Blue Submarine No. 6 Original Soundtrack

BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Copyright © 1998 Ozawa Satoru / Bandai Visual * Toshiba EMI * GONZO
TYCY-5624
Available in Japan
¥3,059
Where to buy

—by John Yung

1. Ao no Kakusei 4:08

2. 006 ~ Senkou 4:30

3. Kurayami ni Kiwotukero 3:34

4. Hamon 5:12

5. Aishu no Submariner 5:33

6. GRANPUS 4:20

7. Shinkaigyo 3:38

8. 006 ~ Shingeki 4:33

9. Minasokoni Nemure 5:36

Total Running Time: 41:09

Not only did the show BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6 offer an engaging story, interesting characters and exciting visuals, it offered a rich and unique aural experience as well. The musical backdrop to the animated action was provided by The Thrill, a 16-member band from Tokyo. The Thrill has been around since 1990 and has put out a few albums, but this looks like the first time they contributed their unique fusion of jazz, funk, and rock to a soundtrack.
This is a CD that deserves to be played on a good sound system in order to appreciate the rich interplay of instruments. Otherwise, the music sounds muddy as the tones blend together and you can't hear the full range. With 16 instruments, there is a lot of range in The Thrill's performance.
To the casual listener, the BLUE SUBMARINE NO. 6 soundtrack sounds like a long jam session, and quite honestly, it does seem like one. One wonders how The Thrill's live performances compare to the static recording on this CD. ("Static" in the sense that the music will always be performed the same way every time the CD is played.)
After listening to the soundtrack a number of times, the differences between the tracks start becoming apparent. The first piece, "Ao no Kakusei," serves as an introduction to The Thrill's grand style and as a yardstick for comparing the rest of the album. "006 ~ Senkou" kicks into high gear with the rapid rythmn provided by a mix of bass, guitar, drums, and keyboards while the horn section belts out the melody—a fantastic piece for conveying the excitement of Blue Submarine No. 6's launch. The high energy funk continues in "Kurayami ni Kiwotukero," showcasing the keyboard work by band member Sumida Satosi.
The Thrill appears to set things back a notch for a mellowly paced "Hamon," but not for long, since they lapse back into a quick tempo throughout the piece, suggestive of the title's translation: "ripples." A favorite track, "Aishu no Submariner," has a laid back pace, featuring a pensive trumpet melody that might make Chuck Mangione proud. Folks who have seen the anime will most likely recognize "GRANPUS" as the sometimes sinister, sometimes whimsical tune playing when the attack sub is deployed.
The Thrill turns the funk back up for "Shinkaigyo." One almost expects the band to break into a 70's rendition of the Rocky theme during this song. "006 ~ Shingeki" makes a good companion piece to "006 ~ Senkou." While it doesn't have the same arrangement of instruments, it has the same "feel" to it.
To wrap up the album, the ending song "Minasokoni Nemure" is included. It's a tour-de-force piece, featuring lyrics and vocals by band member Yukarie. All of the musicians have a section in the song to truly shine, and the song compliments the James Bond-style animated ending very well.
With the growing number of jazz musicians finding their way onto anime soundtracks these days, The Thrill stands out in the vanguard of this movement. It seems a shame that we're stuck with a studio recording of their work for this album, because they sound like they'd be more interesting at a live performance. Still, the CD recording is very cool and successful at showing us the unique musical identity of the band that is The Thrill. Hopefully it's a harbringer of more to come.