Eminence Online

Album Review

Motoi Sakuraba is a somewhat polarizing figure in the world of game music. Personally, I'm a huge fan of his early work, but feel his exorbitant output in recent years has left him taxed in the originality department. While he's known for his progressive rock roots, he's since gone on to write a number of great orchestral scores, re-inventing himself in my eyes.

In 2008, he released Forest of Glass, a collection of original piano pieces that he recorded at his home studio, misty inn studio. I was very impressed with the album then, and going back and listening to it now, I really think the blend of orchestral instrumentation with his energetic rock-like compositions are a happy medium where Sakuraba excels. It certainly provides a unique listening experience.

The album opens with the contemplative "Sign," which makes for an effective opening piece with its building intensity and brevity. Ascending arpeggios are broken by an energetic burst to let you know that you're in store for something big ahead. With that, "Blue whirl" enters on a rather whimsical note, but quickly ramps up with rapid melody lines that really sound as thought they're whirling about in the air with all the high-pitched notes.

From there, it's on to my favorite track from the collection, titled "Tone Blender." It's a powerful track that's hard to pin down given the strange time signature and its jumpy melody, which also gives it a distinct progressive rock feel. Next, "Tears" acts as a brief yet thoughtful transition into the next track, "Reminiscence," which sports the same sort of melancholy sound. It picks up about half way through, going into hyper mode with some upbeat passages before the energy fades away into a slow crawl. I'd say this is the most concert-friendly piece on the album.

"Broken Thought" sounds like just that, with some jarring and dissonant chords followed by a maniacal start-and-stop journey through a number of different musical ideas. "Fly!," on the other hand, brings you back to Sakuraba you know and (maybe) love. It's one of the most melodic pieces on the album, sounding like it could easily fit into a game. "n a r r a t a g e ~Being this land~" takes a similar approach with its strong sense of melody, but is much more sweet.

"Forest of sorrow" is a fitting title for such a downcast piece, although it's way too short at only a minute and a half. Continuing the dark vibe, however, "Maze of Mirrors" moves forward with an unsettling progression that is without a solid foundation. It floats here and there without any sense of direction, almost like a wandering ghost.

"Resolution" gets back into classical Sakuraba with its emphasis on bass and rapid-fire melody lines. It sounds like it could be the musical accompaniment to a battle against a friend-turned-foe, as the epic melody has a distressing quality about it. The final track, "Glassy moon," is a subdued and quiet tribute to the night. I love the high-pitched, twinkling little notes. It provide a dream-inducing ending to a great piano album.

I was really impressed by Forest of Glass when it was first released, and I still enjoy it to this day. The art work is really cool as well, with some nice artwork of a lone tree towering above a surrounding forest with a glass-like filter effect added. The booklet features a unique piece of artwork for each track, giving you a visual accompaniment to each of Sakuraba's compositions. The back gives listeners a view of the Bosendorfer 225 piano that was used to record the songs along with the hands that performed them. It's a nice tidy package, and I recommend checking it out if you can find it.

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