Yuki Kajiura's Soundtracks [pre 2008]

grunty said:
I think KYOSUKE No.1 is one of Kajiura's more successful piano themes - we know she ain't a pianist so they are always super basic. It flows naturally without getting repetitive while still having those by now "classic" Kajiura cadences. It kind of works in all the variations that are presented here (some more cheesy than others) but I wanted to add that I really love the extended outro on the OPENING THEME version - soooo soothing.
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I've always found it odd and funny how, even though she's a keyboardist, her piano and keyboard compositions are the most basic in her discography.
Anyways, All three Kyosuke I are among my favorite piano themes from her. I particularly enjoy the opening theme the most, for it's relaxing tone (it's extra nice when you're taking a walk), but all three are great themes. I also liked that she put some effort in the different arrangements.

Love I is indeed a great theme. Don't know where the scene was used, but it gives me a feeling of vacation more than love, hue. Well, that or driving in a highway over the ocean.

Nightfall Destination (This is Touhou no Kurete, right?) is an odd one for me. Asian intro (Chinese sound?) that turns into that synth and guitar crazyness. It works very well, but I could never imagine it being used in any type of scene, not even anime, hue.

Lounge I and II are pretty chill. Nothing much to say.

The intro to Intertwining feelings for some reason makes me think of a coral reef, or some are under water area. And The little mermaid, hue. It's a pretty nice melody, and it's developed enough to not turn boring even with it's lenght.

I always thought Door to another world was kinda out of place with the rest of the soundtrack, mostly because I thought Kimagure was just a drama/slice of life. Now I know there are espers and shit. The combination of (synth)strings, e guitar and a beat are a pretty common combination now, but I feel like this has more oomph compared to some of her current "urgency" tracks. Also, dat wailing soprano sample, hue.

Love II still doesn't feel very lovey to me, but I guess that's how love was in the 90's hue. The e. guitar is what stands out the most, and to me the most enjoyable thing of the track. Listening to it again, it does have a romantic comedy "happy ever after" sound to it.

Now that I've re listened to the whole OST again I'm left wondering, what the fug happened to all these styles and genres?
 
i'll write a proper review of the soundtrack later but for now i'm just gonna say that this part of @Kowz's review is so funny
Kowz said:
Love II still doesn't feel very lovey to me, but I guess that's how love was in the 90's hue.
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apparently we have different perspective of love now than back in the 90s lol
 
ok here goes. Shin Kimagure Orange Road OST :

first things first : I too do not like fade outs. I don't think it does the song justice.

Kyosuke No1 and the variations: so good!! you know I first knew Kajiura as a new-age composer. and this fits the bill perfectly. Especially the opening theme, can listen to it for hours. Kajiura's piano was never complicated but sounded so natural. However, I still feel Hepatica wins the top prize from me. ( the harmonica kyosuke one sounds not so good to me)

Love I : haha indeed more beachy scene than a love scene. love the sax melody in the middle.

Memory I & II : very soothing. can also be used as relaxing music.

Tohou ni Kurete : love the beats and organ. the first I heard this I immediately went : "a combo of Motoi Sakuraba and Nobuo Uematsu used in a Castlevania game" . but then it's really neither. it's Kajiura.

Doko ni Iru-no: a synth version of a madoka, hanako combo-like song.

Lounge I & II : I really enjoy the second one.

door to another world: hahaa those ahhhh hmmmms. so something. overall a very strange track.

Now, start from here to the future reminds me of Vangelis (@george1234 ) and the classic Chariots of Fire music.

after all that I return to Kyosuke No1. I think I've mentioned it before but I really prefer live instruments and overall this ost is too synthy for me but I enjoy it quite a lot. It's actually quite memorable compared to other OSTs, it definitely has its own flavor.
of course synth works incredibly when it's due and it does here. (in fact most of the time Kajiura uses it: her electronica tracks are usually top notch)

@grunty thanks I've been jumping in my seat looping tohou ni kurete for almost half hour now..
 
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kyosuke you're an ass but your themes are so good lol
Kyosuke no I is indeed one of the better Kajiura piano tracks (i usually describe her piano tracks as her lazy tracks because how dull most of them are). the later part where Kajiura trademark appears is also lovely but i kinda dislike the random percussion appearing out of nowhere near the end
Love I is very 90s! somehow i imagined the bad karaoke video clips where random girl walked around the town or pier or park when listening to this song. I love the sax here and how cheery this sounds - this could be a very cliche 90s love song and I think the title Love is kinda appropriate :XD:
Omoide I is also very soothing despite how repetitive it sounds.
Tohou ni Kurete is AMAZING. I love almost everything about this track and I kinda want to watch the show just to see where they used this track...the synth-organlike sound is really lovely and the track is never dull from the beginning to the end. really like the guitar sound on the background but I hate the fade-off end...
I feel like Madobe Kara could be made into a really lovely song with lyrics. the melody is also very 90s, if that make sense.
Doko ni Iru no is kinda misleading in a way that I feel like the song doesn't really know what it's wanting to be? at first I thought it would be a heavy-synth upbeat track that just kinda take a while to load but then it evolves into a full-fledge melodramatic ballad. it's not bad, though. yeay to the non-fade out ending!
Love is Power is also very 90s! I honest to god burst out laughing listening to the lyrics on the beginning with make love there (the engrish becomes more and more gibberish as the song progresses though lmao) and I love the random rapping on the background...despite how weird it sounded I kinda want to hear Keiko sings it lol
Omoide II is much better imo than I.
Lounge I and Lounge II are indeed lounge music. they're very chill.
I like how Kousa suru Omoi starts and how it flows from the beginning to the end, it has its climax and ending.
Theme of Kyosuke no. I is also very lovely despite the tuba or bass or synth or whatever on the background sounds kinda like random farts scattered all over the song lmao
Saikai is also a track that feels very Kajiura to me. door to another world...hmm the panting/whispering/humming woman on background - kinda feels like that woman seducing a man to have hot sex with her - the track feels kinda perverted to my ears lmao. it's a very interesting track. when the middle part comes with the woman meowling i feel like it's Kajiura's voice. the track itself is somehow a fusion of many elements - the first part is kinda like Chinese-music and the climax is that Kajiura-synth and strings that I really really like (when it's used properly). this track is really long but I honestly really like it - tho honestly I imagine a hentai anime where a woman seduces a man and then injecting something to him after sex and the man goes crazy and lost his mind afterwards
Anata Koko ni Ite Hoshii, as another Kyosuke tracks, is really lovely.
Theme of Kyosuke no.II is not as good as I
LOVE II to me also sounds like a 90s love song. I really like the electric guitar here. I feel the love here lol in a way that male character finally made up his mind and try to get the woman of his dream
Yorisou Futari is the weakest piano track
Ima, soshite kara honestly sounds like typical Kajiura's "main character looking for a new beginning/better tomorrow/moving forward track" - considering how old this soundtrack is, this song is actually what starts the style. I still like it and it kinda sounds like a wedding song to my ears - man and woman holding hands walking to the light comes to my mind.

It's a really interesting soundtrack with various elements of sounds. looking at the soundtrack page on this site the instruments used are like 80% synth, I think? the soundtrack has its upbeat, soothing, uplifting, and even sexing moments lol. very recommended to listen to.
 
@ritardando: Tohou ni Kurete If my yesterday memory doesnt fail me, they used it when Kyosuke was transfered to the other timeline and was trying to find out what was happening.

https://canta-per-me.net/lyrics/love-is-power
I also want Keiko or Kaori to sing it!! But i want them to keep that instrumental its just too good, with the "com on yeah" voices too haha

Best line is the one that's 4th from bottom XD

Its also interesting to note that Obawo Nakagima works with Kajiura ever since this soundtrack, so she knows him 18 years and he was enter in Kajiura live just last year.
 
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george1234 said:
@ritardando: Tohou ni Kurete If my yesterday memory doesnt fail me, they used it when Kyosuke was transfered to the other timeline and was trying to find out what was happening.
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Not quite precise. Shortly after overhearing his old classmates discuss 1994Madoka's loss re:1994Kyosuke being a goner, 1991Kyosuke basically has an anxiety attack thinking he might disappear at any moment and in a flash decides to find Madoka. I think the music and scene work really well in the movie (~29min, the bass and drumkit don't kick in before the craziness in the movie).

PS. The movie actually has far less music than one might think, there are some really long stretches with no music at all.
 
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listening to Cossette soundtrack right now. lmao someone made the most hilarious comment on Youtube about why Marcello killed Cossette...
"Marcello murdered Cossette because he found Cossette was actually a boy and will finally grow up into a man instead of a lady. Eiri beat him because he found that gender is not a barrier for love. Yes, it is already shown on the title. "Petit" is for boys!"
 
I mean, whatever he fancies. If his kinks are telling him Petit is intentional and not erroneous French by the Japanese people then by all means...

PS. Going way out of order on those soundtracks rit-chan, tsk tsk.
 
well i've done reviewing KOR music andso far have no intention to watch the actual movie... plus the main theme of petite cossette appeared on my youtube home so i thought why not, i love the soundtrack anyway and haven't listened to it in quite some time...
what are we doing next anyway? EAT-MAN? thank god for the kajidevoted folks at VK.
 
I opted for Double Cast next week cause I thought spreading out TV animus (long if you want to watch) with games (doubt anyones gonna play JP only VNs) and short stuff wouldn't be so bad.
Of course we could do it completely chronologically if you think it's better... In that case yea, EAT-MAN would be next.

Chronological order of business:
Code: 
Shin Kimagure ORANGE ROAD
EAT-MAN
Double Cast
Meguri Aishite (will post my gamerip)
Boogiepop and others
BLOOD
Works for Soundtrack (CD1-2: Tokyo Kyoudai, Tsuki, RAINBOW)
NOIR
Aquarian Age
.hack//SIGN
.hack//Liminality
Xenosaga II
MADLAX	
Petit Cossette
Velvet no Inori
My-HiME
Tsubasa Chronicle
My-Otome
Xenosaga III
Elemental Gelade
Shin Hokuto no Ken
El Cazador
 
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okay
anw i still think door to another world is perfect for hentai animu
 
maybe chronological would be better to see how Kajiura's music evolved. but we've already started out with a spread layout. so anyway i'm down with whatever.
 
Very well, chronological it is. I'm throwing in Works for Soundtrack before NOIR. The list is there, you can plan your animu watching if you want.
 
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after seeing the list i realized i havent listened to anything before NOIR

im up for yuuka seesaw saeko chiba's songs since i think most saeko chiba's songs are wonderful and with yuuka songs i can reminisce the wonder that is ykl4 part 1
@grunty i watch all kind of hentais except futa the one i think would fit is shitai wo arau...idk why just the tone of that show imo matches the tone of that song
 
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Maybe in the songs thread? These soundtracks alone are already like 20+ weeks. Would just have to ask george to change the title to Songs, not Anime Songs. Obviously if the songs are related to the shows/soundtracks that's fair game to mention them here, too.
 
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