Thousand Memories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1
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Album Title: Thousand Memories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 |
| Record Label: noisycroak Records |
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| Catalog No.: NCRS-0014 |
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| Release Date: July 22, 2015 |
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| Purchase: Buy at Amazon Japan |
Overview
The Thousand Memories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 is a physical release for music for the mobile game of the same name. Earlier this year, a digital release was published. However, this version includes two additional tracks exclusive to the physical release. Composed by Keisuke Ito of noisycroak and featuring a vocal theme composed by Manami Kiyota, known for her work on Xenoblade, how does this effort turn out?
Body
The album opens with “Theme from Thousand Memories,” an orchestral/electronic hybrid that sets the tone for the rest of the soundtrack. It features a strong, beautiful melody and the rock elements in the accompaniment alongside the choir help give it a lot of grandiose. There is also a piano version of this theme, exclusive to the physical release, that accentuates the strong melody and creates a more beautiful rendition with its softer tones.
Many of the themes on the album feature a mix of orchestra or are orchestra/electronic hybrids. “Lord of Returners” is an epic orchestral tune with a very heroic sound and a fantastic melody. “Seed of a Hero (Seed)” is a regal orchestral theme that has a serviceable melody. It’s not one of the highlights, but it is an enjoyable tune while “An Everyday Peace” gives off a very lighthearted sound that is reminiscent of something Hitoshi Sakimoto might compose. Another highlight is “Legend of Lost Memories,” a mysterious orchestral tune with a militaristic focus. Featuring choir as well as some synth effects in the accompaniment, it really manages to succeed.
Many of the battle themes on the album really manage to hit it out of the park. “Last Battle” is a very tense orchestral theme with lots of choir and is definitely a great listen. One of the highlights on the album is definitely “Nightmare March.” This tune has a very foreboding sound to it and some excellent implementation of choir and strings, in addition to the brass-led melody. “Ultimate Battle” is one of the more electronic oriented tunes on the soundtrack. A constant electronic beat serves as the backdrop to this very interesting piece. It features a nice blend of orchestra, operatic vocals, a sense of despair, and a fantastic melody. Another interesting tune is “In the Name of the Gods, A Carnival of Conflict.” This theme is very dark and is primarily electronic in nature. There are some orchestral elements that come into play at times, but the core focus is on the vocal samples. Lastly, “The Great Battle,” the other exclusive piece on the physical release, is another orchestral/electronic hybrid with a fantastic melody and some beautiful strings work and a stunning brass melody.
Manami Kiyota’s contribution to the soundtrack is the vocal theme, “Endless Sky.” Sung by Kei Mizusawa with chorus support by Manami Kiyota, there is definitely an angelic quality to the vocals that complement the folksy acoustic driven melody. In many ways, this beautiful ballad, complete with violin solo, is extremely successful and carries with it many qualities one might hear in a large scale RPG production.
Summary
In the end, the Thousand Memories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 physical release is well worth the purchase, especially for fans of noisycroak and/or hybridized music styles. The production values are astounding. Keisuke Ito did a wonderful job creating an engaging soundtrack with only minor filler and Manami Kiyota’s contribution is also quite lovely. If possible, the physical album is the preferred release given its extra compositions; however, if you only spring for the digital release, you are still going to be getting a quality soundtrack.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on July 30, 2015 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on July 30, 2015.
About the Author
Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.
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