Tag Archives: Electronic

Interviews

Artist Interview: Shinji Hosoe and SuperSweep Team

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Are you familiar with legendary composer Shinji Hosoe and his studio, SuperSweep? Hosoe-san has worked on key franchises across his decades of experience, making a name for himself as a master of electronic music and shmup titles in the early days, and establishing the sounds for franchises such as Zero Escape, Ridge Racer, and Street Fighter EX. He’s a sought after arranger, having worked on arrange albums for Nintendo (Dr. Mario, Metroid Fusion), Mega Man, Ragnarok Online, Phantasy Star, and more. He also serves the game music community through SuperSweep Records, continuing to publish game music on CD format in Japan.

Read his full biography, credits list, and hear some sample music on his Scarlet Moon Artists page. Check below for an interview with Hosoe-san about his style, inspirations, and collaboration with Scarlet Moon.

Continue reading Artist Interview: Shinji Hosoe and SuperSweep Team →
Album Information

Wizardry Variants Daphne Original Soundtrack (BSPE-1229~30)

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Hitoshi Sakimoto is once again contributing to the biggest RPG franchises across the industry. While not a total stranger to Wizardry, having contributed to Wizardry Gaiden: Prisoners of the Battles and Wizardry Gaiden: Five Ordeals, Wizardry Variants Daphne is his first full Wizardry score. While many fans knowhis signature fantasy orchestral sound, he actually got his start doing electronic music, and this time he is able to blend both sides seamlessly to create some really cool soundscapes, with key themes and stingers weaved throughout to tell the game’s story through sound. The two-disc collection with English and Japanese track titles, Japanese commentary, and images from the game is certainly worth your attention.

As to the music, expect dark and foreboding soundscapes. Sweeping strings, but with guttural electronic bass swells. Live folk instruments, but with crystalline synth pads. It’s a great combination of styles with a number of surprising moments. Key themes include the somber opener, “Distant Memories,” which will have Sakimoto fans feeling right at home, and the pop-infused main theme that features throughout in “Wizardry Variants Daphne.” Electronic elements are highlighted in different ways across tracks such as the otherworldly “Tales of the Abyss,” the growly “Inhuman,” and the distant and menacing “Port of Amnesia.” The orchestral/instrumental side is emphasized with the regal “Royal Capital Luknaia,” the spunky “Adventurer’s Guild,” the inspirational “Battle Cry,” the spectacular organ piece “Beginning Abyss,” the melancholy “Endless Rain,” and the folksy and somber “A Day in a Castle Town.” The two sides come together closely in “A Life for a Life,” an intense hybrid with synth arpeggios and explosive brass, “Great Calamity,” a chaotic and epic final battle theme, and “Final Destination,” a sci-fi theme with glistening synths and fantastic strings. Moods range from desolate, desperate, reflective, and downright terrifying to triumphant and adventurous. It’s really a fun listening experience.

Those who are interested can import the Wizardry Variants Daphne soundtrack from CD Japan or stream it on Apple Music.

Interviews

Interview: Electronic Duo mojera

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We have been longtime fans of composer Mitsuto Suzuki. His solo electronic albums are some of our favorites. It was therefore exciting to see Suzuki-san launch mojera, an electronic duo featuring himself and vocalist non. Their debut album, overkill, was released in 2020, and the duo recently followed this up with arika EP. In the interim, the duo has contributed to several Scarlet Moon Christmas albums, including this year’s volume, always with unconventional picks for holiday arrangements. We are thrilled to get in a word with Suzuki-san and non about their albums, contributions to Scarlet Moon Christmas, and how mojera differs from the work they do for their day jobs.

Read the interview below:

Continue reading Interview: Electronic Duo mojera →
Reviews

Review: Tree of Savior – Splash August 2020 OST Collection

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We’re nearing the end of our journey through the Tree of Savior add-on digital soundtracks. “Splash August 2020” is appropriately upbeat and poppy, making for great summer vibes. Catch the rest of our Tree of Savior reviews here.

This collection features almost exclusively S.F.A minus two tracks, and the total run-time is about an hour. The album opens with party-like “Samba de Seoul” with the sound of ocean waves kicking things off, followed by the entrancing and dreamy vocals of “Pristine EDM mixed,” the uplifting funk rock in “Vent,” and the emotional and contemplative “Pintura Cueva.” “Fiesta Bloom” offers uplifting and pop-infused trance, “The Wisdom of Crowds” goes disco, and “Sweet Poison” (by soundTemP) is a pumping electronic track. There’s electronic chip orchestra with Baroque harpsichord and strings with “Homage to Zborovye,” decisive and epic orchestral with “Avoidance,” Hollywood western in “In My Dreams,” and the sound of birds and waves in the island-flavored “Summer Breeze” to close things out.

This is a nice assortment of tunes that can be heard on YouTube and Steam.

Reviews

Review: Tree of Savior – Nostalgic September 2020 OST Collection

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Onward to the “Nostalgic” September 2020 music collection from Tree of Savior. This volume features S.F.A artists, Initium, and more soundTemP. You can catch up on all the Tree of Savior soundtrack reviews here.

Perhaps the “nostalgia” in this collections’ title comes from the sort of classic South Korean MMORPG soundtrack that hearkens back to the Vol.1 release, replete with vocals throughout, opening with the amazing opener, “iKURU,” a lovely and warm J-rock track. It’s then onto more grandiose orchestral rock with “Dienos Advento,” the decisive vocal ballad “Through the Forest,” and the beautiful and dark “Guillotina Tristeza,” all with female vocals. There’s the desperate “La Patria,” the funky “The Dignity of Wrath” and “Bodacious definition,” and the sweeping and emotional “Massivity.” The team goes huge with “Vaste Terre,” an orchestral rock track, while “Signs of Penance” goes full electronic, “Even Horizon” gets an adventurous orchestral sound, and “Uno Impetus” is a catchy Megadeth-like tune. SoundTeMP’s lone contribution, “World is Missing You,” is soothing and beautiful with sweetly strummed acoustic guitar and, let’s say, nostalgic woodwinds. The album closes with “Deives Veliava,” a big female vocal performance over piano and strings.

The Nostalgic September 2020 collection is available on Steam.

Album Information

ESP RA.DE. Ψ Drive Waves 2019 (SRIN-1166)

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SuperSweep was tapped to provide a remixed BGM mode for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 shmup, ESP Ra.De. Ψ. Given Hosoe-san and SuperSweep’s history with this game genre, you can bet they knew just want to do. The album features two discs, the first of which are in the in-game remixes, and the second of which are extended mixes of ten of the tracks. There’s also a non-stop mix available as a bonus disc for anyone order from the SuperSweep store.

The soundtrack featured original music by Masahiro Kusunoki and Tetsuya Mizoguchi, but the entire SuperSweep team and several friends contribute remixes to the remixed BGM mode. The album opens with the dreamy “ESP Person” before the pumping and fittingly titled “”DESPERATE SCHOOL” and fast-paced “NIGHTMARE” come in. Each artist on the album takes a crack at “RAGING DEICIDE,” a synth-heavy anthem that is featured no less than six times, all by different arrangers. Takahiro Eguchi’s version is drum-heavy and glitchy, Ayako Saso’s applies less emphasis on synths and adds shredding electric guitar and octave-jumping bass, Fumihisa Tanaka’s version is more driving with epic pads and arpeggiated bass, and Atomic’s remix is searing with an increased tempo and layered synths. It’s interesting to hear so many different takes on the same theme. “ACT IN JUDGE” is more bubbly and upbeat while “WANGAN RAPID LINE 2nd” glides with some nice electric piano work. I love the Metroid-esque “FAIRIES FEAR” with guttural bass and sparse percussion, and the three-part sequence starting with the surprisingly chill “RAGE” with dreamy pads and measured drums, which morphs into “WING” with added epic choir, which again morphs into “MADNESS” with added distorted choir and screams and screeching in the background. The closing track, “SNOW ILLUSION,” brings soothing bells and closes out on a reflective note.

The album is available for import from CD Japan, and the bonus disc is available from purchasing direct from the SuperSweep shop in Japan only.

Album Information

RXN -RAIJIN- ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (SRIN-1156)

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SuperSweep Records released the soundtrack to the Nintendo Switch anime-flavored shmup RXN -RAIJIN- back in 2018 featuring music mostly by Raito with a main theme by Yuzo Koshiro and remixes by the SuperSweep team. The album features hip and minimalistic electronic music for the most part with Koshiro’s catchy vocal rock track with big band jazz elements to kick things off. The score sports everything from shredding electric guitars and cool piano to funky bass and exotic didgeridoo. There’s lots of shmup-appropriate drum ‘n’ bass, but also rock and even an orchestral fanfare. The second disc includes extended mixes of most of the tracks as well as two remixes by SuperSweep. The packaging features a giant booklet full of credits and interviews in Japanese as well as artwork and a nice cardboard slipcase.

RXN -RAIJIN- is available from CD Japan if you’re interested.

Album Information

Blastrave Compilation -Burst Rave- (SRIN-1169)

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Like SuperSweep? Like rave music? SuperSweep’s Blastrave Compilation -Burst Rave- is an album of original electronic music by SuperSweep and friends. While it’s all original music, it’s not to unlike their electronic game soundtracks. It all begins with pumping trance in the title track, “BLASTRAVE,” before the catchy “Blast the 90’s” jumps in with dance-y piano, poppy synth work, and English pop vocals. Next up is the explosive “Tear It,” the dreamy electronic-rock mix “Over Power” with some incredible guitar solos, and the bubbly “Start Running” with Japanese pop vocals. “Enter the Rave” combines pounding drum ‘n’ bass with vocal pop segments, “Kick Harassment” goes hardcore, and “Blast Off” gets a glittery and adventure-infused sound. There’s the glitchy “Back to the 90s,” the exotic rhythmic excursion “Barking night” by Shinji Hosoe himself, the dreamy and warm “Summer Line #GadgetSwitch” by Nobuyoshi Sano, and a very unsettling hardcore track titled “Gemini” with weird distressing spoken segments, pumping bass, and screeching synths. The album closes with the catchy trance tune, “BLASTRAVE 2020,” by Ayako Saso. The second disc includes a non-stop megamix of the album.

It’s great to see SuperSweep publishing some of their original works, and inviting friends both known and lesser-known to the party. If you’re looking for a hip electronic music album, you can import Blastrave Compilation -Burst Rave- on CD Japan.

Album Information

Piramirise (SRIN-1163)

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SuperSweep Records is always full of surprises. These usually come in the form of long-lost videogame soundtracks released for the first time, but this time, it comes in the form of an original Japanese pop/rock album with SuperSweep artists on production duties recorded at MONACA STUDIO, home of the team behind the soundtrack of NieR. It’s quite a combination, although the album is strictly pop music.

Piramirise serves up a variety of styles, from the jubilant rock anthem, “JUMP!” and the hip foot-tapper, “For the Future,” to the sweet and bouncy “Dead or futarikiri” and the funky and uplifting “Flying High!” There’s the sweet “Maybe Maybee Maybe,” a beautiful acoustic guitar and piano ballad in “Kanji,” and the incredibly futuristic and cool “Secrets makes shapes of life.” EDM makes an appearance in “Ageha” and “Perfect Place,” whereas “Sainposuto” takes a turn for the dramatic, and “Emotion” closes things out with a sweeping string and brass arrangement.

There’s something here for everyone, and it’s a lot of fun to see SuperSweep artists take a crack at various pop styles. This is a rather unusual release from SuperSweep as it doesn’t feature any videogame music, but fans of the SuperSweep team may want to give it a spin. The album can be imported via CD Japan.

Reviews

Review: Mitsuto Suzuki’s New Unit mojera Releases Debut Album Overkill

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We’re long-time fans of Mitsuto Suzuki, and particularly his solo works. Just as he’s completed his work on Final Fantasy VII Remake we get to hear the debut of mojera, a new unit comprised of Mizuto Suzuki and vocalist Non, who he’s collaborated with on the Final Fantasy Mobius soundtracks. This essentially acts as his long-awaited third solo album, following In My Own Backyard and Neurovision, and fans of those two efforts will feel right at home with mojera.

The album opens with the grungy rock and abstract electronics that we’ve come to know from Suzuki’s past solo works, weaving them into a dreamy and uplifting song accompanied by Non’s vocals. The titular track, “Overkill” is slow and contemplative before a super upbeat a pop-leaning chorus section begins with a bumping bassline and a sound highly reminiscent of the likes of Suzuki’s “New Bodhum” from Final Fantasy XIII-2, one of my favorite soundtracks. There’s the spacey electronics and heavily filtered vocals of “Pluto,” the droning and dreamy “Rain bringer” with pulsing synth notes that feel like raindrops, and “Mojera,” another standout with tweaky electronics in the vein of Katamari Damacy and clean acoustic guitar and vocals that are mega catchy… it’s unfortunate that this is the shortest track on the album as I found myself wanting more. “Master&Slave” slowly builds as an ominous electronic track with no vocals and feels like a sort of bad (but in a good way) trip in the midst of the largely dreamy and upbeat musical journey. “Prism” comes as a pumping dance tune that is chopped up and glitched out, whereas “Camouflage” is a gritty alternative rock/broody electronic track that would feel at home in Lightning Returns. Another highlight is “DJ non MachineLanguage,” a fun DJ dance floor track that Non, in a computerized voice, explains the various instruments being used and proceeds to cheer them on and scold them over the course of the tune before joining in to sing herself. “Many analog synthesizers are freaky, but Prophet 5 is a gentleman. But it’s actually badass because the sound is messed up with cross-modulation and noise.” That’s just a taste of her antics. “2019,” sports dreamy pads and sweet vocals for a nice easy closer.

There’s a free musical spirit within that blends styles which I thought was interesting given that Suzuki just collaborated at length with Masashi Hamauzu on Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Hamauzu’s unit, IMERUAT, is one of my favorites and has been covered extensively on our blog. With that, I hope we’ll see a lot more from mojera in the years to come.

Grab Overkill on iTunes or import the physical CD from CD Japan.