Hello people!
As some of you might know, I used to write a lot of review/articles about music on the internet. I have not done that in a very long while so I thought it was time to do that again! So I decided to present you one of my favourite albums ever, Black Ocean by Imeruat. It is not very known here, and deserves to be because this is simply genius music!
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| Masashi Hamauzu and Mina |
First of all, a word about Imeruat. The band was formed in 2011 by Masashi Hamauzu and the Ainu vocalist Mina. Hamauzu is a Japanese/German videogame composer known mainly for his soundtrack of Final Fantasy XIII. He also worked on Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Dirge of Cerberus, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection, the SaGa series, and many others. He has studied classical music, which has a lot of influence on his compositions. He started to have an interest for the Ainu culture, which led him to create the project Imeruat with vocalist Mina. The Ainu is an indigenous ancient culture of Japan from which Mina descends. The influences of this culture are present in Imeruat's music throughout themes and also various instruments played by Mina, the mukkur and tonkori.
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| Mina playing the tonkori |
With Masashi Hamauzu on piano and composition and Mina on vocals, mukkur and tonkori, also join other talented musicians, amongst them Mitsuto Suzuki who is one of the composers of the soundtrack of Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Hamauzu and Mina's collabortation date from before Imeruat. Actually, they started working together on the soundtrack of Final Fantasy XIII. Those who have played will instantly recognize Mina's unique voice from the game. You can hear her on these tracks : Battle Results, The Gapra Whitewood, Choose To Fight and Sulyya Springs. Some of them are actually reprised in their live shows, also including a new version of Blinded By Light featuring Mina's singing.
Hamauzu and Mina's collabortation date from before Imeruat. Actually, they started working together on the soundtrack of Final Fantasy XIII. Those who have played will instantly recognize Mina's unique voice from the game. You can hear her on these tracks : Battle Results, The Gapra Whitewood, Choose To Fight and Sulyya Springs. Some of them are actually reprised in their live shows, also including a new version of Blinded By Light featuring Mina's singing.
Imeruat - Black Ocean
1. Black Ocean
2. Cirotto
3. Leave Me Alone
4. Giant
5. Haru no Kasumi
6. Left
7. 6Muk
8. Morning Plate
9. Imeruat
10. Little Me
11. Battaki
12. Yaysama
13. Springs
This album is very eclectic, as it contains tracks of different styles and cannot be associated to one particular genre (which in my opinion makes it so interesting).
It starts off with the stunning title track Black Ocean, sung by Mina in English (and I have to say she has a lovely english accent). This track has a powerful evocation power; as soon as the first notes start you feel transported in another world. This piece has some deep electronic sounds that create a particular, enchanting ambiance. I also love how it is generally slow-paced but gets very energetic and a bit crazy in a pure Hamauzu fashion on the chorus. One who enjoys Masashi Hamauzu's music will notice the dissonant notes especially on the powerful chorus, which makes his music so unique.
The second track, Cirotto, is one of my personal favourites. It is completely enthralling. The song has this traditional, folk feel brought by Mina's signature tonkori playing. The combination of this instrument with the piano and the strings truly is magical. The track starts with the tonkori playing the main melody accompanied by the beautiful piano playing of Hamauzu, and is later joined by the violin which takes over playing the main melody over the tonkori still playing its tune. Seconds later, a cello joins in and finally, Mina's voice takes over, singing over these four instruments still playing their own melody. It is this unique type of dissonance and harmony we find in this track again that creates a very particular sound which is so pleasant to the ear. When I first heard this track I was very (and pleasantly) surprised by Mina's singing. She uses in this song a very deep and velvet-like voice which is different from her high-tone singing we are more used to hearing from her. It is also interesting to know the story behind that song, which is actually based on a traditional Ainu chant called the upopo, which was passed from a generation to the other by Mina's ancestors. It came from the people living in the ancient village of Cirotto-Kotan. The cultural and historical aspect of this piece add to its charm and interest.
Another one of my favourites is Giant. This instrumental piece is played on piano only at first, which is later joined by a violin who repeats the melody in a canon, and then both instruments go their own way, creating a fast-paced and intense harmony. During the whole track there is a spoken poem in German which adds to the intensity and drama of the song. This piece acquires its full meaning when you watch the video. Mina is absent from the song, but she is well present in the video, showing us a whole new dimension of herself : her dancing. The choreography accompanies the music perfectly and is a pure delight to look at. Here it is :
I could litterally watch that video and listen to that piece for hours, and I actually did it haha ;) Mina's dance is just perfect, it is litteraly hypnotizing! Left is another piece which, like Black Ocean, uses a lot of electronic sonority. It is all accompanied by a fast paced and repetitive piano playing which is also joined by a second and more faint dissonant piano track. The musical piece plays along a spoken dialogue between Mina and a man and seems to be about her rights as an artist not being respected. Then the signing begins and the song reaches it's emotional apex on a very strong sentence sung by Mina : ''I take off my costume to avoid being noticed'', and the following lines. Her voice is very ethereal on that song. The whole of that piece reflects the theme of conflict and I would say it is an emotionally intense song. I think this Left sounds a lot like some of the music Hamauzu has written for Final Fantasy X, and I am sure those who have played the game will have the same feeling.
The track Imeruat, which also is the name of the band, probably is the strongest of the album. It is interesting to know that imeruat means ''Lightning'' in the Ainu language, which inevitably reminds of Hamauzu and Mina's work on FFXIII, not to mention that this song sounds exactly like something that could have come straight out of Final Fantasy XIII. I have to say that this is probably my personal favourite and that I have listened to this track thousands of time, so it is not easy for me to write an objective review of it. I think the song speaks pretty much for itself and you can judge by yourself listening to it. The harmony between the strings and the piano and Mina's enchanting voice creates something litterally magical. Here is the video for the song, directed by Masashi Hamauzu (who is also a brilliant photographer).
6Muk is a track with a more folk feel to it, especially with Mina's very particular singing on it and her playing of the mukkur, a traditional ainu instrument which produces a very special sound. Battaki has this similar atmosphere too, which makes both pieces rich and colourful songs that stand out of the rest of the album. In both cases, Hamauzu's recognizable and lyrical piano playing accompanies the deep and powerful singing of Mina, which is very different of her more ethereal singing in pieces like Imeruat. It shows the depth and range of her hugely versatile voice.
Leave Me Alone, even if it sounds lighter in its form, is strong by its lyrics and Mina's singing. The piano pattern is pretty simple, yet catchy and captivating. The same kind of musical pattern is heard in Haru no Kasumi, which is a soothing and rather calm song in which Mina uses her voice in her pure apeasing ethereal fashion. Yaysama goes a bit in the same vein and is also a light song which almost sounds like an uplifting lullaby.
The album closes on the bewitching piece Springs, which once again is one that reminds me a lot of the music we hear in Final Fantasy XIII. It is probably the song on which Mina's voice is the most delicate, heavenly-sounding. The piano playing is mesmerizing in this song and the very faint but well present flute and pipes playing contribute to this entrancing magical atmosphere. If you listen to this piece and close your eyes, you will truly feel transported to another place, and the title is very well chosen because one can really picture those enchanted springs listening to that songs; springs that would come straight from a surreal world. (It reminds me slightly of the piece Sulyya Springs from Final Fantasy XIII, and I think this song could have gone well with this particular scenery, or either the Macalania Forest in Final Fantasy X.)
Sometimes, it seems like some musical talents were litterally born to work together, and when they meet, it creates the best pieces of music ever heard. It is the case with Masashi Hamauzu and Mina. The album Black Ocean is one of these albums that grow on you the more you listen to it. It is an immensly deep and rich music that has more to it than what you can hear in only one listening (which is relevant for any of Masashi Hamauzu's work). If you liked the music of Final Fantasy XIII, then it is 100% sure that you will love Imeruat. If you never played the game, this album is still enjoyable for anyone. It would suit a Final Fatnasy game perfectly, but it was not conceived as a videogame music album and goes a lot farther than that. It is a very eclectic and versatile album that has some intense, fast-paced and richly emotional songs, beautiful traditional folk-sounding music and even some soothing ballads. It is an album that will make your mind travel and that is sure to make you dream. I would recommend it to anyone and it deserves to be known more! I really hope I will be able to see Imeruat live one day!!! :D It is music like nothing else you will ever hear! Masashi Hamauzu writes some of the most complex and brilliant music ever and Mina's voice is rich, deep and has an amazing range and versatility (a rainbow-coloured voice as Masashi Hamauzu would say!), not to mention all the different instruments used. It is a musical journey that is worth taking, and I promise you will not regret it!
To close this article, I will post here Masashi Hamauzu and Mina's latest collaboration, Crimson Blitz, from the upcoming game Lightning Returns : Final Fantasy XIII, enjoy :)
Another one of my favourites is Giant. This instrumental piece is played on piano only at first, which is later joined by a violin who repeats the melody in a canon, and then both instruments go their own way, creating a fast-paced and intense harmony. During the whole track there is a spoken poem in German which adds to the intensity and drama of the song. This piece acquires its full meaning when you watch the video. Mina is absent from the song, but she is well present in the video, showing us a whole new dimension of herself : her dancing. The choreography accompanies the music perfectly and is a pure delight to look at. Here it is :
I could litterally watch that video and listen to that piece for hours, and I actually did it haha ;) Mina's dance is just perfect, it is litteraly hypnotizing! Left is another piece which, like Black Ocean, uses a lot of electronic sonority. It is all accompanied by a fast paced and repetitive piano playing which is also joined by a second and more faint dissonant piano track. The musical piece plays along a spoken dialogue between Mina and a man and seems to be about her rights as an artist not being respected. Then the signing begins and the song reaches it's emotional apex on a very strong sentence sung by Mina : ''I take off my costume to avoid being noticed'', and the following lines. Her voice is very ethereal on that song. The whole of that piece reflects the theme of conflict and I would say it is an emotionally intense song. I think this Left sounds a lot like some of the music Hamauzu has written for Final Fantasy X, and I am sure those who have played the game will have the same feeling.
The track Imeruat, which also is the name of the band, probably is the strongest of the album. It is interesting to know that imeruat means ''Lightning'' in the Ainu language, which inevitably reminds of Hamauzu and Mina's work on FFXIII, not to mention that this song sounds exactly like something that could have come straight out of Final Fantasy XIII. I have to say that this is probably my personal favourite and that I have listened to this track thousands of time, so it is not easy for me to write an objective review of it. I think the song speaks pretty much for itself and you can judge by yourself listening to it. The harmony between the strings and the piano and Mina's enchanting voice creates something litterally magical. Here is the video for the song, directed by Masashi Hamauzu (who is also a brilliant photographer).
6Muk is a track with a more folk feel to it, especially with Mina's very particular singing on it and her playing of the mukkur, a traditional ainu instrument which produces a very special sound. Battaki has this similar atmosphere too, which makes both pieces rich and colourful songs that stand out of the rest of the album. In both cases, Hamauzu's recognizable and lyrical piano playing accompanies the deep and powerful singing of Mina, which is very different of her more ethereal singing in pieces like Imeruat. It shows the depth and range of her hugely versatile voice.
Leave Me Alone, even if it sounds lighter in its form, is strong by its lyrics and Mina's singing. The piano pattern is pretty simple, yet catchy and captivating. The same kind of musical pattern is heard in Haru no Kasumi, which is a soothing and rather calm song in which Mina uses her voice in her pure apeasing ethereal fashion. Yaysama goes a bit in the same vein and is also a light song which almost sounds like an uplifting lullaby.
The album closes on the bewitching piece Springs, which once again is one that reminds me a lot of the music we hear in Final Fantasy XIII. It is probably the song on which Mina's voice is the most delicate, heavenly-sounding. The piano playing is mesmerizing in this song and the very faint but well present flute and pipes playing contribute to this entrancing magical atmosphere. If you listen to this piece and close your eyes, you will truly feel transported to another place, and the title is very well chosen because one can really picture those enchanted springs listening to that songs; springs that would come straight from a surreal world. (It reminds me slightly of the piece Sulyya Springs from Final Fantasy XIII, and I think this song could have gone well with this particular scenery, or either the Macalania Forest in Final Fantasy X.)
To close this article, I will post here Masashi Hamauzu and Mina's latest collaboration, Crimson Blitz, from the upcoming game Lightning Returns : Final Fantasy XIII, enjoy :)
(c) Hope Alexander (David Giroux) for the text, all rights reserved.
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