Updated: 09/12/2018 – 2:18:00 PM
(This post is currently a work in progress. Additional information will be added.)

The following are the comments by the various composers and arrangers, including the usual insane comment from Yoko Taro himself. These were written in both Japanese and in English, so I have merely transcribed what was written in English. I was also using a speech to text program, so there may be some goofs here and there that I will fix later.

NieR Gestalt & Replicant Orchestral Arrangement Album

Okabe Keiichi – Composer

Back when I was making the music for NieR, I never would have even dreamed that I would be given a chance to make an orchestral arrangement album someday. Releasing an album like this after eight years is, of course, thanks to the effort of all our staff, but it is the fans who have continued to support us all this time who were the ones to truly make this possible. Thank you all so much.

The arrangements can be enjoyed by those new to NieR, but those familiar with the many versions of the songs already released can also admire this album not only for the arrangements themselves, but als for how the NieR music has evolved and grown.

I wish this album will be everything you hoped it to be as your reward for supporting us all this while.

Yoko Taro – Director

Hey, can you hear me? I said HEY! …Good, you’re awake. Listen up. I’m from the future–the year 2018–ten years from your time.

You won’t believe it, but a game called “NieR:Automata,” the sequel to the NieR that you’re working on right now, will be released in 2017 and become a huge hit. Easy there. Calm down. Don’t get too excited just yet.

You’re gonna want to hear this… After the sequel’s success, for some dd reason, the NieR Original Soundtrack sells like hotcakes. A SQUARE ENIX Music Publishing Business Division rep, seeing this, goes mad and starts saying they’re going to make an orchestral album.

The you now doesn’t know this yet, but orchestration comes with a hefty price tag. So much, that NieR and SQUARE ENIX itself may very well meet their demise… Oh, shoot! It’s them! THey’ve found me!You escape through the back door! I’ll hold them back here!

Yamashita Kosuke – Arranger

The Dark Colossus Destroys All:
THe original song featured a chorus and strong percussion, so I arranged the piece to bring more attention to the dynamics without losing the balance of a live orchestra. My approach was to incorporate a sense of mystic vivacity even among the song’s sense of urgency. In the second half I recreated the melody with classical methods, and the piece steadily builds to a climax

Grandma:
I thought I would retain as much as possible the piano and beautiful melody heard in the vocals of the original arrangement, so I incorporated a piano solo in th eintro and used an oboe solo for the melody. As a result, the melody’s charm should grab you more. Also, the string instruments, in contrast with that melody, repeat the same phrases over but gradually add new phrases to bring more depth to this arrangement.

Shinoda Daisuke – Arranger

I strived to arrange these pieces perfectly to express the delicate and beautiful feel of the original songs through orchestration.

Snow in Summer:
As the game’s opening music, I arranged this piece to reflect the original song’s mood and allow its beauty to shine as much as possible. In the second half, I endeavored to incorporate a sense of euphoria you can only accomplish with an orchestra.

Song of the Ancients:
While I made use of the original song’s heartbreakingly beautiful aura, I altered the harmony somewhat into a sound you can only create with an orchestra. I also experimented by assigning different melodies to various instruments to bring a vivid feel to the piece, and I tried making the finale into a dramatic twist. It was a worthwhile piece to arrange.

Mariam Abounnasr – Arranger

Hills of Radiant Winds:
After struggling with how I should incorporate the invigorating feeling you get when listening to the original song, I settled on experimenting separately the feeling of a soft breeze and running through meadows. Through the same melody, this piece’s first and second halves are completely different. I hope listeners can recognize the original song when comparing the two halves together.

Emil:
I arranged this piece while imagining the scene you would see in a movie. I paid special attention to express the original songs bittersweet sentiments and sense of fleetingness so that they were not lost in the grandiosity of the orchestra. Since there were large number of instruments used I’ve focused on balancing the whole song to bring depth to its world, while also making sure that the song was not too in-your-face and that it didn’t stray from being interpreted as an arrangement of the original song. I hope listeners find it moving as the peace comes to its finale.

Gods Bound by Rules:
My challenge with Gods Bound by Rules what’s to see if I could express the feel of the original song with an orchestra. Rather than feeling constrained to use a lot of percussion instruments, I tried to build up an intensity you can only achieve with an orchestra by making use of each instrument’s characteristic sound. In this song’s melody especially, I sensed sadness and a feeling of fleetingness, and yet at the same time, a sense of duty that you have to keep pressing on. While it comes off as an up-tempo battle song, I made sure to thoroughly express the melodious parts for strings and chorus.

Miyano Sachiko – Arranger

Ashes of Dreams:
I arrange this piece to further express through orchestration the lyrical undulation found in the original song. My aim was for very crisp orchestral sound with very little percussion, with the exception of only timpanis. Hopefully, it reminds listeners of pastorals you might hear somewhere in Europe. I’m a big fan of this game myself, so I took a lot of care when arranging these pieces. I hope you can enjoy them as well.

 

NieR:Automata Orchestral Arrangement Album

Okabe Keiichi – Composer

When we usually make music, we record each instrument separately in order to make the editing process and insertion into the game easier. We then later these tracks on top of each other to complete each song. However, this album was recorded in a concert hall with an orchestra playing in concert. Going from listening to the computer-generated Music used for reviewing the pieces and then jumping straight to listening to the live orchestra’s performance, I was blown away with the amount of life breathed into the songs. I was the first to have that great pleasure, and now I am happy to finally share that same pleasure with our fans in the form of this album.

From pieces that preserve much of the original songs, two bold arrangements that still retain the original melodies, you will find that you can listen to the whole album while still wanting more. This album’s arrangements possesses the power and sound that only a live orchestra can provide. I sincerely hope this album delights all those who listen.

Yoko Taro – Director

Why did it have to come to this?

Because we were drunk on our success with NieR:Automata, that’s why. We just couldn’t stop ourselves from releasing that damn big-budget orchestral album.

Hey, it wasn’t my idea in the first place! It was that SQUARE ENIX Music Publishing Business Division rep that assured me it’d be a hit… “We’ll be rolling in it,” he says. Hah.

In the end, the album cost the company big-time, forcing it to de-merge into two entities: SQUARE and ENIX. I lost my job, and before we knew it the entire Japanese economy flatlined. If I’d known it would come to this… If only I made my escape when I had the chance…

This all would– Wait a second! Why don’t I just use this space-time transfer device that I stole during the de-merger to do things over?

That’s it. I’ll travel back to 2008, when I first started working NieR… Yes. It’s all clear to me now. I’ll stop both NieR… and myself.