The Dark Souls II soundtrack was one of my favorites of 2014. So I was excited to see Yuka Kitamura and Motoi Sakuraba teaming up once again for the third, and presumably final, installment. Fans of the series should know the drill by now, no music outside of key hub areas and boss battles. That … Continue reading Review: Dark Souls III Soundtrack
A lot of people were surprised to see Motoi Sakuraba take the helm of the Dark Souls series after Shinsuke Kida’s powerful score to Demon’s Souls. Would he take the franchise in a more progressive rock direction that he is known for, or stay true to the epic orchestral stylings that Kida established in Demon’s … Continue reading Review: Dark Souls II Original Soundtrack
I had the opportunity to review the original Diablo III soundtrack, and I noted that while it was great in its own right, it didn’t feel like it belonged to the Diablo universe. More so, it felt like the world of Diablo told through the musical stylings of World of Warcraft. Diablo III: Repear of … Continue reading Review: Diablo III: Reaper of Souls
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! While you’re listening to our annual Christmas album featuring Scarlet Moon Artists and friends, we’ve compiled some physical game music goodies perfect for you or the game music enthusiast on your shopping list. Some of the larger items, like vinyl, can fit nicely under a tree, while … Continue reading Scarlet Moon Holiday Gift Guide 2024
It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard new Valkyrie Profile music by Motoi Sakuraba. As it turns out, he missed writing music for Square Enix’s oft neglected series, and this mobile prequel serves up 20+ tracks that offer something new along with a boost of nostalgia by revisiting some of the most popular themes … Continue reading Review: VALKYRIE ANATOMIA -THE ORIGIN- Soundtrack
While Motoi Sakuraba’s name isn’t as well known as many JRPG composers out there, he’s probably written more music than any of them. He’s composed all or at least the majority of the Tales series, Star Ocean series, Valkyrie Profile series, Baten Kaitos series, and numerous others. There were two separate years in the 2000s where … Continue reading Review: Motoi Sakuraba Band Arrangement Album / STAR OCEAN & VALKYRIE PROFILE
Motoi Sakuraba has had quite a prolific career. At one point, he was chugging out several four-disc soundtracks per year, all with his signature progressive rock style. He took a break from it all to work on more orchestral and choral works with his excellent Dark Souls soundtracks, but I was certainly looking forward to … Continue reading Review: STAR OCEAN 5 -Integrity and Faithlessness- Original Soundtrack
I quite enjoyed the Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII OST. While it didn’t feature the catchy pop music that made Final Fantasy XIII-2 so endearing, it did sport its own unique blend of electronic ambiance that provided for a great listen. As has been customary for the Final Fantasy XIII soundtracks, Square Enix released an … Continue reading Review: LIGHTNING RETURNS:FINAL FANTASY XIII OST PLUS
