Angel Beats OST Review

by eternal on August 10, 2010

I realized from the moment I heard Theme of SSS that Angel Beats had a great OST and that I should probably review it when it came out. Apparently the end of July snuck up on me.

Anyway, this is my first OST review, so I’ll keep it simple and discuss the specific tracks that seemed notable. In case you haven’t heard it yet, believe me, this soundtrack isn’t quite what you’d expect from Key; it’s unorthodox in a lot of ways, but it works.

School Days

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This is pleasant for nostalgia’s sake, but the full version sounds a little messy. There seems to be a lot of stuff going on that you’re unlikely to notice with a video accompanying it, but it stands out somewhat when you focus on it. Anyway, it fits the mood it’s trying to portray very well and could easily work as BGM in a visual novel.

Art of War

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I like this more than I probably should. It’s a typical uplifting military march, but I like how it doesn’t feel particularly intense or otherwise war-like. My memory of the show is tainting my opinion and making it sound less serious than it should, but in all honesty, it sounds like BGM for an armory in a JRPG. Bonus points for the piano in the middle; it ties it to the other songs in the OST rather than being a completely out-of-place military march.

Memory

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Not the kind of thing you’d voluntarily listen to, if you ask me. It’s pretty sad from the get-go, even without having watched the show. Simple piano with swelling strings in the back are the classic combination for emotive BGM to accompany on-screen drama, and it works.

Tactics

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I love this. AB‘s OST is filled to the brim with weird, rhythmic piano, and this track is a solid example. It’s relaxing in a sense, almost like lounge music, but it’s amusing when you think about it: the piano basically does nothing but alternate between two or three notes, half the time not alternating at all. It’s very unique, and it stood out for me even before hearing the OST.

Enemy Country

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This has nothing to do with Angel Beats and little to do with what we’ve come to expect from the music that accompanies Key’s games, but for lack of a better word, it’s epic. The first half is all atmospheric but it eventually evolves into dark DnB, perfect for being played alongside a battle against an eerie or unknown opponent. Good use of that repeated dissonant note, whatever it is. (Side note: Attack!! brings to mind the same feeling with its wild percussion, except it’s meant to fit dramatic battle scenes rather than eerie pre-battle scenes)

Decisive Battle

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This was one of my favourite songs from when I first watched the show. The piano is utterly hectic, and I actually enjoy it. The longer you leave the track playing, the more over-the-top it gets, until it starts to feel like a hard techno remix of an old Key track. It’s a very unique, perhaps minimalistic way of building tension without relying on the old screeching violins.

Niku Udon

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I’ve gotta say, this is just plain bizarre. I have no idea when I heard a crazy chiptune song in Angel Beats but it must have been in there somewhere. I can only assume that the full track wasn’t played because I hope I would have noticed something that stands out this much. Anyway, it’s not bad at doing what I think it’s supposed to, but I really don’t know what it’s supposed to do.

Light Drop

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Beautiful. I can’t quite remember when this was played, but it reminds me of that shot in the fishing episode of Kanade standing in a garden filled with flowers. My memory might have embellished that a little, but it was a memorable shot (right before Otonashi asked her to join them on their trip). Either way, this is beautiful, but I think it speaks for itself. It’s a combination of piano and an interesting string instrument (harpsichord?), and it has an altogether pleasant feel about it. Note that there’s hardly any percussion (or really, hardly any anything). This is more like the traditional BGM in Key games.

Worthy Rival

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Fun fact: I was making notes on this OST as I listened to it in anticipation of writing a post, and all I wrote for this track was “badass gabber”. Honestly, this belongs in a rhythm game. It sounds so out of place when you listen to it by itself, but I’ve gotta admit, it didn’t feel odd in the show. It’s similar to the other battle themes in that it uses the electronic music clichés of heavy synths and crazy percussion to hammer away at your ears and build intensity.

Play Ball

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I’m only mentioning this one because I hate it. It’s so, so annoying. Every time I heard it in the show my fingers would unconsciously tap along to it, and I’d end up forgetting to pay attention to the dialogue. I guess it’s fitting though.

Let’s Operation

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What is this, jazz? Blues? Engrish aside, it’s some pretty nice guitar work, though the solo in the middle is way too distorted for me. Not sure what they were shooting for with that.

Initial Impulse

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This is basically what an off-vocal My Soul, Your Beats would sound like if it were more BGM-ish and, well, didn’t make sense. I actually like it; it’s surprisingly good. It fits with the rest of the soundtrack in its odd, rhythmic use of instruments that are generally supposed to play a melody.

Transforms to the Shadow

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This is so DnB that I didn’t even put it in the same folder as the rest of the OST. I love it, but only because I already liked this stuff. One notable thing is that it’s actually not eerie, intense, or otherwise difficult to listen to: it almost has an energetic feel to it in the melody that soars above the chaos near the end. The percussion pumps up the viewer for the battle scene, but it’s surprisingly triumphant.

Firing Preparation

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This is similar to the rest of the hard electronic music in the show, but it’s notable for its distortion in the middle and, of course, its repeated low string figure. It’s pretty simple but it works excellently as BGM . I suppose the song’s name is self-explanatory.

And now for the big three…

Theme of SSS

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This is Yuri’s theme. Whether this is the case on paper or if it’s just a feeling I got from the story, there’s no question that this is Yuri’s theme. Do you hear the ferocity of the strings when they break through that mourning piano melody? The percussion that enters at 0:45 like a battle theme, the screeching violin chords at 0:58? This is her song. The rage calms for a bit, but it never finds its resolution. The strings eventually give way to the same piano melody from the beginning, but it concludes on a painfully irresolute note. This is Yuri. This is her. If you’ve seen the show, there’s no need to elaborate.

Otonashi

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Our protagonist’s theme is an interesting arrangement of Yuri’s violent version. It’s much more subdued; there’s no sense of urgency in it, partly thanks to the much slower drum line. The melody is also played lower than Yuri’s version and there’s no distinct buildup of intensity. Instead of growing angry, the piano makes itself apparent at around the halfway point, adding a sense of delicacy to the piece. That said, the strings are still screeching; it’s still painful for anyone who knows his story. It ends with a short piano figure that could be called a resolution, but it’s a somber one.

In other words, the song captures Otonashi’s pain before he remembers that he was satisfied with his life when he died. If Theme of SSS is Yuri’s displaced rage, Otonashi is our protagonist’s uncertainty.

Kanade

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I’m not surprised that Jun Maeda wanted to write this one himself. It’s odd; I’m not even sure what instrument the song opens with, but from such an eerie, uncertain start, the piano and swelling strings wash over it with sheer beauty. I picture it as one of those elaborate backgrounds from the OP of a Key adaptation; Nagisa’s figure silhouetted against a spring field with light orbs floating in the air, a beach awash with summer sun with the figures of a boy and a girl sitting on the concrete overlooking the sea. It gets serious at 0:55 – the piano takes the melody in Maeda’s signature make-you-cry manner. Then there’s an odd transition to 8-bit/MIDI that I still can’t make sense of, but it matches the eccentricity displayed in the rest of the show’s music. Again, the song has trouble deciding between its disturbing wavering synth and its uplifting piano with classic Key harmony. The final note of the song makes me sad: it’s as irresolute as the other character themes, and it leaves something to be desired. I believe that’s the point.

Kanade is a tricky character because the viewer can’t truly understand her until the very end, but I think this song embodies her all-knowing uncertainty. Unlike Yuri and Otonashi, she isn’t lost or confused or searching for resolution; like them, however, she has to struggle with her own sadness at watching her friends pass on while holding in her feelings until the very end. She might have had all the answers, but she was as emotionally uncertain as the rest of them.

[monono]

Altogether, Angel Beats has a very unique OST. It isn’t much like Key’s previous adaptations; in fact, it isn’t much like any anime music I’ve heard. I enjoy the style the composers aimed for, using hardcore electronic rhythms for the battle scenes and unorthodox, atonal, generally rhythmic piano and strings for everything else. That said, the tear-jerkers are still there in all their piano-and-synth glory, sure to please any fan of Jun Maeda and Shinji Orito and the rest of them. Theme of SSS is the icing on the cake. Nothing can stop me from sniffling when I hear Nagisa or Natsukage or Last Regrets, but this piece fills me with emotion in a complete different way.

Speaking of which, I’m also curious about the enigmatic Anant-Garde Eyes, a mysterious group who did the arrangement for some older Key songs. This is their first time being credited with composition, but they evidently know what they’re doing considering that they composed some of the most important tracks in the OST like Theme of SSS and all of the battle themes. zzeroparticle gave some thought on the matter, but I’m certainly looking forward to seeing more of these guys (and hopefully figuring out who they are).

Anyway, I’m impressed with the music of Angel Beats and I’m glad to see the composers take it in such a different direction while maintaining the bread-and-butter tear-jerkers that the story needs. It’s the perfect combination of abstract and traditional.

Info: VGMdb
Obtain from: Chaos Theory (mp3/flac), CD Japan, Amazon Japan

~ ETERNAL
つづく

{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

zzeroparticle August 11, 2010 at 3:37 am

Good stuff!

This was quite the diverse batch of tracks, taking in the tones that you’d hear from games/VNs along with the really heartfelt stuff that Maeda is known for and presenting them fairly brilliantly. As it turned out, I liked Niku Udon since it’s just so out there that it feels kinda refreshing. A lot of the tracks that I didn’t touch on, like “Art of War” and “Tactics” sound a lot like those combat preparation screens that feature so prominently in SRPGs and that’s also another factor that brings this OST closer to a game soundtrack.

Also, my review has been getting lengthy and I probably should have mentioned that a lot of the music sounds like the folks at ANANT-GARDE Eyes drew their inspiration from Impressionist composers like Ravel and Debussy. The frenetic piano chords playing during certain pieces have their origins from those composers and I know that Masashi Hamauzu, who I revere a lot, has taken inspiration from the same group of composers.

Anyhow, great read!

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ETERNAL August 11, 2010 at 10:31 pm

Now there’s an interesting bit of information. I never actually studied music history (I’ll take a few courses if I get the chance), but it’s pretty cool to see a connection between such vastly different styles of music

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Anonymous August 11, 2010 at 3:57 am

All this is IMHO
Though the SSS theme really describes Yuri, i think it describes most of the SSS as well. Seeing the cast when they were deciding to take Otonashi’s offer or not, brings out the fact that like Yuri, their sadness is buried with anger much like the melody. The ending of the theme seems to indicate resolution and acceptance

I also find Otonashi’s theme to be lacking anger and the fuzzy synth though describes his amnesia detracts from the melody.

Kanade’s theme seems to attempt to mix innoncence and simplicity (the midi parts sound much like an amusement park’s atmosphere) with mature emotion. The midi parts really describe her in the last episode while the rest shows her shown character prior to that

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ETERNAL August 11, 2010 at 10:43 pm

Theme of SSS describes all of them, yes. Yuri just stood out more in my mind. I’m not sure about “acceptance” though, unless it’s a very bittersweet acceptance. The anger does quell but, at least to me, the last few notes don’t sound like a happy resolution. I’m not sure what the actual notes are but I think you know what I mean.

I’m not sure if I know what fuzzy synth you’re talking about for Otonashi but that certainly sounds reasonable.

I was kinda stumped with Kanade to be honest, especially since the song flips back and forth so much, but I like your explanation. “Innocence mixed with mature emotion” is an apt description. I still don’t know why he chose to use midi for the midi part unless it was just for style, but this helps quite a bit. On another note, that final note is still awfully foreboding…

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Kevin August 11, 2010 at 11:27 pm

Hey there, I got here via zzeroparticle’s review, and I’d have to agree with most of your points. I love this OST!

By the way, “Light Drop” is briefly played when Takamatsu takes off his shirt in the classroom. Don’t think it’s used anywhere else…

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ETERNAL August 15, 2010 at 11:36 pm

LOL. I would have never guessed. I remember thinking that the song was surprisingly good when I saw that scene, but it was played so briefly that I figured it was one of the typical sad Key songs that was already used in the show. Man… way to ruin my image of the song XD

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LostGamer August 12, 2010 at 3:37 am

Cannot wait for my CD to arrive. Thanks for the preview! (presound? prelisten?)

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Southrop August 14, 2010 at 6:06 am

Just wanted to say thanks for linking my site to obtain this great OST!

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Angel Beats FTW September 25, 2010 at 6:20 pm

Let’s Operation is during the end of each episode, when the they show the preview. Just letting you know.

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Random Bystander December 21, 2010 at 7:04 pm

Angel Beats! is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I love the OSTs!
I find that Kanade exemplifies Kanade’s strength within, as it begins out strong, yet it breaks in and out of tunes, which I think shows how vulnerable and alone she really was. It also shows her inner feelings which conflict with her strong resolution to help others move on. I’m sorry if i’m completely wrong, but I just wanted to leave my opinion.

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ETERNAL December 30, 2010 at 10:36 pm

No, no, that’s quite reasonable. It’s one way of explaining the contrasting aspects of the song that don’t seem to have any connection.

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