Famitsu Translation - Soken at "Before the Fall" Release Event

[Slycer]

Been working on this translation on and off for the past few days. It's an interesting interview Famitsu with Soken at a promotional event for the album's release. Nothing here in terms of game content, but even though it's quite long it's still an interesting behind-the-scenes look at both the game music production and production of the soundtrack albums.

Please link back here if you reference the translation - I think I've caught most glaring errors and filled in the parts I skipped over on my first pass, but if anything sounds off or looks missing let me know and I'll go back and check the translation.

Source: http://www.famitsu.com/news/201508/29087175.html

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Before the Fall Soundtrack Release Day Interview with Masayoshi Soken

On August 26, 2015, Square Enix released "Before the Fall: FINAL FANTASY XIV Original Soundtrack," a collection of songs from patches 2.2 through 2.5. On release day, we interviewed sound director Masayoshi Soken about the content of the soundtrack, songs from patch 3.0, the way he approaches his work, and some secret song ideas.

On the same day, in-store events were held showcasing live music at Tokyo Tower Records Shinjuku. We spoke with him immediately before the events.


Trying to make history as the first Bluray to reach #1

Good job with the 14 hour live broadcast. It looks like the soundtrack is selling really well.

Masayoshi Soken: It was really good (sighs).

That's all you feel about it?

Soken: It's nice that it's selling well, but my salary isn't changing... (laughs). No, but seriously I'm happy. I'm really sorry that it went out of stock. It's good that it's selling well, but it sucks that other people who want it can't buy it. I'm glad I'll get to hear from a lot of people, though. Hopefully other sales are doing well also.

Staff: We're really sorry that they sold out.

Maybe you can get past Arashi or Masaharu Fukuyama for first place on Amazon. [[For reference, when I was translating this it was at #16 for all music sales on Amazon JP and it was out for about a week]]

Soken: I guess that could happen. All of the top 100 are CDs except for "Before the Fall." In the past, I'd have been surprised to hear that Blu-ray music would reach first place. I'm thinking things are finally changing, though, and we can beat out CDs.

Yeah, CDs have reigned since the late '80s.

Soken: People who play games tend to be more proficient with hardware and media. When it comes to general music listeners, having Blu-ray music might be wasted for the most part, but since game players are more adaptable, especially now that we're on the fourth album release for FFXIV, I think they understand the better value provided compared to a CD.

It's worth more than a CD?

Soken: Well, for example, the sound quality is higher than that of a CD, and we can also have video and high quality MP3s on the disc to allow them to be downloaded quickly. I think in the future this will be prevalent in the music world for everyone and we're like the vanguard (laughs).

(Laughs) Rather than starting with physical media, you're going to first release the songs from Heavensward digitally. Are you expecting that to be the new norm?

Soken: Not really, the Bluray media does add value, but it takes time to produce. We'd like to get it out around the timing of a game version update. However, because I'm also on the development team, making game data is my priority.

I understand. (laughs)

Soken: Since the cost is along the lines of a full game, we want to pack in as much content as we can, but even working as hard as we can, it's tough to meet the deadlines. I really don't get that much time to work on the soundtracks.

As of right now, what do you think the timing of the soundtrack will be?

Soken: Once work for the upcoming patch starts to slow down, I'll be working on the soundtrack before work ramps up for the next patch. However, since the release timing might get delayed as work piles up, it's tough to meet the demand of everyone who wants to hear it soon. The "Before the Fall" soundtrack was also pretty far behind on release, so we decided to at least get the source audio out for Heavensward to start.

I see. What will the file format be?

Soken: As of now, we're planning to release as AAC.

That's a format that can be incorporated on something like iTunes.

Soken: Yeah, it's a common format.


Nothing great comes from sitting at a desk

Can you tell us a story about each patch from 2.2 to 2.5?

Soken: Right... well, for Leviathan, I finished it just one week before publication. Because it was so close to the publication timing, I had no break after the release. That's my memory of patch 2.2 (laughs).

(Laughs) What are your breaks like? Just avoiding work?

Soken: It's exhausting. The work is tough, and there's really no end to it. I'm also involved on the production and business end of it as I'm responsible for the business operations of the sound team. When I'm working on the composition, it's hard for me to determine the quality of the songs. I can't really make a fair assessment when I'm completely absorbed in the work. Until I take a break, it's hard for me to objectively listen. After a break, I can come back and reset to continue with the work.

As part composer, part producer, and part team manager, how do you manage your crowded schedule?

Soken: I complain a lot (laughs). In between composing songs, I go to staff meetings to evaluate work.

So your influence comes out in the things that get produced?

Soken: I think it does... but I won't say that out loud (laughs).

(Laughs) Back on the topic of patch 2.2. The Leviathan song seemed to be something that came up a lot with Shirashugi (Koji Shirasugi, publicity team).

Soken: The instrumental intro part came to me in an epiphany ringing in my head. Same with the guitar, rhythm track, and bass.

It struck you in an instant?

Soken I had a burning feeling and it came out from inside my head.

Is this typical of your songwriting?

Soken: That kind of thing is pretty unusual. But speaking more generally, in terms of individual phrases, I guess there are many things that come around like that.

Do you get any instructions Yoshida (Naoki Yoshida, producer/director) or Hiroshi (Hiroshi Kazutoyo, main scenario writer) for evaluating the staff members or issuing certain songs?

Soken: (Laughs) I don't have much luck with working in the office. I wonder if my brain turns off when I'm there. It happens pretty often that something comes out of humming while smoking a cigarette and I have to record it quickly on my smartphone. Or I might come up with something while brushing my teeth, or when I'm in the bathroom, or while going for a walk....

So you could say your music is inspired by life experiences?

Soken: I guess it feels something like that. I don't have many good results when I'm sitting at my desk grinding away at it. It's useless when working on the primal songs. I have to do something different. I'll write choruses or whole songs and then throw them away and write another. If I tried doing this at my desk it might never make it to the game.

Are there any specific songs that come to mind that you really had to work at?

Soken: There were quite a lot of songs that I really struggled with in A Realm Reborn, but hardly any from "Before the Fall." I got to the final forms of most of those songs pretty quickly.

There's a wide variety as well. I think the breadth of variety is one characteristic of yours.

Soken: I think it tends to be misunderstood, as a creator of game sounds you need to be good at all genres, otherwise it's not good. It's part of the job.

Maybe it's disrespectful to compare, but Uematsu (Nobuo Uematsu, composer) also writes a wide range of songs. In your case, I was pretty shocked when I first heard "Pa-Paya" (laughs).

Soken: (Laughs)

Even being used to it from FF, I thought I had a good idea of what your songs would sound like, but that caught me totally off guard. It was hard to believe it came from the same person.

Soken: Since FFXIV is a large-scale game, you might have the image that it would be mostly orchestra music. But I don't design the songs to all sound similar. For some songs, we have a more guitar-heavy rock style, an eclectic pop style, some jazz, and it allows me to produce them faster. It's better if we can get it made quickly. We still have orchestra stuff, but that can be a headache.

So you don't really decide until the ideas start coming together.

Soken: Yeah. Many people talked about Pa-paya from patch 2.2, but I also felt good about the Lost City of Amdapor track. We were even able to play that at the Fan Festival. Dungeon songs are usually of a more rushed "go go" type, but this one was more of a stripped back style.


Seeing Shichousei

Soken: One song that got attention from patch 2.3 was "Blood for Blood." I like the melody of this one, but people who don't try PvP will never hear it. There are actually three songs in PvP, but this is the one you hear while in combat. When you're not facing opponents, you hear "Rouse Out!" I wanted to make it so it sounded like "enemies coming!" when you heard the music.

How is that handled?

Soken: It's similar to Crystal Tower where it switches when you go in and out of combat.

Is it player by player?

Soken: It's for the party, so you know to come help your party members when they are in battle.

I see. Naturally, it's more of a rock song. Although you play keyboard well, is guitar your favorite?

Soken: The songs I listen to are often guitar heavy...only rock. But I use a keyboard when I compose.

Can you tell us anything else about patch 2.3?

Soken: Was patch 2.3 the Ramuh one? I can't really remember (laughs). I think that's when we began working on arranging the "From Astral to Umbral" album, which was a lot of work outside the game.

Did that overlap with the Fan Festivals?

Soken: That was a little before the Fan Festivals. Patch 2.4 added Shiva. We did a private performance at a nightclub in Tokyo just before that, about a week before the patch 2.4 deadline. At that point we had a lot of things going on like preparing for the Fan Festival in parallel, so work was pretty crazy (laughs). Around patch 2.4 I remember saying this is a little dangerous as I wasn't getting enough sleep and it was messing with my head (laughs).

(Laughs) Which song stands out to you from patch 2.4?

Soken: 2.4... that's tough. There isn't really one that stands out. Earlier we had the Crystal Tower songs, I wonder if that was the first time those were arranged? If I had to pick one song, I guess it would be the Shiva primal battle song. For patch 2.3, I'd say the Ramuh song.

The primal songs are memorable.

Soken: Since the songs in instanced dungeons loop in the background, they aren't really written to vary with progress in the game since people can move back and forth as they like. But since primal battles are broken up into phases, and we often switch the songs around with different phases, it takes the longest to work on them. Technically there's a lot going on behind the scenes other than the part where the music changes significantly, but we try to keep it so that the player doesn't see all that. Naturally, this is difficult to do with the game sound (laughs). Well, I still wonder about Shiva (laughs).

(Laughs) So, what about patch 2.5?

Soken: 2.5... which would I say... Since there were no primals in patch 2.5, I think maybe the World of Darkness. I'm not sure, maybe that's just because I'm a player also (laughs).

As the composer, how do you feel when you hear your songs while you play?

Soken: Well, I listen to them hundreds or thousands of times while making them, so I probably know them better than anyone. Because I've already heard them so much, it's not like I'm thinking "that's my song" when I hear it.

Do you listen to music from other games for fun?

Soken: Yeah, if it happens to be turned on. But often I wind up listening to the sounds in the music more than the song itself. I'll be thinking to myself "what did they do to get that sound?" and focusing on the structure and logic behind it.

Do the things you hear influence the sound design?

Soken: If we run into something that we feel is technically impossible, we might look to others for inspiration. If we can't figure it out, we'll keep trying until we get it. Many of the people on the sound team are also gamers, so most of us have that sensibility (laughs).

Well, it's also all of your jobs (laughs). So more and more was going on towards patch 2.5?

Soken: We had Fan Festival, and there was a lot to do for 2.5 with a bunch of new voice recording and new songs. Looking back on it, it was completely crazy (laughs).

We heard that the production of patch 2.5 was from fall through the end of 2014?

Soken: Yeah. I was working on it while making a live appearance at the Tokyo Fan Festival. I think the next day was the deadline?

And you didn't have everything ready yet?

Soken: I think the dev team thought it was funny (laughs). I don't know why they had to set the deadline like that.

Did you meet the deadline to lock the data?

Soken: Yeah. It's a sad story though (laughs). I was pretty much dead from the Fan Festivals and patch 2.5. Before 2014 was over, we also released "From Astral to Umbral" and I was hoping that I would have a break before working on the "Before the Fall" release. Initially, I wanted to get it released before Heavensward came out. I wanted to get it out around May, but to do that, we would have needed the plan finished by the beginning of the year. So instead of getting a break, I started working on it as soon as we had the data for 2.5 finished after Fan Festival.

...

Soken: I started mastering it around three days into the new year, but in the meantime I also had the work of mastering the new songs for Gold Saucer in patch 2.55. Then, even though I wasn't directly involved in the work for patch 2.57, by that time I was already getting inundated with work leading up to Heavensward.

(Staff around laugh).

Soken: Oh, really, that's funny?

Well, from the talk we had in Odaiba, if you divide the number of days you had left by the songs you had to make, it was pretty funny.

Soken: Well, it wasn't too late to meet the deadline if I was able to get out about 1.5 songs per day. That's another funny story....

Based on coverage and players, the Heavensward songs were popular. I don't think anyone would have thought that these classic songs were made at 1.5 songs a day.

Soken: (Laughs) Well, you know, once you can see Shichousei.... [[literally Death Omen Star, JP mythology thing, a star that's a bad omen if you see it, meaning you'll die within a year]]

So you could say your "beacon of hope" was fading? Around the end of the year (laughs).

Soken: You could say that I saw Shichousei and I felt the fire burning my ass (laughs).



Sound Dilemmas

I saw you answered a lot of questions on Twitter in the middle of the night about individual songs on the soundtrack or the technical side of things. Were you trying to kill the interview? (laughs)

Soken: That's because it was the release date (laughs). I didn't really know what I was getting into with everyone. In some sense, the creation process for "Before the Fall" is a bit of a secret (laughs). It doesn't just contain high quality songs, but also has about two hours of video which would usually be tough. Hopefully when you hear it you'll think it's cool (laughs).

(Laughs). Some professional sound engineers would say it's impossible, so how did you do it?

Soken: This is the fourth Blu-ray Disc music release I've done, but since the content varies with each release, we have to adjust the video compression rate differently each time rather than having it fixed. But if you compare it to DVD quality on a large screen, the difference is obvious. It looks like a filter has been applied [[on a DVD]]. I also have to go through the songs to decide where to cut in the fade outs without having it sound too strange. There are a lot of different things that we have to work on.

But the sound format is high quality.

Soken: Yeah, we definitely don't compress the audio.

And then what about cutting in the fade-out?

Soken: For most songs, we include two loops and then I pick a place where it feels satisfying to fade out. For example, the uncompressed audio takes up a lot of space, so outside the source audio for the soundtrack portion, we make various other adjustments like changing the audio format of the video.

The live voice sounds different.

Soken: We don't have any high quality audio since that's what we captured at the venue. We only recorded the sound from the PA so I couldn't really do anything about it.

The chat between songs was cut too because of the size?

Soken: Yeah, we couldn't add anymore so we had no choice but to cut it. We started with three hours of video but we knew that wouldn't fit, so by cutting out the chat portions and making other cuts, we eventually got it down to about one hour of video which I thought was more reasonable.

(Here, we watched the video of the live band recording from the soundtrack.)

Soken: It's hard to believe that it's only been a year since this. It feels even longer... every day is so busy, it feels more like 2-3 years ago.

From a press standpoint, I feel more like "it's already been a year?" (laughs). After watching this, you're not only a talented songwriter and team manager, but you're a great performer as well.

Soken: I wonder how the players feel (laughs). I'm no big deal. Although if you look at the people watching, you might think I am.

Still, to be up there on stage without much experience as an entertainer, you did look pretty charismatic.

Soken: Working on development for FFXIV, I think my senses become numb to some extent. For the Fan Festival in particular. I mean, we had patch 2.5 work going on in the background. I had just submitted the completed song for the Midgardsormr battle two days before this live show. And then I was up at night the first night of Fan Festival working on the data of the video from the day before (laughs). It was sort of like trying to record a piano solo while being subjected to Group Tamashii's "Panchira of Joy Toy."

I guess the two don't mix? Group Tamashii is more of a punk style, aren't they? Pretty far from piano.

Soken: They don't mix. It's fun to listen to, though.

I'm guessing you can't do that and compose game audio (laughs).

Soken: No, I don't think I'd be able to do that (laughs). I like to be more deliberate with making the audio since there really isn't a lot of time. I've had that feeling a lot recently (laughs).

So it sounds like your work process is streamlined towards the end of the production processes of the game. So when those sections are also coming down to the wire, what effect does that have on your work?

Soken: If some of the upstream things are delayed by 1-2 weeks, as work progresses, the downstream processes can wind up being delayed by 1-2 months. So scheduling the sound production can be very difficult. Of course, the schedule I prepare has some margin built in, but it's based on the release not being postponed. I certainly don't want to ever have to say that the release was delayed because of the sound production.

It's a dilemma.

Soken: Well, making a game is a team effort, so even though we complain sometimes, we keep working at it. And we have that padding built in because we expect that there will be difficulties at some point. In addition to writing songs, another ability I have is that upon receiving certain requests for specific human sound effects, I can make sharp nasal sounds (laughs).

Oh, nice, that's lucky (laughs).

Soken: It is.

Have you ever given up on a particular deadline?

Soken: Since the delivery date is the highest priority, it would be bad to say "I give up," but there have been times when I wanted to. However, there shouldn't be huge differences in the output.

The sound design is definitely noticeable.

Soken: Yeah. Including sound effects, there are many different sounds that make up the game's audio. The quality of the sound is definitely something people listen to, and they'll notice even a little change. There's a tendency to be complacent and keep doing the usual stuff, but I always want to make things better when possible. Since delivery time is the priority, we've been changing things a bit reluctantly but also developing our expertise in changing, so you may not have noticed much.

You can be confident that there hasn't been a difference.

Soken: (Laughs) Honestly, if I could get the amount of time that I think I really needed to produce the sound for a game, it would take forever (laughs). It might take seven or eight years. But to get similar output in two and a half years, we need to use technology and ideas and sometimes cut things off in the middle of work. And hopefully when it arrives to your ears there's not an obvious difference.

Do you re-master the game audio when you make the soundtrack?

Soken: When we're producing the game, we start with the soundtrack in the high quality state, but that requires high system specs and power so it takes a lot of time. Putting together and rendering the video also takes a lot of time. Similarly, we render the sound one by one to get them in a high quality state.

We often hear about that in CG production, but the same is true for sound as well.

Soken: Although the data is high quality, ultimately it exported lower than that due to machine specs. We keep it high quality until very late in production because we can get 20-30 changes suggested during a daily review as we go through production (laughs). Once that's through, the game is made with CD quality 44.1 kHz/16 bit sound, and then it's compressed in formats specific to each platform from there.

You mean for PC, PS4, and PS3.

Soken: Yeah. You might think the soundtrack is already CD quality so you don't need to digitally up-convert, but actually it's not released at the highest resolution.

So it's like a pixelated image.

Soken: Sure (laughs). To save on delivery time, the session data is initially recorded at CD quality, but when we make the soundtrack, the high resolution quality is 96 kHz / 24 bit / linear PCM which is 5-6 times higher than CD quality, so we need to re-produce the tracks.

You start recording over again from scratch!

Soken: We continue with that quality until completion, so we don't go back in with the high quality format. The software supports higher quality, but it takes time to go back in and replace the original CD quality source sounds with the corresponding higher resolution ones.

I didn't realize there was so much involved with it.

Soken: Even if it's less efficient, we definitely don't want to cut back on quality for the soundtrack. I want to delivery the highest quality sound to stay faithful to the spirit of the soundtrack.

So the MP3 data might actually be missing something.

Soken: To maintain the accuracy of the sound, we worked with sound engineer Koji Maeda on the authoring. Although it's said that there's no degradation when digital source audio is copied, there are places deep in the data where errors get created. When these errors are picked up by the OS or the hardware during playback, the player has to correct the error and behave as if it was playing the same as the original sound. Although it won't initially be at a level recognizable by the human ear, as more and more errors are created by repeated copying, eventually it can become noticeable.

Really?!

Soken: In other words, it's important to avoid repeated copying as much as possible when creating the master. Last time, we had to go through several copies, but we worked with our sound engineer to come up with new equipment and cables and devise new methods this time to get the best compatibility.

So even though you go through such effort, the end result may not even be noticeable by humans, but maybe at least you can tell that it's something different.

Soken: It's like that. Something else that might surprise you is, for example, when you play a PCM sound source from your PC's hard drive, because the cable from the audio interface to the speaker is analog, changing to a better quality cable can make a noticeable difference on the sound quality.

Yeah, it can.

Soken: If the hard drive is externally connected to the PC, even the quality of that cable affects the sound quality, even though it's Firewire or USB.

Even though it's digital?

Soken: I think it does. I wasn't thinking about that much until I made this soundtrack. There's a standard called USB 3.0. Since we transferred the data with USB 3.0 this time, the engineers said they found good cables and we used them. I had thought changing a digital cable wouldn't make a difference, but I was surprised that the sound did become cleaner. Well, maybe I was just imagining things (laughs).

Doing all the editing and production in the highest quality environment does make a difference in the end when it comes to getting the very best quality.

Soken: Yeah. If the mix is bad from the mastering stage, there isn't much you can do from there. We need to make every effort to get that quality as high as possible.


Michael and Soken going wild

So after today's event, you'll be going right over to PAX PRIME 2015 in Seattle.

Soken: On the 28th (of August) I have an event in Shinagawa at noon, then I need to arrive at Nagoya by 6pm so I can leave for Haneda airport by 8pm.

You may not even have any time to stop and eat.

Soken: I doubt it (laughs). I'll be flying to San Francisco from Haneda at 1am on a redeye flight, and then it will be another four hours of waiting there before leaving to Seattle. I'm hoping to get there by 1am, and then I need to be down in the lobby by 6:30 in the morning for a 7am rehearsal!

(Everyone laughs)

Soken: (To the staff) This just came in the mail yesterday. That's funny? I'll be doing a lot of complaining in Nagoya (laughs).

<Here's Soken's recent schedule>

Sat. Aug 22 - 14 hour Live Broadcast appearance
Tue. Aug 25 - "With Love from Eorzea" recording
Wed. Aug 26 - Soundtrack release. Tower Records Shinjuku event at 21:00
Fri. Aug 28 - Depart for Tokyo (afternoon)
18:00 - Events at Tower Records and PARCO in Nagoya
21:00 - Travel from Tokyo to Shinagawa on bullet train
1:00 - Depart from Haneda to San Francisco
4 hours of sad and lonely waiting time in San Francisco
21:30 (local time) - Depart for Seattle
23:40 (local time) - Arrive at Seattle
Sat. Aug 29 - PAX PRIME 2015
6:30 - Meet at hotel lobby with Toshio and Michael
7:00 - Rehearsal
12:00 - Panel Discussion
Sun. Aug 30 - Signings and interviews at PAX (13 outlets)
Mon. Aug 31 - Depart Seattle at 12:40
Tue. Sep 1 - Arrive in Narita at 15:00
Sat. Sep 5 - Tower Records Amu Plaza Hakata store event at 16:00
Sun. Sep 6 - Tower Records Namba store event at 14:00
Sep 17 - 20 - Tokyo Game Show 2015


I read on the developer's blog that at PAX you'll be remembering the Alexander song, what did that mean?

Soken: Michael (Michael Christopher Koji Fox, senior translator) and I will be there for a live performance of the Alexander song. We'll be giving a souvenir to everyone in the audience with the goblin lyrics written down. And maybe people can try to sing along. Hopefully they enjoy it as much as Titan at the Fan Festivals.

I see! I heard he's taken the stage name "Wild Lion" (laughs).

Soken: Michael is plotting something. He told me that he wasn't sure which way we're going to go with the panel, whether it will be a talk session about the game sound or just "Michael and Soken Going Wild."

Wild in what way?

Soken: I asked the same thing when he told me that, and his answer was like a wild lion. I asked him "wouldn't it be better to do just something ordinary?" and he said "you're OK with ordinary?" (laughs)

You'll have something going on each day?

Soken: There will be about 2000-3000 people in the room, and we'll have the panel discussion on the first day and be performing on the last. The signing session will be right after.

And it will also be viewable live from Japan.

Soken: Yeah, it should be broadcast on Twitch.

What will the panel session be?

Soken: Since Michael is mostly in charge, it will primarily be commentary about the world lore and setting. In the second half, Michael will be talking about the primal song lyrics from 3.0. He might tell the story about how I originally had him use the Gnath kind of lyrics in one song and the Alexander song had Gnath lyrics and had to be rewritten as Goblin. (laughs)

(Laughs) The situation with that song changed a lot.

Soken: It turned out fine. The framework is still there but the tempo did change a lot from the original arrangement to fit the scene

In an earlier interview, I heard that the first three parts of Alexander originally had the Bismarck primal song.

Soken: The original music for Alexander: Gordias 1-3 was the framework for what became the Bismarck song. The Bismarck song was tough to come up with. Hiroshi had earlier told me that it would be a battle in the sky and that the music should reflect a fluffy quality. Because it's a primal, it also should have a majestic feel to it, but aerial combat seemed to contradict the request for a floating feeling, so it turned into something that was more a drum and bass style. But everyone felt that it was a reference to the game Darius. I'm not good at shooters so I never played Darius, but I did give it a listen.

I'm guessing you don't have time to play much outside of FFXIV.

Soken: I don't have much time, about all I have time for is FFXIV and Yakuza.

Yakuza! Tell us about that.

Soken: No, I just thought the trial version was interesting on PS4. I've been playing through it a bit. After that, I also play Yo-Kai Watch. I don't really have anything with a tank or healer role, though. (laughs)

Level-5 also has the new "The Snack World" and the "Jara."

Soken: When you clear Demon time the hard Demon time becomes available and I think to myself "where have I seen that pattern before? (laughs)." It's interesting to see an indirect relationship like that with FFXIV.

So it might be good if FFXIV players play Yo-Kai Watch. (laughs)

Soken: Speaking of FFXIV, I'm at the end of normal Alexander.

Ah. Did you do it with all development team members?

Soken: No, I didn't do it with anyone I know.

Do you tell any of them what your job is?

Soken: The guys in my Free Company will say "so you work in apparel?" and I'll say "yeah, something like that" (laughs).

Are you involved in any love affairs? (laughs)

Soken: No, not at all (laughs). It is cool to see that in the game, though. (laughs)



About his fourth work

I've been asking questions for a while - is there anything you want to say to readers?

Soken: I'm sorry that I couldn't get this soundtrack launched ahead of Heavensward. You'll also find a line with a note of apology in my liner notes.

It's more than a line, it's about quarter of it (laughs).

Soken: Yeah. I was working my hardest, but I couldn't get "Before the Fall" released before Heavensward.

I think if players saw the photos of you sleeping under your desk, they wouldn't have many harsh words.

Soken: I hope they're instead saying "Before the Fall" was a good album. In addition to the new songs, the album also has arrangements of past works. There are a variety of them like Crystal Tower, the Magitek Armor, a variety of chocobo tunes, and Gold Saucer. FFXIV players, of course, but I think also FF fans from old days should enjoy it.

And I'm sure people will enjoy the Bluray content as well.

Soken: Yeah. Earlier I was wondering if it would be better to be rapidly releasing the music, but now that we're on the fourth installment, I think we're really getting across the beauty of this media so the audience appreciates it more and I'd like to continue to release in this form.

In addition to your day job.

Soken: (Laughs)

Weekly...monthly... you have a lot.

Soken: I'd like to get a week for myself (laughs).

[Cantih]

Excellent work Slycer, and good material choice.