OCR00088 - Chrono Trigger 'The New Zeal'

[Joe Redifer]

Chrono Trigger 'New Zeal'

Sounds damn good for a tracker! Of course the music itself is good. Doesn't do anything revolutionary, but who says it has to? A good listen.

[Dev]

Wow. This was the first OC I ever downloaded, and still one of my favorites. The lead is really funky. The song itself might not stray far from the original, but I've yet to see a Zeal mix do so. Very nice work.

[Liontamer]

My roommate downloaded this song from OCR, and once I heard it playing while I was sitting around, I had to know what it was. That track was Chris J. Hampton's "The New Zeal," and it's the first track I got from OCR that wasn't a mix of a song I already knew, which says a lot about how good it is to stand out on it's own. It got pretty frequent play on my radio show at Emory University last semester, and will definitely be there to listen to when I go back there in Spring 2003. This'll always be a favorite, if not my absolute favorite OCReMix. Pretty safe to say it's a must download.

[Sherv]

Like the previous reviewers, this remix was also my first download from OC, and it has certainly withstood the test of time as it is my favorite remix of the "Corridors of Time"/Zeal theme (not to say the other remixes aren't good! This one just strikes a chord with my tastes).

[[I'm not familiar with the technical terms used to describe the sounds and methods used to compose the tunes found here, so I apologize in advance for my lay method of speaking!]]

Anyway, Chris' remix has a very floaty quality to it, and this, compounded with the soft percussion and choice of instruments used, evokes a somewhat melancholy tone. My favorite part is the way he chose to end the song; starting at 3:40, a sequence is repeated a few times before dissipating and diminishing in a very mellow manner.

Great job Chris!

[chrisjh]

i had no idea people liked this tune so much until all i started finding it in all sorts of radio shows online. i'm glad you guys enjoyed it and thanks for the praise! and to signal froze: word up to allston! ever heard of the allstonians? they're a pretty good ska band.

wee

cheers

[Dhsu]

This mix has a very cool feel, even though it doesn't offer a whole lot in the arrangement department. Very nice synth programming. Worth the download.

[risingson77]

Lovely take on Zeal (one of the many ;) ). I like the slight "off-key-edness" of the intro. Nice rhythm and a bitchen lead synth. Solid. :)

[DragonFireKai]

I love this mix. It's long, but not boring, I love the CT series, so it's got kind of a nostolgia factor.

[The Orichalcon]

I've been listening to this one for a few months. That main lead is amazing. The rest of the piece isn't too interesting, but that lead is just wonderful. I sit here replaying that part of the piece over and over manually.

Kudos.

[Makalius]

I have listened to many Zeal remixes and no matter what else you can say about them you can usually say that they are really good and this is no exception. The instruments chosen fit the feel of the piece perfectly and although it doesn't stray too far from the original, this arrangement uses the style of the original, coupled with more modern instruments to create an entirely new feel for the piece. And that's no mean feat. Overall, I have seen a couple of songs that were done better but I would rank this one definately within my top three.

[Bummerdude]

Well, what do you know, a newZeal that´s not only better but also funkier.

Just for the record, I don´t know what a tracker is, but apparently, I don´t need to because that this mix is good anyway. Fine strings with some nice drumbeats that leads the way to a cool technosynth. DUDE! 8)

If I just knew what a tracker is, I would probably be even more impressed, but I don´t.

[I_Love_OC_ReMixes]

Im suprised, hardley any replies to this AWESOME mix! :(

Anyway I joined this Site JUST to say how MUCH I LOVE all these Remixes, I will comment on ALL my favourite mixes! :D

Been listening to this mix almost Every Day for months. I swore to myself I will register to this godblessed website and give my feedback! I love you all! Merry Christmas!!! 8)

sexy mix chris, love ya for this! 8)

[Turkaholic]

Hmm... the almost tribal drumbeats remind me of Tikal's theme from Sonic Adventure... only 100 times more well done. There's something very laid back about this remix - it doesn't attempt to wow with over complicated tunes or chord progressions, it just... is a well produced, highly enjoyable remix. I love it, top marks n__n

[dmjarrington]

My roommate downloaded this song from OCR, and once I heard it playing while I was sitting around, I had to know what it was. That track was Chris J. Hampton's "The New Zeal," and it's the first track I got from OCR that wasn't a mix of a song I already knew, which says a lot about how good it is to stand out on it's own. It got pretty frequent play on my radio show at Emory University last semester, and will definitely be there to listen to when I go back there in Spring 2003. This'll always be a favorite, if not my absolute favorite OCReMix. Pretty safe to say it's a must download.

listen to this guy... he knows what he's talking about.

/me <3 this song roffel

[DragonFireKai]

A very Funky mix of the Zeal theme. IMO, one of the best arrangements of the pre-jp era of OCR.

[OA]

Zeal before Zeal was cool, that's worth some street cred, right? ;-)

Completely killer beat on this one. Lots of percussive layers and a great feel overall. Production is slightly bland in a few spots, but the rest of the song is definitely strong enough to hang through. The lead has a great unique sound, thanks to lots of modwheel, or whatever the tracker equivalent of that is, and though it stays somewhat similar to the original in instrumentation for the backing parts, the synth and percussion sets it apart enough to be unique.

The arrangement is way too conservative for modern OCR, so it's good that this mix got in while it could; It's nice, but not as expansive as I think it should be, especially with that percussion. Really groovin'.

[WillRock]

Man this remix is sweet, the first lead is fantastic. I lot of thought went into this one, there are plenty of great little touches here and there that make this even better :D

[Wild Armor]

Honestly the first word that comes to mind is Funky. I love any track that has a nice feel of ambiance with an upbeat melody. A little to long though.

[WesternZypher]

Excuse the corny phrasing, hah. This has been on my playlist forever, and with good reason. Tis awesomely relaxing.

[Marmiduke]

This is hugely impressive considering it was part of the initial wave of Chrono Trigger mixes, and still stands up soundwise to its modern brethren. There are some fantastic samples used here that really make the mix. Zeal hasn't been reinvented here, but it's still a very nice sounding Zeal. A step ahead of others at the time.
I enjoyed the small amount of paraphrasing on the theme, but this comes down to one of those rare covers that are actually welcome and altogether enjoyable. A classic.