Blurring the Lines with Cellythm: Those Who Distorted (Review)

We told you about this album a couple of months ago, and after hearing it, I’m still confused as to how this album came into existence. Who would have thought it possible to feature the music of Final Fantasy, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and Edward William Elgar all on one disc? Sounds like some sort of cosmic accident, but I guess that’s the purpose.

For those who are unaware, Cellythm is a cello quartet made up of three beautiful ladies and one… lad, we’ll say. And if the list of artists featured on the album doesn’t sound strange enough to you, the arrangements of the Final Fantasy material are based on The Black Mages’ arrangements of the original source material… and now I’m confused.

Try not to get your brain all distorted in our review of Cellythm’s Those Who Distorted after the jump.

This brief excursion into limbo starts with “Those Who Fight Further” from Final Fantasy VII. The piece is actually arranged by L. Gallardo, whose name you may remember as an arranger from Dog Ear Records’ first release, Anata wo Yurusanai (also composed by Uematsu). This version is pretty straight forward, moving along at a galloping pace with country western-imbued melodic accents that made me think of the word “fiddle.” “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin comes next, arranged by Michio Okamiya from The Black Mages. There’s actually a guitar solo about half way through the piece that’s uncredited, but given that Okamiya arranged the piece, perhaps it’s safe to assume that it’s his handiwork we’re hearing.

L. Gallardo returns for the next two tracks, starting with “Battle Theme” from Final Fantasy VI. This has never been my favorite Final Fantasy battle theme, but I do love what Gallardo and Cellythm have done with it. The pace is much more slow, making for a more decisive (get it? The FFVI boss battle is called “Decisive Battle”) approach that lends the piece more gravity. “Clash on the Bridge” is next, opening with some nice sweeping notes before a staccato bassline kicks and with the highly memorable melody. As an additional treat, Cellythm goes off on another excursion at the point that the song is supposed to loop, switching up the key to give the piece a more epic feel.

Tsutomu Narita arranges the last two tracks, the first of which is my favorite song on the album, “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles. I love the powerful staccato bass notes that hit each quarter note while the melancholy melody is calls out into the distance. The piece builds upon itself, ending on a really high note. The last track is “Land of Hope and Glory” by Edward William Elgar. Talk about being out of place; it felt like I was reliving my high school graduation all over again! The members of Cellythm each add their own flair, but I don’t think I could ever enjoy listening to this song, as pop culture has ruined it.

It’s only about 20 minutes of music, but it’s surely an interesting journey. Arrangements of arrangements, The Beatles vs. Final Fantasy, and four cellos to get it all done; it’s definitely something that none of us would have dreamed up, but it may be worth checking out if you’re into these songs. The price tag of 1,800 yen is a bit steep for how few tracks there are, but I’m sure getting the licensing together for this album wasn’t easy. In any case, I appreciate Dog Ear Records’ track record of taking risks on something different, and I think this is a clever way to bridge the divide between pop culture and game music.  You can find the album at CD Japan.

What are your thoughts regarding the track list? Do you think a cello quartet was the way to go for such an unconventional set of songs?