 | Album Title: Caravan Stories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 |
| Record Label: Basiscape | |
| Catalog No.: BSPE-1071 | |
| Release Date: Jun 29, 2018 | |
| Purchase: Buy at iTunes |
Overview
Caravan Stories is a mobile/PC MMORPG released by Aiming in 2017 and features the talents of Basiscape helming the music. The Caravan Stories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 is the first of eight planned releases that will span through January 2019. Featuring the music from Basiscape veterans Yoshimi Kudo, Azusa Chiba, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, and Masaharu Iwata, in addition to relative newcomers Kazuki Higashihara and Rikako Watanabe, what type of sound can be heard on the soundtrack release? While the other releases seemed to be themed around certain aspects of the game, this first volume seems to include a plethora of tunes, perhaps giving a more rounded musical glimpse into the world it accentuates.
Body
The album opens up with “Iyarr Ancestral Song (CM Version),” a Renaissance-y piece full of acoustic guitar, piano, and Irish flute, composed by Azusa Chiba. The vocals are reminiscent of Odin Sphere and the whole tune carries with it a mystical vibe. I presume that a full version will be released in one of the subsequent volumes as it is a beautiful tune. On this release, her other contributions include “Enigma Rips the Sky (PV Version),” a dramatic orchestral tune featuring piano and choir with electronic accompaniment, giving it a powerful sound. Given the title, I also presume the full version will be released in the future. “Impending Crisis” is a frenetic tune with strings and acoustic guitar that is quite tense and engaging. It, too, features electronic accompaniment and as the piece progresses, a beautiful and dark melody shines. Chiba is also responsible for the vocal tune featured on the album. Sung by Sarara Yashima, “Longing” comes in two varieties, a shortened version and a full version. It has a Celtic-inspired sound, but the vocals themselves, while performed well, are definitely an acquired taste due to the kawaii nature of the vocalist. The full version expands upon the shortened version with additional verses. The end result is an upbeat tune with a nice atmosphere, but the vocalist may not suit all listeners.
Yoshimi Kudo is another major contributor to this particular volume. “Caravan Trip” is an exquisite tune with piano and woodwinds that gives off a magical quality to its melody and, in some ways, reminds me of Opoona. On the darker spectrum is “Underworld Song,” a dark, intense, and atmospheric tune that is percussion-heavy and relies on manipulated vocal samples. It certainly isn’t his strongest work on the album, but it does add a nice contrast to the more whimsical and fantasy-like quality of the soundtrack. Of course, he is also responsible for a couple of battle themes. “Battle with Demon” is a dramatic tune featuring choir. The frenetic cello throughout really sets the mood and crafts a tense and menacing sound that is accentuated by light industrial/electronic tones. The tune itself is a bit disjointed and, at times, quite repetitive, but the sections with a more melodic focus certainly shine brighter than the rest. His other tune, “Blasting Blade,” has an Odin Sphere/Raiden V-like vibe that is certainly more focused than his other battle contribution. The heroic melody is wonderful and the piano and brass help to accentuate the overall atmosphere while the frenetic strings add tension into the mix. The main theme, “Caravan Stories,” features a fantastic melody that is woodwind-focused, giving it an airy quality that is accompanied by some beautiful strings and brass harmonies. The end result is quite enjoyable and often sports an adventurous tone.
Relative newcomer Kazuki Higashihara, whose previous credits include Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, offers a mix of mood-setting tunes and battle themes. “Tension” features low brass, oboe, light electronica, and tense string work, giving it a fitting atmosphere for the name, but nothing quite exciting or gripping. “In Trials” is a rousing orchestral tune that is tense and militaristic in nature, focusing on brass and strings. The melody itself is quite nice, but it certainly carries a “Basiscape” sound and doesn’t particularly elicit a unique identity like other long-time Basiscape composers have crafted over the years. “Gold Dungeon” is a strings and mallet percussion tune that gives off a nice dungeon aesthetic with a fairly memorable melody and is more akin to something that might be heard in a Dragon’s Crown game. His “Toasting Dance” is upbeat and jovial, highlighting a celebratory sound, but doesn’t quite stand up to the other tunes on the soundtrack. However, his “Battle at the Colosseum” is quite quirky and refreshing. It is a Celtic-inspired tune with intricate percussion and bagpipes, a militaristic sound, and an engaging melody. It’s certainly his best contribution on this particular volume.
The other composers at Basiscape and guest composer Daisuke Yamaguchi all contribute a smaller amount of work. Daisuke Yamaguchi’s sole contribution is “Outpouring of Armaments,” an orchestral battle theme with martial percussion, sweeping strings, and an engaging and wonderful melody. It’s certainly one of the highlights of the album. Rikako Watanabe provides a few tunes as well. “Check in at the Colosseum” is a short tune featuring percussion that is atmospheric and mysterious with hints of tension, but doesn’t particularly stand out. “Iyarr’s Narrator” is a whimsical tune full of woodwinds, strings, and piano, with a decent melody, but like Higashihara’s work, doesn’t offer much unique character. However, her “Open the Map” is perhaps one of the best tunes on the soundtrack. It is upbeat and uplifting, with an adventurous tone, a solo violin, an engaging brass melody, and some great piano elements. It’s a short tune, but oh so sweet.
Masaharu Iwata’s contributions, “Entrust a Will” and “Polka,” are quite different. The former features dulcimer and woodwinds alongside taiko drums, giving it a very Japanese instrumentation, yet, due to their execution, resulting in a very Western cinematic soundscape. The end result is mystical and creates a beautiful atmosphere. “Polka,” on the other hand, is a quirky tune with a playful, yet mysterious sound, but doesn’t particularly stand out. Sadly, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, on this soundtrack, is relegated to a shorter, less impactful role. He composes three themes related to battle—”Defeat in Battle,” “Victory in Battle,” and “Draw in Battle”—that capture the atmosphere one might expect for each battle result. The first features sorrowful strings; the second features an uplifting fanfare followed by a calm, magical piano and acoustic guitar melody; the third is a short brass ditty that doesn’t particularly shine. Fortunately, his “Free City of Nero” is an absolute highlight of the album. It’s a Celtic-inspired tune with a rustic and jovial sound. Bright strings and woodwind melodies accompany catchy piano chords and bass, giving the music a jazzy vibe that is full of musical dynamics.
Summary
In the end, the Caravan Stories Original Soundtrack Vol. 1 offers a glimpse into the world of the MMORPG. Featuring a mix of town, battle, and event themes, it hints at a soundtrack that is certainly fantasy in style, keeping in line with some of Basiscape’s other contributions to the genre, such as Dragon’s Crown and Odin Sphere; however, most composers bring their own sound, which has me excited for the rest of the volumes to come. Fans of Basiscape’s music should certainly check it out. It is digitally released worldwide, so feel free to preview the soundtrack for yourself.
