Yuki Kajiura's Soundtracks [pre 2008]

EAT-MAN WEEK START!
Next week: Double Cast

I actually started watching EAT-MAN and it's cleaaaaaarly a "Mashimo show". Pretty sure there are at least 2 unreleased Kajiura tracks in the first episode alone but I don't remember much of the OST. I'll try continuing watching but I don't know if it's the show's writing that is so confusing or just the terrible subs. I'll check the OST once I finish or give up on the show.
 
someone can also provide me the link please
(if no one can i can always go to vk hoping they have it)
edit - of course they have it lol but for now im still looping sayuri's heikousen

idk if i should post this here or not but i think it's appropriate (since i don't think necrobumping the YKL best 2 is a good idea) since im going to write about soundtrack songs

i listened to YKL best 2 CD 3 again after quite a long time (since this CD's tracklist impressed me the least between all 3, CD 2 is the best) and i just wanna say what that the difference in vocal quality between Hanae and Eri in open your heart is sooo big, Hanae was all smooth and controlled and Eri came out really scratchy and jarring...plus overall this track was quite a mess because everything and everyone were forcefully packed into this track lol i quite like Hikaru's voice here...hate Asuka's voice.

as i write this Historia op theme came and lol @ Wakana's vocal...
 
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im reviewing the tracks kinda backwards
@wat11 khinsider has the album. you can download the songs but one by one.

silencio~continue is a beautiful guitar track that has a surprising turn (which imo albeit kinda disjointed is very pleasantly surprising) near the end by that time i thought the song already ended and it's another track but it isn't.
songs with no words has crescendos that are very kajiura - when i thought it would be just one melody repeated over and over again it has wonderful middle part. really like this track. it kinda give me the same impression as faith from RHH OST I (since I listened to faith first)
i'm loving elastic plastic from the first second lol. the track is a very 90s digital track that I really adore until now. the track is long and maybe it's repetitive but i still really like it.
flower has a very chinese-like tone to it. not really impressive.
the impression of the sea does give me an impression of the sea. this is one of the things i really liked about kajiura's music - when they're good they're able to conjure the image of what the track would be like/what the track would tell about. the flute/synth segment in the middle is really lovely and the track actually evolves as the song progresses - too bad it ends in tasteless fadeout.
i don't know why this track is named (welcome into)Conflict as i don't really feel anything that evokes conflict from this but i really like the percussion sound in this track and the wailing-synth in the middle is kinda annoying but somehow works really well for this track.
cold fire is also a track that feels really kajiura to me.
i really like this as a title, (Lavion) as it sounds really pretty and the song doesn't disappoint me. after listening to KOR I also feel something similar to that soundtrack from this particular track. despite being kinda digital-synth-techno-ey this sounds like a wedding song to me.
of course there's no Kajiura soundtrack without piano-heavy track and here comes Pleasure. this track is really good if not for the really loud synth-bass at the beginning.
okay i kinda understand why kajiura performed this track in her recent lives, Theme is one of the easier track from this soundtrack to translate into live performance. the sitar-synth is really lovely and sounds like a fusion between orientalchinese sound and middleeast sound to my ears.

okay will continue tomorrow or on sunday since the tracks are quite long lol
 
Silencio~Continue are really seperate tracks (except presented together on that ART BOOK cd for whatever eason). Continue is the next episode preview. (Not to mention Silencio is completely different on ART BOOK and ACT-2 soundtrack, as is Theme).
 
Silencio: With that intro you expect something chaotic for the rest of the song, but NOPE. The title fits very nicely, me thinks. It’s not literally silence, but it has a sense of mystery. It’s also one of the few acoustic guitar pieces she’s written that are actually developed.

Theme: Here comes some middle eastern flavor~ It feels like a funky ME song, hue. The whole track is pretty good, but I particularly like the change around 2:07. It was at that moment that I decided it was one of my favorites, hue.

Light of the night: Yay accordion. It’s a really calm and lovely melody. I know the title says night, but I imagine midday in a park filled with mostly light-colored plants. I like how all three instruments come together on the last third of the piece. Lovely~ Maybe I’ll try to play it on my accordion.
Also, at around 3:34, is that a piano trill? In MY Kajiura piece? Get out! Hue, but seriously, those are rare.

System 0212: Coal track. The bass and the voice are what I always remember about this track. There’s not really much development in the track, but it’s still pretty enjoyable. The beat makes me think of one of those police tv shows (cops, was it?), but the voice makes it sound more futuristic.

Digital flower: Nothing special. Short and sweet.

Do you believe in dreams? : The intro makes me think of cops, everything after reminds me of Street Fighter. At first I thought the title didn’t really fit the track, I thought it would fit Song with no words better, but then I thought maybe it’s the dream of a 80’s-90’s shounen hero and it suddenly fit, hue. I wouldn’t think much of the song besides it being cool, but the piano part at 2:03 made it stand out more. I wouldn’t really imagine this kind of track having piano.

Pleasure: that classic Kajiura bass line. I miss when she actually did something with her piano pieces. I really like the development of this one. There’s a clear melody line that’s repeated, but there’s something different on each repetition, even if it’s just the intensity. Also love that ending. Piano staccato? In MY Kaj- ok I’ll stop.

Lavion: What in the world is Lavion? I googled it and all I got was L’avion which is French for “the plane”. And also some weird monster. Anyways, the piece sounds like a happy ending to me. The song is pretty slow, but somehow not boring. I enjoy it more when the extra beat comes in and the little piano bits.

Cold fire: Don’t really like the synth strings, but the bass and percussion are cool enough to save the track.

Elastic plastic: The title reminds me of the kind of names Yoko Kanno gives her tracks. Pretty funky track. It’s repetitive, and it got stuck in my head, but meh, I like it.

(Welcome into) conflict: Yeah, I don’t feel any conflict here. Guronti boi should be able to give us some context mebbe. I agree that the sitar and percussion make the track. The flute by itself is pretty weak. I feel like the melody starts to work once the other synth instrument (idk what it is hue) joins in.

The impression of the sea: Instead of the sea, it gives me an image of a desolate and ruined modern city. Not my favorite track, but I appreciate that at least she developed it. The synth flute in the middle is a nice touch.

Song with no words: The melody doesn’t start until halfway through the piece, but the combination of synth strings, the short piano bits, and percussion do make it pretty enjoyable. The flute melody is quite pretty and “inspirational” without feeling cheesy.
I get the feeling they’re going to perform it at some YK live with vocals (but no words, hue).

Flower: Digital flower with Japanese flavor. I kinda like it more, hue.

I only have the Act 2 album, so it seems I’m missing a few tracks, hue.


Overall, the soundtrack is pretty good. It few Kajiura staples, but it’s not really formulaic (but then again, this was before she developed her style). It also made me notice that one of the reasons her current music feels dull and too straightforward at times is because of her lack of use of ornaments. Also, cool bass lines, hue.
 
I can't really give much context cause I stopped watching the show after 4 episodes - it was all fairly uninteresting stand alone stories. I only kept the audio to finish up the guide later, lol.

I love the first 3 tracks on ACT-2, as well as Lavion past the dumb orchestra tuning intro (Lavion is supposed to be some ship in the show AFAIK?). I can't say I really care much for the rest, not that they are bad but kind of loud and/or uneventful/repetitive for me (at least in the mood I'm in today). Overlong, too - System 0212 could just as well be half the length. I know I always say I love synths but I found Do You Believe In Dreams? to be a little on the obnoxious side and Pleasure is also not my kind of thing, having that "Chariots of Fire" feel that some mentioned on ShinKOR. I kind of feel like Songs With No Words could be adapted into a Song WITH Words, lol, and possibly be improved by that.

I'd actually recommend ACT-1, there's some very nice tracks and as a whole I'd say it's far more pleasant to the ear than ACT-2.
 
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DOUBLE CAST WEEK START!
Next week: Meguri Aishite

You will need a player that supports PSF files. If you're using foobar for your audio it should work perfectly fine with the foo_psf plugin (I'm using it).
Code:
https://www.foobar2000.org/components/view/foo_psf
If you're using another player try your luck here:
Code:
https://www.zophar.net/utilities/psf.html
For those who have linux, download a player called audacious to play psf. I found it for yuki.n and it works :)
I could upload a transcoded mp3 version of these rebuilt game files but they would be like 20+ times bigger.

Anyways, here's my AFAIK complete rip:
Code:
https://mega.nz
!p8ghkRZa
!OsmF6bTNXm0zc8Xm12RzsIgaRyrfXZ8QX9FbjyiB5ZY
The usual 'cpm' pass. The file numbering is how it's in the game and every track that has a loop is looped twice before fading out.
The CD release is pretty good (having 2 exclusive tracks I believe - interval/accident and with many tracks being mixed differently) but there's still more music in the game. Both are recommended.
 
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ok sorry for the late review but:

Eat-man Act 1:
-anger of angel : there isn't much substance but it's very atmospheric. I think I like the guitar.

Eat-man Act 2:
silencio : it's very calming. i like it.
theme: so catchy!
light of the night: an all time-fav!! such a lovely and sweet melody.

system 0212 & digital flower & cold fire & (welcome into) conflict: pass. the synth gets pointless and too repetitive without getting interesting imo.

do you believe in dreams? : I think this song could be much better if cut in 3/4. hmm even though it's repetitive I think I like it.

pleasure: it's as if Kajiura made one of those hopeful songs for Tsubasa only in 80-90s style. it's too artificial for me.

lavion : I know Kajiura likes to play around with sound effects but the orchestra tuning at the beginning is just not fitting. I like the rest.

elastic plastic : ahaha listen to this when doing steps exercises.
impression of the sea: change the synth into real strings and I think we would find it fit some song in the later years.
songs with no words: I want to like it but somehow I can't connect with it.
flower: with yangqin. the instrument choice is great but too repetitive.
 
No probs being "late", wat11. I think the weekly format was only supposed to add some focus to the discussion, not enslave us.

But going back to Double Cast - I honestly love this whole soundtrack. There are so many positive sounding BGMs in the game which is not exactly what Kajiura became known for in the 2000s. Probably by Kajiura's choice considering ?her? selection for the CD release - she even skipped the main menu theme (M01).

PS. suspense is awesome on CD and in all the game versions.
 
I can never remember what double cast sounds like other than very...digital. Maybe I'll find time to give it another listen tomorrow.

I keep meaning to write some thoughts on kimagure but for now all I'll say is I enjoy(/appreciate?) it a lot more after listening to it muliple times in the past few weeks
 
MEGURI AISHITE WEEK START!
Next week: Boogiepop and Others

You will need a player that supports PSF files. Read more on the Double Cast post.

Anyways, here's my AFAIK complete rip:
Code:
BGM:
https://mega.nz
!dk41SRoa
!RE9IBvNnX0rHI-BQXZjzA6bDLrcInvPpRarO1pKGJ8M

OP/ED (CD-XA @OP, FLAC @ED):
https://mega.nz
!FhB2BAab
!4c4ATd9NXwk5Fi7TeoVoD32x9M5Eq4D_YiRpvDmJBB4
The usual 'cpm' pass. The file numbering is my own (in order they appear in game data) cause there were no filenames in the game that I could find. Every track that has a loop is looped twice before fading out. Calling @maxwell9 . :(
 
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getting back from exile cuz the kitty summoned me ;) (and i'm preparing a big update for the disco too).

Thanks for the meguri rip, i had the iso but extracting the files exceedes my skills. Gonna make a comment later.
 
getting back from exile cuz the kitty summoned me ;) (and i'm preparing a big update for the disco too).

Thanks for the meguri rip, i had the iso but extracting the files exceedes my skills. Gonna make a comment later.

Welcome back @maxwell9 - I should try to hunt down some more old OST's next trip to Japan (last trip managed to get Xenosaga III and Blood The Last Vampire OSTs). Like your avatar picture.
 
I don't know if my old laptop could handle installing another program just for listening Kajiura songs...at the moment i begin to get the eurovision fever and can't stop listening to those catchy-trashy-and some are actually good songs.
 
getting back from exile cuz the kitty summoned me ;) (and i'm preparing a big update for the disco too).
Yay, I saw your old request thread so I was hoping you'd notice the rip. (I never saw rips for those games anywhere either.)
 
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