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Samples from the upcoming Harukanaru Toki no Kanata e: Chrono Trigger & Chrono Cross Arrangement Album have been posted by Square Enix Music. You can find the samples and listen to them here [2].
There are currently five samples and to be honest they are not what I expected, but they sound incredible. The five tracks include:
“Corridors of Time” arranged by Yasunori Mitsuda and English vocals written and performed by Laura Shigihara.
“To Far Away Times” arranged by Sachiko Miyano and English vocals written and performed by Sarah Alainn.
“Time’s Scar” arranged by Tomohiko Kira and Japanese vocals written and performed by Koko Komine.
“Radical Dreamers” arranged by Sachiko Miyano and English vocals written and performed by Sarah Alainn.
“Marbule” arranged by Yasunori Mitsuda – no vocals.
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The final tracklist has not been announced but you can pre-order the album at the retailers listed at Square Enix Music [2]. What do you think about the addition of vocals to the above tracks?
Source: http://www.square-enix.co.jp/ [2]
Comments Disabled To "Listen to Samples of the New Chrono Cross/Trigger Arrangement Album!"
#1 Comment By Jay Boerner On September 22, 2015 @ 2:39 pm
Arggh.. I really, really hate to say this; but, my first reaction was.. Ick.
The English vocals are really jarring and hokey. Not thrilled about this at all. But, the instrumental Marbule is sublime. I will be showing up for these sorts of tracks.
#2 Comment By Ryan Paquet On September 22, 2015 @ 9:31 pm
Hi Jay, I totally agree with you on Marbule – it sounds amazing. As for the vocals, I was not thrilled about them either. But I did listen to the samples several times and they are starting to grow on me. I think part of it is that we’ve heard these songs played a certain way for so many years it’s a bit of an ear twister listening the new versions.
#3 Comment By David Graham On September 23, 2015 @ 3:48 am
I admit, the vocals were a bit jarring at first – but then it kind of hit me like the old Mother 1 vocal tracks by Catherine Warwick (though somewhat less cheesy). Still, I do hope there are plenty of instrumental tracks on the album.
#4 Comment By Jay Boerner On September 29, 2015 @ 9:57 am
It’s true, we are used to expecting the celtic/orchestral sound from a Mitsuda arrangement a la Sym. Fantasies and Creid. I’m glad to see with this album there is still a mentality of trying to do something new in the arrangement. Definirely subverted my expectations. Still looking forward to it, just a bit less. English vocals usually bring to the front the corniness/nonsensical? lyrics which are less jarring in the original japanese. The same can be said for JRPG dialogue translated over and then voiced. As soon as someone puts a voice to it, I’m usually a bit turned off by the dub, so my opinion’s maybe not a good reflection of the content so much as my taste itself. But, fortunately, the album is working with some of the best melodies in VGM history :). That’s worth something, eh?