Square Enix has announced the release dates for two of its most anticipated music releases of 2012.Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distancewill receive a three-disc soundtrack release on April 18th, featuring music by series veteran Yoko Shimomura and Square Enix staff composers Takeharu Ishimoto and Tsuyoshi Sekito. You can check out a sample of the series theme, “Dearly Beloved” on theflashy websitethat Square Enix has created solely for the soundtrack.
Secondly, while I know some out there wonder why Square Enix is still putting outNieralbums, I can tell you that it’s some of the best music Square Enix has released in years and is considered by many game music enthusiasts (myself included) to be the best soundtrack of 2010. Square Enix has slowly come to recognize this by preparingarrangement albumsandconcert performancesin the past as well as this upcoming piano collections CD slated for March 21 featuring arrangements by Kumi Tanioka (Final Fantasy XIandFinal Fantasy Crystal Chroniclescomposer), Masato Kouda (Monster Hunterseries,El Shaddai), and many others. A haunting rendition of “Song of the Ancients” can be heard on the album’swebsite.
Do either of these releases strike your fancy? Are your surprised by theDream Drop Distance’slength orNier‘s endurance?
