The 20th anniversary of Xenogears has seen the release of several custom figures, a vinyl record release of soundtrack selections, a celebratory concert, and a shred of hope for an eventual remaster of the title. Adding to that list, the folks at Materia Collective have put together a special tribute album entitled Omega: A Tribute to Xenogears. Spanning over two hours and featuring 44 unique tracks, this release was a collaborative effort between 130 different performers. All 44 tracks are special renditions of those from Yasunori Mitsuda’s legendary soundtrack. They are composed and performed using in a variety of different styles and voices. Album producer Chris Porter had the following to say when speaking about it:
“The Xenogears soundtrack is largely responsible for my own path to becoming the videogame music composer I am today,”
“Before I even knew that you could buy videogame soundtracks, I would fire up Xenogears and just let the music play as I listened blissfully through my TV speakers. When I taught myself how to play guitar, I used to figure out melodies from the game by ear, often from memory. Overseeing the production of OMEGA was an experience like none I’ve ever had. I was moved to tears countless times as I heard everyone’s arrangements. OMEGA is a love letter to Xenogears and its timeless soundtrack. I hope it brings many hours of enjoyment to everyone who listens.”
Omega: A Tribute to Xenogears is available today on Bandcamp, iTunes, and Spotify. It’s an officially licensed release and is available either digitally or on a limited edition CD. The digital album retails for $15 on Bandcamp while the digipak CD release is $25. On iTunes, the digital album is listed for $19.99. For more information about this release or others like it, check out Materia Collective’s official website.
