OCR00735 - Star Ocean: Second Story 'Rena Lanford of Arlia Village'

[orkybash]

Star Ocean: The Second Story 'Rena Lanford of Arlia Village'

A fast made techno shit if I ever heard one! :D (Old-timers should get the joke). But seriously, I am always awed by the perfection Dale North always seems to achieve in arranging *and* producing a song, and this is no exception. If you don't download this, I will pesonally come to your house and flog you. Don't think I don't know where you live!

[DarkCecil13]

This mix is absolutely beautiful, enough said. The first minute seems to be my favorite part, and I love how the strings build up. Dale really does a great job building such a great atmosphere. I don't know how he does it. Another point of interest are the pianos scattered throughout the piece. I love that filter he has over them - I just love it. There's nothing bad I can say about this mix, no matter how hard I try. Good stuff ^^

[Mustin]

This track is so damn good it makes my balls ache. Seriously.

I can't say anything bad about it.

Nobody does it better.

Well, except for me.

[ffmusic dj]

:? aah crap dale! I am wokring on this song!!!! well it's different, er.. my songs inturptation so we should have no problem with how good mine and yours is ......................................... DAMN YOU! this is GOOOOOOOOOD!

[Carbon Dog]

It makes me sad, :(, it's beautiful...

[nbdyfcnsqnc]

I'm very impressed.

[Walrusgumbo]

I really really really really like this one. It's extremely beautiful and quite full of emotion. A must download.

[TheWired]

Truely out of all the orchestral pieces this one is as crystal clear and perfect as it gets. Having played the game, i cant seem to express how well this relates to the game, i feel as if this should've made it to the OSV in some more tragic parts of the game, having never really beat the game itself, i feel sorry about it. But this is seriously a great mix

The calm clarinet in the intro, the beautifull string accompaniement, the piano solo, more strings, this folks is probably #2 in the top10 best soft OC ReMixes, and #1 in all the orchestral ones.

Dale, you win the orchestral #1, hands down, all competition is nearly useless ..

Beautifull piece, well mastered, and crystal clear sounds.

A must have.

[Russell Cox]

Not bad.

[DarkCecil13]

Not bad.

Could you be more specific? I'm curious at what you think about it quite a bit. Why? You're an orchestral guy, and you saying "Not bad" about this mix makes sparks fly.

[Russell Cox]

Not bad.

Could you be more specific? I'm curious at what you think about it quite a bit. Why? You're an orchestral guy, and you saying "Not bad" about this mix makes sparks fly.

Calm down and don't get your knickers in a twist. As with some of mine and some of Dale's songs, you really can't say a lot about them. It's beautiful, soothing, and peaceful with still maintaining an instensity hidden underneath the simple layers he's used. Some songs just speak for themselves and don't need words.

Dale knows what I think about his songs even if I don't know what his opinion of myself is. "Not bad." is an oxymoron -- the day Dale North writes something bad will be the day I die of a heart attack. I've always had a bit of admiration for Dale and probably always will in the future.

Sorry if I'm snippy but I've got a lot going on right now and I don't need someone double guessing my comments on someone else's works. Besides, Dale would haven't undoubtably guessed what it meant as he is currently planning on being a hybrid of John Williams/Jerry Goldsmith.

Right Dale? :P

*winks*

[DL-Oddeye]

I been waiting for someone to make a remix for star ocean the second story.. praise the makers :)

[Legion303]

Worst...remix...ever.

Well *someone* had to say something other than endless praise, didn't they?

Seriously, though, this drop-dead gorgeous remix is making me have to re-evaluate my "OCR top three" list. Curse you, Dale. That's entirely too much like work.

-steve

[DaleNorth]

HA! Wow and damn guys.

Thanks so much.

Hey, is it taboo to respond to praise/reviews/critism?

Watch me not care.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words peeps.

Russell. Simple layers? Cute :wink:
All my work is simple. There's no complexity to what I do as I very much dislike unnecessary complexity in music. That, and the fact that I suck. I'll leave that complex nonsense to the composers you've named here. LOL- I love the one and two word responses/reviews. I eat them up. There's no double guessing about them as I know exactly what they are. And also, I write bad stuff on a daily basis. Heart attack time!

You know I'm picking on you, right?

Thats also why I love Sakuraba's work. Simple and hella effective. A role model even.

peace

[Simoom]

Beautiful song, is it me or does this sound a LOT like the main song that gets played over and over in morrowind? Wonder if they based that off this song. Either way, purdiness, orchestral isn't my top genre but this is undeniably great.

[[b]aphomet]

Heh. Registered an account just to comment on this piece. Very well made, a moving piece - definitely a permanent addition to my playlist.

Keep up the good work.

[Joe Redifer]

Sakuraba's work on Shining the Holy Ark (especially the kick ass arranged version) was pretty complex.

Good mix, BTW.

[Xtreme_Fred]

Incredible. Great. Beautiful. I love the way u give it an orchestral feel with the deep chords and sounds.

[40]

"Rena Lanford of Arlia Village" is beautiful. I'm glad to see Star Ocean 2 finally get some love at OCR. Motoi deserves it, that's for sure.

As a side note, has anyone heard Dale North's "Town" theme on the PMM album? Holy crap is that song good.

[Veovis]

This track from Star Ocean is beautiful.

[WhalePorn]

Kudos for an excellent orchestrated remix, this is outstanding. Its quality work that I could very well expect off any of the great game composers. Star ocean had a few gems amoung its tracks, and this sad theme is worthy of such a treatment. Highly recommended.

[esden9]

Massive, soundtrack quality goodness. It's halfway down in my playlist, but I always start from this song now. I play alot of Ultima Online, and this song is perfect for treks across Ilshenar and such. I really need an mp3 player in my truck so I can listen to this while driving to work. As a side note, McVaffe's Super Ghouls n' Ghosts Ice Mountain Symphony plays right after this. Its a good follow up.

[Zero Angel]

Absolutely Amazing....

Star Ocean 2 has always been my favorite game, and Sakuraba my favorite composer. This song is incredibly beautiful, Its been awhile since an OCRemix struck a chord like 'Another Inspiration' did by Peeples. I wish more OCR composers would add to this already moving soundtrack.

Dale! Please do Nede! ^_^

[EtherealXero]

Star Ocean 2 is my favorite game. I own the soundtrack and I adore the music. I awoke one morning to find a little SO2 remix on the site, I was overjoyed, so I downloaded it. I was overcome with emotion. The nostalgia and the just plain splendid work simply moved me, especially when the emotion of the song reaches its peak. Teary eyed and content, I enjoyed the rest of my day. Nuff said. Beautiful stuff. My hat is off to you.

-EX

[Gman]

Anyways, nicely aranged piece Dale...Ts'what I expected. Ah, I'm gonna go relax and run slow motion in town doing nice deeds with a smile while listening to this song. Simply Beautifull.

Gman

[GhostintheMachine]

This remix is so damn good it makes me want to delete my 4 SO2 saves and start all over again. Now what would be really sweet is a remix of the Nede theme.

[Nordamerikanischegestreif]

This mix is just perfect. Nothing more can truly be said about it.

Except that I wish that the percussion was a bit louder. I think that that is what adds alot of the strength to the song, I don't particularly like turning up my speakers to hear it......

But once the volume is turned up, I must say it is beautiful. Completely and utterly.

[Marduk]

'Bout damn time someone did this well enough to be put up on this site. Wonderful material to work with and the arrangment holds true to the original with all the majesty and essense it deserves.

Can you tell I like this? ;)

[Nightcom]

Godlike, and extremely beautiful... almost makes me dedicate some tears *sniff* , the strings and piano are superb! You must download this!

[kdashz]

Very epic and very grandoise. Perfect for overtures right after let's say, some sentimental scene in a medieval setting, or perhaps some other scene. (You know, the ones where you're flying around gazing at nature with the camera.) Or the kind where it's just the main character venturing into a sacred holy temple or something to that extent. Excellent timings, injects a hell lot of emotion into it. Mystical, intriguing, addictive and as dj pretzel mentioned, the arrangement is perfect. Wonderfully moving piece.

[Thorgal]

:roll: im smelting like everybody else for sure

[Skyline3092]

Wow

This piece is...astounding. I couldnt think of a better word for it, than astounding. The absolutley flawless crescendos of the strings and the counter-melody French Horns as well as the wonderful clarinet solo add up to create a wonderous mixture of greatness. Big props to Dale North for creating such a great SO2 song. VERY highly reccomended.

[Isk]

in a word, poignant. subtle at first with a smooth transition into full-blown orchestra...dig it.

[MasterSword]

If I could have dinner with only 3 people, I'm going with:

Shigeru Miyamoto,
Tri-Ace (developer of Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean)
and

well...What do u like to eat, Dale?

[weggy]

Mere words connect express how beautiful this song is. I love Star Ocean with all my heart, and Rena's theme was very touching to me when I first played Second Story. You take that same theme and raise it to an orchestral level I have yet to see in any remix. Its so beautiful, and so somber, it gave me chills listening to it. And im not embaressed to say I shed a tear or two as well.

An orchestral arrangement like this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but everyone should download this. This is most definently one of the best, if not THE best mix on the site.

Seriously... I didnt know a mix could be this good. I also ask:

Dale, what would you like to eat?

[Arc Impulse]

.... I love you. Seriously, I cannot EXPRESS the raw emotion you can feel in this piece.... Its just to good for words.

We love you. ;_;

[Cyril86]

Yes. This song is just so emotional no words can express it.
I'm probably going to listen to this song almost always when im on my PC.

[Sun_Quan]

I would like to meet this Dale North and thank this man in person for composing such a remix of an already emotional song. This was always one of my favorite songs on Star Ocean the 2nd Story, along with Shower of Blossoms, and the Final Boss Battle theme and many more as well. This man is an honest to God talent, and should be recognized worldwide. Powerful song, and even more emotionally moving than the original. I say this deserves an encore!

[Flik]

Dale IS amazing. Just watching him play totally changes the mood. And you'll meet him someday for sure. He's a great guy, and fun to be around.

And this mix amazed me a long time ago, and still does any time I listen to it.

[Sun_Quan]

Flik, if you know Dale in real life then you're lucky, I sincerely think he should package his remakes onto a CD or something, perhaps do some remaking of more Star Ocean the 2nd Story songs, if he's not done "Shower of Blossoms" (Cross and Lacour town theme) yet, he should do so. I can imagine what it'd sound like, what with the fantastic job that he did with Rena Lanford of Arlia Village. I mean shoot, he made an already amazing song sound even more amazing. I'd like to see what else he could do with the electric guitar too, as there are a ton of Star Ocean Till the End of Time songs that scream "remake" all over them. **laughs** Anyway, lemme know if he's got any more remakes planned. Best of wishes.

[Flik]

Yeah, I know Dale in real life. Stayed at his house several times even. And you could just ask him yourself on the music he has planned. I know he's working on a lot of personal projects, but just come on over to the OUS (http://www.oneupstudios.com) site sometime and ask him on the message board.

[Sun_Quan]

I'll have to do that, and perhaps toss him the ideas for song remakes.

[Navi]

Let me reiterate how amazingly awesome Dale is. I met him recently and he is probably one of the nicest people I have met in a long time. Coincidentally, we discussed this mix for a short time and I expressed my love for it. It truly is one of the best remixes out there today, and it really does convey the emotions of the game.

What less can one expect from Dale North?

[ShiningLight]

This one awesome orchestral piece. Words definately cannot describe how lovely this remix is. I listened to this song over and over again, and it's still beautiful. I love this! :D
Well Mr. North, can I have ur autograph?

[Theowne]

Why is this so forgotten? The last comment is from 04? Come on people! This is amazing!

[MasamuneX]

This is far from forgotten. I loved the original song very dearly. I'm dead serious too, as the original can be found on close to 5 of my 7 CD library of burned CD's. I wasn't really optomistic when I downloaded this new one because I didn't see how it could've been improved upon. Man was I wrong. The lightly introduced clarinet hits the mood perfectly. The orchestral swells... my god the swells... they bring tears to my eyes. I want to cry from happiness and amazement at the amount of feeling that can be felt in this song. I just... i can't go on. This song is beautiful beyond compare. 11/10.

[ShadowFire]

I was utterly amazed when I heard this peace. I am a huge lover of Star Ocean, mainly the Second Story. It gives me great joy to hear Rena's theme in all it's wonderful glory. This is done so beautifully, I litteraly got intense chills listening to it, as many other listeners did. The piano in the middle was especially captivating. This song took me into the skies and brought me down again when it ended. Excellent work, Dale...

[The Kuschely]

my god.. i simply agree with you all.
The story of the game is just so emotional.. it made me feel happy and sad and surprised and much more.. SO OFTEN.. and it contains soooo cute characters.
actually im pissed off because square-enix doesnt mention star ocean 2 on their homepage or i just couldnt found it...
well... maybe back to this song?
@theowne: youre right. how can something like this happen? almost 2 years long no further comment on this MASTERPIECE!
you really have to play this game to the end and then listen to this song again. if you can connect this song with the storyline, it seems just more emotional.. AND -HELL(maybe heaven in this case)- SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL!
:cry: :cry: :cry:
but, of course, this song is still a masterpiece if u didnt play the game...


(hope i didnt tooo many mistakes... because english isnt my "mother-language" and im not the best at speaking english..)

[[]Diracy]

I just recently rediscovered this song after hearing it a long time ago. All I can say is that the beauty is in the simplicity. And its Wonderful!

[Marmiduke]

As far as mixes that captivate and actually cause you to feel the emotion and the imagery of the piece, this has to be one of the most effective on the entire site. Motoi's original composition has a lot to do with it, of course. It's an emotionally manipulative melody, to be sure. But Dale's arrangment and production really nets the goods and brings it straight to you.
The quiet, more fragile troughs throughout the song are nice; the clarinet and the strings are excellent choices to build to the big, sweeping moments. I like that this is never bombastic or never too much going on behind the sounds, which can ruin orchestral pieces that are meant to have a quaint feeling to them. The feeling to this remains powerful but contained; we get that the sadness is personal and interior.
Incredibly orchestral work, it really does sound like it could be part of a professional modern soundtrack. Great to reflect to.

[Otakatt]

I downloaded this song a long time ago, loved it, then it just kind of got lost in the vastness of my music collection. Eek. I'm not sure how I let that happen, as A) Dale North is awesome and B) Theme of Rena is my favorite song from Mr. Sakuraba. Well, at least the version it plays in the forest in Arlia... still!

The samples.. the production.. all of it just works very well together. It's a pretty straight forward arrangement of Rena's theme, but it deviates enough that it's not ho hum. It's very beautiful, in fact. I love the soft, quiet beginning that builds up to the point about a minute and a half in. I love the end that fades out with the piano. I love that overall it reeks of emotion. I love it all. But admittedly, I'm biased - it's Rena's theme! >>

This is a must have for Motoi and/or North fans, and even if you're unfamiliar with either? Give it a listen!

[OA]

Very nice take on a memorable theme. It seems pretty similar to the original, but a little more emotional and sweeping. It doesn't really deviate too much, and it actually sounds like it could be the OSV from a more recent platform release, which is pretty cool.