Joe Hisaishi

With a film so (deservedly) legendary and revered, it would be expected for Spirited Away to have a similarly beautiful and varied score from composer Joe Hisaishi. Luckily, while it doesn't surpass its film, this soundtrack is absolutely superb on just about every level. The actual film maintains a heavy focus on the atmosphere around main character Chihiro, and Hisaishi's score illustrates the settings perfectly. The soundtrack mainly contains a mix of sentimental new age piano melodies, both triumphant and playful orchestral aural backdrops, and a heavy emphasis on subtle instrumental nuances. Even if the listener has never watched the movie, these pieces are still great standalone listens. Take the melancholic piano lines and brooding orchestral work of "The Sixth Station," for instance. The piece serves weaves its own tale of what might be regret, or perhaps loneliness, the latter suggested by the minimalist higher-pitched piano chords illustrating the second half of its running time. Similarly, "The Empty Restaurant" makes its haunting tone clear from the very beginning, hollow tribal drums kicking off the cold tension. The orchestral work following them maintains a frantic, atonal pace as the horns start entering to further increase the tight atmosphere. Eventually, even the bombastic climax comes with multiple dissonant orchestrations that keep your ears fully focused.