Chrono Compendium
Zenan Plains - Site Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: FaustWolf on July 09, 2016, 03:33:40 pm
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So we're all very familiar with Mitsuda's work on the Chrono series, but have you heard the awesome stuff he's composed for other games? I was on a Mitsuda music research kick a little while back and amassed a whole treasure trove. I'm going to try my best to update every weekend with a new track that's verified Mitsuda work -- I'm learning the "verified" part is important because a lot of videogame soundtracks are collaborations and sometimes it's difficult to pin down exactly who composed what without proper documentation.
Everyone's free to chime in with the awesome Mitsuda tracks they've discovered! All I ask is that you share with us why the track resonates with you, where you think it'd fit in a new Chrono game, or other random thoughts about the track.
First up is "Urban Fantasy," from the 10,000 Bullets (PS2) OST:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwdhpfYIyBk
Verification that this one is by Mitsuda, and not collaborator Miki Higashino (also an awesome composer in her own right, see the Suikoden series): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10,000_Bullets
If there were a new Chrono game, and the story was structured in such a way that it followed the evolution of a particular civilization over a long time span, I see this as the "big city" music for the era when that society reaches its modern/industrial stage. In earlier eras the music for that city might have underscored a cheery feeling of togetherness and industriousness for its own sake, when people spontaneously came together in communal projects like erecting houses on the city outskirts... This track, in contrast, speaks to the social isolation felt in the modern city now that the sense of community pride has been replaced with a dog-eat-dog commercialism that benefits a slate of oligarchs.
The social isolation is paradoxical considering the number of people stuffed into each square mile of the modern city. And yet, there's still something noble underlying it all, manifested in the efforts of families scraping by to feed their kids and entertaining dreams that these children can achieve a more meaningful future if only they work hard enough. But does a villain lurk the streets, gathering the despair of those who are smart enough to lose hope?
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please tell me he wrote this beloved track...
https://youtu.be/hoF2rBOnsb4
Quitting the Body.
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please tell me he wrote this beloved track...
https://youtu.be/hoF2rBOnsb4
Quitting the Body.
I could be wrong, but I believe Mitsuda composed all the songs on the Chrono Cross soundtrack. (Uematsu composed some of the songs for Chrono Trigger because Mitsuda worked so hard he gave himself ulcers and had to be hospitalized.)
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I'm still grateful to FW for picking this for King Zeal's pre-final battle monologue in the CE Memorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vVN8Y1fnco
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I was amazed when I heard the music he wrote for The Explosion of Comet ISON (http://vgmdb.net/album/45130) (a japanese TV documentary), it's mainly orchestral but with a bit of synth stuff thrown here and there. Given the context for the music, it might sound a bit minimalist at times compared to his game works, but it definitely has his trademark sound. Lots of Chrono/Xeno vibes.
And obviously, this thread cannot be complete without the Kato+Mitsuda combo, kiRite (http://vgmdb.net/album/2587).
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Oooh, good ones!
An Cinnuint was the soundtrack for the PS2 game Tsugunai: Atonement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsugunai%3A_Atonement) and if I'm not mistaken, it might have been the first time Mitsuda gave one of his OSTs its own special name separate from the game. That soundtrack had a classic Chrono vibe through and through in my opinion. Here's "Battle With the Devil (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0kpLbsa8wg)" from that album.
The really neat thing about "The Devil" and "Battle With the Devil" from the An Cinnuint album is that they contain an eight-note musical theme that meshes well with the eight-note theme in "Transferred Consciousness," a track by the awesome musician Sefiros, from his Deconstruct (https://archive.org/details/SefirosDeconstruct) album. That's why all three tracks ended up being used sequentially in the last dungeon of the CE Memorial playthrough.
I did not know Mitsuda did music for documentaries! I'm trying to track down actual samples for his work on NHK's "Explosion of Comet ISON" but I haven't had any luck yet.
Speaking of kiRite, my favorite track from that album has to be "Scorning Blade." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCW6we1QNC4&index=6&list=PL7193A585F3631824) This one carries both Chrono and Xeno vibes. It gives me visions of meeting some majestic character, perhaps a guardian of time. I'd love to know what the story was that Kato wrote for this project -- has there ever been a translation of that?
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I like this thread. :)
I've always enjoyed the happiness in "World Map" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxhXMjjE_xA) from Sands of Destruction, but I'm not completely sure that Mitsuda created the track. He did create "Time's Arm" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc7z88ABlzs), which is also very emotional. Both definitely remind me of Mitsuda's signature style.
I wish I still owned the game...
please tell me he wrote this beloved track...
https://youtu.be/hoF2rBOnsb4
Quitting the Body.
If you like that one, I think you'll really enjoy this remix called "Left My Body in Another World" (http://www.dwellingofduels.net/games/chrono-cross/).
I was amazed when I heard the music he wrote for The Explosion of Comet ISON (http://vgmdb.net/album/45130) (a japanese TV documentary), it's mainly orchestral but with a bit of synth stuff thrown here and there. Given the context for the music, it might sound a bit minimalist at times compared to his game works, but it definitely has his trademark sound. Lots of Chrono/Xeno vibes.
Do you know where I can listen to this album? I can't seem to find it.
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I downloaded it from somewhere I can't remember, but I still have it. I can share it here if that's ok with the mods. :?: Otherwise just PM me.
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Check your PMs Dario! I think we can arrange something.
Here's "Threatening Yell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FguJN7peQHY)" from the Soma Bringer OST. A solid medieval battle theme.
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And now... An event millions of years in the making! A Compendium exclusive!
Mitsuda's tracks from the Explosion of Comet ISON Documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzo2BcRE81E&index=1&list=PLeQmwf0dFTjZoaS4_2zuFZczER6wLMIUH)
Mitsuda's full range is on display here, from spacey new-agey stuff to deep, emotional tracks that tug at the listener's heartstrings -- always Mitsuda's greatest strength IMO.
And here's a Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_ISON) on this heavily studied comet to read while you listen.
Thanks to DarioEMeloD for discovering this awesome album!
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Thanks for making the videos.
(http://i.imgur.com/HD5gtV2.png)
I thought NHK's favourite composer for their documentaries was Joe Hisaishi, ha.
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Ooooh, that makes a fantastic "found a treasure" emoji! We totally need to add that to the list of smilies on the forum.
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Just posting that I appreciate Mitsuda is all. I like music, more than the lyrics of a song, its the actual music that draws you in. And nothing can turn a movie or game into something special more than its music. Without this soundtrack, Chrono Trigger would be "a great game", but with his music, Chrono Trigger is a "legendary game" so kudos to Yasonori Mitsuda. All his dedication and struggles with this game, at least we are left with something great.
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Thanks for reviving this thread, it made me realize that Faust didn't upload all the ISON tracks, but that was my fault because of how I tagged the files. The tracks missing were arranged by someone else, but Mitsuda did compose all the music (http://vgmdb.net/album/45130).
I still have the album if anyone wants it, just hit me up ^^
PS: Xenoblade 2 hype!
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PS: Xenoblade 2 hype!
Don't forget Episode Ignis.
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And now... An event millions of years in the making! A Compendium exclusive!
Mitsuda's tracks from the Explosion of Comet ISON Documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzo2BcRE81E&index=1&list=PLeQmwf0dFTjZoaS4_2zuFZczER6wLMIUH)
Mitsuda's full range is on display here, from spacey new-agey stuff to deep, emotional tracks that tug at the listener's heartstrings -- always Mitsuda's greatest strength IMO.
And here's a Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_ISON) on this heavily studied comet to read while you listen.
Thanks to DarioEMeloD for discovering this awesome album!
I am listening to this while I tour the Compendium on one of my once-every-couple-years check-ins, and this is too good! Perfect Compendium-browsing themes!
I remember Comet ISON, too! I lived at an observatory at the time and we were actually a little bit disappointed by its poor performance, compared to its potential, but it was still pretty rad.
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on one of my once-every-couple-years check-ins
...you could make it once every few months... or weeks...
:)
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I was thinking about that! I retired from the Compendium to have more time to myself to work on my creative projects, but I ended up going too far in the other direction and not maintaining enough social contacts! =/
No guarantees, but I might try hanging around a bit and seeing what happens. With any luck the Compendium is due for a retro cool fad soon, with other old-timers checking back in too.
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It would definitely be nice! I was a lurker for years until a year or so after Prophet's Guile, and I feel like you were already sort of fading out by the time I finally became active. Read a lot of your stuff, though!
I've also started nudging MrBekkler, Thought, and FaustWolf to get back on here -- we have sort of kept in contact IRL although it's fallen off the past year or two. They may not be "old timers" in the same sense you are, but they were three I got close to back in the 2008-ish era.
As for your creative goals, that's awesome that you were able to make a career out of it and pursue the Springtime of Youth! I've one of the ones who sort of fell into the corporate money trap. We're about the same age and I'm definitely in that soul-searching state of mind. "What makes me happy? Does a career really have to be defined by my creative pursuits? How can I leverage my creative interests into a financially viable channel?" That sort of thing, hahaha...
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Yeah, I definitely have some thoughts on some of your posts in other threads. Let me see if I can't cook up a response right now...
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Just noticed this, but last night I was replaying Secret of Mana and beat it. Mitsuda did the sound effects for this game it listed in the credits, didn't know that. I admit I replayed it for the circular menu and the sound effects, now I know why.
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It's funny, I was reading some biographical information on Mitsuda last night, actually.
Homeboy was hired at Square thinking he could compose, but ended up being on sound effects design and didn't make much money. He finally got fed up and went to the then-VP and threatened to quit if they didn't let him start composing, so they gave him Chrono Trigger -- but they said that they wouldn't pay him a composer salary until *after* he wrote the soundtrack and proved he had the chops for it.
Turns out he did, and the soundtrack was epic.
Sort of makes sense he left around 2000 to start his own studio (even if he does still occasionally go back and do freelance composing for SquareEnix).
He's also much younger than I expected. I thought he'd be more around Nobuo Uematsu's age. Mitsuda was like 23/24 when he wrote the soundtrack to Chrono Trigger!
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The man is a legend, and total inspiration. Let's not forget about the soundtrack to Xenosaga...such a fantastic score!