Overview

The music for Radirgy, also known as Radio Allergy, is one of k.h.d.n.'s first works. As revealed in our interview with them, the musical direction for this soundtrack was determined by Daisuke Nagata, rather than Kou Hayashi. It features an interesting style, that fuses their drum and bass influences with a groovy/funky style that ultimately creates a very pleasurable experience. The Radirgy Perfect Original Soundtrack, a release from INH, features the original Arcade version some of the music that was remixed for the Dreamcast version of the game. Read on to find out more!

Body

Considering this is the brainchild of Daisuke Nagata, it only seems fitting that he composes a majority of the soundtrack. The tutorial stage, "Chatterbox," is a pretty bubbly electronica theme with a variety of various effects, ranging from more modern to more retro inspired sounds. The beat, when present, is quite heavy, but I think the main strength of this piece is the melody line. It's not a traditional melody in the sense of most video game music, but it does have a lot of pizzazz to it. His stage one theme, "Ukiha Shopping Mall," has quite a groovy beat going on with it. Combine it with a pretty bubbly melody line that mixes some sustained synth and some funky piano and it's definitely a winner. It just has this really infectious quality about it.

Continuing with the stage two theme, "A Day in the Park," this theme also features a bit of a groovy atmosphere going on it with. The beat isn't as groovy this time, but the inclusion of some acoustic guitar helps give it a bit of groove, as well as the piano that is thrown into the mix later on. It's a beautifully mixed and layered theme with a very rich soundscape. Lastly, the stage four theme, "I Hate Tha Sun," is definitely the least groovy of Nagata's stage theme contributions. It features some fantastic house beats, some great spacey synth usages, including sound effects, some awesome percussion sampling, and a great melody. Overall, it's quite the mellow theme in comparison to his other stage themes on the soundtrack, but it's a nice change of pace and does manage to entertain regardless.

The remaining stage themes are composed by Kou Hayashi. "2 the Sky," the stage three theme, continues with the groovy atmosphere created by Nagata. The theme itself is a nice hybrid of styles. The A section features some more beat heavy sections that hint at a nice groove, mainly through the use of layering, but the B section is where it really shines. A fantastic jazz piano section is added that is mixed with the music established in the A section. Overall, it's a beautiful blend of music that really fits with the overall sound of the album. Lastly, the stage five theme, "24/7," keeps the groove alive with his masterful blend of funk elements, excellent house beats, piano, and spacey synth. The A section definitely features more of the house beats, whereas the B section is a bit more mellow with some additional spacey effects and some more intricate synth layering. Overall, it's a fantastic addition to the soundtrack.

In addition to the stage themes, there are a few boss themes as well. Composed by Daisuke Nagata, "The Ordinary People" is an excellent mix of nice house beats, awesome percussion sampling, great electronic mixing, and groovy piano. It's one of those infectiously catchy pieces of music that just sticks in your head, even if it doesn't sound becoming of a boss theme. However, coming from Nagata, that's not surprising. The last boss theme, composed by Kou Hayashi, entitled "Finale," features a nice steady house beat with a bit of groove in the melody and some spacey effects. It has a nice atmospheric soundscape overall, but is one of the less memorable themes on the soundtrack. Finally, "Asagiri," the true last boss theme, is another brilliantly composed theme by Nagata. It's another mellow theme, featuring some great piano work, a bit of groove, and some great spacey and futuristic synth soundscapes. There is also some industrial influence heard in the percussion sampling. Overall, it's a fantastic theme and shows that you don't always need crazy music for a final boss theme.

The additional remixes on the albums, particularly the stage themes, stay true to the original, which makes sense given that they are still featured in the game, but overall, the elements that make the originals so good are enhanced. For example, there is an additional section in "A Day in the Park" that features a bit of a minimalist approach, but still adds to the funk flavor. Another example how the jazzy piano in "2 the Sky" sounds more crisp lending a nice improvement to the jazz flavorings it offers. The remixes are definitely worth checking out!

Summary

Although I find this soundtrack to be weaker than some of k.h.d.n.'s other offerings, such as ChaosField or Karous, it is still quite a strong offering by the drum and bass duo. Particularly impressive is the fusion of their normal electronic stylings with a more groovy/funky soundscape. There are some true gems on this soundtrack, such as "2 the Sky" or "Asagiri." The remixed versions of the stage themes for the Dreamcast version of the game are also outstanding. It is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of this duo's other electronic works.