Materia Collective is thrilled to announce Heart of the Forest, a beautiful tribute to Hiroki Kikuta’s beloved soundtrack to Secret of Mana. Celebrating the recent remake released on the PlayStation 4, Heart of the Forestfeatures 18 fan-favorite selections performed live as jigs, polkas, and marches that are reminiscent of lands such as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Spanish, Filipino, Indonesian, and Armenian music. Themes from the game are occasionally meshed with traditional folk compositions that complement the Secret of Mana track. Heart of the Forest is available now for pre-order and will enjoy a full release tomorrow, March 16, 2018:
Key moments from the classic Squaresoft RPG can be enjoyed again through these wonderful arrangements, including the majestic opening theme “Angel’s Fear” arranged with soothing mandolin and flute, the whimsical dungeon theme, “Into the Thick of It” done on harp and ocarina, and the adventurous flight theme, “Flammie and I” performed with Irish whistle and guitar. The full track listing for Heart of the Forest is as follows:
“The ethereal and earthy textures of the original Secret of Mana soundtrack fit perfectly with the folk concept our group tries to promote,” explains arranger Masha Lepire. “I love how we all brought new flavors and ideas to the table but still captured the original essence and beauty of Hiroki Kikuta’s music.”