ReMix:Final Fantasy VII "Sephiroth's Wake" 4:38

By Tweex

Arranging the music of one song...

"Trail of Blood"

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

Posted 2008-03-07, evaluated by the judges panel


We've been a bit quiet this week; sorry about that, spent most of the time dealing with administrivia and (believe it or not) ReMixing. Let's get back on track... we'll start with more VotL. I feel like I almost need to apologize for continuing to post VotL tracks many of you have already heard, but we knew in advance that this project would yield tons of submissions, that tons would get passed, and that we'd need to space them out a bit. While those of you already intimately familiar with the album in its entirety might find this a little... laborious, it does give each artist a spotlight on their specific mix, and also provides a dedicated review thread, etc., etc. This time it's all about Tweek and his arrangement of Trail of Blood. Project Director Andrew Aversa writes:

"Tweek, when he first came on Voices, was in the same boat as guys like Fishy and Another Soundscape. He was relatively new to the community and I wasn't sure what he would come up with, but from a remix of his I had judged, I could tell he had a lot of talent. This remix really blew me away. Brian nailed the Harry Gregson-Williams/Metal Gear Solid style perfectly, and it fits the source tune like a glove."

Brian writes:

"My idea and concept for this piece was simple: how would Harry Gregson-Williams do this piece if he was remixing it in the MGS style? In particular, I wanted to capture the "infiltration" genre that he would create. This certainly wasn't easy. Mr. Williams has learned his trade well and has crafted a style of music that is not easy to replicate. The track also proved difficult by remixing a source tune that has no defined tempo. Despite Nobuo's best efforts to thwart someone from remixing this track and Mr. Williams tricky genre, I feel I was able to accomplish something that I'm proud of :). The picture I had in mind was the gang getting out of their cells and as they make they're way through the Shinra building, they bare witness to the havoc that Jenova and Sephiroth have brought upon the people in their way. Special thanks to Reuben Kee who gave me some wonderful feedback and help with samples to perfect the sound."

Brian of course submitted this before Reuben's tragic passing; the selfless assistance and friendship Reuben was known for is still having repercussions many months later, and will continue to do so far into the future. Honestly, Andy and Brian did my work for me in describing what this mix is all about, so I don't need to say much more. The source material was quite challenging - Jon wrote in his decision:

"adapting this part of the OST into something listenable is an accomplishment."

Not exactly flattering to the source material, but often there are pieces on an OST that are more BGM or context-specific than others, and arranging them usually presents a greater challenge. Tweek rose to that challenge, and the result is a nice piece of cinematic, ambient fare that sounds very natural.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 12 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Rexy
on 2011-12-10 09:13:41

It's a strange source to go for due to its minimalism and lack of tempo, but to take it in a direction akin to the Metal Gear Solid score is definitely one to go for and still ultimately take the darkness of the source.

It even worked well for the most part with the firm varied percussion and the transition of the minimalist pad/string work of the original to full bodied pads here. Affectively, what was taken of the source managed to work out into something significantly more contemporary while still being atmospheric, so major props on handling that. Even the minor synth elements had some strong controller work done to it to really give some life and associate ourselves with Tweek as a musician, and all the little details elsewhere with the rhythm synths have done much to keep adding some substance.

For me, it's nice and chill; not much to fault concerning the stylistic direction, and you've managed to do well with handling one difficult source to arrange. Hopefully we'd get to see more of you come 2012 :)

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Emunator
on 2009-12-02 17:21:26

Love the growling synth in the opening, that sounds really cool on headphones :-) The drum loop is appropriate and sounds pretty good in my opinion, it makes the song sound like something straight out of Metal Gear Solid. That said, I can't help but wonder what it might have sounded like if it utilized heavier, more dramatic percussion instead.

Very underrated effort though, this one took a while to grow on me but currently I happen to like it a lot! :-)

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Bahamut
on 2009-10-03 22:15:34

Another Tweek mix with few reviews! He's not getting the love here :-( .

So this is pretty nice - it adds an industrial-like quality to give the song an ominous yet rolling atmosphere, like as if one was just casually walking through one of those sectors in Midgar, or maybe even a mako reactor.

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PriZm
on 2008-12-23 17:06:18

I love mixes like that with limited source material.

Anybody else notice that the theme at 0:45 is the same theme as the one in Symphony X's album V : The Mythology Suite. Sweet stuff.

The ambiance here is definitely heavy and tense. The dirty synths contrasts well with the cleaner drum sounds to create a thick texture. I love the production on this one.

The only gripe I have with this mix is that the song seems to lack direction. The different parts could pretty much be used interchangeably. But, I guess that was the artist's intention and with such great sounds and ideas, that is entirely forgivable.

good work

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Sir_Downunder
on 2008-12-02 07:56:37

Drums are absolutely diabolical , fits the tone and source tune really well.

My hat goes off to you, good sir. (Tips hat) :

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DragonAvenger
on 2008-05-14 12:52:32

I agree with everything said, Tweek did a great job with this, and there are great effects done to the piece. I'm not crazy about the source tune, and it carries into the mix, unfortunately. It's just not enjoyable to listen to, even with all the cool stuff Tweek's done to it.

I can appreaciate the work he did, but it's not a keeper for me. It will, however, go on my OCHalloween Mixtape.

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Sole Signal
on 2008-03-22 14:04:23

Oops, thought I commented on this already.

Yeah, the drumwork is superb. OA was right on about the textures too, lush and spacious. Great job, sir.:nicework:

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OA
on 2008-03-12 10:51:10

I gotta agree, those drums are amazing. Incredibly crisp and well balanced. The synths are great too, and things ebb and flow very well. Melodically there isn't a ton going on, but this track has always been about the textures, and they are completely captivating.

Nothing but props from me.

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big giant circles
on 2008-03-11 02:24:49

quite possibly the worst mix to date on the site.

brian, i want your babies.

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sephfire
on 2008-03-10 08:49:07

I'd say this is your best work yet, but I've already heard what you're doing next, so I can't really it say it, can I? :mrgreen:

All the same, awesome job on this. The percussion and FX are spot-on Gregson-Williams.

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Palpable
on 2008-03-09 10:40:55

Excellent drums. I think that element of this song is basically perfect. The supporting synths and FX help fill out the picture nicely. I sort of wish the strings sounded fuller but I can understand why you toned them down. Great song, dude.

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djpretzel
on 2008-03-08 01:02:27

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Final Fantasy VII (Sony , 1997, PS1)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu
Songs:
"Trail of Blood"

Tags (3)


Genre:
Ambient,Cinematic
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Orchestral
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Final_Fantasy_7_Sephiroth's_Wake_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
8,131,944 bytes
MD5:
796250d4158c2cde528123f7305dcf9a
Bitrate:
231Kbps
Duration:
4:38

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