GZ Reviews "Sounds of Onimusha - Samuragoch's Best Selections" 
by The Badger

While multitudes are familiar with the title Onimusha: Warlords, one of the most well-received PS2 titles of early 2001, few are familiar with the epic scope of the game's score, and the depth of this score's accomplishments. Fortunately, thanks to Tokyopop, music fans of all kinds, and not just game music fans, have the opportunity to bear witness to the works of who Time Magazine called "A Digital Age Beethoven," Mamoru Samuragoch.

Skeptical? I too was skeptical when I read such lofty praise. After all, my own recent dabblings into movie scores and other modern compositions turned up little to be excited about - and certainly nothing on the scale of the big 3; "Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach." It just seemed to me that most of the modern materials I listened to, by some of the most acclaimed names (especially in the movie score business), lacked either a unique sound or the instrumental/orchestral depth of the "masters." 

First, a little bit about the composer, Mamoru Samuragoch. Like many of the world's most famous composers, M. Samuragoch began practicing and displaying his musical talents at an early age. He began playing at the age of 4, and by the age of 10, he had composed his first piece. What makes his story even more impressive, and perhaps a bit familiar to those familiar with the life of Beethoven, M. Samuragoch suffered from a hearing impairment at any early age - a condition which worsened with age. Tragedy struck in 1999 when, after a major seizure, he lost his hearing entirely. Since then, he has recovered some of his hearing in one of his ears (which is now supplemented with a hearing aid), and remains deaf in his left ear. Even through it all, he continues to practice and teach his art, focusing a great deal of his efforts toward children and the handicapped. 

It was in 1999, that M. Samuragoch was working on "Rising-Sun," the main theme of Onimusha. It was during that month that this powerful theme was recorded - featuring the largest orchestral group ever assembled for a game soundtrack: 203 members, including the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as many traditional Japanese musicians. 

Which leads me to the work itself. "Sounds of Onimusha" features 30 tracks, totaling over 70 minutes of music. There is no simple way to sum of the overall presence of the work as it seems to take on a number of musical facets throughout its course. The opening features the heart of Japanese traditional  - with a short, almost ritual like, vocal piece. Some pieces, like "Kaedesirabe I," have a strictly musically independent feel, for the lack of a better way of putting it. For example, my guess is, most people would never have any idea the piece was composed for a score of any kind, and would fully expect to hear it played during normal programming on their local classical stations. The key piece, "Rising Sun," is a powerful set of tracks which hearken to the days when movies featured heavily orchestrated and more traditional scores. Another prime example is "Idetach," a personal favorite, which seems to effectively combine the best of Eastern and Western influences to produce a piece that is regal and majestic in scope. 

If it's one thing that this score does, is that it absolutely surpasses the depth and complexity of any game music score I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. I fear I am truly at a lack of words to describe just how much more this score is as a work of art than many other modern compositions. It's amazing to listen to the score and hear (and feel) how many different instrumental layers work together.  I found myself, on more than one occasion, focusing on a particular group of instruments, like strings, and following their progress against what else was happening simultaneously. I couldn't even begin to envision that amount of work that went into writing the entire composition, and I consider myself lucky to be on the receiving end!

Without a doubt, I would recommend this score to anyone who is a fan of the game, AND any fan of classical music. In the very least, you should consider this purchase to fool those "know-it-all" elitists who think that game music can't possibly be taken seriously. It's a gorgeous piece of work which never ceases to reveal new layers and movements each time you listen to it. You can find the soundtrack at finer video game retailers or at Tokyopop.com.