Overview

Sonic R was an early racing game of the Sonic series, released for the Saturn back in 1997. Sega Europe veteran Richard Jacques was hired to compose the score and took a relatively unusual approach. He felt it was appropriate to modernise the game with an all-vocal score while maintaining his characteristic electronic beats. The result was quite pioneering for its time, yet was often criticised in game reviews. Unlike most vocal scores, this one is well-composed and well-performed, though the lyrics really let it down. Let's look closer at the soundtrack release...

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"Can You Feel the Sunshine?" reflects what to expect from most of the soundtrack. It's a trancey vocal piece with a dynamic pace and 'feel good' vibe. The vocal line has an elegant gliding shape and is sung by a soothing female vocalist. The backing is composed of very smooth and light electronic beats, which are expertly synthesized for their time, though a slight jazz mood is generated by the piano chords. There is an interlude featuring more wild piano work and rumba beats that, while not a standard for the soundtrack, certainly adds some much-needed variety. Most of the other tracks follow the same approach with a strong focus on female vocals and instrumentals featuring a hybrid of pop and trance. Little differentiates the tracks stylistically, although there are subtle contrasts of mood. For example, "Back In Time" is more nostalgic, "Work It Out" is instantly motivating, and "Diamond in the Sky" is a much more sensual.

While compositionally sound, the problem with the vocal tracks are definitely the lyrics. Unlike a lot of vocal game music out there, they're written in real English and pronounced with an emphatic vocalist, but the actual content of the lyrics tends to be ridiculous. Sure, "Living in the City" is used in the Radical City track, so some sort of contextual references to racing and the city are relevant. However, each repeat of "Living in the city. You know you have to survive... Living in the city. You've got to keep that dream alive" just becomes that much more cringe-worthy. The topic just seems random while the sense of lyricism is very corny. Yet when a piece attempts to be profound, it also sounds unconvincing. "Back in Time", for instance, features the lyrics "Sometimes I ask myself what am I doing here. I think of all the reasons, but it's still not clear". I think these lyrics will prove very ironic for those unhappy with the game or soundtracks. The piece goes on to ask "What am I doing now coming back for more? Is it me or have I been here before?" My answer? I frankly wouldn't be here were it not for owing listeners a thorough review.

"Super Sonic Racing" is the one track that is so anthemic that is impossible not to listen to the lyrics. In the other tracks, the lyrics can be somewhat ignored by going into semi-ignorant mode and the result is quite enjoyable. After a provocative introduction, the track launches straight into the chorus with "Everybody's super sonic racing. Try to keep your feet right on the ground. When you're super sonic racing, there's no time to look around." These lyrics repeat a lot in four minutes and are even more unbearable on the race track. The final vocal track "Number One" helps to neutralise things with a welcome gospel influence and is genuinely well done. At the end of the soundtrack, there are a couple of short orchestral fanfares and a chillout options theme. There are a couple of bonuses remixes too. "Work It Out" suffices as a raw electronic remix and the vocals are tolerable even during the seven minute playtime. That said, just skip the club mix of "Super Sonic Racing" completely as it's more cheesy and infuriating than even the original.

Summary

Sonic R is a hard one to sum up. On the one hand, I really respect Richard Jacques' effort to make a modern vocal soundtrack for the game. The vocals, backing, and mixing are all well done with the results both effective and enjoyable in and out of the game. That said, no matter how solid the compositions are, lyrics that make me want to swallow a bullet aren't a good thing. It will really limit the enjoyment of the soundtrack for those who tend to focus on lyrics or are easily bothered by their content. It seems Richard Jacques has learned from the mixed reception to this soundtrack and gone on to create great vocal themes since. For me, though, Sonic R is so close yet no cigar.

Overview

Sonic Riders revived the Sonic racing subseries in a fresh, revamped format. It's score was handled by several members of Sonic Team, namely Tomonori Sawada (Daytona USA Circuit Edition, Space Channel 5), Kenichi Tokoi (Sonic Adventure, Astro Boy), and Fumie Kumatani (NiGHTS, Phantasy Star Online). They chose to adopt an electronic sound throughout that complemented the dynamic gameplay and upbeat attitude of the game. However, there was a little diversity offered through vocal themes and more to ensure a more diverse experience. The result was compiled in Speedbeats Grand Prix.

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The vocal themes for Sonic Riders are competent and different, but nevertheless a select taste. The opener "Sonic Speed Riders" would be a fairly generic pop theme if merely runblebee's vocals and the awkward racing-related lyrics are taken into account. However, Tomonori Sawada livens things up a bit with pumping electronic beats, electronic voice manipulation, and even some rock influences. He gets the chance to really extend and warp the theme in the vocoded electro mix at the soundtrack too. The ending theme "Catch Me If You Can" is definitely more experimental. Composer Kenichi Tokoi blends pop and hip-hop influences throughout to achieve a relatively unique sound, but hardly one as stylised as, say, Justin Timberlake. Nevertheless, there is definite innovation in the runblebee's vocals and the electronic backing nonetheless. There is a bonus remix of the track at the very end of the soundtrack with distorted vocals and rocking beats, though it's more of a novelty despite its high production values.

The majority of the soundtrack is dominated by fast-paced electronic music. Tomonori Sawada's "Theme of Metal City" is a very convincing attempt at psychedelic trance music and works well in the game to represent dynamic and transient racing scenes. However, there is pretty much nothing that makes the track stand out — whether a strong melody or a novel element — so it is less ideal for stand-alone listening. At least the hard bassline of "Theme of Egg Factory" or the aggressive breakbeats of "Survival Step" have an emotional effect out of context — well, emotional like a head-thrashing metal piece, not a profound symphony — whereas some of the others have a completely neutral effect. The warmer synth leads in "Theme of Splash Canyon" and "High Flying Groove" are quite attractive too, but the generic quality still remains. They're good to listen to while doing something more stimulating, perhaps because they're so undistracting, but deeper listens are ultimately underwhelming.

There are fortunately a few more novel themes to keep things a little diverse on the soundtrack. "Theme of Green Cave" is a twist on Sawada's usual format with its ethnic vocals and rumbling congas against harder beats. Kenichi Tokoi's Arabian-influenced "Theme of Sand Ruins" is better for those who want a deep yet melodic listen and sounds like it came from the Street Fighter IV. Meanwhile Fumie Kumatani's Digital Dimension and Babylon Garden are enjoyable twists on her Phantasy Star Online style and give a hint of what to expect in the sequel soundtrack; while the orchestral elements are few, the intense and abstract feel is still present. Her Babylonian theme is superficially different too since it features entirely on acoustic instruments in a whimsical dance-like manner; it is dominated by a warm flute melody against playful accompaniment while the changeable 3-3-3-2 metre adds a certain rhythmical jolt. Those looking for a catchy and hyperactive anthem will also find "Theme of SEGA Carnival" delight. But is it too little too late?

Summary

Sonic Riders has by no means a bad score. After all, the pieces are all convincingly composed, expertly implemented, and suitably integrated into the game. It takes some effort to make dynamic yet atmospheric electronic music and the team succeeded in this regard. However, the soundtrack isn't as enjoyable on a stand-alone level. The electronic music largely sounds generic, there are very few attractive melodies, and much of the soundtrack is emotionally aseptic. It was clearly composed as racing background music, not for a stand-alone listen. Some might find comfort in the vocal themes or the instrumentals that buck the trend. However, this 21 piece score probably doesn't have enough highlights overall to justify a purchase. Its sequel soundtrack is more worthwhile.