Altale

"Altale" (read "altale") was composed by sakuzyo, credited under the Japanese name 削除. It debuted at the BMS event G2R2014, whose theme was "GO BACK 2 YOUR ROOTS," where sakuzyo competed with the team Catastrophe Theory alongside Nankumo and LeaF and took the win. The track was a striking turn away from his earlier, percussion-heavy works such as VALLISTA and Black Lair: here a refined piano line leads, with synths quietly supporting underneath. sakuzyo described it as an idea he had wanted to realize for years that finally took shape.

Pairing beautiful music with a tightly synced BGA by Leol, re-edited from a 2013 short animation, the song caused a sensation. Its total score of 263,326 (with an average rating of 982.55) was one of the highest in contest history at the time, leaving the runner-up far behind. "Altale" later appeared in other rhythm games including CHUNITHM, DEEMO, and the maimai series, and it spawned many versions: the original on the album Fairythm, a solo piano arrangement, a chamber version with violin, and the self-remix "After Altale."

In Pump It Up PHOENIX, "Altale" carries a wide spread of charts so both newcomers and veterans can enjoy it: Single ranges from a gentle S2 up to a demanding S21, with steps such as S9, S12, S15, and S18 in between, while Double runs from D6 to D23. Its BPM is low (83 to 90), but the notes are subdivided near double the tempo, which makes the higher charts feel far denser than the nominal speed suggests.