Thread: Noir music

I think the music in Noir is excellent; Noir OST I was the first anime soundtrack I ever bought, and it really got me into the works of Yuki Kajiura and anime soundtracks in general. Hearing "Canta per Me" for the first time, when Kirika is being chased through the forest by hitmen, really blew me away. Although a lot of Kajiura's pieces are heavily synthesized, they fit well with the overall feeling of the show. Noir is already a great anime; for me, the music gives it that much more of an edge over other anime in the genre.

Well, since I started this, might as well go all the way...

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

The series composer for all music except the opening and end themes is Yuki Kajiura, who is accompanied by primary vocalist Yuriko Kaida, secondary vocalist Yuri Kasahara, and Yuki's band See-Saw. Yuki Kajiura is also the composer for several other anime series (including .hack//SIGN and Madlax) and videogames (Xenosaga Episode II and Xenosaga Episode III), which have a similar musical style. The opening song, "KOPPERIA no Hitsugi" (Coppélia's Coffin), is written and performed by Ali Project, and the ending song, "Kirei na Kanjou" (it means "Beautiful Emotions", along with its piano-only BGM version), is by Akino Arai.

As I mentioned before, the music in Noir is like icing on the cake-it makes a good thing even better. Although they lack the all-out flair of Yoko Kanno's work on the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks, the songs of Noir are quite a bit more varied, and convey the characters' feelings well.

Noir has three official soundtracks: Noir OST I, Noir OST II, and Noir Blanc Dans (or Blanc Dans Noir, I've seen it both ways). OST I has the beginning and ending themes and background music from the series (full versions, thankfully). OST II has remixes of songs on OST I, and also more background music. Blanc Dans has several remixes of the opening themes, more remixes of OST I songs, songs sung by the characters themselves, dialogue, and more background music. Between these three albums, you get just about every piece of music played in Noir, in every possible way it could be played.

A few of my favorites:

Kopperia no Hitsugi (OST I):
The opening theme, and reason I decided to check out the series. Played over animation that begins with a single gunshot, a drop of blood (wine?), and a spilled martini, this song hints at the action and mystique present throughout Noir. Japanese vocals over a light techno beat and dramatic string arrangement, this piece and the opening animation itself have a James Bond sort of feel (well, if he were an assassin instead of a spy).

Canta Per Me (OST I):
By far, the absolute best song of Noir. Initially played when Kirika has a flashback to fleeing hitmen through a bamboo forest, this is one of the most heavily used pieces in the series. Sung in Italian over a simple guitar riff (with a violin coming in near the end), even when translated this song stands up to scrutiny. When I first heard it, I got right on the computer to find a full version, and played it over and over, until I eventually bought the album. There's really no way for me to describe how beautiful this song is; it still gives me chills when I listen to it.

Melody (OST I):
The music box melody that plays from the pocketwatch. This version adds a bit of rock, complete with a wailing guitar in the background. An interesting piece, although I think you'd have to be into the series to give this one more than just one listen and a shrug.

Sorrow (OST I):
I don't recall what scene this was played in. It's a great song though, a single cello playing the most mournful tune I've ever heard. Very morose; I've considered having this one played at my funeral.

Canta per Me II (OST II):
If Canta per Me is the number one song of Noir, then this one's a close second. No vocals this time, just a string arrangement and light beat that build to an awesome climax. At first it seems to be only a slower, sadder, stringed rendering of the original, but then goes far enough away (if even for just a moment) to become its own song. An echo of the vocals in the original can be heard near the end of the song. Best listened to with a little more bass than the rest of the songs; it really brings out the bass cello in the background.

Les Soldats II (OST II):
This is one of the few songs that I can say I like better than the original it was based off. The first Les Soldats was a sort of Gregorian chanting over techno, which somewhat worked, but wasn't one of my favorites. The second has a melancholy violin, chimes, repeating piano tune, and doesn't add the chanting until near the end. Works out much better than the original, and fits the Soldats better.

Okay, I think that's enough for now. Let me know what you think! If this generates some interest, I'll keep going; there are quite a few more songs that I really like from this series.