[Album] The Black Mages (SSCX-10080/SQEX-10019)

The drums are synthesized, I believe, from drum machines, though this problem was solved in The Black Mages Live and The Black Mages II with the employment of Arata Hanyuda.

How ya doing, buddy?

No. Only Tsuyoshi Sekito and Kenichiro Fukui were involved in TBM1 (both were arrangers/synthesizer operators, Sekito was guitarist, and Fukui was keyboardist). Arata Hanyuda, Michio Okamiya, Keiji Kawamori, and Nobuo Uematsu only contributed to The Black Mages Live, not the first album, which was partly synthetic.

Synthetic drums and pre-recorded performances from the drum kit are very different. Goldfish's point was clear and quite accurate.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Free.User

That is blatently false. Before TBM was even started, Sekito approached Uematsu with the idea, and all 6 of the members were in for the first album.


I think you're thinking of sequenced drums, which are quit different than synthetic drums. A synthetic drum set requires a drummer, where as sequenced drums do not.

100% true, I'm afraid, though not many realize it, as official confirmation of this was only provided relatively recently. Confirmations of this can be provided here, here, here, and in the liner notes, all reliable sources. Sekito covered Okamiya's ground, Fukui covered Uematsu's ground, and the drums were sequenced.

But, yes, Nobuo Uematsu was aware that the album was taking place.

I'm no drum expert, so I'll give you the second one. Thanks for pointing this out, though you are wrong about the other point.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Free.User

Wow... Touche. If those sources are infact true, than I stand corrected. However, the 2nd soucre proves nothing, and I don't see any liner notes on the others. The reason I thought they all worked on it was becuase I read it on a site with official references, but it was in a different language and thus, I had to translate it poorly. (It may even have been Nobuo's blog)..

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty damn sure the TBM website had bios of all 6 members before the album (TBM I) came out.

And I stand by what I said earlier. Synths are real live instruments, and you'll have a hard time proving me wrong.

The second source proves a lot in that the site's owner would include Performance Credits like he did for TBM2 if all six band members were involved.

As for the website, that's quite possible. The formation of The Black Mages as a true band may have happened before the first album was released, but after it was finalised.

Like I said, not many people are aware that TBM1 doesn't feature all six band members and SE probably misled. Even I only received official confirmation of this a few weeks ago, so, yeah, don't worry about it...

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