Overview

The Senko no Ronde Soundtracks Vol. 2 -Carpe Diem- contains music exclusively created for the Xbox 360 version of Senko no Ronde, not featured on the first volume of the soundtrack. The content of this soundtrack is much more varied compared to the first volume, but at the same time, the tracks are shorter and some may be considered filler. How does it turn out overall?

Body

The album opens up with "Link," a slow tempo electronic piece that transforms into an ethereal piece through the use of piano, music box, and spacey synthesizers. While it isn't complex, it manages to open up the album quite nicely. Speaking of the music box, the title theme, "carpe diem," is an intriguing one that leaves me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I really enjoy that playful music box melody. At the same time, when other elements are added into it, it becomes rather muddled and the intimacy of the music box is lost. There are other sections of the track that are more successful, such as the synthesizer leads that take over when the music box melody is taken out of the equation momentarily. It's a flawed theme, but one that does convey a dreamy soundscape.

"Limitless Cinderella" has a bit of a jazzy lounge sound, particularly through the drum work. The acoustic guitar samples had a nice Spanish touch and the variety of synthesized elements give the track a lot of depth. However the violin synthesizer is a bit weak sounding, making for an unbalanced track in terms of sample-. Another track where the violin synthesizer shows up again is "You and I," a rock focused track with ominous bell tones and organ work. There's a really nice atmospheric progression in the track, as it starts off rather ominously, but transforms into a more heroic, adventurous tone. It takes a bit to get going, but it's worthwhile.

"His Name is Kannei Edosan" is another giant mishmesh. It opens with a carnival-esque atmosphere before moving into an upbeat, big band jazz track. From there, it moves into a dark, mysterious synthesizer section with some drum n' bass accompaniment similar to something you might hear in the Shadow Hearts series. There are some odd vocal effects that are present at times in the track that detract a bit from the overall experience, but for the most part, the theme is solid. "Feldherrn" is a contemplative piece featuring ethereal synthesizer, acoustic guitar, some upbeat electronic work, and a surprising focus on accordion. It really manages to portray this very sultry, futuristic Spanish/French sound and it's definitely one of my favorites on the album.

Moving onwards, "Judgement - Act.1 - 'Eve'" is a hybrid of all sorts of elements: dance-like beats, a sitar melody, and spacey synthesizer work. Overall, it's a very complex, worldly atmosphere that really manages to work as a whole. The second part of this theme, "Judgement - Act.2 - 'Redeem'" is a short, contemplative jazz influenced synthesizer and keyboard piece. There is some distortion inherent in the track, making it seem as though it is being played on an antique piece of equipment. Another theme that incorporates this playback is "Portrait," a jazzy piano based piece that also sounds as though it's played on an antique piece of equipment. "Stolen Soul" is another ethnocentric piece featuring ethereal synthesizer work, violin, and Japanese instrumentation with some jazz percussion. It's a solid theme, but one that doesn't stick with the listener too much.

Summary

Overall, the Senko no Ronde Soundtracks Vol. 2 -Carpe Diem- features a unique approach to composition and a plethora of styles. At the same time, many of the shorter tunes do not live up to the expectations set by the first volume's compositions and serve as filler music some of the time. There are some substantial and quality themes interspersed throughout the soundtrack, but the ratio isn't nearly as much as I'd like. Fans of the music in game are the candidates for this album, as are completionists who want all the music to the Senko no Ronde universe.