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Atelier Iris Grand Fantasm: Worlds Connected Beyond Mist :: Review by Don
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Album Title: | Atelier Iris Grand Fantasm: Worlds Connected Beyond the Mist - Haruka Shimotsuki |
| Record Label: | Team Entertainment | |
| Catalog No.: | KDSD-00099 | |
| Release Date: | June 14, 2006 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at VGM World |
Overview
"Worlds Connected Beyond the Mist" is a single used to commemorate the release of Atelier Iris: Grand Fantasm. The majority of the single is composed and arranged by Revo, known for his Sound Horizon albums, such as Elysium and Roman. The remaining piece is composed by the vocalist, Haruka Shimotsuki, and arranged by Revo.
Body
Personally being a fan of Revo's Sound Horizon work, I expected a lot out of this album. What I got did not disappoint me at all. Keeping in tradition with a lot of his albums, this album has to be listened from beginning to end to fully appreciate it, as it is essentially one piece broken into three parts.
The first part, "Wei� ~Drawn into Illusions~", features Revo's trademark use of violin and has a hint of Celtic flair. An air of mystery can also be heard in the piece. Keeping in tradition with his vocalists as well, Haruka Shimotsuki has a kawaii-like voice, but at the same time doesn't overpower the songs, but rather reinforces the melodies.
"Schwarz ~And Then, The Girl Entered the Forest~", the sole piece composed by Haruka Shimotsuki, continues with the mysterious nature of the first part by adding some haunting chorals over an equally foreboding piano line. For the most part, the track is quite subtle; however, at sections, there is a change of pace. The emphasis on percussion and violin complement the singer quite well.
Revo finishes off the album by transitioning into the composition that finds its way onto the Atelier Iris: Grand Fantasm soundtrack, albeit in a much shorter form. "Schwarzwei� ~Worlds Connected Beyond the Mist~" is a sharp contrast to both of the former compositions. Starting off with a frenetic choir and keeping up the pace throughout the piece, Revo is able to create a fantastic piece that shares many traits of his Roman sound, the violins in particular. Topping off the great performances from guitarist, drummer, and vocalist alike is an organ performance from Motoi Sakuraba; you can really tell he somehow made it into this piece of music! Such a great piece from such a great composer!
Summary
"Worlds Connected Beyond the Mist" is an album that shouldn't be missed. Offering a nice introduction to the world of Atelier Iris: Grand Fantasm, Revo and Haruka Shimotsuki create an album full of mystery, magic, and exhilaration. Although short, the fifteen minutes that it takes to listen to this album will fly by and you'll be wanting to start the album all over again!
