Overview
the EmpErroR is a ferocious instrumental track composed by sasakure.UK for maimai FiNALE, introduced on May 10, 2019 as part of the PANDORA BOXXX event series. Its title deliberately misspells "Emperor" as "EmpErroR," a portmanteau with "Error" that hints at the glitchy, chaotic energy running through the composition. At a relentless 240 BPM with brief excursions into 7/4 time, the song serves as a greatest-hits collage of sasakure.UK's own maimai catalog, weaving in vocal samples, melodic quotes, and rhythmic motifs from earlier works such as 麒麟 (Kirin), 神威 (Kamui), Jack-the-Ripper◆, Garakuta Doll Play, and ガラテアの螺旋 (Garatia no Rasen). The male vocal presence is provided by Perio, known from other maimai tracks like 閃鋼のブリューナク and Mr. Wonderland.
In maimai FiNALE, clearing the EmpErroR and collecting all emblems within PANDORA BOXXX triggered a forced transition to the event's true final boss, PANDORA PARADOXXX, on the next credit, cementing its role as a gatekeeper track. Its MASTER and Re:MASTER charts, designed by 小鳥遊さん and -ZONE- SaFaRi respectively, are among the most demanding in the game's standard catalog, with the MASTER chart frequently compared to a faster, denser reimagining of ガラテアの螺旋.
Beyond maimai, the EmpErroR was ported to CHUNITHM (as a KING of Performai The 3rd online qualifier song) and ONGEKI (KING of Performai The 4th qualifier), and later to Project Sekai: Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku, where it became one of the first instrumental tracks in that game and held the highest available difficulty level at launch. The full version was released as a digital single in February 2022, and the official music video, animated by ツツミヒデアキ, surpassed 10 million views on YouTube by February 2026.
Videos
Charts
STD
BASIC
5(5)
213 notesDesigner: -|Tap 185Hold 17Slide 8Break 3
ADVANCED
10+(10.6)
533 notesDesigner: -|Tap 476Hold 35Slide 18Break 4
EXPERT
13(13.4)
812 notesDesigner: すきやき奉行|Tap 657Hold 88Slide 48Break 19
MASTER
14+(14.8)
1057 notesDesigner: 小鳥遊さん|Tap 938Hold 35Slide 62Break 22
Re:MASTER
14+(14.9)
1057 notesDesigner: -ZONE- SaFaRi|Tap 836Hold 104Slide 102Break 15
Trivia
- The song's title 'the EmpErroR' is a deliberate misspelling of 'Emperor' combined with 'Error,' reflecting the track's chaotic, glitch-adjacent aesthetic.
- The male vocal samples in the track are provided by Perio, the vocalist also heard on other maimai originals 閃鋼のブリューナク and Mr. Wonderland.
- the EmpErroR contains direct musical references to several earlier sasakure.UK maimai tracks: 麒麟 (0:03), 神威 (0:28), Jack-the-Ripper◆ (0:42), Garakuta Doll Play (sasakure.UK clutter remix) (0:43), and ガラテアの螺旋 (2:00).
- The track was released simultaneously with sasakure.UK's other maimai contribution, Good Bye, Mr. Jack, as part of the same PANDORA BOXXX phase.
- In maimai FiNALE, completing all PANDORA BOXXX objectives, including clearing the EmpErroR and collecting every emblem, forced the game to redirect the player to the hidden final boss PANDORA PARADOXXX on the next credit.
- The MASTER chart is widely described as a BPM+40 version of ガラテアの螺旋, with escalated density in its scale patterns and spin sections.
- The outro 16th-note scale runs on the MASTER chart are directly quoted from ガラテアの螺旋's EXPERT chart.
- The song features six bars of 7/4 time signature interspersed within its otherwise 4/4 structure, adding rhythmic complexity for note designers to work with.
- the EmpErroR was one of three tracks (alongside エンドマークに希望と涙を添えて and Don't Fight The Music) that became the first instrumental songs added to Project Sekai, debuting at the then-maximum difficulty level of 34.
- The official music video was produced by animator ツツミヒデアキ, who also created videos for other maimai originals.
- The full-length version of the song was released as a digital single in early February 2022, following cross-title popularity.
- The official MV reached 1 million views on YouTube by February 3, 2022, 2 million by May 23, 2022, and 10 million by February 4, 2026.
FAQ
- Who composed the EmpErroR for maimai?
- the EmpErroR was composed and arranged by sasakure.UK, with male vocal samples provided by Perio and the music video animated by ツツミヒデアキ.
- What does the song title 'the EmpErroR' mean?
- The title is a deliberate misspelling that blends 'Emperor' with 'Error,' reflecting the track's high-intensity, chaotic character.
- When was the EmpErroR added to maimai?
- It was added to maimai FiNALE on May 10, 2019, as Stage 1 Phase 6 of the PANDORA BOXXX event, representing the maimai ORANGE era. It became available by default starting with maimai でらっくす.
- What difficulty levels do the EmpErroR's charts have in maimai?
- As of the current version, the Standard charts are: Basic 5, Advanced 10+ (level constant 10.6), Expert 13 (13.4), Master 14+ (14.8), and Re:Master 14+ (14.9). The levels have been adjusted upward several times since its FiNALE debut.
- Who designed the charts for the EmpErroR in maimai?
- The Expert chart was designed by すきやき奉行, the Master chart by 小鳥遊さん, and the Re:Master chart by -ZONE- SaFaRi. Basic and Advanced have no credited designer.
- Does the EmpErroR appear in other rhythm games?
- Yes, the EmpErroR was ported to CHUNITHM NEW (via KING of Performai The 3rd qualifiers), ONGEKI bright MEMORY (via KING of Performai The 4th qualifiers), and Project Sekai: Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku, where it was one of the game's first instrumental songs.
- What other sasakure.UK songs are referenced in the EmpErroR?
- The track samples and quotes motifs from 麒麟, 神威, Jack-the-Ripper◆, Garakuta Doll Play (sasakure.UK clutter remix), and ガラテアの螺旋, all earlier sasakure.UK contributions to maimai.
- Is there a full version of the EmpErroR available?
- Yes, the full-length version was released as a digital single in early February 2022 following the song's cross-title popularity, and it is available on streaming platforms.
External Links
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