The soundtrack to one of the most memorable RPGs of the 32-bit era.
Azel – Panzer Dragoon RPG (Panzer Dragoon Saga in the West) was released on the Sega Saturn in 1998. Despite being a critically- and generally-acclaimed triumph in artistic direction, musical scoring, technical implementation, storytelling and gameplay, only a small number of copies were ever released. Nonetheless, it was regarded by most as the Saturn’s swan song… and what a song it was.
Azel Trailer (Music Track: Atolm Dragon)
The 2 disc Memorial Album soundtrack released in 2001 contains all the music found on the original Complete Album released around the same time as the game, but with one bonus remix track added to the end of each disc. Most of the album’s 59 tracks clock in at between 1 and 3 minutes in length, for a total of just under 2 and a half hours of music.
The Panzer universe, whose locations and inhabitants were visually fashioned from a distinct blend of organic and mechanical textures, managed to ignite within the player a wondrous sense that they were exploring and engaging with a truly unique culture that was at times familiar, yet, simultaneously, impossibly foreign. To get an idea of just how thorough the design of Panzer’s world was, consider that an entirely new spoken language, “Panzerese”, was devised especially for use in the game’s FMV cutscenes (apparently it’s a mix of ancient Greek and Latin). Furthermore, in Azel – the first and currently only RPG in the series (the others are on-rail shooters) – players had access to an in-game encyclopaedia that contained descriptions of every creature and enemy they encountered, as well as various “books” on the world’s history, religion and politics. Yes, this was certainly one game world crafted with care and imagination.
Needless to say, such a detailed world design would have fallen very short of its potential without a suitably unique soundtrack – fortunately, composers Saori Kobayashi and Mariko Nanba not only created something that did justice to the grand scope of the Panzer universe (a remarkable feat in itself), but something which has, over the relatively short course of the series, become an inseparable part of it. As music comprises an integral part of any culture, so it does here.
Much like Panzerese, Panzer’s music takes elements from existing styles and fuses them together into something uniquely, well, “Panzer”. In this case, the composers crafted the incredibly exotic and evocative sounds heard in the games by working with an inspired mix of tribal African beats, Latin American rhythms and Celtic melodies. Asian and Middle-Eastern influences are also evident here and there. In addition, though some of the pieces featured orchestra recordings, most of the music was actually generated in-game using Cybersound, the Saturn’s on-board MIDI instrument set. The result is a slightly electronic, synthesized delivery, which, when coupled with the “earthy” tones of African, Latin American and Celtic music, complemented the series’ organic and bio-mechanical visual designs perfectly.
Transformation 1
Rest
Azel, as a 4CD RPG, is epic, and so too is its music. From awe-inspiring ambient flight accompaniments to heart-pounding, percussion-driven boss battle themes to quiet melodies played by campfires as rider and dragon rest, this soundtrack has the quintessential Panzer experience covered. Much of it resides in ambient territory, with only a few tracks featuring traditionally recognisable melody lines. A palpable sense of the primitive permeates. Make no mistake, this is not your conventional RPG soundtrack. For most part, the tracks are all instrumentals, bar the gorgeous closing song Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu, and even then, the vocals by Eri Ito are sung in Panzerese. The two bonus tracks are remixes of this closing song. The first, by one of the game’s sound producers, Tomonomi Sawada, adds a more modern mid-tempo beat to the sampled vocals. The second, by American house producer Ron Trent, gives it a predictably chilled-out treatment and provides the album with its longest track at a slightly protracted 8 minutes. Though largely unnecessary (the original tracklisting was in no way in need of additional support), these bonus tracks are interesting variations that thankfully don’t take away from what is already an exemplary listening experience.
Ancient Weapon
Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu
Recommending this album is something that I do both wholeheartedly and with some measure of thought as to how practical such a recommendation could be. Wholeheartedly because, like the game, it’s a stunning work of art and I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it. You simply hit play and let it take you away. However, due to criminally low production runs, both the game and both editions of its soundtrack are now, more than a decade later, incredibly rare to come by. I personally don’t know anyone else who has played the game, let alone who owns a copy of it or any edition of its soundtrack, and I’ve yet to encounter anyone online or otherwise who has gone through the experience of playing the game without coming out the other side completely and utterly converted. In other words, I can only assume that those lucky few in possession of a copy of the game and/or its soundtrack are undoubtedly well aware of its worth, and aren’t likely to part with it for anything short of a lucrative sum, if at all. I personally found my second-hand copy of this soundtrack in the labyrinthine corridors of the Shibuya branch of Mandarake (otherwise known as otaku heaven), safely sealed away behind the window of a locked glass cabinet. So, whilst I cannot recommend this soundtrack enough, I can only wish you the best of luck should you decide to undertake the needle-in-a-haystack search for your own copy. It might take some patience, and few bags of dyne more than it should, but rest assured that this is one gem that’s worth it.
Tracklist
Azel – Panzer Dragoon RPG – Memorial Album
Marvelous Entertainment Inc., 21/04/2001
Disc 1
01. Ecce Valde Generous Ale (見よ，いと貴き翼) (Ecce Valde Generous Ale (Behold, The Precious Wings))
02. 初陣 (First Battle)
03. 高貴なる賊軍 (Noble Rebel Army)
04. 偽りの神国 (A Holy Nation of Lies)
05. 孤独な戦い (Solitary Battle)
06. 翼 (Wings)
07. 永遠の別れ (Separated for Eternity)
08. 戦いの予感 (Premonition of War)
09. 変異種1 (Transformation 1)
10. 静寂の中の混沌 (Chaos Amongst the Silence)
11. 変異種2 (Transformation 2)
12. 巨大生物1 (Giant Creature 1)
13. 休息 (Rest)
14. 生命の息吹 (Breath of Life)
15. 蒼き遺跡のテーマ (Blue Ruins Theme)
16. 放浪 (Wandering)
17. 禁断の地 (Forbidden Land)
18. 純血種 (Pure Blood Seed)
19. 黒き艦隊 (The Black Fleet)
20. 出会いの定め (Rendezvous with Destiny)
21. アトルムドラゴン (Atolm Dragon)
22. 竜巻 (Spirit of the Dragon)
23. 予期せぬ遭遇 (Foreseen Encounter)
24. 帝国 (The Empire)
25. 箱船 (Shelcoof)
26. ゾアの街 (Town of Zoah)
27. パエット (Paet)
28. 水の廃都 (Water Ruins
29. 旧世紀兵器 (Ancient Weapon)
30. Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (Re-arranged)
Disc 2
01. 人ならざるもの (Trapped Underground)
02. 胎道 (Path to the Being)
03. 閉じた魂 (Sealed Spirit)
04. エレベーターチェイス (Elevator Chase)
05. 巨大生物2 (Giant Creature 2)
06. 再会のための別館 (Separation for a Future Reunion)
07. 「譲り火」のもとで (Source of the Protective Flame)
08. 邯鄲の夢 (Delusions of Grandeur)
09. 眠れる鉄塊 (Sleeping Iron Ingot)
10. 帝国軍空中艦隊 (Imperial Air Force)
11. 巨大戦艦 (Giant Warship)
12. 邂逅 (Fading Away)
13. 神の軍 (Holy Chariot)
14. 旧世紀 (A Century Gone By)
15. 迎撃 (Interception)
16. 覚醒 (Awakening)
17. 結末 (Conclusion)
18. シーカーの里 (Village of the Seekers)
19. 森の悲鳴 (The Forest’s Cry)
20. 紅き遺跡のテーマ (Red Ruins Theme)
21. 約束の地へ (Into the Promised Land)
22. 終局への序曲 (Overture to the End)
23. 涙 (Tears)
24. セストレン (Sestren)
25. 幻影1 (Vision 1)
26. 幻影2 (Vision 2)
27. 最後の戦い～回帰～ (The Final Battle ~Recurrence~)
28. Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (其は聖なる御使いなりや) (Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (Art Thou The Holy One))
29. Sona Mi Areru Ec Sancitu (Prescription Vocal Club Mix)