Persona -Be Your True Mind- Original Soundtrack

	Album Title: Persona -Be Your True Mind- Original Soundtrack
	Record Label: Atlus
	Catalog No.: KICA-5033/5
	Release Date: June 17, 1999
	Purchase: Buy Used Copy

Overview

When I had the chance to take a look at the albums for the very first Persona game, I was thrilled. I was very interested in seeing the roots of the music I’ve come to know from the latest instalments of the Shin Megami Tensei series. This game was originally released as Persona: Be True Your Mind in 1996 and has been re-released this year with a re-worked score for the PSP. Across two reviews, I am going to take a look at how the two versions of the album compare, looking at the origins of Meguro’s style and how he has since evolved. The original release is a multi-composer work made at the transitory era between the uninspiring scores of the Super Nintendo to the modern scores of the PlayStation 2. Let’s see how it fares…

Body

If you’ve recently come off of hearing the score from Persona 4, Persona: Be True Your Mind will be completely unfamiliar. At least, for a fan of Meguro’s work like I am, that was my reaction. The album sounds very foreign in terms of what I’ve come to expect from the composer, both in content and the development of the main themes. In many ways, this album reminds me a lot of Akira Yamaoka’s work in terms of the amount of ambience on the album, as well as the style and presentation of those tracks.

The ambient pieces are murky, dissonant, and very empty — they have no real substance to them. While this works great in Silent Hill, it seems out of place in a Shin Megami Tensei game. Then again, I haven’t played the original Persona so I can’t say whether it fits the game or not. Still, it’s a bit of a shock to hear and there are very few distinct themes, specifically on the first disc of the album. “City 2 Accident” is a good example of what I’m talking about. The entire track is very synth based with some interesting rhythms and chord work, but not that much substance.

However, there are some hints on this album that point towards where the series would go with its musical style. “Deva-Yuga Appears” has a heavy electronic base to it, while “Philemon Movie – Sebec Chapter 3” and “Philemon Movie – Sebec Chapter 4” have more atmospheric synth to build upon. Both of these aspects are similar to what we’ve heard from Digital Devil Saga and they are probably among Shoji Meguro’s contributions. On the second and third disc, more influences for Digital Devil Saga appear through many of the jazzier, upbeat tracks, including “Dungeon – Ice Castle” and “Dungeon – Former Ice Castle”.

The biggest surprise is perhaps the inclusion of “Aria of the Soul” in “Sebec Chapter Good Ending” and “Velvet Room”. I had no idea that this particular track went back this far, but it’s great to see how it has evolved. In essence, it hasn’t changed one bit. Sure, the orchestration has gotten better and the voice is much clearer, but even more than ten years ago, this track still holds the same amount of power that it does now when we enter the Velvet Room in the game. The operatic vocal still provides one of the iconic main themes from the SMT series, and it’s fantastic to hear it in its original unedited form.

Summary

Although many seem to like it, the Revelations: Persona score isn’t really compatible with my view on how the Persona series should sound. It’s a definite improvement on the Super Nintendo scores and is an all-round professional effort. However, it lacks the modern feel that later titles in the series feature. The original is much more forgettable compared to the remake score and doesn’t have the same spunk or structure. Although series’ purists might enjoy the original album better, I would definitely recommend the newer up-to-date version of the album as the one to own.

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