Welcome to a series of articles which I will try to entertain at a daily rate, to hopefully train my pen and in the long run build a detailed playlist of tracks I vibed with one way or another. The main idea is to present one track each day, how I came across it, who produced it and add some trivia if any, without any particular focus on a genre or era.

Asuka Sakai - Silhouette (1998)

My first pick is a track from the Ridge Racer 4 soundtrack called Silhouette, composed by Asuka Sakai in 1998. PlayStation games from that era have a special place in my heart, usually striking in their art, testing the boundaries of 3D modeling, unhindered by conventions that will only settle much later. Namco had an amazing music production team, and generally outstanding art direction, which probably culminated at the release of Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere, which I am sure I will talk about soon.

Taken from Namco Sound Team discogs

Ridge Racer 4 is a masterpiece of harmony: its covert art, its menu design, its cars, its infamous intro, but most importantly its music. As with most games from the PSX era, the soundtrack is an original production. The album R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 Direct Audio was released alongside the video game, and both seem crafted with the same care, the same attention to details. The tracks spread across a wide array of genres, from jazz fusion to breakbeat, with the occasional techno track.

Silhouette is one of a kind, my personal favorite. A jazzy jungle track, with ever evolving drum patterns, and beautiful ambient pads in the background. The piano line coming near 01:10 is a not-so subtle reminder to the listener that this is a Namco production, with a playful and arcadish feel. It is swiftly followed by a drum heavy section near 02:00, building tension until a panning break releases into the jazzy bassline the track started off with, rounding the trip.

You can find my other picks from this album in my video game nostalgia playlist, track 15 and beyond. Enjoy.