While arranger Katsumi Kameoka stays very much to the original source on that track, “Chrono Trigger Medley” is more a tour de force, cycling through all the different tracks with effortless transitional slips between various moods, themes and key moments in the game, complete with big grande finale finish that only an orchestra can produce.

If you can find it, track it down. There’s only two tracks and it only clocks in six minutes but most people will leave it laying around as a freebie I’d imagine. Nice to see Chrono Trigger get the orchestra treatement, as I never really warmed completely to the pseudo-jazz arrangements of Brink of Time and I’ve sat and waited since for the full works. This will have to do!

01) Lisa Gerrard

02) Brendan Perry

03) Jesper Kyd

04) Musashi Hamauzu

05) Imogen Heap

06) Utada

07) Mike Reagan / Cris Velasco

08) Akira Yamaoka

09) Yasunori Mitsuda

10) Sarah Slean

—

Games

—

01) Battle Tanks (PS3)

02) Winter Sports 2010 (PS3)

03) Vancouver 2010 (PS3)

04) Hyperballoid (Ps3)

05) .detuned (PS3)

01) Lisa Gerrard (^)

02) Christopher Tin (v)

03) Winifred Phillips (RE)

04) Anonymous 4 (NE)

05) Brendan Perry (-)

06) Imogen Heap (v)

07) Tori Amos (RE)

08) Hiroki Kikuta (v)

09) OverClocked Remix (v)

10) Yasunori Mitsuda (RE)

————————————–

Game Reviews

01) Battle Tanks (PS3)

02) Shatter (PS3)

03) .detuned (PS3)

04) Trash Panic (PS3)

05) Numblast (PS3)

01) Imogen Heap (1 Month)

02) Patrick Wolf (RE)

03) Dead Can Dance (RE)

04) Vienna Teng (-)

05) Akira Yamaoka (^)

06) Utada (v)

07) Brendan Perry (-)

08) Sarah Slean (v)

09) Lisa Germano (NE)

10) Yasunori Mitsuda (RE)

01) OverClocked Remix (NE)

02) Utada (NE)

03) Tori Amos (^)

04) Vienna Teng (v)

05) Akira Yamaoka (v)

06) PJ Harvey & John Parish (NE)

07) Sarah Slean (<>)

08) Brendan Perry (v)

09) Hiroki Kikuta (v)

10) Yasunori Mitsuda (RE)

Hiroshi Hata & Kalta Ohtsuki give each track on the arranged album a jazz flavour which immediately unsettles me as I’m not a fan of the genre. However I have sat and let this CD flow over me time and time again before I wrote this review so as not to be biased.

“Chrono Trigger” is an interesting jazzed up piece using brass instruments, funky keyboards and bashing basses to up the ante with a lovely string section in the middle. Overall the track met my expectations and went beyond them for a jazz arrangement.

“Secret of Forest” however slows things down for a cool laid back approach and while there’s no denying the guitar work on the piece is sublime it just doesn’t do wonders for me. “Zeal Palace” just confuses however with sparse arrangements and thick bass lines and just never really gets going for me at all.

“Warlock Battle” gives us synthesized electric guitars, computerised basslines but seemingly live drums for the opening bizarre section. Once the main song gets started things improve greatly and it reminds me a bit of a lost Gitarooman track which is fine to me! “Chrono Corridor” is another strange blend of synth and live instrumentation however I enjoyed this track greatly as its jazz fusion and dance elements combine well.

“Undersea Palace” gains extra help from Gizaemon de Furuta for a beautiful electric acoustic guitar solo which is simply beautiful before the keyboard driven background adds excellent tension to a fantastic track. “World Revolution” continues on the same wavelength of pace and desire with a riot of a track which comes across like a jazz/arcade freak out – like something from an arcade shoot-em-up.

“Brink of Time” gets out the double bass for an interesting track which is not entirely successful in its slinky aim but is far from offensive – another track that doesn’t grab me.

“Guardia Millenial Fair” however does grab me with its old style musings and slightly off tone and kilter tunings of the instruments. However towards the end steel drums join in and they just don’t go with the surrounding instruments and it becomes slightly messy. The CD closes with Latin jazz fusion “Outskirts of Time” which is a well accomplished piece that has direction, pace and skill involved.

Despite all this time I’ve owned the CD (several years now) I’m still so very open juried over it. It has skill, class and a feel that’s relatively original and yes, it certainly does arrange the originals! Yet I still have yet to really connect with it in a way that means I look forward to coming back to the CD as soon as possible – and that annoys me because it’s technically well accomplished. A CD very much down to personal taste – a love or hate arrangement.

“Pain” has a quiet verse and a huge stomping chorus. The piano is present throughout and holds the main tune, while Joanne’s voice soars especially in the chorus’ and they really show off her tremendous vocal talent. The song has an epic feel to it, that’s very present in the instrumental verse played by a solitary whistle. It’s a complex but very satisfying listen.

“Kokoro”, the ending theme for Xenosaga is the second vocal track on the single. Opening in acoustic guitar arpeggios, instruments are layered constantly on top of each other to make listening out for them so enjoyable. Upon each listen, you’ll find a new part of the song that you hadn’t noticed last time. The way in which the different duel vocal arrangements (as in “Pain” too) are done sets Joanne Hogg’s vocals apart from the crowd. The whole song is a classic from start to finish, and I guarantee that you’ll be pressing the repeat button when it’s done.

Track 3 is a piano version of Kokoro. The version is slow and heartfelt, preferring to use sparse arrangement to make more emphasis on the emotions than make a powerful finger-numbing piece. It works very well indeed. Tracks 4 and 5 are instrumental versions of “Pain” and “Kokoro” which are faultless and have lyrics provided to sing along with too!

Unless you are after the Karaoke versions of the songs, the single is kind of redundant as there’s nothing new from the full soundtrack however these songs are particularly great so I wanted to give special attention to them.

10) Ayumi Hamasaki – GUILTY

Ayu went all rock for this years album and we head banged with her. With guitar riffs popping out your years and cute verses inbetween, who couldn’t love GUILTY. Standouts are Talkin 2 Myself, GUILTY, Marionette, Together When & Mirror.

09) Son Lux – At War with Walls and Mazes

Our first of two new artists we found this year in the top 10, we were hooked by the unique nature and cold music that made us emotional inside. We look foward to more and more from Son Lux. Highlights are Break, Weapon, Wither, Tell & War.

08) Yasunori Mitsuda – Soma Bringer OST

We must confess that the reason this is 8th and maybe not higher is due to the fact we’ve not spent enough time with it but Mitsuda always produces stunning etheral and mystical albums and we love them and the soundtrack is that good we couldn’t decide our top 5. A review will be coming early next year.

07) Sarah Slean – The Baroness

Possibly the highest charting disappointment for 2008, we felt the production and song’s were a little bland but bland for Sarah is still fantastic and in time we grew to love the album. Definitely a grower. Stand outs are Euphoria, Notes From the Underground, So Many Miles, Sound of Water/Change Your Mind & Get Home.

06) Wataru Hokoyama – Afrika OST

We only reviewed it last week but it’s that good it rockets in at No.6. The lush soundscapes and beautiful melodies earn it a place as one of best orchestral VGM soundtracks in recent memory. Stand outs are Savanna, Afrika, Safari, Big Five & Base Camp

05) Akira Yamaoka – Silent Hill Zero OST

While the games may get a bit of bashing for sticking with the same formula, Akira Yamaoka delivers another serving of empty, sorrowful, eerie ambience that makes you shiver, squirm and tap your feet all at the same time. Not as immediate as some of the other soundtracks he’s done, the songs gradually fester. Stand outs are Hole in the Sky, Theme of Sabre Dance, Drowning, This Wicked End & Wrong is Right

04) Julia Marcell – It Might Like You

A complete new artist for us to discover, we loved her debut album in all its demo-esque glory and look forward to enjoying her work in the years to come. Stand outs are Carousel, Outer Space, Fear of Flying, Dancer & The Story.

03) Emiliana Torrini – Me & Armini

Completely genre hopping – being barking mad in places while utterly devastingly beautiful in others, no one can master everything all at once quite like Emiliana. Good to have you back! Stand Outs are Jungle Drum, Dead Duck, Beggar’s Prayer, Gun & Birds.

02) Alanis Morissette – Flavors of Entanglement

We had been just passers by for Alanis until this album came out. Infectious, technically excellent, emotionally charged and completely compelling, this has quickly become our English album for 2008. Stand outs: Straitjacket, Tapes, Not as We, Limbo No More and Orchid

01) Utada Hikaru – Heart Station

Utada has yet to make a duff record and this, her fifth Japanese album (sixth overall) continues to show her as a natural talent. Stand out tracks are Stay Gold, Heart Station, Beautiful World, Take 5 & the bitter sweet finale Niji-iro Bus.

Congrats to Utada Hikaru!

01) Emiliana Torrini

02) Akira Yamaoka

03) Yasunori Mitsuda

04) Joe Hisaishi

05) Utada Hikaru

06) Pierre Esteve & Stephane Picq

07) Hiroki Kikuta

08) Sarah Slean

09) Lisa Gerrard

10) Hitoshi Sakimoto

So an interesting spread of artists this month!