Composer HUMBLED by Final Fantasy XIV music! | To the Edge

Composer: Masayoshi Soken
• To the Edge
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[@Merandil94]

You know, to answer the question in the thumbnail? No, no he was very much NOT ok when he wrote this.

[@Ladywizard]

In fact the lead story was so appologetic when she found out how not ok he was and she was being perfectionist on it

[@zeehero7280]

Indeed. he literally wrote it while getting cancer treatment. He's much better now, much to our and the whole music world's benefit and relief.

[@RasenCore]

I physically cannot listen to To the Edge without tearing up. It means so much to the players, the characters and Soken himself.

[@SunrisenStar]

same for me , as well with anything similar to Answers

[@enyaliosares4301]

If you can’t listen to a song without crying, you may need to get control of your emotions.

[@RasenCore]

@@enyaliosares4301 oh sorry didn't know I was under the emotion police scrutiny. I'm a man that tears when listening to particularly emotionally charged songs and I'm not afraid to say so lmao. Imagine telling people on the internet they aren't allowed to cry.

[@Velgeiss]

@@RasenCore Especially when remembering what happens following this, in my opinion... "Promise me you'll take me on your next adventure. A journey. Together. That's all I ask."

[@LupusArcavius]

Same here brother

[@scotty110]

the part about the song being a reflection of Soken and his battle with cancer is one that many players have felt as well. in the in game lore side of things, the song represents the lives of an ancient peoples lost to memory and the desire of one of those ancients to bring back those lives even if it means destroying worlds to do so and for the particular boss this plays for, their desire is magnified by orders of magnitude by the souls of those that sacrificed themselves in the name of salvation. this isn't simply a good vs evil situation and you can't help but feel sorry for them.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Thanks for the input

[@MRorizs2]

Soken's experience with cancer was very unique in a way, because it was during the pandemic, and he didn't want the team to know, so he kept it secret and worked alone the whole time... I can only imagine how lonely it must have felt, but also feel inspired by his strength. Seeing Yoshi-P crying as he revealed the truth to everybody was heartbreaking. SPOILERS FOR SHADOWBRINGERS AHEAD: It's even worse when we think about his desperation to fulfill his role in the big plan, because he was literally unmade and remade for that purpose. Elidibus was my favorite Ascian since he showed up in ARR, and this patch made me suffer so much pitching him against the Exarch x.x

[@cstaie85]

I too think this is incredible. To have the drive to compose this while you may not see tomorrow. Proves his dedication to his craft.

[@CorynSilver]

A battle not of Light and Darkness, but one of two soul striving to save the people they love. One has nothing left to lose and everything to gain from this battle, while the other has nothing to gain, but everything to lose. This song isn't just for our foe, its for us as well.

[@cherrydragon3120]

Thats a great interpretation. We indeed had nothing to gain but everything to lose

[@tehzerp]

Yeah I can only imagine his headspace writing this. The height of Japan's covid outbreak, no visitors and battling stomach cancer that was being hidden from a significant amount of his coworkers.

[@Ban_Dearg]

Soken was actually in the hospital receiving treatment for cancer when he was composing this. And only three people on the dev team knew what was going on.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

"Soken, are you okay!?" Short answer, at the time he made it: No, he wasn't and we all know that is entirely the point.

[@lukefehrwight2187]

What I think gets overlooked about these OSTs is that they're sometimes perfectly timed with the events happening on-screen. When you start hearing the lyrics to the song, that's when a beam of sorts shoots down from the heavens unto your player, as they summon the stars to aid in the coming battle.

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery]

"All those times we made you change the music, asking you to cut something by seconds to better fit the scene, and you were in the hospital and we didn't know....." Soken: *thumbs up*

[@gateauxq4604]

@ninjafoxgamesgeekery4555 Oh damn 😭 I can’t listen to Shadowbringers without seeing the cinematic in my head.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Is this a cinematic or during actual gameplay?

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery]

@@AtlasBenighted Gameplay during a boss fight. If you're curious to see it, the fight's Trial name is "Seat of Sacrifice." It's not one that really hits as a boss fight music without understanding the full scope of the story leading up to it and the first time players do the boss fight it might feel a little soft for a battle because you're not really listening to the lyrics the first time (trying to figure out what to do to clear the fight after all), but ultimately it all comes together into a complete package. Just the clocks ticking at the start hit on two levels. One a call back to a previous area we've visited. Two a reference to finality, the winding of time, and time running out.

[@user-ch7pp8gm4n]

This is a song emphasize battling death and despair, making moral conflicts, in the ridge of broken body, mind even memories, thoughout unimagiable eras. In one hand, the villian (character of the song) tried to erase the world to save his own people, for he is the last of them; and the other hand, our hero, as his lesser succesor, defied the uncomparable strength and will, to defend our own and proved us worthy. An battle for duty, for pride, and for hope. The tic-tac effect is a special trick. It is both nostalgic due to the background setting, and warning as if the last moment is chasing. Maybe it is hidden in all the scores and chords, but we players of the game are very aware of it.

[@ninjafoxgamesgeekery]

Yes. I would be come *him*. I would...save everyone. This, I believed. Yet still they cried out in rage and despair... Divided -- over the fate of the star. A rare occurrence, always fleeting....but not this time. Not this time. Reconciliation. Elidibus. I was needed. I withdrew myself from Zodiark. For them. My people....my brothers.....my friends. Stay strong. Keep the faith. At journey's end, we will meet again. We will. ........we will. The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it. 😭

[@MechaStorm7]

And some people say they cannot feel anything over this ... they are rocks 😭

[@Winbeau93]

That last line hits me like a truck every time I hear it

[@segafan2437]

first this was one of the most visually enthralling boss fights in the game when it came out. I RENDER UP MY ALL!! voice acted as the music peaked with the incredibly flashy visuals. this is a pretty emotional song for me, and for Soken too, seeing as how he wrote this while in hospital fighting cancer at the time. as a bit of a remix of Shadowbringers, and has since had it's own remixed remix...in Endwalker, and that ticking clock in the background makes my hair stand on end!

[@BWA85]

"MANKIND'S FIRST HERO... AND HIS FINAL HOPE"

[@ChrisMajors]

I saw you counting silently during the intro and I can't help pointing out the lyrics there are counting along with you: "ONE brings shadow, one brings the light TWO-toned echoes tumbling through time THREE score wasted, ten cast aside FOUR-fold knowing, no end in sight" I'll echo (ha!) everyone else in these comments by sharing just how powerful this song was in context. It came out in October of '20, which was... A Time. The line "To begin, we first must see the end" did a lot of heavy lifting to those of us who had *seen* the end for about seven months by then. I'm reminded of an old Firesign Theatre line: "And, of course, on this day three years ago, the world ended!" "...As we knew it."

[@Murder_Hornet]

Soken was staring death in the face on this one. And Death said unto him, "Okay bro, damn. Ease up."

[@Lordoftheapes79]

That opening is a bit longer than a normal song probably would be because it plays behind an epic story reveal cinematic with dialogue over it. When the music kicks in, it starts the final battle of arguably the greatest chapter videogame story telling.

[@sansfangirl4life439]

Soken even hid his battle from everyone, only Yoshi-P knew of his struggles and it wasn't until Fanfest the year Endwalker was dropped that everyone found out. I will never forget that moment, and I know many people feel the same. Soken continues to blow us all away and I'm so ready for Dawntrail just to hear what he gives us!

[@FrancoBits]

The foe we fight during this song is a long last soul of ancient beings. It's so old he doesn't remembers really well what he's fighting for. His memories are scrambled, faded, confuse... the guitars with the echo effect translates this feeling of a memory fleeting in your head, while cloudy

[@redriclasir2367]

I might not entirely remember the story setting, but I thought this was the song vs Vauthry

[@colinsundin9708]

@@redriclasir2367 This is the song for the seat of sacrifice trial aka the end of 5.3

[@mierkablue]

I always get 90's-00's David Bowie vibes from this. Like Black Tie White Noise to the Outside and Earthling. Also distant Depeche Mode like vibes.

[@Josefuumii]

Soon as you played that savage garden song my brain immediately visualized the JoJo part 4 ending sequence lmfao

[@aradigm1890]

It was revealed at Fanfest he was battling cancer while working on the additional content, during a time where the world had shutdown and we were having very little contact with each other. Im not surprised that there is a part of him in this music

[@AtlasBenighted]

I saw that, he's a champ

[@narius_jaden215]

Given it was a song he composed while dealing with cancer, yeah he probably wasn't okay haha. He poured a lot of heart and soul in to this.

[@cherrydragon3120]

Nad tou can really hear that

[@GrandCatapult]

I fear you've misinterpreted the lyrics of this piece. The lyricist is Michael Christopher Koji Fox, the localisation lead for the business unit at Square Enix, and the vocalist in the band that does live performances of the FFXIV music (although not for this track). The lyrics are for the culmination of the Shadowbringers story, as this track plays over the final boss fight in the Shadowbringers arc, a storyline which deals with the concepts of lost legacies and the importance of remembering. Soken's brilliance is in his collaboration with Koji Fox, melding the themes of the game's existing musical motifs, the narrative of the lyrics, and the emotion of his own life's experiences which resonate with them. This piece is easily among Soken and Koji Fox's best work. Scions and Sinners.

[@bauscheusse]

Man this song STILL gives me chills to this day, from the minute I heard it in the initial 5.3 trailer, that feeling only grew as I encountered it in game and then learned of what Soken was going through whilst creating this, it's almost haunting in an odd way

[@ShikiRyougi05]

What's happening in this song? Nothing...just my tears.

[@cherrydragon3120]

By far one of the best songs in the game. So much story behind it. Both ingame and real life.

[@wherestoomy8880]

Heyya ! @AtlasBenighted Thank you so much for the reaction n breakdown, which I greatly appreciate it. So this track comes into Patch 5.3 of FFXIV: Shadowbringers during a certain trial, which thematically and quietly literally fits with what’s going on. It’s like a push, telling you to not give up whilst being on the edge, when what’s against you seems it’ll really win and it’s hopeless, and all odds are in favour of it… But yet again, the track strongly emphasises to not give up there just yet, to keep kicking, fighting n screaming to see it through. A lot of what you took to interpret with your tinfoil hat 🤣 was actually quiet abreast with what the theme’s meaning is. I’d add there is a lot of dualism and subtext that is also referring to the composer himself living “To the Edge”, at the time, and he’d kick it all out to push himself n everyone alongside forward, and be damned if he didn’t. Not sure if this was a bit of passionate rambling but I hope I got the point across in a semblance 😭 I’m sure the others here can also add a lot more to the track’s meaning and more. I very much appreciate it again for the reaction n breakdown, take care y’all ! ❤

[@Alcadria]

The song is also part of the fight itself. The starting lines each time are the Ancients speaking of their plight and vying for their right to exist, arguing their superiority to the sundered world. The lyrics to follow; that are often clearer, is the Sundered world's reply to them vying for their right to continue existing; with the interjected lines between each being the Ancient's replies to the sundered world. The whole song is a battle between the ancients and the sundered and when the chorus hits with "in monochrome melodies" both sides reach an accord and agree that live or die, this is the final conflict to determine who inherits the star. After the first instance of the chorus, the same pattern continues but this time the ancient's replies are manipulative and speak of how the Ascians were attempting to wipe out the current world to restore the old. Without a compas, wandring, lost in lies of faith (faith slowly wasting away) Only alive in fighting death's amber embrace (Our hearts beat loud, unafraid) On hands and knees we pray to Gods we've never seen (Come, shadow, come follow me) [to shadow someone is to follow them, they aren't beckoning to a shadow, but telling the sundered to follow them] The final hour upon us, no more time to breath The whole context of the song is that one side will be sacrificed for the other's continued existence, both sides of the narrative's conflict have no resolved themselves to this fate. They come to terms with it in the narrative after arguing their cases to one another and agree that this IS the end. Hence the instance's name: The Seat of Sacrifice I absolutely LOVE 5.3, its narrative and this song because absolutely everything associated to that fight is part of the battle and narrative. Its incredibly storytelling that they've not achieved since.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Of course! 👍

[@mannifinalsummer4544]

Hell this fight was just epic in the peak of shadowbringers. I cried while fighting thru the emotions this song brings with it and all the accumulated drama in the story. Then I watched the FanFest live Stream Soken revealing he was in the hospital fighting cancer while composing this song and the staff started crying over this revelation I bawled my eyes out like a baby. Hell man, Soken-sama is a damn legend!

[@kikukat8780]

Savage garden? Oh man, you're definitely calling my age out here lol

[@AtlasBenighted]

😆 Like wine

[@ulibarriL]

To this day, The Seat of Sacrifice remains my favorite encounter in the entire game. It set the bar, and there is just no way it can ever be topped. This fight represents a clash of wills. The seat of Elidibus represented by The Warrior of Light vs. The seat of Azim represented by the Warrior of Darkness. The fate of the star, determined by the winner. Both competitors acknowledged in the strength and resolve in their opponent. Each having the utmost respect for the other and know each other's hearts to the core. Gives me chills just thinking about it. FFXIV peaked right here, and I am so happy to have experienced it. Soken poured his entire heart and soul into this, and it shows. All you need to do is listen.

[@isabelladelgado456]

That remix IT’S AWSOME, I need a complete version of it and great job

[@AtlasBenighted]

Thank you! ☺️

[@shawnscouten5184]

I love this song, for both for its out of game background, and for how perfectly it portrays the tragedy of the ancients, you really get the sense you are fighting against someone who has lost everything, and is determined to save his people no matter the cost. I don’t think any moment in the story quite reaches that level, and I fear with how Endwalker rushed things, there might not be another chance. But either way, I am still happy we got this.

[@Dhalin]

So, after playing through Endwalker and knowing the full lore behind the moment in which this song plays, one can't help but to notice the ticking clock sounds in the background, which have... more relevance than one might think (it's also a leitmotif for a character that reveals himself during this scene in a very unexpected way!), especially someone hearing it blind. I'll try my hardest not to spoil anything here, but there's a lot of _time_ involved in this song. This song was written for a scene that involves characters fighting over a problem that has spanned _eons_ and neither of them are really "evil", they just have opposing points of view. Both of them want to save the world, and they are east-from-west in how they view the solution to the problem, just like before, _eons_ before, two sides warred over the very same problem. A problem the player truly doesn't get to understand until near the end of Endwalker, and by then they have the full context of what was going on in the scene in which This song plays.

[@ShadowProject01]

This song was composed around the time of Soken’s Cancer diagnosis and eventual remission. The song itself conveys his own feelings during that period in this song. Which is also poignant given the subject matter of the story as up to this point.

[@KMCA779]

Oh god, Savage Garden... There's a blast from the past.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Oh yeah!

[@dannywild8838]

Did anyone else notice this little detail in the lyrics: ONE brings shadow, one brings the light TWO toned echoes, tumbling the tide THREE cores wasted, ten casts aside FOUR fold knowing, no end in sight I find it pretty cool 😄

[@vante2]

the "90s vibe" comment is so fitting considering the boss fight this represents.

[@darthdan]

Not sure about it being about his struggle at any point lyric wise, simply because he's not the one writing the lyrics and all that was said can apply to the character this song is about. I could be wrong obviously, we'll never know for sure but people try to find meaning for everything and once they learned about his battle and that it was during this song.. they didn't even think about who writes the lyrics. Regardless, enjoyed the video, cheers :)

[@gorz2013]

Soken was in the middle of his battle with cancer while he wrote this. He was very much NOT ok.

[@koagz]

Soken feeling his worse gave it his all to produce IMO his greatest piece.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Absolute chad

[@aerieleah533]

If you want to see how far this song extends, know this isn't the only one that uses this melody. For a very different and also powerful contrast, look up Fleeting Moment. I wont give context fully, but it is an Endwalker variation of the song.

[@titaniumvulpes]

Fleeting Moment, Neath Dark Waters, Mortal Instant... but it extends even further than that. The leitmotif originally appears way back in ARR... in Another Round. The theme that plays in bars. A theme of camaraderie and friendship.

[@HellOnFourLegs]

it would be interesting to hear your take on Hiroyuki Sawano, I believe Re:Creators ost(and it's 2 opening songs) and the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway movie ost (XI, the name of the song is xi, it's my favorite :P) are big representatives of his characteristic sound (I guess in my ignorance I would describe it as having a cold, metallic, synthetic, futuristic quality but it's not lifeless, it got like some air or breathing to it that is more reminiscent of a fresh breeze on a rainy afternoon, night cold but not dead cold, I find it enjoyable and interesting but I'm unable to properly put it into words)

[@grand1994]

If you're mentioning the Legend, Hiroyuki Sawano, you can't forget to mention Attack on Titan too!

[@Zephhi]

Gundam Unicorn and AoT as well. Xenoblade X too

[@DeeFourCee]

“To the Edge” has many parallels with “It has to be this way”

[@AtlasBenighted]

How come?

[@DeeFourCee]

@@AtlasBenighted two enemies fighting for their own sense of justice and beliefs, to achieve their goals. The ascians want to rejoin the world that was sundered even though doing so will kill everyone in the reflections but they doesn’t bother them as they see the people as not people as all as they are a mere imitations of the real people their world was populated with before they were sundered in the reflections. The reflections being the world split in 13 mirror worlds and a source world with everyone in them being made up with 1/14th the soul of people who lived before. The ascians have rejoined 7 of the reflections, 7 times great harm has come to the source when these worlds have rejoined. But it is all to achieve the goal of “healing” the world to its prior glory. The residents of these worlds are fighting for their own lives and worlds and even we fight between different residents of the worlds. We the people who live are just trying to save ourselves and others using our own beliefs. Even if it costs lives of others to achieve that. We aren’t good, we just follow our own ideals. We will abide the suffering of others if it achieves our own goals as well. Just like Armstrong vs Raiden, two forces fighting for their goals which actually align in ideals but their outcomes mean they are at odds and must fight. It has to be this way

[@melissas4874]

Soken's credits Rage Against the Machine and Pennywise as his favorite bands. So while there may be something that sounds similar to that one Savage Garden song, I wouldn't think of them as his influence especially since that Savage Garden song is not dark at all - it's very pop. I do think he has to add some pop elements to his music for the games as not many people like the prog-metal or ska/metal sounds that influenced him. He's not writing for himself after all and the music has to be palatable to many players. I think he has done a great job at mashing up these styles.

[@MechaStorm7]

The fact that this is a boss fight soundtrack >>>>>

[@joshwheeler9700]

I am salvation given form!! Mankind's first hero and his final hope!! For victory I render up my all!!

[@pennythejet]

I would not have connected this song & Savage Garden 😅 I am Aussie too that song was everywhere

[@Spartan1312]

Soken was in fact NOT ok... he was in the hospital battling cancer when he wrote this.

[@KironX1]

Dude wrote this while almost dying of cancer in the hospital and trying not to give up hope on living. Fucking legend.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Truue

[@YokazeLTD]

I want to know your thoughts on the OST of the Intelligence Qube, I never forgot those orchestrated pieces at all

[@josiedavis3792]

I don't want to say that it's lucky that Soken had to battle cancer during this particular part of the story, but there's clearly some influence of loss that pervaded this particular patch of the story; and I think the song really speaks to that. Cancer is certainly a way to look at it, but I think it has to do with the loss of self in general, whether that be through illness or purpose. Regardless it's one of the times when I think FFXIV really reflected the events of the time that it was produced in, particularly with current personal matters. I think it was kind of genius to bring in that 90s sort of grunge-ish aesthetic because it really spoke to a certain ennui blanketed over hope for something better. This song is great, I love it. (I just wish the fight wasn't a new player trap lol)

[@vampyrusblack494]

to be fair Light and Darkness without Balance took over the 1st and the 13th like cancers

[@tkOzeki]

I laughed so hard when you brought up I Want You because "IS THAT A JOJO REFERENCE?"

[@AtlasBenighted]

I know 😆

[@VervaraRozthan]

Good stuff

[@dragocrafterr8286]

YOOO my goat vgm track

[@canuckraven]

No, Soken wasn't ok. he was in the hospital all alone doing this song during the height of covid. this is a double edged razor to those of us ffxiv players. on one end its a culmination of the ancients in the story and on the other, a man in the hospital all alone. still working thru what he was. Its legendary in so many ways and any player who been around long enough and knew what happened to soken will tell you this

[@Seraphna]

Notably, Soken was dying of cancer when he made this particular soundtrack. He beat the cancer too.

[@gh1374]

Soken wrote this when battling cancer

[@Mc.Scrumpy]

If there is one song I would have you react to it would be from fairytale! It is called magic challenger! It's so epic and nobody talks about it Or even knows its exists! Please react! It will blow your mind!

[@evandavis5223]

To me it sounds closer to Imminence Front by The Who.

[@gateauxq4604]

RIDING HOOOOOOME

[@raventhorX]

idk if that thumbnail was supposed to be making fun of soken or not but wasn't he diagnosed with cancer during the development of shadowbringers?

[@DefenderX]

Moar FF14! 😬

[@TankyCrobat]

Time to Cat JAAAAAAAAAAAAM

[@freekuponuts9227]

I thought Seth Everman was reviewing FFXIV's soundtrack lmao

[@AtlasBenighted]

The wish version

[@HezrouDhiaga]

No he was not okay. He made this while fighting cancer in secret

[@walteranurantha5014]

"Evanescent, bathed back in silence. Our surrender of sombre revelrie." "Slowly sifting, down into twilight, ever shifting through faded memories!" Props to the vocal singer of this song for making poetry becoming amv lyrics, both in tone and fantasy, medieval song motifs of his singing. It's so wonderful❤

[@fablefan9515]

Jason Charles Miller also known for the Metal Gear Rising Revengence "Rules of Nature"

[@walteranurantha5014]

@@fablefan9515 It's crazy that he can switch his tone between poetry vocals like WOL XIV and Metal rock vocals like MGR.

[@archangel3]

This is what you get when you give talent money and unchain them from restrictions. Still will always kinda respect SE corp for bowing to the CBU3 team.

[@AtlasBenighted]

Soken is op

[@BWA85]

You need to look at... DEDICATED TO MOONLIGHT.

[@balazsszucs7055]

Okay who clicked on the video to discuss cancer during covid lockdown?

[@DieserLderbinich]

Hello there again, i have a very good recommendation for you my dark lord, listen to Grace Omega from Jin Roh The Wolf Bregade^^😊 Just trust me

[@AtlasBenighted]

Dark Lord, you know the lore of this channel, children of the dark

[@NogginNogs]

These "jonny come late" guys get this wrong all the time. Soken was fighting cancer for most of ShB development. That's why there are the themes.

[@TheOriginalSolicious]

Soken in fact was not ok during this time....not at all

[@TheCorpusDelicti]

Extremely out-of-touch thumbnail given the well-known fact the composer was in the hospital receiving cancer treatment while he wrote the song.