ReMix:Final Fantasy VII "Too Much Fighting" 4:52

By Mattias Häggström Gerdt

Arranging the music of 2 songs...

"Fanfare", "J-E-N-O-V-A"

Primary Game: Final Fantasy VII (Sony , 1997, PS1), music by Nobuo Uematsu

Posted 2008-01-04, evaluated by djpretzel


More VotL? More AnSo? More fighting? You bet! I'm getting ready for our panel at MAG tomorrow and don't have quite as much time as I'd like to regale you with my impressions of yet another fine ReMix by Mattias, but luckily his submission email was lengthy and amusing and, more importantly, fills up a lot of space and makes my writeup look substantive. The ReMixer writes:

"So. More Voices of the Lifestream? Well you did see this coming, didn't you? I actually started this remix as a fairly standard jazz adaption of the Fanfare theme. Like Aluminum and Climhazzard Rush (this is kind of a tribute to that song btw) I focused more on the chord progression after the classic fanfare. When I got bored I tried some new stuff to my Jazz WIP and realized, man I need to make this electronic. So I did.

I started off with some dub inspired groove electro, making it interesting with a rhodes solo. I have to be honest, at first JJT was going to do this but the compliments I got from zircon kinda got to my head and I wanted to do everything myself. Something I still kinda regret, seeing how good JJT actually is. This doesn't mean I'm unhappy with the result though, more like the opposite.

To make some kind of breakdown I used some glocks and sampled a line from Final Fantasy VII: Last Order. I still have no idea what it means but it sounds pretty good. Then I went overboard again :) Acoustic drums with trance synths really gives a fat soundscape. I used this technique again in my Jade Cocoon remix, but this is where you heard it first! When I got here I just couldn't resist incorporating the lovable Jenova theme and I just kinda went from there."

I went to the trouble of adding all those links in there myself, btw, so you'd better click on at least one of them. This mix was popular with those participating in our music video contest, which I've been behind in updating everyone about. Larry and I are still tracking down every last submission, and the panel will be looking at them as a group in the next month - I'd say we'll have decisions by the first of March, guesstimate, but I'll formalize all this and post in the thread like I should have two weeks ago, shortly. Right then - this is the VERY FIRST VotL ReMix we're posting here at OCR... in 2008. It's great stuffs, as per AnSo's rapidly established reputation, and stylistically deviates from what we've heard from him thus far with an otherworldly electro jazz vibe that plays with major and minor keys and employs deliciously dirty EP, numerous ambient elements, a nice syncopated groove w/ hip-hop style drums, and general funkitude. But wait, there's more! For the low, low price of free you get a whole other section that changes gears towards an almost industrial/trance direction circa 2'16" and keeps growing in dissonant, stormy anger. In one of the videos this was queued up with the visual of Sephiroth summoning this huge dark whirlwind thing (from AC), and it really WORKED. I like how AnSo plays with note lengths on the synth arpeggios, throwing in a staccato iteration here and there, and the modulation back to major at 3'56" is surprising but effective. This is an intelligent arrangement that has a lot going on musically but is still damn fun to listen to; mad props yet again to AnSo, whose prolific mixing track record I envy only because it never seems to result in any sacrifice of quality whatsoever.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2015-12-02 23:55:31

I... I'm simply speachless. We all know for sure how talented this Sweden guy is, but this is just way too awesome. I couldn't even imagine that such simple source as "Fanfare" can be given such complicated treatment with all the fuzzy synths, acoustic drums and other stuff. I also like how he managed to throw in some good old theme of J-E-N-O-V-A for good measure. I'm also sure I've heard a cameo of "Prelude" somewhere. It's an absolutely great piece of music! Don't miss it :)

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anosou
on 2009-12-23 14:53:48

I can only assume it's that magical beard that gives you your powers.

It is the magical beard.

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Level 99
on 2009-12-23 14:05:32

*blinks* did that just happen? Did you really just do that to the source, dude?

*butthumps* THAT WAS FANASTIC!!! I tried very hard to find something to point out that I didn't like, you know, cause I hate you Anso, but I couldn't. This was kickass. Great concept, great execution, great production. My hat is off to you, sir. While it may not be something to listen to in my car while driving, it is definitely something I'd listen to if I wanted to get work done somewhere. You go from chill and chimey to acid-spasm detuning without flinching.

I can only assume it's that magical beard that gives you your powers.

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MaxxAndrew
on 2009-09-29 18:56:32

I heard this song and had to add some vocals to it. It sucks writing all your stuff your self, especially when there are people as talented as this guy out there. This song is just perfect, really is, there is not one thing wrong with it. It has a progression like a very classical arrangement. Where it will introduce a melody, deviate away from it, then come back with avengence (a vengence?). IDK, this is the kind of track that will teach geeky kids like myself to dance. You can also headbang to it too if you'd like.... gunna have to add the word headbang to my dictionary here.

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halc
on 2008-12-09 04:54:12

i love this track.

at the 3:00 mark this gets so in-your-face i love it. keep em coming man

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anosou
on 2008-11-20 05:43:25
It is a quote from Last Order.

Tseng says it before Zack and Cloud are "apprehended"

The translation we are given in the movie is "Will we take freedom away from them again?"

Just thought you'd like to know that.

Oh and by the way, this is one of my favorite remixes on VotLs!!

Excelent work!

Thanks for the translation! I'm glad it wasn't something stupid like "dude, tifa's hot!"..

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sefirosu
on 2008-11-19 19:14:10

It is a quote from Last Order.

Tseng says it before Zack and Cloud are "apprehended"

The translation we are given in the movie is "Will we take freedom away from them again?"

Just thought you'd like to know that.

Oh and by the way, this is one of my favorite remixes on VotLs!!

Excelent work!

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DragonAvenger
on 2008-09-08 21:14:03

The transitions really help make this piece. Anso does a great job of incorporeating themes in a new was, which is commendable.

Nice stylistic choices, and again, the transitions of style really are well done and smooth. The move into Jenova really shows this point.

I enjoyed this piece. Maybe not my favorite FF7 mix, but I can tell a lot of work was put into, and that helps me appreciate it.

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OA
on 2008-01-08 12:25:13

Nice gradual evolution on this one, synths chosen are nice, and lots of interesting but subtle details keep things going strong throughout.

I'd say some thing seem almost too subtle in a few spots, as there is no climax that is distinct aside from the transition to Jenova, which I took as more of a transition. I've listened to this about 8 times in a row now and it's awesome for just chilling to, and there is nothing technically wrong with it (quite the opposite really), but I just couldn't get into it.

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quoda
on 2008-01-05 21:10:04

Oh yes I was waiting for this to appear in here...

This is such a marvelously groovy remix of the fanfare from FFVII. Love the groove, love the organ, love it all! Way to take the fanfare theme and expand on it in a fabulous way.

You know what this is delicious with? Fighting (7/8 Jazz Spiritual). Mmm. It's like a fight of grooviness with a victory of grooviness.

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Sixto
on 2008-01-05 12:39:49

This is... Well, whatever it is, it certainly IS..what it is. I do lieks me some Rhodes. Bonus points for JENOVA.

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Jaybell
on 2008-01-04 20:32:42

So good so good so good! One of the best off of VoTL, partly because of how it manages to go places with about ten seconds of source. I love remixes of short sources, because it forces the remixer to interpret them to make them interesting.

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Fishy
on 2008-01-04 20:00:24
You can delete this mix.

ho snap.

Seriously though this is groovy ass. djp picked up on my favourite thing about this mix, the little staccatos during the Jenova bit, so fun :3. All the little details which make something pretty good into something awesome are here. Way to take a mini-source and go off on a total tangent and get away with it somehow.

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Tensei
on 2008-01-04 18:48:16

Well, this mix is really GOING ways. Starts of nice and funky with the organ and the swirling synths, follows up with the OBLIGATORY Rhodes solo (wtf are rhodes anyway?) and then breaks down into the Glockenspiel+voice sample. And then..TOTAL MOOD SWING, whole thing becomes pressing, darker, MORE EVIL!! into a really cool crescendo.

I can see how hard it can be to implement a similar build-up/mood change into your mix, but you've really nailed it very well here, and it makes the mix sound really big, epic, etc. WHICH IS GOOD. Keep on mixing, you beautiful, beautiful Swede =3

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djpretzel
on 2008-01-04 18:22:06

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

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Final Fantasy VII (Sony , 1997, PS1)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu
Songs:
"Fanfare"
"J-E-N-O-V-A"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Dub
Mood:
Dark,Funky
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Final_Fantasy_7_Too_Much_Fighting_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
8,477,542 bytes
MD5:
66697e32f50c47ee39f4ffc38df3025f
Bitrate:
229Kbps
Duration:
4:52

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