Ys...onemitsu: The Music of Dawn of Ys

Ryo Yonemitsu is considered a remixing marvel. 

Deep within the underground gaming community, his arranging style crossed with his guitar prowess are unmatched and very much badass. He's also sort of a mythical being; only one photo of him exists and his phantasmic presence recently popped back into the game music having arranged four tracks on 2007's Wild Arms Music The Best: Rocking Heart after a long "hiatus" that isn't cheeseturd vocals from Konami's endless voluminous Tokimemo series. 

It all started when he was commissioned to arrange Yuzo Koshiro's Ys series, but most specifically, was giving headway on the PC Engine versions of (known in the U.S. as Turbo Graphix-16) The Ys series. Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys, which was one of a few versions of Ys IV ever released, was among the most noteworthy games his arrangements gained attention. Though this game never made it outside Japan on the North American Turbo Graphix-16, a later released Ys IV: Mask of the Sun, an alternate "realty" version of the game was ported to other consoles including the Super Famicom and later Playstation 2, making its eventual way to North America. 

Still, the original PC Engine Dawn of Y's still remains unreleased outside Japan and on any other console for that matter. In a way, it's a one-of-a-kind gaming experience that requires that very console to experience.

Yonemitsu fans point to three released volumes of musical material released as his focal point of iconic brilliance. King Records released these three volumes known as Perfect Collection Ys IV, based on the PC Engine musics, explored a collection of mostly special arrange versions which were actually re-tooled from the Ys series. If you've never played the PC Engine original of Ys IV, you may not know that those discs were in fact all arrange versions from that game and other Ys titles. Because Yonemitsu's music was never released as is on disc, the source material can actually be found on said discs as redbook audio -- and the results are a pretty sweet revelation for Yonemitsu fans who've tirelessly warn the discs out over the years not knowing of these original cuts. 

Ys IV The Dawn of Ys for the PC Engine

Ys IV Perfect Collection Vol. 1, one of three King Records releases of the PC Engine-based soundtracks by Yonemitsu

This doesn't only go for Ys, but also for PC Engine's Dragon Slayer The Legend of Heroes and its sequel, both only released in Japan. There was a released double-disc set for those games, but Yonemitsu's soundtracks were strangely not present on the Perfect Collection Dragon Slayer The Legend of Heroes II. Shame.

Getting back to Ys IV, there's a good number of tracks that inspired the arranges on the game's redbook audio that were later remastered for the Perfect Collection Ys releases. Namely, there's a band of musicians and plenty of live instruments mixed in there -- more so than what's been heard on the released volumes

For whatever reason, musician credits were not published on any of the three released volumes so I managed to track down the information from Ys IV Dawn of Ys game credits. Ryo Yonemitsu plays the guitars, keyboards and programmed the synthesizers, and his keyboard and programs have become his signature sound over the years as recognized here. The rest are as follows...

Strings / Neko Saito Strings [斎藤ネコ ストリングス]

Drums / Nobuo Eguchi (江口 信夫), KATSUJI [Gargoyle （ガーゴイル）]
Chorus / Kayoko Ishu (伊集 加代子)
Horn / Otohiko Fujita (藤田 乙比古)
Sax / Mitsuru Kanekuni (包国 充)
Trumpets / Shin Kazuhara (数原 普), Nobuo Kato (河東 伸夫)
Trombones / Taro Kiyooka (清岡 太郎), Naoki Miyamoto (宮本 直樹)

Sax / Jake H. Concepcion (ジェイク H コンセプション)

MIXER / Shigeru Matsumura (松村 茂)  

You'll note saxophone player Mitsuru Kanekuni was listed first. I'm guessing he was the soloist heard on a few of the tracks while the other sax player, Jake H. Concepcion, only played on the "Shadow of the Tower of Death" track, which is the only track to feature the horns section. Kanekuni's saxophone parts were inexplicably, mostly removed from the King Records releases. Kanekuni has reprised his role as a preffered sax player on other works; presumably (uncredited) on the Namco Game Sound Express Vol. 4 Dragon Saber disc two ("Underwater City"), Megami Tensei I&II ("MICOM" and "I Love Money").

Below is a track-by-track breakdown of the PC Engine version redbook audio matched with the released material, which contained many primitive chiptune tracks. I have isolated only the arrange tracks that match up with the releases. Track titles have been matched to that of those roughly translated to English on the King Records releases. Various "cutscene" tracks may have dialogue mixed with music, but it's the same as on the releases.

1. Field

2. Celceta, The Sea of Trees 

3. Battle #58

4. The Ordeal Becomes Great

5. Dahm (Cutscene)

6. Dungeon (Cutscene)

7. Lava Field ~ A Kiss From Eldiel

8. Valley of Quicksand

9. Burning Sword

10. Crimson Wings

11. Temple of The Sun

12. Sacred District

13. Tower of the Shadow of Death

14. Temptation of the Master Harlequin

15. Illusion

16. Bronze District

17. Theme of ADORU 1993

18. Heat Inside The Fire

19. Walking the Path of Legend

20. Lefance (Cutscene)

21. Final Decisive Battle

22. Resurrection (Cutscene)

23. The Dawn of Ys (Opening)

24. Ancient City Stirs In Its Womb (Cutscene)

25. Ancient City Rebirth (Cutscene)

26. New Beginning (Cutscene)

27. New Beginning, Continued (Cutscene)

28. Fantasy Horizon (Ending)

Track-by-track: how they vary from the release versions...

1. Field

Alternate, recorded with drums instead of synth percussion

2. Celceta, The Sea of Trees 

Alternate, recorded with drums instead of synth percussion

3. Battle #58

Slightly different synths here and there, alternate electric guitar solo

4. The Ordeal Becomes Great

Same version as release

7. Lava Field ~ A Kiss From Eldiel

Same version as release

8. Valley of Quicksand

A much different, jazzier version with a keyboard and acoustic guitar solo

9. Burning Sword

Different synth, slower tempo

10. Crimson Wings

Alternate; slower tempo and piano, no electric guitar solo. Soprano saxophone lead, presumably by Mitsuru Kanekuni

11. Temple of The Sun

No introduction like the release version, alternate electric guitar solo, no electric guitar to play out the track like on the release

12. Sacred District

Same idea but different synths

13. Tower of the Shadow of Death

Alternate synth on opening, shorter length, electric guitar plays during build-up, horns section embossed, no electric guitar solo

14. Temptation of the Master Harlequin

Same version as release

15. Illusion

Slightly different synths, no acoustic guitar solo

16. Bronze District

Slightly alternate; soprano saxophone solo part midway a little more fleshed out

17. Theme of ADORU 1993

More electric guitar

18. Heat Inside The Fire

Same version used in release

19. Walking the Path of Legend
More electric guitar, recorded with drums

21. Final Decisive Battle

Slightly different drum (mastering), otherwise same version as release

23. The Dawn of Ys (Opening)
Alternate; features soprano saxophone where release had synths, presumably lead by Mitsuru Kanekuni

28. Fantasy Horizon

Shortened, only uses first part as version used in release

You can download all of Yonemitsu's unreleased material from Ys and Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes redbook audio soundtracks for yourself at Turbo Play.