It all started in February 2003. Uematsu produced "The Black Mages," an album composed of FINAL FANTASY battle music arranged in rock style. He formed a group called The Black Mages and performed as the keyboardist himself.

In April 2003, a two-day concert was held in Tokyo, Japan, commemorating the album.

Six chefs have cooked up some FINAL FANTASY music for you. I'm sure you'll find it quite tasty! By all means, give it a try!

One day when I happened to catch a live show by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Mr. Uematsu appeared. He was riding in an armadillo tank with an organ in his arms, and was then whisked away to the House of the Holy. That's the kind of band The Black Mages is.

Greetings to all the FINAL FANTASY fans in the States. The Black Mages play FF music arranged for rock and roll. I hope that we can perform in your area someday.

Keyboardist Fukui here. We've reinterpreted FF music with fresh new arrangements, reviving Mr. Uematsu's wonderful melodies and the charm of FINAL FANTASY. We fuse our individual musical talents and styles - rock, progressive, fusion, and the like - to capture the unique feel of video game music in instrumental rock. We hope you enjoy it.

Be sure to check out The Black Mages' sound! I think you'll enjoy the way it evokes the emotion and excitement of the games.

I love American hard rock and, having listened to many bands over the years, I've come to adopt that music as my own. I strive to infuse The Black Mages with that mood as well. I look forward to meeting all of you someday.