 | Album Title: cittan* WORKS from “LAMUNATION!” & “KIRAKIRA MONSTARS” |
| Record Label: Sweep Record | |
| Catalog No.: SRIN-1167 | |
| Release Date: June 19, 2020 | |
| Purchase: Buy at Sweep Record |
Overview
This release from Supersweep, cittan* WORKS from “LAMUNATION!” & “KIRAKIRA MONSTARS” features music by cittan* (Fumihisa Tanaka) and serves as the background music for two visual novels, LAMUNATION! and KIRAKIRA MONSTARS. The music blends modern EDM with an ’80s-style sound. In addition, it also features all the vocal themes between the two games. How do these works by cittan* turn out?
Body
LAMUNATION!
The LAMUNATION! portion of the soundtrack release opens with “Corona,” a bubbly electronic dance tune that gives off summer vibes with its fun melody, whereas “Another Disco Night,” which immediately follows, conjures up dancing to disco with its funky beats, although it does lack a punchy melody and fades from memory shortly after. “Crossing Over” opens with acoustic guitar before transitioning to a trance tune with an EDM drop. Overall, the tune has good energy. “Iris” is another bubbly electronic tune with a fantastic melody and is full of energy, while “Don’t Hesitate” has a big-room sound and a wonderful energy that gives off dance party vibes. Jazz-influenced J-House is also present with “In the Sun,” blending strings, piano, and electronic beats to capture a nice summer vibe. Likewise, “Fading Lights” uses piano and synthesizer to craft another house tune. However, not all is electronic in nature. “Are you with me?” is a beautiful, reflective piano piece with a wonderful melody, while “This Moment” is another reflective tune with a warm melody, drum pad, and synthy bells. “Wish I Could Be” certainly features an electronic backbone, but has a chill atmosphere that complements the piano. “Magedon” is a rock ballad with strings, but it isn’t as memorable as some of the other tunes, whereas “Zero Defeating” is a twangy electric-guitar-focused tune with intense percussion that gives it high energy.
There are also a few vocal tunes present on the album. “FaV” is a rock tune with some pop influence. The vocal performance is quite powerful and there are some metal sections as well, particularly in the B section. The chorus itself is also quite catchy. There are two other instrumental renditions on the album. The first, “FaV (Acoustic),” is a rustic acoustic guitar rendition that showcases the melody in a more beautiful light, while “FaV (Orchestral Version)” features a hybrid of rock and synthesizer with an orchestral rendition of the melody. Another vocal tune, “N.O.S.,” is more electronic in focus: it’s energetic, features a catchy chorus, and has a great melody. The vocal performance is also pretty good. “N.O.S. (Piano Version)” is an instrumental piano rendition of this theme and has a new-age-like feel to it. The last vocal for this particular game is “Light the World,” an electropop tune with some dubstep elements that showcases a fitting vocal performance, a fantastic melody, and strong energy. There are also three instrumental versions that remove only the vocal portions, serving as karaoke-style tracks.
KIRAKIRA MONSTARS
The KIRAKIRA MONSTARS portion of the soundtrack opens with the vocal tune, “Eternity.” This tune is a synth-rock piece with a catchy melody and chorus, metal riffs, and some electric guitar work, but it also contrasts with sections featuring piano and synth that are softer rather than more energetic. This tune also has an instrumental version without vocals and a cinematic version. “Eternity (Cinematic Version)” is a dramatic orchestral arrangement with a piano instrumental melody line, backing drums and electric guitar, and, at times, drum ‘n’ bass support. The rest of the soundtrack leans instrumental. “Venedict” is a bright, upbeat piano-and-strings piece with a fun melody, whereas “Eve” is a digital-fusion tune that blends chiptune, synth, and piano melodies with future-bass beats. “Fran” is an interesting tune in that it features icy synths and alternates between trance and dubstep. In the end, it is an odd combination, but it works quite well. “…Unknown World” has a future-bass feel and blends distorted vocals with a piano melody that is more sparsely utilized. “Groove you” is full of funk and sports an FM feel in the bass work. In addition, record scratching is prominently featured, along with sharp synth hits. However, the end result is a bit forgettable. “New Vibes” is an extremely fun house tune with a great synth melody, plenty of dance vibes, and distorted vocals. Lastly, “Rest or Last” is a dramatic piano-and-percussion tune. The combination of slower tempos, synths, and electronic beats with strings support makes for a nice combination that works well as one of the pieces near the end of the album.
Summary
cittan* WORKS from “LAMUNATION!” & “KIRAKIRA MONSTARS” works as music for two visual novels. The focus on showcasing a variety of EDM styles and some older dance tunes works well. Although the soundtracks themselves may not have the most memorable melodies, they serve as excellent background music. Fans of cittan*’s electronic and vocal works will most likely enjoy what this album has to offer.
