Ryuji Rockin' Sasai

Aaaaaaaaaand Blogspot is back! 'bout time. Anyway, I've got to get going soon, so let's keep this a bit short. The mechanics of sound chips are interesting, but I'd like to start talking about the people who make it all possible: the composers. Well, technically, the programmers are the ones who work the sound chips typically (unless the composer is a programmer), but without someone to compose the music, it would be a waste of silicon.

He hasn't been featured in many games, but the work he has created is absolutely outstanding. You may know him as the composer for Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. His name is Ryuji Sasai, and he's a master of sound. Currently a bassist for the Japanese cover band QueenMania, Sasai's work is heavily influenced by both classic and progressive rock. His RPG overworld themes display a multitude of genres, including orchestral, but when the battle starts, your face is melted by fast and furious head-bangin' melodies.

The 80's ain't dead, fool.

His two most prominent works are Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Rudra no Hihou (Treasure of the Rudra). Some of you are probably already familiar with the former, but the latter is a bit more obscure. Rudra no Hihou was, sadly, only released in Japan. It's an incredibly solid RPG with an engaging story and a cool system that lets you create different spells by changing their names.

Probably my favorite theme from the game is The Spirit Chaser, which is also one of my favorite songs. Period. Do your ears a favor and check it out. If you haven't heard his work from Mystic Quest, be sure to check that out, too. Once again, check out one of my previous posts for information on downloading SNES music.

Hope you enjoy this artist's awesome music. Get ready, because I intend to introduce you to many more!

Artist links:
Wikipedia article
Square Enix Music Online profile
QueenMania