[C] First Round #10 (Front and Back vs. Kitaki Family)

Listen to both songs and select the one you prefer.

Download Links:

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - Front and Back
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney - Kitaki Family

Streaming:

Front and Back: Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:
Kitaki Family: Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:

Due to years of abuse, I've come to not expect much of Sakimoto these days. My first touch with the man however, was an entirely positive experience: Final Fantasy Tactics. This track is from FFTA2, so I was tentatively getting my hopes up. And as it turns out, I quite like it. It's got melody, it's cheerful and it doesn't even have that filtery silky echo that he seems to use on all his tracks and I hate so much.

Of course, it's up against a track that jumped out at me like crazy when I played Apollo Justice. I went around playing Case 2 hoping to run into the big Kitaki family mom, just so I could hear this fantastic composition again. I believe I even let the DS sit around while I listened to this track. I can't expect people to agree with me, I don't know what it is in this track that hit me like a ton of bricks. Judging it objectively, it's a simple track with a simple melody and not all that much to it. I don't even particularly like most of the Ace Attorney music outside of the game.

So yeah!

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - Front and Back
I really enjoyed the FFTA2 OST, despite never playing the game. While the bouncy lighthearted tracks are my personal favorites, the darker tunes like Front and Back are nice too. Fine melody and some very interesting percussion.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney - Kitaki Family
I guess you just have to have played the games for most of these Phoenix Wright & Friends tracks to have much of an impact. To be fair, this vaguely Italian sounding tune is a cut above most of the trite crap that's been nominated from the series, but it's still kind of simplistic.

Front n' Back.

I'm not saying this for anyone, but I'm pretty sure Front and Back was composed by Kaneda. So some of you don't have to vote against it merely because of who composed this

Wow, I never thought F&B would get such success. It's among my FFTA2 favorite tunes. I nominated this very one, expecting Anti-Sakimoto patriots to vote for its opponent, whatever it is. Well, that's kind of relievin'.

Originally Posted by Taisai

but I'm pretty sure Front and Back was composed by Kaneda.

Might be true, though I feel some Sakimoto influence between the lines.

Originally Posted by Taisai

I'm not saying this for anyone, but I'm pretty sure Front and Back was composed by Kaneda

It would explain a lot.

front and back-
nice beginning but then it sortof meanders a bit too much, and I don't feel the counterpoint was very effective in matching with the melody.

kitaki family-
also a pretty weak track, but had more purpose.

Originally Posted by Taisai

I'm not saying this for anyone, but I'm pretty sure Front and Back was composed by Kaneda. So some of you don't have to vote against it merely because of who composed this

Is there a source for this? I haven't heard much of Kaneda so I can't disagree, and in fact it does sound a bit different than anything Sakimoto's put out, but visual proof is usually the best kind.

Kitaki Family, what the hell. I've never been so indecisive before, I really have no idea whether I should like or hate this. Good thing Front and Back is one of the more interesting tunes I've come across in the contest. Some really unusual melodies, I dig this stuff, I cannot stop listening.

It's possible that "Front and Back" is a Kaneda. There was a misprint on the CD label, crediting Kaneda for "Disc 02-42." It's anyone's guess what they really meant by 42, since there are only 27 tracks. Maybe it was an obscure Douglas Adams joke?

Originally Posted by Darkcomet72

Is there a source for this?

If there existed such, this track would be tagged as Kaneda.

As stated above, it's confirmed Kaneda composed one track for the FFT A2 but without a specific track number due to the typo. "Front and Back" is the most likely song that was composed by Kaneda, as there are some of his signature styles here and there.

Yet, who'd ever listen to my word. This is just my guess of course.

"Front and Back" bored me -- almost to tears. Where's the FTA colour? Where's the vivid, unbridled enthusiasm and compositional charm? This one's far too predictable and serious for its own good.

surasshu, I love you, so I shall prop you. I completely understand what you're saying about "Kitaki Family": yeah, it is pretty simple and odd objectively speaking but it's got a certain charm and quirky aura about it that captures me every time I take a listen. I'll copy and paste what I wrote in my GS4 OST review 'cause I'm lazy and stuff: ""Kikakitsune Family" is another good, fresh composition; this piece of Asian-dub gangster-like music is completely awesome in its short-lived splendor and intrigue, with its clichéd yet admittedly fun Asiatic developments."

"Front and Back" - 2/10
"Kitaki Family" - 9/10

'Front and Back' - this song blows a lot of opportunities to settle into a decent groove in favor of meandering all over the place and blueballing the listener into thinking that something awesome is really around the next corner....but no.. The composer obviously has a strong command over the fashion of FF soundtracks, as I'm reminded of strong musical elements I remember from other games in the series, but the end product is just not exciting or all that interesting.

'Kitaki Family' - Now this is interesting. Despite sporting some pretty basic melodic and harmonic ideas that are normally tiresome and ehh...., this tune does a good job of downplaying that in favor of evincing a certain mood and flavor that makes the song stand out in a very unique way. I was hoping for more development - maybe another part entirely, and was a little let down when it ended, but it was still pretty cool. It's hard to push something like this forward in a song contest, because at best it's very well-made incidental music. Neither song has strong melodic clout and I'm only voting for this because it shows more potential.

This matchup is closer than the voting indicates. Kitaki Family lacks frills but it has simple appeal and almost conveys its name without playing the game. Unfortuantely, I find Front and Back to be a very rewarding track, one of those orchestral tracks where the diversity of its sound makes up for its scattershot melody.

: Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift - Front and Back
: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney - Kitaki Family

Kitaki Family is awesome because it's stupid and simple but it's full of "maybe so but what the fuck are you going to do about it" attitude.

Front & Back is just as awesome although for a completely different reason, and it's got substance to back that up as well, so this is a pretty easy decision. Good job whichever Basiscape member actually did this one.

Front and Back sounds like an FFT track all right: the ones that don't fucking do anything and explore 30million ideas instead of just really doing one or two really well.

Kitaki family ain't great or anything, but it's a hell of a lot better than this overblown crap oh did i say that

Front and Back is nice but it strays all over the place.

Kitaki Family is a simple song, but I really like it, and it reminds me of a SNES track. This combination of instruments and chords strongly connects with me, notably during the second half of the song.