This one was over three listens.

I went more for a sense of imagery – I think – as, whilst I think this is an okay piece of music, it’s also really on the nose and forgettable. Had I spent time describing the sounds and progress then it would’ve turned into a review and that’s not what I wanted to do.

To be fair in a way “Ephemeral” (“うたかた”) is the way it is by necessity, but I can’t shake the feeling that it could’ve been much better. I feel that Ryota Kozuka (小塚良太) has much more effective work on this soundtrack, but the song fits for its use which is a plus, but I digress.

A lot of what I wrote came easily as I was fairly in the moment, which I think was good. However, there is a bit of a sense of repetition which isn’t favourable.

Ryota Kozuka’s “Ephemeral” is from the soundtrack for Shin Megami Tensei V, Shin Megami Tensei V Original Soundtrack.

I hope you enjoy.

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An expanding vastness both compressed to a small space and infinitely wide spreads out in a highly linear fashion. It drones and presents something otherworldly; there is mystery and there is menace. Suggestions of voices fade in and out and something deep rumbles in a smoothness underneath, and all keeps moving forward.

Something feels off and grandiose and heavily dramatic but it is not clear as to what and it remains at a distance. There is a need to step forward and step into it to work out what is what, but there is the possibility of no turning back. However, it remains enticing and engulfing, whatever it is, and the sounds carry vague bits of it forward.

Seemingly it reaches out, slowly looking to pull in and before it is too late it is moving toward, remaining as compressed and wide as it was beforehand. As a single point formed into a thread it continues on and it moves slowly and quickly and various ideas of sounds continue to split off and fade away, and it continues on as it fades out and the song ends.