Yuki Kajiura's Soundtracks [pre 2008]

Kugayama said:
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.
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Thanks Kuga :hi: Have you tried yahoo auctions? i got all my old see-saw singles from there.


I listened to the Meguri rips & Double cast ones. I appreciate their old school feeling, but i'd love Yuki could do some rearrangements & instrumentation to them, even trying giving some of them vocals (Yuriko or Nishina would be fantastic). What i like the most of them is they represent some kind of Madlax's ancestors (the very best of the kajiuran synth-type soundtracks, too good for this world :nosebleed:).

If you read this Yuki, stop saying you're embarrased from this earlier work of yours and start giving them some love you should be embarrased of bokumachi & SAO

btw, double cast has a drama cd with kajimusic, i haven't checked if there are some unreleased tracks.
[off]: Door is a fantastic song, i love it now.
 
late but i just got the time to listen to Double Cast soundtrack and I LOVE IT from the first second! (i don't check @grunty's gamerip, sorry so forgive me for not knowing what the game is about)

suspense has the same flavor like one KOR track and while it's long it never gets repetitive because even though the melodies are repeated over and over again Kajiura add another synth/effect/whatever on every repeat that makes it never repetitive. it's really good <3
chat = see suspense.
genocide starts with people murmuring and is weirdly and funnily unsettling. the people chatting on the background and the key changes are really haunting but at the same time the melody feels quite cheery.
these 3 tracks are really long and they're not repetitive at all. 3 tracks to it (not counting days lmao) and i'm very impressed!
interval - see all above.
actress - i thought it'd be like days (which is typical kajiura piano track), judging by its length but it's not. the key changes here feel very Kajiura to me.
scenario keeps the atmosphere going. so far i feel like it's the "darkest" one.
accident is something that i'd imagine Kajiura would do with strings if she done it now. i feel more like spiraling into insanity. love the melodies.
sign - see genocide. i really love how this soundtrack has polarizing effect at the same time. the songs are haunting, have mysterious vibes but somehow really airy and easy to listen to.
fear & scream - keeping the atmosphere of spiraling into insanity going.
truth - love everything about this track
confront - i really feel the urgency of confronting the enemy from this track...and the doubt that comes from inside with the whispering sfx
climax - omg i really love the vaguely there vocals (was it even vocals) on this track!
summer, mitsuki - sounds like filler track used in when a main character in a game wanted to rest in a hotel/inn
door - i initially thought grunty and maxwell were talking about Kalafina's door lol omg love it! the original is better than the suspense remix but both are enjoyable!

this is a really good soundtrack with only 3 tracks i don't really care about (days, summer, mitsuki) but overall i'd give this a 9.5/10. the songs are quite long but they never get repetitive, something we don't get from Kajiura tracks nowadays.
 
@ritardando, hope you noticed this door is not by Kajiura. Pointing out just in case. :)

The game is actually a "fully" animated (it looks pretty good despite very low rez) visual novel so there's a lot of down time, romancing, drama, etc.
 
grunty said:
@ritardando, hope you noticed this door is not by Kajiura. Pointing out just in case. :)
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i noticed :D the composer's name is there on the download i found anyway. but it's still a great track so i included it in my review. on side note, i think my ears have become too used to listening to FJ because I can really picture Kaori and Keiko singing this.
[edit] completely agreed with @maxwell9 about this type of music is the best style for Kajiura...her synth-heavy soundtracks are her bests.
not the strings galore that is more prominent in her recent soundtracks
 
It is great, indeed. Since you liked the CD release, do check the gamerip when you have time.
 
Please don't forget to listen to Madoka's piano files album (kajiura wrote 2 tracks). The whole album is absolutely fantastic.
 
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ok I will differ from you guys on Double Cast... but you probably guessed it.

Kajiura excels in electronica tracks. no question. I don't enjoy it quite as much when it's all synth though. For example, you will see how I will express my liking of Chase of Xenosaga II OST. However, Double Cast is too digital for me, as aki described it. (Also I will express my admiration for the synth used in Madlax soon.)

I think the only track I really like is climax. it's very catchy :)

oh wow I have to spend some time to listen to Meguri Aishite.. thanks for the rip grunty! for now, I can say that I like it more than Double Cast.

(I have bgm-022 on loop! it's so catchy)
 
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@wat11 There's indeed a lot to listen to, w. Meguri Aishite is a bit of a weird one - I mean, there's a few classical tracks and rather familiar sounding sport fanfares so I don't know how much of it is actually composed by Kajiura (despite her being the only one credited).

For me #060 was love at first listen. Obviously not the only one I enjoy here though. The amount of tracks to choose from/the effort put into such a big collection is something to admire.
 
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^gathering all these is to admire too haha, thanks again.

it's strange, they are good chip synth all around but Kajiura managed to make them sound so different. it's humongous.

(oh yeah there is indeed classical music, e.g. 067 is schubert :) edit: there's a lot of them!)

160: GWHAHAHA Beethoven turns in his grave
 
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BOOGIEPOP WEEK START!
Next week: BLOOD The Last Vampire

My question about this Boogiepop: Music Album Inspired by Boogiepop and Others CD is... is it even related to the anime series (like CPM discography states)? I mean, I've tried watching the show X years ago but just couldn't get through it so I honestly wouldn't know. The CD was released just as the TV anime run was ending and a month after the actual anime soundtrack. The anime was called "Boogiepop ha warawa nai/Boogiepop Phantom" which is nowhere to be seen on the cover, Boogiepop and Others is apparently the official English name for the whole novel series so...?

Edit: Answered below~
 
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As far as as I can tell, the cd kajiura made is a soundtrack for the live action movie based on the boogie pop novels.
 
I am truly interested in boogiepop's plot but the synopsis on wikipedia confuses me...
 
I know the music is for a VN, but to me it always sounded like music for a Megaman style sidescroller, but more colorful (Kirby, maybe?).

(Also, too lazy to review all of guronti’s game rips, hue.)

Suspense: My favorite track from the album. I love the beepy melody that plays for most of the song. The beat is cool too, particularly during transitions between beeps and synth strings.

Days: Nice little keyboard piece. Kinda repetitive though.

Chat: Judging by the title I’m guessing it plays during casual conversations, but to me it sounds like it would play during silly moments. It’s repetitive but pretty catchy.

Genocide: Sounds like a city theme combined with a festival theme. Doesn’t really feel like genocide at all, hue. I like how it jumps from one melody to a different one, with different instruments. Also, dem beeps from suspense.

Interval: Second favorite track. Really cheerful melody and I like the bells that divide the main melody in two. It’s a nice touch to not make it too straightforward. Wtf is up with that wailing voice?

Actress: Another happy melody. Short but sweet.

Scenario: Sounds like the bgm for a cave level. It reminds me of Yuuka’s Shizuka na Kotoba.

Accident: It does sound like you’re spiraling into insanity, especially towards the end. I particularly love the chaotic transition before it loops.

Sign: Love the bass line. It sounds mysterious, but the synth strings give it a more sinister tone.

Again: Nice and sweet. For casual conversations, I assume.

Fear: The melody sounds like a “Revelation” type of track, but everything else makes me think of an exploration type track, hue.

Scream: Not much to say other than creepy, hue.

Truth: Pretty atmospheric track. Nothing much to say, hue.

Confront: The song starts pretty hype, almost final boss-ish, but when the flute melody starts it sounds more like music for a fighting game (street fighter?). But still, I like it. It’s a VN so it going all dramatic strings, choir or even guitar would probably be out of place. One thing that bothers me, what in the world are those WAAAAH AYAYAYA voices? They’re so silly, hue.

Summer: All’s well that ends well type of track. It’s nice, I guess.

Mitsuki: Cute, simple version of Interval. I prefer this one to Days.


I like the OST, but I do wonder how well it fits the VN, specially the second half, hue. Like, I can’t imagine Confront being used in some serious scene with those ayayayayay waaaaah sounds.
 
grunty said:
There's indeed a lot to listen to, w. Meguri Aishite is a bit of a weird one - I mean, there's a few classical tracks and rather familiar sounding sport fanfares so I don't know how much of it is actually composed by Kajiura (despite her being the only one credited).
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I searched for detailed info and found this:
http://raido.moe/staff/ps1/ps1_meguri_aishite.html (detailed game credits)

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm15559388 (game streaming, with ending credits)

those two confirm Kajiura as the only credited composer. The weird thing is the ED theme "そばにいて" (soba ni ite) is also credited to Yuki (lyrics and music). The performer is 星川龍美 (Tatsumi Hoshikawa). I've never heard of this before, but the name of the song sounded familiar, and the thing is it was released in Saeko Chiba's daiya no genseki single as a coupling song (and sang by her of course).

So grunty, i'd like to ask for a game rip of the song if there is one (and one of koi no kiseki too, please).

grunty said:
The amount of tracks to choose from/the effort put into such a big collection is something to admire.
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That's so true, it's so weird there's so much diversity in this bgm for a visual novel game. To me, it feels like a bgm for a Breath of Fire or Suikoden game. My absolute favourites are 17, 22, 39, 71, 82, 110, 132~139.
Sankyuu so much grunty for this rip, everytime i listen to it i love it more and more :waii:
 
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