T in sunset - さかべ ごう

A professional soundtrack artist. This song is from his 2013 soundtrack for the anime Dating Wars, one of his official debuts, and it's a stunner.

There are a total of two instruments used throughout the song, but it pulls the mood full circle. It opens with (what should be) the vibraphone's unique, slightly metallic but soft sustain, immensely lonely, and the minor key creates a sense of sadness. The piano accesses and acts as a soprano at this point, with a melody equally full of deep meaning. The vibraphone repeats the two melodies over and over again, perfectly setting off the piano's playing and pauses.

It stretches downward in a never-ending fashion, not knowing when it will end. The vibraphone's melody suddenly changes after the repetition, and the piano then answers. The complicated one-two punch is a quiet conversation in the void, and an indescribably depressing feeling fills the chest. It's obviously these simple tones, melodies, and fits, but it's incredibly emotional and reminiscent of the past.

After this section, the piano briefly joins in with a repetition of vibraphone, but fades after two high notes. It's as if, like a new star in the sky, it flickers and then returns to the dust, shining no more. Returning to the familiar repetition, the vibraphone melody and sustain remains the same, and the piano falls into the same melody as at the beginning, as if after all that has passed in the middle of the song, it doesn't matter, and continues to run in the same order.

Quiet, that's the first thing that strikes me about this song. Putting aside the influence this song already has on the anime as a whole, it's also a rare masterpiece. Plugging in your headphones and listening to this song softly, it's as if it feels like the world is nothing but your memories and repeated whispers. Take your time and fall asleep.