KALEIDOSCOPE: Sakimoto and Hamauzu Works

Focusing once again on Japanese RPGs, Josh Barron and the ETHEReal String Orchestra reveal the highly anticipated sequel to their 2015 debut The ETHEReal String Project. The repertoire focuses on the music of Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masashi Hamauzu as well as featuring brand new arrangements by Josh Barron. The title Kaleidoscope was chosen because of the range of colors in the arrangements, the ensembles, and the styles of the performances. Special piano performances by virtuosos Benyamin Nuss and Joe Zieja. Strings provided courtesy of Schultz Strings

Josh Barron: I would like to personally thank Benyamin Nuss and Joe Zieja for being such great people, musicians, and friends. The same goes for both Andrew Steffen and Andrew Stern. I would be nowhere without your expertise and guidance. It is always an immense pleasure to work with you two! Special thanks to Materia Collective and Sebastian Wolff for believing in this project as well as those who have supported my music throughout the years! I want to thank my music teachers Craig Blume, Tim Miller, and Dave Pallada. I wouldn't have been in this profession if it weren't for your three. I also would be remiss if I didn't thank Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masashi Hamauzu for writing such amazing music. Studying your work has made me a better composer and musician and I cannot thank you enough for your contributions to the craft! Lastly, I want to thank my amazing wife Mogina as she has heard every version of this music a million times over and has been my biggest supporter!

Andrew Steffen: What a journey it has been to bring this album to completion! I would like to give a special thank-you to all the behind-the-scenes and front-of-the-scenes friends who made this album possible: Andrew Stern is the best collaborator I could ask for. Joe and Benyamin have been a delight to collaborate with on Piano. A special thank-you to James for mastering and bringing everything together. Behind the scenes, a special thank-you to my wife and daughter who have put up with me working on this album, and a thank you to John, who helped make this whole project possible. Lastly, a huge thank you to Josh for bringing us all together - visioning this project and creating all the arrangements. It's been an honor to play your music!

Andrew Stern: Video games and their music have long been passions of mine, so I am always so incredibly grateful to work with friends - old and new - on projects like this. KALEIDOSCOPE has been several years in the making and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed creating it! I want to thank Josh, Andrew, and Benyamin for being amazing collaborators (as always!), the folks at Materia Collective without whom I would probably never have been able to work with these (and other) awesome musicians, my parents and grandparents who supported my pursuit of music when I needed it most, my wife for her love, support, and continuing to share my interest in gaming, our listeners - Music is at its best when it is enjoyed by both the musicians and the audience.