The Namco sound team turned in a nearly flawless effort of dance and techno music with the release of the Tekken Tag Arcade soundtrack (see review). But with the release of TTT Direct Audio (PS2 sndtrk), the Namco Sound team rebuilds the original music, making it cooler, slicker and a more enjoyable listen.

Although there are a few tracks that are unchanged from the hard, edgy arcade sound, most have been jazzed up, made more danceable or given a softer tone. With that said, Direct Audio still maintains Tekken's grittier atmosphere. There are a handful of cool new tunes that appear on the disc, but "Staff Roll" is by far the beat new song and the best song on the disc. A hip-hop beat accompanies a melody performed by a string section: very moving. There are lots of tracks to enjoy.

The soundtrack also includes the music from the Tekken Bowl, but these tracks are too short to really make any kind of judgment. The exception isAkitaka Tohyama's "Result" (same as arcade release), which has an upbeat tempo and melody is a good candidate for second best song on the disc.

The last four tracks on the disc are remixes by the composers. All the remixes are fairly entertaining, but, as with the arcade soundtrack, Akitaka Tohyama takes the prize with his "Lei Vs. Tohyama." It is an incredible mixture of pop, dance, and new age with a very upbeat atmosphere.

If you are a fan of Tekken's music, or into electronic music, then I highly recommend this release. If you have never heard game music before give it a try, you'll like it. The Namco Sound Team should be commended for raising the bar on the quality of fighting game music

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