ReMix: Final Fantasy X 'Summoner's Love'
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- Game: Final Fantasy X (Square, 2001, PS2)
- ReMixer(s): DragonAvenger, EFields
- Composer(s): Junya Nakano, Masashi Hamauzu, Masashi Sugawara, Nobuo Uematsu
- Song(s): 'Besaid Island'
- Posted: 2006-12-24, evaluated by the judges
Well, it's Christmas eve; hopefully those of you celebrating have gotten the vast majority of your holiday shopping done and are reclining in the fire-warmed comfort of your living rooms, drinking spiked nog and listening to Bing (Christmas without Bing and Story ain't Christmas). Before I proceed with the writeup, some housekeeping items:
- BGC started a cool little initiative to review mixes that haven't been reviewed in awhile - very cool.
- www.vgmusic.com recently celebrated their 10th anniversary. The site has done an amazing amount of work over the last decade to popularize game music on the web; hats off to their staff, past, present, and future, for a fantastic accomplishment.
- Armchair Arcade recently published a pretty cool Introduction to Videogame Music that makes for an interesting read.
Right then, we've got an excellent FFX vocal mix from newcomers DragonAvenger (vocals) and EFields (arrangement) that the panel dug. Perhaps it's just an aspect of the Winter holidays that almost anything begins to sound like Christmas music, but once again this piece seems very seasonal, reminding me of some bits off the Toys soundtrack at times. DA's vocal style is a bit different; it's a sound I've heard on numerous J-pop recordings, a bit higher and wider than it is round. I can't say it would work in every context, but it works here, and that's what's important. She writes:
"I've been wanting to do a remix to Besaid Island for some time now. I finally got around to commissioning EFields (With dinner at Denny's) to arrange the piece for me, and I received a beautiful result (probably worth more than the dinner). I asked him to take the melody line twice as fast as normal, and to make it have a "pop song" feel, as well as add anything he felt like doing. The lyrics came after, based on Tidus and Yuna, the scenery of Besaid, as well as the love scene later in the game. This song has a special dedication to my parents, who just celebrated their anniversary a couple of weeks ago."
Sweet. I have to say, nobody's ever commissioned me via chain restaurant, but it's a great idea. Will ReMix for food! The beneficiary of said Denny's supping, EFields, writes:
"I wanted a remix that was significantly different from the original composition, but one that also strongly evoked the notable characteristics of the original. I mostly used a warm synth pad, a gentle synth lead (which was later deleted and replaced by voice), an unintrusive bass, and a soft tribal beat. Unfortunately, the beat is a loop, so it comes off as a little repetitive, but I tried to blend it nicely through mixing and using different loops. The occasional high-toned bells in the background are my attempt at evoking rays of sunlight coming through the clouds. At the end of the piece, the drums cut out, leaving enveloping chords and a final repetition of the main vocal theme. The music dies away peacefully."
It's a sort of wintry synth pop motif, I'd say - the intro suggests perhaps trance, but when the drums enter you know it's gonna be more of a Top 40 thing; the percussion has that distinct looped feel, ala Jagged Little Pill, etc. Pads are warm and enveloping and consume a majority of spectrum bandwidth, but there's also a tine bell patch that specifically reminded me of Hans Zimmer's Toys work. It's exciting to see new vocal mixes, new mixers, and new approaches, and while the panel pointed out some issues, this mix does meet each of those criteria. BGC particularly enjoyed the audible mouse click at the very conclusion of the vocal recording:
"rofl, dude, leave the mouseclick. that's classy. or classic, rather. whatever, either way, that's awesome.
seriously, that's trademark.
Very pretty vibe. Nice warm synths, nice cool drum groove. Very pretty vocals. Giving me chills, now."
So, an interesting mix concept that Denny's helped birth but that DragonAvenger and EFields deserve all the credit for, somewhat seasonal, with unique vocals and deceptively simple lyrics that sing better than they read. Regardless of what you think of Tidus, this is an enjoyable nugget of icy-warm pop that goes down easy; looking forward to hearing more from both of these artists.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the EFields's instrumental mix is very chill and soothing - just like the original Besaid Island (although I didn't even realize this was a Besaid Island remix the first time I heard it). I like his use of percussion too - although it's nothing elaborate, I think he uses exactly enough to keep things interesting... I know if I were trying to make something like this I'd be tempted to just go crazy with those synth pads. But what sets the song apart is definitely DragonAvenger's vocals. As djp said, her singing style is definitely reminiscent of some Asian pop music (so much that I originally thought she was singing in Japanese) but I think it really works here. I think she just perfectly conveys the mood this song is going for and matches EFields's work really well. Finally, the "let me be in your story" line at the end strikes me as completely brilliant and haunting.
- Kaxon on July 13, 2009
- Lucentas on December 6, 2008
- The Runaway Five on October 12, 2008
The besaid theme kicks in right away and even though at many times the original score hides in warm watery pool that is this track the style and warm vibes still keep you in the Besaid mood.
The vocal caught me off gaurd and seemed out of place the first sentence but as soon as those warm strings accompanied the vocals it easly turned into OCR's top finest
definitely a track that makes you reminisce the good old times we had defeating Sin.
- 2Radical on May 19, 2008
Lyrics are a bit flat, but they work really well in the context and the whole evokes a definite beachy, sunny, lovey-dovey warm imagery. Personally I'm a bit meh with them but I have to admit they work. It's also hard to hear the lyrics, they could be more clearly sung in my opinion. Singing could be more confident/stronger (I don't mean louder) and the pitch is not superb (especially the lowest notest which start the verses), but it's ok. Just something to work on. The vocals work best in the later half of the middle break 02:54-03:04.
--Eino
- evktalo on March 26, 2008
And I must comment on the lyrics, they are incredibally beautiful. Good work.
- Forgotten on July 21, 2007
ShrikeArghast;254917 wrote: I really wish this hadn't ended up being the only thing we ever heard from DragonAvenger. I love this song... it's dopey and makes me think of my grilfriend.
You haven't checked the WIP boards lately. I have something in progress, as well as a mix to be posted that I was a part of. I'm definately still making new stuff!
Glad everyone liked the piece who's commented!
- DragonAvenger on April 5, 2007
ShrikeArghast;254917 wrote: I really wish this hadn't ended up being the only thing we ever heard from DragonAvenger. I love this song... it's dopey and makes me think of my grilfriend.
You speak in the past tense as if this came out 6 years ago and she was never to be heard from again. What gives, bro? :lol:
- Liontamer on April 5, 2007
- ShrikeArghast on April 5, 2007
I can imagine that this one would be a hard one to remix and arrange. EFields did a good job of varying the song and arrangement up, though. There's not much to the original song, so good job.
The vocals are DragonAvenger's best, I think. The added echo and reverb really helps. The lyrics are written very well. They really match with the instrumentation. It's got a chill vibe going on.
The only thing that I don't really like is the ending.. and this is probably more a matter of taste. The abrupt ending kind of threw me off.
I was expecting the instrumentation to slowly fade and decrease in volume, but it just ended with a vocal line.
I would recommend anyone to download this and add it to your collection. It's definitely worth a listen. I'll always have it in my collection.
I hope to see more from Efields and definitely more from DragonAvenger. Keep up the great work!
- Degree on April 2, 2007
- nonsensicalexis on March 26, 2007
- ProjectSpam on March 26, 2007
- DMZ on March 13, 2007
The television screen paused on Tidus' smiling face and the music playing as gentle as its intent in the background. I let it run for a week before I finally kept playing the game and even then I had an extra save file just for the sake of having the song to help myself fall asleep to.
To say the very least, I was anxious to see a remix of "Besaid Island" amongst ecstatic. Engulfed with hope, riddled with doubt, I hit play and let it flood my ears.
I was pleased to get a feel of smooth jazz but not strong enough into the genre to cancel it from calling it new age as well. Some may have said they couldn't hear Besaid Island's music until the 4:06 point, where it is blatantly obvious but I thought the beginning was very well presented.
It reminded me of tolling onto the start of the sand just prior to the walk toward the crashing waves and endless waters. You're walking across the concrete and dirt, and get excited to finally tread on the sand. Then your heart starts beating faster when you can not only hear the ocean but see it living before your eyes. And it's always a wonderful feeling if someone is with you to keep you company in your joy as well, thus what I felt with the wonderful vocals gracefully dancing into the music.
I do have to agree that the voice executed wouldn't work in many songs, unless you're an avid JPop listener but even then you need the proper tune (And I'm sure most, if not all of us have heard JPop/Rock once in our lives), but to this particular music, I think it's suitable, if not perfect. I actually thought midway the song,
"Her voice reminds me of Yuna." Oh, you make me enjoy singing once again. (I abandoned ten years of Chorus because I felt I wasn't good enough.)
So, just to shorten this up from what it could be, this is a -beautiful- remix and you both should be very proud. Thanks for making one of my comforting memories even moreso.
- Mikenno on January 27, 2007
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