KiRite Vinyl Review "A Tale as Timeless as the Music" 💿 @WayoRecords @WayoRecordsJP #VGM #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

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From the Wayo Records website:

Initially released in 2005, KiRite is a collaborative album of music and story

presented by the legendary duo of Yasunori Mitsuda (composer) & Masato Kato (game creator), both are widely known for their work on cult games such as Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross.

The universe of Masato Kato is fantastic, strangely cold and yet warm and soothing.

The Five Seasons of KiRite will immerse you in the fascinating story of Kotonoha and KiRite,

Its dreamy melodies and the bewitching voice of Eri Kawai will make you travel through the five seasons of its unique universe.

Fully translated into English and remastered for the vinyl format,

KiRite's story and music are now available worldwide in this new 2 x LP Gatefold format.

Don't wait any longer to (re)discover this masterpiece by Yasunori Mitsuda!

Another extremely tasteful release from Wayo Records, kiRite really had an impact on me. Somewhat unusual in that the accompanying booklet tells a whimsical tale alongside the audio. The tale is succinctly told through the text, but with rich, expressive language that absolutely matches the colours and worlds created by the music.

The cover of the album shows a thick, healthy tree in the foreground, with a thin, bone-like tree in the background, bending in the wind. The deep blue hues that wash the art nod towards a dream-like, moody state. The only text visible here is the composer and writer's names, and the stylised ‘KiRite’, again - in a font that evokes thoughts of nature, growth, and rebirth.

The rear of the album is a continuation of the cover visuals, but blurred away, a sparse forest viewed through a tired, bleary-eyed squint, furthering the ethereal sensibility. The tracklist is the centrepiece here, unusually, this is a three-sided album, with the fourth side being an image engraved into the record itself, much like the Toejam and Earl record – admittedly with a far different vibe from those funky aliens.

Opening the gatefold brings a stark whiteness to the scene. The album lyrics (featured on three songs, the rest being more vocalisations and abstract singing as opposed to traditional lyric-based vocals) take up the left side. The lyrics are printed simply and boldly as if to let the power of the words speak for themselves and act as the highlight.

The right-hand side of the inner gatefold has all of the information in regard to the musicians involved and general credits. Each track is broken down individually to show the wizards behind the album.

The records themselves are ensconced in anti-static white sleeves (good), whilst the real star – the thick booklet containing the accompanying story - is stored inside. I highly recommend reading this first, solitarily – and then again with the soundtrack, so you can follow the narrative and get lost in the music, without overly focussing on one or the other, as you already know how the tale will end.

As an aside, if you are familiar with Wayo releases you’ll be unsurprised to find that the packaging, records and booklet are of the highest quality, with the booklet especially being thick and luxurious.

Track-by-Track

SIDE A

01 Is Kirite Burning Up?

Close, finger-picked acoustic guitar opens the record, it’s an intimate and organic sound that is soon joined by the beautiful vocals of Eri Kawai, a vocalist that astonishingly manages to walk the line between innocence and a sense of real vocal power, which perfectly reflects the character in the story. Following this, hi-hat and bass – the musicianship here will be receiving many further mentions in this review – then come hurtling in. The drums are – again – acoustic and natural in sound. Taking the lead though is an electric guitar that gives a vibrant lead line that eventually falls into a tin whistle section (courtesy of Laurie Sogawa). The first taste of the fight between nature and violence, again – matches the accompanying written narrative.

02 The Market in Volfinor

A high wind instrument plays an almost ethereal, distant tune as if dictating the dance of a fairy in the treetops, before a bouzouki, karimba and other instrumentation join. The positive, bustling sound very much gives the impression of a joy-filled marketplace. The main refrain here is a thing to behold, and the busy drums do a great job of adding colour and energy to the song in the way they elasticate and run with the beat. This is also the first time that my ears pricked up at Hitoshi Watanabe’s bass – it’s like he was born for the instrument, the joy in their playing coming through in every fretless slide and groove. The piano / karimba furthering the innocence of the protagonists, you can almost feel the camera swirling around them during their first meeting.

03  Promise with Winds - Petals' Whereabouts

It’s back to acoustic guitar here, a slightly distant reverb giving added dreaminess to the track. The natural drums and beautiful bass almost tease the listener into thinking that this could be a classic Counting Crows track in the production - which is full, and rich. The vocals of Eri Kawai absolutely shine here, pulling the trick of sounding like she is at the peak of her range in the emotional power shown, but it’s clear that there’s so much more in the tank, truly immersed in the character. Her vocals really are a highlight of the record. Again, the drums feel wonderfully ramshackle and yet perfectly structured as Hitoshi’s bass just flat-out feels like a master at work, vibing off the cuff, and rolling around the fretboard with absolute control, and yet a respect for the surrounding musicians and themes. This track is very much a favourite of mine. The woolly guitar on the rambling outro - combined with the bass and drums - is such an expressive moment, one of those tracks that have you imagining that the song never actually stops, just simply flies off into space, forever. The wailing vocal delivery elevates the whole shebang. Good.

04  The Forest of Lapis Lazuli

We are with nature here; bird calls, rustling leaves and an ominously descending piano line are soon matched by acoustic guitar and bleed seamlessly into an almost Witcher-esque violin, an instrument duet that is broken by Eri Kawai’s vocalisations, snapping into a busy, jaunty tune that really wouldn’t be out of place in The Witcher 3 soundtrack - which makes sense, because that soundtrack is fantastic, and so is this one. The violin takes centre stage for the first time here, drawing emotions out of the listener in a swift attack on the soul before once again returning to that bustling vibe reminiscent of the earlier market track. This is one that covers a lot of ground in just a few minutes.

SIDE B

01 The Azure

The first track of the second side continues the rattling of nature, bird calls and all, before acoustic, piano, wind instruments and that amazing, AMAZING bass come together to back Eri Kawai’s vocals once more. The drums hold back here, shuffling along with the beat, allowing the rest of the instruments and melodies to shine. The production of the album really stands out in moments such as this, where you realise just how clear, crisp and rounded each instrument is. Even the fretless bass feels in the room with you, as opposed to being mechanically separated and over-produced, a gorgeous soundscape. It really does feel like the architect behind this album just high-fived the bassist, handed him a bottle of good red wine and said, “off you go” - and it’s absolutely glorious, peppering each track with solid gold. I’d very much like to interview Hitoshi Watanabe!

02 Scorning Blade

The second track of this record is a very different beast to the first; tribal drums and male vocalisations echo in a chamber containing a moody bouzouki and filmic violin. It may not be upfront, but keep your ear out for the bouzouki here, as it completely paints a narrative picture in the addictive riff that it weaves. The heart of the song soon drops to a shimmering synth that again lowers to let the solo piano play heavy, thick notes out. Again, it's a rich recording that almost allows you to feel the depth of the piano through your speakers like the microphone is actively straining, desperate to capture the very essence of the notes played.

03 Upon the Melodies of the Moon

Eri Kawai’s solo vocals ring out here, showing the command of her organic instrument. The layering and choral effects somehow add to the humanity of the performance, again - a balance between delicacy and strength in her very clearly impressive abilities.

04 Fated Encounter - The Fall of Darkness

There’s a medieval vibe here in the recorder performance combined with bouzouki. The tin whistle soon joins, harking back to the market track on the first side, an echoing call-back to the characters’ first meeting, and stating that this is a journey through many locations, each with its own melodies and style. The percussion and guitar give a communal feel as Kawai’s powerful vocalisation rolls across the top of the music.

05 Nocturne

A solo piano intro that evoked melancholic imagery. Bursting and fading before being joined by violin that echoes the notes, whilst adding its own spin on things. This track called to mind a solo dancer in a large, empty room, Twirling, and spinning beautifully in the eyes of no one. Again, these sparser moments allow the production to shine, especially the expressive violin here. A wonderfully emotive ending to the second side of the record.

SIDE C

01 As Autumn Passes Away

As we enter the final section of the album, it begins extremely heavily - almost teasingly - before dropping away and giving over to a surprisingly tribal vibe; with hand percussion and snake-charmer-like melodies as well as that ever-present, saucy bass. It’s a track that demands an almost erotic dance from the listener. A moment of sexiness and light-drunkenness to ease the soul. It’s a dreamy and subtly groovy track that has the power of hypnosis in the playing.

02 The Snow Howling

All synth and clean guitar bends at the intro - this was right up my Strasse!” The stuttered percussion and violin lead the emotional way, I couldn’t help but focus on the deep synth atmospherics. As the track approaches the halfway mark, the energy level builds and rises, this is a track where the drums are more restrained, and yet perfectly so, to allow the wood instruments to weave and ebb, controlling the track. I love how subtle the bluesy guitar work is here, and yet it plays such a key part in the emotional heart of the track. Good. Judging by the ending, guitarist Tomohiko Kira will be asking for more frets for Christmas.

03 Prayer Tree

 A slower, more ponderous track, this begins with scattered, airy percussion and a smattering of drums before an echoing electric guitar cuts through. The atmosphere on this one is thick, and the buzzy, sustained distortion on the electric guitar adds to the dream state of the track as Eri Kawai’s angelic vocalisation keeps the listener grounded in the humanity of the story, an early fave of mine.

04 The Name of Our Hope

As we approach the end of the saga, twinkling percussion and Eri Kawai’s descending vocalisations lead us to a jaunty series of high piano notes before the drums, bass and guitar join the fray. My word, I LOVE the bass on this record. I can almost imagine Watanabe smiling in the control room as he weaves his magic on the instrument. This is such a laid-back track, it exudes a sense of safety and ease.

05 Circle of Eternity

The final track on the album is a reprise of the earliest song. Full piano breathes the recurring melody in its most stripped-back form, allowing the listener to reflect on the musical journey. A simple and striking way to end the album.

Summary

It’s so good that KiRite has been released in this format, the size of the booklet ensures that the simple, striking artwork can be enjoyed.

This album may have been initially conceptualised and created in 2005, but it absolutely feels fresh today, almost twenty years later.

The musicianship on show has made me look further into the individuals involved, and the accompanying booklet tells a tale as timeless as the music, another cracker From Wayo!