Reach for the Stars – The Sonic Stadium

Earlier this week we reported on the Sonic Colors Soundtrack VIVID SOUNDS X HYBRID COLORS getting a digital release in Japan with no sign of release in the west…well…be disappointed no more!

As of today, VIVID SOUNDS X HYBRID COLORS is available to download from iTunes in North America and Europe! Not only this, the price of the soundtrack has scaled with the market!

The Soundtrack is again released in 3 volumes, each disc costing £7.99/$9.99 to download. “A great price!”, you say, but are you only after specific tracks? Then don’t worry! You can buy individual tracks from the iTunes store for the bargain price of 0.99p / $0.99! Yes! That means you can have your fill of Cash Cash for the price of a hamburger!

So whether you fancy just reaching for the stars for a quid, or downloading the whole experience for £24/$30, iTunes will let you do so, at a much reduced price to importing the physical soundtrack.

To check out the tracks available follow this link.

So, will you be purchasing any of these tracks from iTunes? Let us know in the comments!

The Sonic Stadium may link to retailers and earn a small commission on purchases made from users who click those links. These links will only appear in articles related to the product, in an unobtrusive manner, and do not influence our editorial decisions in any way.

xxOLDOfficial News

Sonic Colors Soundtrack Available On ITunes?

25th January 201130th January 2011

Adam Tuff

14 Comments

With older Sonic the Hedgehog soundtracks becoming more scarce and difficult to obtain, along with newer releases frequently only being available to Japanese markets, the cry from fans for Sonic music to be available for download has become greater in recent years. This is set to change however, with the announcement that the Sonic Colors Official soundtrack album VIVID SOUNDS X HYBRID COLORS will be available from the 26th of this month for download from iTunes.

However don’t jump for joy just yet; the album will only be available to the Japanese market in which Wave Master Entertainment (long time Sonic OST publishers) operate, meaning Western markets will be no closer to getting Sonic soundtracks on general release (although there are ways in which to buy through the Japanese iTunes). Unfortunately the soundtrack does not come cheap; the album is sold in three volumes each costing ¥1500 ($19/£12), with individual tracks being unavailable for purchase. Some fans may find this deal not to be worthwhile, with the physical 3-CD soundtrack costing ¥300 less than downloading all three volumes. Those looking only to purchase the title “Reach for the Stars” by Cash Cash will also be disappointed.

VIVID SOUNDS X HYBRID COLORS is still available for import through CD Japan for ¥4200 ($48), although expect to pay appropriate shipping charges and import tax. Although it may appear that the west is no further forward into getting similar releases to this, it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Read the original article on the Japanese site 4.Gamer.net

xxOLDOfficial News

Japanese Sonic Channel Interview with Sonic Colors Sound Team

23rd December 201023rd December 2010

Adam Tuff

9 Comments

As yesterday marked the release of the Sonic Colors official soundtrack CD Vivid Sound X Hybrid Colors, the SEGA of Japan Sonic the Hedgehog site Sonic Channel interviewed composer Kenichi Tokoi (who previously composed for Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games and Sonic and the Secret Rings) and producer Tomoya Ohtani (Who composed for soundtracks such as Sonic World Adventure and Sonic Rush Adventure) with regards to their involvement with the soundtrack.

Although the interview was conducted in Japanese, we’ve picked out some interesting topics discussed! Tokoi and Ohtani first discuss how the title of the album came about; vivid was deemed a lively term and reflected the nature of the game well, with the word hybrid uniting the liveliness of the game with the music. Because of the mix of synthesised music, autotuned vocals and orchestral music, the term hybrid was also thought to also reinforce the nature of the diversity of music on the soundtrack.

Tokoi and Ohtani also comment on differences to composing the soundtrack compared to Sonic World adventure (or Sonic Unleashed), whereby the music in the game did not change for the stage, where as now every act on the Wii version of the game has a different tune. Thetr is also discussion of the similarities and differences between the title track “Reach for the Stars” and that for Sonic World Adventure “Endless Possibilities”, and how they feel variation of lead singers for the title tracks is beneficial.

The pair go on to talk at great extent about the inspirations and vibes considered when composing for varying levels; for example the twangy guitar was thought to capture the subtle hilarity of Sweet Mountain being an armoury masquerading as a confectionary factory. Heavy guitars were employed for the fast pace of the Asteroid Coaster, and the darker themes were used to convey the feel for the Terminal Velocity stages. Both composers also enjoyed creating the 8-bit versions of the tracks used during the virtual stages!

They interestingly also discuss how they feel they have not deviated much from the framework of most sonic Sonic soundtracks, but hope fans appreciate the more pop-themed opening tunes rather than feeling betrayed by the decision to have Cash Cash perform.

You can check out the full interview with pictures on the Sonic Channel Page.

If you haven’t ordered your copy of Vivid Sounds X Hybrid Colors, you can purchase this now from CD-Japan for ¥4200 (about $47 USD or £32 GBP).