Posts Tagged ‘Nutritious’

Whispers of the Plains: OCRemix FF4 Echoes… Arrangers Part 3!

{ July 25, 2009 @ 11:39 am } · { arrangements, DJ, indie, interview, music, remix, VGM, whispers of the plains }
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The third or four parts of the arrangers interviews are upon us. Remember we asked the following questions:

~why they chose their songs
~what they thought was the most challeging part of arranging the track
~what part/sound are they most proud of

Once again thanks to the OverClocke Remix community for producing a fantastic collection and without further ado – over to the arrangers themselves!

LONG DAO

“Smiling Hilltop for Four Hands” (Mt. Ordeal)s

I chose Mt Ordeals because it was a very interesting and had a unique mood. It felt like a very quirky heroic test and I wanted to turn it into a different but equally pleasing arrangement.

For Mt Ordeals I had to decide how to create a captivating yet gentle mood for the track using the piano to convey that. Also coming up with a name for the track was a challenge! I chose “Smiling Hilltop” because I was listening to a track by Shnabubula called “Emotional Tapeworm”, where he gave an object a humorous (to me at least) adjective that was impossible for a tapeworm.

I’m most proud of my Mt Ordeals track, because I was able to really convey the emotion I wanted through its intricate lines and runs, as if I turned a march into a soft dance.

“Tundra of Dwarves” (Land of Dwarves)

As for the dwarves theme, monobrow and I loved that and wanted to collaborate together, but unfortunately were not able to complete it and I ended up splitting my piece with hers.

The most challenging part of the dwarves track was figuring out how to combine and blend the two tracks between monobrow and I. Also I had to mix in Jeff Ball’s violin playing with the rest of the track, and I had to match the sounds of the other violins playing.

overclockedremixJOHN REVOREDO (“The Flying Machine” (Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY IV))

I came in contact with “FF4 : Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption” when it was 60% done. Normally, by that time, all good tracks are taken, and you’re just left the crappy tracks nobody wants to mix. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen!. I could have chosen tracks like “Theme of Love” or “Rydia’s Theme” , but the main theme had always been stuck in my head, and remembered it as something very special. So, I just took it!.

What was the most challeging part of arranging the track? The hardware of my computer!. Creating orchestral music requieres a high-end computer, and mine’s not. After doing a piano “sketch” of the piece, I had to write everything down, note by note, on a sequencer. Many times the computer was at the verge of collapse, so i had to render the instruments in separate tracks, and then render all the tracks into another one!.

The part/sound am I most proud of? 0:35 – 2:29 . It is really hard to make an orchestra work using VSTIs, but this worked pretty well. A common mistake among amateurs is to forget trombones!. They are a very important part of the orchestra, and using them right brings your piece to life!.

“All Your Calcobrena Belong to Us” (Dancing Calbrena)

Developing the track without being repetitive/boring was a challenge. Although it’s something we have to face in every track, this time it was something different for me , since i’m not used to write electronic-candy-synth music.

The part/sound I’m most proud of is thesection between 0:58 – 2:39 The transition part, right in the middle of the track. I started making things up, and it ended up quite… fun?. It’s really weird but i like it.


overclockedremixNUTRITIOUS

ÒFull of CourageÓ (Red Wings)

This was actually a track I had already begun working on before hearing about the FF4 project.  Upon hearing it, I was invited by OA to join the project for this track.  To me, it’s one of the most epic and meaningful songs in game music.  It really sets the stage for the whole game and I just get chills listening to it.  It was a natural choice for me to remix.

A big challenge on this song was trying to capture the epic feel of the original, but still rearrange it into something fresh and enjoyable to listen to.  I actually wrote the song pretty quickly up until the FF4 Main Theme section.  After that, I sat on it for a while, not knowing what to do next.  Finally, I came up with the idea to transition into the second half of the original and really build it back up into the Red Wings melody.

I’m most proud of the section where I was able to integrate myself playing flute live for the first iteration of the FF4 Main Theme.  I hadnÕt played the instrument in a long time, but I was really happy with the results.

Step Into the Light (Into the Darkness)

This was another track I’d started on before joining the project.  The mood it created during the beginning of the game was very moving and mysterious.  Upon remixing it, I attempted to capture some of that same mood, but also bring a bit of hopefulness to the song as well.

The biggest challenge, as well as what I’m the most proud of, is that this entire song is creating using freely available samples.  No premium library sounds were used in the mix (as they are in my other tracks).  IÕve created and released an FL Studio project file with these same free sounds arranged and mixed for orchestra use that will hopefully allow others to use them in their own songs.  It can be downloaded from http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15415.

Until the Tower Falls (Tower of Bab-il)

As the project was progressing and many tracks were already completed, the Tower of Babil was one track that had been dropped due to inactivity.  Wanting to remix one more track for the project, I went ahead and picked it up, intending a sort of Synth/Orchestra/Beat fusion.  I enlisted the help of OA for some guitar work to fill out some of the additional sections when he began getting a lot of new ideas for the track.  In the end, it turned out to be a big collaboration involving not only he and my contributions, but also live violin, viola, bass, and even some vocal parts.

The most challenging part of this track was trying to integrate so many different elements together into one cohesive song.  I’d never dealt with so many different instrument tracks (both sequenced and live) at one time, so it was a challenge to pull it all together successfully.

I think the part I’m most proud of is when things build up near the middle and then suddenly the listener is hit with the vocals “Tear It Down!”.  I remember being very excited when I heard the impact that particular section ended up having.

overclockedremixTHEORY OF NONEXISTENCE

I Love This Radio (Theme of Love)

The song was originally for PRC130, Rexy chose the source tune and was giving prizes to the winners because it would be her last one. She chose the Theme of Love and being the Final Fantasy fan I am, I decided to give it a shot. I’ve attempted tons of PRCs, but none of them were ever completed. I put a lot more effort into this one because I wanted Rexy’s last PRC to be a good one.

The most challenging part of making this song was probably the lead writing. I don’t have a MIDI keyboard or anything so everything I write, I do by hand in a sequencer, including vibrato/modulation because I can control it how I want by controlling the pitch as opposed to using automated modulation. The lead is the most involved part of the song, so it was very time consuming.

I’d have to say my favorite sound would be the background synth that comes in around 1:07. It’s kind of lo-fi and really smooth sounding. I don’t know, I just really like it. The end was fun to make too with the radio thumping and cursing. Fun times.

overclockedremixMONOBROW

Smooth Sun of Magma (Land of Dwarves)

I chose my song because I love the source material. I played FFIV in 1991 when it came out at a friend’s house and was instantly in love with the music, though I only played it briefly because I didn’t own the game or the SNES.  Land of the Dwarves was the first song I heard from the game.  Later I bought an SNES and FFIV and played it through.  I originally chose the song to make with Long Dao, because he and I are good pals and we wanted to collaborate.  Our old WIP turned into two separate songs, his Tundra of the Dwarves and an older version of my Smooth Sun of Magma.  If you listen closely you can hear similarities because I wrote some parts to his song that he tweaked, and he wrote a couple things that I ended up keeping in my version.

The most challenging thing about my song was actually finishing it up for the project!  The song started out a long while back  as a collab, however Long and I had some minor differences about a bass (of all things) and then just didn’t get the motivation to finish it as fast as we should have. Later I moved across the country and in the process, had to rebuild my computer as well as upgrade my OS and my samples.  I also lost the old project files I had.  All I had were old, unfinished mp3s.  Long went on to make Tundra of the Dwarves as the official Land of the Dwarves track in early 2009.

In late June of 2009, audiofidelity approached me to release the old, unfinished version of my part of the collab, however I felt that I should just go ahead and redo the entire song from scratch.  So I worked on it some, redid it by ear, and then was really busy until July 11th, when I finished the last half of the song in an all-nighter. I also recruited Protricity to make me some on-the-fly drums for the song, because I really didn’t have enough time/energy to do them myself.

Although I still consider the song unfinished and that some  things need to be reworked, I am the most proud of the last couple minutes of the song, I think that despite my horrible mixing and the placeholder drumwork, things mesh pretty well and hopefully when the finished version comes out, I will be able to listen to it and smile, and not cringe one bit!

overclockedremixANOTHER SOUNDSCAPE

Ana(pro)logue (Prologue)

Why did I choose the track? Honestly? Because OA contacted me and said it was one of the tracks that desperately needed to be done! The biggest challenge was putting a new spin on something that is that epic by nature.

My favourite part is the all-analogue style instrumentation.

overclockedremixTHE PROPHET OF MEPHISTO

Long Time Gone (A Long Way to Go)

I chose my song because it was one of the few still available at that point, and because I liked the melody. Lots of arpeggiated 7th chords make for fun chord swaps.

The most challenging part was probably just the electronic nature of the whole thing. I haven’t written a track that used so few real instruments in months, so it was a bit of a stretch to get back into the electronic groove.

I love the bass opening in my track. It took a long time to get the distorted sound just right, but I really like it.

overclockedremixHY BOUND

Somewhere to Hide (Somewhere in this World…)

I chose my song because it had a simple, yet effective melody that seemed to be able to be played with and distorted to fit my… interesting… needs. It was basically a 15 second loop repeated over and over so it had a lot of room for expansion.

The most challenging part of the track was the fact that I had no idea what style would benefit from the source material. I had half-done tracks of genres from Orchestral, to House, to some Avant Garde Breaksy thing to Ambient and none of them seemed to work. I finally decided to just distort the crap out of what I had and chop it up to fit with a Prodigy-like sound.

I really like the DnB bassline near the end of the track. I hadn’t worked much in the Drum and Bass sound palette and I was surprised at how well I was able to get the synth to fit that Noisia-like sound. The drums were also rather fun to play with as well; breaking apart the kick and snare to make sure they both hit hard was pretty interesting and new to me.

overclockedremixFISHY

Facing (Epilogue)

I originally chose epilogue planning to do all three parts of the song. I thought it had a very cool progression of styles and thought it was make a fitting epic ending to a very epic game and project. Unfortunately my laptop ended up breaking itself so I never got a chance to make the other two parts (or even a chance to mix the track properly!), although OA will probably agree I’d probably have been too lazy :D .

The most challenging part was definately the intro, or the “bladerunner” bit as some people put it. Obviously my roots are in rock and guitars, so it was a little bit of new territory for me, though I’m pretty happy with how the soundscape turned out and the way it builds up.

I’m most proud of the solo. I dragged in the main theme for the backing and let loose. I’m particularly proud of the whammy squeel at the end! Satriani would be proud.

overclockedremixAEROZ

Fallen Dragoon (Suspicion)

The track “Suspicion” is a variant of the “Red Wings” theme but in a minor key.I think the betrayal of
Kain is one of the most touching scenes in the game. I wanted to get the listener a closer approach on that part in the story.

Well, this was a huge experiment trying to combine 8-bit squares and cello.There was a lot of tweeking to do. Doing the
transition from the rhythmic part to the cello part was hard, but I am satisfied with the result.

I’m quite pleased with the cello sound though I recorded it in my own bedroom. I think I got a sort of fear and haunted feeling in the tune that I wanted to express with the mix. Im very proud over the background strings answering at 02.50.

Mystic Variations (Mystic Mysidia)

I chose Mystic Mysidia as it’s a very crazy tune, and I like it very much. This was kind of a natural choice for me really. I think it fits my style quite good.

The most challenging part of arranging the track was NOT to go overboard. I got a lot of feedback on this one when making it. It was wise to listen to my fellow remixers and stay on course with this one.

I like the answering call on the theme at 01.02. I think the upgoing square at 03.22 was nice touch to the transition.

Overture ~ TellahÕs Prophecy (Medley)

Well, I had some time over and there was track left and it ended up being a medley. This remix is quite different to the others. Much more simplified.Rhythm n’ Cello you can call it if you wish!

The most challenging part of arranging the track was getting it all together I guess. Much themes to get in there,
and the deadline was close. As said very simplified, but many themes to handle.

The ending with the “A Long Way To Go” turned out good I think.I think it worked very good as a transition to the next track on the album.

overclockedremixJAMES GEORGE

The Still Land (The Lunarians)

My favorite track for FF4 has to be the Prologue intro. In fact I’d already played around years
earlier with mixing Prologue and The Lunarians together. Lunarians wasn’t taken yet so there ya go. Also, my style for composing is very melancholy and melodic; I don’t see myself as OCR material, but I love the community because it challenges me. I like to pick tracks that can compliment the style that tends to come out of me. The Lunarians was a good fit.

I wanted to do things differently than my usual process, something that sounds like me but also fit the technical mastery of the album. Made some mistakes at first utilizing some cheesey effects but once I stripped those out over time what was left seemed pretty good. It was a real challenge to rewire FL Studio, Reason, and Cubase together and make it work, something I’ve never done before. Props to Andrew, Shaun, Jay and the others for giving me some really great guidance.

The part I’d say probably I’m most proud of isthe low piano note that drones throughout the track. I know it’s
just a simple piano note, but just like in the original music, it really sets the tone and I thought it was very important to get right. Problem was I didn’t really have one piano sample that really “hit” just right, so the instrument actually turned out to be this rather complex layering of several piano samples and bass to get it sounding big and foreboding. One of my biggest regrets on this track was the relatively low mastering level compared to others, but I was so picky on just getting that one note right and keeping it dynamic and ringing.

OCRemix – “FF4 Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption” Album Review

{ July 16, 2009 @ 1:28 am } · { acoustic, alternative, ambient, arrangements, classical, composer, DJ, drum n bass, electro rock, guitar, heavy metal, indie, jazz, music, orchestral, piano, release dates, remix, review, rock, techno, trance, VGM }
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overclockedremixOverClocked Remix is something of a stamp of quality assurance. The community that continues to grow from strength to strength has been embraced by music and game lovers alike for its sublime remixing skills. “FF4 Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption” is the latest project which has spanned over thirty remixers and three discs of music.

Disc 1 is entitled “Act I Betrayal” and opens with “Full of Courage” by Nutritious as a rousing opening track. Both regal and militant, this track seeps with pride and the arrangement breathes 21st Century life into the original “Red Wing”. “The Might of Baron” from audio fidelity takes it to the stadium rock level with a great marching boots samples and a great vein of tension that is given a real pay off with its interesting use of different instrumentation to make a fantastic track.

AeroZ’s “Overture~Tellah’s Prophecy” is an electronica medley that crafts many of the signature themes into a great heavy bass orientated track with seamless transitions. “Journey to Solace” from Avaris is eerie as it is compellingly beautiful. The song continues to move and shape shift into a more dramatic piece but its the quieter moments that make this track more effective. “Ana(pro)logue” from Another Soundscape has a retro/new age feel to it taking an older synth sound, cleaning it up and then turning it into summer breeze party track. The change of pace and tone is very welcome and its unabashed joy is infectious.

“The Flying Machine” by John Revoredo has some of the most realistic samples I’ve heard in a free remix soundtrack. It’s an orchestral arrangement of the Main Theme and could possibly be my most favourite arrangement of it to date. In contrast, Mazedude’s “Welcome to Our Town” has gone for the low-fi route and it works. The gently blips and burps give it a relaxing potion feel that’s quite unique like an alien symphony.

Cyril the Wolf’s interpretation of Rydia is well gauged. Using an acoustic guitar and then building on it into a nice jazzy band, “Emerald Beauty” is the first band version of the theme that actually sounds right and that’s a tribute to the arranger for knowing exactly where to go with it. “RDX Necklace” by Children of the Monkey Machine and audio fidelity has a long ambient build up while the main tune (Ring of Bomb) is only barely heard in the background. It’s an interesting concept but as it builds up and up it only really comes to life in the final minute and you’ve already had three minutes of distorted guitars. However on repeated listens you do begin to appreciate it more and spot the subtle changes going on behind the mask of noise.

Tweek’s “Of Fiend and Man” is a real rock out of titanic proportions. Like a neo gothic finale, this is an absolute stonker of a track. Followed by a nice brass arrangement by DragonAvenger, “Interlude-Yay!” makes winning worth while! “The Skies Hold No Angels For Us” from Level 99 and audio fidelity follows as an excellent track. Starting off as a full on rock track the arrangement is spot on and then suddenly in the middle is a piano solo segment. Of course its back to manic guitar solos again for a bit but the different segments of this track make it one of the most accomplished arrangements as it completely transforms the track into an original.

The collaboration of Adadoss and James George  give us “Edward’s Dream Quartet”, a seven minute string quartet arrangement of Melody of Lute. The arrangement is elegantly done and the sound of turning pages is a great little touch. Who knew there were so many ways to play the song! “Golbez ‘n Goblins” from bLiNd is a dance floor filler. I love the cross over of what should be an orchestral track being given high heels and a disco ball and these kind of dark wave dance tracks always get me going and this is top notch. The final track from disc 1 is “Fighting for Tomorrow” OA, Nutritious and The Fabul Men’s Choir. This is a stunning track for its otherwordly feel. It reminded me of bands such as Faun, Omnia and such at the beginning with a harsh choir. Then out pops all the electronic gizmo’s for a riot and when the vocals kick back in again its simply one of the best things I’ve heard in 2009.

overclockedremixlogo2Disc 2 is “Act 2 Strife”. AeroZ kicks things off with “Mystic Variations”, an early 90′s throwback to electro jazz beat and works well as quirky happy-go-lucky introduction. Cyril the Wolf and OA’s “Metal Mage” is possibly the most deranged version of Palom and Porom and is all the more fun and silly for it. Heavy Metal with over the top voice acting? Yes please! In contrast “Smiling Hilltop for Four Hands” from Long Dao is a nice piano led track. The arrangement is great and isn’t hindered much by the poor midi sound quality at all (which says a lot!). “Step Into the Light” from Nutritious is spacious and airy. It’s large scope is portrayed well and its reverb really gives it an extra layer.

The Prophet of Mephisto’s “Long Time Gone” is a sublime arrangement that’s full of life and soul. Adding the electric guitars onto what is a lazy but fast tempo track is a great mash-up and works perfectly. “Rhymes with Elixer” from The Scuba Divers featuring Liontamer takes the Chocobo theme and turns it into a rap track. Liontamer can definitely MC well and the female chorus line is absolutely hilarious “Chocobo-Chocobo you’re so fine, you’ve got more bling than all of those guys!” Cue mental images of a pimped up Chocobo… Normally I’m not into these kind of remixes as they can be really hit and miss but this is so tongue in cheek over a really dark angsty arrangement it just makes you smile without realising. DragonAvenger returns with a short but sweet brass arrangement of Big Chocobo entitled “Interlude~ Nom!”

Nathan Rich’s “Blue Planet in Mode 7″ is a really nice transitional track. From its intricate quiet sections to its bouncy bridges and big chorus’ the track is always on the move and is a fabulous arrangement. “Goodbye Cid…” from Wiesty, audio fidelity, OA is a come down track. It’s acoustic edge and space bar synth that leads the theme wistfully floats around you until the half way mark where things turn more electric. This is another great example of track and arrangement evolution. Ilp0′s “Almost Fell for the Trojan” is another ballad track that’s been given the band treatment and this one waltzes bitter-sweetly into the horizon with another beautiful arrangment.

“Somewhere to Hide” from Hy Bound and Loka Lafevre is a heavy dance floor track and doesn’t do subtle. It’s pounding beats and embellishments make this track, along with the great vocals. AeroZ’s “Fallen Dragoon” has a very short sombre section before turning the arrangement into a Sonic level music track which is great as its not where I’d have thought the track would go. “Fallen Ascent” (got to love some of these arrangement titles) from Children of the Monkey Machine follows the same pattern as his previous arrangement – a lot of noise and ambience while the theme swirls around just out of general ear shot. These tracks will be either loved or hated but this track is more accessible than the previous one. Audix’s “Survival Instinct” starts off like a girl-band song but then goes trance’d and never looks back. A faultless arrangement.

Cyril the Wolf’s “OMFG! GET OUT OF THERE!!!” wins best track title award while keeping tension as high as possible with a clever arrangement. Rozovian’s “Lacrima” is an ethereal piece with lots of tuned glasses and the slow gradual change into a more electric track bring implemented well. I think this will be a hidden gem many will uncover after a few listens. The final track of disc 2 is “Theme of Love for Guitar Duet” frmo Pot Hocket which is tender, beautiful, emotive and all kinds of wonderful. So far being the only real ballad of the arrangement it wins you over hands down and instantly became my favourite Theme of Love arrangement.

The final disc is entitled “Act 3 Redemption”. Long Dao starts off with “Tundra of Dwarves” and uses his piano expertise to make a cute wintry track with some nice string sections. Ilp0′s “In the Land of Dwarves” is a smokey jazz turned humorous four piece band take of Giott. The electric guitars work really well here., as do the brass to convey a silly its-all-gone-wrong tone. bLiNd’s “Path of Deception” seals the arrangers pedigree as a damn fine dance arranger. Again this is one of those dark wave techno trance arrangements that I think just works perfectly.

“Treason” from Kidd Cabbage is heavy metal to the point of thrash metal taking over. The tempo of the track is so fast the percussion alone has about 10 beats a second at times! The arrangement is a good one and will go down well with Black Mage fans who are looking for more evil. “Evoking the Dawn” from BogusRed is a gorgeous and sumptuous version of Prelude which speeds up the process and is more grande than the piano collection versions. There aren’t many quiet tracks on this arrangement but each one is worth its weight in gold. Vampire Hunter Dan’s “A Saviour Ascends” is an interesting track that spans all kinds of moods and genres in its seven minutes. From chirpy to dramatic and back again, the variety and constant tempo changes really make this symphonic suite come alive.

James George’s “The Land Still” is a space odyssey and its strength lies in its ambience and little flairs that float around in the background. It’s anti dramatic nature (apart from it ending) makes it more daunting in the run. “Bridge to Eternity” from bLiNd is another boogie woogie fest dark Ibiza style and rounds off an excellent trilogy from the talented arranger.

“Finale Part One ~Eminence Gris” from OA and DragonAvenger takes the unusual approach of making a tense atmospheric track and turning it into a vocal one and surprisingly it really works. The vocals are suitably haunting and coupled with the discordant piano and dramatic percussion it all hits the right spots for a great piece. “Finale Part 2 ~ Genesis of Destruction” is a mega arrangement from audio fidelity, Nutritious, OA, lisabela and Cyril the Wolf and continues the final battle vocal track approach. The vocals are bigger and more dramatic to match the music here. It’s a bizarre duet between a female singing like Sarah Brightman had joined Metalica and a male who is busy feasting on people and making death metal! However as strange as it sounds it works – absolutely 100 per cent works. It’s artistic arrangements like these that really show exactly how far game music and its followers and arrangers have come in the last fifteen years.

“Facing” from Fishy is a great arrangement of the Epilogue and goes from nice ambient swirls to full on electro-rock that Team Sonic would be gagging for. Finally “King of Green” is a bossa nova rendition of Rydia from Abadoss, audio fidelity, bustatunez and theultravisitor. It works a treat and feels like the credits are rolling in front of your ears.

There’s also a selection of bonus tracks but I’ll leave that for you to discover!

ff4ocremixcover

Quite simply, this collection is fantastic. Most of us know the tracks, many of us will be amazed at the arrangements. There is a lot of rock and guitar but there’s enough dance and the occasional slow track to keep everyone happy and just as I said about Summoning of Spirits back in March – how can something this good be free? Life may not be great on Planet Earth at the moment but OverClocked Remix once again shows us that sometimes the best things in life really are free!

FF4 Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption is available to download Saturday (the 18th) and we will have interviews with the arrangers and project leaders all next week as part of the celebration!

OCReMix – “Summoning of Spirits” Review

{ March 9, 2009 @ 11:55 pm } · { acoustic, alternative, ambient, band, classical, composer, dance, DJ, guitar, heavy metal, indie, music, orchestral, piano, remix, review, techno, trance, VGM }
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overclockedremixOverClocked Remix, Kyle Crouse & Aleah Baker bought us “Summoning of Spirits” last week, a massive collection of arrangements from the tales of series. Split into three specific sections, disc 1 and 2 are “Aselia”, 3 & 4 “Derris-Kharlan” and the bonus disc “Ratatosk”. We’ll be reviewing them all track by track. Take a seat, a drink and a few ethers – this may take a while!

Disc 1 opens with Sixto Sounds & Dhsu’s “The Unholy Wars”. A beautifully produced piano intro then bursts into a full speed attack on the senses with a fantastic electric guitar led electro-rock fest. It’s got so much energy and so much prowess, it’s hard to be impressed with this perfect rendition. It keeps very much in the vein of Tales Of… too. Hemophiliac’s and Christian Pacaud’s “Crisis Healing Salve” is a completely different plain altogether with regal harpsichords and serene string overtures leading the way. Then a lonely and empty guitar takes the lead in this sombre but fascinating rendition. djpretzel’s “The Koan of Drums” is another track that has an empty baroness to it in places despite the zooped up beats and electronic blips. Gradually the track layers up and blossoms into a really beautiful new age dance track.

Dhsu’s piano arranged “Airborne” is delightfully light and breezy with some wistful and dreamy segments. The piano playing is first class and the echoing concert production adds to its charm. “Arche Angel” from The Joker has nice militarian feel to it with constant building tension, making it a nice addition to the tracks already heard. The Joker’s “Chronometrical” uses the tick tocking clock to great effect with excellent use of synths again. There’s something undeniably joyous about this track that makes me want to celebrate it. TheDeath’s “Set Sail” is film-esque and moving by its sweeping strings and twinkling eyes. It’s kind of like listening to the day you found the best thing about life in audio. A great moment.

“Mirror Image” from Fishy and The Prophet of Mephisto turns the tables again with a lazy day turned rock arrangement. It has a slight reggae vibe to bounce to at the beginning but its soon blown away when the rocking guitars come flying at you. A great transitional piece. “Frozen Heart” from Sir NutS and USA is an airy and percussive track that takes a few listens to really appreciate the time it takes to grow and develop into its excellent second half. “Momentary” from The Joker & Kureeji Lee is a real wildcard. It has quite an abstract way about it and in doing so it makes it compelling and intriguing. Rexy’s “Gentry is a Five Letter Word” on the other hand plays its strong chords and main theme to its strengths and comes out with a cracking arrangement. Finally closing disc 1 is XMark’s desolate “Wind Dry My Tears” which features a strange electric acoustic guitar and some lovely vocal ad lib work. Adding on to the slow beat and the acoustic leads its a powerful piece to close the disc and leave you feeling like you’ve come a long way and still not finished your journey.

Hale-Bopp opens disc 2 with “Beyond Absentminded” that has some beautiful vocal work. There’s a kind of 70′s vibe to the funkiness of the track but there’s also a bit of a radiohead edge in there somewhere buried away. Sixto Sounds has the real anime madness feel tapped in with “Summoned Without Reason”. It has a real powerful drive and you’ll be rocking out to this track time and time again. Rexy returns with “Middle-Aselia Body” which while being up-tempo and soaring, has a ethereal quality to it with its slightly detuned backing arpeggios. The Joker’s “Cold Memory” continues the ethereal effect with a gentle track that again has a pinch of evil lurking in its corner. PriZm joins the foray with heavy metal arrangement “Simplified Design”. The sound is very Megadeth and the guitar work is immaculate. “Just Go” from Fishy & Nutritious is a pumped up dance track with a big beat and even bigger symphonic arrangements all around. By the time you’ve got the guitars in too, there’s no room in the speakers for anything else! It’s a full on assault – excellent stuff.

pu_freak’s “City of Vigor” is a slightly discontenting piano arrangement. The chords are unusual and so the track conveys that off kilter demonic tone perfectly. The piano playing is beautiful too. “New Technology” from OverCoat starts off with apt industrial noises and then grows out of them a great arrangement that’s both quirky and engrossing. Tepid and PriZm team up for “Horizon’s Walk” which is both intricate, beautiful and maddeningly addictive. The swirling background instruments really give this a certain edge with the acoustic guitar backing chords too.

“Riddles in the Dark” from Red Tailed Fox & Xaleph is a song that does more genres in six minutes than I care to write down. The fact that they are able to do this is no meagre achievement and the fact it all transitions so well is testament to their talents. “As Time Goes On” turns the tables as The Prophet of Mephisto gives us a lazy jazz arrangement with some excellent otherworldly vocals that are heavily processed to slide gently through time with you. “Deity” from Sir NutS takes the otherworldly ethereal sounds to the dance floor with a spacious beatathon clocking in at a massive seven minutes, its a little piece of club euphoria. Closing disc 2 is “Sweet Dreams” with a sleepy smoky jazz bar arrangement from Dhsu and Anthony Lofton that sends you quietly on your way.

summoningspiritscoverDisc 3 opens to the regal delights of Hemophiliac’s “Tales & Trials”. It’s a delightful little number that could have been drowned out by many of the other tracks if not handled properly but its not the case. The climax is rewarding to this arrangment. Christian Pacuad’s “This Fate” is one of drama and tension which does well being juxtaposed by Jazon Phantoms cutesy “Smile and Forgive”. Where one is dark and stank, the other is quietly beaming and rolling in fields of green green grass. Red Tailed Fox’s “Cafe Mantra” sits somewhere in between with some excellent sound samples of eastern instruments that bring a new dynamic to the compilation that we’ve not heard to date.

Sixto Sounds bring us back to anime rock with the excellent “Chaotic Heart” once again showcasing that Sixto Sounds are the masters of synth-rock. Usa then calms us back down from that awesome guitar action with a woodwind led “Desert Nights”. The soft production gives away into a disco diva dance track that’s glittery enough to get out your disco balls to groove to. “Strike from the Devil’s Axes” from LuIzA and CarboHydroM however is pure tales throughout. The electric guitar wails in distress and the energy pulsates throughout, it’ll leave you breathless by the end. A great rendition.

Monobrow returns to the more ambient side that’s came out during disc 3 with “Pain Withstanding” with a dark track led by organs and background pianos. JustChris takes the ambience and almost gives it a garage vibe with “Determination”. It’s all about the percussion and the strangely detuned bassline that runs throughout. It gives it an unusual sound base and makes it stand out from the crowd. “Ain’t Yo Fool” from LuIzA and Mythril Nazgul reminds me of the Atelier series with its very Japanese brass led chirpy songs. This arrangement is pure smiles in an mp3 and you can’t beat a bit of that in amongst all the heavy battle tracks! Having said that though, Christian Pacaud’s “Antegensis” is a cracking piece of arrangement. The guitar work is fantastic as is meanders from slow and wistful to dramatic and forceful and then back to poignant all over again. Finally Usa closes disc 3 with “The Fall of Iselia” which is a very classical styled piano piece that closes the disc nicely.

Disc 4 opens with “Dissillusioned Fate” which is a powerful track from Andy Jayne & PriZm and is a great opener for the final disc. “Continental Divide” is a beautiful track from Nick Tam that has a country feel to it where you could happily have it playing the background while you walk over fields across yonder. “Like a Glint” is an all out rocking arrangement from Master Hatchet. The bass lines are particular grungey on this track. Paragon continues the ultra rocking times with “Cartesian Warfare” where the guitar solo is quite simply awe inspiring. The guitars are so much to the front, you can’t hear the drums too well – so this is definitely one to mosh out to.

Taking a break, The Joker & Kureeji Lee return with a subtly tense piano arrangement entitled “Sacred Ashes”. It’s a real tension builder in the middle section with string sections really giving it some. “Altar Perception” is a collaboration from Monobrow, Protricity, AeroZ and injury in a smooth genre crossing arrangement that is both new age and and uptempo. There is a serenity in it that makes it very endearing. Rexy takes us into deep thought with the piano led arrangement “Dream Traveller”. The key to this tracks success is the fact it takes its time and therefore makes it heartfelt and heavy mouthed. It reminds me very much of the Brandish Piano Collection that I am a huge fan of. Reuben Kee keeps the ivories tinkling with “My Secret Forest” which is melodic and inviting. The over scoring of woodwind and brass over the piano is inspired and the production is perfect. This track is a personal favourite if I were to pick one and its down the tumbling rumble of the piano in places.

Returning to electronic hard edged rock is Silas with “On the Edge”. This arrangement is more grungy with its guitars and its tripping beat keeps it fresh and lively – not that with all that’s going on you could want to sleep through it. “Apogee” is from the trio of Andy Jayne, Fishy and  The Joker and is a really mammoth arrangement. Genre striding from piano to rock to goth to stadium rock to folk and conquering them all, this is a fine work of art. Christian Pacaud’s “Dark Corner” however had me a little confused with its time signatures of percussion and guitar which initially didn’t seem to match at the beginning. However as soon as the tracks off and away its in full flight and I particularly enjoyed the ending which is dark, eerie and evil!

Christian is then joined by PriZm for a twelve minute masterpiece called “Holy Judgement”. The arrangement is epic – like a space journey. The beginning can only be described as momentous. The airy keyboards give way to a classical arrangement that cranks up the tension which is quickly replaced by a fantastic electric guitar led section. The skills of the two arrangers are quite frankly clear to see and we’re only four minutes in! The track then breaks into an almost frenzy that will have you panting for more with an epic guitar solo that daring flows into a piano section before breaking out into an intricately crafted but flawlessly jaw dropping final five minutes of madness. This is undoubted an absolutely classic arrangement and one that should be commended and celebrated – just like this whole compilation. Rounding off the final full disc is Rexy with a brooding “Summonng of Spirits” which is like the equivalent of being pulled out of the pits of hell and riding the wings of the stars. From a moody opening the song opens out into a rousing arrangement that leaves you refreshed and wanting more.

The three bonus tracks are crackers too, Sixto Sounds’ “Go the Distance” has superb production values and some excellent choices of instrumentation and synths to match the excellent band work.  “No Better Time Than Now” from Nutritious and Poolgirl is an epic electro-rock arrangement that doesn’t let up from start to end and will have you singing along with it and “Standing Up” from The Joker is just beautiful… full stop.

project_talesOne thing that kept coming back to me was the fact that this whole collection was free. This collection beats a fair chunk of my bought OST’s hands down. The source material is a great inspiration of course and Motoi Sakuraba and co no doubt wrote these excellent songs to begin with. However the standard of which every single track as climbed to is nothing short of astounding. It’s no wonder games developers are turning to these artists for real soundtracks. The talent is boundless and endless and this site for one applauds every second, every minute and every note that is played in Summoning of Spirits. Inspirational.

Whispers of the Plains – Interviews With OverClocked Remix Project Leaders!

{ March 7, 2009 @ 9:04 am } · { acoustic, ambient, behind the music, behind the scenes, composer, dance, DJ, gaming, interview, music, news, orchestral, piano, release dates, remix, review, techno, tour, trance, VGM, whispers of the plains }
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overclockedremixYesterday saw OverClocked Remix release “Summoning of Spirits”, a massive arrangements project that spans 4 discs (plus 3 bonus tracks) covering the Namco “Tales Of…” series focusing primarily on Phantasia and Symphonia. We’ll be bring a full track by track indepth review on Monday but until then we can simply say that it’s a class effort.

Until then we have our first double interview with OverClocked ReMix’s project leaders Aleah Baker and Kyle Crouse. With their collaboration, they work feverishly behind the scenes to ensure that these massive projects are organised and released. Here’s Higher Plain Music’s interviews with them both.

What made you choose the Tales series (and more specifically Tales of Phantasia) for the latest OCRemix album?

Kyle: While the games (particularly Tales of Symphonia) are quite popular and have developed a major following over the years, the music of the Tales series is extremely underrepresented in the game arrangement community. We wanted to change that, bringing attention to these games and their soundtracks, which are amazing. We narrowed the project down to Tales of Phantasia and Symphonia because they’ve both been groundbreaking games; Phantasia pushed the limits of the Super Famicom by having spectacular graphics for its time, as well as a fully-vocalized theme song and voice acting, while Symphonia propelled the Tales series to new heights in popularity. The two games are also connected in their storylines, so we decided to cover them both in Summoning of Spirits.

Aleah: The Tales series has been getting more releases and focus outside of Japan in recent years, and while its popularity is growing, it and its soundtracks haven’t had a lot of exposure, which is a shame because there’s a lot of great stuff there! Tales of Phantasia only recently got an official English release (though many experienced it earlier via an unofficial translation with some… well-remembered quotes), but when it came out on the SNES in 1995 it was pretty groundbreaking – huge for a cart, with impressive graphics and music, not to mention it had a full vocal track in its intro! As the first game of the series, with a lovely but under-represented soundtrack, we felt it deserved some recognition. While much of the series consists of stand-alone stories, Tales of Symphonia is actually the distant prequel to Phantasia, and its release almost a decade after Phantasia helped boost the series’ popularity outside of Japan.

As project directors, what are your main duties and biggest challenges in such a huge scale project?

Kyle: This project took nearly four years to complete, which is a long time, even for a project as large as this one. A lot of time was spent emailing and IMing the involved musicians, first to invite them to join the project, then to ensure that they finished their work. Luckily, many of the musicians developed a small community, providing feedback to each other on their remixes and collaborating where necessary, as well as helping out with some behind-the-scenes stuff. There were also some periods of time where the project saw almost no progress and I lost interest, and there were many times when real, non-internet life would step in the way. But we persevered and finally realized our vision!

Aleah: Personally I ended up with a lot of the artistic chores, so that was pretty time-consuming on my end. Beyond that, though, we had a lot to keep track of; which tracks were being covered, who was working on them, who was contributing what… we had to check in on various stages of progress, try to meet certain due-dates, provide feedback… it was a ton of stuff to keep tabs on, and because it took so long, everyone had to keep motivated. There was a lot of small-level organization to keep in order, even beyond the production of the music itself.

Summoning of Spirits is a huge collection. How did you get to the final collection songs you finished with?

Kyle: It wasn’t easy! Lea and I initially listened to both the Phantasia and Symphonia soundtracks in their entirety, attempting to pare down their massive tracklists into something more manageable. We took into account a number of things, such as songs played at notable moments in the games, songs that were popular amongst the fans of the series, and just songs that we wanted to hear remixes of. Battle themes and character themes in particular resonate a lot with those who’ve played these games, so we wanted to ensure that we fit in as many of those as possible. We brought down the list to about 36 songs, but over the course of 4 years, the project expanded into the 53 tracks we ended up with. A few remixers approached me with Work-In-Progress remixes of songs we hadn’t previously considered, and we liked them, so they were added to the project. We also invited a few more musicians after all of the songs had been claimed, so we gave them lists of new songs to work with. And of course Tales of Symphonia saw a sequel last year on the Wii, so we had to add in a few tracks from that game as a special bonus!

Aleah: We went through the entire soundtracks and tried to whittle our choices down – which was hard. Being that both games take place in the same world, there were a few tracks shared between the two that were pretty iconic… for example, Fighting of the Spirit, a battle track that’s hugely popular (there are tons of piano and guitar renditions on Youtube, for example – and when we first announced the project, it was literally the first track people hoped for), is featured for boss fights against various Summon Spirits in both games, so it was a given. We picked tracks that were especially memorable or unique, stuff that stands out when you’re playing the game, struggling through a particularly epic battle or experiencing a touching character moment. We looked at what was popular among the fans. Obviously we chose some personal favourites, though we tried not to be biased (for instance, a town theme I particularly like from Symphonia didn’t make the cut). Some tracks were added to the initial list because the remixers themselves were interested in covering them. Despite our efforts to condense things, the final track list ended up a bit bigger than we initially planned… which isn’t a bad thing, considering we’re covering multiple soundtracks.

Did you allow the artists complete free range on their arrangements or were there certain rules applied that they had to follow?

Aleah: The games themselves cover a wide range of styles, and for such a huge album I think variety is necessary, so we largely let everyone do what they wanted. Of course there was a lot of feedback and discussion with the works-in-progress, so we could see the direction a particular track was taking, but we didn’t want to limit anyone. These guys brought a huge range of talent and ability to the table; if a particular track appealed to them and they could see it working in a certain style, we weren’t going to stifle them.

Kyle: We did not have any limitations on the vision of the remixers. They were allowed free reign with their arrangements, and as such we ended up with a very diverse range of music. We invited musicians based on the quality of their previous work, like, “Oh, what if (insert artist here) remixed this? Imagine how awesome that would be!” So we wanted them to have freedom to do what they liked.

project_tales

Are there arrangements that stick out as particular favourites for you both?

Kyle: There are so many, it’s hard to list just a few. Right off the bat, anything by Sixto Sounds (Juan Medrano) is a huge standout for me personally. The Unholy Wars in particular is exactly what Lea and I envisioned as the opening track to the project, and the others from him are no less than awesome. The collaboration of LuIzA (Luiza Carvalho) and CarboHydroM (Christophe Blondel) on Strike of the Devil’s Axes is also one that I love. TheDeath (Javier González Garcés) took the original Hydropolis theme from Phantasia and turned it into something truly grand and epic, and it’s quite a standout, I think. Altar Perception from Monobrow (Katie Kinkel), Protricity (Ari Asulin), AeroZ (Sebastian Freij) and injury (Starla) came together very well. The meshing of the organic cello and vocal harmonies with the electronic synths and percussion makes the track a highlight for me.

Aleah: I know it’d be a cop-out to say “all of them!” …but I really do enjoy the album as a whole. There’s not a single track I haven’t listened to countless times. But if you’re going to force me to pick a few examples… oh boy. Sixto Sounds and Dshu really kick things off with The Unholy Wars – Fighting of the Spirit was important to the project, and not only does the project start with it, it ends with Rexy’s softer Summoning of Spirits version, so it’s as well-represented as we’d hoped. Nick Tam’s Continental Divide takes an already pretty track and makes it magical, corny as that sounds, with some lovely woodwinds. Frozen Heart by Sir NutS and Usa features crisp piano over subtly energetic trance. Strike of the Devil’s Axes, LuIzA and CarboHydroM’s collaborative take on Symphonia’s popular Fatalize, is sure to knock some socks off. Rexy’s Gentry Is a Five Letter Word takes a nice but hectic town theme and makes it into something fun and delightful, like going to a fair. Horizon’s Walk by Tepid and PriZm has such a cool tone to it. Reuben Kee, who very sadly passed away in 2007, left us with the hauntingly beautiful My Secret Forest.

For budding artists looking to join in for future projects, what kind of advice would you give?

Aleah: Be aware of what you’re getting into! It’s easy to want to get involved with something you love, but make sure you know that it could be a very involved task and that you’re ready to give it the time and devotion needed. Don’t be afraid of criticism; working with others can really help you bring out the best of your ability, or take things in directions you hadn’t considered before.

Kyle: Don’t be afraid of criticism. Take it and work with it, and you can mould your works into something great. And respond to the project director’s emails! They hate it when you don’t do that!

I remember back when OCRemix was a small site back at the beginning, now its a bustling community releasing soundtracks for computer games! What’s your secret to success?

Kyle: Well, I have no official affiliation with OverClocked ReMix other than bringing Summoning of Spirits together, but I think their success is easily attributed to their dedication to quality. OCR has gotten a fair bit of criticism in the past, with its integration of a judges panel and a rigorous set of standards, but I think that is what has helped make OCR maintain and grow over the last 10 years. Video game music itself has also seen a boom in popularity recently, with game cover bands like The Megas and Powerglove becoming a staple in the underground music scene, so that certainly doesn’t hurt either.

Aleah: Not speaking in an official capacity, but I think part of it comes down to the increasing acceptance of video games themselves as an art form, in terms of art, music, storytelling and overall presentation. I remember when I was a kid, I’d hold a tape recorder up to the TV while playing games – I never imagined there’d be huge communities such as OCR devoted to game music, not to mention entire orchestral concerts! I think the remixing community as a whole helps contribute to that acceptance, helps push the medium as an art form, and in turn more people get involved.

summoningspiritscoverAre there any projects or artists you’d love to tackle in future projects?

Aleah: After this, I think I’m all project’d-out… for the time being, at least. I’d love to see the work of Yoko Shimomura, especially the Legend of Mana soundtrack, get more love! I’d also like to improve my own (meager) musical ability in the future.

Kyle: Well, Summoning of Spirits, although taking a very long time, was a good experience for me. I’ve thrown around a few ideas for projects that would be a bit smaller and featuring games close to my heart, like an F-Zero or Metal Slug arrangement, but if those come to fruition it will be far into the future. In the meantime, I’ll be looking at helping some struggling OverClocked ReMix projects like Around The World gain their footing and help them out.

What are the things you personally look out for in a good remix?

Aleah: I’m pretty easy going with my musical tastes. I’m pretty impressed when an artist can make a particular melody easily recognizable in an entirely new, different style. It’s like taking something familiar but getting an alternate perspective on it.

Kyle: I’m not much of a musician, so mostly just whether a song is enjoyable or not is good enough for me. I’m not a big stickler for remixes having to be major deviations from the source material (but I I don’t mind if they are), or if something is slightly off with, say, a sound sample or recording quality. I tried to keep a better sense of the OverClocked standards while working on Summoning of Spirits, but I don’t keep my personal bar that high, normally.

Who compiled the lovely intricate artwork the release?

Aleah: I did, thank you. Though because the project was so long in development, some of it’s a wee bit dated, I guess… oh well! I hope people enjoy it. A lot of the design was inspired by the games themselves… there’s a lot of fancy gold scrollwork, and many characters in Symphonia wear gems in such settings, so I tried to incorperate that into the visuals.

Kyle: She is extremely talented, which is one of the reasons why I asked her to work on this project with me and to create the artwork. OA (Andrew Luers) put together the final website design, but the graphical work was all Lea.

What do you do to relax once a hard days OverClocking is done?

Aleah: Video games, of course! I also like reading, drawing, photography, but there’s nothing quite like, say, arranging virtual furniture or mowing down hoards of the undead in a convertible while wielding a frying pan. And, of course, someone has to help that sword-carrying teen save the world from disaster, right? I like a lot of different genres, and while I don’t mind turn-based RPGs for the most part, the Tales series’ battle system is a lot of fun with a lot of interesting nuance. It plays almost like a fighting game, only there’s a ton of stuff going on at once and a lot of underlying strategy. It can get pretty intense!

Kyle: Play video games, what else? I’m more of an action-oriented gamer, so I’m a big player of the action-MMORPG City of Heroes, which I’ve logged countless hours into over the past several years. I also love racing game series, namely Gran Turismo, F-Zero, and Daytona USA, and classic platformers and shooters like Metal Slug, Mega Man, and Sonic games, and although I’m pretty terrible at them, fighting games like Guilty Gear are awesome. I actually am not a big fan of most Japanese RPGs (although I love their soundtracks), which might be a bit surprising considering the Tales series is one, but I usually dislike the battle system or some game mechanic, and they can be slow. The Tales series breaks those conventions with great gameplay and a battle system that works more like a fighting game, which is good enough for me!

You can download Summoning of Spirits for free at OverClocked Remix

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