Hitoshi Sakimoto

I suppose I should post my credentials here, because they offer some sort of insight to who I am. I'm simply a high school senior, one who has slowly developed interest in the genre that Game Music has to offer. Understandably, I do not believe that a Bachelors or Masters degree in a certain subject should have any relation whatsoever to the merits of any statement from any of the posters, but I do understand the differences between major and minor chords.

My number one fear of Game Music fans is the denouncement of any certain composer just because a style may seem somewhat bland. The reason is extremely simple: Game Music by itself is an all-encompassing genre. As Daniel DeCastro states, Game Music is a mix of rock, jazz, synth, easy listening, and classical genres of music, often combining different styles into a single soundtrack (although I'd say rap usually isn't involved). I give you a few more overtly obvious examples of what everyone here will think is distasteful music:

Onegai Teacher Sound Collection 1: 26 - Depressed
Narue no Sekai Original Soundtrack: 05 - The First Date
Hikaru no Go Original Soundtrack: 27 - Little by Little

Note that the genre I happen to be criticizing right now is Anime Music. I'm not trying to say that all Anime Music is bad, but I'm saying that there are deservedly certain tracks from Japanese Animation that are either so overdone or so simple that it could never be suitable for listening alone. Now, I want to become more controversial that in my opinion could be absolutely distasteful by introducing a few tracks from the Game Music genre.

Ace Combat Zero The Belkan War Original Soundtrack: 219 - Zero //Kobayashi

The orchestration in this song is completely overdone and fails to deliver. The songs vocals especially jive with the spanish guitars in the background and fail to deliver a sense of energy. The male choir sounds absolutely muddled in the background.

Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack: 416 - One Winged Angel //Uematsu

The track is way too obvious, because every single part of the phrase combined to form a single coherent and biting melody. Even in the orchestral editions of the theme, there is no art to the song, and any normal major would have been able to compose it.

Chrono Trigger Original Sound Version: 119 - Frog's Theme //Mitsuda

Again, if we compare this song to the wondrous works of Debussy and Chopin, this song does not contain any of the similar melody and backing harmonies that make any piece aesthetic. Instead, it contains just a single march with alternating drums in the background. Seriously, oversimplified.

Final Fantasy XI Promathia no Jubaku Original Soundtrack: 24 - Gustaberg (Bonus Edition) //Mizuta

The song tries to evoke a certain relaxed image or feeling, yet it becomes boring almost immediately. In order to become better, the song would have to rid itself of the ugly guitar in the background, and actually attempt to use a real melody. Otherwise, this piece is just terrible.

Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack: 416 - The Battle for Freedom //Sakimoto

The chords in this song are completely muddled into one, making it absolutely horrible for a final battle theme. In fact, the instruments sound only like noise, because they completely jive with each other and never create a true honest battle melody. The song is also stretched way too long, especially with the introduction really covering four minutes of the nine-minute song.

Angry? Good. I'm sure that you will like at least one of these songs, if not with the zeal of a crazy fan, at least slightly. If you take a look at the five above tracks, each of them evokes a completely different image and really uses a different style. I could name even more melodies from soundtracks such as Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune, Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack, Phantasy Star Original Soundtrack, Wild Arms Original Soundtrack(s), Yoko Kanno's surprisingly similar anime albums, or different albums from the Megaman Series. The truth is, I've heard individuals have these complaints with the above five pieces; that’s why they could be considered absolutely distasteful by some. I suggest you compare these five tracks, with at least one coming from the absolutely abysmal Hitoshi Sakimoto to the bland melodies listed from the three anime series above. If there is some music that can be considered a threat to academia or your ears, then the three songs above must be nominated before the music from the games I have just listed.

If you find Hitoshi Sakimoto’s music truly bland, I suggest that you take another listen and see how the elements of the song compare to other tracks from Game Music. This time, keep an open mind, understanding that yes, it’s possible for me to gain an interest in Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack. In all honesty, BurningRanger posted an anonymous track at the very top from this soundtrack asking anyone to identify and question it. I agree that somebody may not be able to immediately identify it as a desert, per se, but the Eastersands make up a wild expanse of a variety of different creatures, including wolves and cacti, that make it an especially-bustling first track that creates a sense of freedom. I understand that in the end, Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack might not be completely suitable for your tastes, but don’t immediately ignore it and claim that Hitoshi Sakimoto doesn’t even deserve to be a composer.

The reason game music is its own genre is seriously because it is all-encompassing. When I take a look at all of the users who listen to game music during their spare time, I honestly believe that most of them are very open about different types of songs. I could say that my number one reason for listening to VGM is that it puts different styles of music on a single floor, one where there are no limitations to what can be done, except for the fact that the music has to emotionally affect people (through either stimulation, tears, wonder, anxiety, or anything similar). The game music community needs to focus on the positive aspects of each and every composer, understanding that what each individual prefers may not always be the same. It is appropriate to say “I like this song because of X” or “I do not like this song because of X,” but it is never correct to automatically denounce a composer as awful. Strong opinions about certain authors are sometimes good; but music, in the end, is always subjective.

By the way, if any of you were wondering, I absolutely love those five game tracks I listed.

How ya doing, buddy?

I personally receive stress relief from Yasunori Mitsuda's music instead of Hitoshi Sakimoto's pieces. The type of mental imagery I feel from Sakimoto is more of a mode of stimulation, especially due to the complexities of his songs. The instruments that Sakimoto uses can no way be expressed as simple.

What I meant by rap was that I have a certain negative bias towards the vocal element of rap music (moreso because of the lyrics rather than the music itself), but the melodies of hip-hop and the style that it encompasses certainly works well with game music. The only thing that I believe is that game music should not be equal to hip-hop, and it certainly isn't.

There's nowhere I can't reach.