Hitoshi Sakimoto

Uh-oh... oh no you didn't...

BurningRanger: The Dalmasca Estersand. An absolutely beautiful and emotionally moving track. Especially the parts at 1:00 and 1:46. The sense of awe and adventure is nearly palpable. There are many other excellent tracks, such as: The Phon Coast, The Giza Plains, Esper Battle, The Feywood, Nalbina Underground Dungeon, Clash of Swords, and many more. I love this soundtrack.

I, too, once hated Sakimoto's music. Many of my arguments were the same as yours. I couldn't listen to it for long without turning it off. But, I forced myself to listen, and the more listened to it, the more I came to realize that Hitoshi Sakimoto is an absolutely brilliant composer. His work in FFT, Vagrant Story, FFXII, and the other games he has composed for is unmatched, IMO. The first time I listened to "The Phon Coast" I felt chills run down my spine. The music perfecly paints the image of the location it is named after. I could feel the joy and rapture of "Truth" (from VS) long before I ever played the game. The terrible malice of Rosenkrantz! The frantic and harried Tieger and Neesa. Listening to "The Dalmasca Estersand", I can imagine the vast expanse of the desert, the adventure of unexplored territory, the big, open sky, the desert flora and fauna. In FFT, right from the get-go, the beautiful opening music drags you in and doesn't let you go with its ethereal beauty! Songs likes Ovelia's Theme, Random Waltz, and Apoplexy are some of his best works!

I can see why some do not like him; his compositions are often very complex and focus more on the interplay between the musical elements rather than a strong melody with a simple backing. But waltzing right in here exclaiming that Sakimoto is a "TERRIBLE" composer is just stupid and disrespectful.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Quote:

What is exciting about a desert? What is adventurous about it?

What isn't? Although most people think of a barren, sandy wasteland when the word "desert" is mentioned, that's really not the case at all. Deserts (unless they are exceptionally dry) are teeming with life, a vital and active ecosystem rife with dangers and discoveries alike. I feel that the song "The Dalmasca Estersand" describes that type of environment very well.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by GoldfishX

Spending more time listening to his material is not going to make the listener enjoy or appreciate it more if one does not initially find it at least moderately appealing.

I'm afraid I am going to have to disagree with you, and agree with RainMan. When I heard my first sampling of Sakimoto's music, absolutely nothing about it appealed to me. I hated it. There was nothing about any of the music that made me want to listen to it again. The melodies were not easily discernible and many of the tracks were very dissonant. But against my own will, I forced myself to continue to listen. I thought to myself "There has to be something about this music that causes people to adore it so much.". And I was determined to find out what that something was. So, I burned the FFT soundtrack to CDs and listened to them in the car. In other people's cars. When I was doing the dishes. Whenever I could, really. And eventually, as I began to memorize the content of the tracks, certain ones among them began to stand out. Certain unique rhythms, interesting interplays of instruments, a melody that I didn't notice before.

And before long, without even realizing it, I too had become a big fan of this soundtrack.

It went much the same way with the VS soundtrack. There were a few songs that stood out, but many that I didn't like. But over time, I got to know each and every song, its intricacies, what made it unique. It is still my favorite Sakimoto soundtrack.

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

Originally Posted by GoldfishX

But...My point is if you were to force yourself to like ANY music to that extent by literally forcing yourself to have constant exposure to it, you would begin to like and understand it more (especially if a couple of pieces appealed to you in the first place, even to a minimal extent). What you just said was you didn't like Sakimoto's music at first and you forced yourself to end up liking it. If people made that effort for just about any composer, track or album they dislike at first, they would end up enjoying them (or at the least, appreciating them) at the end. I simply find that isn't the case in real life music listening. Hence, Sakimoto isn't an exception.

No... I didn't force myself to like it. That's impossible. I forced myself to listen to it until I discovered just what it was about the music that was likable. It was well worth the effort.

And aside from that, how is my own listening not "real life" listening?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

Does anyone here experience Galvanic Skin Response or "Goosebumps", "Chills" etc. when listening to Sakimoto's music?

Yes, all the time.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Actually, I'm a very staunch atheist. I just work for the church. Odd, I know, but that's the way it is. The opportunity presented itself, and I took the job.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Daniel DeCastro

This Reminds me of the scene in Star Ocean: TTEOT, when Cliff and Fayt are in a church, and Fayt says, "I thought you didn't believe in this stuff, why did we come to the church?" At this point, Cliff says, "It's because I enjoy the art."

I can really relate to him, then. Although I am an atheist, I really enjoy the solemn ritual of the traditional Anglican services my church holds.

Quote:

What are your duties there? Musician?

I am the sound tech. I usually run the sound board on sundays and for weddings or funerals, or any other special occasion. I also work for the church's side business, "A Word from the Lord" editing sermons for radio broadcast.

FELIPE NO