 | Album Title: Siren 2 Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: Team Entertainment | |
| Catalog No.: KDSD-00231/2 | |
| Release Date: September 24, 2008 | |
| Purchase: Buy at CDJapan |
Overview
In 2006, a sequel for the original cult classic Siren was made. The first iteration hadn’t proved successful in the US and the sequel was only released in Japan and PAL regions. While the game itself is largely similar to the first game, a new composer Kuniaki Haishima scored the music. Known for his work on famous anime like Macross and the critically acclaimed Monster, Kuniaki Haishima was put in charge of Siren 2 as well as the loosely based feature film adaptation Siren. Did he succeed in recapturing the horror that was established in the first game, or was he incapable of continuing the spirit of the series? Let’s find out.
Body
The soundtrack is a bit different from the earlier Siren. For one thing, many of the compositions aren’t as individualistic, and they flow from one track to the next. While in dark ambient it’s necessary to provide seamless transitions between tracks, the first Siren didn’t compromise on giving each track memorable details that made them stand out while still fitting into a carefully planned whole. Also, because the first soundtrack was a collaboration between two composers, it offered a multifarious ambience of the Japanese mountainside’s dark realms. In the case of Siren 2, the compositions aren’t clearly distinguishable and, as such, the soundtrack sometimes doesn’t feel very rewarding. However, there’s still excellent dark ambience to be found.
The setting of Siren 2 is an island off the coast of mainland Japan, and I find that the background ambiance of each track clearly illustrates this. In a general sense, it’s like the vast sea surrounding Yamijima Island. It is difficult to describe in words, but when the first soundtrack was full of dissonance and anti-musical qualities, Siren 2‘s aural depiction of horror is more harmonious. In a way it’s poetic and dreamy, but what it gains in beauty it loses in edginess. It’s rarely surprising, often feels too safe, and the demonic chants are gone. The pleasure of discovering new sounds has diminished. To put it simply, it has become predictable.
In a sense the soundscape is magical and mystical. The first soundtrack connected reality and the supernatural together, sort of like Silent Hill. It was a descent into madness, yet somehow grounded in reality, thereby playing gruesome games on a psychological level. Siren 2 feels like you’ve always been there, already accepted the dark surroundings as part of your life. So, in a sense, it’s not about finding yourself in an entirely unknown environment, but about trying to see something new, to escape. It’s like a blind man wanting to witness the beauty of nature again, only in a twisted Siren kind of way. Stretching it further, it is a musical call for help from a shibito, who still has a thin connection with its former self and wants to be released from the eternal torment.
The album is divided into 2 CDs. While the first disc represents the meditative and calm side of the album, the second disc employs cacophony and loud sounds to the fullest. They betray their cinematic origins, but for those who find the first disc too boring and lacking in excitement, then it offers a refreshing variance. “The Depths of Memory” even features violin playing and “Drifting in the Red Sea” is like a juxtaposition of dark ambient and choral music. “Konagihishoka” is similar to “Hoshingoeika” from the first album. It’s a children’s folk song where the dull, tired voice of a young child is heard singing a sad song. The minimalistic backing ambiance contributes to the overall mood, making it one of the creepier tracks on the album.
Eriko Azuma’s “Azteca Queen” is an exceptionally weird choice for a credits song. It’s reminiscent of 80s Japanese pop, full of exotic beats and playful lyrics. Even quirkier is “I Am Metango, Galactic Governor,” which in a nutshell is a distant cousin of UFO themes from Silent Hill games. It’s extremely cheesy and makes no sense whatsoever, but without a doubt that’s a conscious decision on the part of the designers. Topping off the album is “Happy Birthday!” Sly male vocals wishing happy birthday over cheesy beats and electric guitar are a serious match for Haishima’s contributions in terrifying the listener.
Summary
Bottom line, Siren 2 is definitely a worthy successor to the first soundtrack, but fails to supersede the standards set by Gary Ashiya and Hitomi Shimizu. Haishima has sightjacked (for those not familiar with it, sightjacking is an ability of the human characters of the Siren series that allows them to see the viewpoints of the zombie-like enemies, shibito) the world of Siren and gained valuable insight into its workings, but the little details that made the first soundtrack shine with glorious decay are lacking in this one. On the plus side, the dreamy side of it gives it a unique quality that might win over those who weren’t satisfied with the original Siren. There aren’t many albums like Siren 2 available in the video game music scene, though, and, even with its strongly subjective flaws that aren’t as apparent to worshippers of the first album, the Siren 2 Original Soundtrack is a poetic descent into hell worth trying out.
