Jam of the Day: A.Y.A. (Theme of AYA Primary Mix) by Yoko Shimomura (parasite eve remixes)

I try to mix up who I highlight on this blog, but Yoko Shimomura has just put out too much good stuff. I can’t help but keep posting selections of her work. I always enjoy the piano emphasis that’s common in her music and this song has it even more than usual. Stick around until the end. The last minute and a half is my favorite part.

Jam of the Day: Final Vanitas Battle by Yoko Shimomura (Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep Soundtrack)

I haven’t posted in awhile. I was out of town 2 weekends in a row and had guests staying over throughout 2 different weeks. Things have been crazy.

I started up Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep the other night. I’m liking it so far. It feels nice to play a Kingdom Hearts game that isn’t a total rehash. I’ve been listening to the soundtrack a lot too.

I’m not far in the game, so I am just going to have to assume that this track is named appropriately (the YouTube video and the music rip have it labeled differently). What I can guarantee is that it sounds awesome. A great mix of previous character themes that I’m sure will have some sort of complicated significance when I get to that part of the game. Enjoy!

Jam of the Day: Somnus by Yoko Shimomura (drammatica - The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura)

It’s funny to think that this track was a sneak peak to a game that, 2 years after the album’s release, still isn’t out. Which game? Why, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, of course! I’m very excited to hear that soundtrack in its entirety, whenever that happens.

Around when drammatica was released, an interview with Shimomura revealed that she felt the PS2 hardware was limiting and how excited she was that the PS3 allowed her more musical freedom. To that I say: Wow, her past generation soundtracks are incredible, I can only imagine what the Final Fantasy Versus XIII soundtrack will be like.

As far as drammatica, it is one of my favorite albums. When I first heard of it, I assumed it was a simple compilation disc. On the contrary, the album contains new (as in, 2 years ago) orchestral recordings of her work from various games. I have no idea how many times I’ve listened to the album over the last 2 years, but I can assure you it is a lot. You should definitely check it out if you at all enjoy Yoko Shimomura.

Jam of the Day: Tetris A by Yoko Shimomura (Super Smash Bros. Brawl Soundtrack)

Believe it or not, one of the things that excited me most about Super Smash Bros. Brawl was the soundtrack. Each week, I would excitedly check the official site to see if there were more song previews of the then upcoming game. With literally hundreds of classic Nintendo songs being remixed by big name game composers, I was overwhelmed with joy.

When I first heard the Brawl version of Tetris A, there was no artist name attached to it, but immediately I knew it was Yoko Shimomura. She is one of my favorite composers and her style was instantly recognizable. Both the pacing and instrumentation sounds like it was lifted straight out of the battle themes found in her Kingdom Hearts scores. You’ve undoubtedly heard many versions of Tetris A before, but none of them are as epic as Yoko Shimomura’s arrangement.