Taking the much-loved Final Fantasy musical templates composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Rifti Beats distils the tracks down to smoky, hypnotic beats and heart-thudding bass. Good.
Harnessing the power of the melodies and re-imagining them as mood music to be devoured as you close your eyes and imagine being stood atop a skyscraper and gazing out over the city of Midgar.
With music as treasured as this, it’s a hefty task, but Rifti Beats weaves their magic and ends up creating an album that shifts between being sexy, swaggering, fun, delicate and heart-breaking, often from the track.
I listen through albums many times whilst reviewing them, but Chocobo & Chill has sneaked in as one of those that is never far from my turntable, as my fiancee has also been popping this on in addition to my constant looping for reviewing purposes – it’s especially telling as she has no nostalgia or link to the Final Fantasy games, she just loves this take on the music.
As she should.