Arrange albums are very largely hit or miss, with some albums taking the conservative “updated sound patches” approach where you essentially get the same soundtrack with slightly better sound patches, and others going the “I’m-going-to-mix-this-until-you-don’t-even-know-what-the-source-material-is” route. Sekaiju no MeiQ is definitely more of the former, but also has a couple vocal tracks, and no Engrish! After just reviewing the Sekaiju no MeiQ soundtrack and overall being somewhat impressed with the compositions but not the sound itself, I was not really sure what to expect. Yes, I thought the tunes were pretty decent but I never really imagined that this arrange album would change my perspective on the compositions. And…
Well, I was wrong. Upon listening to the album I was, to say the least, taken aback by the sheer quality of this Super Arrange album. This is seriously impressive stuff. Takahide Ayuzawa, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Takahiro Izutani, H., Michio Okamiya along with Rebecca Evans on the vocal tracks have taken many of the best tracks from the soundtrack and turned them into something really worth listening to. Whatever hidden potential these tracks had as chiptunes, these people have freed it and pure quality oozes out of each and every one of them. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about this album is how alive these tracks feel, how evocative they are, and just how much love was put into them. Truly amazing work.
It is immediately noticeable how much of a difference the sound samples make when compared to the original’s, and not only that but Rebecca Evans’ wonderful voice is absolutely divine on “Town: The Roadside Trees Outside the Window” and “Town: Bird-Shaped Vane on the Roof.” One of the tracks I liked from the original soundtrack, “Scene: Blue and White,” now sounds like an excellent ambient Donkey Kong Country-esque piece. “Battle: Initial Strike” is now an extremely dynamic and energetic battle track. There’s a lot to like here, and the only track that I don’t really care for too much is “Battlefield: A Sudden Gust of Wind Before Your Eyes,” but that’s still 12 winners on this album.
Much like the original soundtrack, this album draws on consistently well-composed material and maintains that same standard of quality, with nothing here serving as filler. This album however takes that material and elevates it to a much higher level, one that can be appreciated and enjoyed much more even by casual game music fans. To prospective buyers, if you enjoyed the Sekaiju no MeiQ soundtrack at all I would say dive in and check this out, and even if you’re not familiar with the music take a listen to the samples, you’ll probably find something you like.
