Ypx here—today we’re going to be listening to “Bellflower” from Baten Kaitos.
Released in late 2003 in Japan, late 2004 in NA, and elsewhere in 2005, Baten Kaitos was one of Monolith Soft’s first games and was an interesting mix of turn- and action-based battles, as well as card games. While the game was a critical success, it was just enough of one commercially to spawn a sequel.
We begin with two guitars, one arpeggiating and playing chords while the other covers melodic duties. With an energetic and highly variable rhythm, the melody quickly shifts back and forth from being frantic to relaxed. This relaxed feeling is especially audible when both guitars slow down to the same pace. For a few phrases while the melodic guitar has a less complex rhythm, the guitars are backed by reverb-heavy clapping, showing the track’s influence from Spanish guitar styles.
