Trevor Alan Gomes has quickly become one of my favourite piano arrangers for game music. His work often sees him taking simplistic melodies and adding lots of embellishment in his arrangements. Celeste’s soundtrack, already being rhythmic and complex, shows the other side. Here, each track is distilled down into something more rounded for the piano.
Across the thirteen tracks, Trevor transforms Celeste’s soundtrack into a gothic-tinged classical dream. Early tracks such as ‘First Steps’ and ‘Resurrection’ have a rolling arpeggio to them and a mild dissonance. Combined with some pace changes and the natural recording style of this collection it feels like we’re climbing a giant tower rather than a mountain. That classic unfurling technique is beautifully captured in the gentle tippy-toes of ‘Madeline and Theo’. ‘Confronting Myself’ and ‘Exhale’ also play with jazzy styles of psychosis. The former is outwardly creepy whilst the latter has a calmer tone, but it is one that feels like your succumbing to your fate rather than breathing to relax. It’s really subtle but I love the nuance of it.
The other half of the arrangements convey a never-ending battle one way or another. ‘Scattered and Lost’ is beautiful but has an underlying tautness and emergency even from the opening tinkles. ‘Little Goth’ is a bass filled uprising that rumbles your bones, whilst ‘Awake’ is this collections boss battle goes nuts with fifty hands arrangement. The speed and effortless swirling of the keys showcase the talent and prowess of Trevor Alan Gomes to perfection. The closing track ‘My Dear Friends’ has the piano joined just once by a violin. The sweet and warm finale cleanses your palette from the shroud of uncertainty that surrounds all the arrangements like
Celeste Piano Collections may slip under the radar as it’s a slightly lesser known soundtrack to be arranging but Trevor Alan Gomes has made one of his finest collections to date. I love how the tracks never feel too complex in terms of their melody but when you listen there’s often notes being played at a ferocious pace. Flawlessly curious from start to end, make this your underground piano arrangement purchase of 2019.
Recommended track: Reach for the Summit
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Trevor Alan Gomes - Celeste Piano Collections
