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Liner notes from Yasunori Mitsuda Like always, I have times when I can't do my best when there are new goals or experiments I must achieve. It think it is due to strong pressures that are pushing me down. When I compose for any game, I always first set up a "theme". In this project, I had a story in my mind that was far larger than any theme I had in any game. I was ready for pressure as big as it, though. The developing took time as I predicted, and I had the most difficult time. I anticipated it. Of course, because I was trying to do beyond what I had done. I often thought "Agh! I can't do this anymore!" followed by "..no! I CAN do this! I must!" and advanced little by little everyday. The sound team supported me alot. The sound programmer Hideki Suzuki and sound engineer Tomoyasu Yajima, recording engineer Takashi Nagashima, and the event planner Masato Kato... Without their help, my director Tetsuya Takahashi, and your letters, I couldn't have done this. Thankyou everybody. Oh, how was the content? If you had anything in this CD that you liked, my efforts were worthwhile and it would be a great motivation to my next work; especially fighting against the pressure. Creating traditional music is very difficult, and most Japanese do not like foreign traditionals so much. I think it is because the history and the root of the land are totally different. But, that's is the most fun part. I need to research how the traditional musics in the land were developed, and make the songs more interesting and easy to listen. There are many traditional musics in this CD but they are not traditional musics of any specific land. Actually, they are traditional musics from my own world. I also have to make the music fit the nature of a video game, so they are arranged in such way. It would be a great thing if you listen to the traditionals in this CD and open up your eyes to music all over the world. That would be my dream. Creating something out of nothing requires the most power. I haven't done anything but composing, but I think the same thing could be applied to anything. I often wonder "Why am I doing such a painful thing?", just like how mothers bare and grow their children. (I'm a man, by the way) Women who bore children say that they never want to experience the pain of giving birth again, but they often forget their pain as they grow their lovely kids. There is a never ending love in it. I often worked in musicians from foreign countries, but there is one thing in common. They love music, and money is a secondary thing. I try to enjoy music to the max in the painful process of composing. I believe that by doing so, I could tell my feelings to the people who love music from the bottom of their heart. If I could meet various people by music and comminucate with them, there is nothing more joyful that that. This game has been created by a huge number of people. In the music field by its own, there are as much as a hundred people involved. It is certainly the biggest project I've ever been involved. I can't seize myself of being moved by people's warm heart of listening to my selfish wishes and tried to work with me without complaining. This CD is filled with such hopes and wishes of many people. Ireland's air, Bulgaria's air, and Japan's air along with your room's air. I hope the music of XENOGEARS will blend in with such air and become a strong support of you. Let me say THANK YOU to everyone.
Liner notes from Tetsuya Takahashi (Director) I never thought music was so important. Actually, I haven't even thought about music my whole life. I knew that there must be some kind of music in any game, but I never thought that I would be "saved" by the music. It think it's kind of when all the 8-bit games were transfered into 16-bit machines, when I realized that the sound was superior over the graphics qualities. I can't say I was "shocked", but I was surprized, in deed. 7 years later when everything became 32-bit, I only thought that now graphics could be as expressive as the sound. Then, I never thought I would become a director of one game. As I started to direct Xenogears, I found something "missing". There was something missing from the image I had drawn in my mind and the computer graphics in front of me. I knew that the lack of physical things such as time, quality, and determination were the reasons, and I had to sadly conclude that that was my limit. It was no use stopping there, so I decided to look at the graphics simultaniously with the music that had been finished a long time ago back in 1996. "What!? Wow!! Was this picture really this good? Damn, I'm getting goosebumps!" - All the "clouds" in my mind cleared up. Then, I realized again that the graphics were inferior to sound; to music. I had to admit the importance of music. I also realized that I was being supported by many other people. Of course, there were some times when I was betrayed by someone. I could feel other people's feelings as we were desparate in the last moments. Still, I could not have come here without the help of all the people who tried to support me. Yasunori is one of the people who heavily supported me in Xenogears. Without his music, the game would have been a lot worse than our goal. My determination wouldn't have continued either. This soundtrack holds everything that enhanced me and this project. The three vocal songs are the most amazing. I must say it is superior over any graphics produced in SQUARE. It is good enough to be presented without any excuses what so ever.
Liner notes from Masato Kato (He calls him self "hero of justice") They told me that I could write anything I want. Ok, I will. (LOL) I am really selfish recently.
"Do you still remember it? I have worked with my buddy Yasunori with Chrono Trigger, Radical Dreamers, and Xenogears. We laughed and scorned together, and listened several hundred times to the music. Many of the tunes are still silently singing in my heart.
"Everything seemed like a dream. The far away days of Summer. We always have fear and awe against the unknown. Why would we find happiness and calmness in music that we face for the first time? It's probably because... "There must be someone from long ago living in you that like this melody..." Don't you find yourself with explanations like that, even if it's not Shitan-sensei telling you? Especially in silent and lonely nights when you turn your ears toward the secret "words" that this small silver disc tells you... Yes, the present from Yasunori filled with his wishes is in your hand.
Congraduations. And, thanks.
"Ah... I always find my self returning
Liner notes from Hide Suzuki (Sound Programmer) Hi. I'm Suzuki, the sound progammer in Xenogears. I just moved, and found some empty spaces in my room. It's great. Maybe I'll make a layout of NGage which I collected a long time ago... The downside is that it's far away from the station. My bike is getting useful, but I it's kind of hard for my weak body... Xenogears was my third game in PSX. After finishing, I found many points where I must improve on. File management, Data conversion, and sound programming itself. I must have caused many difficulties for my bosses by creating too much file, making programms complicated, and being selfish. I couldn't rebuild my system since I didn't have time between projects, but I think I got some time now to completely rebuild it. I think I'll take some vacation now that Xenogears is done...
Interview with Joanne Hogg (vocalist) Yasunori: What did you think when you first heard about this project? Joanne: Um... I was really interested, since it was totally different from anything that I've ever done. I thought it sounded really fun. Of course, I've never been offered such large amounts of money. (LOL) Yasunori: Did you like the songs? Joanne: I thought they were really good. Still, it was hard for me to understand what the lyrics wanted to say since I didn't know about the game story. I had to translate and arrange the lyrics myself so that it would fit the melody, making it more Celtic. I thought it went well, overall. Yasunori: What do you think of today's recording? Joanne: I was glad there were no problems. I wish everyone can become satisfied. I think that's the most important point. Well, I think I did the best I could do. Everyone was really kind and the it was a fun project! Yasunori: Any message to the Japanese fans? Joanne: What should I say...? (LOL) Yasunori: Like "Buy the Iona CD!" ?(LOL) Joanne: Well, the Iona is really different from this album. I wrote my own songs and lyrics, so it reflects my self really well. This time, it reflects more of you than me. If you like the two vocal songs I sang, you can probably enjoy Iona, though. Yasunori: Have you had any corporative projects? Joanne: I've participated in a dance-musical project. It was a group named "Hydro" in the UK. It was really different from anything that I've done, since they were a group of Ambient style dance. Yasunori: What was the band name again? Joanne: It's not a "band"... Yasunori: Unit? Joanne: Kind of. It's "Hydro". They took the a cappela song in Iona and changed it into a dance. Of course, I sang songs that they composed, too. I might participate in Rick Wakeman's project next year. (this interview was done in 1996) Yasunori: The 70s music, right? Like Cat Stevens... Joanne: Yes. 1977. Yasunori: Well, thanks for everything today. This two days were really fun. I'm glad that the outcome is this good. I wish I could speak English better.. (LOL) I'll study from now on! Joanne: There are many things that words can't tell. Isn't music the world-wide language if we think about it?
Interview with Davy Spillane (recording director) Yasunori: What did you think when you first heard about this project? Davy: I was really excited..! Being an artist hired by Sony sounded really cool, but I love computer games. I also thought that it was a really radical project for me, since it was totally different than what I always do. I was so happy that I was laughing alone! Yasunori: Did you like the songs? Davy: I loved the ending theme. (Davy even sang the chorus part himself) It was the kind of melody I like, and I often write these kind of music. The bottom half is really beautiful. It's bringing me new ideas. The chord change is too wonderful. Did I say this song rules? Yasunori: What did you think about the session? Davy: I think it went well and ended well. The most important thing in recording is that the original composer is satisfied. If you are sastisfied, I am, too. That makes me happy, since my job is to make you happy. Yasunori: Do you play games? Davy: Of course. I'm trying to write a game myself on Playstation. I have a lot of computers, but I love Macs in particular. They are really great for music. I mostly like flight sim games, and I also have a lot of games for my PC. I'm considering selling my PC, though. It's too expensive just for games. Yasunori: Do you have any messages for the Japanese fans? Davy: Message~? Yasunori: Your CD is being sold in japan, too. Davy: Oh, that one was the first project under Sony. This is my first year, and I think the first year is the most important since I must learn about the company. I hope the next album can be a greater success. I really want to visit Japan. I realise many things in my house are "made in Japan". I want to learn about "samurai", too. Their philosophy becomes importnat in music, too. Yasunori: You can'd find any samurais now a days, you know... Davy: Of course, unless I go back 300 years. I want to learn about their philosophy or... Yasunori: Way of thinking? Davy: Yeah. Way of thinking. I really don't know a lot about it, though. I think I'm somewhat different than a normal Irish. I hate pubs and prefer mechs. I also get interested in foreign elements like Japan. Yasunori: I had a great time today. I've always been a fan of you and listened to your albums : ) Davy: Really? That's wonderful. Thanks a lot! Today, I became your fan, too. Yasunori: I think today's recording was successful with warm tones of your style. Davy: Thanks again for calling me for this session. It's a real honor for me. I hope I can work with you again, not limited to Playstation. I hope this CD will take me to Japan. Let's meet in Japan someday.
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