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Star Ocean Till the End of Time Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 :: Review by Aevloss
OverviewStar Ocean Till the End of Time was a talking matter for RPG fans since 1999, though few suspected it would take as long as five years to get an international release. The game was announced before the Playstation 2 was even released to the public, and was intended to be Enix's first use of the hardware. Though the previous Star Ocean games were not hugely popular, they had gained a considerable number of fans, particularly in Japan. Although Dragon Quest was the main series Enix was known for, when the company began promoting Star Ocean Till the End of Time and promising its good quality, more than a few people were interested; like the previous instalments of the series, it would be developed by the offshoot company tri-Ace, feature an epic science-fiction story and support a musical score by Motoi Sakuraba. Surprisingly, the game did not enjoy the success that it was promised, apparently full of glitches and problems that hampered the player's overall enjoyment. It came as even more of a surprise that Enix briskly merged with the genre giant SquareSoft, which was suffering major financial problems after the box office flop of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Some speculate that the Japanese release of Star Ocean Till the End of Time was impaired by the merge and that the beta testing phase must have been finished hurriedly and not to full effect as a consequence. Yet it was not abandoned, and a Director's Cut edition was issued later under new company name 'Square Enix', having fixed the problems found before — it was this version that received an international release. Featuring new areas, cutscenes and FMVs, Motoi Sakuraba was hired once again to compose the music, thus resulting in the Director's Cut soundtrack. Volume 1 contains most of the major music from the original release of the game, featuring the pieces that accompany its original FMV sequences. It also contains many of the area themes found in the first half of the game arranged in a roughly chronological order. BodyThe opening FMV shows the development in technology over the ages, and we see an old model spaceship turn into a more futuristic design and then finally into something of a battle station. We are then shown our own world in the future, though the planet Earth plays relatively no part in the game whatsoever — it seemed as though tri-Ace wanted to assert the fact that the game is a futuristic RPG from the outset. With the accompanying piece of music, "The Dawn of Wisdom," Sakuraba quite fittingly decides to set the overall tone by taking an atmospheric, science-fiction movie score approach. It works well, and achieves that very effect, perhaps because his music scores outside of the 'Tales' series do have a cinematic quality about them anyway. From the low brass instruments that introduce us to the theme and subsequently underscore the remainder, the floating strings which perfectly depict infinite space, to the choir that enters during some of the more powerful, almost sinister interludes, this piece has everything an introduction theme should do. It also introduces us to the main theme and, indeed, the beautiful orchestral sound that is carried throughout the majority of the soundtrack. The second track, "Into the Undiscovery Ocean," follows in a similar style, though somewhat less dynamic, to accompany the title screen. Once again the main theme is featured and this certainly helps give the players a first impression of an epic sci-fi RPG, even though it does nothing to stand out from the previous piece on a stand-alone, and it's effect is limited, but for creating a coherent feel from the beginning. From here, the game score begins, and after the nice but non-descript "Fly by Contact," we are treated to a very good 'hurry' track in "Starless Wavelets." In typical Sakuraba fashion, insistent brass and anxious strings dominate the track with the powerful percussion and choir supplying a very hopeless feel. It is unusual for such a track to feature so early on in a soundtrack, and leads me on to my first complaint. By separating the score into two volumes, there are instances in which chronological music is missed out, giving the overall sound suddenness about it. No doubt, this track is good and it develops really well, absolutely showing that protagonist Fayt Leingod, his friends and family (and, in fact, the whole population of holiday planet Hyda IV) are in grave danger and will inevitably be overcome by the evil Vendeeni, but it certainly seems a speedy transition to helplessness, being only the second piece of music from the game. If all the music were on one soundtrack set, "Cutting Edge of Notion" and "Pert Girl on the Sandy Beach" would have both featured before "Starless Wavelets" and would have perhaps built up the listening experience better. However, complaints aside, "Imbalance" is a nice follow-up track, and the drum rolls at the beginning give an impression of a dust cloud clearing — it is then that some twisted-sounding, discordant strings enter and create an alarming sense of pure evil. It follows on from the previous track well, as you get to hear and feel what type of person was behind the attack and the overwhelming power that they seem to possess; it also fits into the idea that at this point you have little idea exactly why the planet was assaulted, and so it conveys mystery as well as grief, resulting in a haunting track which shows Sakuraba's versatile use of orchestration. Taking almost a whole two and a half minutes to loop, "Misted Moon" is perhaps the longest game over theme that has featured in a game. On the album, however, it retains the misery that has already been asserted before, and is the first appearance of Sakuraba's usual trademark use of vocals — the woman who sings to this song has an almost tribal-sounding voice, and sounds as though she is singing a song for the dead, which is quite appropriate. I feel, however, that this might have been composed for a different purpose and merely ended up being used for the game over screen, since it does develop a considerable amount, though it never really gets more interesting, as such. The track is followed by another sorrowful piece, "Lakes and Marshes with Doubt." It predominately uses an unusual synth instrument (probably an electric piano of some kind), similar to the one used in "Fly by Contact," and unfortunately seems to take on some of its more ambient, tedious qualities. It is not what I would call a bad track however, and keeps the listener in quite an unhappy mentality, leading on well to the final track of this set. "Fallen Leaves - Flute Ver" is used sparingly in the game, which is a shame because it is one of the better emotional tracks on the album. Mainly a piano, flute, and acoustic guitar based track, at last the listener is given a touch of a hopeful feeling, which is welcome and helps keep the dark, moody tracks from overpowering the experience completely. From here on, the use of new music featured becomes slightly less frequent, as the main opening to the game comes to a close. Stranded on a backward planet where the technology Fayt is used to is not commonplace, we are given our first true free-roaming section. "Chrysanthemum in Winter" is an area theme that is used to represent forests and treacherous roads alike in the game, and is lovely, if a little ambient. The track relies mainly on a mournful string melody, sometimes accompanied by a horn and some sort of vibraphone. The first town theme on the soundtrack is quite unusual too; 'The Desolate Smell of Earth' isn't your usual chirpy effort, but instead portrays a village that is quite solitary and creates a picture of laborious work and other conservative activities that the inhabitants might partake in. It is by no means a happy track, but is oddly cosy and relaxing. It is clever the way Sakuraba subtly changes the mood while sticking true to the same style of music; after all, we hear little variation of instrumentation at the beginning of the album. Our first alteration to the mood comes in the form of "Take off from Home," which sounds like an upbeat fanfare and we are treated to our first outwardly positive track on the album. There are more of these to follow, but I think Sakuraba wanted to express the grimness of the situation first and it actually serves to make the lighter additions stand out more. The time Fayt spends on the medieval planet 'Elicoor II' dominates a large amount of the game, and the music from that section is particularly focused upon in this first volume of the soundtrack. This means that regrettably, anyone who buys the album expecting an electronica score or something with upbeat synth tracks like in Star Ocean The Second Story will be disappointed. Were it not for the first few tracks on Disc One and a couple towards the end of Disc Two, this could easily be a fantasy-game score; most of the techno tracks are featured on Volume 2 of the soundtrack, yet that lacks the fantasy themes. Luckily, I can enjoy traditional and futuristic RPG music, but it is a point fundamental to ones enjoyment of the volumes nonetheless, and will influence how you feel about each and which you ultimately prefer. So the next track, "Into a Storm not Memorized," is intended to depict a traditional castle town setting, creating the appropriate feeling through the use of the percussion and a powerful horn. Somehow, though, it seems quite melancholy — Sakuraba might have wanted to convey the townsfolk's reluctance toward Airyglyph's war against Aquios, or perhaps it was simply a way of incorporating the idea of the constant snow fall into the music; either way, it creates a cold, wintry feeling in its context, which is visibly symbolic of the true situation in the game (I like to think that the snow fall is meant to make the town seem cold, harsh and unwelcoming, which is suitable since it is the Aquarians that you end up siding with. Perhaps it is a visual and aural recreation of the king's personality?) If "Into the Storm not Memorized" was meant to represent the inner-iciness of the King, then "The Outbreak of War" no doubt embodies the shell he hides behind when talking to his people. Dominated by triumphant horns, the music for the kingdom of Airyglyph is made to seem majestic, even though their intentions may not valiant at all. From a musical perspective, the listener is made to feel like these people are strong, and the brass creates the sense that the King's fortune was built on blood and success in warfare. To me, when compared to the theme of the Aquarian kingdom featured later in the soundtrack, this track is the incarnation of proud men while the other is of caring women. "March for Glory" is actually played during the decisive battle between the two warring nations, and has a bold cinematic quality to it. Its sound is akin to "The Outbreak of War," perhaps because Sakuraba wanted to say that the male way of settling the dispute (war) is what the situation ultimately comes down to. When listening to this track, you can tell that something of importance is taking place, simply from the grand air the piece emanates; the title would make you think that this is armies marching to battle, but it is really the big battle theme itself. It is quite the 'glorious' piece, though, and I believe it is the first time Sakuraba has composed a track of its kind. The chronology has actually been changed a little for the album at this point, but not in a disadvantageous way. "Requiem for a Saint" is a beautiful song with a wonderful melody and works very well after the last few tracks. This is actually the accompanying music to one of the main Aquarian towns, where many of your missions and quests are organized. It uses the brass instruments as before, but the tranquil melody and the composed strings create a sense of conclusive peace and rest (as a 'requiem' should do) as well as loss. Since the town is the centrepoint of many Aquarian operations, the music seems to represent the heart of the people — as courageous as the men, but in a more subdued, introspective way. I think it one of the most effective tracks on the entire album and is a lovely piece of music, even when not listened to in-game, though it is probably best heard after the tracks before it on the album. The final three tracks of the CD bring us to a more cheerful section of the soundtrack. The first two are mediocre bravery themes, which are not quite as effective by themselves as the tracks that have preceded them, and the final piece, "Lively Step," perfectly depicts a lively town through it's fluttering woodwind use and jolly clapping. Although it is not necessarily one of the best area themes on the album, the use of the violin nearer the end of the piece was appealing, and, as we put Disc One back into the case, we feel pretty content. CD2 opens with a pleasant love theme, "Ice Crystal," which is played during the interactions between NPCs Ameena and Dion, childhood friends who are reunited through the course of the war. Admittedly, it's no "Theme of RENA", but it is soothing anyway, though quite sad too, as their relationship is barely requited and ends tragically. Sakuraba's piano work is as charming as ever; how he manages to use it effectively even in the simplest of ways is commendable. "The Future of Blood-Stained Blade" is one of the poignant heroic themes, and incorporates quite a few of the different emotions that have been expressed in tracks gone by. It signifies resolve and perseverance, themes that are moving in personal ways and don't always need to accompany something to be effective. Sakuraba is one of those composers who rarely disappoints when developing his pieces — this track is no exception, and he masterfully brings us back to the beginning after a wonderful, determined passage that begins at about 1:45, which sounds like a defiant challenge to the enemy and was in some way touching. Similarly to on the first CD, when the Aquios area themes are presented, we get to hear the kingdom city's theme before hearing the actual palace piece itself. In this case, the two Aquarian themes are led by strings and underscored by brass in contrast to the theme of Airyglyph, which was done in quite the opposite manner. "Calm Mind Reflected in the Pupil" forms the image of a pure, tranquil setting and the harp gives it an almost angelic quality. It does not develop a great deal, but manages to make the listener feel secure anyway. "Reflected Moon" is the palace theme, and the elegant strings have a regal quality to them; overall, the theme certainly reflects royalty as it is meant to. Unlike "The Outbreak of War," the piece seems more serene and fits in with the image of a realm in which femininity is quite prominent. This kind of theme is effective for creating vivid imagery, even when you haven't heard it in its context; somehow it realises its place flawlessly, and original or not, it is successful. The next track, "Manifestation," accompanies an important FMV sequence that takes place in the aftermath of the main war between the two nations, when the malicious Vendeeni appear once more. When listening to the album, its appearance is sudden after the sure calmness before, and, as the strings build to a crescendo, the listener is made to feel on edge. What follows is the first obvious use of the main theme since the first two tracks on Disc One; this signifies the importance of the moment, and since it does not loop, some who have not played the game might be able to guess as to its whereabouts anyway. Something about the track just oozes power, and the end rightfully encapsulates Fayt's shock and inquisitiveness. "So Alone, Be Sorrow - Piano Ver." is another sad piece that seems to be targeting a tear-jerking reaction. It no doubt becomes a complex, respectable track as it evolves; it surprises me that Sakuraba's use of the piano is so sparing, as he is obviously very proficient with the instrument — from the quiet, reflective sections to the loud, dynamic interludes and the fascinating sensation of falling a part towards the end generates, this held my attention throughout. Virtually every piano track he has made I enjoy — I tend to think of the track as somewhat of a hidden gem, as when I think of the album, I always forget how fine this one is; it is definitely one of the stronger pieces this volume has to offer. Its successor is quite possibly the most aggressive area theme I have ever heard. "Imperial Garden" marks Sakuraba's first use of the imposing church organ, and features some violent, overwhelmingly evil chord progressions that only the instrument itself could make sound so effective. Over the chord sequence, we hear some haunting, distorted vocals and the organ's main ominous partner, the harpsichord, which all together create something of a rotting, death-infested, gothic sound that is awfully frightening; but what an atmosphere it creates! "So Alone, Be Sorrow" makes a return next, incorporating synth vocals with the young, innocent voice of Mio Sakuraba. Supported by a cello sequence, some discordant, wailing strings, and a pretty harp and bell, the track creates conflicting emotions. In one sense, its connotation is profound; even though it might not match up to other similar themes by Sakuraba in many ways, it is still pleasant to listen to — yet, at the same time, you get the feeling that something is crushingly wrong from the heartbreaking tone it takes. I also can't help but marvel at the coherence the composer creates — it sounds akin to the sound Sakuraba has used for the Aquarians already, yet it also has hints of the main theme and even includes a chord progression similar to "Imperial Garden"! Such tracks make the album feel much more complete and add to the overall experience. "Influence of Truth Influence" has the honour of being the single battle theme included on the first volume of the soundtrack. Though it may sound like just another heroic piece, it is actually played during your battles with the 4D beings on Moonbase, Planet Styx and beyond. Like most of Sakuraba's battle themes, it is developed very well and manages to hold your concentration through it's constantly shifting dynamics and tone — one minute you'll be hearing a courageous section and then one that betrays the power of the enemies you face at the next. I must say that I think the track order has been cleverly done here, and while it doesn't always stay true to the chronology of the game, it seems to always have the listener's experience in mind. The subsequent track, "Brass Wings," is played during an enormously important action FMV in the game. I personally believe this piece was very important to Sakuraba, as many other heroic themes in his soundtracks since have been styled after it, as though that sound has become the standard. Incorporating some synth brass and the traditional horns and strings, the last piece composed for Elicoor II is very apt. It seems like its style was influenced by the more dominant Airyglyph themes, which is suitable, since the huge dragon guardian Crossel (who features heavily in the cutscene), is, in a way more similar to them anyway, in that strength makes up a great deal of whom he is. It is also fitting that he has a powerful influence on the music after his heavy battle theme, "The Divine Spirit of Language," which can be found on the Volume 2 soundtrack. With the 'traditional' RPG music finished, the soundtrack skips a lot of futuristic area themes and leaves them for the second volume. We come then, to the main villain's theme, "Like Squashing Grape." Similar to "Imperial Garden," the track is made up of some sinister, intricate church organ work with vocals chanting, creating a thoroughly evil feeling and mood. It is actually quite an ironic portrayal of the villain if you know who and what they are, but from a listener's outlook, it is just another dark piece, though Sakuraba shows his compositional ability through its complexity. "Interval of Freezed Time" is an unusual follow-on track that forms an ethereal impression due to the enchanting vocals and delicate piano work. What we end up with is something that perfectly resembles the barren, hallowed landscapes of Planet Styx. It is successful in that it introduces a new style that was not found on the previous planet thus inducing a fresh sensation, which makes a nice change. "Fallen Leaves" also provokes that otherworldly reaction; this is the main version of the theme that was experimented with in "Fallen Leaves - Flute Ver." I would not like to give a preference out of the two, but both share the similar quality of being good tracks that are underused. It features an unusual sound effect that creates a watery impression in the background, which the strings and vocals use to form a magical representation in your mind. A gentle percussion line also enters as the track repeats, and eventually leads into a short bridge featuring a crystal-like instrument, before finally panning out as the piece is brought back to the beginning. I find this kind of image-rich music likeable as I can let my imagination run wild, which adds to my overall enjoyment of an album. The next piece, "Dark Flare," is a dungeon theme featured towards the end of the game. Although it accompanies a futuristic backdrop, the similarities between "Fallen Leaves" and its own percussion and sound effect use ensures it does not seem out of place. This is one of the most ambient area themes in the whole soundtrack, and primarily consists of unusual sound effects in conjunction with a discreet, menacing string melody that doesn't seem overpowering, but instead threatening and creates an expectancy that is quite compelling. It is at this point that I think the soundtrack makes a mistake. By skipping straight to the ending theme, "Divine Indignation," the volume sounds as though it is unresolved; what happened to the villain? Why was this sense of urgency and anticipation created that was only so temporary? The transition between the two pieces was fine, but it is only after you have finished listening to the album that you realise something was missing. In my opinion, the excellent final battle music, "Highbrow," might have been well-suited to this volume, and could have bridged the gap between "Dark Flare" and "Divine Indignation," perhaps bringing the album to a more appropriate, definite conclusion (though that would have a negative knock-on effect on the second volume too). However, "Divine Indignation," when studied as a standalone track, is a particularly good piece. It begins on an anxious note, like a 'hurry' theme, but quickly shifts to helplessness, as running quickly becomes impossible. This tone is taken mainly because the final battle didn't end quite as expected — although the villain has been defeated, the threat is still real for a minute or so, which results in a piece that is not too similar to others. The choir and brass filter off to let the harp and strings take centre stage at this point, which play a short hopeless melody and we are returned to the feeling of despair that has been a frequency throughout the volume. Then the mood shifts, and what seemed like inevitable defeat suddenly becomes a chance — a hope — and the piece enters its most beautiful, moving phase, which is finally seen off by a reverberating harp and the strings and choir build to a careful climax. With everything returned to normal, "Despair Road," the second ending cutscene track, conveys wonderment and relief, which is how the listener and the characters are supposed to be reacting. It develops a little too slowly for my liking, but when it reaches the three-minute mark, it becomes very epic and satisfies sufficiently. It is the last rendition of the main theme, which has only been used moderation — a nice change from the usual reliance on such pieces. "Brilliant Future" is nothing extraordinary, but it is nostalgic and pleasing. It uses the same synth instrument as "Fly by Contact," which perhaps makes the soundtrack feel like it has come round a full circle. The melody is nice though and develops well, and it would have been interesting to hear it on a normal piano. This leaves only the bonus track, "Brass Wings (Another Ver.)." I really enjoyed this piece, and thought it was much better than the original, mainly because Sakuraba was no longer constricted by the limitations of the FMV sequence and could develop the theme further, improving the overall quality. As I mentioned before, I admire this theme for being the first of it's kind, and to hear such a good version of it makes "Brass Wings" a Sakuraba-classic in my eyes, even if not on the same level as "Confidence in the Domination," "Mission to the Deep Space," and such. This time around, there is a strong horn playing the main melody, which sounds louder and more effective than the instrument used in its weaker counterpart — the synth brass is still utilized, but to a lesser degree, and it is mainly the strings and horn that take centre stage, with a fine, if conventional, harp section entering later in the track. I thought this was a good way to end the album (though excessively triumphant), since there was no staff roll of any kind, and the vocal ballad that was used during the ending credits was distributed by the people who performed it as a separate release. It effectively ends as it begins, with Sakuraba showing his talent for orchestration. SummaryThe true question is, I suppose, does this album work as a whole? This is not a query that is easily answered, as there are quite a few factors that you might want to take into account. First and foremost, this is a soundtrack split in two; Volume 1 basically contains half of the music from the game, featuring many of the Cutscene pieces and a lack of battle themes, while Volume 2 excels in its battle theme usage and lacks the cutscene tracks. In a way this creates quite an imbalanced feel — when listening to Volume 1, there are constantly more atmospheric themes being effected upon the listener, with fewer light tracks interspersed to release the tension; contrarily, in Volume 2 you get hear lots of pumping battle tracks, but fail to see Sakuraba's more grandiose composing skills and an overall atmosphere is never really established. Indeed, it has always been said that Sakuraba has two completely different styles that he applies to all of his work — he can be both the progressive rock musician that creates tracks that span between the restrained, the thunderous, and the downright unsavoury, and the orchestral composer who creates sweeping string and brass melodies that are often beautifully complimentary to the ears if not always innovative. The latter is featured in this volume in excess, and might not be to everyone's tastes. After all, video game music is a very subjective matter; some people might argue that Sakuraba's orchestral music is much more sophisticated from a compositional standpoint, and that his battle themes often seem messy and cluttered. Other people might say that his battle themes are great rock pieces, perfectly setting the mood for a battle sequence and that it is his string and brass melodies and more subdued work that are unoriginal and tedious. Then there are extremists, those who love everything the man makes and those who absolutely despise it. Star Ocean Till the End of Time happened to be the first time I had ever heard a soundtrack by Sakuraba (having missed out on his classics Star Ocean The Second Story, Valkyrie Profile, and, indeed, his earlier soundtracks) and so it was very much my first experience of his work. Once I had heard it in its entirety, I formed the initial opinion that Sakuraba was, in many ways, the closest man to achieving video game music perfection. It might sound absurd, but this was by no means my deciding that Sakuraba was a superior composer to any others in the business, because, in fact, I do not think that in the slightest. The truth of the matter is though, he is one of the only composers I can think of who can consistently create appealing rock battle themes yet still include orchestral masterpieces such as "Divine Indignation," "Brass Wings" and "Over the Planet" and adaptable area themes. While he is flawed in that since he has experimented with different styles so much he has got to the point that his work often lacks inspiration, at the same time Sakuraba has the most perfect balance of compositional ability, ideal for a game. No doubt, Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masashi Hamauzu are much more proficient when it comes to making richly textured music and Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda excel when making catchy melodies is added to the equation — perhaps Noriyuki Iwadare and Yôko Shimomura are on the same level at creating good battle themes, but the point is, Sakuraba can dabble effectively within each of these areas and never seems to lose momentum; he is very much an all-rounder. Team Entertainment Director, Taku Kitahara, writes the following in the liner notes, which is similar what I am trying to say, but phrased in a much better way: "I wonder if there's any other composer in Japan who could have realized Star Ocean's grand Sci-Fi fantasy world besides Motoi Sakuraba. The majestic orchestral sound used in the movies, and the rock sound of the battle and dungeon tracks, bursting with speed, occupy an important place in Star Ocean. Sakuraba has thoroughly digested his progressive rock roots and given birth to what could be called an original new genre, the Motoi Sakuraba Sound. This of course encompasses his compositional talent, but also his selection of synth timbres, his approach to arranging, and his mix-downs." - Taku Kitahara It came as a slight disappointment to me, in the light of all this, that Sakuraba's score, and his two most prominent styles were effectively ripped in half for the CD release. I have yet to think of a reason that can persuade me to think that they were wise to choose not make Star Ocean Till the End of Time's soundtrack a 4 CD, chronologically apt soundtrack set, like with most of the recent Final Fantasy albums. Sakuraba's versatility is one of his greatest assets, yet by doing what they have, the publishers (unless it was the composer's personal choice!) have hampered the overall quality in my eyes, if only a little. However, perhaps I am being too harsh. Anybody who likes one of Sakuraba's styles and dislikes the other is sure to find the splitting a sensible and useful move; it saves having to buy a more expensive 4 CD set in which only half of the tracks will be to your tastes; I can appreciate that. Anybody who likes classical and traditional RPG music is bound to like the first volume, while electronica and rock fans will probably enjoy the second. As an appreciator of both, though, I found that at some points, each volume lost out for not having such a balanced array of tracks. As a whole, Volume 1 is very good, in my opinion, putting my complaints to one side. From the bombastic "Starless Wavelets" to the striking "Requiem to a Saint"; grand "March for Glory" to the noble "Reflected Moon" and indeed the masterful FMV pieces "Brass Wings" and "Divine Indignation," Sakuraba succeeds in creating an epic score that rivals many of the great video game soundtracks and stands as one of his best works. Out of the two volumes and the Director's Cut soundtrack, I can honestly say I enjoyed this one the most due to its consistency and lack of 'filler' compositions, though some of the best tracks from the game populate the other two. If you were prepared to buy only one, I would recommend this, though I think you should think about 'which' Sakuraba you prefer before committing yourself. Percentage Overall Score: 91% |
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