Anime Soundtracks

[The Xenos]

Just wondering what anime soundtracks and music everyone has listened to.

First and foremost, I'm a Yoko Kanno freak. I consider her one of the best composters and musicians in the world. Imagine if John Williams did all kinds of music and not jsut classical and you can start to imagine how great she is. She has noteably done the wonderful music to series like Escaflowne and Cowboy Bebop. New series she's working on is the new TV series 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex' and 'Wolf's Rain'. Her music ranges from classical (Esca) to techno (GitS) to jazz, country, blues, rock, and all the mix of music that makes Cowboy Bebop.

For a sample of a new song from Ghost in the Shell, this site (http://homepage.mac.com/hanyaan/music.html) has a link to d/l Inner Universe, the OP to Stand Alone Complex. The site also has one of her songs from Macross Plus and a fun (non-Pillows) track from FLCL.

Speaking of FLCL, that has a good sound track as well. Most of it is provided by a great and rather previously unknown j-rock band called The Pillows. I love their sound. I even gave my comic guy a listen and he liked it. I don't know how to describe them or who to compare them too. They just got a really nice rock sound.

Also, for music for vampires and witches (or those who like music for vampires and witches), check out the Hellsing and Witch Hunter Robin soundtracks. Hellsing is rather interesting and dark. The second OST has more guitar work on it. The theme song to Hellsing is rather cool as is 'Bodhisattva Cathedral'. Witch Hunter Robin's OST, like the show, is rather X-Files-ish. While not exatcially like Mark Snow's music, it often has a similar sound. This might be a bit more electronic sometimes or a bit more rock or something.

There are plenty of others and more to talk about, but that's what I can think of right now.

-Xenos

[BubbaGrump]

i'm usually of the mind that a soundtrack is meant to enhance a film, and therefore should remain in the context of the film, not stand above it; if you walk out of the theater saying "ya know, i really liked the music" then the score hasn't really done its job.

but there ARE exceptions. maybe it's just because i've seen them so many times, but i REALLY love the scores in Akira and Metropolis.

Akira has a great *traditional* feel, which is a the obvious dichotomy to the hyper-futuristic presentation. it may be a cliche, but it works for me. i've also heard that there are upwards of three different adaptations of the score. i'm sure someone here could confer/deny that for me.

Metropolis is just cool, and it works in much the same way as Akira. i especially like a couple of movements: the scene when the *firefighter* robots are moving through the city, and then the use of Ray Charles' I Can't Stop Loving You makes me friggin cry every time i see it.

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bubba@onomonopia.com
"...be seeing you."

[The Xenos]

Yeah, the firefighter song is cool.

Plus.. Gosh dammit! Now I gotta play 'I Can't Stop Loving' (which, oddly enough, isn't on the actual soundtrack).

-Xenos

[The Xenos]

*sniff* damn you {tears up}

-Xenos

[Killer Tofu]

I really like the soundtracks to most of the newer gundam series! Espcially the Turn-A-Gundam series. Plus if you haven Macross Plus soundtrack has a kick ass techno beat!

[The Xenos]

Well Turn A Gundam is by Yoko Kanno, of course it's great. I've been listening to her Ghost in the Shell TV one which I finally got all of.

Also I found the Hellsing sound track also works while reading the manga which someone translated online. (Here's hoping it gets liscened and out in the US!)

-Xenos

[The Xenos]

Oh and let me add that Kanno's Wolf's Rain theme 'Stray' was stuck in my head today. I'm hoping to find a longer verion of ilt though since I only have the TV edit.

-Xenos

[akira842]

tank I could listen to tank over and over (beebop open theme) escaflowne soundtrack is hot too.

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KANNEDA!

[ModeMan]

Kanno rules! I specifically bought the 3 disc special edition of the Escaflowne movie just so I could get the soundtrack without paying 50 bucks to get the thing imported. Before I bought it I had most all the songs in mp3 format. Escaflowne series has great soundtrack. Bebop also, and I think that's all I've seen with Kanno doing the soundtrack. Sorry, not much of an anime fan outside of Esca, Bebop, Miyazaki, and the Street Fighter 2 anime movie.

[akira842]

you should check some older titles then like ,GUYVER ,the Tank Police ,PAT labor those are roots baby .If you can do it sit through the whole Robotech (original) it sucks you in.

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KANEDA!

[The Xenos]

Cool news, I hear Pioneer is releasing legist soundtracks in the US. Hellsing is one of them. Heat GUy J might be another one I am interested. They had some cool bagpipe music in the ep i saw. Anime on DVD has a listing here: http://www.animeondvd.com/studio/studio.php?studio=5#music

I also noticed recently that my Trigun Spicey Stewed Dounut soundtrack was put out by Tokyo Pop.

-Xenos

[The Xenos]

*bump*

busy day, more later..

-Xenos

[fhqwhgads]

Ok, I have the Akira soundrack, also Serial Experiments Lain, some Macross stuff, Spicy Stewed Donut from Trigun, and various others. It's all great but--
I have always wanted to get the original Ghost in the Shell movie soundtrack and have never found it in stores, listed on the Muse computers, or for sale on ebay or similar sites. Does it exist?
Is the same person making the show's soundtrack??

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"I was raised by a cup of coffee."

[fhqwhgads]

Ok, went to the site, Xenos. No Ghost... but I don't watch a really wide range of anime, though I really dig the music. I admit to having bought the Spicy Stewed Donut without ever having seen Trigun. I love the techno-jazzy stuff, definately in it's own genre, and the sorta pretty quiet song near the end, and I absolutely love the loud bell song on Akira, and I once made someone almost fall over faint when I started up that album really loud. The Serial Experiments album is great, too, kinda guitar-y. Please Save My Earth is a good album, very quiet...

Here's my point:
What else might I like? I've avoided the stuff that's lyrical (especially the albums like "Min May" singing "My Boyfriend's a Pilot" and all those goofy songs*-- I hear the artist is (was?) absolutely huge in Japan). BUT I do like the sorta poppy asian bands, and especially the Chinese artist Coco Lee, sooooo...???

*I do adore Robotech, though. Watched it when I was 11 or 12 when it first aired way back when in the US. Thank goodness for DVD re-released box sets.

[BubbaGrump]

for ya'll into Fooley Cooley or The Pillows, here's a site with some great info: http://www.projectj.net/pillowscomp.htm

there's also a bunch of other pretty cool JPop bands on there... if you like The Pillows check out The Brilliant Green and The Back Horn. GO!GO!7188 are pretty cool as well...

also, the official Pillows site: http://www.pillows.gr.jp/

and a couple of Yahoo groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_pillows?yguid=127390428 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Over_The_Hybrid_Rainbow?yguid=127390428

as for others, i love the Akira soundtrack, of course. and for some reason i really dig the Teen Titans theme song. any idea who's doing it? i always miss the credits...

-bubba