|
     |
DewPrism Original Soundtrack :: Review by Z-Freak
 |
Album Title: | DewPrism Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: | DigiCube | |
| Catalog No.: | SSCX-10036 | |
| Release Date: | November 20, 1999 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
In the summer of 2000, Square Enix released about six RPGs. One of them was DewPrism (aka Threads of Fate in Japan). One of Square's least known composers, Junya Nakano, was given the task of writing its score. I might as well give the following warning: If you don't like laid back or very slow music, then by all means, skip this Original Soundtrack. Now, for the review itself.
Disc One (Rue)
Disc One is the one containing the most laid back tracks, but there are good ones as well as some very bad ones. The first winner is "Passing Through the Forest" — it easily sets the mood with its drum and flute use. "Blood & Smokey's Theme ~ The Foolish Rascal Brothers" is among the bad tracks; it's mostly comprised of tribal drums and another instrument that's downright annoying. "Blood & Rascal Battle," though, isn't that bad a battle track, and is a lot more lively than "Blood & Smokey's Theme ~ The Foolish Rascal Brothers."
"Feeling Good" is one of the 'cute' tracks — there are nice little piano passages and it doesn't get on my nerves at all. There are also some ambient tracks. A good example is "Rocky Mountain Sky Garden." It's mainly comprised of tribal drums and some sound effects, but, like "Passing Through the Forest," it's among the good tracks. Another lovely track would be "Ruins in the Lake" — it's simply quiet and slow and easily gets the listener to sit back and relax.
The second battle theme, "Mode Master," is definitely not your usual boss theme. It's not epic for one, but, still, it ain't laid back enough to be boring. "Fancy Mel," another 'cute' track, is nice to listen a few times, but quickly gets repetitive, thus making it neither terrible, neither great, and just about OK. For the third battle theme we get "Doll Master": it doesn't have much melody and it's mostly a type of vocal track. I tend to prefer "Mode Master" over this one, as it's nearly impossible to listen to this one completely without starting to fall asleep. Yep, to put it frankly, it's boring.
"Rasdan" is a nice change from the past tracks — it's a 5-minute long dungeon track, but it's very good and easily sets the mood for the final dungeon in Rue's quest. Next we get the final boss theme "Final Battle 2" — this one is also an instant winner. It's a very epic battle theme and a possible reason for buying this set. "Escape" is awesome and fits the escape scene (I'm guessing there's a timed escape event) pretty well. "Finale ~Rue~" is one of better ending themes I've heard in a while. Simply marvelous, you just can't skip this track. It's just too fun to listen to. As you can see, Disc One has it's share of winner and loser tracks, so let's move on to Disc 2.
Disc Two (Mint)
Disc Two is far more cheery and upbeat. It also has very few bad tracks compared to the first. The first noticeable track, "Mint's Theme," sounds absolutely corny with its wacky choice of instruments, complete with some corny sound effects. "Village" is by far one of the most beautiful town themes of any RPG. This is mostly because the accordion gives it a certain nostalgic feel — it sounds like the music you often hear in French romantic films.
The first dungeon theme on this CD, "Underground Ruins," is also a nice soothing piece and another fine example of a track that you can relax while listening to. "Rodo ~Impetuous Soul~" definitely sounds Spanish and is among my favorites, despite the fact that it's short and simple. Now we come to the very best of the normal boss themes, "Roadblock." While still being a tad laid back, it's a lot easier to enjoy this one easily. "Ghost Temple" starts a bit slow, but when the melody comes about, it easily becomes the very best of the dungeon themes, only rivalled by "To the Ultimate Relic" on Disc Two. Although there is little melody, it's still pretty good in my opinion.
"Upper River Stream (Slow)" has more tribal drums than the rest of the tracks and it's a lot better than "Rocky Mountain Sky Garden" in terms of ambient themes. "Trap Master," being a lighter version of "Mode Master," is the black sheep of the battle themes. It's terrible — it doesn't sound like a battle theme at all, it's too laid back, it has very little atmosphere, and it barely has any melody. "A Little Excited," being another cute track, is simply too repititive to even enjoy. "Maya's Theme" is, however, a gem of a track — its distinctive Asian sound quickly grabs your attention. I'd say this is the final dungeon theme in Mint's quest and it fits the mood like a glove.
"Final Battle" starts like "Doll Master," but quickly perks up and gets better and better. It's a very good last boss theme. "Finale ~Mint~" is a jazzier version of "Village" and, really, it's lovely. Last but not least, we got some music that was used for a TV commercial (weird thing if you ask me!). Save for "Trap Master" and "A Little Excited," Disc Two tends to be far more enjoyable then the first disc.
Summary
In conclusion, if you like music to soothe your mind and simply relax, you can't go wrong with this. However, the DewPrism Original Soundtrack is too laid back to impress the listener emotionally, even if it still stands out firmly on its own. I'd recommend the Another Mind Original Soundtrack, Junya Nakano's other solo work, over this any day of the week.
