Track List:

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

A copout review would simply advise you to get this OST if you like Yasushi Ishii’s Hellsing OST. And since no truer words can be said, I’ll spite the site’s conventional review format and get straight to the heart of why this will rock your world.

Dive into the 9 [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Despise synth heavy songs like this one? Then turn up the volume since I swear there’s a classical piece playing underneath it all. Your ears bleeding yet? Good. That’s for being too narrow-minded to explore other musical genres.

“Dive into the 9″ is a wet dream for action AMV creators since it starts with a bang and just never relents.  It’s a single-barrel shotgun that explodes at the top of the OST and sets the bar sky high.  Monocle holding, tea sipping, old people may complain at the massive cacophony of sounds coming out of the less than crystal clear synths.  However, all the bells and whistles are far from superfluous and creates a kinetic, living atmosphere.  In my eyes, this song is pinnacle of excellence.  It’s catchy, creative, cool.  The only speck of complaint here is that the whole thing does not end after 90 seconds.

Savage Dog Cerberus [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Galaxy Train [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ready the bass amps. Time to up the UNTZ UNTZ UNTZ.

If the pulse of music is the beat, this is Michael Phelp’s heart after warm ups.  Rhythmic and assertively pounding, “Savage Dog Cerberus” is Darker than Black 2′s go-to song for fight scenes, and there is no question why.  The song provides an energy jolt akin to a Red Bull, or cheaper, a “soft” kick in the pants.  Equal in style and effect, though very different in sound, is “Galaxy Train,” which chugs along hard and fast.   Normally, I would not a appreciate a piece that so heavily depends on a single catchy beat, but exceptions exist because of stuff like these. Despite some of Ishii’s less than successful experiments in distortion, these are tracks you will not soon forget.

Jesus Cloud [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

No, despite the title name, this is not a song about marijuana.  Ignore the fact that I do not speak or understand Japanese; the deep, profound pain espoused by the vocals compel me to believe that there is something truly deep here. Sure the singing may be – on a relative scale – horrible (ditto to every song in the OST), but this is a common man with a guitar which absolves him from any claims of talent.

If anything, the song is a great mood-setter outside the domain of high octane adrenaline.  Along with “Candraprabha’s Tears” and “Brand New Happiness,” this piece shows that Darker than Black is about more than just explosions and death.  Ultimately, what makes this all too common combo of the vocals and guitar truly special is how each additional layer of sound to the song builds to something greater.  Instead of piling on the sounds into a big brown mesh, Ishii effectively paints an intricately colorful piece.

Moonlight Guidepost ~Opening Edition~ [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

I put the opening song above many of the other great tracks in this OST not because it’s superior, but because I happen to disagree with Jen’s opinion, and the favorites section of my mp3 player won’t let her have the last say.  It’s not that the finer details of my opinion is different from hers, it’s just that the opening is such a solid generic, throwaway pop piece that it deserves its place in the sun before it’s forever forgotten.

At the end of the day, there’s a reason why despite all the crap Darker than BLACK 2 gets absolutely no one complaining about the music.  Epic tirades against the show come to a dead stop when it arrives at the issue of music, bringing with it a quiet, unstated appreciation… even reverence.

Often, people who deserve no claim in the world of art call their pieces “experimental” or if arrogant enough, “the next Picasso”, but Yasushi Ishii does not fit this mold.  His tinkering crops up an incredible amount of creativity and variety.  Though there may not be a jazzy undertone like in Hellsing’s OST, the music is hip, energetic and will set your playlist on fire for weeks to come.

UNTZ on.

Rating: Excellent

Review: Animation-wise, Darker Than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini has one of my favorite openings of all time. Somehow, the beautiful moving scenery and the relaxing pace of the animation attracted me towards it because of its stark contrast with the dark ambiance of the anime itself. When paired with the very catchy chorus of “Tsukiakari no Michishirube,” the whole opening leaves a very good initial impression. However, upon closer inspection, many things suddenly seem missing.

The first is the lack of originality. When I hear the song, the artist I associate it with is The Brilliant Green. Stereopony seems to have chosen to jump on the pop/rock bandwagon without adding some sense of individuality.

The second problem is the sheer lack of vocal strength. This problem was overlooked when paired with the brilliant animation and when the song only lasted 1:31 minutes in the TV size, but becomes glaringly obvious once you listen to the full song without any distractions. Many times in the chorus of “Tsukiakari no Michishirube,” Aimi’s voice becomes wispy during the higher notes while she sounds very uncomfortable with her low notes in “Daidai Iro.”

There is also minimal expression of the lyrics. My understanding of the lyrics of “Tsukiakari no Michishirube” is that it depicts a girl powerless in the passage of time, but still desperately wanting to chase her own dreams. While there are hints of such yearnings in the first stanza of the song, it is lost almost completely as the song progresses. Even in the last stanza where a more optimistic view is expressed in the lyrics, the vocals do not deliver such conviction.

The fourth and final problem I noticed is that the B-sides are simply not memorable. While they are in no way unpleasant, they just don’t leave any impression. I find myself incapable of recalling a tune even after listening to it repeated times. The most disappointing track is probably “Fuzz,” since it is essentially, just fuzz.  That is, it’s mostly made up of loose bits stitched lightly together in a hasty and haphazard way without any intended message whatsoever.

That said, there are definitely good things about this album. It is definitely a single meant for the general masses, since all the songs flow well and are very pleasant to listen to leisurely, especially with “Tsukiakari no Michishirube.” The wonderful way the melody is written and its light delivery will appeal to all, and you will probably find yourself humming the tune to yourself without even noticing it. Credit must be given to Stereopony for creating a single which really can bring a smile to listeners’ face. This is one single which is definitely worth listening to at least once, but may not hold well under closer inspection.

I certainly hope that it is only a matter of time before Stereopony finds her own niche. I, for one, definitely am praying that the next single will display a little more variety and individuality.

Rating: So-so

Darker than BLACK Ryuusei no Gemini Opening – Tsukiakari no Michishirube