The Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack os the official soundtrack for Kingdom Hearts II. It was first released in Japan on Januby Toshiba-EMI. The 2-CD set contains all of the songs from Kingdom Hearts II (excluding the songs in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix).
It took a while, but we eventually got it—a release for a score that is both intimately familiar yet drastically different from any entry before. Crossing over with the Kingdom Hearts Series and Ever After High, with elements from Monster High and.Since Kingdom Hearts III came out early in 2019, fans eagerly awaited a soundtrack release of the game’s music. (Square Enix), except for personal, non-profit use and only if done in accordance with the guidelines below.KINGDOM HEARTS – III, II.8, Unchained χ & Union χ – Original SoundtrackCheck out Your Thrones original soundtracks. You may not upload gameplay footage (including in-game background music) of, livestream broadcast, or post images from KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (KINGDOM HEARTS 2.8), published by Square Enix Co., Ltd.
Unsurprisingly, this also means that much work from KHIII has been left on the cutting room floor. For now, suffice it to say, the wait was worth it.One last note before diving in, but as will be apparent at a glance, what we have here is not only music from one game, but a small compilation from other fascinatingly titled entries, as well. But there will be time enough throughout this review to rave about how Shimomura and company outdo themselves again and again. Although her direct contributions to KHIII appear quantitatively less than in the past, together with her many collaborators on this sizeable album she elevates the soundscape to new heights, while also looking ahead to the franchise’s future. Fans will want to hear familiar themes and cherished motifs, but at the same time it’s important to imbue the nostalgic with new ideas and perspectives: to elaborate, explore and transform in creative ways and thus give new life and meaning to the material.Luckily, Yoko Shimomura is the genius behind Kingdom Hearts’ musical soul.
Kingdom Hearts Soundtrack Full Symphonic Force
Each time, she adds new layers, new emotions, a fresh perspective. It always amazes me, each time we hear a new rendition, how Shimomura has been able to reinvent for so long what was originally such a simple piece. Like its predecessors, it builds from humble beginnings to full symphonic force, the brass near the end beckoning us forward into the thrilling unknown.In a Square Enix interview from December 2020, Shimomura discussed her approach to the next track, “Dearly Beloved -KINGDOM HEARTS III Version-“, a theme widely considered to be the overarching motif of Kingdom Hearts. Wada imbues both with orchestral splendor, the former especially setting up a grand stage for this climactic adventure. The first pair of tracks, “Don’t Think Twice -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-“ and “Face My Fears -KINGDOM Orchestra Instrumental Version-“ are arrangements of collaborations from Shimomura and singer Utada Hikaru, who returns to the franchise for not one but two new songs. In past games, this master composer has contributed a handful of orchestral arrangements, and so he does again.
The composer states in the Kingdom Hearts III Ultimania book how her basis for this version was Liszt, and it shows.The first of the two new Utada songs follows, the Japanese version of “Face My Fears” (although, along with a few other tracks, this depends on which version of the soundtrack you have). It all leads to a grand orchestral climax, still accompanied by these stunning piano runs, which, even as we slow back down towards the finish, join with playful flute to resolve us in calming wonder. And yet, though we’ve returned to the familiar, this is still a new journey: around the minute mark, the piece slowly builds in energy, soon after which Shimomura’s piano accompaniment starts going wild in a way that will characterize the best of this score. She says that she wanted to begin the track with a sense of difference before welcoming us back home, and at 0:25 in the track, the warm piano melody does just that.
An adventurous piece filled with heavy brass, deep vocals, and a sweeping string climactic section, it’s a track that wouldn’t feel out of place in a God of War game (an E-rated one). The first such highlight is “Mount Olympus,” a brand new track for the longtime staple Olympus Coliseum. As alluded to earlier, Kingdom Hearts III easily has more musical contributors than any game in the series, and the result across the board will be spectacular.The rest of disc 1 serves the beginning of the story in the traditional Kingdom Hearts manner: Sora and friends traveling to various Disney worlds to meet up with iconic characters and fight the Heartless together.
This is best illustrated by the playful flute around the minute mark, the full string repetition of the theme shortly after, and yet another refrain at 2:17 that creates the feel of a whistling train leaving the station at sunset. This is a lovely arrangement of the original, with Kameoka again not straying too far from Shimomura’s composition, but adding plenty of smaller touches to create a fuller-bodied, richly decorated piece. Mysterious and minor though the familiar theme may be, some flute and horn open it up into a warm major conclusion absent in the original.Our next destination is not a Disney property, but a returning Twilight Town, represented by “The Afternoon Streets -KINGDOM HEARTS III Version-“.
“Shrouding Dark Cloud -Gigas Blast-“, Shotaro Shima’s premiere on the album, is another arrangement of an old boss theme, this time blending the orchestration with an electronic dance beat. Shimomura gets more room to flex in the next track, “Toy Box Jam,” which is maybe the catchiest battle tune among the game’s Disney worlds, especially the quick brass and string climax at 0:20.More highlights await in this Toy Box. I don’t have much to say about this one, except it’s a solid instrumental take on Randy Newman’s iconic song, perfect for Sora and the gang exploring Andy’s room or a massive toy store with Woody and Buzz. Speaking of classical Disney (or in this case, Pixar), “You’ve Got a Friend in Me -KINGDOM HEARTS III Version-“ marks the long-awaited arrival of Toy Story to the franchise. “Dearly Beloved -Forest Memory-“ makes use of fluttering flute and other woodwinds to paint an arboreal mood: a very classically Disney one in my opinion. For a location with such a history of existential angst, the music here provides a sense of safety and sanctuary.Leaving town (and the first disc), a pleasant surprise waits in another version of the main motif.
However, it soon switches into very different gear, reciting the theme for “Destiny’s Union” from Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. Honestly, I would have loved if this had developed further, as the motif of the main antagonist is sorely lacking on this soundtrack. For the first 30 seconds it seems like it will be a villainous piece, despite the name, as we get some haunting bits of Xehanort’s motif on bassoon. “Tension Rising -Angelic Amber-“ is a take on that Kingdom Hearts II track that delays and then slightly mutes the intensity until it kicks up a notch at 1:10.“Friendship’s Union” is kind of an odd one.
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