Katamari Damacy and its subsequent sequel, We Love Katamari.
It's a weird game and that would be an understatement. There is no genre that could define what it is. Despite all the weirdness, Katamari Damacy is a very simple game that its core is very Japanese. All you need to do is to roll everything, literally everything, in a level to become a big lump of something as you started very small before launching and turning that lump into a star. Like I said
weird is an understatement and perhaps your really need to get high on weeds to enjoy Katamari to the fullest.
And then there's the music. Some, if not many Kamatari Damacy's OST are trippy as hell. It sounds like you some one made it after they sniffed some opium or high on LSD or something. Rather fitting musics for its absurd gameplay and story. Just listen to the main theme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMH49ieL4es
The main theme itself for me is one of those that still managed to pass from not become too
trippy as it somewhat listenable. One would expect all of the music will be similar right? No, because there is other side of Katamari Damacy OST.
The other side of Katamari Damacy OST.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2xVTE-2eik
A Crimson Rose and A Gin Tonic is still a rather trippy sounding but it have many catchy tunes and nice melodies. You could listen to it all day outside the game. Of course it doesn't end there.
It follows the same pattern; very good and catchy melody accompanied by a rather
weird vocal. However
Katamaritaino are much more refined and its composition more rock solid. It have some serious jazz vibe to it. Do you think Kamatari Damacy OST couldn't get
better than this?
Introducing you
Que Sera Sera or where the music going full jazz. There isn't any weird sounding instrument being used. The vocal on the other hand is in
full English, with perfect sounding accent as if the singer himself, that is Charlie Kosei, is Frank Sinatra reborn. The lyrics coupled with the melody make this particular soundstrack not only sounds like out of some jazz album that could be played during a wedding. To think something so cheesy and romantic existed in a game about lumping everything into a ball is unthinkable (but perhaps not if you take account of romantic motif that you could found everywhere).
Que Sera Sera personally is the first game best piece in the first game.
How about the sequel? It have fewer tracks, and among those the trippy sounding pieces are a lot more in proportion to the more 'normal' one. But those who are not made while being high on weeds have some serious quality that match, if not surpassed, the pieces from the first game. Just listen to the main theme.
Katamari On the Swing for me is the better main theme for me. It is more upbeat, have faster rhythm whilst not forgetting the game's playful motif and undertone. Playfulness in fact, I think is more prevalent in the second game as the previous one is more leaned towards romantic. That aside,
Katamari On the Swing is the type of music that you'll play in the morning to get yourself instant mood booster and set yourself up for the rest of the day. It's amazing.
It is not
the best though.
Disco*Prince takes that crown. It in fact surpasses everything including from the first game, at least for me. Unlike some of the best tracks in Kamatari that usually sounds like Jazz,
Disco*Prince like the title hinted is more funk. There is even rap in the vocal. But
goddamn the composition is just that
good. The build up towards the peak refrain is amazing. It managed to be so playful and romantic at the same time with a wrap of admiration, capturing the essence of Katamari series in its entirety.
This one track in particular that makes me still somewhat refuse to believe that pure genius soundtrack found in a weird series. What does an absurd game about rolling, lumping, and (turning them into) a start have anything to do with absolutely good sets of soundtrack? But perhaps that in itself is the answer. Perhaps Keita Takahashi, the director of the first and second game knows that the game itself is too simple. So he made it into a relaxing experience where the player playing it could and should listen to the music behind.
I know someone already mention Katamari before, but I want to get this out of my chest regardless. I changed the first two music into link since there could only 4 media in a post and I wanted to left out the very best. Do you know the twist? I haven't even played the game! But I do know about it for a long time though I never come around to play it. Now that there is a rerelease on the Switch, perhaps the time have come for me at last.
