Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (#980)

[Sonej]

Someone should try to get in contact with Hikichi and/or Miyoko to find out who did what in SFC Ys IV.
So far, all we know is that Miyoko's work list credits her for "arrangement only", meaning she didn't compose any of the exclusive tracks.
The only other thing I'm convinced of is that Tengenji/Masumi didn't compose anything here either, and that's only because he doesn't seem to have composed at ALL; he's only ever been specifically credited as a sound programmer or editor.

What's really weird about the exclusive tracks is that they're VERY compositionally congruent with the J.D.K.-provided tracks--so much so that I'm starting to think J.D.K. themselves might have made them after all.
Which might actually be the case.

All of the Cube members are specifically credited as "sound manipulators" rather than simply being credited for "music" or "sound", which would imply that NONE of them composed the exclusive tracks.
As for the tracks themselves...
The title theme is a more optimistic soundalike of Tsunashima's "Bronze District" track.
"Minea Port" almost perfectly replicates Shirakawa's style.
The "Bronze District" that's actually used makes a less repetitive track out of "Battle Point Ver. B" in much the same way that "Temple" did with "Dela Delon" (Brandish 2).
"Escape with Lilia" is basically a less energetic and optimistic variation of Kaneda's "Tower".

There's only two tracks that I'm iffy on.
"Casnan Fortress" starts off with a Shirakawa-ish melody, but the guitar melody after the second fake loop is much more active and complex than it should be, and the loop as a whole is rather long for him.
Similarly, "Ritual Grounds" is based on "Resurrection Ceremony", but a rather harsh-sounding section in the second half reminds me more of "Gadobistille" than anything else.

But that's still five out of seven, and somehow none of them sound much like any of the known tracks by Kubotera, Hikichi, (except MAYBE "Ritual Grounds"), or Naoyuki.
If J.D.K. really didn't compose these tracks, then Endo seems to be the likeliest to have composed any of them going by his work in Angel Report and Majuu Ou (mainly "The Bridge", "Ice Palace," and "Lava Pits"). Still, I think it'd be pretty weird if it turned out he was the only one who composed anything here.


tl:dr: SFC Ys IV confuses me.