Chrono Cross

Game Music

Symphonic Fantasies Returns In Summer Of 2012!

March 27, 2012 | Audun Sorlie | 1 Comment Share this

Symphonic Fantasies set the benchmark for what a symphonic game music concert should be. On September 12th 2009, the audience were not only hearing their most beloved game music pieces performed by an orchestra, but transported into the world in which the games represented, with landscapes built on emotion and the memories in the hearts of the listener being transcended by an all new experience, with the music becoming alive in a way no other concert before it had ever been able to accomplish. Fantasies managed to bridge the world of classical music and video games purely through music, and the production which Team Merregnon carefully crafted has traveled around the world with the award winning CD released in 2010. With the incredible success of concert and the CD recording, Symphonic Fantasies traveled to Tokyo in January of 2012, marking the first time a fully European video game symphony production has taken place in Japan.

Now, Symphonic Fantasies is returning home to Europe for another round, promising again to bring the full beauty of Valtonen and Wanamo’s arrangement to life once again, revisiting the worlds of Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger/Cross. The first concerts will take place in Cologne on the 5th and 6th of July, with Niklas Willén conducting the WDR Radio Orchestra and the WDR Radio Choir. On June 9th, Fantasies will for the first time come to Stockholm, Sweden, with Andreas Hanson conducting the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Katarina Choir.

Tickets for the Stockholm show is at sale at Konserthuset.se, while the Cologne show, as expected, is sold out. Be sure to check back on OSV for more news and information on Symphonic Fantasies 2012!
Game Music

SDCC 2011: No Myth 2 Until Chrono Cross Arrange Album Is Done

July 26, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Comic Con was just this past weekend. That means we had the opportunity to catch up with Izumi Tsukushi and Akio Shiraishi at Square Enix and pick their brains about recent and upcoming soundtrack release from Square Enix’s internal label (see our past interviews from 2008, 2009, and 2010). While asking a question about Mitsuda’s comments about wanting to create a Myth 2 album if the first one sold well (I’m still pulling for the album to be called Re:Myth), we were told that while the album was very successful, and that they’d like to do a second album, that this would not happen until the Chrono Cross arrangement album is complete.

While I doubt we’ll see the Chrono Cross arrange album this year, I still think it’s great to see pressure from Square Enix along with fans to get this album completed. By no means do I want to see Mitsuda rush the album, but I think it’s been on his back-burner for way too long.

Are you looking forward to the Chrono Cross arrange album and to a second Myth album that may be planned for a later time?
Game Music, Reviews

A Fitting Tribute – Play for Japan: The Album (Review)

July 14, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

There has been a lot of talk about the Play for Japan album, a project spearheaded by Grasshopper Manufacture’s Akira Yamaoka. The album was devised by Yamaoka to raise funds for the victims of the horrific earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck Japan in March of this year, and to help him with this effort, he recruited many of the top game composers from within Japan and abroad.

In fact, I’d say this is the most impressive artist list ever assembled, surpassing even Otomedius and the Premium Arrange album series by far. But does the music live up to the names associated with the project?

Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Chrono Cross Arrange Album Update: Maybe 2011?

April 5, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 9 Comments Share this

During our chat with Yasunori Mitsuda about his work on -Myth- among other projects, we also were sure to ask for an update on the Chrono Cross arrange album that has been in the works for as long as any of us can remember. We got a sample of the album a few Christmas holidays ago, but aside from that, things have been rather silent. We actually had a bit of an exchange about the album, and I know fans want to know what’s going on.

Hit the jump for details! (more…)
Game Music

Fantastic Achievements: Symphonic Fantasies Review

September 15, 2010 | Audun Sorlie | 11 Comments Share this

Hard to believe it’s been a year already. On September 12th, 2009, I was one of the lucky people who had the chance to attend Symphonic Fantasies, a symphonic tribute to Square Enix. With a set list featuring Kingdom Hearts, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross, and of course Final Fantasy combined with the presence of the original composers, it was sure to be a memorable night for game music fans, and indeed it was as I detailed in my report. Like Symphonic Shades before it, Symphonic Fantasies was finally scheduled to have a CD release, and the pressure was on for producer Thomas Böcker and his staff to achieve the same amazing production qualities as the Symphonic Shades CD offered.

Today, the day has come for fans to finally hear the results of the hard labor of the WDR team. Does the album offer equally amazing sounds and emotions through your stereo system? Click the jump to find out. (more…)
Game Music

Symphonic Fantasies CD Is Just Around The Corner!

July 13, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 10 Comments Share this

This is seriously one of my most anticipated releases of 2010. After watching the live Internet stream of Symphonic Fantasies in my underwear from the comfort of my own home, I’ve been looking forward to a CD release, and it’s coming in September. For those who don’t recall what the show was all about, you can refresh your memory with Audun’s extensive report, but to summarize, it features entire suites of music from Kingdom Hearts, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy.

So, down to the details.

While it’s currently available for pre-order directly from the WDR website for those in Germany and around Europe for 19.95 EUR plus shipping and handling, it will release on September 24, 2010 in those regions with an international release to follow via Amazon. Those who pre-order get a little bonus in that they have the opportunity to win copies signed by Shimomura, Kikuta, Mitsuda, and Uematsu, all of whom were involved with the album by giving their approval of the final mixes. This album is a big deal in that it’s published by Universal Music, and it’s set to feature the Symphonic Fantasies “Fanfare” written by arranger and orchestrator Jonne Valtonen with suites for the titles mentioned above. Unfortunately the boss battle medley that acted as the performance’s encore is not on the album, but it will be available digitally (the disc is 73 minutes long without it). It will also come with a 16-page booklet, and I really love the official cover art pictured above (it certainly beats the bland logo they were using for the performance itself).

What do you think? Are you looking forward to getting your hands on this album?
Featured, Game Music

Anime Boston 2010: Video Game Orchestra Demonstrates Endurance and Versatility

April 8, 2010 | Patrick Gann | 5 Comments Share this

I had some misunderstandings about Shota Nakama’s relatively new group, the “Video Game Orchestra” based in Boston. First of all, I thought this was a student group entirely out of Berklee. I figured some of these kids were getting credit for being part of the group.

Again, misunderstanding.

The Video Game Orchestra does have students. Undergrad students from Berklee, grad students from Boston Conservatory, and more. There are also older, professional musicians in the group as well. It’s a vibrant mix of extremely talented, motivated, and energetic musicians. I cannot emphasize that last description, “energetic,” enough.

You know, Boston had two major conventions in as many weekends. First, at the end of March, there was PAX East. Then, over “Easter Weekend,” we had Anime Boston. VGO performed at both, with different set lists and varying capacities.

At PAX East, it was mostly “chamber-sized.” There was the core chamber group, the even smaller string quartet, and the rock band setup. Each of these groups performed at Anime Boston, but Anime Boston got a lot more than that, including: a 40+ piece orchestra, a 20+ choir, a man who made wood block as popular as cow bell, and…

wait for it!…

Nobuo Uematsu.

I personally attended the VGO concert on Friday, April 2nd, at Anime Boston. And I loved what I heard. Let me tell you more about it, after the jump. (more…)