Katamari Fortissimo Damacy is the eccentric soundtrack to Namco's off-beat sleeper hit game "Katamari Damacy."
It also happens to be one of the most amusing soundtracks I've ever heard. Because it's a game soundtrack, every song is originally composed just for this game. Yes, if you listen closely, you'll pick out a mention of a katamari, or stars, or even just rolling things up. Katamari Fortissimo Damacy is mostly composed of J-Pop songs and electronic blips and bloops. Mostly. Of course, there are a few tracks that will surprise you.
Tracklist:
1. Nananan Katamari
Just what it says— a "na na na" version of Katamari on the Rocks accompanied by a few low bass beeps. Beware— this melody is all over the album. It will stick in your head and never let you go.
2. Katamari on the Rocks - Main Theme
Ah, yes, the main theme. With trumpet blasts, a bongo beat rolling in the background, and people shouting terribly encouraging things in Engrish, there's no way you can listen to this song and not at least crack a smile.
3. Overture
A soft piano playing the Katamari on the Rocks tune, used for the start menu.
4. The Moon and the Prince
An electro-funk-hip-hop-J-pop amalgam that is surprisingly catchy-- especially with the Japanese rap breakdown in the bridge.
5. Fugue #7777
The King of All Cosmos' theme, sounding royal, ethereal, spacey, and... made up of a bunch of computerized "da da da"s. But it works for him.
6. LONELY ROLLING STAR
High female voice. Critical levels of cuteness. The typical J-pop song. It's as peppy and energetic as can be, and soon you'll find yourself singing along with Saki Kabata's echoes of "You're lonely rolling staaaar…."
7. The Wonderful Star's Walk is Wonderful
The music that plays when you're in space waiting before you do your next mission. Like a katamari, the song starts off small with a solitary guitar, then explodes into a full-fledged parade mid-song.
8. katamari mambo ~ Katamari Syndrome mix
Not an actual mambo, but darned if it isn't as catchy, with its chorus of "KA!-TAMA!-RI MA-M-BO DE!". The bongo in the background keeps the song rolling, giving it a distinctly latin feel.
9. You Are Smart
A quiet, glitchy song with the robotic intone of "You are smart" played over a playful chiptune bassline, along with numerous clicks and clacks. I think I heard some familiarly Galaga-esque sound effects in the mix, as well.
10. A Crimson Rose and a Gin Tonic
The age of swing is alive and kicking. The big band chorus, drum solo pauses, and the ever-present hi-hat cymbals in the background in one form or another just make you want to sweep someone off their feet and flip them over your shoulder.
11. WANDA WANDA
Yu Miyake toys with the not-so-human voice here, creating a house jam backed by a single constant voice sample (the titular "Wanda") that gets sliced, diced, reassembled, and blended all over the song.
12. Que Sera Sera
A jazzy, muzak-esque track, with crooner Charlie Kosei urging his love to "roll up" with him "to be a single star in the sky." The music is so unassuming that the lyrics caught me off guard the first time I listened to it. Besides, any song with the line "I want to wad you up into my life" has got to be something special.
13. Angel Flavor's Present
A song devoted to the emptiness of space. Any real instrument is faded and scratchy, like a vinyl record, leading in to the real lead—electronic tones. The song begins to mix "Lovely Angel" into the background along with a sequence of beeps reminiscent of a distress signal. The echoing and the soft chorus mix into a feeling of immense solitude. Very alien.
14. Katamaritaino
A Mediterranean jazz groove that leaves a hint of bossa nova, a hint of classical guitar, and a hint of the sunset in its wake.
15. Katamari Stars
As the title says, this is the music played when you look to the sky from your small home planet and gaze at all the stars you've returned. It's a relaxing tune, with the Japanese shakuhachi in the lead role. Combined with the visuals in the game, it's an enchanting experience.
16. Cherry Blossom Color Season
A certainly unique track. The entire song is sung by a group of children, credited as the Katamari Company Jr. The song is folksy, with a steady guitar backing, but the singers sound adorable, especially when the children launch into the "La-la-la-la-la" chorus and the swelling violins enter the background.
17. Lovely Angel
This is the music played when the King of All Cosmos is about to turn your katamari into a star. It's a pretty basic track; the chorus in the background expresses the feeling of floating in the heavens.
18. Stardust Fanfare
A very short one; it's the fanfare that plays when the King of All Cosmos smashes the katamari into a living, breathing, hydrogen-fueled star.
19. Last Samba
It's a party! When you've reached the goal of the game and have remade the moon, you're treated to a brilliant cutscene full of sparkles and samba whistles. The track is short, but conveys the sense of unbridled joy well.
20. Katamari of Love - Ending Theme
Everyone, get your lighters out and prepare to sway. This is 100% Japanese hair metal rock ballad, and an excellent example of Katamari Damacy's sense of humor. You get to hear it during the credits, when you try to roll up all the countries in the world.
21. Katamari March Damacy
The icing on the Katamari cake, March Damacy is actually an unreleased bonus track (using Fugue #7777's voice samples) that didn't make it into the game. From the mood of the music, though, it sounds like a coronation-- perhaps the little Prince would have gotten a promotion?
Katamari Fortissimo Damacy is purely eclectic; it draws its inspiration from many styles-- from jazz to techno to hip hop to folk; however, it is undeniably Katamari.