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Passion from Eminence

Those who live in Australia would have known about Passion, the recent event by Eminence. I attended in the audience and I have written an event report of it. It's pretty rushed, so don't blame me if I use words more than 5 times. :p

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I arrived at Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music at about 7:15pm where there was a queue outside of people who were buying ‘at the door’ tickets. There was nothing much to do, seeing that I preordered my ticket nearly a month prior to the event, so I made my way inside Verbrugghen Hall and located my seat. The hall was lovely, very old but modern in a sense, and started packing up fast. The instrumental setup was already on-stage. There was a mass amount of percussion gear, though I figured the role would be pretty demanding and needing of all the stuff. The show didn’t start till about 15 minutes overtime due to, as mentioned before, the long line of people lining up. When the show started, the MC came onstage and announced the musicians, where they performed their first piece:

“Digimon Arrangement”
The “Digimon Arrangement” was a composition by Hitoshi Sakimoto from the game “Digimon Savers: Another Mission”, and was specially arranged for the concert by Sakimoto. It was particularly bouncy theme, which made vibrant use of all instruments. Natalia Raspopova, who was the pianist, demonstrated her talent by performing hard arpeggios and scales. It was a somewhat obscure choice from a quietly released title, but it makes me want to check out the game just for the music.

Following this, the MC came back to introduce the composers, walking on to the music “Victory” from Final Fantasy XII. Yasunori Mitsuda and Hitoshi Sakimoto came onstage, Mitsuda with his bouzouki with semi-casual gear, and Sakimoto, who wore semi-formal suit. Mitsuda first said something in Japanese to the audience before the MC read out the English version of his speech. In summary, he thanked the musicians and the audience. Then, Sakimoto approached the microphone and spoke in English, saying, basically, a similar speech. The audience clapped and Sakimoto made his way down the isle and sat and watched with the audience. Mitsuda stayed onstage, where the MC came out and announced that he will play the bouzouki in the next piece:

“Is Kirite Burning Up?”
All those familiar with the original track with the vocalist Eri Kawai will surely notice that her voice is replaced by Hiroaki Yura and Ayako Ishikawa’s violins. Jy-Perry Banks, brother of the guitarist, Zane Banks, was a special ‘last minute’ guest bassist for the evening and played exceptionally well with his brother, who played the electric guitar. Mitsuda didn’t do any bouzouki solos, simply rhythmic material but he added additional texture to the piece. About mid-way through the track, Zane cranks up an improvised guitar solo which was amazing! All in all, a fantastic piece.

Mitsuda then left the stage, and concert resumed:

“Sakura”
Nothing too special with the arrangement here, minor melodic changes. This time it was just the violins and the piano. It was short and sweet, but the harmony with the second violin in the piece’s peak was definitely welcomed.

The MC then came back to introduce the next 3 pieces:
“Dream Shore Bordering Another World”
Fans of the Chrono Cross OST will recognize this track in an instant. The performance itself was like live-version of the original: perfect. The violins played the melody, as like the original, with the piano provided ostinato backup. The guitar was used exceptionally well too, and my only criticism here is that it was too short.

“Clan Headquarters”
This was one of the best pieces performed, thanks to the awesomeness of the original theme by Hitoshi Sakimoto. The melody was magnificent (I remember prior to the release of the FFXII OST and with the gamerip that this track was Matsuo’s) though it sounded slightly watered down with only 2 violins opposed to the synth string ensemble. I’m just amazed at the talent of the performers to be able to keep up with such a difficult choice.

“Pain”
People who have heard the OST will realize that this piece is no different to the Piano version of the track. Still, a lovely performance.

The next two tracks were from Kirite, Yasunori Mitsuda’s solo album:

“Promise with Winds ~ Petal’s Whereabouts”
This was another brilliantly performed track, which rivaled the original recording. Again, Kawai’s voice is replaced by a violin. The result sounds a lot smoother and more subtle, but the change is good.

“Nocturne”
This piece stuck more closely to the original. Only 2 instruments, which were again violin and piano. The piano started off playing the original prelude before moving into the main section, which Natalia then performed a bit faster than should be, making the other Hiroaki and Ayako catch up. Nothing major, but those picky about mistakes (like myself!) would pick it up…

Ayako performed the next track alone with Natalia:

“Tango Jalousie”
This was a piece which I had never heard of before, but yet the melody was strangely familiar. All I can say is that it was well performed.

The MC then announced the last 4 tracks before the interval, being a mixture of themes from games, animes and movies:

“Penelo’s Theme”
One of the only character themes from the Final Fantasy XII OST, this track was performed with a minimalist touch. The two violins played the familiar melody, and newly arranged in was the guitar which transformed the track so it sounded more ‘familiar’ or ‘cozy’. I liked it, though I felt the original had more depth and mean to it.

“Mai”
Again, this is a theme I had not heard before (simply because I limit myself from listening to too much Kajiura as I’m not a huge fan). It was very nice actually, and made excellent use of all instruments onstage. There was a purposely cacophonic part in the middle, which I thought was a mistake originally. Quite good overall.

“Super Mario Brothers”
This seems to be a traditional track performed at every Eminence concert, though they arrange it differently every time. This time, before the piece, the performers went offstage for about a minute, leaving the audience wondering what was happening. Then, they came out wearing Santa Claus hats. The audience started laughing, and then the piece commenced. The theme had all the prominent Mario themes, including, obviously, the main theme, the underground theme, starman and more.

“Whole New World”
This was the last track from the first half. It’s the popular theme from the Disney film, Aladdin. The piano part kept close to the original score, but the rest was refreshingly new. Not much to comment about here, other than you’d like this version if you’re a fan of the original.

It was now the interval, and the audience had the chance to get up and buy merchandise from the foyer outside. The MC also announced that people could win a copy of the FFXII OST if they filled out surveys. Surprisingly, MANY people did. There was some of Mitsuda’s CDs available for sale, including an cinnuiuint, Hako no Niwa, Moonlit Shadow, Kirite, Sailing to the World, Sailing to the World Piano Score and Chrono Cross Guitar Arrange. Since I didn’t have Sailing to the World Piano Score, Hako no Niwa, Sailing to the World or Moonlit Shadow, I decided to buy them, which totaled my Mitsuda CD collection to an even 15 CDs and 1 score book. You could also see Mitsuda’s assistant and Procyon Studio manager Yoshie Miyajima supervising her merchandise.

The interval was about 15 minutes long before the bell rang and it was time to go back inside. The MC called Mitsuda back to the stage with his bouzouki to perform in the piece:

“Sailing to the World”
I’m not a gigantic fan of the original piece, particularly the vocals, so this arrangement was a nice change. Like the other Kirite pieces, the vocals were replaced by the violins with supporting instrumentation from Mitsuda, the guitar, the piano and some pleasant rhythmic work by Joshua Hill. I thought the performance was very good, and no doubt gives the original a run for its money.

Mitsuda then left stage. The next piece:

“The Azure”
I think this is the only theme performed on the evening from Kirite that I actually prefer the original recording to. Still, a lot of parts were transcribed directly, so, if you think about it, it’s actually like hearing the original…

Again, the MC comes out to announce the next two pieces:

“Free Bird”
Now, I’ve never seen Haibane Renmei”, I’m not familiar with Yoshitoshi Abe, but I do like Kow Otani and I do consider myself a fan of his. “Free Bird” was exceptional. An ideal combination of piano, violin, percussion and guitar that awakens a sort of warm feeling. Very nice.

“Ferris Wheel”
Hitoshi Sakimoto’s album, Colours of Life, marked his first album away from video game music. “Ferris Wheel” was one of the best pieces on the album, not because of Lia’s vocals, but for the dramatic, epic piano accompaniment. That didn’t change from original piece, but Lia’s voice was well replaced by the two violins that provided an enchanting sound.

I had not heard of next piece but it was again a reasonably popular folk tune:

“Hungarian Dance”

I can’t really comment about the piece itself, but it was catchy. Ayako performed this piece with Natalia on piano.

Following was a piece I had been dying to hear performed live:

“Ending”
Hitoshi Sakimoto’s ending theme to the game, Legaia Duel Saga, is, IMO, one of his best compositions. Everything from the emotional “Paying the Worthless War” to the dramatic finale, this track has everything. I was expecting a superb arrangement to be performed, and my wish and expectation was thankfully fulfilled. This is one of the main reasons that I attended the concert, and the piano by itself justifies it. Natalia does extremely well to live up to the original, with all string parts being played by both violins. Excellent.

“Radical Dreamers”
I was a bit skeptical about how this piece would turn out, but other than a few mistakes from the guitar in the introduction, it was played flawlessly. Noriko Mitose’s soft, child-like voice is matched by the mature sound of the violin. The ending of the track, as with the original, is tremendous. There’s not a lot more I can say about it. It’s that good.

“Sunlight Earth”
Another piece from Kow Otani, this time from Shadow of the Colossus. It was a piano solo, but it was performed a little too fast. Other than that, it was quite enjoyable.

Again, the MC comes out to introduce the next few tracks:

“When You Wish Upon a Star”
This is from another Disney film, Pinocchio, and it was again, only Ayako and Natalia onstage. They portrayed a dreamy effect which you could doze off to, keeping the traditional melody.

“Dance Macabre”
I had never heard of the title before, but I had heard the piece many times. Again, the two performers stayed onstage to perform this, and it was quite enjoyable to hear live.

After this, the MC came back onstage to say that if anyone had any additional surveys they needed to fill out, they should hand them to the ushers in the aisle for collection, and that they would draw the winning survey at the end of the show, with that person winning a FFXII OST. Anyway, the show continued:

“Two of Us”
I can’t remember this piece too well because I was filling out a survey at the time. :P Too bad.

The MC then came out for the last time before the show’s end to thank the sponsors and such. He also announced that Mitsuda would come back on stage to perform on the bouzouki “Chrono Cross – Time’s Scar”. However, after he left the stage, Hiroaki started talking about next year’s A Night in Fantasia, which is Eminence’s trademark event. He said that it will be split into 2 events, one known as A Night in Fantasia – Symphonic Games Edition, and the other known as A Night in Fantasia – Symphonic Anime Edition. He said that both concerts would play solely the video game pieces and anime pieces from a huge amount of games. He also said that 6 guests would be coming to the Symphonic Games Edition, including Jason Hayes, Junichi Nakatsuru (Bandai Namco), Masaru Shiina (Bandai Namco), Yoko Shimomura, Yasunori Mitsuda and Hitoshi Sakimoto. It certainly made me want to go to the event already!

After, the musicians came back onstage with Mitsuda, to perform:

“Time’s Scar”
Before the piece began, the musicians put on sunglasses, including Mitsuda, to which the audience laughed. But all jokes aside, this piece was amazing. It stuck very closely to the version on the original soundtrack, but you could hear the main differences, including a more prominent piano role. The violinists played very hard to keep up with the pace, and Joshua Hill put on an extremely awesome drum beat to maintain temp. Mitsuda definitely would have been proud to hear such a great performance of one of his most prized themes.

“A Song of Storm and Fire”
Yet another Yuki Kajiura piece, but I really enjoyed this one. Not due to melody, but the incredible percussion. Very apocalyptic sounding and a definite a foot taper. A great way to finish off the program.

After that piece, the audience took a bow and went off stage and then came back on again for a final bow. The MC came on stage with two copies of the Final Fantasy XII OST and announced that due to the amount of surveys they received, they would draw two winners. He called Sakimoto to come back to the stage to draw the winners. The first winner was a teenager who was called to the stage to claim his prize and shake the hand of Sakimoto. He asked him if he could hug him, and did so, the audience immediately laughing. The second winner was a middle-aged man, to which the audience laughed again, as he came onstage. After that, both the MC and Sakimoto left the stage. Hiroaki then asked the audience if anyone liked Seiken Densetsu, with a few shouting back, “YES!” This followed on to the encore piece:

“Meridian Dance”
For those that don’t know, this track is the final battle to the game, Secret of Mana, or Seiken Densetsu 2. Now, this was an awesome piece. The violin parts were insanely fast and the percussionist pumped and pounded his instrument. But the best part no doubt was the bass. It was so catchy and, well, awesome. I do hope that this track will be on the Passion CD when it comes out. So very awesome.

The audience cheered and wowed at the performers onstage. Hiroaki then called Mitsuda back to the stage to perform another encore piece, this time, “Time’s Scar” again (without the sunglasses :P).

After the show, everybody had the chance to meet and greet with the guest composers and the musicians. The line was very long, so I waited till it became a little shorter for my turn. In the end, I came to “Passion” hoping to get a great night out of it, and what I received was an outstanding performance. I look foreword to both A Night in Fantasia concerts in 2007.

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It was now the interval, and the audience had the chance to get up and buy merchandise from the foyer outside. The MC also announced that people could win a copy of the FFXII OST if they filled out surveys. Surprisingly, MANY people did. There was some of Mitsuda’s CDs available for sale, including an cinnuiuint, Hako no Niwa, Moonlit Shadow, Kirite, Sailing to the World, Sailing to the World Piano Score and Chrono Cross Guitar Arrange. Since I didn’t have Sailing to the World Piano Score, Hako no Niwa, Sailing to the World or Moonlit Shadow, I decided to buy them, which totaled my Mitsuda CD collection to an even 15 CDs and 1 score book. You could also see Mitsuda’s assistant and Procyon Studio manager Yoshie Miyajima supervising her merchandise.

Chrono Cross Guitar Arrange? It had been released?

Nice review! I bought tickets to the Singapore leg of the Passion concert and am waiting with bated breath for the big day. If I'm not mistaken, Sakimoto won't be present though Mitsuda will still be there. I was rather surprised how quickly tickets were selling fast given the relative obscurity of VGM over here. I hope this landmark concert will lead the way in bringing more VGM concerts to play in Singapore. Already, Play! is scheduled to grace our perpetually sunny shores during the biannual Arts Festival so that will be greatly anticipated.

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“Radical Dreamers”
I was a bit skeptical about how this piece would turn out, but other than a few mistakes from the guitar in the introduction, it was played flawlessly. Noriko Mitose’s soft, child-like voice is matched by the mature sound of the violin. The ending of the track, as with the original, is tremendous. There’s not a lot more I can say about it. It’s that good.

This I got to hear. :)

Now I REALLY want the CD to come out sooner. Nice review!

I just got back from the concert. It was very nice! Ok, I was a bit disappointed that Sakimoto's pieces were not played (except for "Digimon Arrangement" and the FF12 Victory theme but the latter doesn't really count, does it?). I suspect this might have something to do with Sakimoto's absence.

There were some glitches, admittedly. For instance, the male violinist (Hiroaki Yura) appeared to be just a tad too fast during "Time's Scar" and his playing would become just a bit too shrill during the frantic string lines for "Meridian Dance". Also, the mixing was not exactly the best. On occasion, the percussion would overwhelm the strings slightly. A friend also noted that the band was not always together and the musicians sometimes appeared to be playing in isolation from the rest of the band. I was also a bit disappointed that a good number of songs didn't "loop" and ended on a rather short note, except for "Sunlight Earth" which was supposed to be short anyway.

That said, the concert was still good. I really liked the opening song, "Digimon Arrangement". Very nice rousing, infectious melody (Sakimoto has improved!) and fantastic energy. Ok, I have to go look for the music one of these days.

The Kirite pieces made me sit up quite a bit, though "Promise with Winds - Petal's Whereabouts" wasn't performed. More so because I initially didn't think very much of the album. While "Nocturne" felt like it was traipsing in very familiar Mitsuda territory, I didn't quite realise how beautiful it was. Easily a favourite. "The Azure" was also better than I remembered and another favourite from the concert. Credit to the band for injecting so much energy into the songs.

The Chrono Cross pieces were great. I really liked "Radical Dreamers" though I thought the the guitar could have been a touch more "acoustic". The violin melody (played by Ayako Ishikawa, I believe) was very endearing. "Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World" was just as I imagined. Very pleased with it and how it translated so well into a live performance. "Time's Scar" was slightly marred but the end result was really satisfying, more so since it was live! This is one very, very happy fanboy. :D If only they played some Chrono Trigger tunes or CT tribute Chrono Cross pieces. *sigh*

The Xenosaga performances were nice though "Pain" was painfully short. Would have preferred it to have "looped" at least one more time. :p I was a bit surprised "Mai" was selected from the .hack series. I thought there were more memorable pieces like "Open Your Heart" or "The World" but "Mai" ended up being rather nice. In place of Sakimoto's sorely missed pieces were a couple of very beautiful songs composed by Joe Hisaishi, namely "Princess Monoke" and "Laputa, Castle in the Sky." There were very well performed, with very soulful performances by the violinists. The Disney and "classical" ("classical" might not be entirely correct) pieces were nice (you should really see Ishikawa's graceful bowing and Yura's masterful playing). "Dance Macabre" was particularly nice, I must say.

"Sunlight Earth" was, as mentioned, very short but it was a wonder to hear it live because it appeared to be a fairly difficult piece to play given the numerous quick running notes. A really beautiful piece. The concert closed with the very moving "A Song of Storm and Fire". I've always loved the melody so it was terrific to hear it live. "Meridian Dance" was a fantastic encore piece though I think many concert goers were too star-struck to want to get Mitsuda's autograph and didn't really stay long enough to cheer the musicians on for a second encore (that and it was getting rather late).

The autograph signing session was really quite long. I wasn't able to get a picture taken with Mitsuda (what a shame!) save for some side shots due to the overwhelming response for the session. But I managed to get one with the very charming Ms Ishikawa. *sigh* I got autographs from all the performers and had my newly purchased An Cinniuint soundtrack signed by Mitsuda. I also took the opportunity (since they were going fairly cheaply without the incredulous shipping costs) to get myself a copy of Xenosaga Ep I, Sailing to the World and the very wonderful Hako no Niwa. I wasn't a very big fan of Moonlit Shadow so left that out. I missed out on Kirite, too, which I'm kind of regretting now. :p

All in all, it was a very memorable experience and certainly a fanboy's dream almost come true. The concert needs Xenogears, Tsugunai and Chrono Trigger, as well as FF Tactics and Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter mixed in for good measure. :D

Thanks for coming to the concert Elorin!
It was such a pleasure playing for the Singapore crowd!

Please be patient with the Mitsuda pieces we haven't played yet, we just thought of something very very evil over our dinner tables after the concert ^^

Ah, I never did make the connection between you and Eminence until now (the founder no less). Congratulations on the successful concert, SeRaPH! Will be anticipating your "evil plans". :P Here's wishing Eminence all the best! :)

Heh heh, here's my version of Eminence's Passion in Singapore!

You know what they say about time passing you by when you’re having fun! Well, all I can say is that it all passed by in a single instant, it did. The long awaited performance by Eminence’s stable of 5 world-class performers on the 23rd of December 2006 at Singapore’s the Victoria Concert Hall was one of the most unique experiences I have ever experienced in my entire life! Eminence’s Passion band consisted of founder Hiroaki Yura and fellow musician Ayako Ishikawa on the violins, Zane Banks on the guitar, Joshua Hill on percussion and Natalia Raspopova on the Piano. The exalted composer Mr. Yasunori Mitsuda also made a guest appearance with his Bouzouki, a uniquely Greek instrument. An unsurprising choice, really, if you were to notice how he’s been experimenting with so many types of traditional folk instruments in his many recent projects. (More information on the instrument can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzouki )

I can actually FEEL the sense of anticipation among the audience, and it’s something you’ve come to expect, since it’s Singapore’s first game music-related live performance ever. With it also being Eminence’s first outing out of Australia itself and the first time debut of guitarist Zane Banks, I’m pretty sure a lot of hopes are being pinned on that night itself, and oh boy didn’t they disappoint.

Here is the set they performed:

Hitoshi Sakimoto’s “Digimon Arrangement”
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Is KiRiTe burning up?” from KiRiTe.
Yuki Kajiura’s “Sakura” from Xenosaga II.
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Dream of the Shore Bordering Another World” from Chrono Cross.
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Pain” from Xenosaga.
Joe Hisaishi’s “Princess Mononoke” from um, well, Princess Mononoke? Heh.
Joe Hisaishi’s “Laputa, Castle in the Sky”, also from the anime of the same name.
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Nocturne” from KiRiTe.
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Radical Dreamers” from Chrono Cross.
Jacob Grade’s classical tune “Tango Jalousie”
Koji Kondo’s “Super Mario Brothers”
Alan Menken & Time Rice’s Aladdin theme song “A Whole New World”
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Sailing to the World”
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “The Azure” from KiRiTe
Yuki Kajiura’s “Mai” from .hack//Liminality
Ko Ohtani’s “Free Bird” from Haibane Renmei, an anime of the same name.
Johanne Brahms' infamous classical piece “Hungarian Dance”
Ko Ohtani’s “Sunlight Earth”, from the puzzle game Shadow of the Colossus.
Pinocchio The Movie’s “When You Wish Upon A Star”
Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Macabre”, a magnificent classical piece.
Joe Hisaishi’s “Two of Us” from his year 2000 album, Shoot the Violist.
Yasunori Mitsuda’s “Time Scar”, from the game Chrono Cross
Yuki Kajiura’s “A Song of Storm and Fire”, song from anime Tsubasa Chronicle.
A Secret of the Mana song for the encore piece.

Not all of the songs played that night were recognizable to me, but then that in itself isn’t good enough a reason to ignore the amount of passion and hard work put into the process of making the whole concert a success. From the strong but sweet-sounding notes emanating from violins, coupled with the skillful guitar strumming and pickings, to the ever-so-light sounds of the triangle, and the light but skillful tinkling of the ivories, even the smallest of details were not left to chance. Each and every instrument played a vital part in everything!

From the electric, the bass, the acoustic, Zane Bank’s remarkable showmanship and professionalism, transitioning from guitar to guitar made it look so easy and natural! I especially loved his guitar playing in Time Scar and Radical Dreamers. It was like I was transported to a whole new world! All of but 20 years of age, his playing is much more mature for someone of his age. Truly spellbinded by his guitar skills. Respect.

Natalia Raspopova’s piano playing was also excellent! Her skillful and seasoned hands ensured that the notes were struck flawlessly throughout the performance, with the pianissimo’s and the forte’s, the crescendo’s and the diminuendo’s skillfully and appropriately applied to each and every piece, personally as a piano player, I bow down to her prowess and huge amount of power she has over her instrument. Heck, the piano was virtually an extension of her body! Though I have to say that many of the pieces disallowed her to truly shine, except for both of the duets with Miss Ayako. Her piano solo of Xenosaga’s Pain was a little too short for my liking. Would have loved it if she was given a longer piece or 2 to perform, but alas.

But seriously, the star of the night was Miss Ayako Ishikawa herself! Her commanding stage presence and her super stellar playing of her violin was.. it was mesmerizing beyond WORDS. Especially through her interpretations of Jacob Grade’s Tango Jalousie and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, she truly shined in those 2 classical violin pieces. Her duo piece with Hiroaki Yura, Joe Hisaishi’s Two of Us was also spectacular! One can truly feel the sadness with each passing note played..it was scary!..but in a good sorta way. Her level of playing coupled with her stage presence was AWESOME! 5 Stars!

And that’s not to say that Mr. Hiroaki’s level of violin mastery wasn’t outstanding. Heck, his playing was great!, though albeit overshadowed by Miss Ayako’s stage presence. His playing was full of emotion and expression and was totally competent, as one would expect from a world-class violinist. Maybe its due to the fact that Miss Ayako was given more stage time as compared to Mr.Hiroaki. I would also have loved to see a short showcase of his abilities with a duet piece or two with Ms. Natalia Raspopova’s piano playing though, but still stellar playing nevertheless.

How can one forget the oft-forgotten but all-important percussionist? Mr. Joshua Hill did the honors of representing the percussionists of Eminence in Singapore, and he didn’t disappoint, although he did made a small error in timing in the usage of the stringed-mini-cymbal bell instrument in a small part or two. With it being quite a unique sounding instrument, a slight misjudgment in this caused a slight interference in the flow of the piece, but a commendable performance overall.

Last but not least, Mr. Yasunori Mitsuda himself! He played the Bouzouki in a few of the pieces performed, most of them his own, if I remember correctly. It sounded very unique, that much I can say, though it wasn’t that outstanding. Most of the sound from his instrument were drowned out by the louder more outstanding instruments on stage, though there WAS one piece which the Bouzouki was louder than usual, and for the first time I managed a ‘glimpse’ of what the instrument was supposed to sound like. Well, Mr. Yasunori IS a composer after all, and I can vaguely remember him saying in the transcripts of one of the interviews with him that he wasn’t that confident of performing live. His performance at Passion was rather more of a filler rather than one of importance, though that doesn’t make him any less important in the success of Passion.

I can safely say that many attendees at Passion hold Mr. Yasunori to the highest order of respect, and his composed pieces have guided many a gamer through the happy and sad moments in many, many games. His presence alone made the price of the ticket well worth it. Add that to the excellently outstanding performance of Eminence, it was, as the mastercard ad puts it, priceless. I would personally like to thank Eminence and everyone who had made the concert here in Singapore possible, from the bottom of my (broken, haha! Kidding!) heart. You have given many game music aficionados in Singapore a taste of what is to come, and I believe I speak for most, if not all of the them, when I say, please DO visit our sunny island again!

I have a short picture walkthrough for the event..but apparently I'm not allowed to post any links or pictures at my level. Bahx. I could use my old GFF account here. haha. Anyone have any idea on when I could post URLs and pictures? ^^;

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Originally Posted by KaneSlayer

I could use my old GFF account here. haha. Anyone have any idea on when I could post URLs and pictures? ^^;

When saying in public you have two accounts, possibly never - since it's not allowed.

Heh, don't get me wrong ya? ^^; The old account I'm referring to was the one I had back before the crash happened..I'm pretttty sure it was high enough to post URLs and pictures. Sigh. Now so many people have gone. Oh well..time to make some new friends! :orange:

Aww... Why do so many people think Aya did Radical Dreamers ~_~ lol

Anyway, Mr Mitsuda and I've worked on a new arrangement of Radical Dreamers using a double dubb. It'll be out on the Passion CD which will be out in a month or so.

Also, Pain from Xenosaga, the piano is the original music used in the soundtrack, same bar numbers, keys and even tempo (Mr Mitsuda was in charge!). The recording and performances were overseen by Mr Sakimoto and Mr Mitsuda, so are most of the arrangement so there should be not much mistakes there~

I hope you guys all enjoyed the concert!

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Originally Posted by KaneSlayer (Post 351686)

Just out of curiosity, what was your old user name, KaneSlayer? I might have talked to you before on GFF. The only kinsmen I've seen around here (or can remember) are ChronoX, Arc, Wallace and someone with a Zidane user name followed by a string of numbers. I guess Bigblah might count since he studies in Singapore but I never did meet him once. :P

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Originally Posted by -=SeRaPH=- (Post 353169)

heh. Hi Seraph! haha. I damn well did enjoy the concert! I'm patiently awaiting the release of the Passion recording. I really loved the stuffs you guys did. Fantabulous! As for 'Pain', not that the piece was erroneous in ANY way, just that it could have been extended just a tad bit more? ^^; That's just my personal opinion, heh.

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My old username's either KaneSlayer or Tachikawa..I'm not too sure. Its probably the former. In passing, I think I shoulda seen ya in the FTP forums. I've talked to a few too, so I can't actually recall...lol. Just how many singaporeans do we have here anyways? :P

This isnt from the Passion concert, but its Eminence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-g1ncoKihw

Shadow of the Colossus, the Opened way.

I uploaded two videos from Passion here:

Song of Storm and Fire - Yuki Kajiura
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2VSfb-v-0k

Two of Us - Joe Hisaishi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaAtkDCPbeM

As for those outside of Australia who wanted to buy the CD. We were going to put it on sale after our A Night in Fantasia 07 concert. But the damn thing sold out!

We're getting more CDs pressed + printed at the moment. And you'll be able to buy it over the net, through our website soon enough.