Joe Hisaishi - Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea

Ponyo is another fabulous album from Joe Hisaishi, I could even go as far as claim it's his best one yet. Not because of the theme song (since Totoro's is better :P), but because of all the emotion it has. The movie is hand-drawn in a very simplistic fasion, and there isn't as much visiual aid for your emotions. So they created it all with the sounds and the music -which is very evident from the very beginning of the film as the first track fills the air. Usually only one or two track on a soundtrack has enough emotion to make me stop what I'm doing and just feel the music, but in Ponyo almost every track has that strong emotion attach to it. You don't just hear the effort and work put into it, you feel it with every fibre.

The soundtrack made me once again admire Hisaishi's versatility, how every movie sounds unique and different. Ponyo has a more western feel to it than his previous scores -with western I mean the flamboyance and the power of western composers. The soundtrack is far louder and pushy than his previous work, with a hint of opera and classical in it -mostly reminds me of The Ride of the Valkyries. Though "loud and pushy" gives you the wrong impression about it -it's still very sophisticated compared to some composers. And the more calm themes are as sweet and sincere as Hisaishi's work always is. But you truly have to wonder how such a versatile composer is not more known -I have to admit that Johnny's place as my number 1 composer hero is getting even more iffy with every soundtrack Hisaishi makes :P

Ponyo on the Fish of the Wave is one of the loud and pushy of the soundtrack :P

I do love Hisaishi's previous work as well for it's simple beauty and magical energy, but Ponyo gives such a strong emotional message with it through the whole soundtrack that I have to call it my favorite from him so far.

Chill-moment of the soundtrack: Deep Sea Ranch.