OCR01062 - Xenogears 'Live from the Yggdrasil'

[djpretzel]

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

[MC]

Yes, friends, this is piano. I'll say it again: THIS is piano. No bullshit 1-5-8-5 left hand patterns for 3 minutes here. Highly colorful, expressive performance and an innovative arrangement. If you can find it in the archives of WIPs, also listen to the very, very first cut of this remix, which is even more candid (yet not as polished--which I think can be a good thing in the right contexts) than this one. I am envious!

MC

[Debotron-6K]

Snoogens.

[Dhsu]

I am envious!
That makes two of us. ;_;

Watch this guy...he's gonna be famous some day.

[Shhteve]

I recall hearing JigginJont's work before, probably from the WIP's.. But I remember this one being very exceptional, and of course, it is. I don't think I know anyone who can jam on a piano quite like him.. Excellent work, good song choice to arrange. :P

[Oddity]

IF YOU DO NOT GET THIS YOU WILL DIE!!!!!!!!!!!

Strong left hand indeed. After listening to many other piano arrangements in my lifetime, you can just automatically pick it up that the left hand is genius because you can hear all these sounds you've never heard of that flow perfectly, as if they were coming from some unknown third hand. I can say the second half is my favorite because after all the listens from way back when I heard it in the WIP board, at least one part of that section still gets me thinking away from everything I'm doing and into EMOTIONAL MODE GO GO GO.

IN CONCLUSION I AM DEAD FROM LISTENING TO THE BEST PIANO SONG EVER

[Kamikaze Noodle]

Sweet Christ, this is balls-out good piano. This is very different from other solo piano stuff on this site and very much in a good way. I could probably listen to this a lot more than a lot of the more conservatively arranged solo piano mixes here. The, erm, loungey/bluesy/jazzy playing at the start is really sweet, as I have big respect for people who can play that kind of stuff. The second half is also very impressive, with a strong sense of emotion. That ending is kinda wack though...Why scrape the piano strings? =| Anyways, major kudos from me. I sure as hell hope you make more stuff.
:nicework:

[professor_scissors]

I must invent some sort of talent-draining device. This power must be mine!

[underthesun]

Damn, this is good. Could imagine a pianist playing this in a lounge in a high-rise hotel, on the top with a window viewing the city from above. Then some executives plan the taking of the world while listening to this music :D.

[Navi]

I like this. at first there were parts that i didnt like. There were points where there was a"Swing" tempo that made the song sound odd. I was sorta thinking in terms of the original song. My mistake. Then i listend more, and more, and more, and then i realised that this is a beautiful piano piece with almost no flaws, and that I WAS the one who was wrong. This ranks up there with kLuTz's 600 AD in Piano as one of my favorite New Piano Mixes.

[yasumitsuda]

I have been listening to OCRemix's remixes for quite some time now, I was overwhelmed by finding this site many many months ago being a life-long game player, and fan of game music for my entire life...but most of all, I am a huge fan of Xenogears (Not to mention Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, etc...) and of Yasunori Mitsuda. His music is inspiring, and beautiful. I have very much enjoyed listening to the many remixes of Xenogears music, but this one...this one made me cry. Honestly, at about 3:36:00 I heard this main theme and almost died in my computer chair. Props to the remixer, props to Mitsuda of course, and props to OCRemix. Without ocremix, I don't know how I could continue living. I look forward to hearing more great music, great remixes from the many artists who contribute to this great project, this great site, and I hope to hear more of Yasunori Mitsuda's compositions redone to this calibur. Peace all, and keep the music flowing.

yasumitsuda

[Jaxvon]

Being a pianist myself, I can really hear the talent and skill that went into this mix. This is seriously professional sounding stuff. The first stuff sounds like what I would do when I get bored and want to fool around on some cool blues chords, but the second half. WHOA 8O . My first, and still lasting impression is George Winston. George Winston is one of my all-time favorite solo pianists and his works are very much like this piece, string scraping and all. I have no doubt that he was an Inspiration to Jiggin John. Again, I cannot stress how much those who enjoy good piano stuff, or just good music for that matter, should get this piece.

GET IT NOW

I've been listening to it for a half hour straight, and it isn't close to being old yet. I can't WAIT for more from JJT. Good work, this is WAY up there with the other awesome pieces (Neskvartetten and others).

[Shadow Wolf]

This is a wierd mix, when it starts. The first several minutes are very reminiscent of the music you'd hear in a Charlie Brown cartoon. To be blatantly honest, although it evidenced incredible piano skills, I'm no big fan of the first, oh, 3 1\2 minutes.

HOWEVER!

The last two minutes and 47 seconds of this mix are so incredible, I darn near peed myself. Mixes like this are the reason you should always listen to a mix all the way through before passing judgement. This last part is incredible stuff. My props to JonT for setting a new standard!

[Tranced]

Quite an amazing piece, and entirely different from what I was expecting given JigginJonT's Chrono Trigger piece. Damn, though - this is definitely a very beautiful and creative piano arrangement with all the little bits and pieces that go deep and show real heart was put into this.

Yeah, 5 stars n' such :D

[Blak_Omen]

DOWNLOAD NOW. Get it. Jazz piano at its finest. Hell, piano at its finest. Heck, arrangement at its finest. IN FACT I'd go as far as to say music at its finset. Exquisitely performed, perfectly arranged and a musical journey of pure enjoyment. I could loop this song over and over again and not get sick of it. Fantastic, fantastic.

I especially like the unique sound at the end which I think is scratching the piano strings...I'm still waiting for a prepared piano piece to appear on OCR - and hopefully JiggityTitty will be the first to deliver. :)

Here's to more awesome piano arrangements and a huge congrats to JiggyTman for a fantastic mix.

[bartkusa]

Wow. This ranks up there, right next to Vigilante's guitar work on MGS2.

You two are like fucking kings of the modern mature remixing movement. At least, I hope more stuff like this moves our way.

[JJT]

thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. As for the question(s) involving the piano string scraping at the end:

The string scraping is just me making a musical nod toward Ben Folds. This piece was heavily influenced by his playing and songwriting, especially his work with Ben Folds Five. For an example of string scraping used in this manner check out the song "Smoke" off of the album "Whatever and Ever Amen." It's a very different color to add to music, and I thought it'd be an interesting way to conclude this piece.

The disco bassline on the lefthand, and the forearm slamming were also direct tributes to Ben. Anyway, if you're not familiar with any of his work, and you liked this song, you should definetly check him out, cuz he's a lot better than I am.

-Jon

edit: grammer

[GrayLightning]

I've heard the previous versions of this mix in the wip. I pretty much agree with everything mc has said about this mix. Great use of color, love the chords. Excellent performance and arrangement. I really liked the original version of this and you've done it justice. I have no complaints. Great work!

[fisherman]

Get. This. NOW.

This is the shit, plain an' simple. I never imagined the original could sound like this. And once the Ben Folds inspiration was mentioned, I definitely hear it. I can practically seehim up on the stage playing most of this.

The only constructive criticisms I can possibly think to offer:
1) In the 1:10-1:30ish section, I really missed the bass. By itself, piano get growl-ey when you pound in the low register, and Ben POUNDS. I worked as a sound tech at one of Ben's stops on his summer tour and the piano technician didn't stop grumbling about how much he banged on the instrument. That rough feeling I'm talking about really comes through in his playing, especially with the amount of bass we pumped through the hall. I don't know whether it was Ben himself or a sound tech, but they made sure we didn't skimp on the bass.
(As an afterthought, I tried listening to it with everything below 250 on the EQ pumped as high as WMP takes it and, minus the distortion, it sounds much better and way more like I remember from this summer.)
2) The scrapey things really didn't do anything for me... I suspect it was just the way they turned out that I'm not crazy about. Certainly didn't take anything away though, I still love the mix. =)

[Jarrid]

Woo! Excellent piece of work, my friend. I always have a soft spot for piano works on the site, and that really hit the spot. Keep 'em coming.

[Israfel]

What really stands out for me here is how fluid the arrangement is- it doesn't sound forced; it's like the original was *supposed* to be done this way. A great deal of contrast between sections- both in style and expression; the overall form of this mix is really top-notch.
And piano playing just feels so loose and natural- so fitting for the style. Strumming inside the piano at the end was a *really* nice touch as well.

There's nothing that I can really pick out as needing work- the whole piece simply comes across as very mature and well-done.
Definitely one of the best remixes I've heard. Very nice work.

[Xatos]

I liked the original but this remix is just wonderful. Should have been in the game:)

[kirbenvost]

Wow, this is pretty cool...however, I enjoyed the second half much more than the first. I guess I'm more a fan of epic melodies than bluesy grooves... Hehe, and that string-scratching part at the end is weird, but definitel cool. 8)

[Ether]

Wow... This has got to be my favorite piano arrangement on OCR. Amazing stuff. After hearing kLuTz's work, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to find a better arrangement - but here I am, and I have to say, this is awesome.

One of the greatest things about this is the fact that it's two distinct styles in one song. I love the more jazzy first half, but I must say that the sweeping, emotional latter part that kicks in a little after 3:30 is just amazing. It reminds me of a John Tesh piano album... (Which I consider to be a very good thing!)

Outstanding stuff - there is so much variety, it just doesn't get old. I'll be listening to this one for a long time to come.

[Sam Ascher-Weiss]

I never should have reviewed this song

[JJT]

please for the love of god..... people who listened to this song and liked it....... Listen to some real jazz piano [art tatum, herbie hancock, oscar peterson, michel camillo, chick corea, ted rosenthal, bill carrothers, Brad Meldau] any of these people would do. Tatum or Oscar especially if you want to see what a real "strong left hand" sounds like. I ask you to do this for the sake of all ligitimate jazz pianists. No offense Jigginjon, but you got a LOOOOOONG way to go. Best of luck.
You mean you don't think i'm a legendary pianist who will be remembered long after he's dead as a genius and an innovater? Please don't insult me by pointing out the painfully obvious. Being a jazz enthusiast I know I don't have the harmonic insight of Bill Evans, the chops of Chick Corea, or the innovation of Herbie Hancock, etc. I study and revere these men, so please give me a little credit. Anyway, you probably didn't mean anything by it.

Everyone else, take his advice.

-Jon

[Nebu]

Just you can have a better idea of the giants whose shoulders this remixer is attemping to stand on.

Those giants never played anything from F-Zero though now did they? :lol:

[ellywu2]

3:25 onwards is amazing. I love it.

[Less Ashamed Of Self]

I realized after a little while that not putting my 2 cents here would be a crime to such an amazing mix.
While, after a LOT of listening there's the odd thing I could see that would improve, (picky things that would probably just put my spin on it instead of yours) this is still an astounding piece of brilliant piano jazz. It's a great take on the original piece and a huge compliment to the original composer.

This track in particular carries special memories for me from this past summer of 2004. I would drive into night shift with my OCR cd cranked (two luxuries that were new to me) and would sing along... I know that would ruin it in any jazz club, but I pretty much memorized the whole thing by ear. It was just me, the night sky, the responsibility of the car, the wet windshield, and the smooth smooth mood-setting piano. The live piano recording sounds infinitely better than the highest quality soundfont...

Gorgeous.

As a greedy fan I demand more like it... but take you're time... give me 10/10's, not that should be too hard for your blessed fingers.

JJT, I salute.

[Sirocco]

Wow, never though i was see a jazz remix of this. I'm mightily impressed. I would like to see more of this kind of work on here, this is just too cool!

[PlastikBag]

Holy crap, I can't believe I've missed out on this mix for so damn long. It's freaking amazing. Upon the first listen, it immediately became one of my favorite piano pieces on this site. Well, I must say that I listened to the vgmix version, which I prefer quite a bit over this one. The vgmix version has a much more emotional and dynamic performance, at the slight cost of production. I love the jazzy first half quite a bit, but the second half is what REALLY sucks me into the piece.

Anyway, I totally recommend this to anyone. An instant favorite.

[Lucentas]

Another masterpiece from the mind of JigginJonT...how does he do that?

At first, I thought the string strumming at the end was kind of gimmicky, but I've since come to realize that nobody ever said you had to play an instrument the way everyone else does.

This piece is beautiful.

[LuIzA]

I've known this mix for quite long. but it is only now that I've played Xenogears that I've come to fully appreaciate its AWESOMENESS. Congratulations, this is one hell of a mix :)

then again, that is to be expected from JJT.

[JJT]

I've known this mix for quite long. but it is only now that I've played Xenogears that I've come to fully appreaciate its AWESOMENESS. Congratulations, this is one hell of a mix :)

then again, that is to be expected from JJT.

Great to hear from a remixer whose music I really respect. This one is so old that I'm a little embarrassed by it now, but all the same, thanks for the kind words.

[OA]

Pretty nice performance of the piece; some of the parts are a little basic, but there is a ton of charm working for this one, and some of the chord changes are exceptionally well thought out; some great new colors added.
Cool ending, was really not expected, but I liked it a lot, and brought it to a close well. Good stuff for sure.

[tweek]

I do love me some lounge jazz. The opening progression sets the mood perfectly! I do like the key changes, and that's saying something as I usually despise them in songs. Jazz lends itself to that kind of thing better than other genres, so good job capitalizing on it :).

I can hear wrong notes here and there, but it adds to the feel. 1:50 is awesome sauce. It's got Vince Guaraldi all over it. I can just see Charlie Brown and the gang walking around town! 2:46 brings a new rhythmic feel that is great. THe syncopation in the piece is quirky and fun. The dynamic shifts between peppy and solemn were a great choice and they flow into one another well.

Just like all piano arrangements, the trick is making them interesting. Well, production quality definitely has me. The arrangement is constantly moving. It evokes new ideas and images while listening to the piece. Some times I hear Charlie Brown and other times I hear the shopping music from The Sims. The strumming of the stings was an interesting idea. All around, excellent stuff!

[Kildem]

Yes!
I've had this song in my music folder for years, I downloaded it God knows where, and I didn't even know who made it and how I found it back then!
And now here I am, finding this piece again!
If you're the maker of this remix, well then, cool job man!

[WesternZypher]

and all tunes like it. More, please. The piano is simultaneously heart rending and stirring. This can soothe a sad heart, but also bring on the tears, if in the right mood. :-(