BUSIN Ø continues in the musical tradition of BUSIN, in that it sounds nothing like the classical works of Ikuro Fujiwara or Kentaro Haneda. It’s a new breed of Wizardry, truly an “Alternative” style.
Like BUSIN, BUSIN Ø goes the route of synth. But there is no pretense this time. They’re not even trying to emulate real-life instruments in a number of songs. This soundtrack borders on techno-pop, occasionally using computerized sounds coming from many tracks, giving you the impression that the composers were glad to bring a new sound to the series.
The few notable exceptions to the rule are the piano solo pieces. The last two tracks, in particular, stand out as excellent performances. “Nocturne No.0” uses a simple chord progression; it sounds much like a more popular piece written a year prior (the opening for FFX-2). After the chord progression fades, a fast, bombastic, Chopin-esque arpeggiation is let loose, and it sounds wonderful.
I was also pleased with the simple, ambient/dance tracks found in the middle of the album. Tracks 10, 14, and 19 all stood out to me as good examples of what the composers were aiming for.
Alright, there are some tracks that use synth to emulate real instruments. And they do their job. But it’s still nothing compared to older Wizardry albums, so they are hard to appreciate if you know the series’ musical history well enough.
Kudos to Team Entertainment for printing this album. It’s a step above the previous BUSIN album from King Records, and it shows the composers from Racjin getting better at their trade: atmospheric music.
