Album: Chronopolis: Music Inspired by Chrono Cross

I'm one of those people who's nursed a grudge against Chrono Cross since I first played it for it having the nerve to not be Chrono Trigger. Probably a bit unfair since I've never revisited it over the years. This album certainly makes me think about it more, as it really showcases the overall quality of the soundtrack beyond just the one song I remember (2-01, a version packed with such frantic awesomeness that it had to be over as fast as it was).

Chronopolis is chock full of both moments that are so cool they make me want to fist pump and go, "Hell yeah!" as well as moments where I can't help but grin and bop along, no matter how many times I listen to them. Getting another taste of jazzy Chrono from the OC Jazz Collective in 1-04 was a plus. 1-12 and 2-09 echoing the CT soundtrack are also good for the nostalgia. The two that make me grin the most, though, are in 2-05 when the melody hits at about 1:45 in, and the entire synthwave mix of 2-13 - which I loved on its own merits when I first heard it and now I love because its whole vibe makes me think about the dopey/amazing scene near the end of Season 3 of Stranger Things where Dustin has to sing with Suzy. It's perfect.

A fun thing in the evolution of OCR album projects is how many of the more recent ones highlight performers and craft music around their strengths in a way that I don't think had been done a lot before. This particular album has a lot of that going on right from the start with Hold Onto The Dream really sounding like a group doing the recording together. Another job well done from the first track to the last.

https://kotaku.com/a-beautiful-musical-celebration-of-20-years-of-chrono-c-1833417147

apparently kotaku published an article the next day after release! just saw it now.

Congrats pm, and to everyone who was a part of this. And of course, thanks for letting me take part

Thanks to all artists for being patient with us trusting @prophetik music's leadership on release scheduling; we took a bit longer, yes, but the music presentation did benefit. Very proud of this release; Arcadia Legends was amazing you've followed it up with something amazing, and kicked off 2019 in Q1 in a *great* way.

Special shout out to @Jorito for musical AND code contributions, too, as he provided a very complete website which we only tweaked minimally... really helped. I wanted to somehow animate the caustics that were added, but ran out of time for proper implementation.

Credit to all, but extra tip of the hat to Brad for effective coordination responsible/thoughtful direction... as with DFW our previous album, I feel like communication was always effective deliberation productive.

I didn't play Chrono Cross, but I've known loved its soundtrack over the years, often through mixes featured on the site. Now I love it even more; there's an organic, passionate vein that flows through Chronopolis, but with individual tracks still distinguishing themselves stylistically through genre. It feels diverse in form, but unified in function, and that's something I personally enjoy in an arrangement album, because it's something I *also* enjoy about many game soundtracks themselves. There are moments of awe, moments of wonder, moments of beauty, moments of joy... with each emotion expressed in a fashion that serves it quite well. Excellent stuff!

album get!

congrats to everyone who contributed to make this such a special project. nice work everyone!

• Preview Chronopolis: http://youtu.be/TZSToGU_MOk
• Download Chronopolis: http://chronopolis.ocremix.org
• Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Chronopolis_-_Music_Inspired_by_Chrono_Cross.torrent

Chrono Cross's OST represents one of the formative works that influenced me to make music. I initially fell in love with the lush visuals and setting, but the music was what drew me in and kept me there. As I prepared to lead this album with months of critical listening and planning, the OST rooted me in a way that few others have. Mitsuda's distinctive combination of singable, recognizable melodies and unique instrumentation made for an unforgettable and endearing soundtrack that transports me to an island paradise, complete with ancient ruins and fantastical creatures.

I can't help but be excited for this album's release. Any project usually has a few people that have been around for a while (Jorito, myself, OceansAndrew), but inevitably there's a few newcomers that also knock it out of the park (Ophanin, Earth Kid, Steven Melin). I believe that the overall quality of this album is easily the best that I've ever been involved with, and I hope that this project enables everyone who listens to be able to revisit the world of Chrono Cross yet again, nearly 20 years later.

- Brad Burr (prophetik music)