One OST I frequently find myself returning to even when I’m not thinking about the show is that of Gatchaman Crowds. Composed by the masterful Taku Iwasaki, it manages to succesfully convey a wide range of emotions, primarily using electronic sounds in order to create songs which often fit into genres like EDM. That said, it’s quite varied, presenting opera-esque songs as well. I’ll go into a few of the songs I like from this OST, and why I like them.
Gatchaman ~ In the name of Love is a great song for the show’s many hype moments, immediately putting you in the mood for a battle or another high-action scene. The refrain of “Gatchaman” is cheesy, but it fits with the idea of superheroes quite well, echoing classic super hero themes.
Milestone is also a very “active” song, but instead of being used for action scenes, it’s used for scenes which are more generally tense. The first minute of the song embodies this the best, with quiet, repeating sounds being used to imply the intensity of the situation. At about the halfway point, the song makes a sudden shift, with things becoming even more serious, before a vaguely hopeful sound begins to kick off at about 1:50. The last minute is just as tense as the first, with heavier bass coming in, adding a somewhat claustrophobic feeling.
Tutu is a great theme, which generally plays in the base, if I remember correctly. It’s quite upbeat and bubbly, fitting of the base’s general atmosphere. It contrasts a great deal with many of the heavier songs, but in doing so it provides the idea that the base can be a place of refuge for the Gatchaman.
The Bird Can’t Fly is a suitably somber song which works well for the emotional moments and the times when Rui is in a rough spot. It’s much slower than the soundtrack’s other songs, and it has little to no electronic component, focusing entirely on piano and strings. It’s not depressing, but it adds a lot of atmosphere to slower and sadder scenes.
Sacrifice is another slow song, and it’s just as good. This one mixes in the electronic components, making a song which feels much more in line with the rest of the OST, but less high paced than the other songs. The mix of electronic and traditional elements gives it more of a contemplative feeling than a sad feeling through the beginning. At about the 2 minute mark there’s a major change, as the music starts to lead towards a slightly faster version of the first half. This song manages to fit its name quite well.
Unbeatable Network is tied with the main theme for best song in the show, and it’s for good reason. It starts off with a somewhat slow song played on the piano, but it really hits its stride when it shifts to electronic at the 2 minute mark. It perfectly embodies its title, becoming a hopeful song embodying the power that humans have when we work together, becoming an unbeatable network. It takes ideas from the previous songs and reworks them into a truly amazing piece, full of the hope that the show contains, in spite of its early cynicism, as shown in the first half of the track. The progression of this song is that of the show itself, and it’s absolutely excellent.
Floating into Bliss 