OCR00973 - Chrono Trigger 'Forever'

[djpretzel]

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

[omarshat]

at first i couldn't hear the original melody in this mix, i didn't pay attention to the opening piano, i had to look up the song, and when i realized this was the Aris dome theme, it hit me like a ton of bricks. it must have taken some deep thought and consideration to move from the somber feeling of the original tune to the dancy techno that this mix evolves into. if any thing, this song is a must download just to hear the shift in musical genre, that and the awsome synth which gives off that dance floor feeling. a job well done...

[Zeality]

Dammit Suzu, this mix helped me through much of the last few months, and will probably be at my side for the rest of my life. It's made 3 of my personal CDrs in various forms, and man...perfection. It's the last piece on my "Life Mix" disc...I can't thank you enough. This work is second only to Dale North's TimeCircuitsHighVoltage as far as my CT favorites go, and for it not being a Zeal remix, that means much.

Keep mixing. And I'll give BlueMetro a damn good chance for joining Sir Nut's mix (also a kickass interpretation of the Metropolis Zone) on OCR.

Enlightened Ownage.

[OmegaPhoenix128]

The tune is upbeat after maybe 30 seconds to a minute or so which is really a thing I like about it. The beginning with the piano is pretty cool too. In overall. This a really good song.

[sgx]

Holy shit. I'm really frikin loving those drums. The rest of the song is pretty quality too. Very cool work. Damn...those drums. You shoulda made the whole song around them! Great ideas. Yay.

[Gman]

Yay, very good. Like others said this is really good. I like I like. Gets a little repetitive to me..but that prolly just me. Keep the Chrono music comming! Cant get enough of them.

[Kamikaze Noodle]

Wow. This is so sweet. I don't really know what to say. The way it transitions from piano to dance is incredible! Some of the synths just kick me in the ass with their coolness. I can't believe this is the Arris dome song...
You've done a very nice job with this. Keep it up!

[UltimaAvatar]

wow, i tried to hear it in newspaper class but the room was too noisy, then i got home and downloaded it but forgot about it and finally got to listen to it today. i notmally don't listen to much CT remix because almost all of them are Schala's theme and that got old real quick. i can invision a lot of different story ending battles to this, although like the board said, the ending needs a little more. but i like it none-the-less, excellent remix

[snarfoogle]

The very same Suzembachi who did that Black Omen mix on VGmix?

NIEC WORK

[suzumebachi]

The very same Suzembachi who did that Black Omen mix on VGmix?

NIEC WORK

err.. WOW someone remembered that? that was quite a while ago ;)

thanks for all the feedback guys. i really appreciate it :)

[Icct Hedrix]

Damn! This is some good ass remix. Its my first in a LONG while and i was pleasently suprised. And yes i know the end was a let down but it is good all the way through
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[Viewtiful Fig]

I remember this when it was still a WIP, and I'm really glad to see it got accepted. This remix really stood out among the mass of CT remixes (both on the WIP board AND in OCRemix's archives), and I was hoping to eventually see its title on top of that famous "Recent Remixes" list.

[Lucan]

I REALLY like the way the song "grows" in the first one and a half minutes and then changes into solid trance. Very Good work by Suzumebachi!

[k-wix]

Hello Suzu, forgive the lateness of my Review. lets dive in <songplayed> Ugh, this song is hard for me to review because I love a lot of aspects about it, but there are a few issues that keep me from falling in love, either way, i think its a very good song that should be checked out by Everyone.


0:01 - I will say, the intro is deffinitely one of my favorite parts, the "static" that was intentional in the backround? I feel like its just a bit to loud, beyond that though, your piano work is amazing.

0:15 - Especially here. I love this part.

0:48 - Excellent. Brilliant.

1:01 - Now, immediately of note here is the quality of the instruments, they all sound very good together, its done very well, but as for the Movement of the notes? I *hate* the way it sounds from 1:01 to 1:12. Just that specific section.

1:25 - As for this? Brilliant.

1:38 - My main beef, is that you repeat these notes quite a bit, and while its cool, and im totally diggin the vibe, i just wish you'd mix up that lead.

1:59 - I'd guess your going for a "trance-ish" mood, And it sounds great, and you do a wonderful job of keeping it from getting boring, but .. I just can't get into that lead :\

2:52 - So, Basically, I Just honestly wish you would've mixed that lead up a LOT more.

3:10 - The ending seriously could've been cleaned up a bit, perhaps slowed down.

[Abadoss]

It's been a while since I've had a really solid trance that was really good in my collection. I dare say that I missed that and thanks to you, Suzu, I now feel complete.

Now down to the critiques... I like the slow introduction of the drums before the synth orgy. Don't take this the wrong way, but it felt like it would fit so well into an 80's movie, and that's so cool! I can almost hear this on Ladyhawk or Romancing the Stone or something (although, Ladyhawk had a really shitty soundtrack). I like how you manage to keep the flow moving and you never let it stagnate. That's often one of the biggest complaints I have with trance pieces, and I'm glad you haven't committed that grievous act.

As far as the things I didn't like, I would have preferred that the synth come in a little cleaner. I like it all the same, but that would have been my choice. I think overall, there's not a whole lot that I don't like about this piece. It's one of those pieces where I say to myself, "I friggin' hate this genre, but this piece makes it all better!"...

Great work, Suzu!

[Jimlad]

Loved the sound you got out of the piano... how did you do that? The quality was excellent.

[illumina]

I like how it builds up to 1:16, pretty bold rich sounds.

[fisherman]

4/5

Like most mixes, I heard good and bad. Definitely good overall though!

The jazzy piano right off the bat was excellent. It jumps out, then slowly settles back into a mellow groove to set up the following sections. I have a beef with the vinyl noise sample, though. It sounds more like a train than real vinyl noise that I've heard. My ears were expecting the static to be a little more constant throughout the sample instead of so lopsided. The click that sounds like damage to the virtual album is one thing, I'm talking about the actual static noise.

The first time I listened to 0:35 (when the electronics start fading in ever so slightly) I thought someone on a floor below me had their speakers turned up to test the sound output. The distant sound had me completely fooled! For about 10 seconds it sounded like the sound actually wasn't coming from my speakers. I dont know how they did it, but the way it sounds like the source of the sound is slowly coming from the basement up to your speakers is one of the coolest things I've heard!

When the thumping bass comes in at 1:15, it sounds kind of empty. Until the higher percussion comes in at 1:26 it just sort of ambles along. Granted, it's only about 10 seconds, but for those 10 seconds it sounds a little dead.

The ending was definitely too sudden. I felt like I should have been wearing a seat belt after it happened.

[esden9]

This is really well done. I'm really big on trance and jungle tunes, and this hits the sweet spot as far as trance goes, the intro is just plain awesome.

That intro work...I really don't know if I've heard better. Very flowing. Very modern techno, mixing several genres so well, mixing a classical piano style into breakbeats into progressive trance. I felt not at all uncomfortable during the intro. Each part lead into the next very well and intuitively.

The bulk of the remix is very enjoyable, sticking with the main theme, yet changing acoustic qualities enough to maintain interest.

The end, as has already been mentioned, was too sudden however.

I give 4.5/5 only losing points for the anti-climactic ending.

[esden9]

This mix still rocks. I been listening to it like 2 or 3 times a week at the least since it was uploaded, and I've never gotten tired of it. A bet this will be on my fav list until I breath my last.

[disco_bombing]

at first i couldn't hear the original melody in this mix, i didn't pay attention to the opening piano, i had to look up the song, and when i realized this was the Aris dome theme, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Nope. Arris dome sounds waaay different than this.

a midi (http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/snes/Ctproto.mid)

I'm having so much trouble finding 'Forever' (the original) anywhere. I just said to heck with it and emailed Suzu myself. Hope he gets it...

All in all, this is a genius song. I just want to hear the original. :(

[Antelucan]

at first i couldn't hear the original melody in this mix, i didn't pay attention to the opening piano, i had to look up the song, and when i realized this was the Aris dome theme, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Nope. Arris dome sounds waaay different than this.

a midi (http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/snes/Ctproto.mid)

I'm having so much trouble finding 'Forever' (the original) anywhere. I just said to heck with it and emailed Suzu myself. Hope he gets it...

All in all, this is a genius song. I just want to hear the original. :(
It's called "The Day the World Revived" on the OSV. The melody itself can be heard integrated into the Lavos Theme midi (http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/snes/lavos.mid) part-way through.

By the way, this remix is great.

[Miletus]

Whatever the original is this is a great song. I don't see the point of the static at the start, it gets a little repetitive and the ending is abrupt. But you mix from one genre to the other really well (actually i'd say trance and classic are pretty similar genres but never mind) and it's all done expertly.

BTW, for anyone without CD ripping abilities who already owns the Crono Trigger OST and wishes for a backup of one of the tracks from that CD (such as say, The Day the World Revived (http://anubis.bluelaguna.net/ctmusic//29%20-%20The%20Day%20the%20World%20Revived.mp3)) they can get them here (http://bluelaguna.net/music/ct/mp3s.php).

They don't sound all that similar though.

[suzumebachi]

i no longer use the samuraihornet@yahoo.com address.
it got far too overloaded with spam. i tried telling djp to
update it, but he's a busy guy. and when he's not busy,
he's drunk. but it's all good. anyways, like Antelucan
said, the original song is 'the day the world revived'.
it's track 6 on the 2nd disc of the OSV. it's also in
the rsn (http://www.ocremix.org/songs/original/chronotrigger.rsn) available here on OCR. not sure which track it
is though, but probably something like 30, or 2-6 (i
don't recall how they are ordered in the rsn). if you
don't know how to play the rsn, there's a list of
programs/plugins available here (http://www.ocremix.org/list.php?type=soundplayers). hope this helps! ;)

thanks a bunch guys.

ps: my current e-mail is suzumebachi@gmail.com

[Petara]

This is an excellent trance remix. The Day the World Revived is the only song on my OCR: Chrono Trigger CD that has more than one remix for it thanks to Suzemebachi's, djp's and Unknown's/zircon's mixes. Not too much of a good thing imo.

[Brim]

Quality is top-notch, very nice song. Friend told me "go to ocremix its awesome and download chrono trigger - forever". And I told him I knew about it and it was awesome discussion time.

[Bobwillis]

Beautiful

[Bummerdude]

Bipidibopapipipadej
That was my attempt to do some beats, but this mix does it way better.
Very harsch piano in the beginning, like someone died/gonna die/supposed to have died/dropped his cup of coffe/just having a bad day.

As for the beats, they were great and together with that techno trancy thingie do-hickie, Suzu sure made it somethin´ worth listening to.

Tumbs up for you. :D

[Turkaholic]

I have to admit, I have a weakness for a good set of synths, and this hit the nail right on the head. I'm normally really picky about what remixes I'll download - they have to have a certain something for me to want to download it, and this was more than good enough for me - the chord transitions were especially well done. *applauds*

[suzumebachi]

I am entirely bored and have nothing to do at the moment, so I am going to answer some 3+ year old questions! Some Suzumebachi Q&A if you will.

Loved the sound you got out of the piano... how did you do that? The quality was excellent.

The piano is just a free soundfont (I don't recall which one, but it was a steinway sample of some kind). All I did was simply double the sample an octave apart. This can be done in FruityLoops using the Fruity Soundfont player. Go to the FUNC tab of the Soundfont player, and in the first "Echo delay" box, set "FEED" to 100% or higher (play with it and decide where you want it). Set "ECH" to 1, "TIME" to 0:00, and "PITCH" to -1200 (the lowest it goes). Basically what this does is produce a simultaneous (since the time is at 0:00) echo 1200 cents, or one octave below the original.

I will say, the intro is deffinitely one of my favorite parts, the "static" that was intentional in the backround?

Yeah that was intentional, though upon relistening it does sound a bit loud. The static was taken from yet another free soundfont that was basically just looped recordings of blank vinyls.

I'm wondering who did the piano, does suzu play?

Yes, I do. But not in this song. That piano was actually painstakingly sequenced by hand. Just the first little run took me a good 2 or 3 hours of editing and tweaking. The piano and the beatslicing were easily the most difficult parts of this mix.

And uhh... I think that's it.

Yes, I am a pompous jerk.

[Merid]

I just recently listened to this remix and feel I have to add a comment about it.

Love the intro, totally feels like something out of Persona, or another SMT game (the piano with static/mild distortion). Then the bass hits and flows into what (sadly) feels like standard techno.

However, given that the original piece is just a strip of background noise in my mind, this is definitely an enhanced take on it. Mad props for that. I just feel that the latter aspects of the remix could've been further expanded on.

Then again, it may just be the unusually powerful intro that dominated the mix.

Overall, seek it out and download it. It is tasty.

And Suzu, it's been awhile, no?

[about:blank]

I absolutely love the vinyl piano introduction, and how the beats are slowly filtered in. The transition between the intro to the trance part is just awesome. From there, though, nothing much seemed to jump out at me.

That being said, this is still a very solid mix, with an outstanding introduction.

[KogeJoe]

Uh!!! I was gonna say how much I HATED the scratched record thing at the beginning. The piano is nothing short of extravagant, but the record thing has been done a little too much IMO. Like, is that like a pre-requisite for a re-mix? "Rule no. 1 - Must have record thing... check!" Right up there with quick doubled up snares...

But you know, as a whole, this re-mix is BEATIFUL. I really love it.

[WolverineDK]

it is an ok remix , but it depends on my mood, how I am with that melody. But it is an ok remix :) not bad at all :)

[Iconian]

I feel that “Forever” should have been played upon defeating Lavos in Chrono Trigger.

I found the piece months ago, and somehow I knew there was something different about it. For some reason it just spoke to me more than others.

“Forever” is based on the melody of “The Day the World Revived.” On the soundtrack that’s CD 2, track 6 (the .rsn for CT can be found here, (http://snesmusic.org/v2/profile.php?profile=set&selected=554)and the SnesAmp plugin for Winamp is here (http://www.alpha-ii.com/Download/Main.html#SNESAmp)). I found “The Day the World Revived” back in April last year as a midi and couldn’t remember it from the game. I ended up looking on www.ocremix.org and downloaded “Forever” and others.

“The Day the World Revived” is a song of defeat, coming onto the soundtrack just after you’ve discovered Lavos, but it also plays every time you are defeated in battle. Isn’t it incredible that the same melody can be used in “Forever?” It is the sound of victory after pain and struggle. In recent months I’d come to enjoy “Forever” and “Last Battle,” though I didn’t see a connection between the two. Now I do.


First play the “Last Battle.” Lavos roars at the party for having destroyed his armor and revealed the final source of all their difficulties. He makes his last ditch attempt at defense, bringing out the bio-engineered bits he has prepared through the ages for this moment, in hopes of keeping his grip on the world and procreating to the continuation of his race’s “life cycle.” Everyone surveys the scene from Right Bit to Left Bit. Then the battle begins, with a little haste, a little confuse, a wondershot or two, and then Antipode and Luminaire to finish up. The music goes hand in hand with the action on screen, and soon Lavos, once ruler of the world, falls.

Now, “Forever” begins. The Lavos shell explodes, collapsing onto the party and pinning them under debris, as the piano plays harsh tones. There are more explosions, each getting worse and worse, bringing greater uncertainty. Then they find each other in the dust and darkness, and as the music picks up there’s a round of spells and tonics, ethers and elixirs, to get back up to strength as they wind their way out through the tunnels to reach the surface and get transported back to the End of Time.

Soon they are with their friends, dusting themselves off and glowing at their victory. Everyone pats each other on the back for a job well done. Then they take a look all around while the guitar see-saws, and they find that they're surrounded. On every side, from every time period, are all enemies who still remain under the influence of Lavos, gathered into one from the eight time warps right at the end. Hundreds of them are there, waiting to greet the heroes for their destruction of Lavos. The army closes in and they survey from right to left, the guitar comes up, and all any of the seven (or six) can do is smile warmer than ever, knowing that the victory achieved over Lavos outweighs whatever these creatures can throw at them.

The real last battle begins when the melody begins. Everyone gets geared up for the final confrontation, and then the fighting starts, and everywhere the characters work together and use double techs, triple techs, and tech rocks, all fighting simultaneously--no party limits for the Last Battle. The drums slip up several times and tonics and everyone slows down a bit to catch their breath, cast some healing, take some ethers. At 2:23 they all retreat back and everyone heals up, and they use barrier, shield, and haste on everyone.

Shortly they head back out to finish fighting. There are a few more battles for our powered up characters, and then the beats of "Forever" start to break up, until at the end all remaining enemies are gone.


A lot of people have criticized the ending of “Forever.” Square probably had a good reason for making Chrono Trigger the way they did, but if “Forever” is worthy any criticism then so also is Square. Their ending to the game never gave you the feel that there was any slam-bang finish, but perhaps with a battle sequence like this after Lavos, playing “Forever” in the background, the ending would have had all the slam-bang you'd want. The music breaks up right at the end once all the work is done, and then the party splits to their respective times. “To Far Away Times” becomes all the more powerful for it.

In my view, the last battle in Chrono Trigger just wasn’t epic enough end to such an epic game. You bring in “Forever” and a huge battle right at the end, with all things gathered into one from good and evil, and the feeling of definitive victory really sets in.

Square fell a little short, and the battle with Lavos didn’t quite pack the punch it should have. Suzumebachi picked up the slack by making the song that should have been played after the party has won the “Last Battle.” Haven’t you ever wondered what happens after the screen goes white? Can one honestly believe that after the defeat of Lavos all evil had gone from the world? Lavos was the core, but there would surely be remnants of his power left after he’s destroyed. “Forever” represents the hard work and the victory of the party to not only show that Lavos is no more, but that the world truly is a different place now that the party has cleaned up all those remaining enemies everywhere Lavos asserted his influence.

[HoboKa]

Old School remix, old school coolness. I still like it :)

[DragonFireKai]

The piano at the start is a little deceptive, but when the electronica starts in at around 0:35, you can really feel this mix starting to gear up. It quickly bursts into a full bloom electronic masterpiece. Very well executed.

[42]

This reminds me of some mystic around some campfire wearily telling a dire tale of desperation and determination. Like the piano was him waving his hands causing the campfire smoke to thicken before a cut scene shows the audience the story the wizards is telling.

This is absolutely one of my favorite Chrono Trigger mixes, if not favorite overall; it creates a wonderful sense of atmosphere for me, which I absolutely love in a mix.

[OA]

Interesting combination of styles, and it's pretty good. Extra props for mixing a more obscure track from the game. Pretty cool beats and synths, and the piano intro was nice. I'm not sure the elements all fit completely- old tyme piano + synth-heavy techno don't seem like an obvious choice, but overall this was jammin. Nice work. :-)