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Masashi Hamauzu Appreciation Thread

I'm most fond of The Travel Agency, often an overlooked track in FFX. It's surprisingly well-developed for a minor theme befitting Rin's chain of stations; arrangement's both modern and infused with ethnic hints (all instruments featured would normally belong to the percussion in an orchestra), while the composition itself carries rhythm and melody while falling into the background of a player's mind. Turning on the agencies' tutorial lecterns to this tune always has me smiling.
 
Hamauzu did a fantastic job with FFXIII. The OST features a good mix of both memorable melodic pieces and excellent ambient tracks. And I love his FFX Remaster OST, much more better than the original. I hope to hear another full FF OST composed by Hamauzu in the future.
 
His music is incredible. Been listening to a lot of it recently especially after finding out there is a lot more non video game stuff out there.

Been trying to find his "α" CLOCK work somewhere to purchase over the past couple of days.
 
Any man with a love for violins is a good man.

=P

Hamauzu is awesome. He's half the reason why I want Legend of Legacy.

One of the few composers that can live up to the FF soundtrack legacy (and he did).
 
Battle Theme EX from Unlimited Saga is absolutely amazing and, to this day, one of his greatest pieces.

I am probably one of the biggest Hamauzu fanboys on this board, in all honesty. Absolutely love his work.

Uematsu has a bigger portfolio of work and is a chiptune master, but Hamauzu blows him out of the water when it comes to modern stuff. The leitmotif in Final Fantasy 13 is simply outstanding.

My favorites (apart from Battle Theme EX):
Dance of the Cornered Rat (Sigma Harmonics) < -------- fuckin amazing
Will to Fight (my favorite track in the game)
Sunleth Waterscape (will never forget the first time I heard this, Parish used a clip in Retronauts)
 
He's amazing, definitely one of my favourite composers. I've tried to follow most of his scores and original work, but I've missed Binbougami, Samurai Legend and Unlimited Saga. More to listen to alongside Legend of Legacy, I guess.

And to add to the specific tracks listed so far -

Dust to Dust
Missgestalt
Giant (I prefer the version from Opus 4, but I couldn't find a video...)
Final Battle of Revolution
 
I love Hamauzu's distinct style with strings.

FFX has my favorite OST, followed closely by the XIII and XIII-2.

edit: ^ loved it.
 
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Let's have a Hamauzu appreciation thread! I believe he has earned his place up in the top of the videogame music world alongside Uematsu

What are your favorites from him? Here are some of mine.

Final Fantasy X
Final Battle
Thunder Plains

Final Fantasy XIII
Blinded by Light
Lightning's Theme

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Radiance
Epilogue

Unlimited SaGa
Laura's Theme
The Sacred Starry Skies


oh and his version of Green Greens is wonderful

FFXIII music was great, especially the one from Oerba and Archylte steppe.

About FFX. This one is my favourite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3C8dyo5C7g&index=75&list=PLfseE3JLZwXzC7n7sJWxyClo90wk0_Sf_

Servants of the Mountain
 
I think I first heard of him back when SaGa Frontier 2 originally came out. Loved his music ever since. Every game music fan owes it to him or herself to listen to that entire soundtrack from start to finish, uninterrupted, at some point in their life.
 
Don't even make me start posting his best songs, haha.

This man reignited my love for videogame music and reinforced my passion for music in general when I first read about his being involved in FFXIII back in '09 and got curious. As cliché as it sounds his music really helped me when I felt depressed for the first time in my life after a breakup. There's something about his trademark scales and harmonies that resonates so damn much with me. It's just so magical and beautiful.
I listened to nothing else but Vielen Dank, SaGa Frontier II, Unlimited SaGa, Sigma Harmonics, Musashiden II and Yasunori Mitsuda's Sailing To The World Piano Score album (arranged by Hamauzu) for months straight. That's also when I really started listening to game soundtracks in my spare time a lot, collecting my childhood favorites or other obscure OSTs and also started composing JRPG-like music with SNES/PSX Soundfonts/VSTs as a hobby.

So yeah, Hamauzu will always be very special for me :)


I'll just quote an old post of mine with some Sigma Harmonics stuff. I might add some of my other faves, too, later.
 
Anyone else get his new album?
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It's like Vielen Dank, there are some videogame related tracks in there from FFXIII, SaGa and LoL
 
I really want to hear his Alliance Alive soundtrack, which was released just a few days ago in Japan. There are game rips up on Youtube but I preferred a more structured listening, haha.
 
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