Customer Reviews

Akira: Original Soundtrack

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This peice is the stand alone symphonic work that was written for the movie Akira by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, a little know japanese amateur group. It masterfully blends several types of cultural musical styles from around the world to create a dark and moving work. although it was written for akira, it is a great peice in and of itself.

This is a must-own soundtrack for anyone that's seen the movie. The first track, Kaneda, is pure genius, and is one of the single greatest tracks from any film, in my opinion. The majority of the music on here is excellent, and by all means worth having. The music perfectly reflects the atmosphere of the movie, in more ways than one.

This is an astounding soundtrack. It was actually composed before the film, the animation teams worked around the structure of the music. This CD sounds like NOTHING else you've ever heard. It combines complex vocal/choral work with interesting percussion from throughout Asia especially Gamelan music from Bali!
The soundscape of this recording paints a paradoxical picture, Primitive and high tech,on one hand is is relaxing and beautiful on the other it is menacing and moody,light and dark mixing in orchestral bliss.

This soundtrack really manages to pull off the exact same effect as the movie for which it was created (unlike others such as The Final Conflict, which was an incredible soundtrack for an awful movie). Both the film and its music initially leave the audience wondering, "Now what was THAT?" after a first experience, but after repeated viewings/listenings they take on levels of beauty rarely achieved by any work of modern entertainment. My favorite example is track 4, which basically tells the story of how Tetsuo's powers blossom into a dangerous nightmare of tragic evil; the first time I heard it, it seemed like just a bunch of chimes and people yelling "DA!! DA!! DA DA!!" But now, the piece instantly gives me a feeling of intimidation at the cruelty and corruption true power can elicit. Every track somehow manages to create its own hypnotic, utterly clear emotional response; some are terrifying, others calm and sad, others exciting. A masterpiece every bit as complex and intriguing as the movie, at least if you give it a chance.

This cd is one of the most unique and wonderful pieces of music I have ever heard. It is a shame that the music of Geinoh Yamashirogumi is virtually non-accessable outside of Japan (that means you should carry more, Amazon). This is the only U.S. release from the group and it is well worth it. It will leave you with a hunger for more music from them as it has with me. The compositions and blending of traditional and electronic sounds is mesmerizing. You need not to have seen the movie (which is awesome, by the way) to fully enjoy this cd. It completely stands alone as a masterpiece of music.

This soundtrack is one of the few that I've heard that is a piece of art to rival the film, and if you've seen the film, you know that's saying something. Parts are so subtle and beautiful, they create a space you'd like to crawl in and sleep there for awhile ("Tetsuo," "Doll's Polyphony," and the intro section of "Illusion" in particular.) "Requiem" is a personal fave, the organ fugue is just jaw-dropping!

An atmospheric masterpiece to match the film itself. Traditional Japanese percussion mixed with the best in computer generated sound effects and music, this album will have you listening to its echoey undertones for hours on end and leave you realising that it contributes more to the film than you first thought.

Couldn't believe how fast it got here! Thanks so much. Only issue is the last song -on an unblemished disc- won't play. There is nothing visibly wrong with the disc, one would have to play it to know. Great service. Thanks

worth acquiring, especially if you enjoyed Ghost in the Shell soundtrack, or LAIN. The reference to Gamelan and ancient shamanistic japanese culture is nice. Keep with you, and enjoy at all times of the day.

the product was as good as described, and as a used one very better of expected. it was also provided of all the original, althought no more useful, but very interesting, promotional material. a very accurate seller