VICL-60369~70: Tales of Phantasia Original Soundtrack Complete Version

[CHz]

Does anyone know what Ryota Furuya's contribution to the Tales of Phantasia soundtrack was? He's listed under music composition in the game credits for the original SNES version, but not the PSX or GBA versions. SEMO has a track-by-track composer breakdown that doesn't list Furuya anywhere on this album, which makes sense because this is the PSX version soundtrack. Did the SNES version have music that the other versions didn't?

[Datschge]

The SNES version had an untitled staff roll track which wasn't used in the subsequent ports anymore. Ryota Furuya used to be mainly the dude at Wolfteam responsible for doing the SFX, with the occasional tracks here and there. In the past I saw him being credited for tracks like Second Act and Morlia Gallery, but that's highly unofficial as well. I'm not sure that's any more of a confirmation either way, sorry. =P

[flybefly]

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/dim/20061204

[Gigablah]

That's not confirmation though. The last line of that review essentially says there's "a large possibility that Ryota Furuya was also involved" due to him being part of Wolf Team.

[DarioEMeloD]

Arranged by:
Toshiyuki Takizawa

That means he arranged all the tracks, or...

Ridget Racer (2-36) composed by:
Shinji Hosoe

Arranged by:
Toshiyuki Takizawa

...just this one?

I'm kinda confused with that =S






Also, about Ryota Furuya:

http://www.geocities.jp/mazelte/musicn/top.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_Phantasia#Audio (I know Wikipedia isn't the best source, but hey, his name isn't there either XD)

I guess he was credited in the SNES version for introducing the voice samples, which were necessary for Yume wa Owaranai. =P

[Datschge]

Originally Posted by DarioEMeloD

That means he arranged all the tracks, or......just this one?

I'm kinda confused with that =S

If you read the liner notes it stated there he did all of them. The album is no original soundtrack (as in reproducing the sound of the game) but instead it just took the original score and Takizawa arranged it for playback on his equipment (which is also detailed in the liner notes).

There are no thorough per track credits for any Tales game, Phantasia included, so while we do know that Furuya did sound effects, sound editing and sometimes also composing and arranging at Wolfteam there is no way to prove if he did compose any tracks here. As stated before if the credits in later versions of Phantasia are to be believed he didn't.

[DarioEMeloD]

Ok, thanks for clarifying that
And no, I didn't read the liner notes 'cause I know nothing of japanese XD

[Mac_Tear]

Should Nobuyuki Ohnogi be credited for his work on "Rally X" according to the album information here?

[Phonograph]

the "arrangement" selected is for that one arrange track or for the whole soundtrack?
because that ost hasn't the same music as the game has (that's the reason why I hate this ost and I prefer psf), so I wonder if "remaster" shouldn't be added

[Guitarist500]

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[Datschge]

Generally agree, but "Final Act" is definitely Sakuraba.
"As Time goes on" and "Harvest Festival" should be the same composer as it's a dynamic track containing both in the game (similar to "Euclid" with "Lonely Twilight"), leaning to Tamura. "Sylph" and "Triumph" sound like Tamura to me. "Lake on Ymir" and "Open Fire" rather complex time signature changes are more like Sakuraba. "Perverse Religion" should rather be credited to Bach (Little Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578). For "Credits" (which was removed after the SFC version) I wonder if it that may be by Ryota Furuya (possibly more tracks like all the jingles)...

[Mac_Tear]

I'm not entirely sure about "Raising a Curtain" and "The Second Act", but "Final Act" is definitely Sakuraba's composition - he arranged it multiple times, for instance on Tales Of Series Battle Arrange Tracks 2 or ToP: Narikiri Dungeon X. The former was also arranged (apparently by Sakuraba) on ToS: Dawn of the New World, which could mean he is the original composer, as arranging a Tamura composition is unlikely for him. The latter is arranged on ToP: Narikiri Dungeon X with typical Sakuraba elements, so I guess it's also his baby. Also, it's way too complex for Tamura. "Open Fire" is another composition which basically screams Sakuraba. It was also arranged on ToP: Narikiri Dungeon X in the same veins as "The Second Act", which means...?
"Lake of Ymir" sounds like one of the various town themes, which were done by Sakuraba, and as Datschge said, it's signature is rather complex. "As Time Goes On" and "Triumph" sound also like Tamura to me.

[Datschge]

For Tamura tracks I take the difference in arrangement/instrumentation between ToP SFC and all later versions as an indication that for ToP SFC it was actually handled by Hatsushiba or/and Furuya (who weren't involved anymore thereafter). Among others "Raising a Curtain", "The Second Act" and "Triumph" all lost instrumentation variety and especially these turned into higher pitched (would "screeching" be an unfair assessment?) pieces. Also ToS' "Sheena" and "Raising a Curtain" are cuts made from the same cloth composition wise. The dubious tags for the official ToSC mp3s are better ignored.

[Guitarist500]

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[dissident93]

I'm 99% sure both Fighting of the Spirit and Open Fire are Sakuraba's. What makes you believe they aren't? They both remind me of tracks from Annet Futatabi.

[Datschge]

"Fighting of the Spirit" has been confirmed being a Tamura track for ages now. It's even the only Tales track I recall Tamura tweeting about.

[dissident93]

Really? I guess he tried to do a Sakuraba styled battle track, but the instrumentation isn't something Sakuraba would normally do.

[Datschge]

Instrumentation in sequenced music can easily mislead since instrument data is shared for all purposes and by all composers due to the limited sound memory, for Tales most if not all instruments were created and assembled by Sakuraba. Makes it easy to see how a bass heavy track like "Coup de Grace" in Destiny 2 (which was sequenced, so Tamura used Sakuraba's instruments) can turn in bubbling mess in Destiny R (which was streamed, so Tamura had to make do with his own equipment).

For the record following Phantasia tracks are officially confirmed:
Sakuraba: "The Stream of Time", "Harmonious Moment", "Serene Weather", "Burning Tower", "Take up the Cross", "Who is Good or Evil?", "Final Act", "Olive Village", "I Miss You", "Good-by Friends"
Tamura: "Arche", "Be Absentminded", "Bright Moonlight Night", "Fighting of the Spirit"
"Be Absentminded" and "Fighting of the Spirit" in particular appear as karaoke tracks (similar to Hiouden SFC and Zan 3 Spirits) in the 2000 GBC game ToP Narikiri Dungeon with composing credits specifically to Tamura.

As for any possibility of Tamura doing tracks deviating from standard 4/4 and the occasional 3/4 signatures, highly doubt so. Very unlike Sakuraba his non-Tales compositions never messes with signatures. Meanwhile "Lake on Ymir" goes from 3/4 to something akin a 13/16 signature in the improvised middle part, no way Tamura randomly does something like that.

[dissident93]

True, but the creative process of an individual can prefer a certain instrument/instrumental set more than another, I suppose. Also off topic, but some Hiouden SFC and Zan 3 Spirits songs are also given specific composing credits in Narikiri Dungeon?

[Datschge]

Originally Posted by dissident93

Also off topic, but some Hiouden SFC and Zan 3 Spirits songs are also given specific composing credits in Narikiri Dungeon?

Why? I was only mentioning Hiouden SFC and Zan 3 Spirits because they also had Tamura pieces with karaoke text, the tree games aren't related at all.

[dissident93]

Sorry, I misread.

[Guitarist500]

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[Datschge]

Takeshi Arai did the GBA arrangements. Hiroshi Tamura did some additional stuff for the Western release (like the "Raising a Curtain" arrangement as replacement for the OP).

[fahlim003]

My query regards this video or rather music specifically used in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REFIWJWqrE8
Given the description the custom music used is certaintly based on "Mysterious Japon" but is a much slower tempo and calmer feel overall. I've been unable to contact the uploader or rather they've been unresponsive and so I'm stumped as to what the source for this version is. I've checked the Narikiri Dungeon X version and that too is like the OSCV version, quick tempo and some different instruments. Any help is appreciated.

[Mac_Tear]

It's "SHINOBI life" (Track 15, Disc 3) from Tales of Symphonia, an arranged version of the original "Mysterious Japon".

[fahlim003]

Originally Posted by Mac_Tear

It's "SHINOBI life" (Track 15, Disc 3) from Tales of Symphonia, an arranged version of the original "Mysterious Japon".

Thanks very much, Mac_Tear. I've been trying to find out what this was for a few years now.

[Aifread]

Ryota Furuya should be added as a composer. We still don't know who did what, but the notes in the 20th Anniversary Box confirm that Furuya did composition work, though his role was small. See the thread here for details: https://vgmdb.net/forums/showthread.php?t=15283&page=2

[Phonograph]

I don't remember seeing info being added in older albums because more recent albums have some
if the guy isn't mentioned in this release, I doubt that this release should have info about him added

you shoulda asked before editing

[Datschge]

Originally Posted by Phonograph

I don't remember seeing info being added in older albums because more recent albums have some
if the guy isn't mentioned in this release, I doubt that this release should have info about him added

Omitted credits are still credits that should be included regardless of when they are unearthed or confirmed. Furuya's involvement was known through the SFC version of the game already, the latest soundtrack box just confirmed that Furuya also composed, not only did SFX and arrangement on the SFC version.

The question is rather how to include that info. Furuya never was part of Namco the way this particular album posits, so including him there alongside Sakuraba and Tamura is misleading, even if his music is credited as "Namco" as well. (Edit: I guess the cleanest way would be to have him be "featured" like Onogi and Hosoe.)

[Aifread]

"Featured" doesn't really work either. It's not like how that's normally used as if his compositions came from an unrelated work. If it were up to me, I'd just add him as a regular composer outside the "Namco" parentheses.