Xenoblade Original Soundtrack :: Liner Notes Translated by Ben Schweitzer

	Album Title:	Xenoblade Original Soundtrack
	Record Label:	Dog Ear Records
	Catalog No.:	DERP-10008/11
	Release Date:	June 23, 2010
	Purchase:	Buy at CDJapan

Commentary

Yoko Shimomura - Composer

This is Yoko Shimomura, one of the composers who participated in this project. I was called up suddenly (laughs), and ended up in a meeting room with the people at Monolith Soft. There I was able to see the first images, meet Takahashi-san, and talk with the planners, and I was stirred by the magnificent and fresh worldview presented in Xenoblade. Holding those impressions in mind, I created every note always considering the nature of the protagonist who traverses that world and the story that drew me in.

I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to everyone on the staff who created such a wonderful product, as well as to my fellow composers — everyone from ACE+, Manami Kiyota-san, Mr. Yasunori Mitsuda — and finally, to all of you who have bought this soundtrack! Thank you very much.

ACE+: ACE (Tomori Kudo & CHiCO) + Kenji Hiramatsu - Composers

Holed up in the studio throughout production, our only chance for fun was to give ourselves over to to the lands of the Giant and travel there. But the development staff were very passionate, and gradually images and words arrived and they were truly wonderful. On the fields, the day could be bright or dim, and sometimes one could stare up at the full starry sky, and we were always discussing with the team how the reality of such a magnificent world could be created. It is a project that we got deeply involved in, devoting ourselves to the point of collapse.

When we heard there would be a CD release, we brought out the music again, and thought "We should try a Xenoblade concert with full orchestra and electric instruments". We again left on imaginary travels from the corner of our studio. We would like to thank everyone on the staff, all of our fellow composers, everyone at Dog Ear Records, and all of those who listen to this soundtrack.

Manami Kiyota - Composer

I bought a Famicom when I was in the first grade. As someone who had played outside every day until that point, it was a magic box of unknown worlds. "Wow, video games are amazing!", I thought. I became a girl who adored video games, and wrote "I will become a video game composer" in my elementary graduation book.

Time has passed, and I have been given the opportunity to participate in this project. Happy and nervous yet earnest, I produced a large quantity of music while reading the script, writing day after day. It was physically exhausting, but I was truly happy throughout. I am truly grateful from the bottom of my heart that I was able to participate in this project and that I was able to work together with composers whom I respect. Finally, I am grateful to all of those who will listen to this music. Thank you all so very much.

Yasunori Mitsuda - Composer

I am glad to have worked with director Takahashi on this project, together with five wonderful composers. This is especially true, given the projects I work on together with director Takahashi tend to have a mysterious effect of bringing out another side of my music. On this ending theme, just as with earlier projects, I have written something with a very different flavor.

I was also able to meet Sarah Lim-san, who provided her wonderful voice, and was an asset in many ways. Although we only worked on a single piece, the musicians and staff came together as a team and created it with the utmost care. I desire nothing more than for just a little bit of this piece to remain in listeners' hearts.

Tetsuya Takahashi - Xenoblade Game Production / Executive Director

The selection of BGM before editing it in... that's the part of my project that I invariably take a direct role in. After the images and sound are edited together, it absolutely needs to be started, and when I do begin, I feel more deeply than ever that "I can finally see the goal of this project." (Of course, I don't allow myself to think about the hell of adjustment work that I've put off until afterwards...)

Every morning, I would come to the office, boot up my computer, and wonder what pieces I would put with what cut scenes and battle scenes today. It is a difficult and enjoyable thing to trouble myself about. To illustrate, it is probably like the sensation of children with a box in front of them, loaded with toys. Dumping its contents out with a clatter, they trouble themselves about which ones they want to play with that day. In any event, this time it was fun.

Emitting their multicolored rays of light one by one, the compositions would ask "Use me!" "Use me!" Joyful lights and voices. They were the lights and voices of the composers behind the pieces, of their thoughts and souls, staked upon these pieces. This album is filled with that joy. I hope that all of you experience the same joy and satisfaction that I have felt over the past six months.