OCR01573 - Chrono Trigger 'Forever Until Tomorrow'

[djpretzel]

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

[zircon]

This is a ridiculously amazing remix. Ever since Star first posted the wip (which was great even though it was only 2 min and not as polished) I was in love with it. Seriously, I must have listened to it like 50 times every update. Too awesome.

[Liontamer]

This is very dope. And fly.

No lie!

[avaris]

Supa Fly

Heard this on Star's site a week ago and was wondering when this was gonna get posted. Easily his best vocals yet. Alot of the intonation is fuckin awesome and really sets the mood. The first guitar solo felt a lil too happy, it changed the mood drastically from the intro. The second guitar part is golden. All n all this is friggin epic.:mrgreen:

Lots o' good remixes lately.

[Arek the Absolute]

Very very hot.
Nicely done.
Is there a non lyrical version of this by chance? The beat itself is just so damn beautiful that I have to hear it without the lyrics.

[Penfold]

Oh. Hell. Yeah.

Another instant classic as far as I'm concerned. I found the choice in sampling to be pretty unique, and ended up coming together in a fantastic way. Really great job!!

[Villainelle]

Excellent.

The mix just screams. It's not hooky, but it's dripping with bloody emotion. Vocals sound a little strange to me, though...somewhat sibilant and canned. Maybe too heavy on the compression. That bass, though, is so friggin' phat you could reach out and squeeze it. :P Awesome as always, Star.

[PlastikBag]

This is incredible. Easily one of the best vocal mixes I've heard.

[Citan]

Always a bold move putting lyrics in, but it definitely came off great. Awesome job, dude.

[Rayni]

Hi Star, I'm a lurker and a big fan of yours for "Dreams Come True," "Pillar of Salt," "Tatsumakisenputronic," and especially "The Incredible Singing Robot." When I first heard Robo singing, it nearly brought tears to my eyes, and although I've listened to it a hundred times it still moves my heart. ;_; "Forever Until Tomorrow" is ineffably glorious. It distills and sharpens how I feel about "Memories of Green" and the sorrow of Chrono Trigger as a whole. You are amazing.

[watkinzez]

I reiterate what I said at Starblast.org:

HOLY SHIT.
And to think this song had been supposedly covered enough.

Oh, and three new songs on your site? <3

[Dunnowhathuh]

I'd like to hear a version without lyrics, but that's not saying that this mix ain't awesome. Great stuff and kudos to your friend for the guitar play.

[Stitch Faced Angel]

Well, This is, has you say...

VERY KICK ASS! It keeps with the original very well, and has plenty added and switched around to make it your own. I rarely like lyrics with remixes, but this is a huge exception. The words in my ears, would damage the song if they were not there.

Keep it up!

[Radiowar]

reminds me of porcupine tree a little. this is an excellent song not much else to say about it

[Malaki-LEGEND.sys]

I love it. It's definitely going up there in my favorites list. The guitar work is definitely stellar and the vocals, while starting off kind of cheezy at the beginning, pick up and are great.

[Amayirot Akago]

Star Salzman never ceases to amaze me, both in vocals and music. Fantastic work as always.

[OA]

Great track, I love how the piano is so central to the mix. The bass is great as well. A+

[Gollgagh]

hoshit, a new Salzman mix?

Incredible, as always.

[MisterBiggler]

Yeah this is the business. I really enjoyed how you work the theme in around 1:35 with that guitar. Drums and bass hit well, and the piano is just lovely throughout the entire piece. Vocals sounded great. Awesome song.

[Argle]

I love prog rock. This is a great arrangement! I wish more ppl would do prog rock remixes!!

[Ness757]

It's been awhile since I've heard from Star, but I love his work. He is notorious for taking a crappy videogame song and turning it into something beautiful. His Ducktales remix is a perfect example of this. This new piece does not deviate from the trend. He took a song I hated and remixed it into one of the most beautiful remixes I've ever heard. I rarely say this about male artists, but his voice was mesmerizing.

10/10

[DragonAvenger]

Goddamn this is amazing. It's something I can definately take inspiration from.
Love it.

[TheRedBob]

Fantastic work as always from the good Star Salzman.

The vocal work is indeed mesmerizing, and I have a bit of a soft spot for piano work, especially piano intros. Mad props, remix more often! ^_^

[SamuraiFoochs #Reload]

I have returned to the OCR forums after a long, long time to say that this mix is positively coated in awesomesauce.

Fantastic job in every regard.

[apoc]

Excellent remix! I always hesitate on any remix with vocals (often, for good reason) but this one definitely broke my vocal anxiety! Excellent mix, good lyrics (which is often a big barrier-to-entry in my collection), and great quality overall.

The last mix I downloaded from Star was Black Wind Rising (http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01453/) and though it was pretty good, it didn't grab me as much as this one did, for sure!

[watkinzez]

It's been awhile since I've heard from Star, but I love his work. He is notorious for taking a crappy videogame song and turning it into something beautiful. His Ducktales remix is a perfect example of this. This new piece does not deviate from the trend. He took a song I hated and remixed it into one of the most beautiful remixes I've ever heard. I rarely say this about male artists, but his voice was mesmerizing.

10/10

You so did not call the Moon theme crappy.

[Genoism]

i thought it was pretty good, my only grip is that halfway through it doesn't really feel like its getting anywhere anymore. Anyways great job still.

[ILLiterate]

OMG, Linkin Park posted a remix with Star singing :D

It's pretty good too, I enjoy the synths and the overall sexiness

[Tepid]

All I can really say is mega, mega talent and production values.

Additionally, my favorite aspect of the song (even though everything sounds fantastic) is the intricacy of the bass line. It's not often that so much detail is put into something that most people overlook when mixing, and it has the smoothness and porto of a novation bass-station, and the harmonic richness of a fretless.

Awesome job, I feel dirty for not paying for this ;)

[Broken]

This is overall excellent with a capital E. Why didn't I just say Excellent? Well, that wouldn't be good from a grammatical stand-point.

But anyway, back to this remix. Star, I'm glad to hear the fruits of your long hiatus. This mix is smooth. I assume that you used real guitar beacuse it's so clear (those are some amazing samples, if you didn't.) Percussion is kicking; It really keeps the peice from dragging at parts.

You did a fairly good job a splicing the piano solo and guitar and then adding vocals. The three seem to mesh pretty well most of the time. However, there are instances when the piano sticks out and it isn't really doing anything interesting (just playing the same 3 or 4 notes, which seems kind of anticlimactic.)

And needless to say, your singing is amazing. I'm always glad to hear a competent male vocalist. Especially around OCR.

I really hope this is a your return fanfare instead of a your swan song, Star.

[ProjectSpam]

Dear Star Salzman,

You are one of the reasons why music is so influential and vital to me.

With regards,
ProjectSpam

[MaGi_TekK]

Wooooo, the EMPEROR of OCR has returned. Another ridiculously good starsong that strips the crown away from all other would-be remixing greats and places it squarely back on Star's gigantic head. Way to go Star!!!!

[Xenon Odyssey]

the whole song has a Mae vibe to it (no, not our Mae; the everglow one (http://www.myspace.com/mae)). that may just be me though.

however, props all around. it's quite excellent.

[SwordBreaker]

Man...

I know I'm basically repeating what everyone's been saying here, but this remix is kick-ass stuff indeed.

I've been asking myself, "who does Star sound like?" in terms of his vocals. I can NEVER put my finger on it. You could say that he has a unique singing voice. Overall, the vocals here are definitely Star's best work. Just when I thought he can never top what he did with "Pillar of Salt". I mean, sure, the lyrics aren't as unique as Pillar...but the delivery is simply awesome and his best yet. I was surprised by his range in this remix. I was like "wow" when he started singing "you, you're walking backwards..." very emotional and powerful delivery in that verse especially, along with other areas which are as powerful. I also like the few "tricks" he pulled off...like the "rewind" bit (never would've known that the word was rewind spelt backwards if it weren't for the lyrics) and the reverb at "I hope you don't mind temporal anomalies" since it really fits with the verse, almost made me feel like you're actually caught in some sort of temporal rift/abyss, floating endlessly as your voice echoes in the distance. My only gripe is in one verse, "Someone let me out of here"...sounds a bit muffled compared to the rest of the lyrics...in my opinion it should've been the loudest area, would've been cool if you screamed that part out and added an effect or two...

As for the music itself, very catchy stuff. Synthy, melodic, and rockin' all in one. I can see why this remix reminds me of the 70s/80s-influenced rock, most notably bands like "Air Supply" and "Alter Bridge" (modern band yet influenced by 70s rock). The synth sounds are pretty cool, yet its the piano and electric guitar which I enjoyed a lot more. I was immediately reminded by "Coldplay" and "Five for Fighting" in some parts because of the piano. The guitar though...wow...man give your friend who helped you out a nice pat in the back...excellent work with that...

Congraulations on getting this track finished and posted, Star. Looking forward to your future work.

[HoboKa]

Well I'd say that Star Salzman is a god now. This song just blew the threashold of coolness to a whole new level. It's even better than Pillar of Salt :D

[Azure Prower]

Well I'd say that Star Salzman is a god now. This song just blew the threashold of coolness to a whole new level. It's even better than Pillar of Salt :D

What he said.

[The Unsung Plumber]

Wow, What isn't their to say about this.

It's perfect. :nicework:

All I know is that I feel really sorry for anyone that has to come near me at work now. It's hard to hit those notes and not sound like crap.:roll:

[KogeJoe]

Absolutely hated it.

There's nothing more annoying than people that can't compose original music to their lyrics like that. Why do they have to piggy-back on original music like that? A remix is one thing. But an exploit to catapult yourself as a singer? Unbearable.

Tried listening trying to ignore the vocals, and the music itself is not that great a tribute.

And hello, board! Been a long time...

[siven7]

I loved it - I thought that you tastefully added your vocals to the work! The melody was good, maybe could've had a bit more direction or motion, but it really contributed to the really busy backgrounds (and vice versa, you know what I mean :P)

Really strong lyrics, particularly "space and time are friends of mine", good line!

I don't think I have a whole lot of constructive things to say, maybe a bit more direction in the melody, but other than that minute suggestion, I think that you did an incredible job! Keep up the great work!

[Hale-Bopp]

Very cool. I can definitely hear the '70s prog influence in this. For my ears, it mainly lies in the production and instrument sounds, especially the guitars. They sound like they might have jumped through a time warp to meet up with you in the future. That's a cool thing.

Some people might jump on the vocals for being a bit over-compressed or whatever, but I think they're fitting for what you're going for. They're crystal clear, have their own space, are never invasive and sit nicely as well while complimenting the surrounding instruments with their presence, so it all works out just fine of course.

Those drums are so awesome. The changes are unique. I especially enjoy some of the surprising stops and starts, which are fitting for the style you're emulating.

This is a track that needs to grow on people before they can ultimately come to a conclusion as to what they really think of it, I think. Upon my 2nd listen through, it's a separate journey altogether. I'm sure after a few more listens, it'll sink in real nicely.

Excellent work. :)

[DrumUltimA]

Dude this is phenominal. This is so many good things in one package. Oh jesus. My only complaint is that it goes on for a while. But I'm only saying that so I don't sound like I'm humping your leg here. which I am.

I LOVE THIS CHRIST

[ktriton]

Excellent. Great arrangement, performance, and performance! The only thing I have reservations about is the piano--feels a bit too hard and clunky, but maybe that's just me.

In any case, excellent work as always!

[Zipp]

Yes! Yes yes yes yes!

That should sum up my praise fairly well. My reservations? Only one, and that is that I feel the singing could've been a bit more haunting along with the harmony. With the haunting back melody, I was suspecting something a bit more like Secret of Mana: Dragon Song.

[Ness757]

You so did not call the Moon theme crappy.

It wasn't the worst song in that game, but it was still bad.

[big giant circles]

It wasn't the worst song in that game, but it was still bad.

bah, let's try not to get into preference debates in someone's song review thread.

as for the song, i remember it didn't seem quite as impressive as the first time i listened to it, but it's still quite well done, and otherwise pretty spit and polish. not too shabby!

(although, i'm not too sure i'd be that proud of a song that makes doug want to have sexual friction with your leg...) :)

[DragonFireKai]

Jeez, Star Salzman, don't ever stop what you're doing, it's great.

[Emura]

For the past few months, every time I've decided to check out the latest mixes I have consistently felt the these latest mixes have represented the best work the OCR community would ever produce, and each time I've been wrong. Especially now.

Everything about this mix is rock solid: The arrangement is varied and interesting, the lyrics are not only appropriate, but the voice is also perfectly balanced in volume with the instruments. Some of the production values I've bothered to talk about in previous reviews, such as clipping, panning, etc. seem pretty silly to talk about now; of course it's solidly produced.

It's hard to pick a favorite part because everything works together perfectly. However I couldn't finish this review without mentioning the guitar part at 1:40. It may not seem important, but bringing the guitar out here is a refreshing change of pace, allowing the song to run to 5:30 minutes without any hints of boredom.

[Dectilon]

Amazing work once again! If you're not a millionaire thanks to your musical skills yet there has to be some kind of conspiracy against you.

[chumble spuzz]

This is my new favorite OC ReMix. It used to be Tactical Freefall, but now it's this. I don't think I have to explain why.

I love the attention to the melody and the bassline! "And the hourglass is working upside-down" is fun to listen to. The only thing I take issue with is the piano note velocities at the end seeming too harsh. But that's a very small potato.

[Theory of N]

um...yeah. Kickass. This definitely...kicks ass.

the only thing I noticed wrong was some very very VERY minor pitch control problems in the vocals. Barely noticable so not a big deal :3

Did I mention this song kicks ass?

[Zethzen]

This mix is something else, I really haven't heard much like it here, and I love it. It's a really great re-invention of Memories of Green, a song that's been remixed quite a bit. The mix has quickly jumped to the top of my favorites list, thanks for bringing us such an awesome mix SS.

[Duo]

There is mystery in the air.

The source tune always had a very dreary and dark feeling to it that well personified the early part of Crono's journey. What you did with this piece, lyrics and all, built upon that basis and expanded it to a masterpiece. I have enjoyed several of the lyrical pieces I've heard on OCR before ("dreams come true" being one of them) but this easily topples them all. The Piano, the Guitar, the Vocals - this is a Masterpiece. I love everything about it.

I had held off downloading CT remixes for some time due to the sheer volume of them, but I made an exception for this and Black Wind Rising solely because of how awesome the pieces you've brought together are. I am now a loyal fan of Star Salzman.

[Nario]

Wow, I haven't heard of you in ages. It's so good to hear from you again!!! :)

I thought this track was remixed extremely well, what with the bits of percussion, the bass, etc. Everything just works so well and I'm truly impressed with how amazing this is. While my nostalgia for your other music makes me like them more, I'd have to say that this is your best remix to date yet I can't help but love the songs that got me into you more... I hope that makes sense.

Glad to hear from you again, Star Salzman. :)

[Trenthian]

Welcome Back Star. I hope you stay for a while.

[spm918]

Excellent Remix. Im loving every second of it. All chrono trigger revisions and remixes all rock. Doesnt matter who makes them, they all are good to the ear. Rock on people. Rock the *cough* on. hehe....evil now must I be.

[Kanthos]

I mentioned this in IRC, but the bass playing reminds me of Stanley Clarke, a jazz/fusion bassist who was most popular in the late 70's playing with Chick Corea's fusion band, Return to Forever. Phenomenal track overall, but the bass is definitely the best part. The lyrics are clever too.

[Mr. SATURN]

This is one of the most splendid remixes I've heard ina long while. With wonderful bass tracks, and Linkin Park-esk lyrics, I would expect this song to be heard on the radio with some minor tweaking! I simply loved the remix, and wish to see mixing maybe move towards this kind of style, with more lyrics, and less repetitive techno-beats, as seems to be a common trend. Again, this song has quickly joined my favorites list, and I seem to find a nice piece of the song that I may have missed before ever time I listen to it. Thank you Star. Thank you...so...much...

[Sylantnight]

Dude you've out done yourself with this remix. It's THE best Memories of Green remix ever to come out period. Some of the lyrics remind me of the Guru at the end of time like when you say "space and time have no meaning anymore" and "someone let me out of here!" lol priceless..

[Swallowed Shyguy]

Symphonic rock forever! This is a serious, pompous and pretentious piece... and that´s not a bad thing. Actually, it´s a VERY good thing! Square RPG music makes excellent material for progressive remixes, and this is one of the best I´ve heared. Extra plus for lyrics, they make this tune stand out even more.

[ZenDadaist]

I hate prog rock and I find most vocal in remixes to suck. I was expecting to hate this one when I DLed it out of habit (I'm a CT soundtrack fan).

I have never been so wrong about a remix in all the years I've listened to the stuff on OCR.

This song is pure winning awesome in ways I can't even begin to describe. The vocals are mesmerising, the arrangements are captivating and the whole vibe is simply stunning. I find myself singing along, garnering odd looks on the tube.

Looked up my old account details just to post that this song is my new favourite, against all odds.

WTB lyrics.

[Martin Penwald]

The vocal work is simply amazing; some of the best stuff I've ever heard on OCR.

However, I didn't enjoy the song that much, simply because I'm really, really tired of the source tune. I hope SS will take on some other soundtracks in the future, gracing them with his incredible skills.

[Miletus]

I love how "the wrong way" is sung. It's so emo, as if he's totally despairing over the fact that time's going backwards. Awesome!

[Mjoolnir]

Love it, the vocals remind me of the movie(musical) "Rent". The guitars & piano were top notch also. Keeping this one :)

[FusionSamus]

The vocal work is simply amazing; some of the best stuff I've ever heard on OCR.

Seconded. That was incredible! Keep up the good work!

[Feyhd]

I can't believe how great this is. I admit I was a bit put off when I read what the source was but the song just obliterated that feeling before the vocals even began. It just elicits such powerful emotions(from me anyways). Although I think in this case, as I did with Pillars of Salt, the vocals add so much to the piece despite how indifferent I am about the actual lyrics. Giant props to the vocalist.

[MojoHamster]

ever since my obsession with the Chrono trigger OST begun, I have been waiting for *this* remix..

[dantheman]

Just heard this for the first time today (I listen to the first 1500 locally, don't usually download the new tracks) and instantly fell in love with it. Excellent vocals, sweet bass line, and overall an excellent remix. Definitely added to my favorites list.

[Alimah Kali]

I'm positively in love with this song. My iPod Shuffle can't seem to get past it. I just can't do it. It ends and I go right back to the beginning. I have to listen to this song. It has such a grip on me that it gives me chills. The piano, the bass, the drums, the vocals... Egads, the vocals! EXQUISITE. And the lyrics are fantastic. Lastly, the length of the song makes me happy because quite frankly I honestly want this song to last forever!

[DarkClark]

Nice piano in there!! I loved the guitar! Just one thing though!! PLEASE get me a non vocal version. For several reasons:

1. The singer is good, but not trained. Not trying to judge as I would have trouble with this one as well!

2. It would make a great remix for me to sing to!!!

3. The guitar, piano, drums totally ROCK!! They'd be cool by themselves.

4. Lyrics could use some polishing, but there are definitely some GREAT sections.

Very memorable mix though!! I will TOTALLY listen to this one often. Despite my complaints, the pros outweigh the cons!!!

[Harmony]

Inspiring in just about every way.

To pick one thing to comment on, the vocal production is really nice. I'm digging the clean recordings, very subtle but effective harmonies, uber-even dynamics (I wonder what compressors were used and where they were applied in the FX chain), creative and not overbearing or obvious use of pitch-modification, and the fact that the mid-heavy vocals gives them a synthetic quality that blends beautifully with the other instruments (a rich vocal track with warm lows and bright highs would have killed it imo).

If anyone ever sees me driving down the highway screaming at the top of my lungs with the windows rolled up, there's a good chance I'll be singing along to one of these parts:

The wrong way...the wrong way...THE WRONG WAY!
Then I awake...at the end of time. Time and space are friends of mine. Someone let me out of here!
And the hourglass is working upside down!

Nice.

[MechaFone]

Holy freakin' crap. Mr Salzman has always been one of the male singers I've admired on this site, but this particular production blows my mind. I love the classical introduction, it sets the pace of the song. And I love the heavy percussion mid-way. This song gets me going and keeps me going on days when I have to hussle, and it's just a great listen for any time of the day, all day, forever until tomorrow.

[mDuo13]

Wonderful production qualities. The bassline in particular is ecstatic. The lyrics are painfully cheesey, though. (It worked for Singing Robot, but for this song it's a little harder to enjoy the kitsch effect.) The piano parts at the beginning and the end are also really great - so clear and clean, masterfully layered composition on top of the well-known melody.

Despite the general quality of the singing itself, though - which is standard Salzman superb quality - I think I'd still prefer an instrumental version, so that lines about the water "spinning backwards" wouldn't distract from appreciating the superb instrumentation.

[Mockingbird]

Incredible lyrics, sung with the right edge of anger/frustration that would be anyone's reaction on having to re-learn the laws of time and space. The music is very good... there's a couple of points where it seems that there's too much going on, but that's a personal taste issue.

Quite excellent. :-)

[CobaltDelta]

...I want to write an intelligent comment on the musical-theory aspects of this song, but the sheer levels of epic win have paralyzed my ability to analyze musical awesomeness and comment on it, so you're all just going to have to settle with another "omfg thiz song r0xx0rd my b0xx0rz!11"

This is an absolutely wonderful remix that really brings a new light to what I previously thought was an overused source track that could never go anywhere else (How absolutely dead-wrong I was!).
Fantastic job, and easily an instant favorite.

[glasfen]

You would think I'd be sick of this song after listening to it so many times (often repetitively). Nope!

I'm sure everyone before me has praised it to bits. Ditto.

Rock on Mr. Salzman, rock on.

[Arwen]

Star Salzman is easily one of the best vocalists on this site, perhaps the best. I love the raw emotion in this song, but what I love best is the constant vascillation between weight and weightlessness. Dare I say it, it feels as if you are a grain of sand in an hourglass that's being turned end-to-end. At times you feel suspended in air, sort of like when you're on a roller-coaster just about to plummet 40 feet. And at other times, you feel compressed, as if gravity has twice its normal pull. It's quite a ride, and quite a mix of genres and timbres wrapped up in one song. It's not for the faint of heart or perhaps a musical purist, but I love it.

[Master_Yoshi]

I can't believe I haven't posted to this mix yet. Les sigh...

This mix is very near and dear to me, but for more than just its quality.

See when it got posted I was sent on a business trip (alone) to an obscenely hot tropical country, and being from Northern Canada I had no idea how to handle it. It ended up I got really sick and wanted to go home because I was convinced I would die (dehydration + tropical environs + no hospital or view of civilization for a long ways + being a wuss), and ended up spending a lot of time in bed listening to my ipod. This mix came on and I just put it on repeat and rocked out, and having that little piece of familiar (ok just posted but it was still english) awesomeness really helped me out. I think it was just that calming soundfield and hopeful overtone that really clicked, and to this day every time I hear this song come up I just pause and remember.

Ok that was sappy, but true. Just thought I would share.

[jelloegg]

Woah. This actually made me toss a tear. I usually don't like "fan-made" vocals. :shock:

[Eriond]

This is a master piece and nothing short of it. Im glad to hear im not the only crazy person listening to this song several times a day.
The bassline is my favorite, i usually pump the volume up and let it kick me in the chest.
Hat off for you my friend, excellent work! \o/



/Eriond

[Trouble]

i love the music, the voice and the lyrics, very creative song
Nothing else to be said

[AJ-enova]

It may not be one of my all time favourite remix's but its still a REALLY good one
When I was first listening to it I was thinking 'Another Chrono Remix' (Which is a Good Thing!)
But when the singing came in I was like 'Woah! Decent!' lol
Only a few remixes have good singing (namely Jillian Aversa's) but this one does work well

I'm gonna listen to it tonight, just for old times sake :-P

[yosefu]

This is just a amazing song with very beautiful qualities to it.