Overview
Sound Chimera is an instrumental electronic track by Japanese composer Laur, first released in 2018 on the album The Angel's Message. Within the arcade rhythm game ecosystem, the song has become a cross-format staple: it debuted in SEGA's CHUNITHM CRYSTAL PLUS before arriving in maimai DX Splash PLUS, ONGEKI R.E.D., and even MARVELOUS's WACCA. Driven by aggressive synth leads and a relentless 190 BPM kick pattern, the track is entirely instrumental, no lyrical content, letting its layered melodies and glitched vocal-sample stabs carry the energy.
In maimai, the MASTER chart (level 13+, constant 13.9) is distinguished by an unusually dense 124 Touch notes, the highest Touch count among its difficulty peers. This tactile emphasis demands rapid palm-and-finger coordination that matches the track's frantic, polyrhythmic character. The EXPERT chart (level 12, constant 12.5) was designed by サファ太 (Safata), while the MASTER chart was crafted by 小鳥遊さん (Takanashi-san), both veteran note designers in the maimai series. Players who achieve a MASTER Full Combo unlock a playful Japanese achievement title, ナーナナナーｗｗナーナナナーｗｗナーナーナーｗｗ, that transcribes the song's signature synth hook into text form.
Videos
Charts
DX
BASIC
4(4)
183 notesDesigner: -|Tap 157Hold 10Slide 4Touch 4Break 8
ADVANCED
8(8)
415 notesDesigner: -|Tap 355Hold 21Slide 15Touch 12Break 12
EXPERT
12(12.5)
735 notesDesigner: サファ太|Tap 606Hold 29Slide 42Touch 27Break 31
MASTER
13+(13.9)
981 notesDesigner: 小鳥遊さん|Tap 656Hold 88Slide 87Touch 124Break 26
Trivia
- Sound Chimera was originally added to CHUNITHM CRYSTAL PLUS in 2020 before arriving in maimai DX Splash PLUS, ONGEKI R.E.D., and MARVELOUS's WACCA, making it one of the most widely circulated cross-format tracks among SEGA's and MARVELOUS's rhythm game libraries.
- The song is entirely instrumental, no lyrics, driven by aggressive synth leads, pitch-shifted vocal chops, and a steady 190 BPM four-on-the-floor kick pattern characteristic of Laur's production style.
- Sound Chimera originates from Laur's 2018 album The Angel's Message, which also contains other tracks that later appeared in rhythm games.
- The MASTER FC achievement title in the Japanese version reads ナーナナナーｗｗナーナナナーｗｗナーナーナーｗｗ, a playful onomatopoeic transcription of the track's recurring vocal-sample hook, the ｗ characters represent laughter (wara) in Japanese internet slang.
- The BASIC chart originally launched at level 5 in Splash PLUS but was re-evaluated and lowered to level 4 starting from the UNiVERSE PLUS version, reflecting a post-release difficulty adjustment.
- The MASTER chart contains 124 Touch notes, one of the highest Touch-note densities among level 13+ charts in maimai DX, requiring players to alternate between finger taps and palm presses at speed.
- The EXPERT chart was designed by サファ太 (Safata) and the MASTER chart by 小鳥遊さん (Takanashi-san); both are regular note designers for maimai DX.
- The in-game Game Edition of the song runs approximately 2:14, while a full-length version is available separately on YouTube and streaming platforms.
FAQ
- Who composed Sound Chimera?
- Sound Chimera was composed and arranged by Laur, a Japanese electronic music producer active in the rhythm game and doujin music scenes.
- What album is Sound Chimera from?
- The track originally appeared on Laur's 2018 album The Angel's Message.
- What version of maimai added Sound Chimera?
- Sound Chimera was added to maimai DX Splash PLUS, released on March 18, 2021.
- What are the chart difficulty levels for Sound Chimera in maimai?
- In maimai DX, Sound Chimera has four charts: Basic (level 4), Advanced (level 8), Expert (level 12, constant 12.5), and Master (level 13+, constant 13.9).
- Who designed the Sound Chimera charts?
- The EXPERT chart was designed by サファ太 (Safata), and the MASTER chart was designed by 小鳥遊さん (Takanashi-san). Basic and Advanced charts do not have credited designers.
- Is Sound Chimera available in other rhythm games?
- Yes. Sound Chimera also appears in CHUNITHM (CRYSTAL PLUS onward), ONGEKI (R.E.D. onward), and MARVELOUS's arcade rhythm game WACCA.
- Does Sound Chimera have lyrics?
- No. Sound Chimera is an entirely instrumental track with no vocal content.
- What is the BPM of Sound Chimera?
- Sound Chimera has a BPM of 190.
- What makes the MASTER chart of Sound Chimera notable?
- The MASTER chart (13+, 13.9) contains 124 Touch notes, an unusually high count for its difficulty tier, giving it a physically demanding, tactile character that sets it apart from other level 13+ charts.
