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When one listens to any music from the Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile soundtracks, one key feature that will stand out is the variety of the instruments used and the complexity created due to how they are utilised. Despite Motoi Sakuraba having a rich background in progressive rock music, initially as the keyboardist for 'Déjà vu', it seemed near-impossible to allow rich and satisfying live concert versions of these pieces for functional reasons alone. Mr. Sakuraba somehow makes this work, however, taking a carefully selected array of tracks and arranging them for his all-time favourite ensemble — synthesizer, electric bass, and drums — in the most supreme way possible. The arrangements boast impressive technical intricacy, are nearly always unique, despite many tracks selected already having multiple arrangements already, and are always captivating due to either deep emotive qualities or aggressive raw power. What really separates it from all of Sakuraba's arranged albums, however, is the way is demonstrates the skills of Sakuraba the performer in an equally appealing light. Throughout the two-hour concert, Sakuraba employs the use of no less than 10 different keyboards, nearly always taking centre stage, combining his trademark pseudo-improvisatory rock organ and piano solos with rich and solid renditions of main melodies. Drummer Toshihiko Nakamura and bassist Atsushi Hasegawa join him, and while their role is often a supportive one, by no means is it of secondary importance, as the affinity of these two towards their leader constantly pushes the album forward and maintains its life. They both also stand out in their own right with lengthy solos in some of the central pieces. With solid arrangements, awe-inspiring performances, and a phenomenal amount of atmosphere, it is more than clear that this album is worthy of a closer look.
With the sound of a single low-pitched piano note, the concert begins, and the concert hall soon resonates with an epic cinematic sound reminiscent of 2001 Space Odyssey. It could only be Star Ocean Till the End of Time's "The Dawn of Wisdom," no longer an orchestral work, convincingly transformed to a progressive rock theme. As epic synth brass fanfares combine with also synthesized backing vocals, Sakuraba elegantly glides between his keyboards, effortlessly building the theme up to the dramatic entrance of Toshihiko Nakamura's drum kit. The atmosphere is overwhelming, perfectly depicting the vastness of deep space, yet is only boosted by the introduction of some striking overdriven bass guitar riffs from Atsushi Hasegawa a little after the one minute mark. As the theme grows deeper, a change of tempo is witnessed at the 2:37 mark, as the performance moves into a fast-paced section, featuring flawlessly executed polyphonic structures as a result of Hasegawa's rich counterpoint to Sakuraba's rock organ melodies; this shows just how in-tune the three performers are with each other. The theme attains its peak at the 5:15 mark following a surprisingly effectual ritardando, and, as the trio's rich sounds fills the concert hall, the listener is left in awe of the performance and convincing transformation of the original, already immersed by the concert and dying to hear the next theme.
Sakuraba uses the build from the last track to his advantage, as the album compellingly moves into an energetic rendition of Valkyrie Profile's main battle theme, "Unfinished Battle with God Syndrome." It's completely different to the arranged album and original versions of the theme, as a result of Sakuraba choosing a completely different keyboard setup, which is similar to the arrangements used in his Shining Force arranged albums. It now sounds much more sophisticated, yet still retains the original's raw power, with the unforgettable main melody combining with some excellent rock organ solos, quirky drum breaks, and even more masterful bass guitar counterpoint. The theme is constantly driven on, with the trio never relenting with the pace and dynamic level. This feeling is maintained in the concert's third arrangement, Star Ocean Till the End of Time's "Fly Away in the Violet Sky," now more chaotic and unpredictable than ever. The standout feature of this track, however, is not the primary sections, but the newly added solos from the 1:55 mark onwards. The theme suddenly quietens, as Sakuraba takes a much-needed rest, leaving Nakamura to play an elongated drum solo, backed by some gentle overtones from the bass guitar; though not as impressive as some of his later solos, it does exactly what it is needed by creating a great sense of tension and foreboding, only relieved by the entrance of Sakuraba's superbly integrated jazzy and dissonant piano solo over a minute later. This not only allows each performer to showcase their technical skills, but gives an entirely new perspective on the piece, which makes the recapitulation of the melody for the conclusion all the more satisfying.
Almost as if telling a story, like many progressive rock albums do, the concert moves away from its action basis briefly for an interlude featuring Star Ocean Till the End of Time's "Reflected Moon." Its rather different from the original and arranged versions, as it replaces the rich symphonic textures with just a lead synth vocal, some backing synth pads, and atmospheric sound effects; this, in conjunction with the way the melody manages to be pure and beautiful yet distant and illusory, creates a surreal feel overall, giving another taste of the wide range of emotions that Sakuraba's synthesizers can invoke. Despite being short and not greatly varied, it creates a profoundly different atmosphere in the 2 minutes it plays, offering a suitable and inspiring break from the hard rock it is sandwiched between. This feeling makes the subsequent track, the sole Star Ocean Blue Sphere arrangement "Hand to Hand," all the more powerful, with the listener simply being knocked backwards by the way it temperamentally flairs up from just a few drum beats into an energetic and full-blown battle theme. Though the arrangement is top-notch, proving to be the best rendition of a previously arranged action theme once more, it's the performance that really shines, proving just why Sakuraba is widely considered to be one of Japan's finest keyboardists in progressive rock music. He plays a seamless array of fast-paced and highly intricate pseudo-improvised solos on a large number of his keyboards. The rest of the trio also prove their worth, with Nakamura's pulsing beats and Hasegawa's carefully integrated overdriven riffs giving a huge amount of momentum behind Sakuraba's complex synth work.
The contrast between "Reflected Moon" and "Hand to Hand" is echoed in an even more stylish way during the arrangement of Valkyrie Profile's "Requiem to a Predicament ~ Falling Under Negative Consciousness ~." The "Requiem to a Predicament" theme initially constitutes the introduction, with a dreamy combination of cleverly manipulated synth celesta motifs and suspended notes from synth vocals putting the listener at ease after the madness before. Soon, however, the arrangement violently erupts into a rendition of "Falling Under Negative Consciousness" as Hasegawa and Nakamura enter, while Sakuraba's rock organ greedily dominates. After over three minutes worth of overwhelming action, the theme resolves in a gorgeous way, with the "Requiem to a Predicament" theme being recapitulated, relaxing the listener once more. Though more action is heard from the outset of the arrangement of Star Ocean Till the End of Time's "March for Glory," it actually proves to be a refreshing break in more ways than one. Like the original, it is much more epic and proud in nature than his standard battle themes, and, though this particularly arrangement switches symphonic styles with progressive rock once more, this feeling is still aptly maintained. The arrangement also stands out for the way it demonstrates the chemistry between the trio, which holds the arrangement tight throughout the rendition of the main theme, yet is even more solid during the 'jam session' that follows; here, all three members of the band play substantial solos, yet are backed solidly by their fellow performers until a few fragments of the original theme are revived to conclude the track. Such magic is heard in even more considerable amounts in the next arrangement and this one is merely a taster of what is to come, as the first in a series of four epics...
Everybody who's heard Jethro Tull's 43-minute "Thick as a Brick" and slightly less extreme counterparts will be aware that progressive rock compositions can be very long. Though the 7:51 playing time of "March for Glory" provided a hint of the 'epic' influence, it's "Theme of RENA..." that really makes this clear, clocking in at nearly 20 minutes. Quite surprisingly, the actual rendition of the melody is brief, though the synth work is gorgeous and the performers capture the atmosphere behind the original piece flawlessly. The theme first moves into a lengthy drum solo from Nakamura, which lasts for nearly 7 minutes and constantly intensifies, proving to be a massive crowd pleaser. It is topped off superbly by the single crash of a giant gong, which is otherwise unused for the rest of the concert, followed by some audible cheers from the audience, which add to the authenticity of the album. A stunning testament to his skill, this was Nakamura's first progressive concert, as incredible as it is to believe. Hasegawa's bass guitar solo also has an awe-inspiring effect, intensifying the track as it gradually moves towards becoming a full-blown jam session. With the addition of Nakamura's drums at the 13:45 mark, the track's dynamic changes completely, emphasised further by the eventual entrance of Sakuraba's keyboards at the 15:35 mark before his trademark jazzy and dissonant piano enters in full bloom at 16:34 mark, leading to the conclusion to the first disc that is nothing short of breathtaking. Some will say the track diverts too far from its basis or is a pointless show of the performers technical talent, but this isn't the case for the majority who are actually fascinated by the imagination and depth behind such a complex musical work.
The second disc maintains the consistent quality of the first, yet also boasts a little more diversity overall, making it even more enjoyable. Sakuraba's decision to open the disc with an arrangement of Star Ocean Till the End of Time's final battle theme "Highbrow," a superbly developed masterpiece, probably seemed dubious to some, as it appears to be impossible to beat it. This is true, but the arrangement still doesn't disappoint. It's once again led by Sakuraba, who excels with his piano performance, which combines frilly runs in the solo sections with an otherwise solid and coherent performance that is jam-packed with musical features. The arrangement, just like the original, continually goes off on tangents, but this isn't a negative feature in this case. Around the 5:00 mark, Hasegawa receives another chance to shine, playing an elongating electric bass guitar solo that develops superbly, though could benefit from some more decorative accompaniment to add interest, perhaps tarnishing an otherwise perfect track. The recapitulation of the main theme does not disappoint, with Sakuraba taking the lead on his famous rock organ, and its end just leaves the listener dying for more. It's the definitive arrangement of the theme — being more well-developed than the Radiata Stories and tri-Ace Sound Battle Collection versions, while benefiting from the added aura of a live performance compared to its similar Star Ocean Till the End of Time Director's Cut Soundtrack version — and, while the loss of the original's jazzy sections are disappointing, it is the most suitable rendition for a progressive rock concert and some would probably think that a little more stylistic consistency isn't necessarily a bad feature.
Sakuraba's piano mastery is best exemplified with the 7 minute solo piano rendition of Star Ocean Till the End of Time's "So Alone, Be Sorrow," however, which comes close to being on par with Sakuraba's "Elegy of the Bewildered" as perhaps the best video game piano arrangement available. It is built in a musical arch fashion, a structure Sakuraba often likes to employ, reaching its peak in the middle with some extravagant runs, showy arpeggios, and intense chromatic progressions, all of which are carefully embedded within the theme's heartfelt melody, yet being relatively soft at the beginning and end. It's very Liszt-esque. Some might find it overly showy, but this is likely to be only a superficial conclusion from a casual listener, as there lies a huge amount of musical intricacy and deep emotion beneath the surface. It is a stunning addition, where the performance shines just as much as the arrangement once more. The album release also has the benefit of an additional studio-recorded piano solo as a bonus track, which mirrors the more intense sections of "So Alone, Be Sorrow," yet is even more intricate thanks to its flashy runs and aggressive chromatic chord progressions. Bare in mind, however, that this is not an exclusive addition and a recording of the solo is also available on both the concert's live DVD release and on the Star Ocean Till the End of Time Director's Cut soundtrack anyway, which is a strong album in its own right anyway. Indeed, it'd definitely be foolish to buy the album above the DVD simply for this addition.
The large focus on Star Ocean Till the End of Time has made the album neglect earlier additions to the Star Ocean series, particularly the immensely popular Star Ocean The Second Story, up to now. Fortunately, the arrangement of "Mission to the Deep Space" begins to make up for this, as, despite featuring in many other albums since, it is one of the closest arrangements to the The Second Story's original available. The major difference is the sleekly integrated solo section in the middle, which showcases technical skill once more, yet also stands out for working in conjunction with the original track so fittingly, never losing its adventurous sci-fi feel. Some say that the arrangement of Star Ocean Till the End of Time's "Confidence in the Domination" is one of the poorest on the album, being too similar to "Mission..." and quite a few other action tracks. On deeper inspection, however, it is possible to see that it boasts many assets — a solid rock organ melody, an appropriate level of intensity to build the album towards the conclusion, a magical buildup to the conclusion after the 3 minute mark — and it is also a massive improvement in terms of both development and intensity compared to the original. "Cutting Edge of Notion" concludes this trio of action tracks perfectly, distinguishing itself once more due to its melodic qualities and huge level of intensity, though it's really the tight performance and beaming chemistry between the three performers that makes this such a special addition. The defining aspect of this trio of tracks that proves they're not too much is that they constantly leave the listener wanting more and never grow boring. This is what really matters, despite the theoretical basis of the track listings sounding dubious on first glance. Besides, diversity is often created due to more subtle differences than just genre, instrumentation, and tempo.
Motoi Sakuraba ends the album in just the right way. After all of these action tracks, a gorgeous resolution is provided with Valkyrie Profile's "Doorway to Heaven," the single most distinguished slow-paced theme on the album, which stands out for its melodic beauty, hopeful atmosphere, and heavenly use of instruments. It integrates some faster solo sections towards the end, and, afterwards, a shy Motoi Sakuraba is heard thanking his fans. Of course, the concert couldn't possibly end just there, and the single most diverse arrangement on the album constitutes an encore. It opens with an arrangement of the Star Ocean trademark theme "STAR OCEAN FOREVER," which has carefully evolved since its debut on the Star Ocean The Second Story Original Soundtrack, and its sentimental arranging adds a nostalgic feel and makes it clear that the end is very near. The arrangement impressively undergoes a metamorphosis from this to a fast-paced action track, with Sakuraba's trademark hardcore piano solo at 1:32 particularly giving this track some additional flair. A rendition of another classic theme, "The Incarnation of Devil" follows, complete with rocking melodies, careful articulated interludes, and the album's final rock organ solo. The last taster of action on the album is provided after the 4:50 mark in a section that incorporates some dramatic chord sequences and a triumphant final rendition of the Devil's main melody. Nothing about this track comes close to the final couple of minutes, however, which features an unexpected recapitulation of "The Dawn of Wisdom," originally heard as the first item on the album. The combination of a dramatic performance, the use of an over-familiar and undeniably beautiful melody, and the immediacy of such an awesome concert coming to an end makes this moment the most heartfelt on the album. There couldn't have been a more appropriate and expertly mastered conclusion.
This album is the defining Motoi Sakuraba tri-Ace experience, plain and simple, and appears to be practically flawless in terms of both the quality of the arrangement — which consistently proves to be appropriate, expansive, and refined — and, of course, the performance. It should appeal to all those who enjoyed Sakuraba's Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile soundtracks, as all the arrangements succeed in enhancing the originals, not necessarily transforming them, though each arrangement is certainly different in terms of the timbre created due to the use of a live trio. The only question left unanswered is whether one should buy the album over the DVD. It is honestly a personal choice, depending on whether the purchase is intended for background listening that keeps one entertained while doing homework or if the purchase is intended to be the definitive Motoi Sakuraba experience, which one would want to pay full attention to and experience over and over again. Those who have the DVD nearly always favour it to just the album, as watching a live video of Nakamura's and Hasegawa's breathtaking solos and Sakuraba endlessly switching from keyboard to keyboard almost doubles the experience and makes the atmosphere even more prominent. The DVD also has some nifty new features, as well, namely several interviews from members of the trio, a live recording session, and the aforementioned bonus piano solo. Be aware, though, that while the DVD is probably the most enriching experience, in terms of practicality, some may favour the album release, as it is considerably less expensive, more convenient to play, and can allow extra room for use of one's imagination, yet still utterly phenomenal.
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