Monthly Archives: February 2014

Reviews

Review: Re:Birth II / Romancing SaGa Battle Arrange -Sen-

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Square Enix’s Re:Birth series pays tribute to Kenji Ito’s classic scores, with the first Re:Birth album paying homage to Seiken Densetsu. The second, Re:Birth II, took on the SaGa franchise and went in a different direction, bringing serious synth rock in a fashion not seen since the glory days of the JDK Band, and was very well received.

The album was so well received that it’s getting a follow-up album with ten new arrangements, finally visiting the core SaGa series and SaGa Frontier. But does it live up to the success of the first Re:Birth II CD? Continue reading Review: Re:Birth II / Romancing SaGa Battle Arrange -Sen- →

Album Information

Monarch: Heroes of a New Age Arrangements & Variations (SMRC-1002)

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As mentioned, this arrangement album is one not to be missed. Containing alternate versions of many of the tracks from the Original Soundtrack, there are also all-new arrangements created by Goomin Nam including a moving Korean vocal version of “Forgotten Archduchess,” pop ballad covers by Goomin Nam of “Peaceful Macdallena” and by Dale North of “Seaside Village,” a dark take on “Wandering Woods” by Joshua Morse, and a beautiful piano and saxophone improvisation by Norihiko Hibino and AYAKI (GENTLE LOVE).

The album features 15 tracks, including variations, arrangements, and a bonus trailer from the game’s announcement.

A limited-print physical version is available on Bandcamp, while the two albums are being bundled together at a discounted price exclusively on Loudr. You can also pick it up on iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Hear a sample and view the beautiful physical packaging along with album credits below. Continue reading Monarch: Heroes of a New Age Arrangements & Variations (SMRC-1002) →

Album Information

Monarch: Heroes of a New Age Original Soundtrack By Goomin Nam (SMRC-1001)

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This epic classical-inspired fantasy MMORPG score by Goomin “Nauts” Nam is finally available. From the powerful main theme to the whimsical towns and ominous dungeons, there’s a lot for RPG fans to love with this soundtrack, and it demonstrates that Goomin Nam–best known for his work on TalesWeaver and Bar Oasis–is a versatile musician.

The album features 22 tracks from the game, with an entire second album also being released that contains additional variations and arrangements.

A limited-print physical version is available on Bandcamp, while the two albums are being bundled together at a discounted price exclusively on Loudr. You can also pick it up on iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Hear a sample and view the beautiful physical packaging along with album credits below. Continue reading Monarch: Heroes of a New Age Original Soundtrack By Goomin Nam (SMRC-1001) →

Reviews

Review: Final Fantasy X-2 Original Soundtrack

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With the release of Final Fantasy X HD, Square Enix took the opportunity to re-release the Final Fantasy X-2 soundtrack, which has been out of print for some time.

I admit I never played the game (I was adamant at the time that Final Fantasy games didn’t need sequels), but I did enjoy some of the music in passing. Now I’m getting a more in-depth look at the score, and there’s a lot of great music here. Continue reading Review: Final Fantasy X-2 Original Soundtrack →

Reviews

Review: Transformers: The Movie Original Motion Picture Score

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With the Saturday Morning RPG soundtrack released last week, I thought it would be a good time to look into the re-release of Vince DiCola’s classic Transformers: The Movie soundtrack that was re-issued by the good folks at Intrada. This soundtrack has a special place in my heart, as it accompanies one of my favorite cartoons growing up, and introduced me to the work of Vince DiCola.

How does the music hold up, and what does this re-issue offer? Read more below. Continue reading Review: Transformers: The Movie Original Motion Picture Score →