masashi-hamauzu
Latest
Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack, now on vinyl
Square Enix hasn't announced a release for the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack outside of Japan. Instead, it has announced a second FFXIII music release in Japan that is going to make you even more jealous. On February 26, the publisher will release a collection of eight songs from Masashi Hamauzu's Final Fantasy XIII score on a 12-inch record, including an exclusive version of "Ragnarok." The limited-edition vinyl record, W/F: Music from Final Fantasy XIII, is exclusive to Square Enix's E-store. Importer NCSX secured a shipment of the record through one of its vendors, but that has already sold out. Maybe we'll have better luck when Square releases the eight tracks on 8-track. [Via VG247]
Rumor: Final Fantasy XIII composer leaves Square Enix
Hot off the release of Final Fantasy XIII, composer Masashi Hamauzu has ... left Square Enix, according to a report on Square Enix Music Online. Hamauzu has been with the company since 1996, and composed the soundtracks for SaGa Frontier II, Musashi: Samurai Legend and others, while contributing to many others including Final Fantasies VII and X. If true, Hamauzu will likely join the growing ranks of Japanese game industry figures to go freelance -- with the most famous example in game music being Square's own Nobuo Uematsu, who left in 2004 to form his own company. Previous to Hamauzu's reported departure, Square Enix Music Online notes, Square Enix sound team members Kenichiro Fukui and Junya Nakano left the publisher. The site also suggests that more of Square's composers will exit in the next few months. [Via Siliconera]
Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack site launches with samples from game's four-disc score
The official Japanese site for Final Fantasy XIII's soundtrack has gone live, offering the ability to listen to the first ten tracks from the four-disc mega-album. Andriasang reports that the site will be updated with all of the discs' contents over time, along with notes on the tracks by composer Masashi Hamauzu, who worked with Nobuo Uematsu on the score for Final Fantasy X. You can listen to the tracks by heading to the site and clicking on the "track list" tab at the bottom of the page. The album releases in Japan on January 27 in both standard and limited "first cut" editions. If Square announces a domestic release, it'll be music to our ears. [Via Nobuooo]
