The best score you’ve never heard of - this is Uncharted Waters: New Horizons, scored by Yoko Kanno. Also featured in this episode is anime’s influence on video game music!
the only podcast solely dedicated to the academic study of videogame music!
The best score you’ve never heard of - this is Uncharted Waters: New Horizons, scored by Yoko Kanno. Also featured in this episode is anime’s influence on video game music!
I’m the first to comment on here?
Well, it was another phenomenal episode. I had no idea this game even existed, so I was really interested in what it had to offer score-wise.
While I’m probably never going to be the die-hard Yoko Kanno fan that most people around me are, I really liked what I heard. It’s really unusual to hear effects like delay in snes music, because each delay tap would take up an entire extra channel (and when you only have 8 to work with… your arrangement starts to get severely compromised), so getting to listen to little things like that puts a huge grin on my face. The modulation you highlighted, going from F to Ab was brilliant, major kudos from me for not letting that go unnoticed.
The discussion on anime music was pretty dead-on as well. I’m not the kind of person who would ever go collecting more than a smattering of anime soundtracks, but I’ve watched an appalling amount of anime, and agree with most everything. Only a little tiny bit dissapointed that you didn’t play any of the Giant Robo OST (performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic). Oh, one more thing. Is it just me, or does every single anime theme song ever modulate into major key, either at the first verse, or the first chorus? Every single one!
Anyways, I think the show is frickin’ awesome, one of my favorite podcasts for certain. Really looking forward to the FF7 episode, good luck.
Thanks for the comment, secret bass! Man, a month delay on the commenting… that’s brutal - won’t happen again!
I totally agree with you on this - there’s a ton of people who are super die-hard Yoko Kanno fans, know/own all of her animes… own her albums… it’s crazy, but there a few of those who know of her video game soundtracks. I love how she treats VGM like REAL music - crazy musical modulations, interesting samples, effects… it’s so thoughtful.
Thanks for saying that the anime discussion was dead-on - it’s hard to elaborate the entire history of anime and anime music in a small 1-hour episode of a show that’s about video game music, not anime… but I think that the point still got across… like… really serious eclecticism, really making a serious mix of genres in a way that’s original and non-satirical.
ps: Every anime song DOES modulate into a major key in the first chorus… even if the verse has nothing to do with major tonality… at all… lol.
An anime episode without any mention of AnimeRemix (http://www.animeremix.org)? Blasphemy!
Just kidding, it’s all good. What I actually want to say is that if you liked Yoko Kanno’s score for Uncharted Waters 1 and 2, be sure to check out the Napple Tale soundtrack. It’s every bit as brilliant as her other scores. Also keep an eye out for the soundtrack of the upcoming Ragnarok Online 2. You can hear samples at http://www.ragnarok2.co.kr/ by using the music player at the top. And who knows? Someone you know just might start a Yoko Kanno project someday…
One thing I disagreed with though was the labeling of “anime” as a genre, for the same reasons I don’t consider “video game” a genre. It’s a medium of expression, not a single type of music with universally recognizable traits and conventions. It’s possible that the medium is conducive to new or original genres, but I don’t think it’s fair to tie them exclusively with anime.
That said, I love the show. Great format, unique concept, comprehensive coverage, engaging radio voice complete with Canadian accent…what more could a person ask for?
Keep it up!
Hey Dhsu, thanks for comment! Not including animeremix.org may be nothing short of a travesty here, lol. But for those following, nice plug
lol.
You don’t think that there are enough conventions to label “anime” as a music genre? Hmmm… that’s a tough call; I agree because “anime” is generally eclectic and includes a lot of different styles of music into one theme, one episode, one series or one movie - I really can’t disagree with you there. However, there are some elements that I think are absolutely exclusive to both “anime” and “video game” music (which are two labels that you don’t really agree with): Eclectic elements in style and instrumentation, lots of thematic importance, often (but not always) a J-pop influence in vocal pieces…
Maybe it’s because, as humans, we feel an intrinsic need to label things and categorize things, which is often dangerous. As much as I push for rationalizing the labels that I think go in, I really can’t disagree with saying that the entire genre of music is a medium of expression because, simply put, that’s what it is. You appear to have tongue-tied me, sir
But hey, I love this - debate on the show is amazing. Thanks for listening and please keep listening too! I’ve been working hard on my Canadian accent, jk - when I went to Australia this past Spring, they said the same thing - it’s the “Hard ‘R’ ” sound, like “forr surre!” and the hollow “o” as in “ab-ow-t” and “Manit-ow-ba” lol.
Anyways, spread the word and keep on listening!
Thanks again!
Kenley
I am a new convert to your podcast and also a demi-diehard fan of Yoko Kanno’s music, particularly her UWNH OST. As such, I was intrigued by your podcast on Uncharted Waters. To be perfectly honest, compared to your later episodes, this episode lacks a bit of punch.
I feel there are 2 reasons. Firstly, the lack of focus of beginning, unlike episode 17 (Street Fighter 2 the Second Movement) is a letdown considering the rich variety of material you had. The introduction was messy and I was scratching my head how you linked both vgm and anime till about 35min into the episode. Secondly, the midi version of your songs tends to be a bit “thin” acoustically (well they are 8-16bit sound samples after all…..) You would do better to use the orchestral arrangements that are in the UWNH: Special Edition CD and were played on rpgfan radio.
More info on UWNH: Special Edition CD:
http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/uw2-se/index.html
On the flipside, you really shone from 25 min onwards, the analysis and the piano demo are detailed and peppered with anecdotes of trivia . Really enjoyable.
Just my 2 cents,
NED
*note to self* I should listen to the end before making a jackass of myself. You have the Special edition songs. =/
Hey NED!
Thanks for the comments! You are definitely well-versed in the lingo and structure of the show, as well you know what you like and what you expect… and this is what makes shows better.
It’s true, I did include one track from UW:SE, but I always end with an arrangement and really… it had to be that one. That track is SUCH a beautiful arrangement and features some exceptional performances by the musicians. I used to the original pieces from the game because… well… that’s what was used in the game and while they are a bit “thin”, they are the source material and I think that they still have a lot of merit, especially in their composition and style.
If I’m going to study a game, I think that it’s the most prudent to study the source material and the musical that is inherent in what Kanno ACTUALLY wrote, rather than wrote and then arranged later. While I do agree with UW:SE surpasses the originals in every way (at least in my opinion, except maybe “Mast in the Mist,” I like that original a lot), it’s about being true to the source. A similar argument could be made say… Final Fantasy VII, not taking the more midi/synth originals and taking “Voices of the Lifestream” instead, but the originals are the source material the VotL is based on, and that material is really good
Anyways, now I’m just ranting! I would love to hear more of your thoughts on any of the episodes! Comment anytime!
Cheers,
Kenley
Possibly Stupid Question: Is JPop the style we also hear in virtually all Square titles of the PS and PS2 feature songs?
More Sensible Comment: The analysis section was great. I guess. I just could not follow it really :-). Could you provide the melody line you wrote down, as it is not so easy to follow where what harmonics are supposed to change and how quickly, and how the 2-5-1 progression relates to a flattened note in a 4-6-8 chord, whose sixth could at most appear in the “2″ portion of 2-5-1, (where I am not sure but I guess it would not be too smooth)? I am also wondering how the neapolitan sixth in general relates to the modes of scales.
So, if you have the melody line ready, this would be greatly appreciated, else I will have to note it down for myself.
The anime part was really great, though I think it is interesting how the visuals of video games seemed not to be influenced by anime from what I perceived until the 2000s.
A for the quality of the samples: Kenley fixed that in Episode nineteen
I recently found this podcast and first and foremost I have to say it is AWESOME. While listening to this episode though, and maybe it’s just me, but Caprice for Lute sounds a lot like a slowed down version of Billy Joel’s “Allentown”. Did anybody else make this connection?
Hey great post and a very good resource for everyone to bookmark. Are you doing an update for this post BTW? Anyhow i will save this site as a bookmark and check back for more info
Just to let everyone know this game is on the virtual console for download on the Wii. I would recommend this for everyone that wants to play this game ’cause it is hard to find. Sold this on eBay about two months ago and it went for about $50 but shame on me for selling a great game.
This is my favorite RPG game with ships not taken in the skies. The game play is great, but what drove me into a frenzy into liking this game has to be the music. Not only that but it made me appreciate Yoko Kanno even more.
Thanks for a great podcast.