 | Album Title: Gran Turismo Original Sound Collection |
| Record Label: Village Records | |
| Catalog No.: VRCL-4010 | |
| Release Date: November 25, 2009 | |
| Purchase: Buy at CDJapan |
Overview
For some, it is hard to approach soundtracks composed for portable devices with a positive expectation, and this is mostly due to the common misconception that sound quality is limited. There’s also the assumption that games for these consoles aren’t as significant as main-console titles, creating the expectation that the music wouldn’t have a big budget. Thankfully, some of Sony Computer Entertainment’s latest PSP soundtracks are changing this. The Gran Turismo Original Sound Collection features music for the PSP version of Gran Turismo and amazingly provides some very strong themes. To put all cynics at bay, the tracks on this album could very well appear on a main-console release, and there is no problem with the sound quality or track length.
Body
If you follow the series at all, you may have already guessed that the soundtrack opens and closes with arrangements of Masahiro Andoh’s “Moon Over the Castle” theme. “Moon Over the Castle (2009 Remix Version)” isn’t anything special; it’s mainly just an extension of the original piece by Toru Okitsu. The arrangement turns the original theme into more of an anthem, making it sound more epic and important; while a little contrived, it suits this legendary series theme. The biggest change is that the track features a new section after the 3:30 mark, in which a rocking electric-guitar solo rips into the original melody. The brief “Moon Over the Castle (Orchestra Version)” draws some similarities to its operatic counterpart on the Gran Turismo 4 Original Game Soundtrack. While short, this piece features some great orchestral techniques and powerful vocals to create a hair-raising sensation that certainly conjures pride in the game. Ultimately, these arrangements aren’t much different from what has been heard earlier in the series, but they remain important contributions nonetheless, given that they are staples of the franchise’s music.
Unlike earlier soundtracks in the series, the Gran Turismo Sound Collection centres more around ambient electronic tracks than rock themes. There are, of course, some rock tracks; they are not as prominent on the album as when Masahiro Andoh was the main contributor. The most notable rock themes come from Solaya and Masanori Mine, who each have a couple of additions to the album. Solaya’s themes adopt a much steadier, more relaxed beat. “Windy” is quite an inspirational theme with an unusually ambient atmosphere for a rock track, fitting for the title. “Yummy Trip” adopts a similar aura: with a light and airy guitar riff, subtle development, and an attractive melody, it’s a quaint addition that shows a different side to rock Andoh hadn’t touched on in earlier soundtracks. Masanori Mine, though, sticks to a style similar to Andoh’s classic fast-paced rock, which, let’s face it, a Gran Turismo soundtrack can’t be without. “Over the Horizon,” “Colourful Monochrome,” and “Planet Tension” are each enjoyable themes that feature manic drum accompaniments and are dominated by electric guitar. Out of this selection, “Over the Horizon” is probably the most successful track, not only because it features the most addictive melody, but because it has the best background development in the form of a quiet rock organ.
Moving on to the electronica tracks, the rather prominent DJ Shimamura (aka Twintale), who has contributed to many video games, pairs up with YO-C to produce three catchy tracks that can’t be missed on the album. The first of these, “Summer Searching,” starts off with tom-toms and clapping before moving into a vibrant electronic section. In creating this theme, the duo seem to have captured a perfect soundscape — with simple vibes, a minimalist melody, and basic development, it’s a quaint and blissful track which I highly recommend. A track of theirs that isn’t so on the mark, though, is “Adrenalin Navigation,” which features an annoying synth melody and poor development. They do, however, manage to redeem themselves with “Addicted to the 303,” which is as addictive and pleasant to listen to as “Summer Searching.” The difference with this track is that it focuses much more on the development of the beat in the theme, rather than the structuring of the melody. Overall, DJ Shimamura and YO-C have created enjoyable tracks here that further add to the album’s musical diversity.
The majority of the ambient and electro themes on this album, though, are composed by aM, who bizarrely seems relatively unknown in the game music world at present. Without a doubt, aM’s contributions are nothing short of fantastic, and really bring a breath of fresh air to the soundtrack (without having to hang your head out of the window at 50mph). “Rainbow 3000” and “Close my Eyes, Eyes, Eyes” each feature the same ambient background arpeggiated synth chords, again bringing a sense of ambience to the soundtrack through simple means. The tracks that really stick out, though, are the strangely appealing “The Dubless in Tokyo,” which features a hypnotic synth line and intriguing chime accompaniment, and the slow-developing “One Blue Spaceshore.” “One Blue Spaceshore” is addictive in its development, with a new layer added intermittently; this eventually draws the listener in as they wait for each new addition to the theme. Other notable contributions from aM include the groovy “Walking through Zero-Gravity Lounge” and “Playing in 4D,” which further showcase the musician’s stylistic expertise in electronic music.
Summary
This is a very strong album in a series which has historically featured some great music. The soundtrack caters to early fans of the series with its rock themes from Solaya and Masanori Mine, but it also brings the series more into the modern era with fine electronica additions from aM, DJ Shimamura, and YO-C. This soundtrack is very different from what has been explored on other albums in the series; although electronica has featured previously, it comes in its own unique ambient style that strays from the earlier aggressive forms of Daiki Kasho’s contributions to the Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Original Game Soundtrack or the psytrance flavours explored on the Gran Turismo 4 Kicks album. In this respect, the Gran Turismo Original Sound Collection brings a newly welcomed style to the series. Certainly check this album out, and don’t be needlessly phased that it is the score to a PSP game.
