[Categories: Music]
GitS SAC OST 2
The second helping of Yoko Kanno’s music written for the GitS: SAC series proves to be of equal quality alongside the first album, if slightly different in style and atmosphere. Once again it’s a typically Kanno-esque mixture of styles and genres that borrow from numerous times and cultures; incidentally it makes for excellent driving music!
Cyberbird starts the record off at a brisk pace and features ethereal-sounding vocal harmonies from that mysterious Gabriela Robin to give it that almost magical quality that Kanno’s vocal tracks often show. It doesn’t so much say anything by itself as set up a feel for what the album sets out to achieve; the atmosphere that a soundtrack provides is an important factor in how effective I consider it to be but fortunately this tune also sounds great taken out of context and played on its own. The full version of the second season opener Rise is featured here too, expanding the TV-sized arrangement with additional verses and a guitar-driven breakdown/middle eight section. It lacks that stratospheric vibe of Inner Universe but the pulsating beat makes it sound more insistent and Origa’s superb vocals give a great sense of continuity.
Jazz has been a recurring theme in Kanno’s back catalogue and is represented here in the form of Ride on Technology and the more playful 3 Tops. Those familiar with the use of horns, virtuoso percussion (I have an immense amount of respect for jazz drummers, what with the challenging time signatures they so often work to) and smatterings of electronic sounds used in a jazz-derived context in her more recent offerings for Darker than Black will know what to expect from them. Idoling in contrast is what I’d expect a song from a futuristic series to be: the lonely-sounding horns feel like they’re echoing across a decaying metropolis and the drum and bass-sounding drum beats clatter and build on that thick, dark atmosphere.
Ilaria Graziano’s contributions are not left out on this album either, as she lends her vocal and lyrical talents to the marvellous I Can’t Be Cool. I can’t place any of the songs in this selection to a particular moment of the series but this one is an exception: I recall it being used in a really suspenseful brain-dive scene and those vocals, that remind me very strongly of early Lacuna Coil, are every bit as evocative as I remember. Her ability to perform tender ballads is also reiterated with I Do, which is almost entirely comprised of her singing with only a piano accompaniment.
Other mellower moments give this album a more relaxed feel than the harder-edged first disc, such as the wistful What’s it For (featuring the dulcet tones of Emily Curtis) and the muted strings and piano lines of To Tell the Truth. To lighten the mood, a full edit of the ‘hip-hopadelic delight’ of Get9 provides a great mixture of rock, funk and even a bit of rap. Pet Food is a frantic and percussive acoustic guitar number that makes use of flamenco-style chords and hints of oriental melodies. Psychedelic Soul offers more guitar work, this time along with a stadium-sized crescendo of percussion and strings with Scott Matthew’s voice riding over it all.
One final full-length edit of a theme song, that of the second season end tune Living Inside the Shell, is yet another fine example of Steve Conte’s vocals and the effectiveness of a good end theme. Most songs of this type are in contrast to the op themes, which are used to draw the viewer in and get things moving, in that they provide a cool-down effect and are often weaker or at least less memorable. This song however is very memorable indeed and is strong enough to feel like an opening theme tune in itself.
Some parts exhibit Kanno’s more, how shall I say, eccentric aspects, such as Go da Da (which sounds like a procession of militant insects and can’t really be taken seriously) and the eclectic electronica of We Can’t Be Cool, although few are of the same level of oddness as the Be Human OST. Even her strangest and most experimental moments give a break from the more serious material and have a peculiar charm of their own.
Summary
It goes without saying that fans of the first disc will love this album too - it features a number of notable songs and interesting bits of background music that helped made the SAC such an outstanding show. What makes this album so worthwhile as a separate production is that it offers something for everyone and in addition the listener doesn’t need to be a fan of the show to appreciate it. Kanno’s enviable reputation has given her an opportunity to collaborate with some extremely talented fellow songwriters and performers, whose talents add even more to what is already a highly recommendable record to add to your collection.
Track listing:
- サイバーバード (Cyberbird)
- Rise
- Ride On Technology
- アイドリング (Idoling)
- I Can’t Be Cool
- 3 Tops
- Gonna Rice
- Get9
- Go da Da
- サイケデリックソウル (Psychedelic Soul)
- What’s It For
- Living Inside the Shell
- ペットフード (Pet Food)
- Security Off
- To Tell the Truth
- I Do
- We Can’t Be Cool
Posted on November 12th, 2007 @ 3:53 am
I don’t normally buy soundtracks but when they used “Cyberbird” in the show I said “I’m SO buying the album.” Imagine my shock when I get the CD and the first thing I hear is that burst of sonic light!
Posted on November 13th, 2007 @ 10:52 pm
@Peter S: Yeah, Cyberbird is one heck of an opening track for that album. It feels a bit more relaxing than the first one but side-by-side both are different enough to keep their individuality. I really want the Solid State Society OST now…