By Salvinsky (https://salvinsky.bandcamp.com/)
Narita Boy was a title that I reviewed back in April and, whilst the gameplay didn’t click with me, the visual and audio presentation were real highlights - a vision of a digital future purely viewed through the lens of a romanticised ‘80s mindset was a heady mix and this soundtrack, comprising of a selection of thirteen tracks from the game, feels like a well-chosen highlight reel and has been firmly glued to my turntable since receiving it just over a week ago.
The record comes on a single black vinyl in an anti-static sleeve (good), the glossy cover portrays Narita Boy raising the Techno-Sword aloft as a beam of light shines down upon him, charging him with energy. Sat at a desk behind him - stunned at the power and majesty of Narita Boy - is another main character from the game - they are being watched by a shadowy figure that looms large in the background. Framing all of this is a very ‘80s grid design, with the Narita Boy font ripped through with yellow, red and blue – important and recurring colours in the game itself. The rear has the shadowy figure again haunting the image and here we find the tracklisting, above which the Narita Boy symbol is emblazoned. Opening the gatefold sleeve, the inner cover is an EXPLOSION of characters and colour with the credits and musicians listed at the top-right of the image. I’m really glad that they went with a glossy feel for this as everything really pops out, it’s one of the most striking covers I’ve come across and the design absolutely compliments the sheen of the music contained on that sweet, sweet vinyl.
Side A:
Narita Boy Theme
Possibly the most addictive opening track on any VGM vinyl that I own, the album doesn’t just ‘start’, it kicks you in the face with a boot made of wonderfully cheesy synth-pop. Possibly the only VGM track with full lyrics that doesn’t make me roll my eyes as the simple, casually delivered vocals drift over a beat that dares you not to turkey-neck as it almost leaps out of the speakers and starts lazily thrusting in your living room. Single beat drums, chiming keyboards and jangly, trebly guitar call to mind a scene from some ‘80s movie where a room full of trendy 20-somethings all lazily dance with oddly bored expressions on their faces (no idea why that was a hip thing to do back then). Here, in my house though, it’s grins aplenty as one of the most moreish VGM tracks ever recorded pumps out, it’s brilliant stuff. The clipped, polished production shines through as the punchy midi-bass jams out - David Batalla’s mixing and mastering deserve a huge high five from a hand sporting a Power Glove.
Techno-Sword
A very different beast following the tongue-in-cheek fun of the opening track, this features a squelchy synth run over blasts of heavily distorted and yet soft wave-like sounds, with quite a guttural choir punctuating things. Again, the way in which the song is mixed is nicely done as it really doesn’t sound as abrasive and discordant as it could have, thus ruining the flow. The heaviest, dirgiest and most experimental song on the album.
Forgotten Forest
Chiming, almost marimba-like notes open this track before echoing single synth notes weave around the main rhythm. This is a beautifully mellow track that has some glorious melodies peppered throughout. It’s very pretty and, after the brashier Techno-Sword, the softness of Forgotten Forest has much more of an impact.
Synth-Sensei
This song strikes me as a digital, alien circus melody. The rising and falling notes are almost carousel-like in their form, with some heavily treated electronica acting as the ringmaster. It has the same playful approach as the opening track and by the time the swiftly cascading notes come in, you could close your eyes and almost feel the digital mane of the wireframe, virtual-reality unicorn that you are riding across the cosmos.
Riding the Servohorse
A really tasty and melancholic, lightly distorted riff acts as the backbone to this as gentle notes bubble over it with more atmospheric synth holding the bottom-end, before an unexpected and yet mesmerisingly awesome twanging cowboy guitar line rides over the horizon accompanied by marching snare and a rising choir. Good, good, good. Such an awesome sense of fun melded with theatricality, a clear favourite on the album and the epic ending - full of keening strings and poignant guitar bends - is hugely earned.
Dragon
Beginning like something that would be right at home on the Deus Ex Human Revolution soundtrack, Dragon feels classically cyberpunk. Rousing and with hints of threat but always tied to a strong melody and tasteful instrumentation, this is another corker.
Memory 1
A brief coda to the first side, we return more to the vibe of Forgotten Forest, a way of letting us drift back to more mellow ground following the robustness of Dragon.
Side B:
Saving the World
Another track with full vocals, it’s a great companion piece to Narita Boy Theme and the choice to open each side of the record with a narrative track is a good one. This one differentiates itself from Narita Boy Theme by leaning deeply into 70’s keyboard funk. GOOD.
Pirate
This is a saucy one. Another turkey-necker, it brings to mind the image of a cool, young punk strutting down a street past neon signs or perhaps sped-up, in-car footage with lights bleeding past. A great mid-tempo track that doesn’t deviate far from the main, pulsing riff - because it doesn’t need to, baby.
White Noise
A throaty keyboard riff launches this one off as double-beat throbbing bass and metallic atmospherics bring it to life. The driving beat very much continuing the mood set by Pirate and follows the same vibe, a simple melody that has time to breathe and settle in.
Big Narita
There’s something Terminator-like about this, the spacey synth combined with big double floor-tom hits and gently atmospheric keyboard adds a huge sense of scope. After a minute or so, a really delicately swift synth line joins in and runs up and down between the main beat, managing to sound grand but never overtly so - very much in keeping with the cyberpunk mood.
Trichoma Sunset
This one instantly set my mind back to the Amiga demo scene. The solid 4/4 single beat is back and the track pulses with an Amiga energy. There are lots of layers of synth going on here, scales rolling over the areas where the snare drops out, leaving the thudding bass alone before building up to another awesome crescendo. A party-starter – continuer, and finisher!
Lost Memory
The final track on the album echoes Memory 1, the ender from the first side. This is even more stripped-back and sounds like a music box playing alone on a dusty shelf. A very thoughtful and calm ending to an album that covers a lot of sonic ground. The first and last tracks of each side of the record echoing each other in style really works and gives a sense of not only cohesion but closure.
The Narita Boy soundtrack really stands out to me as one of the best of the year. There’s a great sheen to the mastering that matches the glossy vibe and artwork. This, combined with the sense of humour and playfulness that exudes from key tracks on the album allows you to relax and get lost in the many hooks and head-poppin’ beats that run throughout the soundtrack.
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