Scars of Time
Scars of Time by Yasunori Mitsuda is 70 BPM — Adagio (slow).
Half-time 35 BPM · Double-time 140 BPM · released 1999
Song DNA
This sits gently on the calm side. It swings widely from quiet to loud with nothing abrupt to catch you off guard — a smooth track with purely instrumental at an unhurried mid-tempo. It’s easy enough to follow without going flat. Against the 19,209 songs we’ve measured, it reads gentler than 83% of everything we’ve measured.
Cultural Context
From the beloved RPG Chrono Cross, known for its deep narrative and exploration of time.
Listening Prompt
Let the music take you through different timelines.
What to Expect
From the Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack (1999), this instrumental carries a dynamic range of 7 at a slow 70 beats per minute — a meaningful volume arc spread across an unhurried pace. No sudden changes at all, and texture is smooth throughout, which softens the effect of that range considerably. Predictability is medium, giving it some variation without structural surprises. No vocal content; no misophonia data was collected. The calm and melancholy mood tags, alongside deep listening and meditation recommendations, make this a track for quiet, sustained attention. The combination of zero sudden changes and smooth texture means the volume movement, when it comes, arrives gradually and without interruption — appropriate for a dynamic range of 7 that might otherwise read as more demanding. For listeners who want emotional resonance without sensory friction, this profile threads that balance well. Safe-rated across all texture and change dimensions, with the only variable to manage being that gradual volume arc.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: calm, melancholy
"Scars of Time" climbs hard.
Dynamic range 7/10 places this in our upper band. The opening volume that feels comfortable will not be comfortable at the climax. If you are setting this up for a focused listen, anchor your volume to the quietest section, not the loudest. The arc is the point of the song; if you blunt it by riding the volume knob, you lose what makes it work. Yasunori Mitsuda built the dynamic shape on purpose. Plan around it.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 7/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: none. Transitions are musically signaled — nothing will surprise you if you're only half-listening.
Texture: smooth.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: instrumental.
1999 context
Released in 1999. We have 304 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.3/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1990s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "Scars of Time"?
70 BPM — Slow (downtempo / ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Sleep, meditation, reading, focus work.
Browse more songs at 70 BPM.
When "Scars of Time" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
No — 70 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
Maybe — calm overall, but tempo is a bit high for deep sleep. Better for winding down than falling asleep.
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
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Why this rating
We rate this song Safe because its dynamic range stays within our low-variance band, there are no unsignaled changes, and the texture and vocal style are both in the low-fatigue range. Our methodology uses an AND rule for Safe — a song has to clear every dimension to earn the rating.
See how “Scars of Time” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
Listen on
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-06-20. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 83% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 27/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and instrumental. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 96% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1999 in context
The 304 songs we’ve measured from 1999 average a dynamic range of 6.3/10. At 7/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Scars of Time"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Scars of Time" by Yasunori Mitsuda?
"Scars of Time" by Yasunori Mitsuda has a tempo of 70 BPM (Adagio (slow)). At half-time that is 35 BPM, and at double-time 140 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Scars of Time" by Yasunori Mitsuda?
"Scars of Time" by Yasunori Mitsuda rates as Low-Intensity. Dynamic range 7/10, no sudden changes, smooth texture. Our Low-Intensity rating means no single dimension triggers the higher-intensity thresholds.
How loud is "Scars of Time" — what is its dynamic range?
"Scars of Time" has a dynamic range of 7/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Scars of Time" have sudden or surprising changes?
No. "Scars of Time" has no sudden unsignaled changes. Every transition is musically telegraphed.
What is "Scars of Time" best for?
In our library "Scars of Time" is recommended for: deep listening, meditation. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Scars of Time" released?
"Scars of Time" is from 1999, on the album "Chrono Cross Original Soundtrack". It appears in our 1990s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Scars of Time"?
We tag "Scars of Time" as calm, melancholy. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Scars of Time"?
The vocal style is instrumental.
Is "Scars of Time" good for running?
Not really — at 70 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Scars of Time" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (7/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Scars of Time" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Dynamic range is too high — quiet moments will be ambushed by louder ones.
Should I listen to "Scars of Time"?
If you want gentle, low-arousal music, "Scars of Time" is a solid pick — Low-Intensity across every sensory dimension.
Songs with the same DNA
smooth texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
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