Music of Xenosaga
Soundtracks for the Xenosaga series, spanning three games and spin-offs.
The music of Xenosaga encompasses the soundtracks for the three main episodes of the science fiction role-playing video game series developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco Bandai on the PlayStation 2, as well as its spin-off media. The series began in 2002 with Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, and continued with Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse (2004) and Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra (2006), with later episodes composed by Yuki Kajiura, Shinji Hosoe, and Ayako Saso. The music has been released on multiple soundtrack albums and has been performed in concerts.
- series_start
- 2002
- series_end
- 2006
- composers
- Yasunori Mitsuda, Yuki Kajiura, Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso, Kousuke Yamashita, and others
- number_of_main_episodes
- 3
- notable_albums
- Xenosaga Original Soundtrack, Xenosaga Episode I, Xenosaga II: Jenseits Von Gut und Böse Movie Scene Soundtrack
- spin_off_media
- Xenosaga Freaks, Xenosaga I & II, Xenosaga: The Animation
Lore & Background
The first episode, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht, was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, who had previously worked on Xenogears. Mitsuda composed a mostly orchestral score using the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Steven Lloyd-Gonzalez, with vocal tracks by the Metro Voices choir, piano solos by Yasuharu Nakanishi, and performances by the Gen Ittetsu Strings. The game's theme songs, 'Pain' and 'Kokoro', were sung by Celtic singer Joanne Hogg. Mitsuda initially planned to use a separate orchestrator after an early piece proved unworkable, but regained confidence and worked as his own orchestrator. The soundtrack was released as the Xenosaga Original Soundtrack by DigiCube on March 6, 2002, and later as Xenosaga Episode I through Mitsuda's Sleigh Bells label on May 19, 2004, with two new tracks and re-recordings. A single, 'Kokoro', was released on February 6, 2002.
Reader's Guide
The music of Xenosaga is significant for its orchestral and vocal compositions, particularly in the first episode, which was praised by reviewers such as IGN and GameSpy. The series saw a change in composers after the first game, with Episode II's soundtrack receiving mixed reviews; some critics felt it was not up to par with Episode I, while others praised the variety. The soundtracks have been released on multiple albums, with Episode I sparking two versions of its soundtrack album and a single, Episode II receiving two soundtrack albums, and Episode III receiving one. Spin-off media also generated soundtrack albums. Music from the series has been played multiple times in concerts, especially that of the first two games. The legacy of the music includes its use in concerts and its availability on albums, with the first episode's soundtrack reaching #38 on the Japan Oricon charts and the single 'Kokoro' reaching #61.
Did You Know?
- Yasunori Mitsuda used the London Philharmonic Orchestra for several tracks in Episode I.
- The theme songs for Episode I, 'Pain' and 'Kokoro', were sung by Celtic singer Joanne Hogg.
- For Episode II, composers Yuki Kajiura and Shinji Hosoe never met during production.
- Xenosaga Freaks included new music by six composers, including Keiichi Okabe and Satoru Kōsaki.
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