Chudah's Corner

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

View Back Cover	Racing Lagoon Original Soundtrack
	Composed by: Noriko Matsueda, Takahito Eguchi, Ryo Yamazaki
	Arranged by: N/A
	Publisher: DigiCube
	Catalog Number: SSCX-10032
	CD Info: 2 CD - 62 Tracks
	Released: June 19, 1999

Review by: Jormungand

I can't help but feel slightly distressed at the fact that one of my favorite composers, Noriko Matsueda, seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth after scoring Final Fantasy X-2 and helping to arrange its piano album alongside Takahito Eguchi. Eguchi is apparently off scoring anime somewhere, but there's been no sign of Matsueda since her departure from Square sometime in 2004. Which begs the question, where does talent go when it's not wanted? You could ask Hiroki Kikuta and your answer would be "PC hentai games", but perhaps that's going a bit far. No, I like to think that Matsueda's off planning a new life, a new career, a family, world domination, something--anything--that'd put her natural talent to good use. However, until she decides (if she decides--my fingers are crossed) to return to the public music scene, we'll just have to live off the legacies she's left us while employed by Square. And perhaps at the pinnacle of that eight-year career is Racing Lagoon Original Soundtrack, the jazzy electronica score to Square's experimental (though woefully received) racing/RPG hybrid of 1999.

This is also the first time Takahito Eguchi steps up to a larger role, helping Matsueda by arranging some live performances for guitars, sax, drums, etc., and adding his own mixing flavor to the collaborative tracks. Together they kick off the score with "Loop Demo", a fiery piece of electronica that takes no time in breaking down into a sax-led groove over a winding bassline and scattered electronic percussion. This particular stylistic palette makes for a perfect 'image' piece as the rest of the album draws from the energy of the opening track, painting every spectrum of Square's offbeat nightlife racing scene of the streets of Yokohama. The eclectic jazz stylings of "Opening 1" reiterate the vibe, with piano and electronics casting shadows before breezy funk rhythms and an electric guitar melody take over the storyltelling experience. Eguchi also helps out with some of the more heavily mixed tracks like the venomous hard rock of "Zako Battle 2" and the dizzying electronic flow of "Zako Battle 3"; tamer and more tasteful is the engaging "Taiman Battle" with cascading bass lines and jazzy organ smatterings atop rapid-fire drums and synth. Eguchi also provides a sensible remix of the aforementioned Taiman battle, prominently featuring improvised electric organ lines and more crazy bass work.

When Eguchi isn't helping Matsueda arrange however, Matsueda takes center stage with the most intriguing material of the soundtrack. Her signature inclinations come out full-throttle on selections like "Opening 2", with its excellent harmonic painting via electric piano and bass delivering an electrifying yet highly concentrated mood--thankfully, this kind of infectious writing is abundant throughout the entire score. "South Yokohama" misleads with a laidback resampled retro house sound for a few bars, soon after jumping into a smartly paced d'n'b rhythm with bass guitar dancing in arcing phrases. The relaxed bossa nova "Quiet Storm" seems to take our racers on vacation to the nearest coastal resort and is noticeably in no rush to be doing anything in particular with its casual fretless bass line under airy percussion and leisurely piano. "Suspicion" by contrast is highly focused while retaining an emotive calm; beautiful synth harmonies support a simple melody while agile breakbeats converge and erupt beneath a silken surface. The joyous "Yokohama GP Fanfare" victoriously resounds with a celebratory and memorable brass motive backed by an energetic rhythm section. "Star Fall Night" opens with an alluring yet abrasive mirage chasing an unsuspecting bassline over breaks and lithe piano phrases against a soft background of strings. "Awake" hearkens back to Matsueda's Front Mission work, with rough-edged brass chords creating lasting suspense over acoustic percussion and electronic stings.

Matsueda gives life to every aspect one might encounter in the daily life of a street racer, no matter how seemingly mundane. The lazily gliding melody of "Bodyshop" rises and falls over a smartly syncopated electronic rhythmic figure in four; "GS & Wakaba Bank" is peppy and bright while still locked in a vagrant jazz groove; "Save & Load" promises a simple intertia of rhythm and 7th/9th harmony to ease the mind; and of course the downtempo and dryly disheartening atmosphere of "Accident" which would otherwise be perfect were it not for the intrusion of a decidedly 80's-style wailing electric guitar that you've probably heard in a John Carpenter movie at some time or another.

"Ending" is scored for small orchestral ensemble and additional electronics; it's a pleasant rendition of the main theme, but lacks the lasting sentiment something more comprehensively-arranged on the orchestral end would've yielded. The album wraps up with a trio of remixes: the aforementioned Taiman Battle; "Silent Joy Mix" by VAG40 (aka Hidenori Iwasaki), a laidback electronica track that's easy on the ears; and finally Delic 30's "Kawashima no Nayami", a nearly experimental electronica reworking of "Aoi Kawashima" which, despite all its oddities, is nonetheless an intriguing mix of the elegant character theme.

I won't deny some foul-ups here and there that feature uncharacteristically dry material from Matsueda, but that's hardly something I'm going to take into essential consideration when recommending this album as a whole. Her energy and tact is delightful to hear, especially with her clever fusion of jazz composition and electronica mixing to be found in nearly every track. So even if her presence in the video game world has ceased well before its time, I am at least confident in saying that she's left her mark on the scene. That said, this score is certainly her best in this style, and for me contends with Bahamut Lagoon for her best work period (although to my personal tastes drama tends to win over stylistic flair). Either way, this is without a doubt one of the best soundtracks Square has been blessed with. I don't blame them for her departure, but I can still blame them for not hiring her for anything since then. But anyway, all bitter melancholy aside, here's to hoping Noriko Matsueda hasn't backed down just yet--and in all honesty, I feel she's still got a lot left to show the world.

Bottom Line: A