KICA-1393~6: TALES OF THE ABYSS Original Soundtrack

[Secret Squirrel]

A recent edit removed the track-by-track composer breakdown. Is it inaccurate? Placing it here for evaluation.

Motoi Sakuraba: Disc1-02-08, 13-16, 18, 21, 23-24 / Disc2-01-02, 11-13, 16, 19, 22-23, 25 / Disc3-04-05, 07-08, 10-12, 16, 24-29 / Disc4-01-10, 12-17, 20, 24-26, 28-29

Shinji Tamura: Disc1-09-12, 17, 19-20, 22, 25, 27-29 / Disc2-03-10, 14-15, 17-18, 21, 24, 26-28 / Disc3-01-03, 06, 09, 13-15, 17, 23

[Cedille]

There is no official composer breakdown available (except for what little liner notes indicate and Fujiwara's), so it's a fan speculation.

[Datschge]

Indeed, official composer breakdown between Sakuraba and Tamura/Aoyama were never given on the soundtracks. The only official hints are in the liner notes, in-game mentions as well as the arrangements (where Sakuraba only picks his own compositions).

[Zhane Masaki]

"Tone Song" is localized by Namco in-game as "Fonic Hymn". I changed that to reflect the translation as done in-game.

[Datschge]

Looks like Bandai Namco (through NexTone Inc.) recently started adding Tales soundtracks to youtube. The tracks for Tales of the Abyss have per song composer credits which don't appear to be guesses:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBiF...GstxkyaH2u3MgU

[Mac_Tear]

Originally Posted by Datschge

Looks like Bandai Namco (through NexTone Inc.) recently started adding Tales soundtracks to youtube. The tracks for Tales of the Abyss have per song composer credits which don't appear to be guesses:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBiF...GstxkyaH2u3MgU

They added credits to Abyss and Hearts but not to Destiny2 and Phantasia. This is so weird. My hopes got demolished lol. I wonder why they did that. I mean, it's the same company, the same composers.

[Datschge]

Originally Posted by Mac_Tear

They added credits to Abyss and Hearts but not to Destiny2 and Phantasia. This is so weird. My hopes got demolished lol. I wonder why they did that. I mean, it's the same company, the same composers.

My current guess is that it may be related to the defunct Namco Tales Studio, that for games developed there they do have the per composer credits documentation, but they don't for earlier Wolfteam/Telenet Japan developed entries and their ports/remakes, or whatever.

But who knows, the whole reveal is completely random (Rays got no per song composer credits in these days and age!). I'm gladly taking what I get, and hope for more of that!

[Aifread]

I seem to remember Sakuraba and Tamura at different points saying that they aren't contractually obligated to state which tracks they worked on except for a few here and there that have come to light like the battle themes Tamura did. I'm guessing it's because of their status as outsourced freelancers after Wolf Team was acquired by Namco. It could be that policy has changed recently and that's why we're getting Abyss and Hearts now but they still don't have documentation for everything like you said, which would explain why we got a handful more confirmations from the Phantasia 20th anniversary box but still nothing complete. That's certainly been the case for Telenet-era Wolf Team where the CD releases from the time have composer breakdowns but the digital releases of their other soundtracks on EGG from a decade and a half later don't.

[yindesu]

According to the NexTone credits,

Shinji Tamura: Disc1-09-13, 17, 19-20, 22, 27-29 / Disc2-03, 05-09, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27 / Disc3-02-03, 06, 09, 13, 17-18, 23-26

Not credited: Disc3-19-22

[Datschge]

Note that the tracks by Motoo Fujiwara are not included in the playlist. Complete credits:

Motoi Sakuraba: Disc1 02-08, 14-16, 18, 21, 23-26, 28 / Disc2 01, 02, 04, 10-16, 18, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28 / Disc3 01, 04, 05, 07, 08, 10-12, 14-16, 27-29 / Disc4 01-10, 12-17, 20, 24-26, 28, 29

Shinji Tamura: Disc1 09-13, 17, 19, 20, 22, 27, 29 / Disc2 03, 05-09, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27 / Disc3 02, 03, 06, 09, 13, 17, 18, 23-26

Motoo Fujiwara: Disc1 01 / Disc2 20 / Disc4 11, 18, 19, 21-23, 27

Tales of Series SOUND TEAM (original composition Yuriko Keino, arrangement by Shinji Tamura according to the liner notes):
Disc3 19-22

[BlazingAbyss]

These are the English translations featured on iTunes for all the tracks that were exclusively written in Japanese.

Spoiler:

1.02 Prologue
2.04 Encounter
2.13 Fall of Akzeriuth
2.16 Rising Tartarus
3.05 Fall of Saint Binah
3.07 Warfare
3.08 Fall of Chesedonia
3.12 Tartarus Fires
4.07 Van's Death
4.08 Farewell, and...
4.09 Hod Floats
4.12 Cloudless Sky
4.15 The Decisive Battle Begins A
4.16 The Decisive Battle Begins B
4.24 For Everything…
4.25 Return of Lorelei
4.26 The Gaze of That Day
4.28 A Wish for the Starry Sky
4.29 A Flood of Emotions, Reunion

"浮上" is used in the titles for both 2.16 and 4.09, but was translated differently for each track. The former is used in the FMV where the Tartarus rides a Sephiroth Tree in order to escape the Qliphoth and return back to the Outer Lands. The latter is used in the FMV where Eldrant (a replica of Hod) emerges from the sea. Personally, I'd have probably translated "浮上" as "rises" since it would fit well in both contexts. "Rises" would work especially well in the latter's case since it holds a double meaning. Hod is both literally rising from the sea and metaphorically rising from the grave.

Additionally, these are the titles used for each area in the English release.

Spoiler:

1.09 The Grocer's Hamlet, Engeve
1.10 Cheagle Woods
1.19 The Citadel, St. Binah
1.20 Fubras River
1.22 The Border Fortress, Kaitzur
1.25 Choral Castle
1.27 Katsbert Ferry
1.28 The Center of Trade, Chesedonia
2.01 The Capital of Light, Baticul
2.03 The Abandoned Factory
2.05 The Desert Oasis
2.08 The Mining Town, Akzeriuth
2.09 Akzeriuth Mine Shaft 14
2.10 Shurrey Hill
2.15 The Watchers' Home, Yulia City
2.17 The City of Fon Machines, Belkend
2.18 Ortion Cavern
2.21 Aramis Spring
2.24 Headquarters of the Order of Lorelei, Daath
2.25 Oracle Headquarters
2.26 The Silver World, Keterburg
2.28 Theor Forest
3.01 The Floating Capital, Grand Chokmah
3.03 The City of Craftsmen, Sheridan
3.13 Mt. Roneal
3.14 Mt. Zaleho
3.15 Isle of Feres
3.17 The Hidden City, Nam Cobanda Isle
3.23 Mushroom Road
3.27 Coliseum
4.17 The Glorious Land, Eldrant

1.09: It is instead listed as "The Grocers' Hamlet, Engeve" in the "Malkuth Imperial Census" which can be found within the Grand Chokmah Palace. It being plural actually makes more sense as the village is comprised of several grocers.

2.03 & 2.05: They feature a "The" in their names when they're first visited, but in the menu said "The" is dropped and the locations are simply referred to as "Abandoned Factory" and "Desert Oasis" respectively.

2.24: Unlike the other areas listed on the soundtrack, the Japanese title ("ローレライ教団総本山") omits the area's specific name, that being "Daath" ("ダアト.") However, in-game, the full title ("ローレライ教団総本山 ダアト") is used.

3.27" "闘技場" would literally translate to "Arena," but it was changed to "Coliseum" in the English version. This is likely because the type of arena featured in the game is clearly a coliseum.

Originally Posted by Datschge

Note that the tracks by Motoo Fujiwara are not included in the playlist. Complete credits:

I'm assuming that it is, but just to clarify, is this composer breakdown that you posted based on what was listed on the YouTube playlist?

[Phonograph]

jasrac hasn't english for 2 tracks of disc 2

JP / itunes / jasrac
---------------------
102 プロローグ / Prologue / PROLOGUE
...
204 対面 / Encounter / MEETING
213 アクゼリュス崩落 / Fall of Akzeriuth / -- (probably AKZERUTH COLLAPSE)
216 タルタロス浮上 / Rising Tartarus / -- (probably TARTAROS SURFACING)
...
305 セントビナー崩落 / Fall of Saint Binah / ST (also with SAINT) BYNAH COLLAPSE
307 戦乱 / Warfare / DISTURBANCES
308 ケセドニア崩落 / Fall of Chesedonia / CASSADONIA COLLAPSE
312 タルタロス打ち込み / Tartarus Fires / TARTAROS DRIVING
...
407 ヴァン死亡 / Van's Death / VAN'S DEATH
408 決別、そして... / Farewell, And... / FAREWELL, AND...
409 ホド浮上 / Hod Floats / HOTO SURFACING
412 晴れ渡りゆく空 / Cloudless Sky / TO THE CLEANED UP SKY
415,6 決戦の時来たるA,B / The Decisive Battle Begins A,B / A DECISIVE BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE A,B
424 すべてのために… / For Everything... / FOR ALL...
425 ローレライ復活 / Return of Lorelei / LORELEI RESTORATION
426 あの日の眼差し / The Gaze of That Day / A LOOK OF THAT DAY
428 星空への願い / A Wish for the Starry Sky / A WISH TO THE STARRY SKY
429 溢れる想い、再会 / A Flood of Emotions, Reunion / OVERFLOWING EMOTION,REUNION