Parasite Eve’s New York City is an unpleasant place. That town is never as dead as it is when Aya Brea is on the case. The empty streets are extra freaky when said case involves hunting down a mutated opera singer who’s the speaker for mitochondria, which are revolting against human cells and setting people on fire, disintegrating them into orange goo, and generally turning all life into monsters. Precinct 17, Aya’s home base, should be a site of profound stress. Instead, it’s a safe place to convalesce after seeing some horrific business out in the desolate town. The relief is thanks in no small part to Yoko Shimomura’s jam “Out Of Phase.” The pulsing synthesized bass line focuses, the underlying minor key drone soothes, and the snare drum drives, creating the sound of competence and confidence in the face of grim odds. When the delicate piano refrain comes in, it feels like you’ve taken a deep breath, counted to 10, and gotten back to work. [AJA]
