Musical artist
The Black Mages is a Japanese instrumental rock band formed in 2003 by Nobuo Uematsu,[1] composer of the majority of soundtracks in the Final Fantasy video game series. The band arranges Uematsu's musical compositions in a rock style[1] often similar to progressive metal, achieved with the additional use of synthesizers.
The band has released three studio albums, the first containing only battle themes. It was released eponymously as The Black Mages in 2003. The second album, The Skies Above, was released in 2004 and features a wider array of pieces including guest vocalists Tomoaki Watanabe (as "Mr. Goo") and Kazco Hamano (as "KAZCO") appear on the album, as well as "Blue Blast~Winning the Rainbow", an original track that was created for Japanese K-1 fighter Takehiro Murahama.[2] The third album, Darkness and Starlight, was released on March 19, 2008.[3]
The Black Mages have performed only three concerts that have celebrated their album releases. The first, ""THE BLACK MAGES" LIVE: Featuring Battle Music of FINAL FANTASY", was held in Shibuya, Tokyo in 2003 and later released on DVD exclusively to Square Enix fanclub members. The second concert, "THE BLACK MAGES LIVE "above the sky": Featuring The Music of FINAL FANTASY" was held in Kawasaki City, Japan and similarly released on DVD to club members. The third concert, "THE BLACK MAGES III Darkness and Starlight LIVE", was held at the Yokohama Blitz in Yokohama, Japan and was released on DVD on March 25, 2009. The Black Mages have made several live appearances in various Final Fantasy concerts, including "VOICES" and "More Friends".
The name "The Black Mages" is owned by Square Enix, which means the band cannot play music that isn't owned by the company.[4]
History
In 2000, Square Enix employees Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito formed an experimental partnership to compose for the All Star Pro-Wrestling video game in a rock music style. After the video game's success, the two continued to compose in the same style. In 2002, Fukui and Sekito decided to arrange some of Nobuo Uematsu's compositions. Uematsu, a fan of rock music, enjoyed the rock arrangements. Regretting that the public would not be able to appreciate them, he decided to form The Black Mages.
In 2003, Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito arranged, interpreted and sequenced 10 combat themes from various Final Fantasy video games, with Nobuo Uematsu as producer. An album containing these tracks was released eponymously on February 19, 2003. After being met with success, Uematsu decided to organize a concert in tribute to the album. Fukui chose to play keyboards, while Sekito chose to play guitar. Because this was not enough to perform the arrangements, several members from Square Enix joined. Keiji Kawamori joined to play bass guitar, Michio Okamiya to play guitar, and Arata Hanyuda to play drums. With persuasion from the group, Nobuo Uematsu began playing keyboards. The Black Mages performed on April 26, 2003 at Shibuya-AX in Tokyo. This was followed by a 30-minute performance at the Kanagawa University festival on November 3.
At the beginning of 2004, Nobuo Uematsu announced the prospect of a second album. Later in July he announced that the album was in the recording stages. Earlier on April 21, an arrangement album for the Dark Cloud 2 video game titled Dark Chronicle Premium Arrange was released. It features the first full appearance of The Black Mages on a studio album, who were asked by TEAM Entertainment (the publisher) to arrange and interpret "Flame Demon Monster Gaspard." On December 22, 2004, The Black Mages II: The Skies Above was released. The Skies Above features a wider array of pieces by not focusing on battle themes, unlike the first. Additionally, The Skies Above features vocal tracks written by Alexander O. Smith, the translator for Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII. "Otherworld" was sung by Kazco Hamano and "The Skies Above" by Tomoaki Watanabe (as "mr.goo"), while "Maybe I'm a Lion" features a small vocal introduction by Alexander O. Smith. In 2005, the album was the subject of a concert on January 22, January 23 in Kanagawa and January 28 in Osaka.
Members
Discography
Studio albums
Videos and DVDs
Date
|
Title
|
Notes
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2003
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"THE BLACK MAGES" LIVE
|
A promotional DVD given to Nobuo Uematsu fan-club members. Recorded in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
|
2006
|
LIVE "above the sky"
|
A promotional DVD given to Nobuo Uematsu fan-club members. Recorded in Kawasaki City, Japan.
|
2009
|
Darkness and Starlight Live
|
The band's first DVD to be given commercial release. Recorded in Yokohama, Japan.
|
Appearances
Concerts
The Black Mages have participated in several concert events.
"THE BLACK MAGES" III Darkness and Starlight LIVE
- Yokohama BLITZ!
- Opening ~ Bombing Mission from FINAL FANTASY VII
- Premonition from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- Grand Cross from FINAL FANTASY IX
- The Extreme from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- Force Your Way from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- KURAYAMINOKUMO from FINAL FANTASY III
- Assault of the Silver Dragons from FINAL FANTASY IX
- Clash on the Big Bridge from FINAL FANTASY V
- Distant Worlds from FINAL FANTASY XI
- Darkness and Starlight from FINAL FANTASY VI
- Neo EXDEATH from FINAL FANTASY V (encore)
- Maybe I'm a Lion from FINAL FANTASY VIII (encore)
- Date: August 9, 2008 [8]
- Location: Yokohama BLITZ! - Yokohama, Japan
- Price: ¥5,250
"THE BLACK MAGES" LIVE
- J-E-N-O-V-A from FINAL FANTASY VII
- Force Your Way from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- Battle Theme from FINAL FANTASY VI
- Battle Scene from FINAL FANTASY I
- Battle, Scene II from FINAL FANTASY II
- Matoya's Cave from FINAL FANTASY I
- Those Who Fight Further from FINAL FANTASY VII
- The Decisive Battle from FINAL FANTASY VI
- Clash on the Big Bridge from FINAL FANTASY V
- Dancing Mad from FINAL FANTASY VI
- Fight With Seymour from FINAL FANTASY X (encore)
- Shibuya-AX
- Date: April 26 to 27, 2003
- Location: Shibuya-AX - Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
- Price: ¥4,200
This overnight concert introduced the song Matoya's Cave (which would feature in their next album) and included additional solos not seen in their first album. During the introduction of band members, Michio Okamiya performed a rendition of the Chocobo Theme and Nobuo Uematsu performed the intro to Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water."
- Kanagawa University
- Date: November 3, 2003 (doors opened at 4:00 PM, commenced at 4:30 PM)
- Location: Kanagawa University, Auditorium #2 - Kanagawa, Japan
This free concert was part of the Kanagawa Jindai Festa. As Nobuo Uematsu graduated from the University they were performing in, The Black Mages all wore the student uniform colors (white shirt, black pants).
LIVE "Above The Sky"
- The Rocking Grounds from FINAL FANTASY III
- Zeromus from FINAL FANTASY IV
- Hunter's Chance from FINAL FANTASY IX
- Battle Theme from FINAL FANTASY VI
- Battle with the Four Fiends from FINAL FANTASY IV
- Vamo' Alla Flamenco from FINAL FANTASY IX
- Maybe I'm a Lion from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- Those Who Fight Further from FINAL FANTASY VII
- The Man with the Machine Gun from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- Clash on the Big Bridge from FINAL FANTASY V
- Otherworld from FINAL FANTASY X
- The Skies Above from FINAL FANTASY X
- Matoya's Cave from FINAL FANTASY I
- Blue Blast - Winning the Rainbow (encore)
- Club Citta
- Date: January 22 and January 23, 2005 (doors opened at 5:00 PM, commenced at 6:00 PM)
- Location: Club Citta - Kawasaki City, Japan
- Price: ¥5,000
- Namba Hatch
- Date: January 28, 2005 (doors opened at 6:00 PM, commenced at 7:00 PM)
- Location: Namba Hatch - Osaka City, Japan
- Price: ¥5,000
These concerts featured Kenji Ito who performed piano renditions of SaGa Series songs. Also featured were muZik, a group who performed seven Techno and Pop-style Final Fantasy arrangements.
More Friends
- The Rocking Grounds from FINAL FANTASY III
- Maybe I'm a Lion from FINAL FANTASY VIII
- Advent: One-Winged Angel from FINAL FANTASY VII: ADVENT CHILDREN
- Date: May 16, 2005
- Location: Gibson Amphitheater - Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Prices: $40.00, $60.00, $85.00 and $120.00
This was The Black Mages' first appearance in North America. Advent: One-Winged Angel was performed with orchestral accompaniment.
VOICES
This was a concert featuring performances of various Final Fantasy vocal tracks. The Black Mages played Advent: One-Winged Angel (from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) along with the Prima Vista Philharmonic Orchestra and GYA. The song was played a second time as an encore.
References
External links