Stamped: June 23rd, 2007 | Related Posts
Tagged: anime soundtrack, jazz, Shin Kimagure Orange Road, yuki kajiura.

Let’s get to the roots. Shin Kimagure Orange Road is a popular shounen anime and manga (and also novels and movie) of the 80-90’s.
“Shin Kimagure Orange Road: Soshite Ano Natsu no Hajimari” (Summer’s Beginning) OST is Yuki Kajiura’s first anime soundtrack back in 1996. She did plenty of things before with her band See Saw as well as two movie soundtracks I never heard of.

The soundtrack is rather calm, maybe too calm, it’s an euphemism to say that’s it’s a bit boring, but you probably still want to listen to it to make some comparisons and see by yourself the Kajiuran (r)evolution.

You don’t hear the typical Kajiuran style here, except for the piano tracks and one track named “Door to another world” that has the subsumption of high pitch choirs in the background.
No violins, but lots of synth and electro beats, no sung tracks written by Kajiura (but 3 songs by Aqua feature in this OST) but there is the jazzy style!

So here are my fave tracks, I started with the recognizable Kajiuran track.

1. Door to another world: It’s starts with tinkling sounds mixed with a whispering voice. I’ve never heard whispering voice in any of her other work. So it’s a premiere. And it goes on like that for a while before the real Kajiuran action chimes in: electro beats, synth and of course the uncontrovertible operatic background chant plus some electric guitar now and then.
This tune is maybe the root of the Kajiuran style! Who knows.

2. Nightfall’s destination: I’m not really fond of the intro..To me, it sounds really 80’s… But that’s one of the rare rhythmic song of this soundtrack, so I had to pick it. And after a while, you totally get used to the harpsichord-like synth. It sounds very vampiresque to me.

6. Doko ni iru-no… :I love the sweet intro with that bit of electro beat. The rest is really sweet and peaceful.

4. Opening Theme (Kyosuke No.1): The main theme, nothing more to say, it’s a piano track played by the Master… Very relaxing.
Near the end, along with the tinkle, there s a jazzy touch, sounding very ethereal with the organ-like synth.

5. I want you here (Kyosuke No.1): The main theme again, in another version, more rythmic this time, but still with a piano solo. I’m fond of the arrangement later on in the track, it really contrasts with the calm simple bare beginning. The arrangements-accompaniments get more and more important.

6. Lounge II: Very jazzy track. You really feel in a lounge. Really great.

7. Don’t be afraid: This is not a vocal song written by Yuki Kajiura. But I still decided to put it here since it’s really not bad.
By Aqua.