Back to basics this week.
For the first anime soundtrack to be featured on our weekly audio spotlight, I felt I had to go with one of the worthiest soundtracks I could think of. You’d be hard pressed to find one worthier than this.
If you’ve been living under a rock, or don’t listen to music from anime soundtracks at all, you might not know about the magic that is Samurai Champloo. A new age classic, it’s an amazing 26 episode tale featuring some of the coolest characters and most stylish set pieces you’d ever find in an anime set in the age of the Samurai. Considered a milestone by many in the anime community, Samurai Champloo is the first anime series to present heavy hip hop cultured themes layered by its predominately hip hop soundtrack. Infused with an urban feel, the soundtrack exudes authenticity with a mastery spear-headed by the legendary, late-great Japanese hip hop producer Nujabes (R.I.P.), Fat Jon (producer and member of hip hop group Five Deez), eclectic Japanese production duo Force Of Nature and last but not least, Tsutchie (producer and DJ of Japanese hip hop crew Shakkazombie). From the old-school rhymefest style of the opening theme “Battlecry” to the smooth R&B funk vibe of the closing theme “Shiki no Uta” (Song of Four Seasons) the series is identified just as much by its sounds as it is it’s characters and story. If you’re a fan of great ambience, smooth hip-hop beats, instrumentals, beautiful Japanese vocals, hell, if you can appreciate good music, you owe it to yourself to grab the set of four albums that constitute this anime’s soundtrack.
And there’s really nothing more to be said about it.