STAND ALONE COMPLEX OST
Anime: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
Artist: Kanno Yoko
Album: STAND ALONE COMPLEX OST
Musicians: Watanabe, Hitoshi / Hagiwara, Mekken / Gary Foote (bass)
Imahori, Tsuneo (guitar)
Yoko Kanno (piano & key)
Misawa, Mataro (percussion)
Urata, Keishi / Sakamoto, Syunsuku (synth)
Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra (orchestra)
Shinozaki, Masatsugu Group (strings)
Asakawa, Tomoyuki (harp)
Fujita, Otohiko Group (horn)
Gabriela Robin (voice & chorus)
Benedict Delmaestro [Tr.11][The London oratory school schola] (treble)
Hogari, Kisaaki [Tr.15] (voice & guitar)
Vocals: HIDE, Ilaria Graziano, Scott Matthew, Origa, Jillmax, Tim Jensen
Composer/Lyricist: Kanno Yoko, Tim Jensen, Babriela Robin, troy, Origa, Shanti Snyder,
Chris Masdell
Release Date: 22 Jan 2003
| STAND ALONE COMPLEX OST Tracklisting  1. Run Rabbit Junk *Bold titles - recommended listening. |
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OVERVIEW
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has great animation, an engrossing plot, and above all an amazing soundtrack. Led by the renowned composer Kanno Yoko, an all-star cast of musicians and vocalists (including HIDE, troy, and Tim Jensen) add their talents to one of the best anime soundtracks to date.
It is key that an anime’s soundtrack adds to the anime itself and STAND ALONE COMPLEX OST does just that. Another dimension to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is revealed once you listen to this above par soundtrack. Kanno Yoko’s composing brings even more life to the action, particularly after listening to this soundtrack’s ballads. Vise versa, a listener can see scenes from Stand Alone Complex play out in their minds. These attributes combined together form an amazing original soundtrack.
THE GOOD
Yakitori
This song is an excellent expression of Kanno Yoko’s skills as a composer. “Yakitori” is a blend of amazing guitar and drum beats, weaving seamlessly together in a dance rhythm befitting of Stand Alone Complex’s techno feel. “Yakitori” starts out with a fast tempo, and only drops in speed twice, quickly returning to its fast guitar and drum melody. The talented guitarist (Imahori, Tsuneo) plays with the caliber of Hendrix, and compliments the drummer flawlessly.
Stamina Rose
I have heard very few songs as hypnotizing as “Stamina Rose.” An instrumental score plays over a mesmerizing Italian vocalist’s haunting voice. Another befitting techno pulse beats through the veins of this song. The subtle, haunting voice becomes more apparent in Stand Alone Complex after hearing “Stamina Rose” stand alone (no pun intended), adding that aforementioned extra dimension.
Where Does This Ocean Go?
To me, music is not meant to be interpreted the same way by everyone. “Where Does This Ocean Go?” is a song that fits this feeling perfectly. The lyrics were so off the wall when I first heard it.
and taxies stop to say “Helloâ€
“Want a ride? I’ll take you thereâ€
“To anywhere, just tell my driverâ€
At first glance the above exert doesn’t fit the rest of the song. However, as the song progresses, the listener is allowed to come to an understanding of the meaning of the lyrics (as it should be in any great song). Underneath the vocals (sung by Ilaria Graziano), plays a piano (Kanno Yoko) and a synthesizer (Urata, Keishi or Sakamoto, Syusuke) which give another hypnotizing rhythm to this soundtrack. The overlying theme of escape from isolation leaves the last words “Where does this ocean go?†echoing in my head long after listening to this song.
THE BAD
Siberian Doll House
I must stress that “Siberian Doll House” is not a “Bad†song. However, its caliber does not come on par with the rest of its mainly instrumental kin in this soundtrack. It suffers from a few flaws not found in other songs of its type. “Siberian Doll House”’s tempo is slow, and the vocals (which sound familiar to “Stamina Rose”) are overpowered by the instruments. When the vocals do become dominant, they are not fitting for the rest of the song. The ending of this song also caught me a little off guard, it ends with a text book THX audio rising note making a climax with a high pitched pulse.
Lithium Flower
“Lithium Flower” is to the lyrical songs in this soundtrack as “Siberian Doll House” is to the mainly instrumental ones, i.e. below par (but not “Bad†per se). The lyrics in this song are what really got me. The singer’s voice and the instruments work hand-in-hand, but the lyrics are so repetitive you could play this song at a faster speed and understand the last 5/7 perfectly. “How is she when she doesn’t surf?†“Wow, where did she learn how to surf?†“How does she so perfectly surf?†and “I wanna go surfing with her†are all repeated 3 or more times (in the same verse respectfully). This song is obviously talking about Major Motoko Kusanagi, but I wonder if the singer is a little too obsessed with her ability to use Google.
Rating: 9
Reviewed by: Kurier
