Overview

Yuzo Koshiro is one of the most diverse composers we have seen in modern years. In this album, he repeats something we don't get to hear from him too often: trance music. Now, this may be a turnoff for some people, but please, give this a chance. The style he shows us here is somewhat different than the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 1 & 2 Original Soundtrack. However, it still holds true to the level of quality we have come to expect from Koshiro.

Body

The first thing I noticed when I started listening to this album was how much power each of these mixes had. The album flows so well it would almost fit at a party! Tracks such as "In Your Dream" and "Love to Rise in the Summer Morning" give a clear example of this. Each of these tracks begin just as strong as they end, only layering different motifs over one another to give each track variety. "Just Flat Out" expresses this same idea, but takes melodic development to a different level; with the use of an acoustic piano layered over the repeating dance rhythm, you really get to “feel” the energy that Koshiro is trying to express here.

Now for something a bit different, Koshiro has given us a few gems here that are a bit strange for this genre. Starting with my personal favorite in this category, "Evil Association", we are introduced to a side of Koshiro I haven't seen as of yet. Beginning with a wailing synth solo, the piece almost instantly sounds quite intense; a few seconds later, the beat drops out, and a buildup to an almost 'rave-like' trance beat comes in that carries through for the rest of the piece. This beat carries through the rest of the piece, until the repeat. This has to be one of the most innovative tracks I've seen from Koshiro so far. Another track that comes very close to "Evil Association" in terms of innovation is "Black Pressure". The beat in this grack is a bit more normal, but the use of the distorted choir in the intro and the non-standard beat at times makes it a noteworthy track indeed!

OK, what's a trance album without vocal pieces right? Well, Koshiro uses vocal samples on several of these tracks while having a dedicated vocalist for a few others. Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that the majority of these vocal pieces sound a bit more like standard Koshiro techno (i.e. Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 2). "Cause your Different" is the first vocal track I'll mention here; while the lyrics are a bit strange, the song itself has an amazing melody. "Feel the Moment" is another noteworthy piece when it comes to vocal integration. On a game such as this, I would not want to see the vocals overpower the music itself and this is a prime example of doing it JUST right. Again, you can't understand half the lyrics, but the singer's voice it a wonderful addition to this piece.

Summary

With the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3 Original Soundtrack, Koshiro deals us another solid trance album akin to its predecessors. However, I believe that this album is much more consistent than the last one. Everything here seems to flow together very well, almost like each mix was made to be played after the former. There isn't a whole lot more I can say to convince you to try this out. If you are a fan of techno music, or Koshiro in general, then this is a must-have for you. If you are only familiar with orchestral or orchestral synth game music, then this would also be a great album to introduce you to a whole other side of game music. So, get out there! Buy it, and DANCE!