SoundTeMP

Game Music, Reviews

It’s Here: Granado Espada Renaissance OST Volume 3 (Review)

December 6, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 7 Comments Share this

Finally, the day we’ve all been waiting for! Well, at least some of us. The original Granado Espada soundtrack is one of my favorites of all time as you can probably tell from our Soundtrack of the Month article, but I admit I was a bit disappointed by the licensed music featured on Volume 2. Hanbit and IMC Games have fortunately corrected this with the release of the Granado Espada Renaissance Special Limited Edition Original Soundtrack Volume 3 (yes, quite a mouthful).

You saw our unboxing video last week and already know that there are two variations in the packaging, but join us as we dig into the 3-disc collection. Is it worth the wait, and will you be able to get your hands on it? Find out in our review after the jump. (more…)
Featured, Game Music

OSVchannel: Granado Espada Renaissance Soundtrack Volume 3 Unboxing Video

November 30, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 6 Comments Share this

Continuing our series of unboxing videos, this time we’re looking at the highly anticipated Granado Espada Renaissance Original Soundtrack Volume 3 album that was released back in August. Yeah, it took us that long for us to get our hands on it. Apparently it’s not for sale (just like the original Volume 1 album), and the only way to get it is to purchase in-game items in Korea (and maybe Japan?) to get a copy of the limited edition set.

We have Reinassaince Set A here, but there’s also alternate packaging for purchasing Renaissance Set B in the game. These are limited pressings, with 500-1000 copies produced for each. Not sure if it’s 500 each, or if one of the sets has 1000 and the other 500, but in any case, they didn’t make a whole lot of these. I recommend heading over to VGMdb to check out the differences between Set A and Set B. And watch for our review coming soon!

Anyway, enjoy the video, and let us know what you think of the packaging. The magnet is pretty nifty. Which set would you prefer?
Game Music

A Blast From The Past: Granado Espada Sound Department Interview

October 5, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

Before you get too excited, this is not an interview with the game’s team of composers. We’ve already featured interviews with Osamu Kubota, S.F.A., and TaQ about the game, but this interview focuses on the actual sound team in Korea who coordinated the project. At the time this interview was conducted, I had listened, reviewedh, and had fallen in love with the Granado Espada soundtrack, and there were whispers that a Volume 2 album was in the works. We all know how that turned out.

With Volume 3 on the horizon, and Granado Espada being our Soundtrack of the Month, I thought it would be a good time to get this interview back online. I admit the team was rather vague on most points, but there are still a few interesting tidbits tucked away within. Oh, and in case you have no idea what “Sword of the New World” is, it’s the name that Granado Espada was released under in the West.

Hit the jump for a blast from the past! (more…)
Featured, Game Music

Soundtrack of the Month 10/2010: Granado Espada OST Volume 1

October 1, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

This one has certainly been a long time coming. Granado Espada Original Sound Track Volume 1 is an interesting release for a number of reasons, and is quite special to me in that it was the first album I reviewed for Music4Games. I admit I’m using some of that writeup as my basis for this review, but it’s crazy how much has happened since 2006 that I’ve been able to expound upon!

What has happened, you ask? Well, just here on OSV, we’ve interviewed composer Osamu Kubota on two separate occasions about his work on the title, introduced fans to Korean composer Sevin, founding member of S.F.A. and former member of soundTeMP, talked to TaQ about his sole contribution to the game, uncovered the fact that all soundTeMP tracks on this album were actually written by Jinbae “ESTi” Park, and even reviewed the Granada Espada Original Sound Track Volume 2 digital release from Streamline Records. Yeah, a lot of stuff, and what better time to have Granado Espada as our soundtrack of the month than with the announcement that a proper Volume 3 is now on its way!

Hit the jump to find out why you need to hunt this one down. (more…)
Game Music, Reviews

My Favorite Online Game, Now Offline: Ragnarok DS (Game Review)

March 6, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

I’ve endlessly gushed about Ragnarok Online. It was my first MMORPG, and probably will be my last. I loved that game, from the amazing Secret of Mana-esque graphics, to the Norse mythology-based universe, to the amazing pop and trance soundtrack provided by soundTeMP. I played the game since the alpha testing phase in the United States, so needless to say, I’m more than just a little attached to the game.

For that reason, when Ragnarok DS was announced, I was ecstatic. I don’t really have time for never-ending MMOs anymore, so the thought of having some of my favorite RO elements on the go was extremely attractive to me. We heard a taste of the music last month in the launch trailer, and even though it provided MIDI-fied versions of the original game’s music, they were great even in that form. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Is the game any good? A number of reviews that are already out there say no, so what’s the deal?

Find out in our review of Ragnarok DS! (more…)
Game Music

Ragnarok DS To Surely Have One of the Best Soundtracks of 2010

February 4, 2010 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

Regular readers of OSV should know by now that I’m obsessed with Ragnarok Online and the game’s soundtrack composed by Korean sound studio soundTeMP (it was our soundtrack of the month at one point). It should come as no surprise then that I’m incredibly excited about Ragnarok DS (they’ve apparently dropped the “online” bit since it was announced) that’s being released by XSEED this month. What we haven’t heard about until now, however, is how the game will sound.

We checked in with XSEED to see if soundTeMP would be providing new music for the DS release, and while we were told that all the game’s music would come from the PC version, at least we know that they’ll be pulling music from one of the best soundtracks of all time. In the new trailer that XSEED recently released, we heard MIDI-fied versions of both “Theme of Juno” and “Streamside.” While I’m a bit disappointed that the sound quality is being reduced to fit the audio onto the DS cartridge, the MIDI versions do have a unique retro charm about them, so we’ll have to wait until next month to see what the final result is.

Are you looking forward to Ragnarok DS? Do you think developer GungHo should have sacrificed some other aspect of the game in order to preserve soundTeMP’s amazing soundtrack?
Game Music

ESTi Remixes “Feliz Navidad” For Christmas

December 25, 2009 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on ESTi Remixes “Feliz Navidad” For Christmas Share this

Merry Christmas everyone! We weren’t planning on updating today, but I figured I had to mention this awesome “Feliz Navidad” remix that Korean composer ESTi created for the holidays. For those who don’t recall, ESTi is a member of soundTeMP where he worked on titles like Ragnarok Online and Granado Espada, PangYa Portable and a slew of other projects over the years.

His arrangement of “Feliz Navidad” is rather slow-paced and contemplative, but true to his insanely catchy pop style, it goes down smooth. The melody is carried by beautiful belltones, and rich, dreamy pads sit in the background with lots of reverb to create a sense of space. It’s a nice little ditty to listen to on a groggy Christmas morning. Be sure to grab the download!

Are you a fan of ESTi’s music? Are you enjoying all the Christmas-themed remixes and releases this year?

[via Don’s Twitter]