I know there are a couple of Manabu Namiki fans on this board so I thought this was worth posting:
http://cave.shop-pro.jp/?pid=13361220

The album features a wide variety of composers handling the arrangements instead of the usual Super Sweep and/or Basiscape guys. Some of the notable names involved are Akari Kaida, Noriyuki Iwadare and Virt (Jake Kaufman) of all people!

Yeah, a Namiki fan and Ketsui OST fan, here. This could top the awesomeness that is the Psyvariar remix album. It looks like they're reprinting the Dodonpachi dai ou jou/ Ketsui OST as well!

Akari Kaida?  I'm there!
Virt?  That's a surprise.
I like the original Ketsui music, but I hope this arrange album is more than just dancey-trancey remixes.

cant wait!

If only it'd be available outside the Cave Matsuri Event, which it isn't....

Here's all the people you're gonna have to fight though to get a chance for this new Ketsui Arrange album (good luck).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zapeipaa/2 … 743462952/

(pic of the crowd que-line from the 2008 Cave Matsuri event. 
7:45am and it didn't even start until 10am)

I'm just hoping it's better than the Deathsmiles arrange album at this point What a letdown... a costly letdown.

I take back what I said about Deathsmiles Arrange. It sounded muddy on my PC speakers for some reason. I've been blasting it directly into my ear holes and it's very enjoyable.

Anyway, where is everyone getting their copy of Ketsui Arrange? Play-Asia makes no mention of it whatsoever.

Nevermind... Jerold to the rescue!

does anyone have this by now?

the one I'm now bidding on hasn't ended yet

I was surprised at how many of them were up for auction right after release. I managed to get in before they started to jack up the price. I got it at the actual release price of 2800 (sans deputy fees).

Now if only the Deathsmiles arrange would be up for auction

I've made a bid as well, and it seems that I have won. As I'll be at E3 next week, it'll be sometime in June before I get it, I'd imagine.

Have fun!  I was able to go one year, and it was a blast!

Looks like cave will release an arrange album for Dodonpachi Dai-ou-jou in August.  Here's the arranger list:

Select           Hirohiko Fukuda/山岸由香
Stage1          Yasuhisa Watanabe
Boss             Kohta Takahashi
StageClear     Ryu Umemoto
Stage2         Motoaki Furukawa
Stage3         TECHNOuchi
Stage4         Kinuyo Yamashita
Stage5         Hiroki Kikuta
LastBoss      Motoi Sakuraba
TrueLastBoss Kota Hoshino
NameEntry    Akari Kaida
Ending         Tomoko Sasaki

http://cave-game.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

Ooooooooooooo! I shall be buying!

Has Hoshino left From Software?

Nice to see Kikuta among the arrangers.

Holy crap, even Kikuta appears this time?!?! wow.

I don't know about that, but it's strange that he's arranging what is probably the fastest song from the OST. One of the main reasons I've grown tired of his composing style is the sluggishness of the rhythms. I love everything he did up to Armored Core: Nexus but everything that's followed has been plodding and uninspired. Chromehounds has one of the worst soundtracks I've ever heard. Unless he's somehow reinvented himself in the past year or so, I expect the TLB theme arrangement to sound like something from Armored Core 4 or 4A. That's to say, not good.

This rox my sox.

I'm not surprised at all. He's done the Stage 1 themes for the Death Smiles and Ketsui arranged albums. I think he's only working on stage 1 arrangements for the time being. What else is he working on? Anyone know?

(and yes, it rocks!)

wow @ kikuta! good to see furukawa too, cant wait.

Interesting. I have no idea what to expect from those four. I wonder whether they digged up Yamashita because of her long-term career efforts or to appeal to retro Castlevania fans? I have no idea how she has developed after all these years.

His name was the only one to make me groan in the line-up for the entire three albums. I hope he realizes that his contributions to Gradius Tribute and the like aren't good enough when practically every other artist on these albums has really tried to raise the bar.

From what I've gathered about Yamashita from her Myspace page, she seems to focus a lot on calming music these days, but you never know! There may be a surprise awaiting us!

http://www.myspace.com/kinuyoyamashita

I see potential for legendary status.
I look forward to this release (and hope that it will we avaliable outside the f***ing CAVE matsuri/online shop)

about the new DDP arrange CD:

had this CD for a few days now and gave it a few listens. some brief impressions of my fav. tracks so far:

Boss             Kohta Takahashi

nice energetic guitar track. already loved the original, burning guitar? indeed.

Stage2         Motoaki Furukawa

even better guitar and not furukawa-boring, like some people might have expected, but not me! very addictive after a few listens.

Stage3         TECHNOuchi

upbeat, but very relaxing. makes sense?

Stage4         Kinuyo Yamashita

maybe the best track on this CD. haunting melody, very emotional.

Stage5         Hiroki Kikuta

not the best track, even kinda dissapointing with a weird live crowd at the beginning. solid work, but nothing special, considering i've heard similar arrangements of this track.

LastBoss      Motoi Sakuraba

this one could very well be a last boss track in your favorite RPG. very powerful with a rich piano line.

TrueLastBoss Kota Hoshino

DnB vibes + heavy guitar = wonderful.

Ending         Tomoko Sasaki

also a contender for best track on this CD. it's a vocal track with lots of synthie warped vocal parts, similar to amethyst caverns on the recent shatter OST. the source track is already great on it's own, but this arrangement is simply perfect to my ears and a fitting end.

i'm more than happy with this OST.

packaging is allright, but nothing special like DDP dai-fukkatsu.

Awesome insight. I should have mine sometime next week so I'll be sure to put my two cents in as well. Could you elaborate on the style of Sakuraba's? Is it progressive rock based?

not at all. it's more in line with his orchestral scores.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm interested in hearing what it sounds like.

it's pretty unique and goes very well with the tone of the game.

When I first heard who was composing what, I listened to the originals. I had his pegged for either one of his progressive rock arrangements or an orchestral arrangement. It would have fit either way I think.

I haven't been let down by a single arrangement from any of these Cave arrange albums this year so I suspect this will also be amazing.

How are you guys getting ahold of this one? I had no trouble snagging a copy of the Ketsui arrange but this one is proving more a challenge.

I was fortunate to find a buy it now on YJA. Paid a bit more than I would have liked, but in the end, from my previous arrange album experiences from Cave, and Pellasos' description, I think it will be worth it.

got mine from a cave matsuri attendee.