Sonic Lost World - Music Thread

[Blue Blood]

I also have to question Ohtani's musical direction at all, I'm assuming that once again he's working as the music director for the game. Lost World's music just sounds way too different from past games' - I really wonder if that was a conscious decision on his part.

 

Yeah, he was the sound director. Sonic's not once had music that sounds anything like Tropical Coast 1 or Lava Mountain. No, they sound like they came out of the Mario series. And even Windy Hill which isn't really Mario-esque, it very different to the Sonic norm. So I agree with you. The game as a whole is trying to be something different to what the series is known for, so it wouldn't surprise me if that was a conscious effort on Ohtani's part because it clearly was on everybody else's.

[Brad]

I also have to question Ohtani's musical direction at all, I'm assuming that once again he's working as the music director for the game. Lost World's music just sounds way too different from past games' - I really wonder if that was a conscious decision on his part.

I personally consider it a great direction, I like the experimentation and how it sets itself apart from other games in the franchise. I really wouldn't mind seeing him come back as the sound director for the next game. In fact, I'd probably be pretty happy.

[Soniman]

I wouldn't really call a track like Windy Hill since I believe it sounds akin to something like Classic Rooftop Run or something.

[Blue Blood]

I personally consider it a great direction, I like the experimentation and how it sets itself apart from other games in the franchise. I really wouldn't mind seeing him come back as the sound director for the next game. In fact, I'd probably be pretty happy.

 

Bearing in mind he also directed '06, Rush Adventure and Unleashed, and also contributed lots to Colours and Generations under the guidance of Tokoi and Senoue respectively. Ohtani is great.

[JezMM]

I'm all for experimentation but I certainly wouldn't call the musical direction experiment a success.

 

Much like Sonic Lost World on the whole actually.

 

 

...Does that make it a perfect soundtrack then?

 

 

 

Well frankly I'll forgive everything for Sea Bottom Segue.

[Soniman]

I think the OST accomplishes what it was going for, a more derivative type of soundtrack for the series for an overall derivative game, and it's not a bad direction at all, just a different one.

 

I wouldn't mind all that much if Tomoya went back to a more standard Sonic soundtrack, but overall I think Sonic Lost World has a solid soundtrack.

[Celestia]

Bottom line, I enjoy the soundtrack, but the best Sonic soundtracks tend to have more variety in composers. I mean, compare something like Generations where we had Cash Cash, Jun, Ohtani, Tokoi, etc. etc. ...to, well:

 

[JezMM]

It's nothing short of bizarre that Naofumi only contributed that one track (though I guess one stage music is less strange than two map themes in Colours).  I guess they must be friends and Ohtani was like "hey fancy doing a track for the new Sonic just for fun?"

 

 

I wonder if the music is so varied as well because Ohtani simply got burnt out on the "normal" stuff and wanted to do some slow atmospheric music for a change (but naturally the levels in Lost World don't drip atmosphere so "atmospheric" resulted in the quirky tracks we got to fit the envioronments).

[Jovahexeon Jax Joranvexeon]

No, it's similar to the Sky Road 4 boss music, but has drums.

Looking for this?

 

[Sean]

Whatever reservations I have about the soundtrack, Tropical Coast 3 has managed to escalate rather quickly into my top favorite Sonic songs of all time. I've been listening to it so much today. One of my favorite bits is that fast-paced synth that you hear right before it loops again. And the build up of the violins as you listen more to the song is so fucking euphoric.

Oddly enough, I think Frozen Factory 1 is pretty high up there too among my favorite ice zone themes. It's just so fucking cute; I think it's perhaps the most adorable song to come out of the series to date.

[Willsy]

I love Frozen Factory 1 as well.

It's like a heavenly mix between Ice Cap and Cool Edge composed by angels.

Sky Road 1 has to be one of my favourite songs in the franchise now, along with Tropical Coast 3.

[Zavok the SpinningSilver]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5VIO1mFmsc

 

Dat violin. I swear Takahito Eguchi outdid himself with the cutscene music, especially with this song. It's so twisted and dark, befitting Zavok's dastardly deeds and malicious schemes.

 

I find it even better when he adds a choir and organs to the mix:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-3RWEhyiIc

 

Eguchi - san needs to seriously keep making shit like this. It's beautiful.

[Junko]

I love the wubs, damn it.

[Milo]

Thanks for not giving me credit :V

 

sorry, will edit. :S

[Sami]

Desert Ruins 1 and 2 are some of my favorite themes from the entire series, the boss themes are exceptionally good, and there were a few other tracks here and there that I really enjoyed.

 

The rest range from forgettable to bad though.

 

You know who would have been great? Motherfuckin' Hideki Naganuma. 

 

 

 

If they ever want to do a "different" approach again, then this is the way to go in my opinion. Like noted before, Lost World just doesn't sound very "soniccy" much of the time. Probably because a lot of the music tries to sound like Mario music (UUUGGGHH). Sonic Rush was definitely out of the norm for the series, and yet it actually fit. We've gotten plenty of promo art and other official stuff showing Sonic as a DJ, suiting the heavy use of samples and other "DJ-esque qualities (...?)" of the music, the games by nature are supposed to be very fast and hectic, which matches the music perfectly, and the tone of Rush's music gels with the gameplay perfectly, be it in cutscenes, boss fights, or ordinary levels.

 

Naganuma's style doesn't match what's been previously established for the series, but it still fits it very well. Sort of how two voice actors can give different interpretations of a character yet still have both fit well. That's how I see it, anyway.

 

If they wanted something different, they really should have gotten someone who excelled at doing different things, rather than trying to force a million different styles onto a single person.

[Willsy]

Someone needs to do a mashup of the Believe in Myself remix and the original.

That, and Tropical Coast 1 and Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid.

[kimplix]

TL;AD (Already downloaded)

Mind for the 3 volume's download? I know that I got the Soundtrack already from Ashram, But I do like to keep things in track now and then

[Soniman]

 

If they ever want to do a "different" approach again, then this is the way to go in my opinion. Like noted before, Lost World just doesn't sound very "soniccy" much of the time.

 

 

 

So, other than express disdain for that word yet again I have to wonder if we've forgotten the incredibly wide range of Sonic music. From the bizarre stylings of Secret Rings, to the incredibly out there celtic tunes of Black Knight, from the rap of SA2, etc. Also all the weird ones like Spinball, Sonic CD US, and Sonic R.

 

Compared to all these varied soundtracks the series has had over the years, I find it very hard to believe that SLW's is the first non-Sonic-y we've ever had. And I don't really understand how it sounds all that much like Mario either, TC1 and 2 are the only tracks I can connect with Mario in like anyway, the rest is just par the course or just different in the case that it's different for Sonic and isn't trying to be a Mario ripoff.

 

Stuff like Windy Hill, Desert Ruins, Frozen Factory', Silent Forest and Sky Road's themes all ring "Sonic" to to my ears. Though I suppose that's just how I see/hear it.

[Sami]

So, other than express disdain for that word yet again I have to wonder if we've forgotten the incredibly wide range of Sonic music. From the bizarre stylings of Secret Rings, to the incredibly out there celtic tunes of Black Knight, from the rap of SA2, etc. Also all the weird ones like Spinball, Sonic CD US, and Sonic R.

 

To be honest, I didn't like any of those soundtracks either.

 

That's not my point though. I'm not saying it isn't Sonic-like in the sense that it doesn't suit the established norm of the series, as Sonic Rush doesn't either. I just don't think the tunes suit Sonic very well, regardless of their actual quality. 

 

Going back to the voice acting comparison - to me, Naganuma's style, Ohtani's style, and Senoue's style are like Ryan, Jason (later on), and Roger's interpretations of Sonic. They're all very different, but they all work fine on their own merits.

 

On the other hand, to me, Lost World, Knuckles' rap songs, and so on are like having Charles Martinet play Sonic. Guy's talented, but it just doesn't suit Sonic in my eyes.

 

Then again Lost World doesn't even look like a Sonic game to me so eh.

[Wraith]

I feel like Lost World takes an almost saturn era approach to its soundtrack. A lot of it sounds like the kinda stuff you'd here in Sonic 3D Blast. That's kinda what hit me as the inspiration for this game. It doesn't sound very Mario to be at all aside from that horrible first tropical resort song and wonder world. 

 

Oh and Hideki Naganuma clashes so hard with everything Lost World does that I'm surprised he's being considered a better alternative.

[Autosaver]

To be honest, I didn't like any of those soundtracks either.

 

Take it back.

[Sami]

 

Take it back.

 

Psh. Step it up.

 

 

seriously though this is my jam right here

[Autosaver]

Sonic Rush is top tier though. That's unfair!

 

.-.

[JezMM]

If I had to define Sonicy, it's that all the unorthodox soundtracks have still sounded really cool and hip.  Misty Lake uses olde englande violins but has classic sonic rock style percussion.  Sonic Riders almost sounds like something you might hear in a club at times.  Secret Rings has an Arabian influence but has full blown lyrical songs sung in a modern style.  Sonic R had a style of music that was totally popular in Europe at the time (and seeing as Richard Jacques was from the UK, he probably composed that music thinking it'd be really cool and with the times, like music you'd hear on the radio!).  Even the classic Sonic games were composed by freakin' pop stars.

 

 

Lost World has shades of this - Windy Hill is very Soincy, and Desert Ruins has that cracking slappy drumwork that keeps it feeling Sonicy just like Misty Lake does.  Sea Bottom Segue... no need to even start.

 

 

But Tropical Coast 1?  Sky Road 4?  They fit the stages perfectly, but they're just not "hip" or "cool" at all.  They sound like they could come from any old platformer.

[Junko]

Psh. Step it up.

 

 

seriously though this is my jam right here

*cough*