Xenoblade 3 OST Tetsuya Takahashi Message

I’ve finally received my Xenoblade 3 OST box, and since it doesn’t come with an English translation, I thought I’d translate it.

MESSAGE

Monolith Soft Inc.

Takahashi Tetsuya

“Okuribito” (Note: Off-seer): When this term was decided on, the music direction for this title fell into place more smoothly. This was a clear concept with a strong foundation; it could not crumble. The uniformity across all tracks is something I feel is the best in the series, and I think it’s incredible the way each song complements one other. Save for one song.

”Carrying the Weight of Life”: A track that takes its cues from “Engage the Enemy” in the first “Xenoblade”; There was something about it that didn’t sit right with me. I should say beforehand, the quality of the music itself is very high; I am always impressed by Hiramatsu’s passion for writing music. It’s undoubtedly one of the best songs. In addition, there’s no doubt that this is what users are looking for. And yet, this is what didn’t sit well with me.

Let’s rewind 15 years. At the time, in Japanese TV dramas, there was a popular trend of playing striking music at the closing of a chapter. Within that type of music, Sawano Hiroyuki’s music was especially powerful; and I particularly liked his music in “Iryū” and “dEVIL.” I think it was around 2006-2008. I wanted to incorporate that kind of powerfulness into a video game, and when I ordered music for “Xenoblade,” I presented his music as a sample for the kind of direction I was looking for. Later, when Sawano and I got to work together for “Xenoblade X,” I told him that story, and he said, “I had no idea,” and I suppose it all made sense; I remember him laughing and talking about that. And so that attempt was a great success, and “Engage the Enemy” became one of the iconic songs of “Xenoblade.” On the other hand, this music also represented my “trend” and “goal.” Utilizing that style to this day, that didn’t sit well with me; honestly, since the days of “Xenoblade 2.” Within Japan and overseas, this kind of style is rarely used in drama scenes anymore, and the mainstream style is to play ambient-style music that doesn’t unnecessarily arouse the viewer’s emotions, putting an emphasis on the actor’s acting and building around that. I’m not trying to say that it’s outdated at all; It’s just that my tastes and “goals” have changed from before. But this was quite the conundrum. a video game is a way of challenging yourself; a way to reveal your work, but on the other hand, it’s also a way to service (Note: as in, fanservice) users. A game that cannot serve its fans has no future. A game that doesn’t take on new challenges also has no future. Striking this balance is very difficult, and I still don’t have a clear solution. You just have to do it through trial and error, each time. As a result, “Carrying the Weight of Life” only plays twice in the game. This is because the song was only used when it was fitting for the situation, and when it felt suitable to me, personally. It’s a compromise between “service” and “goal,” but I think it turned out well, for a compromise. I’m sure some wish it was played a little more often, but considering that one of the themes of “Xenoblade 3” is to “not be afraid of change and walk into the future,” I think this is much as you can do.

Rather than playing on defense, going on the offense; change rather than maintain. This is a stance that I have continued to hold for thirty years. If there is another “Xenoblade,” it will likely be something vastly different from what came before. In style and in music, I would like to make my next goal something that will betray everyone’s expectations, in a good way.