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Battle Garegga :: Review by Harry
OverviewNamiki has been around since 1993, but with most of his original scores being composed for the arcade, he went unrecognised for quite a few years. Nonetheless, in 2003 he joined Basiscape to collaborate amongst some of the finest composers in the game music world, namely Hitoshi Sakimoto ad Masaharu Iwata. His success came under this name rather than a change in console, as Namiki still remains very much as an arcade music veteran. Every original track on this album is composed by him, and its synthy style suits and brings alive the game in the listener's mind. Namiki says it himself that he thinks it is his best work that he has done, and it's hard to disagree with the composer's voice. Read on to see why... BodyHardly afraid of the listener's instant expectations, Namiki begins with two underdeveloped but interesting tracks, "RAIZING logo ~ Rebellion" and "credit~start." "RAIZING logo ~ Rebellion" is actually the opening theme of the game, and a fairly effective one, too. The track starts off well, but in a slightly weird way, too — voices shout out something like "Lighting!". This is a good track that yields an electronica drum beat which pulsates deep vibes and a little tune to accompany the bass instrument. Next up, we have the second of the two opening themes, "coin~start" is significantly shorter and less motivating than the former, only using ambient noises and a three note fanfare. I can't seem to help but think that tracks like these shouldn't be placed on a soundtrack, even if they offer certain nostalgic features. Thankfully, Namiki had more to prove in "4:71am." Though undoubtedly repetitive, it is effective, especially with the quality electronica and synth combination, complete with the deep, resounding bass. The disc is separated suitably into stage themes, with traces of boss tracks spread out into the variable mix. It's however these themes that tend to stand out the most. "Fly to the Leaden Sky (Stage 1)" starts out like what some may expect to hear in a shooter genre soundtrack; energetic cyclical piano notes conveying the airborne ambience in assistance of the synth which performs a light but mad melody line. Upon first listening, one may find this track totally worthless, especially to the ears of an RPG Video Game Music fan, but it has marvelous development and, like most shooter compositions, gets gradually catchier as it moves on. "Underwater Rampart (Stage 2)" takes a different approach, but still manages to have similarities in the arrangement. Again, bouncy, airy synths appear in the opening, creating the perfect effect for the rest of the track, which is also incredibly ambient or more so a mood setter. I feel the beats used are sometimes out-of-rhythm, but its, overall, a great theme. Taking on from the former track's eeriness, "Tunnel Vision (Stage 3)" maintains a very strong vibe of, once more, ambience, but it is a lot more focused than any other stage track on the disc. Unwelcoming sounds jeer at you as you venture down the imaginative abyss-like stage, but it develops into something more captivating though very assimilated to the rest of soundtrack. Expect to hear no less than exciting electronica beats and terrific vibes. Coming into the center of the disc, "Degeneracy (Stage 4)" is the most fun of all stage themes. Dwindled in proper maturity, the track doesn't seem to lose any marks for entertainment. Sure to get your surrounding peers on the dance floor, Namiki has done well to accomplish such a hard task. Fortunately and vice versa, the same has happened to the proceeding track, "Subvorsive Awareness (Stage 5)," but it received slightly more attention from the composer. Akin to its brother, the theme really only performs the main melody, a little instrumental break and then repeats itself, leaving nothing too new in comparison. Equally, either track is great, but composition and satisfactory wise, the latter wins. The enxt theme, "Megalomaniac (Stage 6)" is, regrettably, the least interesting stage theme on the disc. The facts supporting my reason are simple: not much variation. It simply just beats upon a decent melody structure. It could have been somewhat greater if more exciting phrases were added. Finally, we approach "Marginal Consciousness (Stage 7)" which I presume is the final stage theme for the last level in the game. What I really find amazing about the theme is the fact that it sounds like all the other tracks on the alum, but it has its own unique climatic phase which goes well with the title of final stage. Good timing is present; if it were to go on for longer, it would have surely bored me, so this is a good thing. Boss themes on the soundtrack didn't exactly measure up to the awesomeness of stage themes, none particularly being too impressive. The best and most interesting boss battle track is the first one, "Stab and Stomp! (Boss Air)," which indeed sounds like a battle to a degree. This theme is even more epic and raging than the final battle which, in tradition, is supposed to be the most violent composition on the entire soundtrack. The second boss battle theme, "Thrust and Thrash! (Boss Surface)," feels a bit empty and indecisive in its direction. One moment, it sounds playful, and the next, it performs cacophonic apocalyptic. I cannot enjoy a theme when it changes like this so often. The final battle, "Erupter (Last Boss)," is the perfect example of a track that is both good and horrible; good in that it would match its context without too much trouble, and horrible because, quite honestly, the composition sounds completely empty and rushed. I wouldn't say that it was a complete waste of time, having some fortifying sections, but it doesn't expand or success from the original basis a great deal. And if you thought that the misery is over, think again; the ending themes don't give much or compensate anything for the disappointments that were the boss battle themes. "Blood Brothers in the Dawn (Ending)" can be your typical everyday old-school ending theme; short, melodic and standard. All that is shown in it is simply a sad but forgetful tune with a little bit of percussion to emphasize the end. It fails to show good development in the short time frame and it's less than reasonable. Straight after the filler track that is "Fatality (Game Over)," the final track on the soundtrack is "Bluescape (Ranking)." Obviously, this theme was used for the ranking list after you have finished the game, and the track isn't all that bad. Despite the apparent issue of length, the melody is catchy and it has fair structure. That out of the way, it was, agreeably, a substandard ending to the disc. SummaryManabu Namiki certainly cooked up a storm in Battle Garegga. The entire score is heavily synth based, but so what? Does Namiki create memorable music? Yes. Does the album stand the test of time? Yes. As long as these two facts are intact, then the score to Battle Garegga will always live on in the hearts of Arcade gamers and Video Game Music fans alike. The album, however, doesn't come off without the understandable flaws, though, and I'm sure most can and will be smart enough to pick them out. Pretty much everything on the disc which isn't a stage theme is potentially dangerous to the dignity of the album, even though they add memorabilia to the soundtrack's value; the battle themes aren't strong enough, and the ending tracks aren't deeply sufficient. But overcoming this problem should be a breeze because the other tracks present are so wonderful. If you manage to find this rare disc, then I highly suggest you think about purchasing it. Passing such a great opportunity is unacceptable. Go on, experiment with Namiki's own favorite album. Percentage Overall Score: 83% |
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