SAINT SEIYA 1 - Version Gold Rust Colour - Vinyle

Microids Records is releasing a new vinyl edition of *Saint Seiya – Music Collection Volume 1*, the iconic soundtrack to the *Saint Seiya* anime series. This Bronze Edition features the ten tracks from the original 1986 Japanese album, pressed in a colour specially designed to evoke the armour of the Bronze Saints. 

The record features an amber and orange hue with coppery highlights, also known commercially as ‘Gold Rust Colour’. This finish is a direct reference to the Bronze Cloths worn by Seiya and his companions at the start of their adventure. The 12-inch pressing thus retains the album’s musical content whilst offering a distinctive presentation aimed at vinyl enthusiasts and Saint Seiya collectors.

The soundtrack is composed mainly by Seiji Yokoyama, whose symphonic orchestrations play a major role in the anime’s dramatic and heroic identity. The ten tracks cover several major themes from the series’ early story arcs, including ‘Pegasus Ryu-Sei-Ken’, ‘Sanctuary, Precepts of Death’, ‘Galaxian Wars’, ‘Burning Cosmo’, ‘Avenging Phoenix’ and ‘The Era of the Legend’. The first five tracks are on Side A and the next five on Side B.

This release thus allows listeners to rediscover, on analogue media, the themes associated with the early battles of Seiya and the Bronze Saints. Its LP format, coloured pressing and artwork dedicated to Saint Seiya make it both a listening experience and a collector’s item dedicated to one of the most recognisable soundtracks in 1980s Japanese animation.

Technical specifications

• Publisher / Label: Microids Records / M Records
• Licence: Saint Seiya / The Knights of the Zodiac
• Collection: Music Collection
• Volume: 1
• Edition: Bronze Edition / Gold Rust Colour
• Main composer: Seiji Yokoyama
• Type: soundtrack on vinyl
• Format: 1 x 12-inch LP
• Speed: 33 rpm
• Material: PVC vinyl
• Record colour: amber / transparent orange with coppery sheen
• Number of records: 1
• Number of tracks: 10
• Side A: 5 tracks
• Side B: 5 tracks
• Original album: 1986
• EAN: 3701627802035

Origin and background of the franchise (Lore)

Saint Seiya is a work created by Masami Kurumada and adapted into an animated series by Toei Animation, which began airing on 11 October 1986. The original series comprises 114 episodes, which aired until 1 April 1989. It follows Seiya, a young warrior who trained in Greece to obtain the Pegasus Cloth and become one of the Saints tasked with protecting the goddess Athena.

Each Saint is associated with a protective constellation and fights using their Cosmos, an inner energy which they must learn to intensify beyond human limits. Seiya belongs to the group of Bronze Knights, alongside Shiryu of the Dragon, Hyoga of the Swan, Shun of Andromeda and Ikki of the Phoenix, amongst others. Despite their initially modest rank, their battles lead them to face ever more powerful opponents.

The early episodes notably feature the Galaxian Wars, a tournament centred on the Gold Cloth of Sagittarius, followed by the appearance of Ikki and the Black Knights. Several tracks on this Volume 1 refer directly to this period, such as ‘Galaxian Wars’, ‘Challenge of the Black Saints’ and ‘Avenging Phoenix’. The album thus serves as a veritable musical journey through the early days of the anime.

The Bronze Edition finish therefore has a direct link to the story told by these tracks: the disc features an amber colour with metallic highlights, evoking the first Cloths worn by the heroes. This presentation transforms the reissue of the first Music Collection into a tribute to the Bronze Saints that is as much visual as it is musical.