Style: Vocal, classical, video game music
Primary Emotions/Themes: Deeply sorrowful lamentations of life
Thoughts: :*Dons Morpheus glasses* What if I told you that there's a vinyl record that combines the vocal prowess of Nier with the musical dynamics and fragility of Gris? Would you be interested in such a record? I know I sure as hell would be.
I have not played House of Fata Morgana. I've been told by multiple people I need to, especially since I like visual novels. After hearing this... well it's moved way up my list of games to play.
All the songs on the 2 LP set are vocally driven. Specifically by an ethereal and enchanting female vocalist. Nier immediately came to mind when I put side A on. In Nier the vocals are the cornerstone of the music, everything revolves around the voice. In House of Fata Morgana it is very much the same, the music is an accompaniment to the voice. The voice is the beginning, it is the end, everything is done to make the vocals shine more.
Where the album differs itself is in its execution. Instead of huge sweeping orchestral arrangements much of the music is minimalistic with only a voice and piano playing. This reminded me of the excellent soundtrack to Gris. Fata Moragana sounds like the beautiful child of both of these amazing soundtracks.
That's not to say that all of the music on here is fragile and slow. There are several tracks that are rather upbeat. These tracks act as a nice change of pace to the majority of the album. They also might act as a distraction for some.
For me though where the album truly shines is when it gets at it's quiet and venerable. The female vocalist featured is absolutely incredible in these moments. The pure raw energy that she brings out in such a confined space is truly rare.
When I first got this record I had never heard the music to the game and had no expectations. I was so surprised by the quality that I spun the record ad nauseum for three straight days - I actually think I burned myself out a bit on it. I'm revisiting it now and after a few weeks regained its impact on me. Time will tell, but as things stand now I believe that this may end up entering into the realm of the elite within the video game music genre.
Written January 29th 2024
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