ReMix: EarthBound 'Twoson Hits the Road'
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- Game: EarthBound (Nintendo, 1994, SNES)
- ReMixer(s): djpretzel
- Composer(s): Hirokazu Tanaka, Hiroshi Kanazu, Keiichi Suzuki, Toshiyuki Ueno
- Song(s): 'Boy Meets Girl'
- Posted: 2005-11-06, evaluated by djpretzel
Some of my earliest musical memories are from family trips, listening to Guthrie's "City of New Orleans" or Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" while driving past the blue ridge mountains. I can remember the specific mid-Fall temperatures, the succession of sedans and station wagons we all piled into over the course of about a decade, the word games we'd play to pass the time, but most of all, and with the greatest degree of clarity, the music, and the way it seemed to define the moment. To me, folk music, or genres that are folk-infused, have always made the best traveling music. Not for a ride to the supermarket or into the city for a night on the town, but for a much longer trip, all the better if it's going to take multiple days to get there and there's no agenda or itinerary. To risk demystification through analysis, I think it has to do with the rolling acoustic guitar patterns, simple and steady percussion, and melody that flies over both and seems in contradiction to be both distant and immediate. It's music for looking out of windows at moving landscapes for long periods of time, thinking about where you've been and where you're going. It's the antithesis of Zen - it's specifically NOT in the moment, not in the present, but instead simultaneously conjuring past and positing potential.
This is pertinent, and not just an excuse for micro-memoir, because it explains why a short ReMix of the Twoson theme from Earthbound can mean quite a bit to me. I'd been planning to arrange this theme for the last two years, ever since I scoured the EB soundtrack looking for something that spoke to me. Twoson is perhaps the most melody-centric track off the OST, which is not surprising given what I tend to like, and I had always envisioned doing an elaborate orchestral arrangement. When circumstances dictated that I finally sit down and actually write the damn thing, though, something didn't click. The essence of the melody to me didn't seem to be asking for something intricate, intertwined, or formal; it seemed to be honest, simple... humble and unaffected. A little happy, a little sad, blue-collar, hopeful, aware, and mostly content, but with a strain of restlessness. I'm not saying orchestral composition can't capture all of that, but when I sat down and started from scratch on a folk/rock instrumental, it felt absolutely natural. What I actually ended up with draws from Guthrie, Zydeco, Danny Elfman's soundtrack to Midnight Run, and Paul Simon's "Graceland", amongst other influences. For better or worse, it's in a genre you don't see applied to game music, either in the remixing community or in the original scores themselves. I honestly don't know what to expect in terms of reaction, but I view this as a personal accomplishment regardless. I love the Twoson melody, I think this musical genre lets it breath and reach and stretch, and without a mix like this, I feel like a big chunk of myself would be conspicuously absent.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the It's quite a shame since this is a great track.
- EbonHawk on February 19, 2013
Brilliant mood and instrumentation, excellent use of source (love how the ending of the soundstone melody was incorporated throughout various portions) makes this one a fine mix. I can definitely tell this mix was crafted with a lot of heart and a strong love of the game in question. :)
- Cody Wedel on December 31, 2011
It really does sound like epic roadtrip music that you hear in a lot of movies.
Definately a win in my book.
- Skinner3D on April 2, 2011
This was just what I needed today, thanks. :-)
- OA on June 1, 2010
Anyway, awesome source material, and honestly it's hard to go wrong. I'm totally into having a strong melody in a song and this totally delivers.
It's a simple mix that captures the essence of the original in a great way and just sort of retells it!
- SChepulis on March 4, 2010
Black Mage;120601 wrote: It actually reminds me of Peter Gabriel's [i]Solsbury Hill[/i].
I concur.
A strange experience, just brought to me by Winamp shuffle: Try listening to this track next to "Dust in the Wind."
- Fusilliban on January 27, 2010
Per the tag, yes, it's happy, but I think optimistic would be a better descriptor. Perhaps anticipatory, but not necessarily. Lighthearted, loving, longing, and a little aloof (with some absolutely accidental alliteration). It is as childhood innocence but recaptured in music... for those no longer children it's a reminder of the pure, simple goodness in life. And how we can, in spite of our hardships and any supposed jadedness, learn to live that way again. A song for a journey... of life.
And I daresay that can be zen, if you choose to realize the joy to be found in every moment in addition to the potential of the future. And I daresay because that's where this remix compels me.
Side note: I stumbled upon this while looking through remixes I've heard for ones that 'soothed the mind', for a thread (and lo' I find now that Arek commented on this one long ago!), and it caught me off-guard how perfectly this fit the bill. And how I've managed to be ignorant of it for so long.
Though it took 'til the second listening-time around, this is now a favorite among favorites. Thank you, Mr Lloyd.
Also, The Xyco's and Ventrex's reviews were ace. I've found that I repeated The Xyco quite a bit, so perhaps I should have read the reviews before writing mine, but I've said what I wanted to say.
- K.B. on November 26, 2009
MaxxAndrew;598314 wrote:
Ive been listening to your music for a while DJ Pretzel, and this one just does not do it for me.
Plus I am a little vindictive about how you didn't respond to my messages on myspace.
I don't do much on MySpace... I'm not alone, it's sort of on the wane :) Anyways, please feel free to say what you like. I'm 110% happy with this track and consider it one of my very best, but your mileage will of course vary. I think I get plenty of fair reviews, here; if people are intent on kissing my ass just because I run the site, they could be doing a MUCH better job :nicework:
- djpretzel on September 29, 2009
Ive been listening to your music for a while DJ Pretzel, and this one just does not do it for me.
Plus I am a little vindictive about how you didn't respond to my messages on myspace.
- MaxxAndrew on September 29, 2009
- WesternZypher on December 29, 2008
- Sole Signal on November 16, 2008
i love this remix.
9.5/10.
- goombapatrol on October 26, 2008
- Jaybell on December 19, 2007
- Black Mage on June 25, 2006
- Mr. Fox on June 24, 2006
