OCRA-0018 - Final Fantasy V: The Fabled Warriors ~I. WIND~

[DarkeSword]

Preview it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=748Fxf-gB2U
Download it: http://ff5.ocremix.org
Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Final_Fantasy_V_-_The_Fabled_Warriors_~I.WIND~.torrent


The Fabled Warriors is a series of five albums that celebrates Nobuo Uematsu’s classic score for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy V. Each album is comprised of themes for important characters in the series as well as the myriad of job classes that made the game famous.

I have always felt that Final Fantasy V’s soundtrack has a bit of lightness to it that other Final Fantasy soundtracks eschew in favor of darker, moodier themes. This game always struck me as more of an adventure than any of the others in the series, and Uematsu’s score grabs that and runs with it. This is nowhere more evident than in “Ahead on Our Way,” Final Fantasy V’s main theme, and in my opinion, the best main theme for any Final Fantasy game.

The Fabled Warriors will be released in five parts over the course of the next 2-3 years. The first four albums will follow the four crystals in the game, with themes arranged for all of the corresponding jobs, and the last album will cover new jobs introduced in the Game Boy Advance release, as well as serve as an endcap to the project.

I hope everyone enjoys this tribute to Nobuo Uematsu’s wonderful score. We hope to make each album better than the last.

-- Shariq “DarkeSword” Ansari

http://vgmdb.net/db/assets/covers-medium/21038-1283965696.png

[Chernabogue]

I saw it was posted on VGMdb two days ago! :-P

Congrats to everyone involved in this project! I never listened to FFV's OST, so I'll discover its music through your remixes! ;-)

[halc]

just finished listening to the album- a great job and congrats to DS and co. for putting this together. AeroZ's 'Lore of the Ancients' blew me away. some other favorites were 'A Healers Touch', 'Vessel of the Void', and 'See You Next Time'.

looking forward to future installments!

[Dunther]

Wow that's a surprise for me, I didn't knew that a FFV album was in the work...
Interesting idea to make 5 volumes, maybe I'll wait until they are all out before listening it...dunno, I haven't played the game yet.

[DarkeSword]

Wow that's a surprise for me, I didn't knew that a FFV album was in the work...
Interesting idea to make 5 volumes, maybe I'll wait until they are all out before listening it...dunno, I haven't played the game yet.
Waiting for all of them to come out before listening defeats the entire purpose of releasing them as separate volumes. Please listen to it right away.

[Dunther]

Waiting for all of them to come out before listening defeats the entire purpose of releasing them as separate volumes. Please listen to it right away.

Yeah I know but for that time maybe I will know the source material :) anyway I think I'll give it a listen tomorrow.

[Neblix]

To be honest, this is the first time I've ever listened to an album and remembered exactly what each track sounded like whenever I looked at the name. Amazing, melodic tracks. My personal favorites are Shariq's Black Mage and Zircon's Exdeath themes.

[SwordBreaker]

http://www.projectcoe.com/blog/2010/09/10/want-final-fantasy-v-remixed-ocr-has-us-covered-ffv-thoughtsrant/

Well...I did my job in shamelessly plugging myself and spreading the news of this albums' release. Beware of long post filled with analysis, rants, and preliminary impressions of Sixto's track! :P

Good job, everyone. Keep 'em coming.

[Emperor Charlemagne]

Final Fantasy V is my personal favorite of all the FFs, in terms of gameplay, characters, villains, and sidequests, it is the absolute most enjoyable to me.

The SNES FFs are my favorite by far (along with FF1 and FF3), but V is the one that to me most personifies the series and what it should be: a grand adventure. The characters are cheesy but well-loved, the premise is absurd (a tree in a suit of armor?), and it's full of humor with just the right touch of drama to keep it from being some pretend sob-fest. I could go on all day about how much this game rocks (specifically the GBA translation of the game; which in my opinion is THE version of FFV to play, bar none).

I'm glad (and surprised) to see this game getting the loving touch its amazing score deserves. Downloaded, and I eagerly await the next releases!

[SwordBreaker]

Final Fantasy V is my personal favorite of all the FFs, in terms of gameplay, characters, villains, and sidequests, it is the absolute most enjoyable to me.

The SNES FFs are my favorite by far (along with FF1 and FF3), but V is the one that to me most personifies the series and what it should be: a grand adventure. The characters are cheesy but well-loved, the premise is absurd (a tree in a suit of armor?), and it's full of humor with just the right touch of drama to keep it from being some pretend sob-fest. I could go on all day about how much this game rocks (specifically the GBA translation of the game; which in my opinion is THE version of FFV to play, bar none).


This is the first time I've ever heard a fan love V more than any other game in the series. Wow. How ironic that I just (sort of) berated the game because it's not as popular as the other installments. Wonder if there are more people like you in the world? You don't happen to be from Japan, eh? 'cause if you are, I can understand your love for V since you've most definitely played the original version.

I haven't played V, but my discussions with other people in the internet lessen my interest of actually trying it out someday.

[Emperor Charlemagne]

Dude, FFV is just FUN. The countless ways you can just set your party up for maximum (or minimum) ass kickery trumps previous entries, and the job system is a lot more fun to use than the Esper system in VI (which was fine, but when that happened I basically just made my party into Ultima-spamming bastards).

I LIKED FFV before I played the retranslation on the GBA. However, when I did, I full out loved it, and finally came to appreciate it for what it was. The translation is really just perfect, better than the spotty PS1 job and the other fan-translations out there.

I know the folks that like FFV the most is a rarity; most prefer the classic appeal of IV, or the greatness that is VI (which i might argue is the BEST game in the series, but not the most fun), but this game is just being a kid and playing make-believe adventure with your friends. Even in the 'dark' moments it has this atmosphere that I really prefer to the more brooding and melancholy stuff of later FFs. It reminds me of the fun armosphere of Chrono Trigger and Skies of Arcadia (don't get me wrong though; CT is WAY better than FFV, but that goes without saying since CT is one of those 'just about perfect' games).

[DarkeSword]

I'm glad you guys like FF5, but please keep in mind that this is an album review thread, not a game discussion thread. :)

[WillRock]

Well, this was a short album and imo, probably one of its most accessible factors. You can listen to it in one sitting :D

So... track by track review:

The Path to Glory - Theme of Bartz

Well things start with a bang. Imo Sixto Sounds is the undisputed king of rock on OC Remix, and this shows why. Playing and production is top notch, and its very enjoyable. To put it simply, this is classic Sixto Sounds. One of my favorite tracks on the album.

Edge of Valor - Theme of Knight

From rock to orchestral. Very solid stuff from Nutritious, great arrangement, very dynamic and epic. Classical Music isn't something I listen to by choice but this will get a few repeated listens for sure :D

Gentle Fist ~Theme of Monk~

This is a great chillout track, but it does command attention when its playing, so chances are you'll end up listening to it when its on in the background and you are working on something. My only complaint here is that its too long, but thats a small complaint. A great outro.

A Healer's Touch ~Theme of White Mage~

Level 99 and Avaris are a fantastic combination for a collab, and this shows with this remix. Level 99 doing acoustic by himself is formidable, but Avaris really brings something a little extra to the fold with his background instrumentation which serves to enhance the soundscape. Another favorite!

In the Shadows ~Theme of Thief~

ANOTHER SOUNDSCAPE!!! Pizzicato Strings open this one and are joined by some heavily delayed synth leads. Then the drums come in with AnSo's trademark Bells taking the main melody. Its a pretty engaging listen for sure and the track is kept interesting throughout. I've always found AnSo's sound choices interesting, he has a very unique sound, and this track continues that trend. I'm not sure how much I like this one atm, but each listen I like it more, which gives me the impression its a grower :)

An impressive track, but hey its AnSo, thats to be expected :P

Little Black Book ~Theme of Black Mage~

DarkeSwords second track on the album. This one starts off well with a bass riff played over a pad. Reminds me of Illusion of Gaia music.
The soundscape in this one is pretty haunting and dark. Seems to have a playful nature however, its sort of halfway between chillout and hyperactive, thanks to the rapid fire hi-hats.

Good stuff from DarkeSword

Lore of the Ancients ~Theme of Blue Mage~

GREAT leads in this one. I approve strongly. Very solid stuff from AeroZ, with alot of creative use of the sounds, with some pretty cool syncopated drum sequencing.
Arguably my favorite track on the album but time will tell.

Vessel of the Void ~Theme of Exdeath~

Well guys what can I say about this one. Its ZIRCON. DnB Drums with heavy metal guitars, orcestral elements, and some crazy leads and a cool solo at the end. Things climax pretty quick which is a trait of zircons - it seems like he enjoys hitting you full force from the start.

A powerhouse of a remix.

See You Next Time ~WIND~

This is pretty much the perfect outtro for the album. The flute (I'm actually pretty sure its not a flute but I can't remember for the life of me what it is) causes the hairs on the back of my head to straighten, but damn its not long enough. Darkesword, you sir, are a tease and I bet you are laughing at all the people who are left crying for more :P

Conclusion: A great album, some great tracks and some AWESOME ones.

Like I said, leaves you wanting more. Congrats on the release and I look forward to the next installment darkesword.

[BreadMaker]

I just want to say one thing about this...

OMFG!

That's all, lol

[Zarggg]

OMG, how did I completely miss this? *goes to download NOW*

[anosou]

Lovely album this one! I hope all of you enjoy it, look forward to the next part ;)

[Rozovian]

Pretty cool, haven't listened close but the album's playing on shuffle and I'm liking what I hear. Thought a Darke track was an AnSo track, and an AnSo track was an AeroZ track on first listen, tho. :D

The idea is probably gonna catch on, others are gonna wanna do album series as well.

[WillRock]

Thought a Darke track was an AnSo track.


I wonder how you came to those conclusions, the tracks to me all seem very typical arrangment and style wise for the artists that did them.

[Lonesnipa]

I haven't played FF5 through recently (although I've played through the first continent recently) and so far, the sound track hasn't really grabbed me. The first two songs felt very, VERY bland. Tracks 3, 4, and 5 however were quite good. I'm writting this as I listen to keep this fresh in my mind btw. Track 6, also qualifies as good. Track 7 looks like its gonna win my favorite track of this set. I didn't like track 8 much, it felt like it was trying to do too much and felt too distorted. Track 9 made a great contrast to track 8 btw. I stand corrected, as Track 9 is my favorite of this set.

If I were to compare this to the Donkey Kong Country 2 remix, I would have to say clearly Donkey Kong Country 2 wins. The songs in that just grabbed me more. The FF5 ones for the most part were good, and I am looking forward to the next crystal, Water, but I don't think I'll be going out of my way to listen to the Wind tracks.


Hopefully this is the sort of feedback you guys wanted on this.

[Neblix]

. The first two songs felt very, VERY bland.

You on crack, nigga.

[OA]

You on crack, nigga.

rofl XD




Great album, guys. Zircon's track especially made me almost pee myself with joy.

[nugzta]

Great work guys. I myself never play FF5 so looking forward to it.

[Didaji]

I love Final Fantasy, thank you very much for this one, downloading now and will listen to it later.

[Master_Yoshi]

All I can say is this.

ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME!!!

Absolutely sublime, guys. I'll post more detailed in the individual remixes, as I hope and expect they all get posted. I mean, c'mon. For a square game FF5 is horribly underrepresented on OCR.

This album is an absolute touch of brilliance though. Having the styles directed by jobs and the flavour of the art is fantastic, and really opens up to a wide variety of mixes. I personally can't wait for Samurai and Dancer. Is beastmaster going to be a total rofl mix? I might be able to handle that..

Also, very nice, releasing the project in chunks. Analogous to Half Life 2 episodes 1 and 2 - released small and quick. Hopefully you guys don't follow valve's footsteps and make us wait forever for episode 3.

[Didaji]

I have listened to the album now and it was very nice :) Thanks.

[personamask]

Just finished listening to all of the remixes here on Wind. I thought it was pretty awesome overall and there wasn't a track I did not like. Props to all of you.

[Rozovian]

Short and sweet, OC ReMix veteran and judge DarkeSword put together an excellent new album with seven other ReMixers honoring the music of Final Fantasy V. Better yet, it's only the first album of FIVE FF5 albums he's planned for the next 2-3 years!

Dear OC ReMix veteran and judge, you may be sweet but are you actually short? :D

Okay so maybe I should write something more substantial about the album? Maybe later.

[Mirby]

I can't wait for WATER, FIRE, WIND, and DAWN!

Mainly because these tracks were epic! ^.^ *waits for ~Theme of Mime~*

[lurid]

What perfect timing! I just recently started playing FF5 again (because despite my love for the game, I've yet to finish it).

Excellent work all around, and I can't wait for the other four installments.

[Majin GeoDooD]

Omg!! I love FFV and the music in that game. This is an awesome release; I look forward to the next ones!

[Kadosho]

Loving the album from the first track, to the last.
Glad to see another FF collab. But a massive 2-3 yearly collection!? Sweet
V is definitely a treasure that many may play only once.

*but music is something that goes on through time. And I think that is what "Wind" defines.

[GTAHater836]

I noticed this is the 18th arrangement album. Will all 5 parts be classified as the 18th, or do they each get their own number in the OCRA series?

[Neblix]

I think that most likely they'll each receive their own number. It may be the same game but they are standalone albums as Shariq said before.

[FenixDown]

I've listened to the album a few times now and enjoyed it very much. I like the smaller album format and hope more (but not all) future OCR albums do something similar. It's hard to pick out any specific favorites as all the tracks ranged from good to great. As someone who gets excited whenever an FFV arrangement gets posted on the main page, having five FFV albums lined up for the next couple years is too good for words. I'm looking forward to the next album.

[evktalo]

Very nice surprise, this album. I like the concept of releasing shorter albums, and the quality is very high. Nice work all!

--Eino

[Mirby]

Oh, right.

Also eagerly anticipating boss music remixes.

In particular the main Boss Battle theme.

[RedFusion]

Yes! More DarkeSword! Lovin' it!

[a_d]

i think this is the best quality album of OCR yet, although it is short and seems to be veteran exclusive. looking forward to the other 4!

[Otakatt]

It makes me really happy that such an underrated game and soundtrack from the SNES era is getting the attention and accolade it deserves. I never thought I'd ever see FF5 get this treatment, but sure enough...

I really enjoyed this album. I listened to it, then promptly had to play FF5. All the different styles the artists bring help make the album stand out.

I love the rawk Sixto brought to the main theme. The high energy really fits.

The Fire Ship theme. I have to admit I don't like it. But then I heard what Nutritious did with it, and... yeah. Wow. I love it. I'm even going to be bad and say that Edge of Valor ended up being my favorite on this album. I'm always really impressed when people can take something I don't like and turn it into pure awesome.

And.. I'm bad with words. I hate to 'leave people out' but I really think everyone did a great job, even if I don't go into specifics. <3

Although I do have to say In the Shadows? Fit Thief like a glove.

And Jose did a great job with the trailer, as always. I find that when a project comes out I really look forward to seeing what he puts together for the trailer.

I'm sad to have to wait so long for further releases, but really looking forward to what you guys are going to do with other themes I adore from FF5.

[DarkeSword]

Thank you for drawing the character tiles!!!

[richter]

Quick reviews, gonna try to not look at who made them or anything and just write my first honest thoughts while listening:

The Path to Glory ~Theme of Bartz~
This is fun! Sounds like a terrific Dwelling of Duels entry. Excellent guitars and synths, impressive solos. High quality stuff, I dig it!

Edge of Valor ~Theme of Knight~
Slow start; samples aren't bad. I hope this picks up. It's pretty quiet. Very abrupt transition. Ending is pretty cool but otherwise a bit dull for me personally.

Gentle Fist ~Theme of Monk~
Really uninteresting, sorry. Very repetitive, poor quality samples, drowned in reverb, percussion is dull and arrangement is uninspired.

A Healer's Touch ~Theme of White Mage~
Nice guitars. Love the FF piano theme in the background. Lost my interest about halfway through, though it's probably pretty cool if you dig folky/minimalist songs.

In the Shadows ~Theme of Thief~
Cool synths. Ooh, when the percussion and bass come in this makes some pretty interesting sounds. Could have done more with the percussion. Overall some very interesting sounds here, pretty cool.

Little Black Book ~Theme of Black Mage~
One minute in and it hasn't done anything yet. Ton of reverb in this too. That choir sample is persistent and isn't great. Piano arrangement is fun. Mix is very quiet and doesn't go anywhere.

Lore of the Ancients ~Theme of Blue Mage~
Opening synth has some poppy noise going on, sounds unintentional. Reminds me of one of the FF4 remixes I liked a lot (same lead synth I think). But this is less playful. Some really cool sounds in here though, not bad!

Vessel of the Void ~Theme of Exdeath~
Interesting opening. Loving the retro sounds. Whoa, this really picks up! Guitars don't quite have the impact they should is my only complaint. Overall very solid, probably my favorite track on the project.

See You Next Time ~WIND~
That pan flute or whatever sounds very nice. Way too much reverb, had to turn down the volume. Main theme in the background is cool. Choir sample sounds familiar ... wow that was short.

Anyway, there you are, quick 'n dirty. Thanks for putting the project together!

[Kaxon]

This is no knock against the remixers involved in the project, but FF V has always been my least-favorite of Uematsu's post-NES FF soundtracks by a pretty big margin. So these remixes had a steep hill to climb to get me to like them. And... they're partially successful. While I don't like these tracks as much as VotL, I would say they're at least on par with the FF IV project.

Sixto's opener has great energy and arrangement, but there's something about the production that makes my ears feel like they're ringing... I suspect this has to do with either compression or possibly a low-pass filter? FWIW I'm listening to this on Sennheiser HD280 Pro's.

Gentle Fist and Healer's Touch are my other favorites from this release.

[Mirby]

Richter, you're probably thinking of Mystic Variations (I think that's the name) for that track. AeroZ did that one and this one.

[MajLink]

Almost every song on this album sounds as though it was professionally composed.

Very well done guys and I look forward to the proceeding chapters of the album!

[Deviate]

Great album. Interesting choice in naming these songs.

What are songs remixed for the first album? I already know the sources for the four songs on OCR, but what about the rest? Thanks.

[anosou]

Great album. Interesting choice in naming these songs.

What are songs remixed for the first album? I already know the sources for the four songs on OCR, but what about the rest? Thanks.

The source for Thief is "Ancient Library".

[Deviate]

Thanks, now I just need to know the source of 'Little Black Book ~Theme of Black Mage~'

[Liontamer]

All the tags (in the comments) field have the source names. :-)

[GTAHater836]

All the tags (in the comments) field have the source names. :-)
I don't see any tags.

To richter: It sounds like you haaate this album!

[Level 99]

To richter: It sounds like you haaate this album!

No, it doesn't. It just sounds like he was honest and enjoyed some things but not some others. He took the time and gave feedback, which is almost never a bad thing. :nicework:

[DragnBreth]

One o' my favorite games, with some o' my favoite music, remixed by some o' my favorite remixers.

Awesome job!!
Lookin' forward to the next album.

[Mirby]

Right click the file in Explorer. Choose Properties. Click the Summary tab. BAM! Source track in Comments box.

Or if in Winamp, hit Alt+3(default) and then BAM! Source track in Comments box.

Or if in iTunes, right click and choose Info (or whatever the option is) and BAM! Source track in Comments box.

Or if in... you get the idea.

But if you can't be bothered to do that, then here.
----
1. The Path to Glory ~Theme of Bartz~ - Source: "Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY V"
2. Edge of Valor ~Theme of Knight~ - Source: "Fire Ship"
3. Gentle Fist ~Theme of Monk~ - Source: "Home, Sweet Home"
4. A Healer's Touch ~Theme of White Mage~ - Source: "Dear Friends"
5. In the Shadows ~Theme of Thief~ - Source: "Library of Ancients"
6. Little Black Book ~Theme of Black Mage~ - Source: "Sealed Book"
7. Lore of the Ancients ~Theme of Blue Mage~ - Source: "Deception"
8. Vessel of the Void ~Theme of Exdeath~ - Source: "The Evil Lord Exdeath"
9. See You Next Time ~WIND~ - Source: "The Prelude"

All copypasted from the file info box.

[Jonnas]

Even though I've been following OCRemix for quite some time, only recently did I sign up.

And I have to say that this album is fantastic. I loved Final Fantasy V (so undernoticed, but it's my kind of RPG), so I knew I was going to enjoy this.

But this overcame my expectations and more. Remixes made not as reinterpretations of the original tracks/scenarios, but remade to suit the jobs and characters of the game? Awesome idea.

Better than that idea was the execution. Every single track from this album fits those characters and jobs to a T. More, even though they were made with FFV in mind, the album manages to stand on its own, and even those who disliked/never played FFV can enjoy this project.

Pretty much the only bad thing I have to say about this is that The Path to Glory is somewhat similar to Go the Distance (also from Sixto Sounds), which I prefer. I normally wouldn't bring something like this up, but I can't help but draw comparisons whenever I listen to Bartz's Theme. Nothing too serious, though.

Somehow, you guys certainly managed to top Kong in Concert. This is now my second favourite album, right behind Summoning of Spirits. I am, however, pretty sure that the complete 5-album project will surpass SoS and most albums released afterwards.

[BONKERS]

I listen to this often guys! Every track is great minus Sixto's

(The reason being mostly because he dicked around with the harmony/melody structure too much, resulting in it being hard to enjoy the song very much)

And it's very , VERY rare that in the nearly 10 years i've been listening to music from OCR that I've liked an album this much.


A job well done gentlemen.


I post a link to it on my facebook once in a while so people know about it!




~BONKERS from DoD

[kfonatoko]

Looking forward to part 2! :D

[GTAHater836]

That's right. Wasn't the Water volume supposed to be out this winter?

[kfonatoko]

the homepage says it should be released Q1 of this year... which should be relatively soon
http://ff5.ocremix.org/

[uhhh6677]

I've been listening to this since it came out in September, and I must say it is definetly in my top 3 best albums of all time, including non-video game music. I was playing a lot of FFV prior to the albums release, so when I heard about this album coming out, I was super excited. I love the idea of each track having a certain trait to it. There's some heavy guitar, accoustic guitar duet, techno, there's some of everything, which is good. Anyways, I look forward to the next four albums, they should all be great :D

[Algamest]

Ahh really looking forward to part two of this album, FFV is my favourite in the series so i absolutely loved the first instalment :)

[Jondy]

:-( Has the project been abandoned? The entirety of 2011 has passed us by... I'm sure the artists are just very busy. It would be a shame though.

[uhhh6677]

Track by track review!!!

1. "The Path to Glory" by Sixto Sounds: The intro is nice, I like how everything gets introduced one by one, guitar, then drums, then bass. The synth kicks in with the melody, just teasing us with what's to come. Then, classic face-melting Sixto ownage plays the melody with nicely and even adds in a kick ass solo. The highlight of this track is obviously the guitar playing. The guitar is very clear and defined, which can be hard to do, but Sixto knows what he's doing. The drums are a little cymbal heavy, which can be a bit distracting, but not that big of a deal. The bass is audible but still enough in the background to properly do its job. Must say that this is my favorite track from the album and a great way to kick off the album.

2. "Edge of Valor" by Nutritious: I for one love orchestral remixes. I play the viola myself and appreciate the finer arts of classical music. The remix does start off slow, but it picks up rather quickly with a mysterious upper-strings and horns with the melody, with the lower-strings and percussion bringing up the rear. The quality of the instruments is superb, but I expect nothing less coming from Nutritious ;-). While listening to it, you know something big is coming. And it does. Once the final bit begins, it sounds like a film score in which the hero is concluding his epic voyage to confront his enemy. The mix as a whole creates a wonderful atmosphere, and it sends chills up my spine every time I listen to it. Fantastic mix.

3. "Gentle Fist" by DarkeSword: Love the ethnic sounding instruments on this, really emphasizes the wind aspect of the album. The strings add a nice harmonious background. The percussion is very fun and makes you want to just get up and DANCE. Ok maybe not but nonetheless still adds to the environment of the piece. The arrangement can get kinda repetitive towards the end, but that's alright considering the source is FFV :)!!. I like how it kinda tapers off towards the end. Very nice mix.

4. "A Hero's Touch" by Level 99 & Avaris: Ok, I usually prefer electric RAWKing guitar over acoustic guitar, but this piece is an exception. Both players complement each other nicely and one never tries to overpower the other, and the mix would be incomplete with either of them missing. At first I was disappointed with the lack of any background stuff, but I realized that no background stuff is what added to the charm of the duet. I didn't care for how the intro leading into the main melody was a bit abrupt, but that is just a small pet peeve. Both players were fantastic, great job to both of you.

5. "In the Shadows" by Another Soundscape: The synths in this mix are kinda creepy sounding, but considering that this is the "theme of thief" it's very appropriate. It seems to brighten up a bit as the song progresses, and the chiptuney percussion helps. The production on this piece is very clean, and the melody and harmonies almost battling it out sound pretty cool. The sound effects present near the end are kinda like "..whoah" and sound pretty trippy haha. Overall a nice piece, but nothing that really stands out.

6. "Little Black Book" by DarkeSword: Another mix by album director DarkeSword, and may I just start off by saying I like the title of this mix, I think it's witty considering it's "theme of black mage". Just like "Gentle Fist", the instruments are kinda off the beaten path sounding and the percussion is wild. The reverb and echo at certain points sound cool and rally fit the role of a black mage. The strings in the background are nice, and harmonies complement the melody nicely. It did tend to stray towards the repetitive side, just like "Gentle Fist", but eh who cares? ;-) The fade towards the end was appropriate, and a good mix, but once again, nothing outstanding.

7. "Lore of the Ancients" by AeroZ: This mix jumps right into it, which is good, because when some mixes beat around the bush, it gets kinda old, but this mix avoids that. The synths are very chiptuney, however the background harmonies and percussion is not, which is kinda unique. The little guitar sections are cool and add to a really cool kinda atmosphere. The arrangement is nice and keeps the listener's attention which is of course crucial in music. It seems to end a bit abruptly, which when I first listened to it I was kinda like "wah..", had it faded a bit or something, it would have been better, however the main parts of the piece were excellent so it made up for it.

8. "Vessel of the Void" by zircon: Man I love this mix. A lot. A whole lot. The intro starts off like, "omg, what's he gonna do?" Then it builds up, the BAM. It hits you. The bass, the synth, the guitar, the epicosity, everything. The source being Exdeath's theme of course helps with this track being bad ass. The production is just ahhhhhh maazing haha. It seems like this is the track the whole album was leading up to. The synth solos with crazy notes and such is so fun to listen to. The whole mix is just an adventure in itself, it takes you for a ride, and this ride is, well a fun one haha. Great, great job on this mix zircon, one of the highlights of the album.

9. "See You Next Time" by DarkeSword: The prelude. Almost every Final Fantasy has it, it's one of the series claim to fame musically. The wind instruments are a nice addition to this "Wind" volume of the series. It seems the only difference between this mix and the source is the harmony, where as the arpeggios themselves seem untouched, and I like this, I hate it when prelude mixes mess with the arpeggios, but DarkeSword remained faithful, and I thank him for that. A nice way to end the album.

That's it! This album is my favorite so far from OCRemix, and I anticipate the other four volumes greatly. The concept of the album was cool, the "Wind" theme was present often throughout the album, and the character themes for each mix was a cool idea and I thought it worked well. Awesome album!

[Tasogare]

So uh... Is this abandoned? :\

It'd be awfully disappointing if it is, FFV's always been one of my favorite soundtracks in the series...

[DarkeSword]

No, it isn't. Still working on it.

[RiverSound]

I may be a little late with this, but who cares? Wind's still as great as before! And happens to be my favorite album on the entire site.
Its shortness, when compared to earlier FF juggernaut albums, is a huge advantage in many ways. Production is solid in every piece, arrangements are well-thought-of and fit the corresponding job/character theme perfectly and the overall quality is kept high throughout the album. Greatest statement being that every mix featured on this album also got accepted to the site, excluding See You Next Time, which isn't supposed to be a standalone mix anyhow.
Wind's also very easily accessible and you'll probably listen to the whole thing instead of just picking your favorites. It can emphasize on every mix, and as a listener, its easy to get a lasting impression about all of them, which is rarely the case with projects with 40+ tracks.

This is a tight, independent package of excellent remixes that leaves you wanting moar.:nicework:

[Jondy]

No, it isn't. Still working on it.

OH good, I came here for some reassurance. However long it takes, I'm sure it'll be awesome.