OCR01404 - Secret of Mana 'Dragon Song' [Archive]

Less Ashamed Of Self

09-19-2005, 07:00 AM

Damn.

At first I was skeptical of the speed with which Harmony became got people's attention & became a judge... I mean he only had two 1/2 decent pieces I ever heard of and he only just recently appeared in the community that I saw.

Anything negative I may have held against you is wiped clean bud. The proof of your pudding is in this mix; Djp is right to coo. Great source material, expertly covered.

Vocals are a little reverb heavy and the lyrics are a little gay and unimaginitive... but the guitar, piano, production quality, flow and feel are all 11/10.

Drop whatever you're doing and make four more like it.

Easily the sexiest judge.

Mingus Dew

09-19-2005, 07:38 AM

An extremely groovy song with a lot of bite to it. I couldnt even recognize the source material this song came from. Amazing stuff, the 5/4 time made it flow even better. Highly recommended

Shhteve

09-19-2005, 09:05 AM

If anyone can give an 11 out of 10 score on any track on OCR, it'd definitely be this one. Completely original, each aspect of this piece compliments one another. From the ambient piano to the haunting lyrics.. beautiful.

Dave Harris

09-19-2005, 09:35 AM

I'll go ahead and say that the reason I clicked this was because it was from Secret of Mana, primarily, as I have a strong affinity for Hiroki Kikuta's work [his recent two game scores aren't anything to shake a stick at either; I'd recommend anyone try and track them down]. It's worth noting that I generally don't comment on mixes unless I REALLY enjoy them, and I think this is one of those. I've not been reached by a mix here as much for many years... this one is truely moving. I saved it as soon as it finished.

At first I wasn't sure what source was being used, though I really should have figured it out given the meter. I think the key change (using E minor) was part of what tricked me. Once I established what I was listening to an augmented version of, I really woke up and warmed to it. There's such a shedload of expansion on the source material, and it's done in such a perfect and honest way to the original track and composition style, making liberal use of syncopated 'kikuta' rhythms, and playful, creative performance, as well as some jazz harmony which was so common in the soundtrack. The traits in Secret of Mana's soundtrack that captured me to begin with have been taken, elaborated on and pulled off excellently.

Also it goes without saying that the production is top notch here, and the instrumental/vocal deliveries are executed faultlessly.

Definitely a mix worth anyone's time. I can tell there's been a lot of thought, care and work put into this. I'll go with the feeling of a larger, vaster Secret of Mana world.

Pander

09-19-2005, 09:38 AM

HOLY SHIT

ktriton

09-19-2005, 10:43 AM

Damn, this is hot stuff, dude. I LOVE your intro to the piece. And you really do blend everything together seamlessly. Oh, by the way, the quality and production on this piece are nearly professional. Bottom line, this arrangement is tres awesome!

Return

09-19-2005, 11:53 AM

Simply amazing. What more can be said?

Awesome work Harmony.

bladiator

09-19-2005, 12:54 PM

Man, I hate being so far down in the review thread. Why don't you people tell me before you're going to post this stuff?!? Now that that is out of the way, I can't really say anything constructive, because my overwhelming love for this song prevents me from being lucid.

HARMONY, HAVE MY BABIES!!

Blake

09-19-2005, 12:54 PM

Wow. This is really good. Sorry for the newbish response, but that's all I have to say.

Liontamer

09-19-2005, 01:36 PM

I remember analoq & I checking this out last month when Brandon was going for some final tweaks on it. Absolutely loved it then, and I love it now. Top flite, without a doubt. I don't like anyone LAOS or anyone crapping on Harmony's previous "half-decent" material here.

"NightTime Evolution" was a beautiful piece, and "Live at the Springyard" sealed many of the fellow Js opinions that he would be a solid contributor not only through his reviews and WIP advice, but also through his own material, which is always gonna be more scrutanized by the people/haters as someone on staff.

Loved the lyrics here, and the delay on them was used well, much like Dan Baranowsky's "Invertebrate Retreat." The harmonization was excellent too. Reminded me of the Christian rock band, Luna Halo (http://www.lunahalo.com), from their album "Shimmer." The vocals at 2:48 arranging "Secret of the Arid Sands" reminded me of some of George Michael's lyrical delivery in "Kissing a Fool."

Arrangement was nothing but great, tightly integrating the usage of "Prophecy" and "Secret of the Arid Sands" into something greater than the sum of its parts. Glad I finally get to play this one on my show. Can't wait for the next mix, Brandon! Props, again.

Bummerdude

09-19-2005, 01:37 PM

This is good, this is real good.
I impressed that you turned a song that in
the game is supposed to freak you out into a
song that´s nice to dig into, nice dude.
You do have a good singing voice, and it´s
cool that the lyrics are something that the
hero would say.
Personally, I think this songs name should be
"fly me away", because you hear it so often in the song.
This is definitly a sure download, I´ll hope I hear
more from you.
Keep it up, Harmony! :D

Mustin

09-19-2005, 02:43 PM

Secret of Mana 3%
Original 97%

I think I just solved the solution to get on OCR!

Liontamer

09-19-2005, 02:45 PM

Secret of Mana 3%
Original 97%

I think I just solved the solution to get on OCR!
The source tunes ("Prophecy" & "Secret of the Arid Sands") are used nearly everywhere here. So that's wrong. In every way possible. Given the creative additions as well as the interpretation involved, I'd think that you in particular would be down with it, moreso than most of the community.

Sam Ascher-Weiss

09-19-2005, 03:57 PM

Great job Buddy! :D . This music brings great joy... I like joy. IT IS THE SPIRIT! Okay...

LOVE IT

Durinthal

09-19-2005, 04:32 PM

I don't like the vocal parts all that much, but it's more personal preference than anything else. Love the guitar and the entire 5/4 feel. All in all, another great remix of a great soundtrack.

arias

09-19-2005, 05:29 PM

Amazing song, the intensity and energy just doesn't let up. Thumbs up for the vocals -- not a particularly great or unique voice but brilliantly executed and contextually complete.

The 5 minute trip you've composed starts off entrancing, pulling you in, and then when the energy explodes.. it just goes and goes and goes. Not harder and harder, but more intense, with more participation of the instruments and it just "fills up" incredibly.

Execution of the guitar is incredible. It's just silky smooth. You know, I self-taught myself guitar for a year or two, and because I just moved I sold my old guit and I was thinking of giving up playing the guitar.. But listening to this just reminded me of the joys. So, damn you! Now I have to look for a second hand acoustic..

Brilliant editing. Definitely one of my top favorites of OCremix. Have manbabies? Keep it going. Please.

PianoMan

09-19-2005, 05:41 PM

Wow...It gets better every time I listen...after the first listen I had to turn the speakers on and listen to this to its full capabilities...I'm almost orgasmic with joy!! Practically flawless; vocals, sound, and technical aspects alike. If you could do this with every mix you put out, you'd be legendary, not to say you aren't already.

Anyway, I seem to be trailing on, so Kudos to you, and keep it up.

Cyan_Ide

09-19-2005, 06:35 PM

Let this stand as a testament to all those who questioned the choice of Harmony as a judge.

Absolutely stellar remix. Keep up the good work.

Angelus Laminarum

09-19-2005, 07:56 PM

Any eloquence must be foregone in the wake of a single word...

... wow...

Dhsu

09-19-2005, 08:17 PM

Miletus

09-19-2005, 09:06 PM

Well I was a HUGE fan of Nightime Evolution so I was pretty pleased to see a new mix by you pop up the main page when I logged on this morning. I wasn't let down. The vocals fit the song's atmosphere well. Also, is it just me or does the voice sound a bit like Deepest Blue (maybe it's just the voice synth but there's a definite similarity)? Anyway, this one's going to be played many, many times in the next few weeks and then some. Thankyou.

ProjectSpam

09-19-2005, 09:42 PM

Ah, how I anxiously awaited your next ReMix following your two previous OCRs, and I must say I'm thoroughly impressed.

This sent me chills throughout, and moved me emotionally. The percussion itself enough to send me into an ecstatic state; the guitar(s), orgasmic. This is a superlative ReMix and one of the best OCRs I've heard in a long while (which is saying something, since I enjoy the vast majority of OCRs quite fully).

Harmony, I admire you. Thanks for brightening up an otherwise depressing day for me (I'm sure this will cheer me up on numerous occasions in the future, as well). :D And once again, I anxiously wait for your next incredible opus to be made/posted.

Monobrow

09-19-2005, 09:43 PM

Secret of Mana 3%
Original 97%

I think I just solved the solution to get on OCR!
Your calculations are a little off. I would say it's more like around 50%. :P

Great stuff btw, Harmony! Pillar of Salt is not an easy mix to match. :)

Yeah, I think this is great, Harmony. This is probably around exactly what I would have wanted from that WIP...I don't even remember what my "simple suggestion" really even was...but from listening to this, I am very glad that it helped you.

Anyway...yeah, the source material is all over this arrangement, Harmony doesn't even really meander away from it for more than a second or two without reminding the listener with a few more familiar notes exactly where we are in the song. And with the 5/4, going back and forth and transitioning so much is exactly what this song is calling for, and so if you aren't that familiar with the source tune, you may get a little lost, and misinterpret what is just another reminder of the original song as some sort of long improv. At least that's my take on it.

Ness757

09-19-2005, 09:46 PM

This song is beautiful! I'v heard some excellent music here, but few songs can compete with this one.

The best part of the song is from around 1:50 to about 2:35. I could play that part over and over again. The vocals are the best part.

DaFoamBeast

09-19-2005, 09:59 PM

THIS IS THE BEST SONG IVE HEARD IN MONTHS. (repeat times 525)

demophilus

09-19-2005, 10:03 PM

I've been listening to OCRemixes for, oh, probably at least four years now, but I've never really felt I had a need to post on these boards until now.

This remix is excellent--thank you for reminding me of my childhood.

The layered vocals are excellent. But I think the part that most resonates with me is after they cut out and the guitar comes in on Prophecy's melody around 4:15. That's just beautiful. Harmony has done a great job taking some of Hiroki Kukuta's best work and expanding upon it.

Stalwart Jester

09-19-2005, 10:05 PM

Excuse me while I go join djpretzel in "embarassing myself in a sad cesspool of my own fanboy adulation."

::proceeds to.::

10/10. It's awesome. 'NUFF. FREAKING. SAID.

Claado Shou

09-19-2005, 10:11 PM

Amazing piece. The overall feeling of nostalgia is overwhelming, and the music itself speaks volumes without speaking at all. The vocals add something truly beautiful to the mix, something only a human voice could add. I appreciate the work, and I really appreciate this remix. It's gorgeous.

~.C.S.~

Fudd

09-19-2005, 10:13 PM

It doesn't even feel like it's five minutes long.

There definitely should be more remixes of this quality.

Joshua Morse

09-19-2005, 10:28 PM

Secret of Mana 3%
Original 97%

I think I just solved the solution to get on OCR!

lol yep.

people sure are making a huge deal over this track.

i find it to be a good track, not a great track. i understand what harmony is going for here but some of the elements aren't executed well enough for this track to live up to the hype everyone's been giving it.

first off, the vocals are blurry. for two reasons, #1 being the lack of highs but also in combination with #2, being the volume. the lead vocals aren't loud enough and are being smothered by the instruments. so the lyrics are pretty hard to make out.

the 1:58 dropout of the percussion is sudden and does not work. the 2:33 works because you're changing the mood of the track, and you also used the bells/cymbal to help smooth out the transition.

a boost in your bass and kick would be nice for some low end. the mix seems a little light because of this but not by a lot, just a small bit.

the time change from 5/4 to 3/4 at 2:31 was slick. aside from that nothing made me say 'wow' in the least.

also, does anyone else think harmony sounds incredibly white when he sings?

Infinity's End

09-19-2005, 10:35 PM

I feel honored to be posting in the thread of this song. Yes folks, it's THAT DAMN GOOD.

ghaleon

09-19-2005, 11:38 PM

Well considering it is (was?) my absolute freakin' DREAM to remix Prophecy, and Harmony accomplished it with amazing skill, I LOVE THIS SONG!!!! It's got a little something for everyone...I thought it was good until 4:00, at which point it got GREAT. Makes me want to jump up and play a game of SoM right now.

tenritsu

09-20-2005, 12:19 AM

Holy crap. I've never really posted a review for any song in ocremix, even though I loved them very much... Bravo... that's all I got to say...

rapa-nui

09-20-2005, 12:41 AM

I know my opinion doesn't count (see low post count), but: I didn't like it. That puts me firmly in a minority, I undestand, but I don't give a damn.

Usually when djpretzel speaks highly of a song, it's a must-have: see Pillar of Salt or Stormlord Seneca's Marble Pack Edit. But frankly, the vocals grated me in this one, and the whole thing lacked balls. I recognize the effort and polish, but I just don't like it. And I'm a big fan of the source material in this case (who isn't?).

RimFrost the Tourianist

09-20-2005, 01:32 AM

Yes ,this really is something else. A rather difficult tune to remix..
Harmony did a great job here, really great !
The vocals are very mellow and soothing to the ear ,and the instruments are very well chosen i'd say.
IMHO...

SoM - 40%
Orig - 60%

8)

MaGi_TekK

09-20-2005, 02:17 AM

Wow, I'm impressed. One of those rare remixes on OCR that's actually worth listening to. You've garnered a rare MaGi seal of approval.

arias

09-20-2005, 02:30 AM

Harmony

09-20-2005, 02:42 AM

Oh wow everyone, thanks for all of the compliments and criticisms :D . And what an amazing write-up from Dave, thanks man! I’m glad to hear that this brings back memories for some and is a just a great listen for others. I've put a lot of work into this and the appreciation is GREATLY appreciated.

A few clarifications are in order I suppose. Yep, part of the song is in 5/4 but at 2:31 it switches to a cool 6/8 for “Secret of the Arid Sands” and the second half of “Prophesy.” It briefly goes back to 5/4 for the outro (which I’m so glad that you guys are enjoying).

As for the source usage, the only significant stretch where I don’t explicitly use one of the sources is from 2:07-2:49, but even there if you’ve played the game you’ll recognize that the lyrics are directly referencing the game. I’ll say, SoM 85%, original %15. Meh, that’s alright Mustin, I still like Secret of Spram. I do enjoy infusing original solos and melodies into my mixes though and I think that B1itz Lunar’s comment did a good job of explaining what I was trying to do here.

Again, thanks OCR for the feedback so far and the feedback to come.

also, does anyone else think harmony sounds incredibly white when he sings?
LOL, I also "talk white" if that has any meaning whatsoever.

analoq

09-20-2005, 03:00 AM

you're the man now, dog.

Joshua Morse

09-20-2005, 03:44 AM

Secret of Mana 3%
Original 97%

I think I just solved the solution to get on OCR!

lol yep.

people sure are making a huge deal over this track.

i find it to be a good track, not a great track. i understand what harmony is going for here but some of the elements aren't executed well enough for this track to live up to the hype everyone's been giving it.

No one is giving it "hype". It's PRAISE. I hope you get your english right the next time round, or do you just love being one of those off-beat cynic judges? :p

Actually plenty of people are giving this "hype". Seeing as how there's links to it on other message boards and that I've gotten IM's about it. I believe that would qualify as hype. But you're the english major here. I hope you'll decide not to open your mouth about stupid shit like that next time round, though you probably won't.

arias

09-20-2005, 04:09 AM

Hype is PRE-product release generated excitement.

Oooh, trying to be a smart-ass here with your shitmouth. But I shan't derail the thread anymore.

Joshua Morse

09-20-2005, 04:28 AM

Hype is PRE-product release generated excitement.

Hype: Loud advertising and promotion. Example: 1) The new movie by Steven Spielberg is getting a lot of hype. 2) Don't believe the hype!

also check out,
Hype:Extreme promotion of a person, idea, or product.

You also didn't consider (due to your extreme ignorance) the fact that the IM's and message board posts contained phrases like "You gotta check this track out" & "If you haven't heard this, what are you waiting for?"

But I shan't derail the thread anymore.

Thanks, hope you stick to your words kid.

po!

09-20-2005, 04:29 AM

lots of hype (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=hype) for this track...

i'm not sure any piece can possibly live up to that kinda hype, and i have to say that for me it was not a "life changing experience" or the BEST SONG EVAR!!11!!

but i do think this is excellent work.. everything fits in very well. guitar and vocals are good and the whole thing has a nice flying sensation to it. it really brings out the feelings of Secret of Mana

Zaid

09-20-2005, 04:49 AM

What the fuck is wrong with you two?? this is the discussion of this piece, not what the fucking word hype means. Please....Let's give harmony his props, this piece is amazing, and his voice well...I can't say i've been turned on by a man's voice before. Very well done, very impressive harmony.

BeanbagSkratchbob

09-20-2005, 06:17 AM

I agree, his voice ain't bad at all. Great peice.

Dahlia

09-20-2005, 07:13 AM

Absolutely excellent. I mean, sure I've got a huge Mana bias, but I genuinely do like this song. Don't ever quit the panel. :wink:

Arek the Absolute

09-20-2005, 07:29 AM

You sound a bit like me Harmony...that is scary. Maybe we should sing together one day :)
THe song is good. It isn't the best, but neither is a lot of other stuff. All you critiques need to jst chill and be on the happy side of this. It is good. One of the better Secret of Mana mixes on OCR.

Mustin, you are such a dork haha.

Wicked

09-20-2005, 12:48 PM

You have no idea how badly I'm kicking myself. I glanced for new songs on the site yesterday, caught a glance and said, "Hmm, SoM mix by Harmony, eh? Looks promising but probably not something that needs an urgent listen."

I want to slap my brain around, now. If I hadn't read the write-up by djp I would have made the exact same comparison to Pillar of Salt, which is easily in my top three, if not number one, on my list of favorite mixes. This mix absolutely takes me to another world and even makes my eyes water a little when I'm REALLY listening.

I'd totally want to see this mix on the upcoming World of Mana cinematic intro or something like that. I have a feeling it'd be wildly popular with everybody to ever even touch the game.

phantomINTELLECT

09-20-2005, 01:45 PM

The mix is good, there's no doubt about that. You should make a instrumental version available too though.

Antelucan

09-20-2005, 01:46 PM

This song is ICY CHILL.

Geoffrey Taucer

09-20-2005, 02:54 PM

Absolutely. Fucking. Awesome.

Doulifée

09-20-2005, 02:57 PM

very cool song, something to add in my relax remix album.

The lyric add a magic part to the music of flammy.

Nice work :nicework:

DragonAvenger

09-20-2005, 04:21 PM

OMG amazing. You have no idea how many shivers I get from this.

Harmony

09-20-2005, 04:42 PM

I mean, sure I've got a huge Mana bias...
Absolutely nothin' wrong with that. You're certainly not alone :wink:

And thanks again everyone for the compliments.

PlastikBag

09-20-2005, 05:15 PM

Holy hawt! This song is awesome. Hot 5/4 rhythm, awesome drums, great voice, sexy guitar...

SECKS.

hitokirisabin

09-20-2005, 05:35 PM

I listen to this song on repeat all the time...kudos!

Chef

09-20-2005, 07:37 PM

Oh man was that good, and i never post my opinion on this site. Usually just download and run. Very niiice, and it seems like you put your heart and soul into the remix. Not the MayFortuneSmileUponYou part two that im hopeing that you will do some day, but its a start. Great mix!

Navi

09-20-2005, 08:08 PM

herograw

09-20-2005, 08:11 PM

well... not much to say except, I've been waiting for a remix of flight song 3 (evening) since I first discovered ocremix, five years ago. thank you soooooooooo much!

-rob

Holy Warrior Azar

09-20-2005, 08:14 PM

You know, despite it's qulaity I really didnt like Harmony's version of "Spirit of the Night", but I have the opposite on this. I realy enjoyed this one. I loved the guitar work and I was psyched to finally hear a good cover of the third flight theme. I did catch the parts of the desert theme as well. The lyrics are very...pretty, but I think it would be cool as well to do an instrumental with a guitar lead in it's place as well. My favorite part was the guitar work at 3:47, that was cool. This leaves me with a bit of a sad feeling despite the fact I ejoyed the song but then again the game did too, so it's all good. :wink:

You should try the test of courage song from the same game, nobody seems to want to try that one... :(

Argle

09-20-2005, 09:02 PM

I don't normally have a lot of patience for VG arrangements with vocals, but this is something else entirely. Wow! Very, very sweet.

You have an amazing voice, BTW.

SnakeEyes

09-20-2005, 09:09 PM

Wow incredible.

Ditto the comments from someone previous, long time listener, never felt the need to post until this. Beautiful guitar, piano and drums, but the vocals to me put this at another level. I think I've had this on repeat for the past two hours!

Amazing amazing work

Kutrayn

09-20-2005, 09:19 PM

I'm not usually one to vote on individual pieces of music on this site (mostly because I know nothign about it past what I do and don't like). However, this is one work that I must make exception to. Secret of Mana is a legend in its own right, regardless of what the infinitesimally few may say.
This song however, did exactly what it was supposed to do and that was to put my head up in the clouds. I never really liked the original song before because it replaced 'Prophecy' and seemed to lack the same drama Prophecy invoked in me. Of course, now I have to plug my SNES back in just so I can hear this song again. Congratulations in turning a stubborn opinion. 8O
This is going up to the top of my most-played list right with The Darkness and the Light, Thrash the Plank, and Aphrodite Oceanus... Did anybody else just get the urge to put up with airport security?

bladiator

09-20-2005, 09:41 PM

Man, I don't know why so many people want an instrumental version of this. I actually am sad that there is an instrumental only part near the end of the song .. I was hoping for vocals throughout. It's like I only got a taste of them.

Sporknight

09-21-2005, 12:47 AM

I was seriously giddy after listening to this the first time. I would've burst out laughing with joy had my dad not been right across from me in the room.

Just...wow. Wow. Nice work man, very nice.

richter

09-21-2005, 04:13 AM

What's funny about that back-and-forth earlier is I have personally been generating lots of omghype over Mr. Morse's latest track (http://www.vgmix.com/song_view.php?song_id=4962) (telling people to download it etc). Niiiice.

So yeah Harmony ridiculously good. I'll download everything you ever do from now on. Consider yourself stalked.

TrueWInd

09-21-2005, 06:01 AM

You've succeeded in pulling an old fan of SoM out of lurker status, Harmony. ^_~

The only thing that bothers my poetic senses, at least, is the use of the phrase "my Flammie". It seems like it might make more sense to say "my dragon". I realize that the rhyme of "stars" and "far" sets up an expectation of later rhyme, but for some reason, "my Flammie" strikes wrongly with me. I think that part of it is that I am easily persuaded that the singer here is Randi himself (the Boy), and I have trouble seeing him describing Flammie as "his"; but for the most part, it is just that the phrase "my Flammie" seems uncharacteristically childish for this "speaker". Using "my dragon" would also set you up for for "dragon song", later in the piece.

I don't claim to know anything about music, but I thought I'd speak up since, except for that one little part of this song, I was riveted. Excellent work, Harmony, and I hope to hear more SoM mixes from you in the future. (Also, you're helping me continue my SD3 fanfic, though I suspect how glad you'd be about that depends on your opinions on copyright infringement. ^^; )

djpretzel

09-21-2005, 06:14 AM

The only thing that bothers my poetic senses, at least, is the use of the phrase "my Flammie". It seems like it might make more sense to say "my dragon".

Sometimes I pet and stroke my Flammie, and it responds vigorously and enthusiastically to this affection :wink:

...

I didn't notice it until you pointed it out, but I'll agree that written down it's a little iffy. However, when sung, esp. by Brandon, I skip right over it without batting an eyelash.

SirRus

09-21-2005, 06:20 AM

Harmony has made some absolutely amazing OCR mixes and the best part about it is I like each new release by him better than the last. And that is insane for me cause I fell in love with Nighttime Evolution the first time I heard it. I must say I concur with the words of analoq that you are the man now, dog.

joe_cam

09-21-2005, 06:36 AM

Hey look, time to join the minority and state that I don't like this song and I don't see why it's getting so much hype and/or praise.
Guess it's just me and a few select others, but I've seen better songs, better SoM songs, and better impersonations of Joshua Morse, which is who immediately came to mind when I heard this song.

Overall, nice production, and it did SOUND good, but I just didn't care for it at all and I don't see what the big deal is about.

Alright, flame the shit out of me now, I guess.

verycleanteeth

09-21-2005, 06:52 AM

The instrumentation here is really excellent, but the singing bugged me a bit, and the lyrics got under my skin. Is there an instrumental version of this anywhere? Please tell me there is!

SosusOCR

09-21-2005, 12:40 PM

Very Slick, I really enjoyed this track.

The vocals stared to lose it for me towards the end but thats more to my dislike of messing around with vocals than the quality of the song.

All in all its a great, not brilliant but still welcome on my Ipod.

Harmony

09-21-2005, 12:58 PM

The only thing that bothers my poetic senses, at least, is the use of the phrase "my Flammie". It seems like it might make more sense to say "my dragon".
I didn't notice it until you pointed it out, but I'll agree that written down it's a little iffy.
No, no, no. You guys are missing the very poetic palendromic alliteration:
Fly me my Flammie.

FMMF. C'mon, you don't get more poetic than that. Fly me my dragon!? That's crazy talk...stop talking crazy :wink:

but I've seen better songs, better SoM songs, and better impersonations of Joshua Morse
That's an insult to both Joshua Morse and myself.

TrueWInd

09-21-2005, 03:46 PM

DCT

09-21-2005, 03:59 PM

Not a bad piece at all. Personally, I don't think it's as OMG AMAZING at the majority of the listeners apparently do, but it's a solid song that deserved to be on this site. Regarding any Joshua Morse 'impersonations,' I don't agree. Their voices sound somewhat alike, but that's where the similarities end for me (Josh hasn't even done any vocal remixes that I'm aware of). Anyway, that's enough of a tangent. Like I said, good stuff; Harmony should be proud...and controversy is always a good thing. :wink:

-DCT

Harmony

09-21-2005, 04:50 PM

My point was that meaning shouldn't be compromised for the sake of "poetic finesse", and indeed a part of poetic finesse is fine-tuning your devices to fit within the particular rhythm of your poem (or in this case, your song). If you've designed the line specifically to achieve that particular alliteration, then I as a listener think it is a poor choice.

As I said, however, I enjoy the song, and I will continue to listen to it.
Hehe, I was only kidding with my alliteration rebuttal there. I put absolutely zero thought into most of my remix lyrics so they are essentially whatever first comes to mind after thinking about the game, the mood and the genre. Glad you enjoy the song despite its jacked up lyrics :D

SirRus

09-21-2005, 05:17 PM

I forgot to mention in my earlier post how my favorite aspect of this track and Harmony's previous ones has been the interplay of guitar and piano. Absolutley beautiful arrangement and sound wise. The bass is always sexy in a Harmony track as well.

djpretzel

09-21-2005, 05:22 PM

but I've seen better songs, better SoM songs, and better impersonations of Joshua Morse
That's an insult to both Joshua Morse and myself.

Yeah, I find some of these comments a little disturbing, because, without going into too much detail, it seems a certain group of people are intent on weighing in as a block, with very little dissent amongst their ranks. The best way to avoid the appearance of being Borg-like, cliqueish, and insecure is to ensure that group opinions don't seem consistently... organized. If people are truly about spreading "unity" and "neutrality", they should endeavour not to appear to offer up their opinion only in certain very selective contexts, simultaneously, and with the overall appearance of acting as the collective mouth of external entities. I'm all about giving people the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes things are just too conspicuous to avoid commenting on... or laughing at.

Which is not to say the piece is perfect, but... claiming that it's 97% original and 3% source, or a poor imitation of Joshua Morse... these are claims that involve hyperbole (one hopes) and unnecessary external comparisons. Some of these same individuals are often rambling on about bringing the community together and unifying people - it's time to put up or shut up, walk the walk and not just talk the talk, and make a little EFFORT, otherwise such intentions come off as mere lip service...

If this is only 3% source, I failed Math and can't count. If this resembles a Joshua Morse piece, I either haven't heard it yet, or have so much wax in my ears it's amazing I'm not entirely deaf.

Partisan, partisan, partisan.

As for the Flammie bit - it appears the lyrics as posted are incomplete, as they don't include these lines. Can someone, preferably Brandon, send me an updated version?

Hynnin

09-21-2005, 05:22 PM

Beautiful, everything in Harmony as every remix you do, all the game just flashed out when I first heard it, I can't lie, its on my playlist thats for sure..

Arek the Absolute

09-21-2005, 05:26 PM

As for the Flammie bit - it appears the lyrics as posted are incomplete, as they don't include these lines. Can someone, preferably Brandon, send me an updated version?

I was wondering what was up with that.

Holy Warrior Azar

09-21-2005, 05:46 PM

Just to clarify (for whoever may have forgotten it), this is the original melody.

http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/snes/JILost_-_SNES_-_Secret_of_Mana_-_Prophecy.mid

It is obvious in Dragon Song, right? :?

Thórel Eladan

09-21-2005, 07:38 PM

Hey... Harmony, what a great song! I never play the game (shame on me!) so I just gave it a try and wow! totally identified with your remix! great work!

po!

09-21-2005, 07:52 PM

GrayLightning

09-21-2005, 08:17 PM

it seems a certain group of people are intent on weighing in as a block, with very little dissent amongst their ranks. The best way to avoid the appearance of being Borg-like, cliqueish, and insecure is to ensure that group opinions don't seem consistently... organized.

it's funny that you mention that, because i was thinking the same thing with regard to all of these similar BEST SONG EVOR replies in this thread

i think it's only human nature to want to agree with your friends/peers/group and epsecially people you look up to (in this case that would be any of the judges or DJP). and i have seen this behavior on just about every internet forum i've ever visited. i wish i knew the psychological term for this....

anyways, my point is

I'm all about giving people the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes things are just too conspicuous to avoid commenting on... or laughing at.

take a look in the mirror and you'll see the same thing.

just a little sumthin sumthin for you guys to think about. like i said before, this is just human nature, and hopefully if you all understand that then we will see less of this unnecessary debate in a freakin remix review thread

There's one major difference po!, decorum. If you are citing that several judges have praised this mix, it's only natural as several of us have heard the mix and have been waiting for it to be posted. There's a difference between that and the cloak and dagger cheap attacks against harmony, djp or this mix. There is plenty of room for disagreement and constructive criticism; but when it becomes almost malevolent and immature behavior - that is the concern we have raised. The behavior of the group djp mentioned is surprising and indeed shocking. I expected more mature behavior from fellow veterans of this scene.

Scrobble

09-21-2005, 08:36 PM

note: regardless of my opinions, i have a certain level of respect for anyone who can make decent sounding music, because i can't.

as for the song: It's pretty decent. The lyrics are a bit (maybe more than a bit) cheesy. I can't give some anal 'at exactly two minutes and four point five seconds blah blah blah' review, but i liked what i heard. However. i'm not sure it's as good as it's being advertised as. I hear the original more than the exaggerated '3%', but it does seem to be a little light.

as for the debate: i think both 'sides' are being silly.

Nobody is making 'cloak and dagger cheap attacks' against anyone. As i have read they are pretty plain about their disagreements. This is most likely not the place for it, but there is no 'cloak and dagger' going on.

Nobody is in a 'block' saying, covertly or overtly, "let's all get together and bash this mix".

po!

09-21-2005, 08:44 PM

There's a difference between that and the cloak and dagger cheap attacks against harmony, djp or this mix. There is plenty of room for disagreement and constructive criticism; but when it becomes almost malevolent and immature behavior - that is the concern we have raised. The behavior of the group djp mentioned is surprising and indeed shocking. I expected more mature behavior from fellow veterans of this scene.

this is what irks me. "behaviour of the group"

what GROUP? i think people may be reading too much into things and making assumptions about the actions of 2 people (Mustin and JoeCam) to represent the thoughts of an entire GROUP

you can read more about it here

http://boards.oneupstudios.com/showthread.php?t=2593

Arcana

09-21-2005, 09:20 PM

what GROUP? i think people may be reading too much into things and making assumptions about the actions of 2 people (Mustin and JoeCam) to represent the thoughts of an entire GROUP

And what assumptions about what group have people made about Mustin? What, is this OCR vs. OUS? I didn't see anything on this thread that suggested that it's one group against another... a few people have denounced the sarcastic comment made by Mustin, but to me, it was a specific retort to Mustin as an individual, and not to any supposed "group" that he represents. Even if Mustin liked the song, his sarcasm suggested otherwise. In any case, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but in the interests of keeping all of the review threads beneficial, everyone who says "SONG BAD" should really be backing them up with explanations. One might wonder why "SONG GOOD" should not be similarly backed up - the song (and the artist by proxy) has already gone through a rigourous review process in the form of DJP and his Judges' panel, and thus has passed a certain baseline of "good". Also, a lot of people who visit are fans and just want to show support, which is more positive than trying to denounce an artist. It is the way of life - if you go along with a status quo, you don't need to explain in detail why you are agreeing with the status quo. If you are, however, denying the state of the current crowd, then it is in your best interest, as well as respectful to the remixer, to explain exactly why you felt that the song was not up to your personal standards.

Enough politics. This is a review thread, and I've said too much about non-review items. Let me move on to a review, then.

~~~~

I must confess that this song failed to capture my attention during my first listen. I heard the first verse, but the rest of the song failed to register in my mind as words - there's an interesting use of reverb and layering here that makes the lyrics extremely ambient - something like the soft 'oohs' and 'ahhs' that I heard from pixietricks in Journey's End (http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01381/).

... yes, I just compared Brandon's voice to Jill's. :D

I think that increasing the volume of the lyrics in the beginning may have reduced this environmental effect. I don't even think the lyrics are really meant to be listened to, myself. It's meant to be felt. This song is very interesting in that it doesn't make itself stand out unless it is listened to closely - it creeps up on you, and manages to imprint itself into your mind quietly and subtlely.

Nice drumwork, great guitar work going on here. This track has strong production. My only observable problem is the transition in metre at 2:10, which sounds almost like a skip. The transition at 2:33 with the repeating syllables - awesome. The whole original improvisation section sets up some variation in the song while keeping the mood, and again we have more of Brandon's great voice work going on.

There's a lot of variation here and this is definitely material that most people should be able to enjoy, or, at the least, understand what the hype is about. Sure, there's a lot of hype about this track, but you cannot deny that most of it is pretty deserved. The song caters to certain tastes. If you don't like it, then I would suggest that it is due to personal taste, rather than something specific that Brandon did poorly or incorrectly.

Great work.

joe_cam

09-21-2005, 09:47 PM

Don't lump me in with any "groups" or anything. Just because my main message board residence is OUS doesn't mean I speak for them EVER. I was NEVER a part of OUS, I am NOT a part of OUS, I DO NOT and WILL NOT speak on behalf of OUS. Don't talk shit about OUS beause I don't like this song...
When I said Joshua Morse imitation, I mean that as soon as I heard the music and singing, the first thought in my head was "Wow...this is like Josh Morse, but not as good." and that's MY FUCKING THOUGHT. If nobody shares that with me, fine, but that's what I thought and I stand by that.
I'm not impressed by the song, I don't see what the big deal is, and if I'm an asshole for not liking it, that's pretty sad. Leave my to my opinions and you can have yours, but I'm not going to love this song because other people do. I'd say "sorry" but I have no reason to.

herograw

09-21-2005, 10:04 PM

And what assumptions about what group have people made about Mustin? What, is this OCR vs. OUS? I didn't see anything on this thread that suggested that it's one group against another... a few people have denounced the sarcastic comment made by Mustin, but to me, it was a specific retort to Mustin as an individual, and not to any supposed "group" that he represents.

it seems a certain group of people are intent on weighing in as a block, with very little dissent amongst their ranks.

OHOK

What's funny is that I caught this thread right after af posted and upon reading his post and what djp had said, I was thinking "OH SHIT< DRAMA". So then I started back at page 1 and read thru, just to find that for the most part, the responses were civil and unoffensive. I'm not sure where djp is coming from here. From his response I expected some sort of mob presence.

CPacaud

09-21-2005, 10:57 PM

Yep, I think some people are reading way too much into what others say. I guess some scars are still a little sensitive.

But more importantly, great work Harmony ! I love the production and instrumentation, great stuff that'll hopefully inspire everyone.

Mustin

09-21-2005, 11:47 PM

Which is not to say the piece is perfect, but... claiming that it's 97% original and 3% source, or a poor imitation of Joshua Morse... these are claims that involve hyperbole (one hopes) and unnecessary external comparisons. Some of these same individuals are often rambling on about bringing the community together and unifying people - it's time to put up or shut up, walk the walk and not just talk the talk, and make a little EFFORT, otherwise such intentions come off as mere lip service...

Main Entry: hy·per·bo·le
Pronunciation: hI-'p&r-b&-(")lE
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from Greek hyperbolE excess, hyperbole, hyperbola, from hyperballein to exceed, from hyper- + ballein to throw -- more at DEVIL
: extravagant exaggeration (as "mile-high ice-cream cones")

Yes, spot on. A hyperbole for sure. It's obviously not a 97% to 3% ratio. But it can't be denied that there is at least half if not more original material in here than arrangement of source. And that's fine because that's how the site is run now. (And in all honesty, I'm quite sure I've done worse | see: "Team Gato")

But more and more, the site seems to have gotten away from the man who started it. Maybe I'm reading into things, and maybe this is the way it was meant to be, but it's a far departure from times when djpretzel would post a song because he liked the song. And I'm glad to see him gushing about this one. As he said, it's part of the reason he started the site. But my problem is that everything seems to be in the hands of the judges where "covers" no matter how good they are, will be tossed aside. If we went through and cleaned everything out before the lock down (which I know they did to some degree), so many of the songs that we know and love would be gone. For me, while I enjoy the original material, I'd still like to hear a good cover once-in-a-while and I think most other people would like to hear that too.

So it's not some site war or anything as many people - well, as it seems many people would wish it to be. It's just me making a quasi-crack on Harmony's piece regarding the secret formula to get on OCR. Nevermind the fact that you need to have a good song in the eyes of the judges.

I'm not sure what else I can do to "put up or shut up, walk the walk and not just talk the talk, and make a little EFFORT." It seems like I've been doing that since the start. I've made a vailant effort to bring people together. Of course, I've gotten frustrated at times (see: "Bubble's Decision"), but it's natural for people to be frustrated (given that most don't have to make a song for it, but me being a musician, well, I express myself through music so sue me :D

I don't know what else I can do when I can't even get a song past the judge's panel anyway :(

As for Harmony's track - I like it a lot. I've been listening to it most of the day. I think Harmony needs to roll off the low end in his voice because it gets really boomy somewhere between 250 and 1000 (this is in the "Sonic" mix too), and I think the piano could be a better sample, but overall, good production and a great piece of work.

Sure I could have said that from the get-go, but that wouldn't have been much fun, would it ;)

Jillian Aversa

09-22-2005, 01:52 AM

I’ve been a puddle of teary goo ever since I first heard this piece. Couldn’t even post an appropriate review till now—just needed some time to…solidify.

I could go on and on about the technical quality, the beautiful skill Brandon demonstrates in arranging, playing, and singing alike... But he knows it already, and I don’t think that’s what he was looking for when he created this piece. To concentrate on those things would be almost degrading to the music itself. Instead, I’m going to share how this piece touched me.

I’ve been best friends with this girl since first grade. We aren’t the kind to talk about personal stuff together, really, because we share such a powerful bond that words aren’t necessary. But once, when we were much younger, we had a bad fight one night when I was sleeping over at her house. So we sat for hours, not saying a word to each other, at opposite corners of the room. And then she just said, “Sometimes I wish I could fly away to a magical place.” I looked at her, and we both burst out in tears—just sitting there, hugging and crying for the longest time, balled up under her little desk.

This song brought out that memory for me. It’s such a simple thought: if only we could fly away, all our problems would be left behind. But when Theresa said those words that night, I knew what she really meant. We were each other’s magical places. We were each other’s dragons, friends, escapes. And even after all the hard things we’ve been through in the past few years, we still have that incredible love to depend on.

This music breathes. It reminds me why I’m here, why I want to be a performer, why I get up every morning… And I feel silly for posting all this on a review thread in OCR of all places, but…no, I don’t. God. This is what it’s all about. Thank you. :cry:

Patrick Burns

09-22-2005, 02:58 AM

Harmony, what kind of setup do you use to record your guitar?

djpretzel

09-22-2005, 03:45 AM

For future reference, it's simply my observation that nothing draws people out of the woodwork from other game mixing sites as much as a piece being praised extensively, especially if it's not related in some way to one of their own members or someone they're chummy with. It's like clockwork, and I would have anticipated it had someone asked me. The clear trend from certain individuals seems to be to only review when something is being commended, and to curtly contradict such acclaim, usually with as little tact as possible.

That I couldn't *tell* whether Mustin's 97/3 ratio was hyperbole or not should really SAY something; I'm glad he's clarified that it was, but the point of my post was that, regardless of the actuality, there's certainly the appearance of being "in league", voting as a block, and only visiting OCR's review forum collectively to put something down. I don't feel like I'm synthesizing here, or pulling trends and observations out of thin air. I'd be really surprised if deep down no one in question knew what I was talking about.

In either case, when I talk about being open and promoting unity, and walking the walk, I'm talking about not posting ambiguously sarcastic hyperboles as one's only review in X number of weeks. Your follow-up post was candid and direct - why not, next time, skip the one-liners and curt comments that could easily be interpreted literally, and jump straight to the honest feedback? Save us all some time? Zing people in your mind, or on your own forums, but give artists some legitimate feedback here, one way or the other, instead of exaggerated sarcasm directed towards OCR? I think that's a fairly transparent request, which anyone who was truly interested in better intersite relations would have no problem filling.

As for joecam and his "FUCKING THOUGHT" - you can say "This sounds like Joshua Morse only not as good" ALL YOU WANT. Have at it. I'd still think it was musically inaccurate to the Nth degree, but it'd be, as you state, your thought. However, when you call someone's mix a "Joshua Morse impersonation", that's a little bit different. It implies that Harmony was actively modeling his arrangement on Morse's - that there was mimicry or even plagiarism involved. This, of course, YOU don't know. It's terrible word choice if all you wanted to say was that the piece resembled Morse's stuff but was not as good, because it says more than that. Coming from someone who has professed directly to me a wish to get people to come together and cooperate more, you're either choosing your words very poorly, or you did in fact mean to suggest that Brandon was consciously copying Josh. In either case, that's not going to be conducive to a goal of cooperation.

DarkeSword

09-22-2005, 04:11 AM

Yo Brandon, I finally got around to listening to this piece. Really tight stuff. I love the guitar. Everything locked together really nicely. This is a keeper, definitely.

The Orichalcon

09-22-2005, 04:16 AM

Very Cafe Del Mar sounding, this piece is.

I love it, nice work Harmony. Let's have more mixes of this style so we can have "Cafe Del Mar: OverClocked ReMix" :wink:

joe_cam

09-22-2005, 04:58 AM

As for joecam and his "FUCKING THOUGHT" - you can say "This sounds like Joshua Morse only not as good" ALL YOU WANT. Have at it. I'd still think it was musically inaccurate to the Nth degree, but it'd be, as you state, your thought. However, when you call someone's mix a "Joshua Morse impersonation", that's a little bit different. It implies that Harmony was actively modeling his arrangement on Morse's - that there was mimicry or even plagiarism involved. This, of course, YOU don't know. It's terrible word choice if all you wanted to say was that the piece resembled Morse's stuff but was not as good, because it says more than that. Coming from someone who has professed directly to me a wish to get people to come together and cooperate more, you're either choosing your words very poorly, or you did in fact mean to suggest that Brandon was consciously copying Josh. In either case, that's not going to be conducive to a goal of cooperation.

Well then I admit I chose the wrong word. We all use the wrong words at the wrong times and I admit my fault. I was stating my first impressions, not claiming what Harmony intended.
Also, to claim that the fact I didn't like this song is supposedly detrimental to my desire to see a more united community irks me.
Last thing I want is more animosity and dissention in this community, and to make it seem like I'm trying to cause it bothers me.
I've been stating I don't like the song and that's that. I admire the production and how good it sounds, but bottom line is I just don't like the song. I didn't say I don't like Harmony and he's a shtyjdgfgt or anything.

Regardless, it feels like anything else I type here will be mis-interpreted or turned around so I look like more of a dick, so I'm just going to wrap this up. I meant no disrepsect to Harmony or anybody else. I was stating my first impressions on the piece and I obviously used the wrong word and ended up looking like an ass to some people. My apoligies, but I still don't like the song.

Shael Riley

09-22-2005, 05:06 PM

Boring and conservative in its reiteration of a tired, old theme, Harmony's Joshua Morse impersonation stands as testament to the ineptitude and cock-licking nepotism of the Overclocked Old Boys' Club.

Nah, I'm just kidding.

I fucking dig it. You have a beautiful voice and you've interpreted the piece in a way that brings out the dynamics and, in turn, emotiveness that the original composer implied in his composition, but was unable to realize due to technical constraints. It's a little repitious in and of itself, with one part flowing so subtley into and sounding so much similar to another as to make it difficult for the listener to tell which part of the song he is listening to, which, in turn, undermines any ideas about rising and falling tension; it's more than a little derivitive of a thousand "mature" pop songs I've heard a hundred thousand times, although most of them are not rooted in a song from from a videogame; it's not something I'd listen to on a regular basis but I fully recognize the nuance and craftsmenship that went into this piece of work. Good shit, Harmony. :)

As the lost Judge, I give it a YES.

To adress the "FUCKING THOUGHT" debate, it's leaps and bounds above anything Josh Morse has ever done, particularly in regards to humanity. While Morse is a talented composer, his pieces have always struck me as overly mechanical. Harmony's nuance in rhythmic intonation brings a whole different meal to the aural table than your typical cold-as-ice Josh Morse leftovers.

You're still a shitty Judge, though and I don't like your decisions. I hope you meet the same fate as Schnaba before you. Watch your back.

Oh, and the lyrics are make-me-laugh trite. Shoulda song about your cock.

Harmony

09-22-2005, 05:21 PM

Now see, there's some great criticism. It acknowledges the goods, jabs at the bads, and has a good time doing both. Morselove, Morsehate, judgehate, an idle threat and a pseudo request to do the Secret of Mana version of "The Music Of My Groin". Everybody's happy.

Shael, you have my vote for OCR judge in '05.

Alianger

09-22-2005, 09:03 PM

well..sound quality and arrangement is top notch, but i'd really like to hear it without those disgusting vocals. they make me picture a semi-nude enrique eglesias walking on a beach.

Darkflamewolf

09-22-2005, 09:27 PM

I've been a longtime visitor and fan to the OCRemix site and have long enjoyed listened to the multitude of talented artists displayed here. But never before have I been forced by my heart to respond to a mix than this one. (Pillar of Salt came close!) But, listening to this song, and at the particular time of my life that it chose to appear before me, came at a crucial time of my Christian life. I am unfortunately hot off of a 3 year romance with a individual whom I am still madly in love with and was engaged to be married next year to. We broke it off due to life circumstances, but I truly felt we never tried hard enough at it. This song completely encaptures everything that I was feeling at the time when it was first posted on OCRemix. I wanted to fly away and have my cares washed away by distant memories and feel the love of my fiance once more. It is a beautiful, haunting, but altogether bittersweet melody. I love the source material from which it came from and I love more with what you have done with it and the emotions it evoked within me. Bravo Harmony, bravo.

Navi

09-22-2005, 09:51 PM

well..sound quality and arrangement is top notch, but i'd really like to hear it without those disgusting vocals. they make me picture a semi-nude enrique eglesias walking on a beach.

That's gotta be a comment for the record books.

Dhsu

09-23-2005, 12:22 AM

Hahaha...

The problem with those comments is that they spread mental images like the plague. :D

SirRus

09-23-2005, 02:50 AM

a semi-nude enrique eglesias walking on a beach.

I've never met Harmony but that was my mental image of him regardless of this song.

CHz

09-23-2005, 04:27 AM

I've never met Harmony but that was my mental image of him regardless of this song.

http://tinypic.com/axbh5l.jpg

The Joker

09-23-2005, 04:53 AM

Man... what I wouldn't give to be Harmony while taking that pic...

Regardless of that & the fact that... most of the discussion going on... Well let's just say I couldn't be arsed to care about. Having said that, the reader will note that I did indeed enjoy this song. But for reasons most may not get. Firstly, cause it reminds me of that credits song in Samurai Champloo. Secondly, at 3:50 it sounds like a remix of the "Port of Adia" from Turok 2. Holy crap someone needs to remix that. That section just totally make me happy (see, I can't even type proper engrish) as it may be the closest thing to a remix of it. Anyway, I like it. JTown Seal of OMG-the-best turok-mix-not-a-turok-mix Excellence! Good job maing, good job.

SS4Ricky

09-23-2005, 07:15 AM

hey....was that pic taken at Otakon in baltimore, MD? Man, so many good remixers living nearby...heck this is like my first time checking out the boards and i see that djpretzel live in VA! lol, i guess remixing's an east coast thing.

on topic, i've been downloading alot of remixes on this site since a long while back, and all the ones with voices usually stray me away instantly. it's just not my thing. but i hear this one and it's like, "ok, i'll let it slide...ok, this is pretty good....alright, flashback of childhood memories and secret of mana....damn this is a pretty sweet mix." It really does justice to the classic, and the lyrics were placed so it never really went overboard. and i just love that part in 2:49 where you start singing your own melody. i do that kinda stuff when i listen to my gaming music, like throw in my own part to enhance it, i dunno i just liked it alot. Very good stuff.

GrayLightning

09-23-2005, 04:08 PM

Page edited.

Fun is fun and off topic is off topic, but this is getting overboard now. Let's please get back on track to reviews.

polar-

09-23-2005, 06:43 PM

This is probably one of the best tunes I´ve heard from you Harmony.. Good stuff! I love SoM´s music and this is a good take on a great tune :]

Nellus

09-23-2005, 09:42 PM

Nice job. This will sound great on my surround sound. :)

Flaillen

09-24-2005, 02:11 PM

I really love this song, I keep listening to it over and over recently...The vocals are great and fit in perfectly with the music.

Shael Riley

09-24-2005, 03:09 PM

This is gonna be the most racist thing I've said all year but, HOLY FUCK! HARMONY'S BLACK! He sounded white.

I know people can't sound white or black, not by any reasonable standards of scientific backing.

But I just kind of intuit it when I hear a smooth tenor with a continental US accent--the kind newscasters have--and an acoustic guitar. Just shows what a presumptious biggot I am.

Also, Josh Morse saw my previous in-thread comments and accausted me on AIM, trying to defend his overly mechanical music, which was the best thing ever.

I'm amazed at the heated and personal debate surrounding this piece of music. I'm simpley amazed. I speculate that the real tension between the parties in question--and there are quite a few--may have been pre-existing, personal, having nothing to actually do with Harmony's piece, and simpley boiled over into a teniously related slander when presented with the oppurtunity.

So, hey, I'm gonna close my post out by bringing in back to the topic at hand; that is to say, "you sure did make an Overclocked remix, Harmony. Nice work."

Lukien

09-24-2005, 05:48 PM

Pure resplendence. One of the most beautiful songs I've heard on this site. Good job Harmony, I hope to hear more from you in the future.

djpretzel

09-24-2005, 07:37 PM

Just some wrap-up comments: the reason I think strongly likening any of Harmony's music to any of Morse's is questionable isn't because I don't like Morse's stuff (I do, a lot, which should be clear) or that I think it's mechanical, but rather simply because I think they are fundamentally different. Thanks to joecam for clearing up the "impersonation" bit; perhaps I read people's words too closely at times.

Kaede_X

09-25-2005, 09:35 AM

Love the production on this.
Normally I don't like vocals in my music, but in this they just kinda blended in with the rest of the song, rather than being the main focus and overpowering the instrumental portion.

Everything just sounds great. The acoustic guitars, the drums, everything.

Tepid

09-25-2005, 03:29 PM

This has to be one of the best songs I've yet heard from OCR.

1:17 - Genious.

There's nothing I can flaw with this song as everything flows together seamlessly. All I can say is that it is very, very good. 'So-good-I-will-never-listen-to-another-song-again' type of good. Also, nice work with the time signature, it really makes a difference.

Awesome stuff!

Souliarc

09-26-2005, 12:59 AM

Thanks man, I really appreciate your talent. Even though i'm at the level where I STILL can not figure out the picking pattern for NightTime Evolution, your talent is impetuously forthcoming, and I hope it takes you far.

Well done.

OmegaDonut

09-26-2005, 08:34 AM

...and a pseudo request to do the Secret of Mana version of "The Music Of My Groin".

Seconded.

Antisheep

09-27-2005, 04:00 AM

This guy has a really really really good voice. The production's top notch and the ideas are priceless.

Just...wow.

Dr. Wily

09-28-2005, 05:07 PM

Excellent I said to myself as I saw another Secret of Mana mix on the site.. I was sceptical reading DJP's comments though.. would it compare to something as magnificent as Pillar of Salt?

It started a little quiet with the vocal, but had a nice mellow feel.. then 0:37 my ears recognise something familiar - hey-hey, that's Prophecy - and sharply distinct again at 0:49.. oh yes, I like what I'm hearing very much now. Prophecy was one of my favourites of the OST and this mix cetainly does justice with beautiful use of instruments, blended with a peaceful ambience and heartfelt vocals throughout - this is a track that makes my top list of mixes on OCR and I love to listen to it.. congratulations on a stellar job Harmony, easily your best piece yet.

Coppatop85

09-29-2005, 02:21 PM

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, because I am too lazy to read through everything, but the vocals here sound a LOT like the group porcupine tree. Amazing remix.

Thornless Rose

10-06-2005, 02:41 PM

This is a pretty nice tune. It would've been a lot nicer without the lame vocals, but I really like everything else about it.

Coppatop85

10-06-2005, 07:22 PM

personally I thought the vocals made the song.

Stalwart Jester

10-06-2005, 08:31 PM

personally I thought the vocals made the song.

Ditto.

Miletus

10-07-2005, 02:02 AM

The vocals were great and bad. Great in that they made the song, bad in that they were, as has been noted many times in this thread, cheesy at times (prime example being "take me to meet my mother") But what the hell kind of criticism is a lyric being "cheesy" anyway? This is a song based on a JRPG after all.

In conclusion, should've sung about your cock.

bladiator

10-07-2005, 01:45 PM

"take me to meet my mother" is cheesy? Damn, who makes up these "cheesy lyrics" rules anyways? Guess they all need to be about armpit hair and hot-rods...

The Orichalcon

10-07-2005, 02:21 PM

Harmony

10-07-2005, 03:43 PM

"take me to meet my mother" is cheesy? Damn, who makes up these "cheesy lyrics" rules anyways? Guess they all need to be about armpit hair and hot-rods...

and "my baby"

...The lyrics aren't important, it's the way they sound that matters.
Thanks guys. Lyrics are always an individual thing though. Personally I think of them as simply another instrument without real concrete meaning. It's the quality and tone of the words that impresses me. I think that's why many people can enjoy something like "Pillar of Salt" or "Prayer" without knowing exactly what the words mean.

Just the same, if I had to pick a cheesiest line in "Dragon Song", I'd go with "Fly me over deserts, fly me so far" :D

Miletus

10-07-2005, 05:23 PM

Harmony you better get your singing voice ready - here are some proposed changes I think you'll like, and might help you get more respect on the OCR scene:

It’s a fucked up world that I live in.
Why won't you leave me alone
Fuck off and leave me alone

Just fuck off and leave me alone
Leave me alone...

Don't try to control me, I'm nothing like you.
Stop trying to own me, don't think I'm a fool.
Quit crawling inside me, your skin burns to the touch
Take me to meet my mother, in hell eternally

(screaming and record scratches)

Leave me alone…you will never find a friend
Leave me alone…all hope has indeed gone
Leave me alone…if your lifeforce seems to fade
Leave me alone…this is one fucked up song

(more screaming and record scratches then abrupt ending)

Sam Ascher-Weiss

10-07-2005, 05:57 PM

Just stop doggin' me around

Miletus

10-07-2005, 06:24 PM

Pipe down!

Souliarc

10-07-2005, 08:49 PM

Singing in the mixes alone is still something fresh to the community, let alone lyrical composition. When you just read the lyrics, black and white, sure they may sound a bit dull, with the music though they are brightened. Emphasis and emotion to some is more important than semantic practicality.

Zeklan

10-16-2005, 08:25 PM

Wow.
I can't stop listening to this one.
The SoM ReMixes here are superb.
With this and Tidal Sequence, I'm not sure if
anything else on my playlist with get much play...
Keep up the excellent work.

PriZm

10-17-2005, 04:33 AM

5/4 makes me happy

to quote you: congratulations on creating a classic

Iron Cross

10-17-2005, 10:30 AM

A well-made piece. The vocals, which seem to be a hot topic, blend into the song well. I've listened to
it and made an effort to hear behind the vocals, and to my own ears, I think without the actual vocals,
the piece would be much worse off and far too plain to bother with, or at the very least, where the vocals
are would need to be filled with something else.

I only have two problems with this song, and both deal with something similar.
At 2:21 and 2:28, the pronunciation of mana and Flammie, respectively. The first "a" sound in mana and
the "a" in Flammie were mispronounced ('man-uh and 'flam-ee when they should have been 'mah-nuh and
'flay-me). This is only a somewhat minor issue, though, when taken with the rest of the piece.

Other than those two words, the rest of the vocals worked quite well, and the often-used "m" sound during
the third and fourth lines of the second major stanza brought in a rather soothing hum into the piece.

The rest has already been stated. The timing was done well and the music itself flowed with superb grace.
The piece was very enjoyable.

Harmony

10-17-2005, 07:04 PM

I only have two problems with this song, and both deal with something similar.
At 2:21 and 2:28, the pronunciation of mana and Flammie, respectively. The first "a" sound in mana and
the "a" in Flammie were mispronounced ('man-uh and 'flam-ee when they should have been 'mah-nuh and
'flay-me). This is only a somewhat minor issue, though, when taken with the rest of the piece.
Hmm. I've wondered about the correct pronunciation of both words. My pronunciation of "Mana" is the one that I've heard most often, although Dictionary.com agrees with you that I am incorrect. As far as "Flammie", in the WIP thread for this song I specifically asked how the word should be pronounced and the only reply I got concerning that was from Keiiii:

I always pronounced Flammie as 'FLAM-e.' [as opposed to FLAME-e]. In Japanese the creature's name is spelled furamii as opposed to fureimii (fureimu is how they'd say 'flame'), if that's any evidence.
Certainly not the strongest evidence to stand on but with that and no arguments to the contrary, I felt I had good enough reason to justify being lazy and not changing the way I've pronounced it for all these years :D. Thanks for the criticism and glad you enjoyed.

PriZm

10-18-2005, 02:20 AM

I always pronounced Flammie as 'FLAM-e.' [as opposed to FLAME-e]. In Japanese the creature's name is spelled furamii as opposed to fureimii (fureimu is how they'd say 'flame'), if that's any evidence.
Certainly not the strongest evidence to stand on but with that and no arguments to the contrary, I felt I had good enough reason to justify being lazy and not changing the way I've pronounced it for all these years :D. Thanks for the criticism and glad you enjoyed.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it be FLAM-EE just because there are 2 consecutive Ms in the word ?

nicholai_maelstrom

10-21-2005, 04:24 AM

I see absolutely nothing wrong with it... I just got lost in the music, which is what I feel you were going for. This piece is nothing short of a masterpiece. I never would have expected lyrics, but their usage added a beautiful, but well-needed twist on the original song. I would hope to hear another from you sometime soon, possibly a Kakara Village? Something along those lines would be nice to hear from you...

Geoffrey Taucer

11-01-2005, 02:32 PM

Wow. Just wow. This mix is absolutely amazing. Utterly professional, brilliantly arranged, very beautiful.

SirRus

11-02-2005, 05:49 AM

Lyrics are always an individual thing though. Personally I think of them as simply another instrument without real concrete meaning. It's the quality and tone of the words that impresses me. I think that's why many people can enjoy something like "Pillar of Salt" or "Prayer" without knowing exactly what the words mean.

Songs can impress me lyrically but for the most part I enjoy songs just as Harmony has described it. If anyone has heard of a band Sigor Ros they just sing a bunch of jiberish in a made up language and it is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard, and their concept is based on Harmony's idea that the beauty is found more in the sound and how it makes you feel and visualize etc. In "Dragon Song" for example my favorite part is mostly the nonlyrical singing starting at 2:30 with the "uhhhhs" and "oooohs" and textures therein.

It was at this part in the song that I definitievly acknowledged Harmony's sweet chocolate voice as orgasmic.

Ninja Fox

11-13-2005, 05:08 AM

This song is just... woah damn. I need to pick my jaw up from the desk now.

Really nice on the opening 40 or so seconds; It's a quick buildup, but it's so smooth that you barely notice it. I think of it much like lowering yourself into water; it happens faster than you think, then plunk, you're in. Well, I'm biased anyways... I say Prophicy kicks.

Nice break at 1:42 - 1:46; the mellow-ness of it contrasts very well with the energetic part before it, in my mind.

I really liked the time sig change at 2:31 from 5/4 to 6/4... or is it 3/4? :? Well, whatever it is, it's good, signaling an overall mood change in the song for a moment. Dig the vocal stuff that stars there as well.

3:47 starts the buildup to the moving section again, almost as smooth as the one at the start, but no less pleasing. 4:44 gives a sudden drop and powers down the song, bringing me to my only real gripe: the last note. For some reason, it always feels like there should be another note after it, just to close it up all nice-and-neat like. But I guess I'm being nitpicky or something.

Also, the trap set during the moving parts; Love it. I have yet to find it get old or repetitive, mainly due to the whole no-loop aspect in it (duh), but also because it fits in with the melody so well and helps dance it along. Yes, dance. It does more than just move; it moves with style. :P

One more thing... someone earlier expressed surprise at the fact that you're black, mainly do to the vocals. I must also confess, I, too, was mildly astonished. Your voice does provoke images of a white tenor singer. No offense intended at any of this, mind you. It doesn't change the fact that you're damn good, though.

So, there. That's my two shillings with a shilleleigh. If you have not heard this yet, get it now. If you are not listening to this, turn it on now. If you want to send this man $100... hey, it's your money, bub.

Excellent work, sir!

Geoffrey Taucer

11-28-2005, 02:50 AM

"Sheer brilliance" is the only way to describe this. There is not one thing I would have changed about it. Beautiful arrangement, flawless execution.

Zipp

11-28-2005, 07:45 PM

Well, people can argue back and forth on the lyrics as much as they please (and by the way, until we all decided to try to become Japanese we mispronounced everything in video games, from Chocobo to Aeris), but the fact remains that this song is incredible.

Great mix of themes here, and the transitions between them are well played. The singing is haunting, the lyrics fit the game while still being original, and the fact that they don't take over the song adds a lot.

Guitar playing is stylistic and suave. I really couldn't ask more of it than what it gives. The piano offsets it nicely. 40 seconds in, when the melody really starts, I get shivers. And a great ending. Really brings us down and out, unlike some music, which ends too abruptly for its own good.

All in all, a great mix, gets a perfect 5/5.

ForumChibi

11-29-2005, 06:03 AM

At first I got myself psyched up - a friend referred me to this song, I saw the reviews, I read DJPretzel's comments, then I listened to the song.

The first time through I was unimpressed. I was expecting something else by that time. So I played it again, listening to the parts people were pointing out, still not really that impressed. So I walked away... but for some reason, I really wanted to hear it again.

I probably played it twenty times in a row before my housemate went insane, not knowing what exactly it was I was listening to. The song really does speak for itself in the end. It's mysterious, unexplainably alluring, deep, and to sum it all up in one word, beautiful.

The vocals are calming, yet intense, and overall SO well done - looking back on it, a female vocalist would've ruined the song entirely. Even as a long-ago huge SoM fan, I can't quite recall which song this is remixed from, but I don't even care, because it's just that amazing. Some parts I can pick out, especially the piano, which is just incredible.

There's a reason why people rave about this song, I'm glad I was also able not just to find, but to feel what that reason was.

And for the record, I also pronounce it, Flam-E.

Sage_of_World

11-29-2005, 02:59 PM

This is by far my favourite song I've gotten off OC.
I got it before I went to school, and was late cause i listened to it so much :)

Seriously though, I love how relaxing this song is, it really gives you a feeling of peace.

Flam-E is the way to say it, just try to pronounce in it romaji, its the only way that makes sense.

BTW: Its from the final flight theme and kakara desert.

tistou

12-10-2005, 10:13 PM

"take me to meet my mother" is cheesy? Damn, who makes up these "cheesy lyrics" rules anyways? Guess they all need to be about armpit hair and hot-rods...

and "my baby"

I agree that the vocals make the song. The lyrics aren't important, it's the way they sound that matters.

i finished listening the 1386 remixes available here (at least once ) and i also agree that the vocals make that song n°1.

when i listen to it (for the 50th time) , I dream that I am who I want to be , That I’m successful and I’m free , Life's no longer a mystery , I’m a hero on the big screen ... sorry , dont remember the lyrics of the curent song ; just the sexy voice that make cry every girls and could turn you gay ^^

MisterBiggler

01-07-2006, 08:34 PM

All the ReMixes I've been grabbing lately have been jackpots, and this one continues the streak. I'm glad to see a ReMix of these tunes from SofM, along with "Negai" it's one of my favorite themes from the game. The vocals do it for me here; this song would not be as good without them IMHO (including the great oh's, ooh's & ah's). Fantastic joint; it's in the favorites pile for sure.

crimsonfate

01-13-2006, 01:24 AM

wow... what an overwhelmingly positive group of posts. Sexy voice my man. not ashamed to say it. Great stuff.

watkinzez

01-17-2006, 03:20 AM

So is Harmony the angel that came from the sky, gave us three kickass mixes and left almost as quickly? So his forum profile would say..

DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff

01-17-2006, 09:44 AM

So, as everyone else says, this song is beautiful and, as much as Bladiator will hate me for saying this, I do think the lyrics are the only thing holding it back. They're just too blatantly about the game; there's no subtlety in them at all: "fly me, my Flammie"?

I know this is a little absurd of an example but, can you imagine if the lyrics were more like, "I fell down a waterfall, I found the mana sword, I fought a killer mantis, the elder kicked my out of town... etc. etc." You can at least see where I'm coming from on this, right?

Anywho, that minor (incredibly minor) issue aside, the song truly is one of the most beautiful vocal tunes on this site and, by far, my favorite Harmony mix.

nikstar

01-18-2006, 02:05 AM

DJ Skratch 'n' Sniff

01-18-2006, 03:19 AM

Beautiful song, I don't think the lyrics matter in the sense that just like any other musical piece of a song the purpose of the singing is to add to the song. Deep lyrical meaning isn't particularly necessary.

I totally agree. I mean, I listen to Papa Roach as a guilty pleasure sometimes, for god's sake.

Hale-Bopp

03-02-2006, 01:28 AM

Man, I really gotta start paying more attention to all the amazing remixes that get posted on OCR...

Beautiful voice. Great song. Excellent production. Tight performance all around. I have a hard time critiquing anything this exceptional, so I'll just leave it at that.

crimsonfate

03-03-2006, 01:42 AM

i like de song. jes i do. it is so good to me. i love to sing de song. de song make me very happy. i love to listen to de song. sing and sing and sing dis song. so good jes indeed iss so good.

-MZ-

03-03-2006, 02:21 AM

Great mix. I'm not really used to lyric vocals (I'm more of an instrumental person), but they actually added to the song greatly. Good work! :)

crimsonfate

03-04-2006, 03:15 AM

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh once again i sing dis song i sing it loud i sing it proud iss so much fun to sing de great song that is dis song oh i love everybody and also i lovv dis song which iss so good to me jes it is i like it oh i do

Broken

03-12-2006, 08:31 AM

Been a big fan of this mix since I first heard it maybe a year ago, but for some reason I never thought to post my thoughts on it here.
I always go crazy over the little acoustic guitar licks at the beginning and throughout the piece. The sitar-ish strings at the intro along with the drums (bongos?) give the entire song an almost south-east asian feel, but the guitar reminds me of some Spanish ballad. Then throughout the whole darned thing is this powerful piano that pushes to the forefront in some instances then becomes an underlying element.

Then perhaps the most decisive part of this song (you love it or hate it) are the lyrics. Now right off the bat, I think the vocals are well done. They were mastered well and Harmony's voice is, to say the least, not taxing on the ears. Now the lyrics are decidedly very game related (referring to the tree of mana and flammie). Now I personally think more universal lyrics would have given this song greater appeal. By singing less about dragons and talking about "flying" like a metapohrical escape for example. But if Harmony did that the song wouldn't be as much of an homage to Secret of Mana, would it?
Who knows, who cares?

Basically, this song has like TEH BEST OPENING EVAR!
And then it proceeds to the song kicks all sorts booty.

Mordicantflame

05-27-2006, 08:57 PM

I'm going to be very sorry if this makes me sound obsessive but I have to say that this is my favorite song ever. Honestly, to me, it doesn't compare to any other song I've heard in my lifetime because it moved me. Everytime I listen to this song the dueling between the beautiful Spanish-like guitar and piano melody just make me feel so relaxed. The percussion is very well balanced and not overbearing, which is great and amazing to me because I've always had problems making percussion match the music mood. The singing in this is fantastic and very convincing because I sense emotion behind it, the same yearning that matches the lyrics very very well. Very rarely do I hear an amateur song with convincing vocals. I think the composer should be VERY proud of this piece because they've touched at least one person in this world.

DukeNukem007

05-29-2006, 05:55 AM

Prophecy was one of the best songs in a VERY up-and-down SOM soundtrack (there were some *really* bad songs that overused that annoying percussion or just had worthless melody.)

Piano is excellent and other instruments are not bad.

I'm not a big fan of lyrics in OCR songs unless they are flawless; they can be severely out-of-place, badly chosen, and some people just can't sing, but these are above-average.

You mostly did it justice, B+/A-

Flammie rules (brought back sooooo many memories of Falkor from "Neverending Story.")

playingtokrush

06-11-2006, 09:05 AM

This song from 2:30 onward, especially the "Secret of the Arid Sands" part, kicks my testicles into my esophagus.

ShrikeArghast

07-27-2006, 04:35 PM

This is one of the best vocal remixes out there today. Flawless is a word that comes to mind.

Raid

08-09-2006, 03:45 AM

I have to say I just registered just to say this song is one of the best songs I've ever heard on this site. GOOD JOB!!!

aria

09-20-2006, 07:53 PM

Did the same as the last poster.

Sexy man voice, INDEED.

Hope to hear some more remixes from you, especially w/vox ^_^

Alimah Kali

04-08-2007, 07:14 AM

I caught this song while listening to OCRemix Radio. The first thing that immediately grabbed my attention was that voice. A smooth and sweet voice that gave me chills and swept my imagination away to fly the skies. Then when I realized what songs were remixed, I was floored and floored HARD. Gorgeous music and an equally gorgeous voice. Simply EXQUISITE remix.

big giant circles

04-20-2007, 02:55 AM

One of the best mixes on OCR. Without a doubt. Both excellent and inspiring.

On a seperate note, the lyrics really make me want to play this game, because they seem to have so much in common with one of MY favorites, which is of course Final Fantasy Adventure.

Brandon, if you still stop by, I hope you are proud of this piece. You certainly have earned your props.

Arwen

06-25-2007, 04:50 PM

I don't know what more I can add that hasn't been said before but I'll try anyway: to say this is gorgeous, moving, well-done, and a genius of a song, not just a remix, is a total understatement. The vocals are just perfect, the guitar work is amazing, the lyrics are soothing, the timing is awesome. This is going to go on my short list of remixes to listen to over and over.

Monobrow

08-30-2007, 03:01 AM

Just want to say that I still think this is an excellent song. Haven't listened to it in a while until today... When it gets to that acoustic breakdown-thing with the guitar, just perfect... Where did ya go, Harmony? :J

Anyway, I have a new appreciation of this song after coming back to it, and it's still great.

Harmony

08-31-2007, 07:26 PM

Where did ya go, Harmony? :J

Gone but not forgotten I see :) A sincere thanks to Monobrow and everyone else who tosses this remix into the playlist every once in a while.

Oh, and as soon as I work up enough cash to bribe Dave and Larry, I'll see if I can get something on the front page again ;)

The Unsung Plumber

08-31-2007, 10:39 PM

Gone but not forgotten I see :) A sincere thanks to Monobrow and everyone else who tosses this remix into the playlist every once in a while.

Oh, and as soon as I work up enough cash to bribe Dave and Larry, I'll see if I can get something on the front page again ;)

EEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Ahem, now that I have that girlish shriek out of me, I must say it's good to see you're still around.

Oh yeah, I never posted in this thread.

Well, this song is awesome and everyone should download it.

bladiator

09-01-2007, 03:01 AM

I came back to this one cause I saw the recent reviews.

I hate you Harmony. I'm still getting those same weird chills when I listen to it. I concur with my old statement of having said babies.

I don't really hate you. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me.

Geoffrey Taucer

09-01-2007, 05:17 AM

Harmony

09-02-2007, 12:57 AM

...I concur with my old statement of having said babies....

Yeah...about that...a coupla months ago my leg and I were molested by Taucer in the heart of DC*, and, well...I think he may already be having my man babies. Damn my sexy man voice.

*I HAVE WITNESSES!

DragonAvenger

09-02-2007, 02:34 AM

Yeah...about that...a coupla months ago my leg and I were molested by Taucer in the heart of DC*, and, well...I think he may already be having my man babies. Damn my sexy man voice.

*I HAVE WITNESSES!

Well, I woulda humped your leg too, but I'm shy like that.

Goddamn this song is teh sex.

ProjectSpam

09-02-2007, 03:19 AM

Another Harmony ReMix would probably make my year.

This might be my favorite OCR ever - every time I listen to it, it gives me major chills, and I've been listening to it since it came out. Simply incredible.

Palpable

12-11-2007, 06:11 PM

For all I've seen you on the boards, Brandon, I somehow never listened to one of your mixes until today. They were all released in that two-and-a-half year break I took from the site.

This is an incredible song, without a doubt one of the best ReMixes I've ever heard. The playing and arrangement are so moving and well-executed; the tempo changes seamless. The song moves unpredictably yet after you hear each part, you know that that is how it should have gone. It's really just stunning.

nintendofanboy22

05-01-2008, 03:42 PM

Oh, man, I hardly know what to say about this! Easily one of my faves, five stars in my WMP library (and iTunes when I get it on my desktop computer)! Your voice really is sensational, and I find myself attempting to emulate it when I listen to the song. Specifically, the "Secret of the Arid Sands" harmony that you start at 2:49 is the icing on the cake. I play that part over and over to hear it and do it myself. I love the reverberation and multiple layers you use with your voice; they convey the sense of open spaces that riding on Flammie entails. Indeed, I was playing this ReMix in my head as I warmed up for track yesterday, and it fit the outdoors and the exhilaration so well! Awesome stuff; please keep it up!
Edit: Memo to self: stick to font size 2 next time...

derako

09-16-2008, 08:39 AM

Damn... I never even knew this song existed which is kind of embarrassing seeing as I've been a member for over 2 years now. (one of the years under a different alias)

Beauty - in every sense of the word. Coupled with the fact that I'm a syncopated rhythm buff and I love jazz, this song really appeals to me. Bravo!

-Derek-

Chaotic Descent

10-31-2008, 02:11 AM

(This was probably my favorite song from the game, (I would listen to it over and over all the time despite how short it was) and I'm SO glad someone remixed it!)

Lyrics are usually not my thing either. They sounded nice, and you did a good job which is damned rare (I've heard too many lyrics that hit a few off notes that just ruin it), but I'm not a fan of the choice of lyrics either.

TL;DR: Have you considered releasing a version without vocals?
I know they did that for a few tracks in the Bound Together album remixes from Earthbound*.

*: actually, I think one was a version they ADDED lyrics to, while another was without. Flying Man by Mustin. Now THAT's how you pick cheesy lyrics properly. ;) The one they added lyrics to was ROM Schtick. Two of my favorite tracks from that album. (either version of both songs, although the Applesauce Baptism is a little over-the-top)

evktalo

10-31-2008, 04:50 PM

For a long time, I was turned off from this song by the vocals and lyrics. Not that I don't like vocals and lyrics in ReMixes in general. Brandon's smooth pop voice here is very far from what I like. I do think he sings well and uses the tone of his voice very well. I agree with previous mentions that they're a bit undermixed for lead vocals.

Lyrics aren't great, although they serve the vocal lines well. Harmony admits earlier in the thread that he didn't work on them very much. I think lyrics the major weak point of this ReMix. "Fly me away".. ulgh. Pardon my language. There is one single line that transcends the overall blandness, "take me to see my mother". That provides some specifics to the emotion of the piece, it's a vulnerability revealed. "Fly me so far" works terrificly with the melody and the way it's sung, even if it's not impressive on paper. Ok, mentioning dragons and Flammie give a specific context too, and yeah, the lyrics are tongue-in-cheek, but it comes across as a half-assed joke too much. I don't think trying to explain that via "it's about Secret of Mana!" is enough. I'm really thinking that with some work on the lyrics they could have been quite good.

That's my account on the lyrics. On the other hand, reading pixietricks' review on page 10, she obviously related to the lyrics and singing powerfully. I thought that was a moving story, thanks for sharing.

Vocal style and lyrics aside, I've finally managed to listen past my dislike and I'm really enjoying the track. Some tasty guitar work! The trading of lines with the piano is effective, as someone else pointed out previously in the thread. Rhythm guitar bits are worth a mention, I like the percussive effect it has. The overall flow is very good. Great use of the different time signatures. I love the chilling mood the latter half has, the processed vocal sample/thing is great, and after that part the simple guitar riff coming in and growing sounds fantastic. And then to a fine solo.

The production is a bit slick for my tastes, nothing really punches through, nothing really scratches (in a good way, if you get what I mean). I'd love a rougher take on this exact material (ok, with refined lyrics), but, good as it is.

--Eino

Rophell

01-06-2009, 11:19 PM

This is definitely my favorite remix, even better than Chekan Winter.

I didnt appreciate the spoilers, though.

Liontamer

01-06-2009, 11:29 PM

I didnt appreciate the spoilers, though.

The game's >15 years old. Where were you at for all that time? :lol:

Chris Tilton wins for best reply: http://twitter.com/christilton/status/1102764921

And Darth Vader is Luke's father. He'll get over it.

Kaznasty

07-29-2009, 11:30 AM

Just taking a listen through the Secret of Mana remixes and this one is the first to really captivate me. Arranged well, the vocals seem on cue although a tad undermixed but not enough that anyone who wasn't anally-retentive about their music selection would mind or notice.

Thumbs up from me!

SynthesizedStampede

08-06-2009, 01:56 AM

I have never played Secret of Mana or any of that sort, so unlike many of my other reviews, this one isn't affected by nostalgia...and yet I find myself loving this song so much. Everytime I hear this song it really does what the lyrics say and "takes me away" into another world. While the lyrics aren't the best, they definitely work with the song for me, and this song is a must for any "OCRemix with lyrics" playlist.

ZealPath

08-06-2009, 03:16 AM

Just as long as this is bumped, I might as well throw my 2 cents in about a mix I have liked for a while but never did get to the review thread on.

I fully agree with djp's assessment of how this mix conveys a sense of traveling. I get a very clear vision of flying (obviously that comes from the fact that it's a mix of one of flammie's tracks), but on a much grander scale than just the world of SoM. I can clearly see a vast ocean through the clouds below me, and an island somewhere in the distance.

Lyrics can often go both ways with me, but I really like their use in this case, they carry the song without distracting too much from the excellent instrumention for a blend of well, pure awesomeness!

SelphieFF8

10-17-2009, 07:25 AM

Thank you soooooooo much for making this remix. I find it beautifully-done. I loved it so much, and I hope you don't mind, but I used it in my latest AMV on Youtube.

As soon as I heard this song, I kept imagining an AMV dedication to you and one of my favorite RPGs. I am at such a loss for words when trying to describe my reactions to this song. I just love it so much.

Please check out the AMV when you have the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o45c1bAGjXc

Again, thank you so much! I hope you have many more songs to share with us =)

Harmony

10-19-2009, 09:23 PM

Great AMV, thanks for sharing it here Selphie!

I couldn't be happier to hear that you and so many other people are still enjoying Dragon Song. Thanks everyone for the amazing feedback :)

derako

10-22-2009, 09:40 AM

I've posted on this in the past but I just wanted to say again how much I love this song. I just can't stop listening to it... when I go to play a song of off my playlist this one always seems to be the one I click on ;) Thanks for the music!

-Derek-

Pachi Risu

11-11-2009, 03:53 AM

It's a pretty good song, enjoyed very much. Not a fan of 2:31-3:47, but the proceeding section kept me moving on. Good job.

Dj Mokram

11-19-2009, 12:11 PM

Secret of Mana holds some of my fondest gaming memories. It is no secret however that Kikuta's work on this game was stellar.
The original source was already pretty hard to touch. Well, it's even more now.

Nearly every person I know that isn't a gamer, and who I've played this remix to has fallen in love with it.
This song is a complete living entity. It grows, it grooves, it nutures, it sings, it elevates, it reflects, it learns, it evolves, it reaches, and it succeeds.
No point for me in critiquing what there is to love/hate. It's already past that.
It's up there, soaring high into the sky, sitting on Flammie's back.
The Dragon Song deserves posterity for what it achieves to do, for the worlds it achieves to transcend,
for the people it achieves to bring together, for the joy it achieves to bring.

One true masterpiece.

12-07-2009, 08:51 PM

Nothing to say here but :nice work. :nicework:

A completely epic track that seened to have taken people by surprise when it was released. Awesome work, a must-listen. :-)

ella guro

12-08-2009, 01:11 AM

This review thread is maybe more epic than the mix itself.

This is great, though. I've listened many times. The way it starts is probably the best part. When the intro builds and he says "HA!" and the drums and guitar just come in, the mix has a maximum level of potential energy behind it. It's like a rollercoaster ride where the intro leads you up to the highest point of the coaster, and then when everything comes in when you fall. I was like "THIS IS GUNNA BE FUCKIN' EPIC" when I heard that.

Well, it isn't quite that epic. Not like multi-part prog rock epic. It's more of one groove that varies a lot. It's still a very good mix, don't get me wrong, just not as mind expanding as one would lead you to believe. It's more floating and breezy and less of an opus, if you catch my drift. But still really great stuff and it deserves the praise it's gotten.

Theophany

12-12-2009, 12:14 AM

This is one amazing remix. Everything impressed me in this one. It constantly amazes me at how much good content OCR has, and how many great remixers.

I'm getting nostalgic here. I'd better stop.

Emunator

12-12-2009, 12:28 AM

Yeah, I don't think I'd feel right trying to critique this. This single mix has pretty much solidified you in the annals of OCR history, it's that amazing. It's one of the only vocal mixes I can actually use to zone out and fall asleep to, or as study music, because it's so cohesive and mellow. I love natural, organic songs like this more than just about anything else and you took that style and ran like crazy with it! :-D

12-31-2009, 02:08 AM

Yeah, I don't think I'd feel right trying to critique this.

I know how you feel. It just don't feel right to comment on this (and on a few others here, imo).

This is one beautiful, nostalgia filled, transcendental trip. Vocals are simply, sheer amazing. This whole mix feels like some very comfortable, very familiar bed. It's like comfort food for the soul. The jazzy atmosphere is also very awesome.

Dragon Song is a mix that absolutely should belong in everyone's playlist.

Liontamer

08-02-2010, 06:01 AM

I remember all the thread-fighting like, "It was good, but it wasn't THAT good". Except it's Hiroki Kikuta's favorite Secret of Mana OC ReMix. He told djp and I first, then when Harmony showed up 10 minutes later, he sang some of the guitar parts and told him the track was "fantastic."

http://twitter.com/Hiroki_Kikuta/status/20039622078

@Hiroki_Kikuta OC-REMIXの連中はほんとに気持ちが良い。ピュアにゲーム音楽が好きなんだということが伝わってくる。「予感」のリミックスアレンジ曲で有名な「dragon song」というのを作ったHarmonyにも会えた。みんな素敵なヤツだった。

Winner winner, chicken dinner!