Yoshitaka Murayama, famed game developer who contributed to the Suikoden series and the upcoming Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, passed away on February 6, 2024. Given this loss to the industry, we wanted to follow up our 2015 Prescription for Peace album to remember and celebrate him as well as many that we've lost since then.

To celebrate Murayama's work in games, which usually featured very large casts of diverse characters, all profits from this album will be donated to NPower, a charity that "creates pathways to economic prosperity by launching digital careers for military veterans and young adults from underserved communities." Digital careers includes game development, and we all benefit from more diversity in our games. Learn more about NPower and their mission: www.npower.org/about/

Commentary Key:
JN = Jayson Napolitano
NH = Norihiko Hibino

"Reminiscence": To Yoshitaka Murayama, whose works have touched gamers around the world, myself included. We chose "Reminiscence" to honor his memory to remember a simpler time, one full of hopes for the future, and to see, with fondness, all the progress made since that time. - JN

"Transcendence": To Karyn Napolitano, my mother, who died of ovarian cancer at age 50. She was a strong personality, and liked '80s hair metal and country music as I was growing up, so I found it odd when she took to New Age music for sleeping purposes. I passed my parents' room one night and heard this song, and noted the disc number, and digitized it the next morning. It's a constant fixture on my sleep playlist. It's composed by Paul Frantzich and Tim Frantzich, the latter who told me. the song is about a journey into the mountains. - JN

"Leaving Here": To Mitsuhiro Furuya... my long-time friend just passed away. He is also a saxophonist and loved his family so much. Mitsuhiro and I are the same age, and we are so shocked to hear he suddenly passed away just before the show. - NH

"Till I See You Again": To Takashi Furuya... Mitsuhiro's dad, and my biggest mentor. My first career as a professional musician was as a member of his band. He was great in humanity and loved all kinds of people, I remember one night he saw a young couple fighting and he helped a girl and stopped the man's hand and told him not to be violent. - NH

"Gentle Light Soft": True love is always gentle, and light and soft, and man-made selfish love is sometimes to the contrary. When people face their big loss only true love can resonate to their sorrow. - NH

"Logos": Meaning "Word of God," we don't hear it when we are fulfilled and happy, but when we are full of sorrow and not knowing where to go, we can only listen to it. For me, it is not like a verbal language but more like an inspiration, a gentle touch of music. - NH

"Don't Understand": For those who lost their closest ones... the first feeling we face when we lose our closest one is "I don't understand," and often some anger. - NH

"Dedication": To Shinya Abe, my friend who helped me meet people in Niigata when I moved here. He is always smiling and creates a joyful atmosphere in every place he goes. We are also so sad to lose him recently. - NH

"Sparkling Gem": For those who lost their very young child. Every kid has some "Sparkling Gem" inside, and that would never disappear even in their death. That sparkling stays alive in God's plan. - NH

"Only Him": For those who lost their husband or father, in relation to Mitsuhiro's son, daughter, and wife. They really loved Dad. Same to the warrior's family member suffering their dad's loss. - NH

"Canon in D": To Pasquale "Mike" Napolitano, my father. Even though he primarily enjoyed rock music (The Beatles, Cat Stevens, Rush, etc.), his long commutes to and from work turned him onto classical music to keep his sanity. My brother and I treated him to an orchestral concert for Father's Day one year at the Los Angeles Walt Disney Concert Hall, where we heard Mahler's "Symphony No. 9," and that was a treat to see him take in the spectacle. He always loved "Canon in D," and while his service was dominated by the music of Cat Stevens, I thought this would be a fitting tribute to his other musical tastes. - JN

Volume I: scarletmoon.to/p4p/

Available everywhere: scarletmoon.to/p4p2/
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