We’re so proud to share the energy and joy in these performances of FINAL FANTASY music with you; thank you for listening! ANWIII was recorded mostly in Seattle last March, toward the end of our SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Tour honoring the 35th Anniversary of FINAL FANTASY. For our community of FINAL FANTASY music lovers, those concerts DID feel like a celebration.
We’ve included three LIVE bonus tracks along with this collection of music because we want everyone listening to feel it too: intimate recordings in a room powered by hundreds of people engaged with crackling musical performances and fellowship.
We also have two superb solo tracks from two terrific musicians. Benyamin Nuss has thrilled us with his piano solos since our 2014 London premiere. And we go back nearly as far with the guitar virtuoso Sam Griffin.
It feels good to produce an album which communicates the vitality and brilliance of the music written by these great FINAL FANTASY composers over the decades. It is such a privilege to perform and record their visionary compositions.
We hope you find your listening experience rewarding; we had a very rewarding experience making it for you.
credits
released February 29, 2024
original music composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masayoshi Soken, Yoko Shimomura
arrangements by Arnie and Eric Roth, Chris Opperman, Naoshi Mizuta, Shiro Hamaguchi
music director, producer, and conductor Eric Roth
executive producer Arnie Roth
musicians Robin Peery (flute), Sean Osborn (clarinet), Allen Vizzutti (trumpet), Jake Sele (piano), R. L. Heyer (guitar), Paul Hansen (percussion), Dawn Posey (violin I), Clare Bresnahan (violin II), Camille Ripple (viola), Emily Hu (cello), Sam Casseday (contrabass)
vocal soloist Eric Roth (tracks 12, 16)
guitar soloist Sam Griffin (track 13)
piano soloist Benyamin Nuss (track 7)
recorded at Recorded at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall,
Benaroya Hall, Seattle, WA, USA
engineer Mathew Prock
mobile pro tools recording rig provided by Brian Moynihan for Smart Audio Seattle, WA, USA
tour manager Melissa King
orchestra conductor David Sabee Seattlemusic Inc.
additional recording Ralf Kemper at Riverside Studios, Cologne, Germany (track 7)
Mathew Prock at Area 44 Music in Chicago, IL, USA (track 12)
Sam Griffin at his personal studio (track 13)
edited, mixed, and mastered by Mathew Prock at AWR Music Studio and Area 44 Music, Chicago, IL, USA
graphic design Anna De Pagter
photographer Carlin Ma
AWR production team Laura Adkins, Leanne Araya, Eliza Bangert, Sally Hausken, Fritz Hocking, Chris Opperman, Lisa Roth, Marcy Roth
special thanks to SQUARE ENIX colleagues: Saki Imamoto, Seitaro Tanaka, Jade Jariengprasert, Akio Shiraishi, the visionary musical creators Nobuo Uematsu, Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Masayoshi Soken, and Yoko Shimomura, Hiroki Ogawa and
Dog Ear Records, David Sabee, the administration and staff at the
Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall, Chris Opperman
for his many excellent and invaluable contributions, and to the entire
community of FINAL FANTASY music lovers: you are THE BEST.
You make it so rewarding and joyful every time! Thank YOU so much!
supported by 101 fans who also own “A New World: intimate music of FINAL FANTASY - Volume III”
Always love seeing a new Distant Worlds album drop. Especially excited to get the new tracks from the Coral tour, which was amazing. Thanks for continuing to make these albums available in lossless, high resolution quality through bandcamp! nitro322
supported by 77 fans who also own “A New World: intimate music of FINAL FANTASY - Volume III”
I love almost every track from Distant Worlds but Dragonsong, actually every Song from FINAL FANTASY XIV, is just so good. I am happy that one of my favorites are in this collection. zsly
There’s a quiet beauty to this remix album of compositions by Michael Vincent Waller, with contributions from JLin, Prefuse 73, & more. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 1, 2024
Somber, beautiful string meditations abound on the debut album by Oxford cellist and composer Lou Lyne and her ensemble. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2024