Persona 2 Innocent Sin. Original Soundtrack Music Review

Review by Patrick Gann · January 21, 2012

Music Review

Album Information

Catalogue No:

KICA-1507~12

Released On:

April 27, 2011

Composed By:

Toshiko Tasaki, Kenichi Tsuchiya, Masaki Kurokawa, hitomi, Shoji Meguro, Ryota Koduka, Atsushi Kitajoh, Toshiki Konishi, Misaki Okibe, Erik Satie, Claude Debussy

Arranged By:

Shoji Meguro, Ryota Koduka, Atsushi Kitajoh, Toshiki Konishi, Ryo Yoshimata

Published By:

King Records

Recorded At:

Unknown

Format:

6 CDs

Buy It From

Original Side

Disc One
01 – Opening
02 – Hero Theme
03 – Seven Sisters High School A
04 – Vehicle Handling
05 – Ginko Theme
06 – Tension
07 – Comical Route
08 – Eikichi Theme
09 – Philemon Theme
10 – Premonition
11 – MAP Sumaru City
12 – Kuzunoha Detective Office
13 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Hirasaka Shop
14 – Ramen Shiraishi
15 – Gatten Sushi
16 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Rengedai Shop
17 – Honmaru Park
18 – Silverman Residence
19 – Maya Theme
20 – Main Theme B
21 – Yukino Theme
22 – Joker Theme
23 – Evil Moves
24 – Boss Battle
25 – PEACE DINER
26 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Yumesaki Shop
27 – anima mundi
28 – Zodiac
29 – Event Scene A
30 – Kasugayama High School
31 – Bomb Shelter
32 – Battle
33 – Tranquility
34 – Crazy Party
35 – Time Castle
36 – TONY’S SHOP
37 – Mu Continent
38 – Casino ~ Mu Continent
39 – Sumaru Genie
40 – Hiiragi Psychotherapy
41 – Giga Macho
42 – Ryusei Yarou’s SOUND MAX
43 – CD Shop ~ Giga Macho
44 – BIKINI LINE
45 – Aoba Park
46 – Concert Hall
47 – Ginko Theme (Sad)
48 – JOKER
49 – The Four Masquerade Executives
50 – Time Count
51 – Velvet Room
52 – Velvet Room ~ Gymnopedie
53 – Velvet Room ~ Moonlight
Total Time:
73’14”

Disc Two
01 – Main Theme A
02 – Toa Defense
03 – Tominaga Chiropractic
04 – Le Cleir-de-lune
05 – W.SLASH
06 – ROSA-CANDIDA ~ Aoba Shop
07 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Aoba Shop
08 – Smile Hirasaka
09 – foolish Boss
10 – Hero’s Entrance
11 – Trish’s Fountain
12 – Reminiscence (Painful)
13 – Gold
14 – etheria
15 – Jolly Roger
16 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Kounan Shop
17 – London House
18 – Lunar Palace Kounan
19 – In Lak’ech
20 – Event Scene B
21 – Alaya Shrine
22 – Mt. Iwato
23 – Festival Accompaniment
24 – Persona
25 – Maya Theme (Sad)
26 – Mt. Katatsumuri
27 – Yukino Theme (Sad)
28 – Last Battalion
29 – Knights of the Holy Spear
30 – Caracol
31 – Shadow
32 – Kurosu Theme
33 – MAP Sumaru City ~ Xibalba
34 – ROSA-CANDIDA ~ Rengedai Shop
35 – kaori
36 – Public Facility
37 – Aquarius Shrine
38 – Taurus Shrine
39 – Scorpio Shrine
40 – Eikichi Theme (Sad)
41 – Reminiscence (Beloved)
42 – Leo Shrine
43 – Seven Sisters High School B
44 – Milky Way
45 – Xibalba
46 – Abandoned Factory
47 – Danger
48 – Kashihara
49 – Final Boss Battle
50 – Maya Dies
51 – Ending Movie
52 – Persona Ondo
53 – Battle Contact
Total Time:
72’36”

Remix Side

Disc Three
01 – unbreakable tie
02 – Title
03 – Hero Theme
04 – Seven Sisters High School A
05 – Vehicle Handling
06 – Ginko Theme
07 – Tension
08 – Comical Route
09 – Philemon Theme
10 – Premonition
11 – MAP Sumaru City
12 – Kuzunoha Detective Office
13 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Hirasaka Shop
14 – Ramen Shiraishi
15 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Rengedai Shop
16 – Honmaru Park
17 – Silverman Residence
18 – Maya Theme
19 – Main Theme B
20 – Yukino Theme
21 – Joker Theme
22 – Evil Moves
23 – Boss Battle
24 – PEACE DINER
25 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Yumesaki Shop
26 – anima mundi
27 – Zodiac
28 – Event Scene A
29 – Kasugayama High School
30 – Bomb Shelter
31 – Tranquility
Total Time:
75’40”

Disc Four
01 – Crazy Party
02 – Battle
03 – Battle Results
04 – Poem for Everyone’s Souls
05 – Velvet Room ~ Gymnopedie
06 – Velvet Room ~ Moonlight
07 – Time Castle
08 – TONY’S SHOP
09 – Mu Continent
10 – Casino ~ Mu Continent
11 – Sumaru Genie
12 – Hiiragi Psychotherapy
13 – Giga Macho
14 – Ryusei Yarou’s SOUND MAX
15 – CD Shop ~ Giga Macho
16 – BIKINI LINE
17 – Aoba Park
18 – Concert Hall
19 – Ginko Theme (Sad)
20 – JOKER
21 – The Four Masquerade Executives
22 – Time Count
23 – Toa Defense
24 – Tominaga Chiropractic
25 – Le Cleir-de-lune
26 – W.SLASH
Total Time:
73’17”

Disc Five
01 – ROSA-CANDIDA ~ Aoba Shop
02 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Aoba Shop
03 – Smile Hirasaka
04 – foolish Boss
05 – Hero’s Entrance
06 – Trish’s Fountain
07 – Reminiscence (Painful)
08 – Main Theme A
09 – Gold
10 – etheria
11 – Jolly Roger
12 – Satomi Tadashi ~ Kounan Shop
13 – London House
14 – Lunar Palace Kounan
15 – In Lak’ech
16 – Event Scene B
17 – Alaya Shrine
18 – Mt. Iwato
19 – Persona
20 – Maya Theme (Sad)
21 – Mt. Katatsumuri
22 – Yukino Theme (Sad)
23 – Knights of the Holy Spear
24 – Caracol
25 – Shadow
26 – Kurosu Theme
Total Time:
69’04”

Disc Six
01 – MAP Sumaru City ~ Xibalba
02 – ROSA-CANDIDA ~ Rengedai Shop
03 – kaori
04 – Public Facility
05 – Aquarius Shrine
06 – Taurus Shrine
07 – Scorpio Shrine
08 – Eikichi Theme (Sad)
09 – Reminiscence (Beloved)
10 – Leo Shrine
11 – Seven Sisters High School B
12 – Milky Way
13 – Xibalba
14 – Danger
15 – Kashihara
16 – Final Boss Battle
17 – Maya Dies
18 – Next to You
19 – Staff Roll
20 – Theather
21 – Quest Make
22 – Saint Hermelin High ~ Otherworldified
23 – Karukosaka High School ~ Otherworldified
24 – Quest Battle
25 – Quest Boss Battle
Total Time:
73’57”

The front slipcover to this large box of Shin

Related Games

I’ve experienced this soundtrack in so many different ways, and I’m still learning how to appreciate it. It doesn’t (often) come naturally.

I first experienced this music in its original form by importing the soundtrack a decade ago. That same music, track for track, makes up the first two discs of this six disc set. At the time, I enjoyed what I heard, but I had no attachment to it.

Earlier this year, I played the finally-localized PSP remake of Innocent Sin. And in truth, I didn’t like the music much. Or rather, I didn’t notice it. Not in the way I notice P3 or P4. It felt like a half-hearted attempt by Meguro and crew to add meat to the bare-bones PS1 score. And I absolutely loathed that opening vocal track.

With the exception of the vocal track (which I still despise), the new six disc set has grown on me, to a degree. Yes, it’s still inferior to the soundtracks of P3 and even P4. But the “remix” tracks (discs 3 through 6) really do fill out the sparse sounds of the originals and bring the music to life. For whatever reason, be it compression or the tiny speakers on the PSP, I didn’t get a lot out of listening in-game. This is the first time I can think of where the music in-context didn’t do much for me, but out-of-context, I was pleased.

But still, it’s out-of-context, with context. I now know who the characters are, and what the story is. I have context, but it’s not the in-game experience that allows me to enjoy the music. The separate listening experience, for this OST, is where it’s at.

Nonetheless, six discs of audio is a little daunting. I would never recommend listening to it in one full listen. I have yet to try such a thing myself. I don’t think I would enjoy it.

Not familiar with the style of the music? The audio samples tell the tale pretty well. Jazzy, dance-y, pop/rock fusion all with that distinct Shoji Meguro sound. Sans the heavy vocal/hip-hop influences of later Persona titles, of course.

I think, at the end of the day, this won’t be a favorite among SMT fans. It can’t be. There are better things on the rock side, and the jazz side, and even the classical orchestra-ish side (Strange Journey, anyone?). But that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed. Consider it one of the latter steps in a collector’s journey.

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