Top 5-7 Yuki Kajiura Tracks?

It's *incredibly* hard...but i'll try:
- I Swear (the whole Fiction II album actually but this one is my fav)
- Tears Fall in My Heart (15-sai no Shiganhei; one of the few tracks with male vocals!)
- flame of despair (Mado Magi; really I had a hard time choosing between this one and sagita luminis)
- M01 (KnK vol 7)
- breath of era (Rekishi Hiwa Historia)
- hear our prayer (Tsubasa Chronicles)
- vanity (the live version in particular bc it's a MASTERPIECE)
I just tried to pick one song out of my most fav albums(excluding Kalafina, See-Saw) but really, I think my answer will be different if you ask me in a day or two xD

FictionJunction Kalafina said:
6)M17(KnK7)
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maaan I wrote M01 while making the list but I listened to M17 again and now i'm conflicted
 
Colours of a Faint Stir - Think it's Elemental Gelade but it could be a different early work by her? Some anime I've never watched. Love the song. Wish they'd used something similar for Xenosaga III battle theme on disc 2. Exciting but also pensive and melancholy.

The World - .hack//SIGN OST1 - Years ago, age 11, me and a friend decided to watch .hack//SIGN after I played the videogame. This played in the opening scenes. My friend turned to me and said 'the music's really cool'.

Das Wandern - .hack//SIGN OST. It's just beautiful and criminally overlooked.

Fatal Fight - Xenosaga II OST - .hack//SIGN was my first experience of Kajiura but I didn't know who she was. I loaded the Xenosaga II promo website (on dial up) and this started playing in the background and from then I was hooked. I was really surprised to find it was the same composer as .hack//SIGN. For me this track is what Kajiura's all about, bizarre techno fused with uileann pipes and mad female chants that shouldn't work but just does. I could never have imagined anything like this before I heard the song.

The Battle is to the Strong - Fate/Zero OST - Just a dang amazing, exciting battle theme.
Days Gone By - Fate/Zero OST

Silent Ceremony - Le Portrait de Petit Cossette. A classic bit of Kajiura. Sinister female chanting creates a sense of dread before an aggressive violin starts tearing shit up.

The Matter is Settled, Anyway - Lord El Melloi Case Files OST. The theme of me say in a London cafe writing a strongly worded email.

Espionage Trap - Princess Principal OST - The theme of me wandering London streets sorting my chores.

Something, Everything is Wrong - Madoka Rebellion OST. See above but Paris.
 
^ Ah. Gonna be hard to convince lol
grunty said:
Care to elaborate how Heaven's Feel was a downgrade from F/Z in this context? (Can do in another topic to not derail this further.)
I mean, looking at the musicians itself, both are the same shit.
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Musicians? Among some other changes, the brass section in F/Z is super developed and I'd be tempted to say that it's all about it ^^
HF2 had only 4 dudes on horns and they were hired to quickly perform in "she is her hero" and "despair and hope".

IMO... There are "point zero", "the beginning of the end", "rule the battlefield", "tragedy and fate", "fate to zero", "army of the king", "babylonia", "on the battlefield", "you are my king", "this day and never again", "the world is tumbling down" and "the stars are to fall down" - 12 tracks that sound orchestral esp with strings + brass + drums which mean with different sub-melodies, at least an attempt to do something on a larger scale. The approach on HF is different. Only attempts of orchestra would be "interception", "into the battle" and "the outbreak of war". It may be very intended with this more intimate story, yet she did try to make a big sound but only with the band on several heroic - and very questionable- pieces (lancer and assassin, he comes back again and again, the four rings). Most of other pieces are heavy on strings but without any sub-melody, something to compensate, should I say, case study: brass?

So I hope you see what I mean, still and only in this orchestral context!
 
I'll just make use of this to update my Top tracks here. (Omitting songs)

10 - vise-versa | still too soon to decide where to rank it but should be in top 10. 1:01 goosebumps.
9 - to destroy the evil | for how it sounds orchestral around 2:21, the choir drop, and witnessing it live with Keiko's return was so epic.
8 - the butterfly emerge | for how unconventional it is. Horribly good. Psychopath music. That creepy choir drop at 1:50.

7 - this day and never again | Epic, so I like it. Sounds like a suite. All different segments are great and blend together well.
6 - Bercouli | A choir during 1min30 without interruption. Super climatic. Last stand music.
5 - preparation | So sad. Beautiful arrangement. This solo violin is tear-jerking. The only thing missing from vise-versa imo.
4 - E.G.O | For how "surround" it is. That announce is a good idea. So hype. I wish it was a regular on Lives (only 3 times so far...).
3 - the image theme of Xenosaga II (Fiction II) | Kajiura at her finest: original choirs, vocals, bagpipes, e.g, climax...
2 - the battle is to the strong | One of the most epic pieces. The drums are muffled but on point (and the live drums are bombastic), the arabian strings clearly define the main threat (Gilgamesh), that E.G solo elevate it to another dimension and precise a more modern setting (ancient heroes fight, but in our era).

1 - point zero | A very good orchestral piece. Rare build-up that makes sense in the last minute. Climatic. Cinematic. Epic. Tragic. Heroic. Dark.
1:13 U got strings, u got brass, u got choirs. Different horizons with distinct sub-melodies (masters are collecting remains from servants)
1:44 Soaring strings take the lead, but brass are distant and still on sub-melody (masters are trying something)
2:01 Choirs take the lead with big brass, strings are relayed to their first sub-melody (servant are called)
2:34 Ethereal Yuri is the bond between two worlds, the oath, as beautiful as tragic. A timeless moment (servants are spawning).
2:40 Strings, Brass, and Choir working simultaneously, here we reach a total synergy. (I ask of thee. Art thou my master?) This is a point of no return (they know they will probably die).
 
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Justisamuel said:
^ Ah. Gonna be hard to convince lol
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I don't really need convincing on liking Fate/Zero OST. I have tracks I like on it and then find others static and/or boring. I'm good.

I just wanted to figure out what you found more "orchestral" about it than Heaven's Feel when the musicians list (or maybe rather the instrumentation itself) is essentialy the same. And to the point of calling the latter a downgrade in this aspect.
I'll take out Fate/Zero tomorrow or so mebe to ponder on your post and my dilemma. ^_^

What Heaven's Feel needs is proper stereo mixes rather than what I presume are quick hackjob downmixes from 5.1 on the tokutens.
 
hmmm I am with @Justisamuel on the matter of Fate/Zero (not sure if @grunty disagrees exactly, I think he is just curious why the thought occurred?)

If I had to pick between the two, Fate/Zero is definitely more orchestral than Heaven's Feel. HF is more atmospheric and its instrumentation is hectic, no one track sounds "orchestral" for the very good reason that real brass is missing if not for anything else (except select tracks in lost butterfly, "she is her hero", "outbreak of war" (barely heard), "what else, we can do?" (this is not too bad :p)) - I think this is right.

downgrade is a strong word, HF is "less" orchestral but in terms of "liking" it, people will differ ofc. I lean more on Fate/Zero osts (including the extra tracks we got later like "the stars are to fall down"). The tracks that @Justisamuel mentioned are shining examples that Kajiura can write orchestral music imo.
 
Justisamuel said:
I'll just make use of this to update my Top tracks here. (Omitting songs)

10 - vise-versa | still too soon to decide where to rank it but should be in top 10. 1:01 goosebumps.
9 - to destroy the evil | for how it sounds orchestral around 2:21, the choir drop, and witnessing it live with Keiko's return was so epic.
8 - the butterfly emerge | for how unconventional it is. Horribly good. Psychopath music. That creepy choir drop at 1:50.

7 - this day and never again | Epic, so I like it. Sounds like a suite. All different segments are great and blend together well.
6 - Bercouli | A choir during 1min30 without interruption. Super climatic. Last stand music.
5 - preparation | So sad. Beautiful arrangement. This solo violin is tear-jerking. The only thing missing from vise-versa imo.
4 - E.G.O | For how "surround" it is. That announce is a good idea. So hype. I wish it was a regular on Lives (only 3 times so far...).
3 - the image theme of Xenosaga II (Fiction II) | Kajiura at her finest: original choirs, vocals, bagpipes, e.g, climax...
2 - the battle is to the strong | One of the most epic pieces. The drums are muffled but on point (and the live drums are bombastic), the arabian strings clearly define the main threat (Gilgamesh), that E.G solo elevate it to another dimension and precise a more modern setting (ancient heroes fight, but in our era).

1 - point zero | A very good orchestral piece. Rare build-up that makes sense in the last minute. Climatic. Cinematic. Epic. Tragic. Heroic. Dark.
1:13 U got strings, u got brass, u got choirs. Different horizons with distinct sub-melodies (masters are collecting remains from servants)
1:44 Soaring strings take the lead, but brass are distant and still on sub-melody (masters are trying something)
2:01 Choirs take the lead with big brass, strings are relayed to their first sub-melody (servant are called)
2:34 Ethereal Yuri is the bond between two worlds, the oath, as beautiful as tragic. A timeless moment (servants are spawning).
2:40 Strings, Brass, and Choir working simultaneously, here we reach a total synergy. (I ask of thee. Art thou my master?) This is a point of no return (they know they will probably die).
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You really need to listen her pre-fate zero soundtracks. Knk still has strings unmatched by any other work of hers, especially around the last quarter of the 10-mins track.
Ship of fools still has vocals that she never used again in other track.
Madlax ost has the most african-sounding tracks she ever made. If booklet is true, Saints is the only track ever that Kajiura herself sings in opera style.
For me Fatal Fight is better than image theme of Xenosaga, due to that buildup. Lamentation is tear jerker too. And communication breakdown, albedo, promised pain are so good, and Jr tracks have classic guitar that she barely uses in that style anymore.
 
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@george1234 I always find impressive the strings speed change at 11:54 in "when the fairy tale ends" (M15+M16+M17)
just like with the violin at 2:43 in "key of the twilight" from vol.#5...
"lamentation" is great. my favorite part is 3:50 when you realize that even the drums layer alone is well thought. The level of arrangement here reminds me of "ruthless" too.
Probably most of the tracks you're all talking about have greater compositions that most of the ones in my top. I just tend to like the epic and hype stuff much better lol (not saying it can’t be both, but certainly not where Kajiura shines).
 
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I don't know about TOP5-7. But my top three tracks are pretty distinct on my mind.

1. "Akatsuki no Kuruma" performed by Yuuka. I've the version on the "Bridge" compilation album. It's just a touching and dramatic, tragic and sad song and when you are aware of the context, it makes the impact even stronger. It also has deep lyrics I've even researched and reflected on quite a lot. I particularly like the singing, the drumming and the solo guitar part. The use of the bass guitar in the solo is maybe the best piece of bass guitar work in any pop music that I know about.

2. "Tsubasa" (definitely the English version, sometimes I can't even listen to the Japanese version). This song moves me in its upbeat optimism and naive outlook. It has this clear, strong, sunny and good-humoured warm energy. To me, this combination has pretty much entirely disappeared from every YK's later composition, sadly. I've listened to this one maybe 400-500 times straight through and almost always I get teary-eyed. Its sound quality is excellent too!

3. "Hear Our Prayer". Maybe my first big YK hit. I could listen to this one over and over again and I've listened to it maybe 300 times straight through. The song is simultaneously happy, calm, reflective and sad. I've found that sometimes the best music is simultaneously happy and sad. This is one such example. I even shared this with my aunt who I usually share no music with 😅
 
“Open your heart” is up there for me. Especially live version with Yuriko’s harmonization at the final segment of the song…. Is the song about dying? I think it’s a blissful take on death tbh.
 
1. the image theme of Xenosaga
2. MATERIALISE
3. zodiacal sign
4. absolute configuration
5. ARIA
6. Sis, puella magica
7. in the land of twilight, under the moon

First ones that came to mind.
 
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