Roaming Through the World of Ys is a love letter to the long-running game series "Ys". We're talking about fun and engaging video games with fast-paced combat, great exploration and most of all: a kick-ass soundtrack!

Now, these little action RPGs have been around since the late 80s and they sure used to sound that way, with their driving bass-lines, punchy drums and cool synth sounds. Later on, they evolved. The soundtracks incorporated orchestral arrangements, metal, rock and jazz and let me tell you, there is nothing more satisfying than fighting that big ass crab boss, while awesome and fast-paced metal music cheers you on. You know, you can beat that damn thing even if you have to try again and again!

My journey started with Ys VI. The setup is simple: You wash up on a shore (our main character does that quite often, being an adventurer and all) and have to discover what the hell is going on. The game clicked right away with me. It doesn't waste your time with too much exposition and insane or complicated plot twists. You get in there and beat the crap out of enemies until you... well, save the world in most cases.
Needless to say, it got me hooked and I played almost every game before and after that, until Ys IX. They always added new things but the core formula stayed the same and this core formula of straight-to-the-point combat, fun exploration and a killer soundtrack makes every one of those games a joy to play.

So, consider this album as an homage, a tribute, to everything that makes an Ys game great, especially the soundtrack. I got this idea while trying to write music in the style of these soundtracks and quickly combined it with my own style and before I knew it, I had so many ideas and so much material, it was enough for a whole album. Roaming Through the World of Ys is also a culmination of all the progress I made as a composer and working with the new tools and libraries I have. I gotta tell you: It's a night and day difference to my previous two albums, so get ready!

While not having a strict concept, the album still tries to tell you a story, vaguely resembling the experience of an Ys game. You start out with mystery, with battle and you end with a farewell because our hero can never stay in one place too long. Adventure awaits!

I also like to thank ArtSpec Creations for the cover. They did an amazing job. This thing turned out exactly as I envisioned it and it really captures the sense of adventure these games have.
Visit their Instagram, if you want to see more: www.instagram.com/artspeccreations_/

And finally: Thank you, the listeners and get ready for a journey through the world of Ys. Enjoy!