The Sundering Sea/Village of Beastlings

Track 2-7: The Sundering Sea (Day/Night)

One new addition to the world of OCTOPATH TRAVELLER II is a sea dividing the eastern and western continents, complete with game mechanics for sailing back and forth. For an RPG, ships (including airships and stuff, which are the best, right!?) and other vehicles are powerful tools to heighten the adventurous atmosphere, and so naturally we decided that we needed some music here. The excitement of setting sail for uncharted territory, the sparkling beauty of the ocean—I used all kinds of musical techniques to express these things as best I could.

The sound of brass is a major part of that. Throughout the music of OCTOPATH TRAVELER, pieces where string ensembles play a leading role are more common, making this sound a rarity, but the sonorous, brilliant trumpet melody followed by the horn is meant to conjure up images of a sailing ship boldly sweeping through the waves. I also added a sense of leaping, of yearning to soar higher and higher, to the “C–F–G–B♭–A–G–A” opening melody, as another way to evoke the drive to push onward, come what may.

After this, the main theme returns on solo violin, with an air of “Smooth sailing, but sometimes the salt breeze gets in me eyes, arr…” (?)

At around 1:02, the theme we’ve heard repeatedly modulates from F to D for even more melodic development, hammering home that sense of exaltation and uplift. (To put things in more musical terms, the pivotal thing is that it goes to a D/F# bass chord.)

The night version of this piece also has the main theme on trumpet, but here I had the trumpeter play as if speaking gently to the listener, instead of the dazzling brilliance of the day version. I think the ability to enjoy different timbres from the same instrument in day and night arrangements is one of the great pleasures of OCTOPATH TRAVELER II.

Track 2-9: Village of Beastlings (Day/Night)

For the village where the carefree beastlings live, I wanted to express both a hint of wildness and the kindheartedness of the villagers.

One distinctive aspect is the lively percussion that keeps the beat throughout the piece. The main beat is played on an instrument called a cajón. You can also hear the kalimba, an African instrument that appears in Ochette’s theme as well, and a double bass that gives the music even more kick. The overall vibe is wild and free-spirited, but building this sound out of non-folk instruments like the cajón and the double bass is part of what makes it video game music–like.

I’m a big fan of the night visuals for the beastling village, too. The fireflies and similar details make it feel almost mystical. Those images inspired me to build the night arrangement around the sound of the electric piano, to give it an appropriately otherworldly vibe.

Translation: Matt Treyvaud