Th08/Music/en

Translations are from the Touhou wiki's "Imperishable Night/Music" page.

Music titles translation

No. 1 Eternal Night Vignette ~ Eastern Night	Arrangement of Theme of Eastern Story
@ This is the title screen theme. I envisioned this song with the same atmosphere as the previous games. I feel it's more "Genso-like," but it's very Gensokyo. Can we really say "Genso-like" is an abbreviation for "Gensokyo-like"? Well, as far as title themes go, this is one of my favorites.

No. 2 Illusionary Night ~ Ghostly Eyes	Duplicate of the same theme from Ghostly Field Club
@ This is the Stage 1 theme. I think it's a good idea to give the first stage a catchy little number, but while it's pretty upbeat, it is rather dark. But Imperishable Night's about night and youkai, so its darkness fits. This song is part of "Ghostly Field Club," so many of you might know it. The darkness in Stage 1 doesn't bode very well.

No. 3 Stirring an Autumn Moon ~ Mooned Insect
@ This is Wriggle Nightbug's theme. It feels so explosively Eastern as always. I created it with the innocence of an energetic child mixed with the images of night and insects. 40 percent small, wriggling insects. All the MIDI versions are extras, not just this song. Please listen to the WAV if possible. There's an element of fantasy that just isn't in the MIDI.

No. 4 Song of the Night Sparrow ~ Night Bird
@ This is the Stage 2 theme. It moves quickly, but the franticness leaves a lingering little something. That's the kind of atmosphere this song creates. It was meant to be my ultimate blend of Japanese and Western styles. On an unrelated note, the girls in Gensokyo have no sense of danger. They're just enjoying their lives to the fullest...

No. 5 Deaf to All but the Song
@ This is Mystia Lorelei's theme. She's just the Stage 2 boss, but this song makes her sound like a powerful foe. The theme has nothing to do with mystery, birds, night, or anything weird like that. I just made this song to be cute and awesome. And it doesn't make her seem too evil.

No. 6 Nostalgic Blood of the East ~ Old World
@ This is the Stage 3 theme. This one's so nostalgic... I'm sure those who are familiar with Touhou's older works will recognize it, but it sounds like a song I did a few years ago. I made it in the same way, so it's very nostalgic, but what good is it if it's only nostalgic to me? (laugh) This theme is a bit out of place. It has some of the 80's flavor in it.

No. 7 Plain Asia
@ This is Keine Kamishirasawa's theme. It's both serious and mysterious. I really like the striking melodious feeling conveyed by the piano in the intro. To me, Japanese culture is sort of a natural progression in East Asia. So the soothing elements of Japanese music are never to be taken lightly.

No. 8 Retribution for the Eternal Night ~ Imperishable Night	Arrangement of Theme of Eastern Story
@ This is the Stage 4 theme. This song's an arrangement of the game's title screen theme. It's a nice tune with a very quick tempo. For the end, I put in a laughing sound, like that of a youkai. However, it's unnatural to hear it where it shouldn't be creepy. Altogether, the rhythm is odd. I feel there's a hint of encroaching madness in it.

No. 9 Maiden's Capriccio ~ Dream Battle

Arrangement of Maiden's Capriccio from Lotus Land Story

@ This is Reimu Hakurei's theme. If you're wondering why this theme is nostalgic, it's an arrangement of a song from a few years ago. It's an arranged version of Reimu's Stage 4 boss theme from the fourth game, Lotus Land Story. The patterns in Stage 4 closely resembles those of Lotus Land Story, so I thought I'd do a similar song and give some people déjà vu. The other theme for this game is "An Old Memory Called Fantasy."

No. 10 Love-Colored Master Spark	Arrangement of Love-Colored Magic from Story of Eastern Wonderland
@ This is Marisa Kirisame's theme. At this point, this song isn't all nostalgic or anything. It's an arrange of an old tune from the second game, Story of Eastern Wonderland. I was wondering if this theme still suited Marisa, and what shocked me is that it totally did. It's rare to see someone so unchanged. Marisa has 5 themes, but I think this one suits her best.

No. 11 Cinderella Cage ~ Kagome-Kagome
@ This is the Stage 5 theme. Asian, Western, old, new; this song isn't one or the other. The boss seems that way, too, but the stage itself is based in Japanese horror. Each song has a theme, and this one's is based on the song "Kagome, Kagome." It's not an arrangement, just composed with a similar theme. I didn't want to get caged in on a theme for this one.

No. 12 Lunatic Eyes ~ Invisible Full Moon
@ This is Reisen Udongein Inaba's theme. When you think of a boss in the final stages of Touhou, this is what comes to mind. Guess some things never change. (laugh) After the wild intro, there's a mournful melody in the middle before the hook breaks through. Ah, all the characters look like they're having so much fun.

No. 13 Voyage 1969
@ This is the Stage 6 theme. The 20th century voyagers. The Noah's Ark of the 20th century flew into space, carrying with it hopes and fears. However, it seems that just its hopes were left behind on the Moon. Here in the "future," in the 21st century, only fears and a handful of illusions seem to be all that remain.

No. 14 Gensokyo Millennium ~ History of the Moon
@ This is Eirin Yagokoro's theme. Impossible courage, ferocity, and vigor. This theme combines all of those, making for a ridiculously foolish and energetic song. All the energy and foolishness culminates in the final boss (ehh?), so the act itself of putting this song in a shmup is lunacy. I didn't want to get caged in on a theme for this one.

No. 15 Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess
@ This is Kaguya Houraisan's theme. Boy, she really is insane, huh? (laugh) This song brings out a feeling of losing one's cool. I don't express emotions through songs, I make songs with emotions. And really, the game makes the songs. They're not very cool and modern, are they? (Haha) I'll admit I'm no pro.

No. 16 Voyage 1970
@ This is the Last Spell theme. All it inspires is a frantic feeling. It's seriously fast. It's the constant repetition of a short phrase that makes it so fast. That doesn't sound like my kind of morning. (laugh) Of course, it is fast, but it also has a mysterious kind of nostalgia.

No. 17 Extend Ash ~ Person of Hourai
@ This is the Extra Stage theme. It's kind of relaxed for one, huh? It feels like a test of courage that wouldn't scare anybody. (No, it doesn't.) I'm actually a little unsure about it, but it's extended. I collected E, X, T, E, N, and D and extended it.

No. 18 Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke
@ This is Fujiwara no Mokou's theme. I tried to bring out as much intimidation, power, and coolness I could that some shadiness came out. But even if the song isn't shady, the character certainly is. I always like kicking it old school for the Extra Boss song. This time around I really kicked it.

No. 19 Evening Primrose
@ This is the ending theme. It's still the same. All laid back. The ending song is never all that upbeat. And this one's no exception.

No. 20 Eternal Dream ~ Mystical Maple	Arrangement of Maple Dream... from Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream
@ This is the credits theme. I added a little nostalgia to this one. "Maple," such an old memory. This theme is loaded with old memories. But there's far too few staff.

No. 21 Eastern Youkai Beauty
@ This is the Last Word theme. I wanted it to invoke feelings that deviate from the frame of the story. I'm not trying for coolness. I'm not trying for cuteness. I'm not even trying for creepiness. But it'd be nice if it doesn't put you in a bad mood after listening to it for so long.