 | Album Title: Mega Man Dystopia |
| Record Label: Suleputer | |
| Catalog No.: CPCA-10377 | |
| Release Date: February 11, 2015 | |
| Purchase: Buy from CDJapan |
Overview
In contrast to the more lighthearted tones of Rockman Utopia, its complementary album, Rockman Dystopia, focuses more on heavy rock and electronic remixes. Featuring veteran Basiscape members Yoshimi Kudo, Azusa Chiba, Masaharu Iwata, Mitsuhiro Kaneda, Masaaki Kaneko, and its newest composer, Kazuki Higashihara, as well as Yasumasa Kitagawa of Capcom, how does this effort turn out?
Body
The album opens with a medley dedicated to the character Zero from the Megaman X series called “The Last No. Zero (Zero Theme Medley),” arranged by Yoshimi Kudo. The medley itself consists of the “X vs. Zero” theme from Megaman X5, his character themes from the first three games in the series, and “Zero’s Sacrifice” from the PSP remake of Megaman X. Given that rock is Kudo’s forte, the tune is a synth/heavy-rock hybrid and features some great solo sections, although it also provides some softer sections that contrast quite nicely with the high-octane nature of the arrangement. It’s a great opening tune for the album. Kudo’s other contribution is “Justice of Dys World (Climax Battle Medley),” a medley of final boss themes from Megaman X4, X7, and X8, related both to Sigma and Lumine. There is a heavier sound in this piece compared to the opening tune, with plenty of hard-rock riffs, some neat guitar work, electronic distortion, and even some orchestral tones. Of his two arrangements, this one is my favorite, although I wish he had done a dedicated arrangement of a single piece from the Megaman X universe rather than two medleys like the other arrangers who handled two pieces on the album, as you’ll see below.
Azusa Chiba also contributes two arrangements to the album. The first, “Beware of No Man More Than Thyself (Boomer Kuwanger Stage),” from Megaman X1, is a hard-hitting tune with some wonderful contrast. I love how there are areas with heavy wobble effects and lots of electronic distortion, to give it a gritty sound, as well as some more upbeat and softer synth-led, dance-like sections that would fit well within a Cave shooter. In both cases, the original melody is given a chance to shine and complements both types of soundscapes quite nicely. Her other tune, “You’d Better Be Nippy (Ice Stage Medley),” is a very unique take on the themes dedicated to Ice Penguin, Crystal Snail, and Blizzard Wolfang from X, X2, and X6, respectively. This theme is quite abstract, reminiscent of Mitsuhiro Kaneda’s Deathsmiles arrangement with its crystalline sound, although this one is much darker, featuring distorted electronic tones, wispy vocals that bring a mysterious tone to the piece, and a very dissonant and chaotic sound. It really captures the idea of a dystopian atmosphere quite nicely.
Basiscape’s newest member, Kazuki Higashihara, also contributes two tracks, a medley as well as a single arrangement. The medley, “Flame Gate (Flame Stage Medley),” features the music from Megaman X2, X3, and X6 and tackles the themes for Flame Stag, Blast Hornet, and Blaze Heatnix, respectively. His arrangement is rock-focused and features some heavy sounds, particularly in the medley, which progresses quite nicely and features excellent guitar work. The use of electronic tones is minimal in this arrangement compared to some of the others and is typically utilized in the last portion of the medley, which takes on a more synth-rock approach. His other arrangement, “Dim Ciras (VS 8Boss),” from Megaman X8, is another heavy, rock-oriented arrangement. Of his two arrangements, this one is the clear winner. His interpretation of the track brings a lot of energy to the mix and the guitar work is extremely powerful. As with his other arrangement, electronic elements aren’t the focus and are used as accompaniment, although there are some synth-rock sections as well as some softer, piano-led sections where the electronic elements, typically distortion, help bring a gentler side to the track.
The rest of the contributions on the album are single arrangements from the remaining composers. Masaaki Kaneko, Basiscape’s sound effects member, gets his own arrangement, “46414C4C (Cyber Peacock Stage),” from Megaman X4. His arrangement is largely drum ‘n’ bass-influenced, bringing a nice energy to the original, although that’s certainly not the only influence shaping the arrangement. In addition, there are some dubstep-like sections that work well with the softer interpretations of the melody. It’s one of the surprises on the album and makes me wish that Kaneko was able to have a larger compositional role at Basiscape. Capcom’s Yasumasa Kitagawa takes on Megaman X with his arrangement, “Vertical Resonance (Armored Armadillo Stage).” His arrangement has a nice EDM-style interpretation and is certainly one of the most danceable tunes on the album. The melody remains pretty much intact and the arrangement is, for the most part, straightforward, although there are some sections that help spice things up a bit. In the end, it’s an enjoyable arrangement and a nice midpoint on the album.
The last two contributors, Masaharu Iwata and Mitsuhiro Kaneda, deviate from the album’s overall sound; in one case the arrangement still fits the album’s scope, while the other falls flat. Iwata’s arrangement, “Rust Orbit to Dusk (Gravity Beetle Stage),” from Megaman X3, is the arrangement I find successful in fitting the dystopian atmosphere of the Megaman X series. Despite having a softer tone than most of the album, the atmosphere the track exudes makes me think of a sci-fi, post-apocalyptic setting. The cinematic approach works very well and once you get over the initial shock of how downtempo this version is compared to the original, there is a lot to appreciate. In addition, the industrial tones featured in the accompaniment help to reinforce the post-apocalyptic atmosphere. It is a truly unique interpretation, although it might not be for everyone. Lastly, Kaneda’s “Espero faras nenion (Esperanto),” from Megaman Zero 4, is the album’s weakest track. It doesn’t have nearly the same vibe as any of the other tunes, and it doesn’t adhere to the Megaman X series; rather, it goes to the series that chronologically takes place after it. There are some light industrial tones that attempt to fit the album’s atmosphere, but the soft, piano-led melody—though it gains a grittier guitar focus as the track progresses—is much more appropriate for the Rockman Utopia album, especially if you remove the electronic distortion. That being said, the track itself is enjoyable, but a missed opportunity compared to how the other arrangements were handled.
Summary
The Rockman Dystopia album is an extremely successful arrange album dedicated largely to the Megaman X series, an often-ignored series when it comes to such albums. The styles, featuring a blend of rock and heavy electronic arrangements, fit well within the atmosphere of both the series and the idea of a dystopian society. Another thing this album does well, compared to its counterpart, is that all the games in the Megaman X universe are represented and there is less focus on medleys and more on individual track arrangements, which I think allows the arrangements to be more creative in the long run. Fans of the series’ music and those who like rock/electronic remixes will certainly enjoy most of the offerings on this album.
