite composer in video games. Between Automata and Replicant and Drakengard... there's just no comparison. He's one of the single best composers that has ever been in this field. Certainly one of the most distinct ones.

Automata has the same approach to music as Replicant does. It's so sorrowful in every single note, every word spoken, every melody written, every single detail that it moves me on a fundamental level. I can't listen to Neir's music standing up, it compels me to sit down and take it in. No, it demands that I sit down and take it in.

I spoke to the deep effects that these game's music have on me in the previous entry, so I won't repeat that here. Just know that this is the direct continuation of the music found in Replicant and is every bit as moving as that soundtrack is. Absolutely essential listening. 

Entry 1397 - Nier - Replicant

Style: video game music, vocal, orchestral 

Primary Emotions/Themes: A hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that is defined by the female voice.

Thoughts: How can this music be so good? Why is the Nier music some of the finest recorded material in all of video games? What makes it so incredible?

This entry has the risk of going very long, reader be warned. Nier has a special place in my heart. Ever since I played the game on PS3 the music, the story, everything (even the terrible gameplay) has stuck with me for years and years.

Lets try and just focus in on the music for the purposes of this entry. The basis of the music contained within these two discs is as follows: vocals, haunting melodies, more vocals, soaring orchestral scores, more vocals, and yes more vocals. If it was not painfully obvious the voice is the main focus of this soundtrack. Be is a chior or a singular female chant, vocals are what drives this music forward, what gives it a foundation, what breathes life into the notes.

The melodies that create the music have a deep sense of sorrow in them. Even on the open world where there is a bright and gallant soar of music and vocals has an underlying sadness that cannot be ignored. Other tracks display this through a subtle minor key guitar, a vocal line that sounds like the singer is fighting through tears to deliver. It's ever constant and it's one of the main draws of the album for me.

Music like this has a deep and profound effect on me, especially the voice. I read a while back that the lyrics for this album's lyrics were created by taking common languages in current day and then extrapolating out what they would sound like a thousand years in the future. It's a fascinating approach and it gives the voice a familiar yet entirely alien feel. 

I can't say enough good things about this music. It's so creative, it's so impactful, it mirrors the games emotions perfectly... it's perfect. It's transcended the confines of the game and become one of my all time favorite scores, albums... whatever you want to call this. It's absolutely amazing and everyone who loves music needs to hear this. 

Entry 1396 - Monster Hunter World

Style: orchestral video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: an epic reimagining of a storied franchise   

Thoughts: Monster Hunter is my favorite game franchise. Full stop. I came to this conclusion about a decade ago before World released. I've played every title that's been released to the west and some that have not... it's the one franchise I've been with since the very beginning and it's been amazing to see it grow into what it is today.

World saw the game change in major ways, more ways than I can discuss here. This is also where the franchise became main stream. One of the things that did not change though from the early days is the quality of the music. 

Monster Hunter games have always had a full orchestral score, and World is no different. The main difference here is the amount of music that's contained in this soundtrack. It just keeps going and going. Every monster has its own theme as the old games did, but here they are expanded and longer then ever and more involved than ever. 

This soundtrack took me forever to get through and when I finally completed it I felt a relief like I did when I finally killed Xeno'jiiva for the first time. It's long, it's not suitable for a single sitting, and I don't know how often I'll listen to it. If I do revisit it in the future it's going to be one record at a time. It was a fun trip down memory lane though.

Entry 1395 - Metroid Cinematica

Style: symphonic video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: medleys from the Metroid series composed into orchestral form

Thoughts: This is an interesting release for me. I found the digital version of the original release on Spotify many years ago, and at the time the only thing I could do was get a CD. Fast forward half a decade and a kickstarter campaign was announced to fund an expanded vinyl version of the soundtrack.

Let me just get this out of the way: I am not normally a huge fan of remix albums. Sure there are some here and there that do the source material justice, but most of the time I would rather just have the original. This album is one of the exceptions. Not only does it pay justice to the original music, it combines it and remixes it together in such a way that it transforms the originals into something new. Something more dynamic... something more cinematic.

This truly sounds like if the Metroid series ever got made into a feature length film. The music is bombastic and paints a visual picture through the notes. The instruments are clear and capture the mood of the individual moments of the soundtrack perfectly. 

There is a lot of music on this thing, over two hours worth. I hadn't listened to this since I got the records in for the first time. Not that I didn't want to, but rather it's a huge time commitment. I can tell you that this thing has not left my turn table for several days revisiting the music. It's phenomenal. I just need to remember that I own this and that I need to revisit it more than once every two years.

Entry 1394 - Final Fantasy Tactics

Style: video game music 

Primary Emotions/Themes: an epic soundtrack for a game well ahead of it's time

Thoughts: When do you consider a game that defines a genre? What would that entail? For tactical role playing games is this the gold standard? Is Final Fantasy Tactics the game that every other one should be measured up to?

Gameplay wise I'm not sure if it's between this game or Tactics Ogre, musically though Final Fantasy Tactics is not only the gold standard for tactical RPG's, it's one of the elite in all of roleplaying games regardless of underlying genre.

The music in Final Fantasy Tactics matches the cadence of battle perfectly. It drives combat just as much as the commands input from the controller. It has a grand scope and sets the stage for the epic story that is unfolding right in front of your eyes. It does all of this without a single word spoken. 

I've listened to this album more times than I can count. Between the record set and the CD this is one of the finest soundtracks to ever have been released on the PS1 or in Squaresoft's storied history. 

Entry 1393 - Final Fantasy V

Style: video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: a SNES Final Fantasy soundtrack, they don't get much better than this

Thoughts: Final Fantasy VI is one of my favorite games and soundtracks out there. Final Fantasy V is essentially the soundtrack that allows VI to happen.

All of the groundwork that bears fruit in the sequel game is started here. The melodies are on point and varied. Uematsu was experimenting more with different instrument combinations and more complex arrangements here as well. It's just a joy to listen to.

For VI I wrote a huge essay about what the game means to me etc, that is not going to be the case here. I'm going to let the music speak for itself and let the legacy of the game be it's own thing. Just know that this is one of the finest moments in both Final Fantasy in terms of game play as well as music. Essential stuff.

Entry 1392 - Edge of Sanity - The Spectral Sorrows

Style: melodic death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: early 90's death metal, it's a bit all over the place

Thoughts: Well this was an unexpected find. I was looking through some crates and I found my old copy of The Spectral Sorrows laying there. Not at all what I expected to find.

Edge of Sanity have always been one of the more interesting Swedish death metal bands. You never knew what they were going to do next. The first two albums were straight up death metal, and then they released this one... and what a ride it is. 

There's a bit of everything on this album. Some thrash influenced death metal, some melodic death metal, some fast songs, slow songs, and even a Manowar cover. It really is all over the place. It feels like the band created whatever they wanted and then had a field day putting everything and anything on the album.

Is it a bit chaotic? Yeah it is, but at the same time it's fun as hell. The band obviously were having fun writing and recording this stuff. Not all of it is great, but it's an entertaining listen regardless.

Entry 1391 - Dishonored 2

Style: Video game music, dark ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: Vengeance is a cruel master.

Thoughts: I have not played the second Dishonored game, I've only heard the music to it. I'm not sure what it's about, but the music is largely an expansion of the first games soundtrack.

I loved the combination of ambience and melody that the first game had, the second game has a similar approach but it's more towards the ambient side of things for a majority of the soundtrack. The further you get into it though the more melody gets sprinkled in, like a trail of morsels leading us to the ultimate goal.

Dishonored 2's soundtrack is not as good as the first games. It drags on for just a bit too long to stand on it's own like the first one did. That said when this thing starts going it's highly enjoyable, those moments are just too few and far between.

Entry 1390 - Dishonored - Death of the Outsider

Style: video game music, dark ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: solitude, mystery, murder

Thoughts: The Dishonored soundtrack is one of the best in my collection. The way that it balances melody and ambience is outstanding. With the expansion to the game the music shifts starkly in the ambient direction and largely forsakes the melody.

The music on Death of the Outsider is more primal and has less definition as traditional music. The tones that are created here are dark and honestly quite unsettling for most of the records length. Not quite easy listening but also excellent for setting a foreboding atmosphere.

Death of the Outsider is not an album I spin very often, I'll prefer the original game's soundtrack. Every now and then though this soundtrack provides a bit of uneasiness in my life if I so desire.

Entry 1389 - Bloodstained - Ritual of the Night

Style: video game music

Primary Emotions/Themes: the true successor to 2d Castlevania games

Thoughts: After Symphony of the Night I felt a huge dearth in the quality of many of the Castlevania games. Of course we got games in that style on Gameboy Advance and the DS, but they never really felt as grand as the first game to do that style. I missed it a lot, and I finally feel like we have a worthy successor with Ritual of the Night in both gameplay and music.

The fact that Michiru Yamane came back for this game to compose the soundtrack was huge. The music here is a direct extension of Symphony, in fact much of the games soundtrack sounds like it could be interchangeable between the two. It has the same sense of mystery and discovery that the original does and captures that same spark that so few soundtracks have. It's truly special.

I rarely put this record on, because when I start listening to it I feel compelled to finish it. I don't often have enough time to listen to four records back to back, but when I do I enjoy every single moment of this outstanding soundtrack. It's only a few years old at this point, but man it's already elevated to essential status for me.

Entry 1388 - Altar of Plagues - Trilogy Part 3 - Teethed Glory and Injury

Style: black metal, experimental

Primary Emotions/Themes: A massive change in scope and sound for the band

Thoughts: I don't know why it took me this long to get to this album. The last album that I wrote about in this trilogy was all the way back in entry 595. Needless to say it's been a while.

Teethed Glory and Injury sees the band branching out from their long form songs with hypnotic beats and riffs. There are eight songs on here and they span just under fifty minutes in length. After a near ambient intro the band shows the listener exactly how much they've changed with God Alone. These songs are heavy, they are dissonant, they are fast, they have little to no build up, and they are crazy. There is little that would resemble anything that the band created before. 

Teethed Glory was not an album I enjoyed when it first released. I didn't care for the change in direction and I couldn't get behind the dissonance. So much of what I liked about the band was lost. Now that I've had about a decade to digest it I can take this album for what it is. The band was trying something different and to a large part they succeeded. It would have been interesting to see if they continued where they would have ended up, but alas we'll never know. 

Entry 1387 - 輕描淡寫 x Kuroi Ame - 眼泪含泪

Style: Ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: Kuroi Ame's dynamic song writing with the profound atmosphere of 輕描淡寫 

Thoughts: This is it. The final entry before I move to finish out my boxed sets. It couldn't have ended on a better album.

To say that I was excited about this album when it was announced was probably an understatement. 輕描淡寫 had only ever released the one album to my knowledge and to hear that she was teaming up with Kuroi Ame made me excited beyond belief. My hopes for the album were massive, but also so was my fear. Could it live up to the legacy set by both artists? Yes it can.

These six tracks blew me away the first time I heard them. They blow me away still. They combine the sense of profoundness that 輕描淡寫  brings but also makes it more active with melodies and beats injected by Kuroi Ame. Add in some longing vocals by Currentmoodgirl and you have an absolutely phenomenal album. 

This isn't an album I'm going to try and quantify in words. It simply must be heard in order to be understood. Absolutely essential listening.

Entry 1386 - 輕描淡寫 - 小圈子

Style: ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: somehow this album forces me into a deep sense of self reflection and contemplation every single time I play it

Thoughts: There are good ambient albums. Albums that sweep me away and carry me off to distant lands. There are excellent ambient albums, ones that weave their own story with little more than a few sonic pads and minimalist melodies. Then there is this album... an ambient album that somehow strikes me with a profound sense of meaning every time it hits the record player.

I really don't know how it does it. The music on here is so incredibly simple, yet it's layered so well that is swells up emotions in me that normally lie dormant. I wrote a while back about feeling a deep sense of nihilism in the world, well this album is the exact opposite. This album craves meaning, it injects meaning into everything it touches. It brings life where there was none before. 

I have less than ten albums like this in my entire collection. Albums that can instantly change my mood from one thing to another. I don't know how it does it, but there is something in these notes that is truly incredible. 

Entry 1385 - 沙漠鱿鱼 - 上海／香港

Style: ambient, drone, a tiny bit of slushwave, field recordings

Primary Emotions/Themes: a night on the streets of Hong Kong

Thoughts:  Do you want to be transported half way around the world instantly? Look no further than 上海／香港. This album emulates being on  a city street in the mighty city of Hong Kong instantly.

This is another album that I have not listened to in several years. Most of the time I forget I have it, and that's a damn shame. Slow builds, lazy washed out melodies, field recordings of city streets, long and winding songs that blend into each other... these are the staples that are contained in the album. 

I've been keeping a log of albums that I need to revisit more often. By going through my collection I'm finding these hidden gems (to me) and I'm remembering why I bought them in the first place. With 上海／香港 I find that it provides me with an escape from modern life and takes me back thirty or forty years to when life was a bit simpler and I didn't have a care in the world. Sometimes we need simplicity. 

Entry 1384 - 暗号零 - 暗号零

Style: dreampunk, ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: traveling through an empty cosmos, nothing but a few hydrogen atoms to keep us company

Thoughts: Man this has been a blast from the past. This was another one of the first albums that I got when I was into the dreampunk movement. I really had no idea about what dreampunk even was at that point, but I knew I liked what I heard and that was good enough for me. 

The essence of 暗号零 is simple melodies that repeat over the course of three to five minutes with a massive backing of synths. There are little to no beats and the music often feels static or with minimal movement. It feels more like I'm floating through space in audio form than anything else. 

暗号零 is a fascinating album. It's one I put on when I want to be able to concentrate on the task at hand. It offers just enough content to get my mind occupied, yet not so much that it demands all my attention. Probably one of the better dreampunk records I own.

Entry 1383 - チェスマスター - I am Chesumasuta

Style: dreampunk, noise, ambient, experimental

Primary Emotions/Themes: A musical potpourri that drags the listener through both musical bliss and pain

Thoughts: Now we're getting into the final records in my collection. The last of the records I've had since starting this blog. It's a bit ironic that it would start with I am Chesumasuta as well as this was the first true dreampunk album that I ever purchased.

HKE has always been experimental with his music, and it seems he was doubly so here. Some of these songs have absolutely massive electronic atmospheres that overwhelm the senses. Then there are others that seem to be put together in such a way that the music is hard on the ears. Like it clashes with expectations, and makes the listening experience harder than it needs to be because of it.

When I say the music is unpleasant I do need to say that this is nothing like the FLAP that would come later. This is still musical. I've found myself listening to this a few times in a row just to refamiliarize myself with the album. I've not listened to it for several years and honestly I had forgotten a lot of what it has. It's an interesting journey to say the least.

Entry 1382 - Zero ft. Solomon Alber - Faded Memories

Style: lounge music, smooth jazz

Primary Emotions/Themes: soothing music with a whole lot of sax

Thoughts: This was billed as the first sample less barber beats album.... but doesn't that just make this a smooth jazz album instead? The whole idea behind barber beats is reconstructing music from different parts to create something entirely new.

That technicality aside, this is actually a quite enjoyable album. I've seen several people critique it saying that it has too much sax... I'm not sure I agree with that. The saxophone adds in a distinctive element to the album that binds the songs together despite their diversity.

I wasn't sure what I thought of the album at first. It seemed like just another barber beats album, but over time the fact that these are live performances gives this album a bit more credence than a lot of the other material in this musical wavelength. Not a bad listen, and certainly one I should come back to more often.

Entry 1381 - Zelda and Chill

Style: video game music, lofi hip hop

Primary Emotions/Themes: a lofi mix tape of Zelda music

Thoughts: Not much to say about this one except it's Zelda and it's lofi. It's well done and it pays tribute to the source material... but that's about it. 

Entry 1380 - Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild - Memories of a Heroes Journey

Style: Video game music 

Primary Emotions/Themes: the final entry into Breath of the Wild, the conclusion

Thoughts: It's been a trip listening to all of these Breath of the Wild records again. There is so much music in this game that it's nearly overwhelming. Memories recalls the fateful moments of the game's story through the cutscenes and other notable moments.

Out of all of the records in this set, this one is likely the most diverse. The events that happen in the cutscenes are anything from Link waking up to charging head first into Hyrule Castle. It's simplicity and complexity all in one. It contains some of the games best music, and some that just moves the story along. 

This was the last release that I got in the set, and it's fitting that it closes out my trip down memory lane as well. Living through the games main story points is a great way to close things out and this album does just that.