FF Topics

This year, 2020, marks the 30th anniversary of FINAL FANTASY III (henceforth FFIII). To commemorate the occasion, we are releasing a vinyl record on November 18! (*A download code for the mp3 version of these tracks is included, so you can enjoy the music even without a record player.)

This album contains both the original tracks and new arrangements of four particularly memorable compositions from the game. To accompany its release, we interviewed each song’s arranger. We hope you can feel the emotions captured in each track, whether you choose to listen to the album or read the interview first!

Track 1: Eternal Wind
Arranged by: Rei Yamashita / YUTAKA

● What is your impression of the original piece?

I found it very expressive. Its poignant riff and beautiful melody showed the passing of time with very few sounds.

●What did you have in mind when arranging the piece?

I wanted to keep the riff at the beginning since it makes such an impression, but have it progress in a way that listeners can feel the story while also conveying the majesty of the world.

●Is there anything different you had to keep in mind when adapting the unique tones of digital game music?

Depending on the listener, the images these unique tones can conjure are limitless. I wanted to use the inspiration I had when I first listened to the piece and immediately decided on the instruments. The interesting part of digital music is that the ideas you get change depending on when you listen to it. If I arranged it now, I might choose completely different instruments.

●Is there anything you were careful or conscious of since this music will be on a vinyl record?

I wanted to get it all in a single, simultaneous recording to preserve the “quality” and “vibe” that are unique to records. We had a familiar lineup of performers, which created just the right balance of tension, and we got an excellent take that captured the feeling of a live performance.

●When you listened to the original piece, did you immediately get an idea of the tune and rhythm arrangement for the instruments you used?

I got the sense the sound was going for right away, but I thought quite a bit about how to dramatically develop a song with a simple composition. Through trial and error, I created a rough arrangement, which was finalized in collaboration with the performers during recording.

●Did your image of game music change after arranging this track?

I’ve listened to game music casually before, but I had to listen more closely when creating an arrangement. I realized how the precision and expression that can be created in a tune with only a limited number of sounds and tones is really impressive.

●Is there a part you particularly like or want people to listen for in this arrangement?

I like the riff played on the marimba, the melody with poetic and romantic harmonica accents, and the interlude where I added original progressions.

Track 2: Elia, the Maiden of the Water
Arranged by: Tomoyuki Asakawa

●What is your impression of the original piece?

I was very taken with Elia’s delicacy, transparency, and sorrowful instability. I think the theme also foreshadows her fate.

●What did you have in mind when arranging the piece?

I devoted myself to amplifying the expressions of the original piece without involving my own feelings.

●Is there anything different you had to keep in mind when adapting the unique tones of digital game music?

It’s true that it does have a unique tone, but there are unshakeable expressions in the melody line and chords, so I didn’t think it at all necessary to treat it differently.

●Is there anything you were careful or conscious of since this music will be on a vinyl record?

In order to give listeners a fresh analog feel, I tried to eliminate unnecessary effects like deep reverberations as much as possible and aimed to create a recording that feels like an instrument is being played beside the listener.

●When you listened to the original piece, did you immediately get an idea of the tune and rhythm arrangement for the instruments you used?

Yes. The harp and the music’s motif matched perfectly.

●Did your image of game music change after arranging this track?

No, it didn’t. I think that game music is an independent and incredible field, just like traditional music and movie scores.

●Is there a part you particularly like or want people to listen for in this arrangement?

The harp is often seen as a healing instrument and the tone of a synthesizer’s harp is often dreamy, but I hope that listeners can feel something real the moment the strings are played, embrace the swelling reverberations tracing a spiral, and think of Elia and her fate.

Track 3: Battle 2
Arranged by: Seiji Igusa

●What is your impression of the original piece?

I’d played the DS and iOS version of the game, so it felt like a familiar boss battle to me. I personally struggled against the Kraken, so that battle left a vivid impression on me.

●What did you have in mind when arranging the piece?

I wanted to have an acoustic arrangement with a classical guitar playing melody. I expressed the tension and unease of battle in the first part with the unison of acoustic guitar and bass. For the second, melodious part, I added racing acoustic strums and percussion to represent the party’s courage in taking on a tough enemy.

●Is there anything different you had to keep in mind when adapting the unique tones of digital game music?

When playing a melody on a guitar, you usually use all sorts of nuances like sliding, vibrato, and bending, but this time I tried to limit those nuances and play simpler to draw out the pleasant 8-bit atmosphere of the original. It was an approach I’d never taken before, but I think I was able to successfully fuse the airiness of live instruments with the feel of Famicom [NES] sounds.

●Is there anything you were careful or conscious of since this music will be on a vinyl record?

I feel that analog records can better reproduce the original instrument sounds than CDs. I aimed to create an arrangement that makes listeners feel like we played it live and allows the acoustic guitar’s rich overtones to come to life. Also, normal recordings are performed assuming that equalizers [audio equipment that adjusts sound levels] will be used and dynamics will be balanced after recording. But for this piece, we worked to control the tone and mic settings during the performance to minimize post-recording equalizer adjustments as much as possible.

●When you listened to the original piece, did you immediately get an idea of the tune and rhythm arrangement for the instruments you used?

I immediately got an idea for the melody of the latter half, but the first half took time. This song has been arranged incredibly many times before, so I began by researching those past arrangements. I wanted to find a way to make this arrangement different from the others while keeping the spirit and setting of the original intact.

●Did your image of game music change after arranging this track?

I’ve listened to the song while playing the game, but this time I had the opportunity to listen to it more closely. I was really moved, thinking that tunes from the Famicom era were so expressive and inclusive of scenes, stories, and images despite the unthinkable restrictions on tones and track numbers those days. I feel like game music is not just in the background. It shapes the game world, just as much as—or perhaps even more than—graphics.

●Is there a part you particularly like or want people to listen for in this arrangement?

I would like people to take note of the tricky unison from the original that we reproduced with live instruments. I also added an intro that wasn’t in the original and created a feeling of speed with the guitar and bass duet. It’s an intro that will fuel expectations for the main progression, so I hope they give that their attention as well.

Track 4: Crystal Tower
Arranged by: Yuki Kishida

●What is your impression of the original piece?

It’s a tune that’s etched into my mind as the final dungeon. The piece itself is short, but I thought it was just right for the imposing Crystal Tower.

●What did you have in mind when arranging the piece?

I wanted to preserve the feeling of the original as much as possible and challenged myself to create a majestic progression with two pianos.

●Is there anything different you had to keep in mind when adapting the unique tones of digital game music?

I thought it would be pointless to just play the song as it is on a piano considering the tones used in the original version of the piece. I was particularly mindful of how to arrange the song, take pauses, and add inflections unique to the piano while maintaining the spirit of the original.

●Is there anything you were careful or conscious of since this music will be on a vinyl record?

I wanted listeners to be able to hear both pianos clearly on the record, so I discussed at length with the engineers which microphones to use and how to position them.

●When you listened to the original piece, did you immediately get an idea of the tune and rhythm arrangement for the instruments you used?

Yes, it came relatively quickly as I knew how I wanted to play it on the piano.

●Did your image of game music change after arranging this track?

I’ve loved game music for a long time now and hope to continue working with the genre in the future.

●Is there a part you particularly like or want people to listen for in this arrangement?

I incorporated hints of the background music from the party’s fight against the Cloud of Darkness in the Crystal Tower. I would love for people to listen for that part.

What did you think? We hope you enjoy the music-filled world of FFIII!

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of FINAL FANTASY III!

2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of FINAL FANTASY III, and to commemorate the occasion, we are releasing a vinyl record!

This album includes newly arranged versions of carefully selected songs from the 30-year classic, as well as their original tracks.

Additionally, a download code for a digital version of these tracks is included, so that you can enjoy the music even without a record player!

• [Side A] Arrangement Tracks
• Eternal Wind
• Elia, the Maiden of the Water
• Battle 2
• Crystal Tower

• [Side B] Original Versions
• Eternal Wind
• Elia, the Maiden of the Water
• Battle 2
• Crystal Tower

* Please note that this is a Japanese import soundtrack vinyl disc.

Details (NA)
SRP: $39.99
Release: November 18th, 2020

Details (EU)
SRP: €37.99
Release: November 18th, 2020