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I know, I know.. I really like the works of Kimitaka Matsumae and even though I just wrote a bit about Jade Cocoon I feel that this soundtrack, Kileak, the Blood Sound Tracks & Remix desperately needs the attention. So without further stalling, here’s my take on it.

Kileak, the Blood Sound Tracks & Remix, released in March 1996 by Sony Records, compiles the music from two lesser known titles for the PlayStation by Genki; Kileak The Blood and Kileak The Blood 2: Reason in Madness. Now I don’t know much about these games, actually I heard they’re really bad, but something must’ve gone just right because the music is in a league of it’s own. Be wary, I get wordy. Review after the jump!

Matsumae has called this “his second solo album ever” (after Space Ranch) and compared to what he had done earlier it certainly has a unique flavor. The soundtrack starts off with ‘OPENING THEME REMIX’ and effectively sets the tone for the entire album. A sinister, repeating analog synth bass opens the track together with a simple drum hit. The dry sound might be a bit off-putting but only 25 seconds in the drums (probably also synthesized) enter together with an eerie pad and additional effects. There’s even some sparse but very effective use of hand drums and some brief melodic motifs. This is mood music, just looking at the cover you sense how the music captures the dark, cramped room. Looking at some YouTube videos of Kileak you realize that the majority of the game is played out in confined areas like this and suddenly the music makes much more sense.

Regardless of it’s in-game function though, the music stands on it’s own two feet. Like I said the dark, pulsating ‘OPENING THEME REMIX’ really sets the tone for the soundtrack. The following tracks ‘VISION OF SOUTH’ part 1-3 from Kileak 1 follow a similar style. There’s a distinct pulsating of synthesized drums coupled with dark, atmospheric synth work. ‘VISION OF SOUTH part 1′ is borderline pure minimalism but a bit over a minute in some brief, altering melodic motifs and a bass ostinato helps evolve the track. The sounds employed actually reminds me of the more sparse track from Donkey Kong Country 3 but without the attempts at melodi and a much more sophisticated sound. ‘VISION OF SOUTH part 2′ continues the minimalist approach but adds a distinct feeling of the rave music of yesteryear. The parallel chords and the thumping four-on-the-floor bassdrum gives off a distinct feeling of unease but in a different way from the earlier tracks. Again instrumentation is sparse and only slight variation occur across the five minute track, including the entrance of a faster, filter modulated bass pattern. The introduction and reduction of new elements and variation of these are spaced out just right and gives the track a hypnotic flow, strengthening it’s ties with minimalism, both traditional and modern electronic.

The final part of this trio of songs, ‘VISION OF SOUTH part 3′ deviates slightly from what we’ve heard before. The drums become the focus of the piece, coupling traditional hand percussion with glitchy cut loops and tuned percussion. The unsettling sound of the slightly detuned mallet instrument is reminiscent of Matsumae’s later work on Jade Cocoon but in this much less melodic setting the effect is very different. It transitions into an almost wholly ambient part focusing on sweeping metallic textures, a heartbeat and a blend of sounds you could expect in a horror film. The result is, once again, extremely atmospheric and unsettling. The track finally transitions into a sparser percussion part that cross-breeds the earlier minimalist percussion work with an almost industrial sound. That finishes the first part of the soundtrack, the music from the first Kileak game. It’s a journey through the dark, mechanical depths of the game’s world in sound. Listening to this first part in succession almost got me into a trance-like state. The music is repetitively ritualistic, dark and the unique textures blend both the synthetic and supposedly real to create a haunting but appealing soundscape.

‘FURLOUGHS’ begins what I like to call part two of the disc, the music of the second Kileak game. This track is much faster paced than the previous tracks and sounds more like mutated club music. The heavily reverbed percussion still gives off that industrial vibe from the soundtrack’s earlier tracks but it’s joined by a heavy 4/4 kickdrum downbeat and much cleaner synths. The arpeggio and bass are of the analog synth variety and effectively makes the track more recognizable and groovy. However the background noises and pads upsets this otherwise quite friendly beat and reminds us of what we’ve heard before. Following this track is ‘SATAVISA BASEMENT’ and just like that, we’re back in more familiar territory. The mix of more traditional percussion and synthetic sounds make a comeback. An eerie noise pad fly over the determined percussion, effectively creating a duality in the track that keeps it from feeling generic or predictable. The introduction of the bass and additional synth sounds bring some good variation but I feel that some of the harmonies feel out of place because of their major harmonic feel.

‘BIFROSS ARMORY’ starts off with a bass ostinato, again showcasing Matsumae’s love for analog synths. It’s similar to ideas found on his compilation solo album You Are The Fox 4 and provides an anchor point for the track, even though it’s harmonically unstable. Other synths adds a counter melody to this bassline together with an army of interesting textures and pads floating around the repetitive beat. Once again, I don’t mean repetitive in a bad way as it here adds to the excitement, the unsettling atmosphere and feel of the music. You can actually compare it to Aphex Twin’s early work on Selected Ambient Works 85-92 but much darker. It shares the same focus on repeating rhythms and synthetic sounds but Matsumae takes it a bit further in an effort to really create a darker ambiance. ‘THE TOWER’ has a more epic feeling with a fat sounding synth pad, bass and drum combo carrying the track. It’s heavily anchored in the 4/4 downbeat and features much less “uncontrolled” elements than previous tracks. The drums is obviously an attempt at realistic drums but sadly they fall a bit short, it was some time ago after all. Some detuned synths are eventually added, making a sound similar to an alarm but otherwise the track just moves on. The track’s definitely not bad but a lot of the dense atmosphere and mood that has been built up is suddenly lost in favor of this fanfare-like battle march. It does make more sense when you hear the track that comes after though.

‘CONDITION GREEN’ saves the day! This is a beautiful track with clean-cut harmonies and a lush sound, almost like if ‘THE TOWER’ was the journey to the inevitable victory. Very reminiscent of Jade Cocoon, especially the later forest tracks like Dragonfly Forest, this track signifies that after the dark journey we’ve had we’ve finally reached our goal. It almost feels like a Vangelis soundtrack at this time but more sparse and settled. The arpeggiated, delayed synth doesn’t even attempt to create a melody but rather sits comfortably and adds more of a shimmer. Half-way through the track though it changes into what I can only guess is another track entirely. The cross-fade is sadly dissonant and disrupts the beauty that was the first part. However the final parts of the track are just as beautiful once they get going, ending with a short little song on an electric piano fading out into the same lush pads we heard in the beginning of the track.

‘ENDING THEME REMIX’ marks the end of the album and painfully rips you back from the cloud you’re on since ‘CONDITION GREEN’. Starting with some incredibly disturbing and suggestive sound effects (including what sounds like someone chopping into flesh and numerous synthetic bleeps) this track starts off on a bad note. At about two minutes in though a proper beat enters together with the sound fx. On top of this are, unexpectedly, strings and brass. This surreal march-like section is actually quite good but the synthesized instruments leave a lot to be desired. Following this is a small part for harp going into an anthemic ending combining rock and orchestra, all synthetic.  For me this final track really is the low point of the album but considering what came before I can’t really complain. In fact I think the best way to listen to this album is from start to finish and when you reach ‘ENDING THEME REMIX’, feel free to push STOP.

Overall, Kileak, the Blood Sound Tracks & Remix is a unique soundtrack. All tracks measure around 6 minutes each and feature repetitive rhythms and motifs coupled with Matsumae’s unique synthesized timbres. I can only speak for myself but Matsumae really made this work. The repetition becomes ritualistic, trance-like, and the minor changes in instrumentation and harmony are just enough to keep you alert and the textures are just amazing for a PlayStation game. The similarities between early Aphex Twin and the minimalist aesthetic are many but Matsumae manages to create a totally unique world of sound that no doubt works amazingly in-game but also stands on it’s own. Kileak might not be for everyone but if you’re interested in either minimalism, ambient or horror music this is well worth a listen. I personally think it’s one of the most interesting soundtracks I own and listening through it in it’s entirety as a great way to spend 50+ minutes. I recommend everyone to at least give it a listen if you can find it, who knows… it might be everything you didn’t know you wanted in video game music.

If you want to know anything about Kimitaka Matsumae’s music in general  feel free to send me any questions at mattias[at]anosou[dot]com. Note that Kileak, the Blood Sound Tracks & Remix was released in 1996, it’s out-of-print and thus might be hard to track down. the_miker is cooler than me because he owned this soundtrack before me. Please support composers by purchasing soundtracks and bringing as much attention to game music as you possibly can. Thanks for reading!