OCR01130 - Final Fantasy VI 'Squaresoft Variation'

[djpretzel]

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

[bLiNd]

OH MY GOD is right. Jeremy soule is one of my favorites mainly because of secret of evermore. I have a serious soft spot for that soundtrack, and for him to submit to OC is just amazing!!!!! This remix is absolutely superb (you dont even have to listen to it to know that ;) Jeremy has got the hookup studio with the most realistic orchestrations you will ever hear. And he is pure classical genius. so you dont need me to tell you that, this is just pure awesome. BTW i am remixing his greek temple theme from secret of evermore for project majestic mix. ANd if ur reading jeremy, i want it to be a tribute to you, hopefully you will hear it when im done.

bLiNd

[neminem]

Wow. I agree with everything bLiNd and DJP just said. This deserves to get insane amounts of attention, no matter how many Terra mixes have been done. Unlike the other two, though, I'd never heard the name before, not being particularly into RPGs. But this song makes me want to go play Icewind Dale or some other game he's composed for now. I am in serious amounts of awe at the moment. Russell Cox, you just got showed up ;-).

I should also point out that the link given (http://www.jeremysoule.com/master.htm) is a 404.

[Tacitus]

Wow...that was...wow...I can imagine maybe a century or two from now a bunch of people in tuxes (or their futuristic equivalent) crowding into an opera house in order to listen to music like this. Now there's a pleasant thought: composers of video game soundtracks being held in the same regard Mozart and Bach are held in today. With works like this, it's easy to see how it could happen.

Excellent work Mr. Soule! My hair literally stood on end at the finale! If you ever feel like submitting anything else to OC ReMix, don't be a stranger!

[Dj Orange]

Heheheh, poor guy's almost got "lost in the shuffle".

Seriously, this is the equivalent of Miyamoto sending in a DRC to Nintendorks. What a thing to happen. I hope for his sake Mr. Soule doesn't read this thread and get scared off by Neminem's horrible avatar. Have some class!!!11 And usse proper pucntioaton!

[Typhun]

This is amazing. Abso-frickin-lutely amazing. Its fuckin'n faaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic.

[Vig]

This is quite simply the best-produced piece on OCR. It is perfectly clear that this guy knows everything there is to know about orchestral composition and arrangement. This will be one of the most enduring remixes on OCR.

Wow.

[GrayLightning]

Excellent work Mr. Soule.

[Strife.]

When the background strings cut in at about 00:42, i was simply stunned. This sounds like a profesional recording. 01:08 and we get some great precussion effects. It gets a little slow around the 2 minute mark, but then quickly picks up again with a great piano part. By this time, I was looking for my jaw on the ground because it had fallen off my mouth. This is one of the greatest orchestral pieces EVER, not only at OC, but in any original private production. Your hard drive will be like a late night corner without prostitues if you don't have this song: boring.

[Liontamer]

This is absolutely excellent work, and even though DJP (understandably) went crazy in his mix description, this one's pretty much everything he said it was, and to be honest, I don't even like the Terra theme, so I'm grateful for Jeremy's very dynamic arrangement here. For all the nitpickers out there, I suppose if you want professional work, turn to a professional, because this is indeed very refined and polished. The atmosphere here is pretty dynamic without being overbearing, and the strings are beautiful.

It's tracks like these that make it much easier to get people to give video game music a chance, and with that said, I'll be glad to show this off to people I know. Hopefully, Mr. Soule might provide OCR with one or two more tracks down the line that give us more insight on other fellow game music composers he's enjoyed. As long as they don't get buried in the proverbial submission pile though, right Dave? Hey, a close call is better than not hearing this track at all, so hopefully no one rags on you too much!

[herograw]

yeah basically i hate the terra theme. used to like it, but it just got overplayed.

the thing is, though, i don't like squash either. but there's this place in Reno, CA that is so good at preparing meals that even stuff i don't like still tastes really good.

i'm sure anyone reading this would understand where i'm going..

-rob

[Kamui sama]

Great Blazing Heaven. I was breathless when I heard this, and I've listened to quite a few remixes, but none ever blew me away like this. I could have sworn I was listening to an actual orchestra here(I couldn't imagine that he could gather together an orchestra for just one pice, but who knows, it's that good). Wow, I wish he would take a few other pieces that deserve this treatment and work on them some time. I just love that he uses so many instruments and actually develops the music, you can hear the professionalism, all the years of experience and study being put into use here.

[Zakharov]

Astounding. Jeremy Soule does it again.

*hums Dungeon Seige tune*

[Ether]

This is, hands-down, the single greatest mix of its kind on this entire site. I'm duly impressed! No other orchestral mix has reached the level that this one does - very dynamic, flowing, living, breathing music. The sound was amazing - but not only that, it was put to incredibly good use, and wasn't in the least bit stagnant like so many other orchestral mixes tend to be. Great stuff all around!

Jeremy Soule has a new fan!

[Zaphlin]

ah, very nice indeed :D

[Blak_Omen]

You hear that? That's the sound of my jaw dropping to the floor at 1,700,000 miles per hour.

THIS IS FANTASTIC! I've always been a great fan of Jeremy Soule (I thought Dungeon Siege had top notch music...well I think he wrote the score for that) and man does this remix take the cake and beat up all other orchestral remixes on this site.

You hear that? That's the sound of Russell Cox being beaten up.

Honestly, this song gave me chills. It's a fantastic arrangement, PERFECT execution and is a MUST DOWNLOAD. MUST MUST MUST. Especially if you're a fan of any of the scores he's penned since the style is recognisable. Blah. I'm not making much sense, my mind has been exploded by sheer awesomeness.

I hope he does more (but probably since he's a busy guy he won't but here's hoping). Even if there are no more to come, this is most definitely worth a lifetime's waiting to hear.

23/10

[endblink]

Yeah. Just... yeah.

New level of quality for people to live up too. FUN!

*mind is blown*

[Nanaki]

Awesome...really, really awesome.

[Jivemaster]

A good professional mix, though it should be for anybody with the same equipment stash and facilities as Jeremy Soule. Regardless, it is good to see the bigger guys in the industry have interest in the little.

...and Russell Cox is still battling... it isn't over yet!

-Jive
www.jivemaster.com

[Xuande]

Top Marks

This is a brilliant song, and there are elements in it that remind me of Neverwinter Nights and Morrowind too. Excellent stuff. I recommend anyone who likes epic-sounding pieces listen to this. I'd love to hear more of his remixes, or even just his regular pieces.

[mv]

really glad to see this posted here. unlike some people i know who snob jeremy soule's work, i've been enjoying the soundtrack to morrowind immensely and have liked some of the ideas in neverwinter nights', i had even contacted him about that, and am thinking of remixing some morrowind tracks by him, once i figure out how to make something that can really stand the comparison.

i think this piece is a good mixture of elements from both of the soundtracks. it keeps a mysterious and enigmatic tone like a morrowind exploration tune while having some harsher, sudden punctuations like the action tracks in neverwinter nights.

this arrangement of terra's theme takes a filmesque approach and succeeds in quite a grandiose way. most would curse the skies that another terra remix is out but mr. soule shows his talent by providing something much deeper and elaborate than a melody variation. cleverly planned and - as always - benefitting from a beautiful instrumentation and professional production, this remix comes highly recommended!

[snow_cheetah]

hi hi

i'd just like to say, that was amazing. yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

-karl

[texxsound]

I dont wanna sound über-excited but i think EVERYONE of us could learn a lot from that piece of work!

by the way... Total Annihilation's soundtrack was awesome too

[Samurizzy]

Wow! I can't breathe! I never imagined that Terra's Theme could be so awe inspirieing!

I knew that Mr. Soule was a genius...but damn! My heart was melted instantaneously and was transported back to the world of my favorite FF of all time. Thank you Mr. Soule. You are always welcome here, and you piece not only shows your mastery of the art of composition, but your undieing love for music period.

Much Appreciated, much love, and big ups!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

[Xatos]

wow i didnt know HE did the secret of evermore soundtrack i really liked that one
and "terra" is always great..

[Blake]

Whoa, I love that harp. It sounds so...*drools*

Very dynamic, very everything, very damnit I wish I had these skills. This is a great present to wake up to. Wow...just incredible.

:P

[Sleepy Emp]

Excellent. Terra has never been better.

I'm crying. Thank you, Mr. Soule.

[Fritz the Cat]

When the background strings cut in at about 00:42, i was simply stunned. This sounds like a profesional recording.

Um...


Hello?

It is a professional recording.

Effectively.

[Reverse_Gecko]

Great piece! Superb sound quality, good arrangement, good length, and just all around great song. Not one of my favorites, but I like it anyways.

You guys are getting WAY to hyped up over this. Honestly I think most of djpretzels and AmiEvils works are better than this.

[X-77x]

To be honest, I really didnt think to much of this. Everything seems off to me, and it doesn't sound right. Granted, the quality of the song is amazing, it sounds, like it is, professional. Still, it was hard for me to get into. Maybe i just need to listen to it more?

[*morningstar]

Absoluetly incredible. Jeremy Soule is one of my favorite game composers and it blows my mind that he did a remix. Coming from sombody thats sat in an orchesta pit, this sounds real. If you close your eyes you can see it being played in a concert hall, and you can see the Magitek armor marching across the snowfield, a fragile young woman at the reins.

I was completely floored with this remix. I feel that it's one of the best ones on the site easily, and it takes a old and overused theme and injects some life and fire back into it. It feels very wintry especially with the piano and harp going on, and these have to be the most convincing brass samples I have ever heard. My favorite part has to be at 1:46 when the almost wailing flute comes in after the heavy brass cuts out. Combined with the piano and choir samples, you can really feel the tension and electricity, almost an understated desperation and sorrow, in the sound.

Hats off, Mr. Soule. This is a favorite. Can't wait for some more.

[DarkeSword]

http://www.darkesword.com/forumpics/nicework.jpg

[Protricity]

Didn't really like the variation much. Didn't like the chord choices. Seemed to me the original sections did not fit the terra sections well at all. Example: at 1:40, its as if he made some original progression and played terra over it whether it fit or not. He does this alot throughout the song. There is a lot of repeating.

Heavy Heavy reliance on sample quality; the gigasamples or whatever they are, they carry the song which wouldn't be much without them.

Way too short. Really ends too soon, and considering how much repeated, its kind of a let down.

I suppose my standards were held at the Final Fantasy Symphonic Suite on the Reunions cd or whatever it was called. That piece is very similar to this, but damned damned creative and well done. Simply put, I never really see these fake orchistra pieces even comming remotely close to the level of the professional real orchistrations or matching their creativity.

[Fritz the Cat]

Frankly, I fail to see the point.

Congratulating this guy for a remix is the equivalent of thanking an Olympic athlete for beating all the kids at track day in elementary school...

[Ingonyama]

But it is clear that this isn't something he just pulled out of his hat to impress us all. He spent time, effort, and energy composing this, because he sincerely believes in what the ReMixers are doing.

My hat's off to you, Mr. Soule. Not just for the amazing music (which is by FAR the biggest incentive yet for me to go buy the FF Anthology so I can play 6), but for the message sent, that you believe in the Mixers and respect them as much as they respect and admire you.

Thank you.

[Fritz the Cat]

Okay, fair enough if you put it that way, but odds are this guy on a bad day would probably sound better than anyone here on a good one.
...
...
...
Well, you know what I mean.

[Sil]

Jeremy Soule did a great job arranging this piece as a kind of theme and variations. He could have used all the original chord progressions and other features of the source material, but then again, who couldn’t? What he did to arrange this piece sounds very creative, much more so than the bland orchestrations of the Grand Finale cd.

As for samples, well, can’t sit here and wish it were the New York Philharmonic playing it. No composer wants his or her work judged by the fact some people have no imagination.

[- sketch -]

Took me two or seven times listening all the way through to respect it, honestly. I didn't think it had the same obvious aesthetic feel as did Terra In Black - the first time.

Now I wanna see someone make a video with this playing.

[Dhsu]

Didn't really like the variation much. Didn't like the chord choices. Seemed to me the original sections did not fit the terra sections well at all. Example: at 1:40, its as if he made some original progression and played terra over it whether it fit or not. He does this alot throughout the song. There is a lot of repeating.

Heavy Heavy reliance on sample quality; the gigasamples or whatever they are, they carry the song which wouldn't be much without them.

Way too short. Really ends too soon, and considering how much repeated, its kind of a let down.

I suppose my standards were held at the Final Fantasy Symphonic Suite on the Reunions cd or whatever it was called. That piece is very similar to this, but damned damned creative and well done. Simply put, I never really see these fake orchistra pieces even comming remotely close to the level of the professional real orchistrations or matching their creativity.
Ha...sounds like someone's a little jealous. :D

But I do admit this might be getting more hype than it deserves. Celebrity or fame shouldn't be the only reason for praise...in fact, I think it tends to attract a lot of criticism. Still, I think Jeremy did us all a great service with this wonderful arrangement. My hat goes off to him.

[G]

Woaaaaah!!!!

Aside from repeating what people are saying, I just want to give my sounds of approval! So without further ado...

Woaaaaaaaaah!!!

[Scuba]

Wow, probably one of the most flowing, beautiful sounding, and overall best remix I've ever heard.
http://www.wackyweaselworld.com/gamespot/flameINC/FU34.gif

[nostalgic gen]

Didn't really like the variation much. Didn't like the chord choices. Seemed to me the original sections did not fit the terra sections well at all. Example: at 1:40, its as if he made some original progression and played terra over it whether it fit or not. He does this alot throughout the song. There is a lot of repeating.

Heavy Heavy reliance on sample quality; the gigasamples or whatever they are, they carry the song which wouldn't be much without them.

Way too short. Really ends too soon, and considering how much repeated, its kind of a let down.

I suppose my standards were held at the Final Fantasy Symphonic Suite on the Reunions cd or whatever it was called. That piece is very similar to this, but damned damned creative and well done. Simply put, I never really see these fake orchistra pieces even comming remotely close to the level of the professional real orchistrations or matching their creativity.
Ha...sounds like someone's a little jealous. :D
Hehe, I'd have enjoyed reading that in the judges decisions forum.

There is a lot of repeating.
This is a criticism I've heard from you time and again and I must say I think it's a lazy one. Music by its very nature is repetative; your own submissions prove no exception.

Well I agree with Fritz that obviously one expects a professional with a top notch studio to submit a top notch remix, which he has, but surely that's missing the point. I think it's great that somebody from inside the industry that inspires us has chosen to show his appreciation for our efforts in this way. Regardless of the work submitted, I for one say "thank you."

I also hope that it's not your last contribution. :)

[Rellik]

Heavy Heavy reliance on sample quality; the gigasamples or whatever they are, they carry the song which wouldn't be much without them.


It's true that the sounds are great. However, it doesn't rely on those sounds overly much. What it *does* rely on is the amazing orchestration. I don't mean arrangement, as in the actual progression/harmony/melody of the piece. I mean, the actual articulation and idiom of each individual instrument. Arrangement-wise, this is a very intense mix, and achieves the symphonic effect easily.

A very nice mix, altogether. Great nuance, excellent musical and sonic tone.

[jessthemullet]

I think it's great that some of the actual composers are coming (and mixing) here. That shows that this page is really growing. The song is awesome. Need I say more?

[irus_xx]

Awesome. The quality was great, and it's a great theme to be remixed in the first place, let alone by someone as good at what he does as this. Bitchin.

[Noon]

Simply friggin' amazing.

[Xerol Oplan]

How did I miss this? Over the last week I've gone through and pulled down every FF, SoM, and CT song, between 1000 and the present, and somehow I passed over this.

Anyway, if I tried to post under the old Star system, I'd be over the post length limit. Even in decimal or hex numbers, I'd be pushing it.

And for those who want to see a 'video' with this in it, just wait...FF6 3D Project is well under way...

EDIT: I'm a ditz. I thought the remixes were into the 1200's, thats why I thought this was an older one. Then I looked at the date and realised it was still Feb.

[Zaphlin]

Excellent. Terra has never been better.


Hmm, I think Death on the Snowfield is still my favorite Terra remix. But this one gets second.

[InfinitysEnd]

Without a doubt, the most incredibly inspiring arrangement I've ever heard of the Terra theme. The only thing that tops this is the REAL ORCHESTRAL VERSION that can be heard on the official arrangement album, Grand Finale. And I think that's saying quite a bit, don't you? You shouldn't even be reading this. GET IT NOW!

[endblink]

Didn't really like the variation much. Didn't like the chord choices. Seemed to me the original sections did not fit the terra sections well at all. Example: at 1:40, its as if he made some original progression and played terra over it whether it fit or not. He does this alot throughout the song. There is a lot of repeating.
It's fun having a brother who's a music major:

Keep in mind this only applies to section 1:30-1:45

What we have here is arpeggios of harmonic progression in contrary motion to the original theme. He's condensed it rhythmically so he can fit it in half the time.

He's also using multiple themes in several voices to answer each other.

It's also interesting to note the polirhythm made by the bells.

It's evident the composser is well educated and knows what he's doing. The themes are not "forced to fit" with each other, as the reviewer mentioned, but instead answer rhythmically to the original theme.
Well, we learn something new everyday, don't we? ;)
Thank you, JJ.

[Shhteve]

The chills still haven't gone away.. This is definitely one of the best FF6 remixes on the site, and the quality is unparalelled.

[Protricity]

Having trouble accepting the opinions of others again? Well too bad, the others don’t care.

Anyone notice the clipping around the 2:14 mark? How about the poor eq and reverb?

Reliance on gigasamples will only get one so far, and yet there will still be a point that lack of technical skill will still catch up with them.

[endblink]

Having trouble accepting the opinions of others again?Nope. I have no problem with other people's opinions. If you don't like the piece, it's your lose.

I've just never been comfortable with how you like to pretend that you know what you're talking about when you obviously don't. I'm just sayin'.

lack of technical skillCase in point. Just remind me: Which one of you is the professional composer again?

Hmmm... interesting.

Actually, the reason I asked my bro about it was to maybe understand where you were coming from, 'cause that section you pointed out to me sounded fine.

So, thank you, Prot, 'cause if it weren't for you, we might not have learned exactly why and how Soule knows what he's doing. ;)

[Protricity]

I've just never been comfortable with how you like to pretend that you know what you're talking about when you obviously don't. Sorry then dude. I can't help you with that.

Anyway, please sticks to reviews alone. If you want to talk about other issues upto and including what I dont know, we can do it in PM. This forum is strictly for reviews.

[GrayLightning]

Protricity is entitled to his opinion. I will slightly disagree with the eq and reverb comment though. Normally orchestral mixes are eq'd as little as possible. The reverb sounds very good in my opinion. It's very dense and rich. My only slight complaint is the reverb is slightly too wet, but that doesn't at all take away from the quality of this mix.

[AarowSwift]

Wow, I haven't seen this much ass kissing since donkey mating season ended.

This is a beautiful piece of music and a no-brainer for my collection, but there are a lot of pieces off this site that speak to me more. Saying that this is the best piece on the site is, well, not an opinion I share. This is a fantastic piece, but there are a lot of other pieces I've pulled from this site that I'll play more often than this. This musical track is one amongst many that belong on the top tier of quality.

[nostalgic gen]

Anyone notice the clipping around the 2:14 mark?
No clipping here even at considerable volume. There is a trill being played that might be confusing you though. I suppose it could sound like crackling on a lofi system.

Reliance on gigasamples will only get one so far, and yet there will still be a point that lack of technical skill will still catch up with them.
Well given that this is an orchestral piece, and seeing it's unlikely how he'd hire an orchestra for the sole purpose of providing OC with a remix, I don't see what else his options are. He's clearly not just fired up gigastudio and played a .mid file through it but has spent a lot of time putting this arrangement together. He obviously knows his way around both this (vast) sample library and a *real* symphony orchestra. From that pov I'd say technical skill is displayed in abundance and I can't really see where you're coming from.

[The Xyco]

My goodness, I'm in tears, this is indeed a glorious day for OCR.

[Spiritsnare]

Oh My God is right. I registered on the forums...just to reply to this mix.

And what can I say? Beautiful. This is a very nice arrangement of Terra's (or for those who STILL DON'T GET WHAT IT IS, the intro thing with Vicks, Wedge, and Terra walking through Narshe.)

Goddamn, this is brilliant. But I can't share the love for Soule's other songs, as I haven't played anything that has his work in it. But this just takes the cake - excellent blend of notes (and a bit of ambient-sounding blank space, too, at 1:46~2:20). Like an earlier reviewer, I can actually IMAGINE this being played at a concert, like the upcoming Dear Friends concert at LA. Lucky people, you.

Hallelujah. I don't know what else to say, because I am just stunned right now. THIS IS RECOMMENDED. DOWNLOAD IT NOW. NOW. AND NOW.

[SoZ]

... I do believe I just wet myself. This is the kind of thing I fantasize about. (I'm talking about the music, not wetting myself, by the way.) THE Jeremy Soule producing an arrangement of my all-time favourite game theme. (Overplayed? Bah!) Not only that, but it is one of the most gorgeously arranged remixes ever submitted to OC. The execution is also flawless and the resulting sound so rich and well balanced that it is pure aural joy.

I don't know about anyone else, but I keep hearing hints of Yoshihiro Ike's Blood The Last Vampire soundtrack in here. I think it's the rythmic strings over the main theme that do it.

-= SoZ =-

P.S. Yes, I have just registered on the forums for the sole purpose of posting this. The mix is so darn good I just had to say so.

[TromboneSamurai]

Meh...it's all right. Analogically speaking, in some portions it feels like a horn player who seems to be drawing in breath the right way, but when it comes time to deliver, he hasn't a clue about how to fill the bell with rich, full sound.

All in all, the first eight bars of Terra's theme seem to be plunked in there with a smattering of dissonant strings thrown in between. The string progressions feel like they could've been plucked out of a DeBeers or Mercedes Benz commercial. Hum drum, at best. Even the instrumentation seems to be a bit off, but I'm just an amateur brass player. What do I know?

Perhaps "Terra's Theme for the CG Orchestra" wasn't the best route to go with it. I like the original composition as much as the next guy, but if I'm going to be treated to three and a half minutes of the first eight bars, I'd like a little spice instead of a morose symphony that tosses the melody back and forth between instruments.

Classically, peices entitled "Variations on Song X" usually include several key and tempo changes, and may even reverse the melody. But then I could be overlooking the fact that there is no 's' at the end of Variation in the title. Still, Variations on a song are supposed to be pieces where composers flex their creative muscle, and there were only scant traces of creativity here.

I also don't quite agree with the little brass there is in the peice used for schwarzandos in a handful of places. But then that's more of a matter of personal preference as I'm a symphonic band instrumentalist, and less inclined to a medium of music that has me count to four eighty times, play a smattering of notes, and then go back to counting.

After deeper thought, perhaps the biggest force behind the peice is the novel quality that A) It's by Jeremy Soule and B) It utilizes high quality synth that comes with being in the business for a number of years. I've only whitnessed Soule's work first hand in KotOR, and the variations on established Star Wars themes were much more interesting, musical, and memorable. This mix, however, feels uninspired, fails to go anywhere we haven't been before, and hasn't evoked anything within me.

But I can't ignore the good intentions behind it, so kudos to Mr. Soule for his effort. I just think it could have been much better.

[Sil]

three and a half minutes of the first eight bars


Congratulations, you just figured out what a "variation" is.

[Dhsu]

Hm....I never noticed that he didn't actually use the entire theme. No wonder it was so short. :D

Anyway...no offense, but your dixieland-waltz-salsa suggestion doesn't seem to be too practical. Just because the song is short doesn't mean he has to leapfrog between half a dozen styles. I think Jeremy's done an excellent job of expanding on the theme each time he repeats it without becoming repetitive or monotonous, and he ends it at exactly the right time in order to avoid making it so. Just because he's consistent doesn't mean he's boring.

[Navi]

Very nice orchestral work. The Epic feel works well with this theme. I really dont have much to say about this peice. Apparently I am the only person on these boards who hasnt played a Jeremy Soule composed game, so i have no previous knowledge of the name. This mix is beautiful, well arranged and well produced. I really dont see any problems, and in all true honesty (given the nature of the mixer) i dont expect any simple issues like clipping to be apparent (unlike certain people's mixes :oops: ).

I don't see where any arguement can be made against the quality of this mix. Nice, nice work, sir.

[Bahamut]

Very nice orchestral work. The Epic feel works well with this theme. I really dont have much to say about this peice. Apparently I am the only person on these boards who hasnt played a Jeremy Soule composed game, so i have no previous knowledge of the name. This mix is beautiful, well arranged and well produced. I really dont see any problems, and in all true honesty (given the nature of the mixer) i dont expect any simple issues like clipping to be apparent (unlike certain people's mixes :oops: ).

I don't see where any arguement can be made against the quality of this mix. Nice, nice work, sir.

Well here's some that he composed: Secret of Evermore, Total Annihilation, Dungeon Siege, and Morrowind, to name the most notable games. The only one I haven't played that he composed is Morrowind...I should give that a shot sometime.

As for the mix, after a few listens, I'm really appreciating this, and not just because of the sample quality. I'm really liking how the instruments are being used here, intertwined in such interesting ways which makes classical music so good.

[soapdishbandit]

I am new here to the forums but not to the website. Being a musician myself I have to say Jeremy Soule has a very nice sound to his writing. I wonder where he got his samples from. I use a K2500X, and an Alesis, along with sound fonts I find, etc.....

Secret of Evermore was my first game I played by him doing the music and I for one loved it. The Ostanato pattern by the strings and the orchestra is very moving. My biggest compliment again is the high quality samples he uses. I mean, not to be disrespectful to anyone out there who doesn't compose or is not necessarly a musician but being a musician, I was even fooled at a few areas in the music, thinking it was a live orchestra.

Againk, Kudos Jeremy! Look forward to many more arrangements!!! :)

Jeremy Barnes

p.s. If you read this, can you tell me what equipment you used for this composition. :) Thanks!

[Jared Hudson]

A mix that shows when you understand your equipment, a great mix can be achieved. This is why Jeremy is well grounded in this industry. Great production, and composition as well. Although, I do notice MANY of pieces are in this same nature.....very intimate, lush, and somewhat flat, but rarely. The reverb seems to be slightly thick, but it's fairly clean, and I can tell Jeremy used it for the emulation of the concert hall.

Again, great mix and composition. You know you're good, so admit it. :wink:

Jared Hudson

[Quack]

I'm not going to elaborate on what I think of this mix. It's just beautiful.

What impresses me more though is that Mr. Soule actually took time out of his life to contribute something to this site, and to the remixing community in general. He's not just some hack remixer doing this as a hobby, so his support is really quite generous.

[risingson77]

Very, very nice. :o

I rather like the exploration of Terra's theme. Nice dynamic changes and the like.

...and to think I almost didn't download it! "Oh God, not another FF6 remix..." Only DJP's gushing recommendation got me to download. ;)

As for clipping, if I listen hard with the sound up I can hear a small click in the right channel around 2:14. Than again, I've heard clicks on many tracks on my PC, so it's probably just my shitty audio system. :P

[yoshi1001]

Every so often, I feel compelled to look at a mix to a game I've never even played. This is one such occasion (I know, I really should play it). As far as orchestral mixes go, this is clearly one of the best technically. I could see this as the opening credits to a movie. That being said, I would have liked to hear more, perhaps a full movement with some other themes thrown in.

[jezon2000]

8O

[leena fighter]

Wow, this makes me want to go out and play the games he's composed for. Really great stuff, this is definitely a cut above the rest, especially considering how many Terra remixes there are. It also makes me want to go play VI again X3

Damn, man. OCRemix sucks for having such good remixes like this.

[TheVagrantTKM]

Jeremy Soule?!?! The genius who composed the Icewind Dale soundtrack?! So stricken with disbelief was I that I half-conviced myself this was some kind of really early April Fools joke.... Until I heard the tune! Three cheers for Jeremy for supporting this site! Three cheers for DJP for creating it! Hip Hip Hurrah! 8O

[MDKaltered]

This is sweet. If you like orchestral mixes, then download this. Now.

[Ashgad]

Now I'm not a big fan of Soule's original work (gasp), but this is very nice. All of the specific compliments I'd pay it have been given a dozen times by now in this thread: the rich sound, the deep understanding of how each instrument should sound, the general excellence of the arrangement in general, etc. However, I must say that the brass lines in this track are very weak; virtually every time one of them is even audible, there's an over-strong drum-and-string line covering it up. Other than that, no complaints. :)

[Nigel Simmons]

WOW! Sounds almost like a John Williams version of the Final Fantasy theme!

[jeremysoule]

Dear Overclocked Remixers,

I decided to create a "remix" for two reasons. First, I love Nobuo Uematsu. He was the whole reason I became a composer at Squaresoft many years ago. Secondly, I want to show my support for all of the great work that you, the remixers, are doing here and that your work and your enthusiasm is appreciated by many of us in the industry. We all strive to be our best and often, music can be a struggle. However, the love of music is why we are all here.

On a technical note, my remix was done with both commercially available libraries (Gigastrings.com) and also proprietary sounds that we have made over the years here at Artistry. The brass, winds and percussion were all part of the Artistry library. The verb was a Lexicon 960L and everything was mixed in Logic. Gigastudio is my tool of choice and the work was sequenced in Logic Platinum on a G5. For expression, I used something called a Kurzweil Expressionmate for ribbon control--this thing is great, it looks like a sword but offers a large work area for control. Orchestral music requires a ton of controller data information.

I wish everyone the very best! Keep up the remarkable work.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Soule

Proud recipient of the 2004 British Academy award (BAFTA) for "Best Score--Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Best Score" from Gamespy for "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic"

[nostalgic gen]

Was there an article about you in Sound On Sound magazine recently? I got zero results when I searched for your name but, all the same, I remember seeing a recent Harry Potter game in an article about someone.

[ShiroSynth]

Proud recipient of the 2004 British Academy award (BAFTA) for "Best Score--Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Best Score" from Gamespy for "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic"

Hah, love the sig. Really sticks you in the eye ;)

[herograw]

Proud recipient of the 2004 British Academy award (BAFTA) for "Best Score--Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Best Score" from Gamespy for "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic"

Hah, love the sig. Really sticks you in the eye ;)

yeah, except... it's not a sig.

-rob

[Sir Harmony]

Hey guys, newbie here!
I've been a fan for OCR for like half a year now, maybe more, the site is AWESOME!!! Well I registered mainly to say : OMG MR. JEREMY SOULE!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK! *yells like a lil girl*
I'm a HUGE fan!!! Way to go OCR!!! His remix is truly a work of art *I know it's been said tens of times, still*
Just wanted to know btw what the instrument (specifically) was on 1:46, it's not exactly a flute, sounds more Irish/Japanese like, any hint would be welcome :D !

Deepest respect to you all, especially Mr. Soule,

Later guys!!! *OMG STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HIS EYES!!!*

[Nase]

8O

wow.

thanks for a snes soundtrack that deeply touched/thrilled a 9 year old boy. i dont think i even recognized that it was the music that made SoE so magic to me back then. I just somehow felt very involved in the rather dark atmosphere of that game despite the crappy jokes ;)

enjoying your remix a lot. wish i had at least the devices for creating epic stuff like that :?

ok, thats what i had to say.

thankya kindly, Mr. Soule.


and next week id like to have Hiroki Kikuta on OC.

[nachokun]

I've checked the file for clipping - none detected.

This is a well-produced and exceptional orchestral arrangement. For that, my commendation goes to you, Mr. Soule.

[Altima]

I know I'm pretty low key around here, and I haven't made any remixes, but I've been listening to them for at least 3 years now on this site, I have to say hats off to this one!

Allow me to be the ten-millionth gushing forum user to say Thank You, Mr Soule, both for letting the good people who make these mixes know that they are appreciated by the original artists and for contributing such a great arrangement. No doubt your schedual is packed, and I understand the demands made on game music is going up more and more these days, but I wonder if you will attempt this sort of thing again, considering the praise you have so deservedly garnered this time? Of course, it must be much more satisfying to be able to create your own works, though.

Anyway, on another note, one person whom I'd love to see give an opinion or, daresay a remix, would be Jesper Kyd, the man behind the Hitman and Freedom Fighters soundtracks. He's made some very interesting music, and his work is probably underrepresented here at OCR. But I get off topic. This is a wonderous remix which has brought life to a theme that has been done again and again on this site, and I believe it has helped us realize just why we loved the original anyway! Thanks, again!

[Gwilym]

this is very good - last time a remix by a prominent game composer was posted here and hyped up, it was shit. but this definitely deserves the praise it's receiving. i don't like how much attention it's drawing compared to the other arrangements, but i can understand why it's getting it.

it's a very nice variation. my only real complaints are that it should be longer, and use more of the original theme. but it's good. a few technical issues, but they only become apparent while wearing headphones, and sound more like problems that arose during the conversion of the track to an MP3 rather than anything that happened during the song's production.

and yeah, i'd like to hear jesper do something too. i personally think he's underrepresented not because his work is lacking, but because most of it is a bastard to remix. i've tried. :P

[Ardus]

This song gave me so many warm feelings of nostalgia inside. Even though it is Terra's theme, Mr. Soule truly made it his own. This Remix reminds me of setting out for adventure after escaping from Narshe in Final Fantasy 6. But somehow, it also reminds me of exploring on Morrowind, dungeon crawling on Neverwinter Nights, and playing SoE at my old friend from across the streets' house, all memories that I treasure. This song will definitely remain on my playlist as long as I listen to game music.

[xamgis]

This is fantastic! I don't think there's much more to say than that.

[archlyn]

I've died and gone to Heaven. Seriously. Not only is this a kickass song, It's made by none other than the same composer of one of my current faavorite titles, Neverwinter Nights. I LOVE that. Hats off to you, Mr Soule. I Sincerely hope this will not be the last we hear of you

[Bahamut]

Proud recipient of the 2004 British Academy award (BAFTA) for "Best Score--Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Best Score" from Gamespy for "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic"

Whoa, I didn't know he created the soundtrack to Knights of the Old Republic!

[WingsOfFire]

Wow. I must say, when I saw that this remix was submitted by a professional, I was amazed. Then I heard it. I'm still listening to it (and no, I will not let it stop until I'm sick of it). Terra's theme has always been one of my favorite video game character themes; I like to just sit and listen to it when I play the game (I do this with Schala's theme as well when I get to that point in Chrono Trigger, just let the game rack up hours while I sit and listen to her theme), and if FF6 was ever remade into a FFX/FFX-2-esque game (with the nice, pretty graphics and FMV's), I can see this piece being used. I especially love the grand finale, and the song gives me chills while listening to it.

It also sends memories back of when I first played FF6 on Final Fantasy Anthology (and then later on my boyfriend let me play his SNES version :) ).

This will stay on my list of favorite remixes from OCR. :D

[Evilhead]

Wow, I couldn't believe it when I saw that Jeremy Soule had submitted a remix. A very cool moment in OCR history! As far as the song itself, it's of course wonderful. Beautiful all around, and it's an arrangement of one of my favorite video game themes. Just perfect.

Mr. Soule, I've been a fan of yours for quite a while... Thanks so much for submitting this great piece. It's very cool for you to do something like this!

[Shonen Samurai]

Even if it wasn't Jeremy Soule who did this, I still would have liked it.

An enormous gesture. An excellent mix.

[Squall379]

To truly appreciate it I had to turn my speakers up a lot louder than I usually do but now that I can hear it clearly ( :roll: ), this is a great mix. It didn't hit me with the impact that 'Terra In Black' did and I think that is still my favorite Terra theme. But it is still a great mix and it is very inspiring and very cool that a composer of his caliber notices "little old" OCR.

[NoWave]

Just... wow.

This remix is fantastic, the instruments sound so real!

Btw, am I the only person who can hear a heavily back mixed flute playing "Tonight, tonight" from west side story during the quiet part?

But never mind all that, lets just sit and be awed by this man...

[Rhombus]

I find it amusing and kind of strange that given the abundantly warm welcome this remix has found at this site, that PC game soundtracks are still under-represented and under-appreciated at this, and many other game soundtrack communities. Does it take a remix of a console classic for Mr. Soule to earn some well-deserved recognition? I mean, this track is great... the original is a favorite of mine, and Mr. Soule certainly does it justice in this remix. I'm just saying that his own ORIGINAL pieces in games like Icewind Dale, Giants: Citizen Kabuto (which had just an AWESOME soundtrack), Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind, and Star Wars: KotoR are absolutely wonderful (in my opinion, even better than this remix) and don't really get the praise and attention they should. Maybe because they're PC games, maybe because they're non-Japanese games, I dunno.

[Andricon]

I chose this track for my first review for several reasons. The greatest of which is because it forced me to address the question, “What makes a remix original, what makes one art, and what makes a remix a butchered piece of garbage?” One could write a whole book about such a topic, but for the sake of time and eye-strain, I will address such abstracts as they pertain solely to this track.

I was expecting little more than your every-day, average cover, that placed too much emphasis on the more memorable and recognizable segments of the original score. We hear it all the time in various remixes: Where the “artist” focuses too much on “that one part” of a track.

Having said that, I was prepared for an enjoyable, though thoroughly debased remix (an all too common occurrence with covers). However, shortly within the first minute, this track established itself as something more. I was surprised as the artist started to venture away from the original score, and even more so when I found it was done in a very passionate, original, and appropriate way. The track suddenly walked the line between a well done remix and a completely new piece that was refreshingly reminiscent of something I was familiar with. The artist has succeeded in not only taking this track in a new direction, but competently integrating their newly stylized segments into the original. That is what makes this piece art: It remains true to the original while contributing something completely unique in itself. It’s easy to tell that a lot of thought was put into this track. There are some forgivable flaws in this track, which will go without mention as they are thankfully and fortunately outshined by the sheer magnitude and complexity that is brought to this track. Just as well, since I would only appear to be a nit-picking elitist, as I am a fan of Baroque/Romance music. This is the kind of music that raises the bar a notch, and justly so, many will never surpass it.

Perhaps only an industry professional, or the Warsaw Philharmonic, could have done better. Bravo.

The above line was written without knowing (or caring) who the composer is, and without knowledge of their previous works, and professional credits.

[nostalgic gen]

I find it amusing and kind of strange that given the abundantly warm welcome this remix has found at this site, that PC game soundtracks are still under-represented and under-appreciated at this, and many other game soundtrack communities. Does it take a remix of a console classic for Mr. Soule to earn some well-deserved recognition? I mean, this track is great... the original is a favorite of mine, and Mr. Soule certainly does it justice in this remix. I'm just saying that his own ORIGINAL pieces in games like Icewind Dale, Giants: Citizen Kabuto (which had just an AWESOME soundtrack), Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind, and Star Wars: KotoR are absolutely wonderful (in my opinion, even better than this remix) and don't really get the praise and attention they should. Maybe because they're PC games, maybe because they're non-Japanese games, I dunno.
This is possibly a subject for discussion in its own right. If it's any consolation I'm currently working on a remix of a pc game. But that's for a different thread..

[Pherexio]

I must say I'm impressed. Terra's them is my all-time favourite character theme, and this mix has taken to a whole new level! I have this song occur 8 times on my playlist of 14. All 14 of those are Terra's theme mixes, and I usually skip the other ones to get to this one! Simply amazing, and a piece to be remembered for a long time to come. :D :D :D :D :D 5/5 for you, Mr. Soule!

[Broken_Wind]

The only real complaint I have about this song is the length. I mean, it really should be around 5, possibly even 6 hours long to properly satisfy me. That aside, all I can say is "DAMN.", because there are no words in English to properly describe this. so, DAMN.

This guy has made other music? Why don't I already own it?

[TheWanderer]

Wow. This has to one of the most incredible versions of this song I've ever heard. Scratch that, it's one of the best orchestrated remixes I've ever heard in my entire life. There are no words to describe this, other than "It's so damn good it actually made me post after not posting for over a year." Bravo, and keep up the good work with future game music Mr. Soule. But do remix for us again every once in awhile. :wink:

[Kaleb.G]

Whoa! 8O

I almost didn't come to OCR today as I wasn't really in the mood for music at the time, and I needed to get back to work. But then I thought, "Well, what if there's a remix that just popped up on there that will blow me away?" Lo, and behold, I see an FF6 mix accredited to Jeremy Soule. My first thought was the database messed up and they stuck a random composer name in the remixer area for some strange reason. My second though was that it just happened to be a different Jeremy Soule. But when I saw djp's first three words, "Oh. My. God." I knew it was true; composer Jeremy Soule had created an OCRemix. Then the trumpets sounded and the angels began to sing. Oh glory!

This is a great mix. Let's leave it at that. Excellent sounding stuff, indeed. 8)

But mearly the fact that a very well known (and extraordinary) composer such as Mr. Soule would come to our humble site and contribute to it is mind-boggling, in a good way. Secret of Evermore is one of my favorite soundtracks, and I plan to listen to all of his works soon (I've heard some of Total Annihilation, and I liked what little I heard).

I don't really know what else to say besides, "Jeremy, I hope this isn't your last remix!" :D

Maybe we can get Uematsu to come on here and remix something from Secret of Evermore. 8)

P.S. As Nasenmann said, Kikuta would be very welcome as well. :wink:

[Leliel]

eh one more praise-gushing post can't hurt 8O

i hold morrowind and kotor to be the best PC soundtracks of 2002 and 2003 and coming from the same composer this doesn't disappoint me in the least. i'm not a technical expert so i'm not going to pick details; quite simply, it works. download if you like his other productions, download if you like FF6, download if you like good music regardless of its origin.

mr.soule, there's clearly plenty of interest in your work here and it looks like many of us look forward to more contributions from you in the future.

[Samurai Jin]

This is is a truly beautiful piece, great by all nature, hands down God's gift to man, but anyway Morrowind, KOTOR, and SoE (only games I've played by Mr. Soule ((I know I'm a slacker.)).) Hands down one of the best produced pieces on the site, if not the best. Not Necissarily the best feeling (that depends on the listener). Great Job, oh yeah sorry Square USA didnt work out... I really didnt like SoE all that much anyway the music was good though ^_^.

[luminaire23]

When I read that this mix was submitted by THE Jeremy Soule there was nothing stopping me from downloading it. I wasn't disappointed, either. I've really enjoyed all of his previous music, and this was no exceptions. Thank you Mr. Soule, for this delightful remix.

[SnIpErMiKe]

Heh, you can really tell he's a professional. I've still gotta go with "Terra In Black" for the best FF6 remix, but if I ever got this piece in a concert-band format, I might just change my mind.

I think we've found the opening song for the next Final Fantasy movie.....

[Sockatume]

It sounds good to me, but somehow it doesn't quite hit the spot... partly, I imagine, because I've not heard the original music (I've not played FF6! It's true!), but I also get the feeling it's because I'm listening to it on headphones, when it sounds like it needs some space to breathe.

I'll have some nice surround speakers turning up soon...

[CopycattVII]

Oh my god! You have hads this song for over a year! I have had this song for months and it is one of the best Orchestral arangemnts I have ever listened to. It is just mind boggling you couldn't have posted it sooner. However as a fan I am greatful you found it. This song is so rich and deep and I look for a lot of music similar to this one. And i hope other listeners also feel the same. Sincerley ~ Aistrop

[CopycattVII]

Im am also a huge fan of final fantasy music... particular the orchestrated versions. But most of all you have to remember that people like differnt styles of music.

[Andricon]

Yuo know where's teh unfunney part?? Even though worldwide Jeremy Soule is the most respected American gaem music composer, 99% of North American gamers never heard of him because PC games are not popular there adn he remixed the well known Terra's theme to gain popularity.

Adn yes, the remix is vary good.

What's also "unfunny" is that after reading your post, and despite your horrible grammar and spelling, your profile says that you are a professor. I'm guessing you teach Catcalls on the corner by the Truck Stop?

*Rim shot*
:lol: Take my wife, please.
*room is silent*
*crickets chirp*

Fine. Bite me.

OK... seriously now. That's the problem with game music. No matter how good (or bad) it is, it's only going to be listened to by a select few. People who want to listen to music go out and buy an audio CD (or rip it, or D/L it, etc). People don't buy games simply to listen to the music. Music is simply part of the game experience. If the game succeeds, then only rarely, is an official soundtrack released for it (domestically).

What makes things worse, is that some people who are fans of Game OST's are very elitist and exclusive about it. I understand why, I really do, especially since it's part of (our) their niche culture. Yet if they wanted to spread awareness about such wonderful music, they would not treat people outside "the know" as idiots.
I have heard people playing a track from an OST, and when someone asks what it is, their response usually is something akin to, "You would not understand. This is rare/underground stuff" which in itself is a laughable comment.
It's truly a shame.

We should nurture such interest, not only to bring more credibility to the Game Industry, but also to help expand the horizons of music, and bring well deserved recognition to the Composer/Sound Engineer.

I try to passively trap people into listening to it.
Example: While listening to a Game Music Mix CD I made a friend asks me what it is. Now, if I were to tell her that it was music from a video game, certain doors in her mind would almost instantly close. Not only would she associate video games with something only a child does, but then she would associate me with that as well. So instead I simply tell her that it's a mix, and/or I only tell her the name of the composer (not the game). I offer to make her a copy. She agrees. I go home and burn her tracks of what she mentioned she liked, and then throw in some I think she would, or tracks that I think are very ingenious.
Weeks later she tells me how much she likes it and how often she listens to it. This repeats a few times with different styles of music and different OST's. It's actually fun for me too, as I'm sharing aspects of myself with a friend of mine, while I'm learning more about her musical tastes.
Then I casually reveal the source of the music. By that time, she's so into it, that she does not care.

You know how cool it is to walk into a friend's apartment, and hear her not only playing some CD's you made her, but playing music from a game that you recognize?
It's very cool indeed.

OK... I'm shutting up now. 8)

[thebishounen]

wow 8O
it's almost unfair how good this is...
i'm really impressed

[Revolver]

This Remix is breathtaking.........absolutely beautiful.

[arias]

andricon, I totally agree with you :) and your little anecdote is completely admirable. My mother was extremely dimissive of video games as well as its music, she never believed it was any good. It was not until one day, when I was putting "Small Two of Pieces" from Xenogears on loud that she asked, "what's that?".. Maybe she learnt a little then.. but she still has no respect for video games.

Regardless, this remix is very good indeed. The overall sound is very real and wholesome, and although a real orchestra could have done better, that is an unfair consideration. It's a great piece of music, and I'd have to say the variations in the theme are interesting enough.

The only problem could be it's lack in length, a song of this epic proportion needs more exploration in the middle to expand its musical themes and fully reach its potential. But I guess Jeremy would be a little too busy for that.. other than that, I applaud this remix for its greatness as a whole.

[Nigel Simmons]

I listened to it a 2nd time, and I actually have to say that it isn't all that breathtaking. I can't stand the sound of some of the string sounds (although, I'm picky about strings), and it sounds a little sloppy in places. I love Jeremy's work, but it just isn't what everyone's making it out to be. I've heard remixes that are about as good as this one.

[- sketch -]

Such as :?:

[Xah]

Mmmm... orchestral.....
This brings back the memories, alright.

This is one of the best orchestrated songs I've heard. Scratch that, its THE best. 3/3 thumbs up!

[Nigel Simmons]

Ok, scratch that. I had the mids set all the way up on my amp for some odd reason so it made it sound like shit. It's the best orchestral remix on the damn site!!

[Dracofire87]

I will say that this is a very good ReMix. It sounds extraordinary, the samples, everything...but I will say that I don't think this is the greatest ReMix on this site. Simply because...while it was a very good piece, for me, it held no emotion, none of that quality that sucks you into the music. Technically, it's superb, as well it should be. But it isn't the best this place has ever heard.

[BlueEnvy]

Mmm very nice sounding arrangement.

Vigilante mentioned something about Jeremy Soule just putting the melody from Terra over original chords that dont work. I think that might be just opinion that they dont sound good, because I think they work quite well. There is a lot of original stuff, but the Terra theme is still present enough to call it a mix. One thing that I dont like about this piece is the "piano." That sound confused me at first because it doesnt sound like a piano, more like some sort of chimes. Is it just me or does anyone else feel that way? Anyway, nice job Jeremy, I hope you submit future pieces to OCR...

~Blue

[MrSaturn]

I wasn't too impressed. The song never seems to reach a decent climax, but rather dilly-dallys along hoping to stay afloat on the weight of excellent sampling and composition. And I will give the song that much; it sounds incredibly professional and well-thought-out. I must, however, state that it does not leave me as impressed as other Terra themes on the site and less than impressed overall. I appear to be about the only dissenting opinion from the majority, but that's alright. I hold true to my opinion.

[Marletto]

The first thing I though when I heard this Remix is, "Wow, it's FFVI meets Morrowind." This was before I skipped on over to Soule's website and found out he wrote music for Morrowind. So I am assuming Soule uses some sampling or at least some inspiration from Morrowind in this remix.

Sifting through his other credits, I found he's written music for a number of other games which I realy enjoyed the score of.

I wasn't all suprised, a lot of his work has the same tone and feel to it. I am not sure if that is because he simply prefers a particular style, or if thats what he's hired for. You know something like, "Hey Jeremy, we are looking for a sounds similar to what you did in xxxxx..."

I'd be interested to her the artist's input on this.
I specifically saw notable similarities between his works in:
Secret of Evermore
Dungeon Seige
Neverwinter Nights
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Marletto

[Phoenixero]

Excellent work, most definately. It's true that it doesn't seem to reach much of a climax.. but the piece is very beautiful nonetheless. Love it.

[fisherman]

I would love to /play/ this, and that's one of the biggest compliments I can think to give.

This thing has such the climax at 3:something that I could practically hear it squirting all over the floor. Don't know where people are getting off (heh) with saying that...

Stylistically? In being similar to his other works? My girlfriend and I are both avid classical music fans (and performers). When we're listening to the radio, we can instantly pick out a Bach, a Beethoven, a Debussy, a Mozart, even if neither of us has heard that particular piece before. Certain composers do have certain styles, but that doesn't mean that they're any less great.

[FusionMonkey64]

This peace really seems to express the grand scale of the game it was modeled after. It never seems to reach a high point , but the whole piece is solid. It moves well and has a nice incorpiration of instruments. (The wind chime was a great idea.) Excellent piece.

[Villainelle]

The first thing I though when I heard this Remix is, "Wow, it's FFVI meets Morrowind."

My thoughts exactly. This remix is very much in the vein of Mr. Soule's NWN/Morrowind/KotOR work, densely epic and thematic.

I too did a double-take after seeing the name "Jeremy Soule" in the credits for this mix. Seeing djp's "Oh. My. God." just split my face into a huge grin and I knew it was true - one of my favorite game composers remixed one of my other favorite game composer's best-known and most stirring tracks. This is just heaven. I've been replaying Morrowind lately, whistling that damn theme song constantly, and dropped by OCR on a lark during a break from playing. Lo and behold, what a gift was waiting. Thank you so much, Mr. Soule - not only for this beautiful piece of music, but as others mentioned, for actually taking time out of your busy life to rearrange a song many here hold dear and submit it to OCR. I'm just...wow. Wow. Thank you.

[setzertrancer]

wow this remix blew me away, that fact that it is done by a professional really shows as it contains so many elements that sound great and if they should ever make a FF6 movie, this would have to be the theme without question.

melody= 10/10
sound fx= 10/10
context= 10/10
originality 10/10 He has managed to made the song sound completely different yet the same.
Overall= 10/10

And beleive me it's rare for my to give anything a 10/10

[Blake]

Mmm very nice sounding arrangement.

Vigilante mentioned something about Jeremy Soule just putting the melody from Terra over original chords that dont work. I think that might be just opinion that they dont sound good, because I think they work quite well. There is a lot of original stuff, but the Terra theme is still present enough to call it a mix. One thing that I dont like about this piece is the "piano." That sound confused me at first because it doesnt sound like a piano, more like some sort of chimes. Is it just me or does anyone else feel that way? Anyway, nice job Jeremy, I hope you submit future pieces to OCR...

~Blue

I actually like that piano a lot. THe way it sounds positioned in respect to the orchestra, and its tone gives it a mysterious feel. I don't know how to describe it, but it reminds me of something like Harry Potter.

[Mecandes]

A lot of wonderful words have been used to describe this submission from Jeremy Soule, and all of them fall short of the beauty of this piece.

No offense to Nobuo Uematsu, but Jeremy Soule is the new star of video game soundtracks, absolutely without question. If you haven't heard his work before, you should be ashamed of yourself -- look for Morrowind (Title theme), Neverwinter Nights (Forest and Rural themes), Dungeon Siege (Lava Caverns II), or the Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter music. Nobuo Uematsu may have been Jeremy's mentor at Squaresoft -- but the pupil has definitely surpassed the master.

I'm fascinated to see that there are some who feel that "there are other remixes here that are better than this" -- I'm not disputing the fact (I haven't heard very many, truthfully), but I find it very hard to imagine. Please, I beg you, post the names of the remixes you feel are better -- or even in the same league -- as this piece, because I for one would love to hear them. (And I don't mean just Terra's theme.)

[Dahlia]

Wonderful. Jeremy's music has been an inspiration to me ever since I first heard the haunting melodies of Secret of Evermore's "Gothica" as a pre-teen, and this is no exception. (Though I adored even the SNES' MIDI version :wink: ) This is surely the greatest gift that OCR could ever recieve.

[The Womb]

Wow....Just wow
This piece is truly amazing
Definetly a favourite in my books (I have a soft spot for orchestreals ;)
I respect other peoples opinions but even looking at it from other peoples views I can't see how people don't like it lol
Great piece truly amazing
+ thanks for the tip on the library

[OchreJelly]

Dang, Jeremy Soule is the poster boy for the "do one thing, do it well" crowd. He's obviously mastered his chosen style of classical music: Epic, slightly mysterious, somewhat ambient. In other words, great. :D And there's nothing wrong with doing one thing well. Everybody's got their niche.

Now, it may not be the best, the latest or the greatest (is any song?) but it IS good., and well worth a download if you're a fan of Mr. Soule.

By the way, I saw someone mention that he composed the Icewind Dale soundtrack. I was under the impression that Inon Zur did IWD's music. I could be wrong, though. :)

[Argle]

Wow, I just discovered this remix today... holy hell!

And I found it by accident, too. I was browsing the forums and in some topic someone listed the good orchestral remixers on this site, and Jeremy Soule's name was one of them.

Jeremy Soule? 8O The dude who did the excellent epic soundtracks to Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic? And apparently Icewind Dale, too, though I didn't know that until today. But now, come to think of it, the Icewind Dale soundtrack is totally Jeremy Soule's style. Guess I didn't connect the dots.

It really says something when a bigshot pro like Soule takes the time to do a remix for a site like OCR. Professionals (in any field) are often are quite condescending towards hobbyists in the same field, yet this is clearly not the case with Mr. Soule.

Still, I had to listen to the song to see whether or not it was some kind of joke. Man, this is no joke. From the very start, it obvious this came from Soule. It has the pristine, epic sound of his NwN and KotOr soundtracks. The arrangement is deft, fluid, subtle, and belies Soule's status as a professional composer. Absolutely brilliant piece of epic orchestral music. The samples are exremely realistic, but then again, it's Jeremy Soule... he can get any orchestral library he wants. :D

My only complaint is that it's too short. But man, that's a pretty nitpicky complaint for such a magnificent piece.

I'd like to salute Mr. Soule for his interest in the video game remixing community. Not to mention this fantastic tune. :D

[benevolensaurus]

I was just a lurker when this first came out on the site, but trust me, I was just as thrilled as nearly everyone else in these reviews. Jeremy Soule... wow. Neverwinter Nights, KotOR, Dungeon Siege, even Unreal II I think... his original work is great. It's really awesome that he'd submit a remix to this site.

Very, very nice. I give it a 12/10, two and a half thumbs up, 6 out of 5 stars. If you haven't already, you MUST download this now.

[TenchuX]

This topic deserves to get braught up again so others might hear this song...This is the best Orchestral piece on OCRemix.

[^^DeusEx^^]

OH.....MY......GODDDDDDDDD

Here I was scanning the community for something interesting and came uppon the name of Jeremy Soule....

I, like some of you, read the name....blinked....read it again.....downloaded and played and had to search for my jaw when hearing that it WAS Soule's work I heard....

I can recall about 5 times when I have played a game that he made the music for and in the midst of the action have stopped playing to experiance the music and after a while realising that my entire party has been killed due to my innaction.....lol.....talk about music that grips you and paralyzes you....wow

This track is no exception and Soule remixes the womderfull original and adds his style of orchestration and the result.....well nothing short of Soule magic

If he decides to remix more tracks and add them to OCR's database I might have to stop working and just stay infront of my screen with a goofy grin of pleasure as I listen away to oblivion....

GIMME MOOOOOOOOORE.......

[nomindo]

I saw this thread on the front page and decided to add in my two cents. It probably doesnt need to be said that this is just amazing. I think it says a lot about this site, UnMod notwithstanding, when a professional whose own music has been Remixed makes a contribution. My skin crawls everytime I hear this. It was easily my favorite song from the FF6 sountrack. I have heard some impressive Remixes of Terra theme, but this one just blows them away.

[Aerous]

I cannot express the beauty of this piece. It is the work of a master... Jeremy Soule paying tribute to another titan of game music composition Nobuo Uematsu.

Final Fantasy VI when released to America moved me so deeply that I cried when I heard the final endgame theme. I am glad and very happy to know that it has solicited such a beautiful song from Mr. Soule.

DjPretzel said and the same thing I did when I saw the name of JS. Oh. My. God. Grats Ocremix. This IS your finest hour.

[Theowne]

No offense to the people criticizing here, I'm sure some of you are legitimately complaining, but I should tell you that criticizing a professional's work does not immediately make you look like a good composer :wink:

Anyways this is a great listen, and It's nice to know the upper guys haven't forget about the ones down here.

[Zero_]

Hello, I'm a first time poster, long time visiter.

Looking at the previous posts and the main page of this Remix, I was thinking it would be exceptionally good. Reading that Mr. Soule honored Nobuo, I was estatic. However, I was a little disappointed.

The actual song was orchestrated excellentaly. Sounding so real, epic and dramatic. But as a personal liking, It's not really one of my favourites. I enjoy the tunes like Terra in Black and Ascencion into Cosmo Canyon and the like.

Still, excellent work John Soule.

[Liontamer]

excellent work John Soule.
Um...yeaaaah...

[Gatecrasher]

What can I say, beautiful song. Reminiscent of the romantic piano concertos.

[Zero_]

Hey, it's cool to get people's name's wrong :D

[TheAmazingSPAMBoy]

Thia song just kicks ass. The best remixes take an already awesome song and turn it into something even better, which is exactly what this does. The sound quality is just excellent, but we're talking about a professional composer here, so I guess it's no surprise.

Anyway, the song progresses very nicely. It takes its time to build up, and the progression from :25-40 was exceptionally well done; the dynamics in this section were perfect. The next section that really struck me was 1:06-1:45, as it builds up with a lot of intensity and power.

The only thing I'm not fond of with this song is when the piano plays the lead. Thankfully, it's a pretty short section, but the piano just doesn't sound right carrying the lead.

Besides that, there's nothing else to criticize. The song could have been longer (you always want good songs to last longer), but it's no problem since the conclusion is definitely climactic and satisfying enough. So yeah, this song rocks. It's good to see someone who composes game music give the fan community such a great song.

[Gate Jumper]

Wow! A real composer on OCremix, I thought that day would never come here. And CONGRATULATIONS on another fine compsiour

[Keiseth]

Never thought I'd see Jeremy Soule on OC Remix. I t would be really tough to review this remix without overwhelming bias. Being on OC Remix automatically makes a person awesome, if you ask me, though.

Hmm... very nice remix. Perfectly epic, Good stuff!

[Bummerdude]

This is unbelievable, a composer, at ocr, with a terraremix, in orchestral, now, for real, yep. First I thought that this was a joke, why would a composer come here and do a remix while he can go away somewhere and do a magnificent soundtrack? Meh, this can´t be true. If it is, I´ll eat my hat.

Then I start listening, WHOA, this is some real good strings, perfect to be exact. Soothing, calm, almost full of sorrow, flowing through my ears, and...what...is it?...FLUTES!!!! IT IS FLUTES!!! And you hear it´s Terra theme, OH MAN it´s beautiful, majestic really, gives me some sort of respectful feeling listening to this.

What now? Is that piano? Nah, can´t be. But it sounds like it, hey very beautiful, and now some trombones, what does this masterpiece not have? Got some more power to it now, the strings and violins are getting more tempo and force, nice. Hey, what the...MORE FLUTES, now with a more sad mood to it, significant. Some more beautiful piano, now you can hear Terra´s theme, it´s astounding, faboulus, now a short break, begins with strings and...hey, have I heard this before? Aww nuts, it´s on repeat, why did it have to be so short?

As for a quick summary, this is a truly majestic piece with the essential orchestral and philharmonic instruments. It is calm and beautiful but yet powerful when the strings picks up a faster pace. It´s sounds like it´s directly taken out from a masterpiece from an opera hall, but it´s not. Instead it´s taken directly out of the mind of a great composer, Jeremy Soule. Maybe this wasn´t a short summary?

I will probably get my email full of angry posts about what I´m gonna call you now sir, but you did a great and fantastic work Soule-dude. Excellent.

Now if you excuse me, I must be off to eat my hat.

[XxSwtDreamerxX]

Superb remix. Blew me away when I saw THE Jeremy Soule had remixed one of my favorite tracks. I hope to see more work from him.

[flamingspinach]

Wow. I must say, this is very professional-sounding (as I would expect from a master of, er, tracking? such as Jeremy Soule). I guess this is what a "remix" truly is. :) However somehow I don't think Jeremy Soule's classic method of using non-root transitional bass lines really fits the highly progressional nature of the original song (it's a march with constant rhythmic root bass, lol). Still it's really nice to see this master of composition submit to ocremix. I've lurked around here a while but this submission spurred me to actually register for the forums :) Very well done.

-fs

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

So, I've gotta' be the skeptic here: are we totally sure this is actually Jeremy Soule's work? Isn't it possible that it was someone posing as him?

I mean, Jeremy Soule is one of my favorite VG composers and it just seems kinda' crazy that he would even bother submitting a song to this site. It's not improbable or anything... I just think it's, I dunno, odd.

Either way, this tune is great. Though it is beyond me why he'd choose an Uematsu track over one of his own. I believe a Fire Eyes mix is in order! Hey, I can dream, can't I?

[Liontamer]

So, I've gotta' be the skeptic here: are we totally sure this is actually Jeremy Soule's work? Isn't it possible that it was someone posing as him?

I mean, Jeremy Soule is one of my favorite VG composers and it just seems kinda' crazy that he would even bother submitting a song to this site. It's not improbable or anything... I just think it's, I dunno, odd.
I'm glad you've bothered to actually check Soule's own homepage. :lol:

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

I'm glad you've bothered to actually check Soule's own homepage. :lol:

I know, I know. I can tell just by listening that it truly is his work. It's just one of those things that's almost too awesome to be true. You guys must've been stoked when you got that one.

[Liontamer]

I'm glad you've bothered to actually check Soule's own homepage. :lol:

I know, I know. I can tell just by listening that it truly is his work. It's just one of those things that's almost too awesome to be true. You guys must've been stoked when you got that one.
I wasn't on staff at the time, but no doubt. Protricity in particular felt his own material just didn't compare. LOL

[Navi]

I'm glad you've bothered to actually check Soule's own homepage. :lol:

I know, I know. I can tell just by listening that it truly is his work. It's just one of those things that's almost too awesome to be true. You guys must've been stoked when you got that one.
I wasn't on staff at the time, but no doubt. Protricity in particular felt his own material just didn't compare. LOL

indeed. you could say he was "souled" on the whole package from the start.

[DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff]

Heh-heh, "souled".

Anywho, wish Mister Big-shot BAFTA award winner would grace us with another mix. I'd like to here him take on an old 8-bit tune. Metroid, perhaps?

[renrutal]

Well, excellent remix, truly what you can call a professional work.

But I'm rather unimpressed, perhaps I didn't listen it long enough to really enjoy, it's really great and all, but it's overly repetitive, somewhat unoriginal, short and more importantly: it lacked feeling.

I know the original song is repetitive, and this is rather more like a tribute than a remix with original stuff, but still his original works are much better, I simply don't have enough praise words to describe Total Annihilation.

I have many songs from djpretzel, Protricity, CoMM, Star Salzman, Kong in Concert and Relics of Chozo albuns, and some songs from CT and Xenogears in OCR, specially the Live/Piano songs that I'd put in higher regard than this one.

It's excellent, much above than the average, but even Soule needs more remixing/game music rearrangement time to touch my heart like many of the songs here in OCR did.
Good thing his original songs already do that job.

Sorry for the whole song comparison thing, but this one is special enough to deserve it.

[fireflower]

ehh...well it wasn't bad, and i couldn't make something like that...i dunno, it just didn't impress me all that much...maybe because i like the song the way it was originally and i don't think this makes it any better...it definitely didn't live up to djp's review of it...in my opinion, i mean it made it sound like it was going to dazzle me, and it didn't, not that it was bad...


(sorry)

[MaliceX]

JEREMY SOULE!?!? (I didn't know about this until now!)

Well, all I can say is, if there were to be an FFVI film, this ought to make it in the soundtrack somewhere, simply because it's already got that niche of what cinematic music is known for. (One of the starting or credit segments?)
It's an epic arrangement, although yes it is a bit archetypal to the sense it's almost generically arranged, however given this being done by a pioneer of composing music of that sort in video games, that would be expected. Mr. Soule accomplished that.
Production is, commercial quality. Instrumentation is highly convincing to being realistic, the usual. What can I say? This HAD to make it somewhere there.

As a tribute piece, this works extremely well, and should not be left overlooked, because this is true quality despite the generic take of 'cinematic' arrangement.

[cloudkitt]

This song actually makes me want an FFVI film for the 'soule' purpose of hearing this song in the credits, just like you said, Malice.
Ever since I first played FFVI this song has been stuck in my head, and there are no shortage of remixes of it, many of them fantastic. While some may be more "fun" to listen to, this is no doubt a very beautiful arrangement of it.

[Thin Crust]

When I read the writeup, I said that this was going on my mp3 without listening to it. After listening to it, I discovered that it wasn't the best out there. The song is good. I will give it that. But it doesn't capture much intensity that say, Philharmonic suite would do. It is a very high quality piece and interesting all the way through, but the song itself really isn't worth all the hype that people are making it out to be. Jeremy Soule did a great job, that much is certain. But the mix just doesn't seem very active(only word I can think of.)

[Monobrow]

I disagree here. Yeah, I mean it's Jeremy Soule, but after listening to this a few times lately, I think there's just a lot of depth to this song that you find (in most of his song really) and can come to appreciate.

Anyway, maybe this isn't the most heartfelt song he's ever done, but I find that a lot of his songs concentrate on atmosphere more than what I'd call musical grandeur, and the atmosphere is really really awesome.

I love the soundscape created. It puts a lot of despair and urgency into the theme of Terra that I didn't know existed, but can now appreciate.

[LongeBane]

I can listen to this and play Oblivion.

I think what I really like about this piece is the rhythm Jeremy had going.

[Dafydd]

Anything made by this guy can be instantly recognized to have been made by him - this piece is certainly no exception. Interesting to hear this theme remixed into his style.

[artemisjaeger]

I could have sworn I'd written a review for this piece before.

It's not terrible, but it's bad. Horribly bland - which is a disappointment because I think Jeremy Soule is a fine composer. His work on Morrowind was exceptional, and Oblivion takes a close third (Secret of Evermore being his best).

But here it's just so uninspired! We have Terra's theme placed over generic filmy sounding crap. The piece never goes anywhere interesting or new. Heck, some of the chord choices just seem to clash, and that's sad.

And it seriously makes me sick to see the hero worship that goes on in this thread. Some of these posts in praise of the work are decent and well thought out, but good lord, some people are just trying to get in Jeremy's lap if you know what I mean.

[sephfire]

This piece has a very subtle beauty that's common in most of Soule's work. It doesn't go out of its way to grab your attention, but there's plenty of quality to find if you look closely. While it may not stray far from the source, Soule did a really great job of reinforcing the strengths of the original melody.

All in all, this sort of mix is a real honor for our community; both as a contribution from the professional side of the fence and as a great piece of music. I'd love to hear more from Soule around here if he finds the time someday.

[Chris Hurn]

This is incredible, Wow. I've flicked through the last 16 pages, and I have to say, there some real jealous people here. Bad EQ and reverb? Hardly. Relying on Gigasamples? hardly. This is orchestrated incredibly well, and rendered equally as well.

Congratulations to Mr Soule for this.

Chris

[cloudkitt]

Wow wow wow. How the hell did I miss this? I love Terra's Theme, I'm not sure how I never spotted the JEREMY SOULE before though. I have a way of liking soundtracks and only later discovering he did them (such as Guild Wars titles). I adore the Oblivion soundtrack.

It really is cool that someone like that submitted a remix here, rather incredible, really. And this is even pretty old, before ocremix started to get more recognition.

It's a great piece, it's actually not my favorite Terra remix (that might still have to go to Ailsean's) but it is cool how noticeably his style it is. This mix would fit in Oblivion and no one but FF fans would even take notice.

Very cool.

[The Runaway Five]

This is single handed the greatest mix on this site. I remember listening to this many years ago and now that I'm a forum member, I felt obliged to comment. Incredible work. Hopefully Soule will bless us with another arrangment/orchestration in the near future.

[Wild Armor]

Well I must applaud to this, a very great song indeed. It feels like I'm listening to what Beethoven's 5th symphony Movement 1 and Terra's theme would sound like if they had a child. The theme is repeated and changed from instrument to instrument very nicely.

Very lovely.

[kurokikaze]

Jeremy Soule? Here? Damn. Piece is cool but way too short. When i get home this evening, i'll listen on better sound system (here i have only crappy 1-ear-mute headphones).

[Alexis]

How is it that I'm just now discovering this remix? This is awesome, love the arrangement. And holy freaking crap, Jeremey Soule.

[IrateResearchers]

This is the same style I know and love from Total Annihilation.

It is the same composer after all.

I normally don't download peaceful music like this but... I need to have this one.

[therippeddeck]

Made an account to comment on this remix right here.

When I first heard it, I shared the sentiments of the Jeremy Soule haters, which was unusual because I loved Secret of Evermore and Morrowind. The remix certainly has the flow, and the instruments were treated with the respect they sometimes don't get on this website. Elsewhere, I understood the arrangement and it's complexity, and combined with the instruments, I had no doubt Mr. Soule was the author of this remix. Unfortunately, I guess I can't hear the brilliance that some of the fanboys are gushing, or maybe I've held his standards too high. Some remixes on this site have shown the potential to be great, and others use that same potential to it's fullest extent. This falls in the grey area. It's really good, but the fact that it's not perfect makes it disappointing. It would be unfair of me to leave out examples of what I thought were "perfect" songs by Mr. Soule. These include the title theme of Morrowind and "The Secret of Evermore" from the game of the same name, which is also a remix of the song "Dog Maze". To my discredit, I seem to favor certain styles over others, and orchestral mixes have not done very well. No doubt, this is an orchestral paradise.

[lurid]

I really like this mix despite my preference for heavy-metal-type mixes. It's one of those ones that's really great when you're working on something and it shows up in a shuffled playlist.

It's also great to drop into Morrowind's or Obilivion's soundtrack. Just browse to the location you've installed the game, then copy this into "Data[ Files]\Music\Explore\" and it'll randomly get played alongside the official music for the game.

OC Remix music is great for this kind of thing in general, actually, but this song easily fits the musical style of those games.

[OA]

Really nice handling of the melody here, I love when it is given to the horns.
A super lush sounding rendition for 2004, and it stands up pretty strongly today as well. Strings were good, and while it doesn't have the bombast and excitement some people are seemingly expecting, it has a lot of subtle energy that makes it work equally well. Awesome stuff.

[DusK]

I was so angry at myself when I found this mix. I had been lurking the site for years. I knew who Jeremy Soule was; Guild Wars happens to be one of my favorite soundtracks. So the fact that I had completely missed this was extremely upsetting. I got over it quickly. A fantastic orchestral arrangement that sounds like I could easily slap it into Skyrim's music folder and listen to it on my adventures. So atmospheric.