Hello everyone! I am Nobuo Uematsu, composer Neo dimension of fantasy.
When producer Hironobu Sakaguchi first contacted me about Fantasian, I decided it would be the last video game for which I would produce a full soundtrack myself.
Since this was going to be my last project with a full soundtrack, I wanted to give it my all. I rearranged my office – cluttered with non-work stuff that was for fun – into what I call “fantasy mode” so I could keep myself creatively busy. I finally spent several months devoting myself to composing and I don’t regret it. Please enjoy Fantasian Neo Dimension, the culmination of my 30+ year career of composing full-length video game soundtracks!
Today I’m sharing five of my favorite songs from the Fantasian Neo Dimension soundtrack.
1. The main theme of Fantasy
Composing the main theme of the game is always a headache. I try to approach it with a “make a song better than anything I’ve ever made” attitude, but progress tends to be ponderous when I take things too seriously. Sometimes my creativity flows when I let go and realize “this is what I do best.” This was the case with the main theme of Fantasy.
2. Prickle and Clicker Theme
A clumsy, antiquated robot, certainly not the latest model – an incomplete creature with fragmented speech, but endearing precisely because of these features. These are the things I was thinking about when I wrote this song. The melody has an awkward, bumpy feel to it, doesn’t it?
3. Shangri-La
This is a song that I personally like very much. This song has a scat vocalization reminiscent of “lan lan~♪”, but it would be nice to perform a live version with the lyrics someday.
4. The Kingdom of God
Is music only considered “right” if it has a handsome melody set against handsome chords, played in a handsome tone? If so, is it a “wrong” piece of music in which a graceless melody is layered over eerie-sounding chords performed haphazardly? Having been in this industry for so long, I sometimes wonder what exactly defines “proper music.”
5. China (destiny) [featuring Yuria Miyazono]
The time it takes for Sakaguchi to write song lyrics is surprisingly compact. In the past, whenever I sent him a completed melody, his first draft was usually ready the next day or the day after. I wish I could say this song followed in their footsteps, but in this particular case I believe his lyrics were written first and I created a melody to go with them. Despite everything, I remember that I managed to complete this track very quickly and efficiently, without any bumps in the road. Speaking of which, Yuria Miyazona’s vocals are so handsome…
Discover these songs in-game when Fantasian Neo Dimension arrives on PlayStation Store on December 5, 2024.
