Samurai Champloo was a fine series. A 26-episode period piece set in Edo Japan mixed with historical revisionism and plenty of anachronisms. Essentially a modern rendition of the chanbara samurai TV series and movies that were popularized by Kurosawa in post-World War II Japan, Samurai Champloo's fascinating mix of old and new makes it a truly worthwhile anime series. High production values and striking art direction are deftly interwoven throughout, however the piece that left the most significant impression on me was its soundtrack(s).
Performed by Japanese DJ Nujabes and producer Fat Jon, Departure is one of the four(!) albums that comprise the entire soundtrack and is arguably the most consistent out of all of them. Steeped in hip-hop beats, jazz embellishments and electronic textures; Departure is absolutely luscious sonic mix. Sandwiched between the sole two vocal songs on the album "Battlecry" and "Song for the Four Seasons" are a slew of stunning downtempo tunes to mellow out to. "The Space Between Two Worlds" sets off with a sharp and speedy beat before a sun-drenched guitar melody rests in. "Transcendence" picks things with a more urgently paced beat interspersed with jazzy piano accents. The particularly wistful "Mystline" features an odd string sample that beams into the mix intermittently amidst a dreamy piano. Electronic influences are abound in the cyberpunk-stylings of "Genome" with its sparse bass tones and synthesized chanting as the mellow guitars return in the evocative and hypnotically alluring "Aruarian Dance". An addictively chill album that feels strangely nostalgic, it's a very rare instance in which a soundtrack is strong enough to work as a standalone album but Departure has enough clout to pull it off.
Check it out, it's alright by my estimation.
Aruarian Dance
Transcendence
How You Feel
Departure tracklist:
1. Battlecry
2. The Space Between Two Worlds
3. Aruarian Dance
4. Transcendence
5. Mystline
6. 1st Samurai
7. Ole
8. 624 Part 2
9. Genome
10. No Way Back
11. Funkin
12. Stay
13. Chambers
14. Ask
15. How You Feel
16. 624 Part 1
17. Song of the Four Seasons
Performed by Japanese DJ Nujabes and producer Fat Jon, Departure is one of the four(!) albums that comprise the entire soundtrack and is arguably the most consistent out of all of them. Steeped in hip-hop beats, jazz embellishments and electronic textures; Departure is absolutely luscious sonic mix. Sandwiched between the sole two vocal songs on the album "Battlecry" and "Song for the Four Seasons" are a slew of stunning downtempo tunes to mellow out to. "The Space Between Two Worlds" sets off with a sharp and speedy beat before a sun-drenched guitar melody rests in. "Transcendence" picks things with a more urgently paced beat interspersed with jazzy piano accents. The particularly wistful "Mystline" features an odd string sample that beams into the mix intermittently amidst a dreamy piano. Electronic influences are abound in the cyberpunk-stylings of "Genome" with its sparse bass tones and synthesized chanting as the mellow guitars return in the evocative and hypnotically alluring "Aruarian Dance". An addictively chill album that feels strangely nostalgic, it's a very rare instance in which a soundtrack is strong enough to work as a standalone album but Departure has enough clout to pull it off.
Check it out, it's alright by my estimation.
Aruarian Dance
Transcendence
How You Feel
Departure tracklist:
1. Battlecry
2. The Space Between Two Worlds
3. Aruarian Dance
4. Transcendence
5. Mystline
6. 1st Samurai
7. Ole
8. 624 Part 2
9. Genome
10. No Way Back
11. Funkin
12. Stay
13. Chambers
14. Ask
15. How You Feel
16. 624 Part 1
17. Song of the Four Seasons
