[2006] Various Artists - Breath of Fire OST Special Box ''FLAC''

Breath of Fire


This boxset covers the classic Breath of Fire saga starting from the SNES incarnations up to Dragon Quarter for the PS2. Talk about a monster! This 11-CD boxset won't disappoint in the slightlest, the SNES versions sound beautiful but the excuse to upload this here is the PS1 OSTSs which in my humble opinion are the zenith of the saga. This release was limited to only 2000 copies and the reason why Capcom did a thing of this caliber is beyond any comprehension.
This is a true gem and if you enjoyed at least one of them it's worth having the whole thing.
I hope you enjoyed our PS1 JRPG week, stay tuned for our next special!

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: FLAC

>>> Disc 01 / Disc 02 (Breath of Fire I)

In Progress : 

Disc 03 / Disc 04 (Breath of Fire II)
Disc 05 / Disc 06 / Disc 07 (Breath of Fire III)
Disc 08 / Disc 09  (Breath of Fire IV)
Disc 10 / Disc 11 (Breath of Fire V)

[2000] Final Fantasy IX [Nobuo Uematsu] ''FLAC''

Final Fantasy IX


All of the Final Fantasy games have good soundtracks. Final Fantasy IX's soundtrack is probably the most catchy of them all though, with some VERY melodic upbeat and catchy pieces here. "Jesters of the Moon" will have you humming in no time, "The Village of Dali" theme is very peaceful, and "Vamo Alla Flamenco" is such a catchy piece with the spanish guitar added effect. It sets you in the lighthearted, fun mood that the game has.

This soundtrack comes with every piece from the game, all of the town, dungeon, world map and battle themes from the game. The first reviewer was says it leaves a lot of the songs out, it doesn't. If your into fun, and sometimes peaceful themes from anything, not necessarily just Video Games in general than you will love this group of cool theme music from this great game.

Genre : Game, Soundtrack.
Quality : FLAC



[1998] Xenogears Soundtrack [Yasunori Mitsuda] ''FLAC''

Xenogears


Xenogears has been considered by many to be the greatest RPG ever, and likewise, its soundtrack has been held to an equal level of esteem. Yasunori Mitsuda's talent considerably shows in this soundtrack, which is chock full of tracks, each harboring some new and original styles. Despite the fact that I originally obtained this soundtrack via a package deal, I'm incredibly glad that it found its way into my collection.
One thing that enthralls me about this soundtrack is Mitsuda's ability to musically invoke, within my mind, clear images from the game. Each track's style is so distinct that I am able to recall exactly which point in the game each one was used. I especially enjoyed the dark, foreboding feel of "Omen," the theme music of Xenogears' Babel Tower. The contrast of emotions displayed in the soundtrack are equally amazing. It includes tracks such as one of my favorites, "Solaris, Celestial Paradise," which is a quirky and lighthearted melody, but contrasts that emotion with one of tension and excitement, like that found in "Crimson Knight."
I'd recommend the Xenogears OST to anyone who is a fan of Mitsuda's style, because this soundtrack is most certainly his greatest achievement, and a great addition to any collection. Although fans who haven't played the game might not fully enjoy it, if you have played Xenogears, this soundtrack is certainly a must have. (Not to be confused with this arrangement album).

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: FLAC

>>> I Am Alpha and Omega...


[1998] Parasite Eve Soundtrack [Yoko Shimomura] ''FLAC''

Parasite Eve



I remember first getting this album, not quite knowing what to expect, having heard that it was quite different from the more typical RPG-fare out there at the time. And upon first listen I wasn't sure if I liked it or not, but after awhile it grew on me, A LOT.
I have a hard time describing the music on this soundtrack. Some tracks are so hauntingly beautiful that they rip my heart apart every time I listen to them, while others make me want to just get up and dance. I'm not a huge fan of techno music, but Shimomura really knows her stuff. It's her talent as a composer that adds so much to the music. Even the most repetitive of the compositions still have enough substance and style to keep you interested. I'm not saying that every track is good; there are quite a few that are VERY skippable. The biggest problem I have are the pieces that include Eve's highly annoying, pseudo-operatic voice synth. In the game it fits fine, but in stand alone pieces it doesn't work quite as well. I cannot begin tell you how much more enjoyable "Influence of Deep" or "Femme Fatales" would have been without it. But, all complaints aside, the good stuff more than outweighs any weaknesses in the soundtrack.
What I find most interesting about this album is how Shimomura combines the use of the traditional piano/classical opera with techno/rock based sounds. This combination really brings out the strong, yet vulnerable personality of Aya's character as well as the siren-like nature of Eve. Much of the urban setting of the game is conveyed and enhanced by the music as well. "Urban Noise" is a great example. I find it amazing how she is able to create the sound and feel of a city street through the use of different synthesized samples without using any real life sounds such as traffic, car horns, etc. One of the highlights of the soundtrack is the ending theme, "Somnia Memorias." It's an interesting mix of Latin and Spanish blended together with just the right amount of R&B, and a notable vocal performance, that captures the urban tone of the game perfectly. The lyrics are also well written and fit the story well.
Along with the original soundtracks, there were a few bonuses that deserve mention. Both "Se il Mio Amore Sta Vincino" and "Influence of the Deep" are arranged with a real opera vocalist, Judith Siirila, providing Eve's voice. I actually found these pieces to be quite enjoyable, much more so than the original songs themselves. Vincino sounds like a true opera perfomance should, but "Influence of Deep" is something else entirely. It's hard to imagine techno/dance music accented with operatic vocals, but the end result is really good. Finally, there's the "Main Theme Orchestra Version". I cannot begin to express in words how beautiful this arrangement is. Shimomura transforms the original theme into an orchestral masterpiece lasting nearly 8 minutes long, filled with so much emotion and drama that it almost brings tears to my eyes. It's one of the best piano pieces I've ever heard. Period.

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: FLAC

>>> This ain't voodoo stuff!


[1997] Final Fantasy Tactics Soundtrack [Hitoshi Sakimoto] ''FLAC''

Final Fantasy Tactics


You'd think that with the sheer number of hours I spent playing Final Fantasy Tactics, I wouldn't need the soundtrack to keep the game's majestic score running through my head. There was something about this particular soundtrack though, that made me sure I'd want to have it on hand long after I was finished with the game.
The soundtrack's best attribute is that it does far more than just bring to mind specific "scenes" from the game. It's a work of art in its own right, and is the perfect background music for the epic fantasy novels I tend to read (the Record of Lodoss War soundtracks also work great in this regard).
Another thing that sets this soundtrack apart from a lot of other video game soundtrack is that it sounds like a film score. You hear an orchestra rendering a well-crafted symphonic score, not a cheap, synthesized version full of "bloops" and "bleeps". The Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack isn't just the audio version of the game, but is a unique soundtrack on par with any of today's Hollywood scores. If you're a serious fan of the game, you'll want to check out this great soundtrack. It should also appeal to anyone interested in anime and/or epic fantasy scores.

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: FLAC

>>> Surrender Or Die In Obscurity!


[1999] Chrono Cross Soundtrack [Yasunori Mitsuda] ''FLAC''

Chrono Cross


I'll preface this review by stating that Chrono Cross is THE soundtrack that brought me into the world of video game music. My head was filled with the tracks long after I put my PS1 controller away. The reason: Yasunori Mitsuda's compositions express not only how magical music can be when tied to a gaming experience, but also how that same music can be enjoyed in its own right. This album was my first real understanding of that idea, and I can do nothing but appreciate the impact it's had on my attitude toward the world of VGM.
In the beginning, Mitsuda welcomes the listener with "The Scars of Time" — a flute hints at adventure but quickly gives way to a violin navigating the terrain of tumultuous drums. There is a sense of longing and danger in the track that makes for an iconic opening song. A good portion of the other pieces have a tropical feel brought on by drum beats and an overall calm tone. These tracks often have a pairing of focal instruments that make them similar but unique. Take "The Grasslands of Time: Home World," for example. The beats provide a foundation for the interplay of guitar and steel drums to call to mind a relaxing beach shoreline. On top of that, Mitsuda incorporates themes from Chrono Trigger which adds to the enjoyment of several of these pieces for those familiar with his previous work.
Some criticize Mitsuda for being too repetitive. I agree and disagree. Mitsuda is clearly a versatile composer: you can juxtapose the whimsical "Termina: Another" with the solemn "Those Who Have Departed" or the adventurous "Time of the Dreamwatch." And what some would call repetition, I call consistency. Does "Voyage: Another World" sound similar to "On the Shores of a Dream: Another World?" Yes, the style of the guitar renders the two comparable; yet, it doesn't hinder the fact that both tracks are excellent. Chrono Cross is rife with piano, strings, and guitars, and I don't fault Mitsuda for consistently relying on these instruments to produce his style. I particularly like his heavy use of guitars in the album as seen in "Guldove: Home," "Chronomantique," and " RADICAL DREAMERS ~Le Trésor Interdit~" to name a few.
Although I've heard many great albums, Chrono Cross is one of the few soundtracks I've come back to time and time again. I listen to it to relax, to get me through long flights across the country, or to get lost in the emotions of the music. It's an album that continues to endure in my life and in others I know as well. I don't see that presence fading anytime soon.

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: FLAC

>>> Frozen Flame


[2000] Valkyrie Profile Soundtrack [Motoi Sakuraba] ''FLAC''

Valkyrie Profile


Equaling the game itself in its excellence, Valkyrie Profile OST is easily Motoi Sakuraba's finest work and one of the most powerful game soundtracks ever composed. It contains two CDs filled with incredible compositions, ranging from beautiful orchestral melodies to accompany the many poignant moments in the game's storyline, to the upbeat synthetic rock and techno battle and dungeon themes. A wide variety of music genres are represented in the OST, which should appeal to all fans of great game music. This is a soundtrack of the highest possible caliber, right up there with the works of Falcom's JDK Band.
The Valkyrie Profile OST contains a total of 75 tracks, the majority of which are looped, seven of which are remixed versions of classic songs from his prior work in Star Ocean: The Second Story, and not one of which falls short of pure musical perfection and genius.

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: FLAC

>>> Einherjar

[1995] Chrono Trigger SNES/PS1 [Yasunori Mitsuda] ''FLAC''

Chrono Trigger SNES


One of the reasons why the video game Chrono Trigger was a success happened because Yasunori Mitsuda did a spectacular work on its soundtrack. Just like Nobuo Uematsu, who did at least nine collaborations like "Light of Silence" (Track 17, CD 1), "Those without the Will to Live" (Track 4, CD 2) and "Primeval Mountain" (Track 18, CD 2), and Noriko Matsueda on "Boss Battle 1", which was also arranged by Nobuo Uematsu.

Even though the music may be synthesized in MIDI format, it'll still capture your attention even if you havent played the game before. All of the songs on the OSV version are in the original synthesized forms with multiple orchestra instruments.

Thanks to those three composers, but most of all to Yasunori Mitsuda, the game happens to get a diversity of excellent tracks which correspond to each of the time periods visited by the characters (Middle Ages, Future, Dark Ages, Prehistorical Times) and crucial scenes of the story.

Genre : Game Ost, Game, Game Soundtrack
Quality : FLAC



Chrono Trigger Playstation


This is the disc released of the playstation game soundtrack.

Genre : Game Ost, Game, Game Soundtrack
Quality : FLAC

Amazing Game and Amazing Soundtrack!!!!!!!!


[1999] Dewprism Original Soundtrack [Junya Nakano] ''ALAC''

Dewprism


Junya Nakano is one of the most underrated composers out there. Until Final Fantasy X, he was a relative unknown in the game music industry. Amid loads of great talent at Square, his music was often lost in the mix. Yet during that time he composed a vastly different RPG score in Dew Prism. Although it may not sound like your typical RPG soundtrack, it does have quite a bit of appeal. Much of the music is mellow and laid-back, but there are a few tracks that pop out demand your attention. I haven't played the game, but I can just picture the lush and vibrant forest imagery while listening to this music.
Dew Prism's soundtrack is separated onto two CDs, Rue's Disc and Mint's Disc. As such, most of the music is character specific and is represented on each character's disc respectively. Generally, the overall tone differs greatly on each: Mint's is upbeat and cheerful while Rue's is mellower, and at times sharp and stirring. However, the differing styles work well. If you're in a happier mood you may want to listen to Mint's Disc. Looking for something more laid-back, Rue's will do fine. Both have their high points as well as the expected filler tracks, but overall Dew Prism contains a nice selection of music.
As mentioned before, Rue's Disc is a bit more subdued, but there a few upbeat tunes that truly stand out. "Passing Through the Forest" is one of the best pieces on the album, and fits in well with the game's foresty atmosphere. "Fancy Mel" is a fun piece with it's cheerful melody chirping away throughout. And then there's "Sad Prima Doll," "Reminiscence," and "A Chance Meeting" which are all very calming with their soothing melodies. On the other hand is Mint's disc which is filled with up-beat, catchy tunes that perfectly captures the character's free-spirited nature. Of the two discs I enjoy this one more. There are so many excellent pieces here it's hard to pick favorites. "Underground Ruins" is AWESOME, my favorite track on the CD. I love how Nakano takes an upbeat melody and mixes it with a slower, soothing base harmony resulting in something almost magical. "Rodo ~Impetuous Soul~," "Village," and "Maya's Theme" are all excellently composed as well. Finally, I must mention "Finale ~Mint~" which is a jazzed-up version of the Dew Prism main theme. I love this piece, and found it to be a fresh and invigorating inclusion on the album.
If you're looking for something different, Dew Prism is a great choice. Filled with a wonderful mixture of ambient and highly enjoyable melodious tracks, unless you're turned off by slower music, you can't go wrong with this one. With its mellow, soothing tone, Dew Prism is great to listen to in the background while doing work or while just chilling out.!

Genre: Game Soundtrack
Quality: ALAC

>>> Relic


If you like Junya's work, you can check his Bandcamp page : 



Playstation Music Week!



This will be a marathon of good RPG music from our youth, the theme this week will be the PS1. You can take this as a list of our favorite game soundtracks on said console (does not reflect our game tastes though) All of them in lossless quality, and we may drop some that aren't nowhere to be found on the internet. Enjoy! ♪♪(o*゜∇゜)o~♪♪

[1991] Laughing Stock [Talk Talk] ''FLAC''

Laughing Stock

When I bought this album in 1992 I wasn't ready. I was a huge fan of Talk Talk, right up until the album that came before (Spirit of Eden, which is brilliant by the way...). I loved the departure from pop for them. In fact, it was the quiet, dark, atonal moments in the previous albums that, for me, made Talk Talk stand out. But Laughing Stock was thick where I wanted thin, liquid where I wanted solid. I sold it a year later feeling sure it was brilliant and that I was missing out on something wonderful, but unable to appreciate it.
Laughing Stock was an album you couldn't be prepared for because there was nothing like it. Even it's predecessor Spirit of Eden couldn't prepare the listener for the murky, uneasy, passionate journey that Laughing Stock is. Other reviewers have said it was ahead of it's time. If that was true in 1992, it's even more true now. Mainstream music is, with the exception of the last 3 Radiohead albums, still ignorant of this album. Laughing Stock is like pure grief in that the only way to make sense of it is to let go, let it wash over you and not try to make sense of it at all. It is painfully brilliant, hugely musical and very peace-inducing if you can surrender to it. It's not an album to dance to, or to try to decipher in one evening and I don't think there's one hook on the whole thing. It's the kind of album you put on over and over again until suddenly you notice that everything else starts to sound kind of hollow and trite in comparison.
I once read an article with the engineer who explained that every instrument was recorded from a distance (most instruments in pop music are recorded with the microphones only inches away) and almost always in mono. The drums, for example, were recorded with one microphone from about 10 feet away instead of the traditional rock setup with a mic about 2 inches away from every drum, mixed in stereo and compressed to be full, loud and immediate. Nothing in Laughing Stock is immediate, especially the vocals, which (again, breaking tradition with 99.999% of all pop recordings) have no special priority over any other instrument and, as a result, are often buried in the mix. Silence and space play an important roll in this album as does the complex and often adversarial relationship between harmony and disonance. Years later, after hearing 'Tago Mago' by Can, 'Kind of Blue' and 'Bitches Brew' by Miles Davis, I stumbled upon an old tape copy I'd made of 'Laughing Stock' and was overwhelmed by it's brilliance. What had before seemed aloof and impenetrable felt intimate and almost painfully, passionately naked. I ran to my nearest record store (back when we had record stores) and bought my second copy feeling a lot like a man who has realized his error only a moment before it was too late. I put the CD in my CD player and played it constantly for about a year.
By the time 'Kid A' came out by Radiohead I felt unsurprised. 'Kid A' was great. I'm a big fan. But for me, it wasn't revolutionary, it wasn't groundbreaking. I had already been to the source. Laughing Stock is deep stuff, and there there is no other album quite like it. If you like modern Radiohead, if you like Tom Waits, if you love Can, Holger Czukay, or David Sylvian, you will probably love this album. But you won't love it right away. Give it time.

Genre: Post-Rock
Quality: FLAC

>>> Runeii


[1984] Treasure [Cocteau Twins] ''FLAC Vinyl Rip''

Treasure


Somewhat of a heavily-plucked bassline accompanies the levitational fade-in of an acoustic guitar, with a bewitching soprano voice intoning ""Pink-bow, peach-blown/ Pandore/Pompadour/ Pee-Wee/ He's Sweet/ A symphony" before escalating into the gradual build-up from crescendo to ambience and back again that is the rest of "Ivo", the first track on "Treasure", perhaps the finest of the Cocteau Twin's CD's, and easily my favorite.
Though this title was re-released in 1991, the original version was released in late 1984, when I was a highly impressionable senior in high school. I live in the United States, and it was very difficult at this time to come across anything released on import. Nevertheless, an independent radio station was able to snag a copy, and I began the process of getting exposed to several of the more popular tracks on "Treasure", including "Beatrix", "Persephone", "Amelia", "Aloysius", and "Donimo", a track that built patiently and organically in a sprawling, accretive manner to its sustained sense of explosiveness during the climax of that track.
Listening to this CD with the benefit of hindsight (and every other Cocteau Twins full-length release in my collection), it's fully evident that Robin Guthrie had been able to make a conscious (and ultimately positive) choice to excise the gothic roots so prominently on display on their first release ("Garlands") and the traces leftover on their second ("Head Over Heels". Although he could not jettison the ubiquitous drum machine, Simon Raymonde's warm bassline, together with Guthrie's somewhat heavily processed effects channeling his guitar-work into a densely-layered mosaic of otherwordly sound, provided the perfect template for Elizabeth Fraser's swooping, seven-octave soprano range, expressed in its full level of mature control here, and her almost universally indecipherable, glossolaliac lyrics (on "Pandora", I swear I hear a vocal refrain of "Peanut butter/peanut butter/peanut butter" ) serve as an almost instrumental refrain.
Sometimes driven by a ghostly ambience ("Otterly") , by a sense of buoyancy almost levitational in quality ("Aloysius"), or a languid, slipstreamed layer of instrumentation ("Pandora"), "Treasure" remains one of the most remarkably cohesive recordings that the Cocteau Twins have ever recorded, and for me, it's their masterpiece.


Genre: Dream Pop, Post-Punk, Alternative Rock
Quality: FLAC (Vinyl Rip)

>>> Bliss

[1986] Nowa Aleksandria [Siekiera] ''FLAC''

Nowa Aleksandria


Siekiera is a Polish band from the '80s that is usually classified as "Coldwave", a dark, European form of post-punk (think Bauhaus, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc). This was their only album, and it's widely considered the best Polish album of all time. Though I don't know Polish, understanding the language is not necessary here. You can feel the decay of the Eastern Bloc through these tracks, most of which are pretty bleak but also energetic and occasionally anthemic; martial drumming underlies the whole album and gives it a propulsive heart.
Recommended for fans of the aforementioned bands, for fans of punk and gothic rock in general, or for those who want an eyewitness account/document (it would help if you could understand Polish, I'm sure) of the crumbling USSR's final years.

Genre: Coldwave, Post-Punk, New Wave
Quality: FLAC

>>> Wojna

[1997] The Mollusk [Ween] ''FLAC''

The Mollusk


Ween threw everyone a curveball as usual with "The Mollusk". This album is much like it's multi-genre predecessor "Chocolate & Cheese" on the surface. But if you look deeper, you will find that there is a focused nautical concept to the album.
The title track sweeps you off into a harmonious atmosphere early on in the album. Gene and Dean create a universe of soundscapes that tickle yours ears from that point on. "Polka Dot Tail" paints a vivid picture of a whale splashing around in the water. "The Blarney Stone" displays a bar full of drunkin pirates. You can just imagine the beer mugs being thrown around in a drunken haze; I know it was like that when I saw them live. "Mutilated Lips" is probably my favorite track on here. The chorus itself will get stuck in your head, as it is incredibly catchy and captivating. "It's Gonna Be (Alright)", a slower number, sticks with the nautical theme, throwing in sounds of a submarine under the sea. "Waving My D*ck in the Wind" is a very funny pseudo-country style song. "Buckingham Green" is an epic in itself with great lyrics. I can go on and on about every song on this album, they all add to the greatness of The Mollusk.
The songwriting and performance along with the watery concept behind the album make for a very concise and focused gem. The Mollusk will take you away from the world of other boring played out concepts that flood MTV and our radio waves. Some people may look at The Mollusk as a joke album, or misinterpret the purpose of what they do. You just have to look a little deeper. This is truly a unique piece of modern progressive rock. This is Ween's most focused seminal work; it will blow you away.

Genre: Art rock, Alternative Rock, Synth-Pop
Quality: FLAC

>>> Waving My Dick In The Wind

[1983] Eden [Everything But The Girl] ''FLAC''

Eden


In 1996, Everything But The Girl made a brilliant transformation from tepid adult contemporary music to a delightful hybrid of pop and electronica. "Walking Wounded" secured a place in my heart with its breathtaking fusion of light jungle, house, and the plaintive lyrics of Tracy Thorn. 1999 brought "Temperamental," which continued the excursion into deeper (housier) waters. With nothing new from them in two years (albeit a pair of excellent mix albums--"Lazy Dog" is certainly worth mentioning), I decided to sample some of their pre-electronica work. Were my expectations met? With "Eden," they were surpassed.
"Eden" is an easy-listening gem of album containing twelve songs dealing with various aspects of relationships. A light sun-kissed bossnova ties the whole thing together--and what a package! Tracy Thorn has never sounded so vulnerable. From the opening horns of "Each and Everyone" (sampled by Roni Size on "Destination") to the gorgeous "Even So" to Ben Watt's excellent vocal on "Soft Touch," there's really not a weak spot on the album. My only beef was the initial shock to the absence of vocal production or awareness; things didn't sound as full like they do on "Walking Wounded."
"Eden" is a beautiful album, and if you've thought about checking out early EBTG, you won't be disappointed. Just don't expect a album of deep house music. :)

Genre: Indie pop, Jazz pop, Bossa nova, Jangle pop
Quality: FLAC

>>> Soft Touch