Overview

Cafe SQ is the latest in a series of albums dedicated to interpretations of Square Enix favourites by musicians beyond the games industry. As the name suggests, it focuses on relaxing jazz and folk performances, but the album features quite a bit of variety nonetheless. Those who bought the album through Japan's alternative store Village Vanguard were eligible to receive a bonus album featuring three exclusive remixes and a chiptune live recording not featured in the main album.

Body

The bonus album opens with a rendition of Final Fantasy VI's hidden gem, "Coin Song". The arrangement seems a little constrained by the original melody and develops in a somewhat contrived manner, at least compared to the expansive renditions on the main album. However, the acoustic guitar performance is lovely and brings out the nostalgic tones of the original beautifully. Serph also returns from his dubious outing in the main album to interpret Final Fantasy XIII's "The Promise". The electronic distortion and noise here may appeal to some, but in many ways distracts from the beautiful chamber tones of the original. Unlike Mitsuto Suzuki's similarly styled arrangements, Serph takes things a little too far.

The album also featured a gargantuan recording of Sexy Synthesizer's live set at SQ Party Level 1. He offered a nonstop remix of numerous classics from Square's classics across a 30 minute playtime. Among the highlights, an ecstatic remix of Chrono Trigger's victory theme, an abstract interlude dedicated to Nanashi no Geemu, the hyperactive beats of Secret of Mana's boss theme, and a climax dedicated to Final Fantasy's main theme. While the melodies and renditions were enjoyable, they tended to focus on upbeat pop-flavoured renditions and did not feature the diverse moods and styles featured in SQ Chips. It's nevertheless excellent that this performance was recorded for the album and perhaps Square Enix will consider a full album release for the concert at some point.

The album closes with a rendition of Final Fantasy VI's "Aria di Mezzo Carattere" by The Reign of Kindo. As one might expect from the band, the instrumentals are beautiful — combining sentimental piano figures with romantic violin and cello performances. However, Joseph Secchiaro's vocal performance will be a select taste — a melodramatic balladic performance with a strong American accent. While the lyrics were a beautiful complement to the original game's 16-bit visuals, they sound terribly cheesy in this rendition.

Summary

Overall, the three outtakes from Cafe SQ all have their problems and were best excluded from the main album. Nevertheless, the live set from SQ Party Level 1 is an interesting and nostalgic listen. Those purchasing Cafe SQ would therefore be advised to purchase the release from Village Vanguard.

Overview

Cafe SQ is the latest in a series of albums dedicated to interpretations of Square Enix favourites by musicians beyond the games industry. As the name suggests, it focuses on relaxing jazz and folk performances, but the album features quite a bit of variety nonetheless. Those who bought the album through Japan's alternative store Tower Record were eligible to receive a bonus album featuring three exclusive remixes and a extended track that was shortened in the main album.

Body

The bonus album opens with a rendition of Final Fantasy VI's hidden gem, "Coin Song". The arrangement seems a little constrained by the original melody and develops in a somewhat contrived manner, at least compared to the expansive renditions on the main album. However, the acoustic guitar performance is lovely and brings out the nostalgic tones of the original beautifully. Serph also returns from his dubious outing in the main album to interpret Final Fantasy XIII's "The Promise". The electronic distortion and noise here may appeal to some, but in many ways distracts from the beautiful chamber tones of the original. Unlike Mitsuto Suzuki's similarly styled arrangements, Serph takes things a little too far.

Whereas the Village Vanguard exclusive featured a live chiptune recording, the Tower Record exclusive features an extended remix of Final Fantasy VII's main theme. It's clear that established band The Reign of Kindo put their all into arranging and performing this track. The introduction of the latter seems inspired by In Rainbows with its ethereal vocal introduction, but develops into a folk rock piece featuring radiant violin work. The extended remix also incorporates some deep piano passages as it explores the more dark and atmospheric territories of the original main theme. The result reflects the unique personality of the performers and, refreshingly, is unlike anything an artist within the games industry would have produced. The extended version definitely feels more complete than the original.

The album closes with a rendition of Final Fantasy VI's "Aria di Mezzo Carattere" by The Reign of Kindo. As one might expect from the band, the instrumentals are beautiful — combining sentimental piano figures with romantic violin and cello performances. However, Joseph Secchiaro's vocal performance will be a select taste — a melodramatic balladic performance with a strong American accent. While the lyrics were a beautiful complement to the original game's 16-bit visuals, they sound terribly cheesy in this rendition.

Summary

Overall, the three outtakes from Cafe SQ all have their problems and were best excluded from the main album. The extended remix is nevertheless a welcome exclusive, though the version on the main album is still enjoyable. Many will feel that the Village Vanguard chiptune performance is a better exclusive than this, however.