Patlabor 2 The Movie Original Soundtrack is some of the most emotionally loaded electronic/ambient music you'll ever hear. Even if you haven't watched the movie itself. While Kenji Kawai is best known for his work on Ghost In The Shell, much of his discography in early years consists of electronic rock reminiscent of Tangerine Dream. His compositions for many Patlabor anime releases represent that trend especially. But he must've felt the 2nd Patlabor movie to be very different and special - quite right in my opinion - because instead of typical 90s drumwork, slappy guitars and synthesised melodies he opted for almost an experimental approach. P2 is very minimal in its treatment of rhythm and melody. With exception of the second track (a magnificent composition on its own term) the album presents an ambient soundscape followed by trance-like percussion followed by an ambient soundscape followed by trance-like percussion and so on. It's like a symphony, perfectly encapsulating the urban isolation and historical melancholy Mamoru Oshii filled his movie with. With repeated listens I find no room for boredom. Because this music is so universally simple and to the point, it feels each time like a continuation of itself, like the CD never did stop playing.While both the movie and the soundtrack are much less known and appreciated in the history of anime than they should be, I believe they both deserve their place next to the acclaimed Ghost In The Shell and esoteric Akira as a prime example of how much production value, creativity and imagination goes into animated stories from Japan.On a side note - there exists a remake of this soundtrack which tries to incorporate richer arrangements and more instruments into the formula. I would not recommend it at all as it seems to only be an attempt to bring the soundtrack to a wider audience while losing some of its uniqueness and value.