Saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and VGM Renaissance man Sean Schafianski is back with the October 20 release of Jazz Arrange Version: Xenogears, and just in time for the 27th anniversary of the PSOne classic’s North American release. Those uninitiated into the complex psycho-religious mecha drama that is Xenogears (and the larger Xeno series) need not worry: Schafianski takes a trim 11 tracks from composer Yasunori Mitsuda’s original soundtrack and arranges them into a wholly listenable and thoroughly enjoyable mix that can thrive separately from the context.
First, the album title is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, there’s plenty of jazz in Jazz Arrange Version: Xenogears, but for all the smoky, smooth sax solos in the style of Grover Washington Jr., there are equally as many rock and Latin music elements present. The album is eclectic without coming apart at the seams tonally, often reminding me of the early (and amazingly easy to throw on for nearly any situation) soundtracks to the Gran Turismo series.
Opener “Shevat ~The Wind Calls~” kicks into a fast-paced drum and electric piano groove before an incisive guitar solo rides atop it. You’d hardly know it’s Schafianski playing each instrument for how well they all coalesce. “Bond of Sea and Flame” slows down and highlights a sultry sax melody. This one makes me yearn for driving along the Miami coast at sunset, what with its jangling 80s synths beneath the thick bass line. “Soaring” has a trepidatious beginning, transforming the militaristic rhythm of the original into a mambo, with the titular soaring melody taken by vibrato-heavy electric guitar.
The Latin elements of “Soaring” continue into “Steel Giants,” which I’d describe as a rumba track that keeps the emotional string swells and their sense of urgency from Mitsuda’s original while making the whole ordeal less dire—now, the urgency is to put a rose in your mouth and spin your partner around the dance floor. Next, “October Mermaid” brings the tempo way down to evoke a rainy city street, replacing the original version’s instrumental diversity with a focus on the saxophone. To the album’s credit, there are many tracks that I may prefer over their original versions. this was not one of them, given how it suppresses the creativity of the original, regardless of the impressive production and performance.
“Adoration,” on the other hand, is one of the standouts for me. The heartwarming, pastoral vibes of the original are arranged into a bossa nova shuffle, with the main melody passing between two simply gorgeous flute and classical guitar performances. It sounds like the most beautiful, relaxing weather channel in the world—that’s rain on my cheeks, isn’t it?
“Fangs Bared at God” swaps the mechanistic/religious elements of a very Shin Megami Tensei-esque track for some rhythmic, sexy, hip-swinging. This is another fun song, to be sure, but it somewhat defangs the original and sticks too simply to its bare elements. Surely there’s a muscle-bound dude in leather pants performing this somewhere. “Wings” pushes the genre further with a lofi, chillhop beat beneath a smoky sax. Here, Schafianski sorts the original’s tinny wall of sound to allow the main melody to soar properly high.
“Earth Tears, Mortal Thoughts” (perhaps the greatest title of any game song) is VGM to put on once the kids go to bed, if you catch my drift. This was the most “smooth jazz” Kenny G/Grover Washington Jr. of the bunch, allowing some fantastic sax, horn, and piano solos to exhale. Following this breath is the hard-hitting, high-energy “Blue Traveler.” Even with the solid electric guitar, the punchy snare and splash cymbal on the drums steal the show.
Finally, the album closes with “Stars of Tears,” originally an Irish folk-inspired vocal track cut from Xenogears. Schafianski’s version features a fantastic performance by vocalist Ashlee Busch, layering her voice for the chorus. The melody remains from the earlier “Adoration,” but here everything adopts an 80s synthpop aesthetic trimmed by Schafianski’s solo sax. For how impressive the whole album’s produced is, this felt even more squeaky-clean, radio-ready, and seriously catchy.
I was surprised by Jazz Arrange Version: Xenogears. Not only does it parse out and enhance a lot of melodic elements from Yasunori Mitsuda’s soundtrack, making me appreciate the OST all the more, but it is a truly great isolated listen on its own. Perhaps one could fault it for having almost nothing to do with the vibes or concept of the original game, but I love how I could confidently recommend this album to music fans outside the VGM realm. Sean Schafianski has made an accessible, varied, and impressive jazz album that I’ve already fallen into listening through many, many times.
Sean Schafianski’s Jazz Arrange Version: Xenogears is available via streaming and for digital purchase. Listen to our recent interview with Sean Schafianski on Rhythm Encounter Episode 164.
