ReMix: Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu 'Battle ~ Trials of a Cocoon Master'
Download MP3
Play Preview
- Game: Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu (Crave Entertainment, 1998, PS1)
- ReMixer(s): Mattias Häggström Gerdt
- Composer(s): Kimitaka Matsumae
- Song(s): 'Battle ~ Drill'
- Posted: 2009-04-15, evaluated by djpretzel
AnSo writes:
"Yeaaahhh... More Jade Cocoon! God, I love this soundtrack. Since a big part of it is crazy beautiful ambient tunes and adaptions of sources I've already covered, I felt it was time for the battle theme. Not the most spectacular source but it really does serve its purpose in the game and the kickdrum groove is just mindnumbing. So I stuck pretty close to the original feel but poked around a bit and focused mainly on the main riff. I really wanted to capture the droning but adrenaline pumping feel of the constant battles. I've added a few cameos to the "other" part of the song for great justice but trust me, I've focused on the part everyone remembers from the game.
Now, I'd really like to see someone else tackle this soundtrack too. This is a call to YOU! Do another version of Syrus Village or Legend of Arcana! Name it accordingly ('Sourcetune name' ~ 'original variation') and I will love you long time! Yes, even you Dave. We could build up an epic collection of arrangement masterpieces to honor this fantastic PSX RPG. OverClocked ReMix will change it's name to JadeCocoon ReMix and life will be good. At least I promise you, if I ever start a project it'll be variations of the four main Jade Cocoon tunes (or the Zelda 64 ocarina songs) with all the top remixers. And it will be epic.
Anyway, the remix contains: Dulcimer, serious sub-bass, various mallets, glockenspiel (it's impossible to resist!) and a somewhat heavy section. Enjoy and much love!"
Love that dulcimer. Needless to say, AnSo is a good friend to Jade Cocoon. If he liked Jade Cocoon any more, he'd BE Jade Cocoon. If he loves it so much, why doesn't he just marry it? Then he could "know" Jade Cocoon... in the Biblical sense. But I ramble... Mattias has been on a one-man mission to evangelize the gospel of JC (no relation) since his first mix of the game back in 2007. All three of his Cocoon children are great, but this third addition may just have the best dynamics of the bunch. You've got a thumping, somewhat menacing, aortic groove introing with kickdrum and filtered bass, and the artist is masterful at building on top of that with additional mixed ethnic instrumentation and chromatic percussion. The intensity increases leading up to 1'43", where things finally fire on all cylinders and there's a resplendent, almost head-banging catharsis, but there are also some reduced sections where the funky, serpentine mallet riffs are allowed to boa-constrict themselves around your eardrums.
The arrangement does a downright fantastic job of exploring the source and mixing cinematic, ethnic, and electronica WITHOUT (key point here) making electronica the dominant presiding force. There's a lot of mystique infused through the more exotic instruments, AND they're allowed room to breath without being constantly overshadowed by synths or beats. It's smart, it's got a fantastic sense of motion and dynamics, and on top of that it's just plain old fun to listen to. If you haven't checked out this game's music or AnSo's mixes of it, he's clearly going to persist - perhaps even go door to door, handing out fliers - until you capitulate and see the light. When the light sounds this good, though, you've got nothing to lose... awesome work.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the This writeup isn't authored by me, but this track was featured as a Song of the Week (SotW) for my blog.
- OutSpoken on July 5, 2011
Awesome as always, Another. Your Jade Cocoon works have always been my favorites here. You managed to take a song I already loved and always had stuck in my head, and made a version with even stronger qualities!
It's hard to finish this reply as I keep getting distracted by the song itself, so I'm going to end it here. :D
- Keiseth on September 29, 2009
AnSo is a legend ^^
- nugzta on June 9, 2009
Great work, man. Keep it up. Oh... I don't suppose you could make a remix of either The Blue Cocoon-Master ~ Koris or Masked Man ~ Lui? If you made one of either song, I SWEAR I'd make a shrine dedicated to you :razz:
- Elryhm on May 21, 2009
I don't even known the source material and I still find this to be extremely groovy. You blend the electronic and ethnic sounds quite well, and I can't help but move my body and bob my head as I listen to this remix.
God I wish that I've played Jade Cocoon and its sequel right now.
- SwordBreaker on May 11, 2009
Diggin' the synth from 1:40 onwards. Nice ending, too.
- Martin Penwald on May 3, 2009
OA;536702 wrote: omfg dulcimer- and it sounds awesome! Please share your dulcimer secrets with me! ;_;
You load up "Epic Dulcimer" in Reason, then you play the keyboard like it was a marimba! :tomatoface:
- anosou on April 27, 2009
Excellent lead in with a great blend of instruments, nice and beefy gated synth and a lot of well-chosen percussion. Though melodically it really isn't doing a lot for me, the textures are exquisite, and the mood is dense and hypnotic. This would be perfect for looping all day at work, except that there's so much cool stuff going on that I keep stopping and focusing on the music.
Great stuff, in a passive-aggressive way. I think the jungle statement earlier is pretty apt- no one element really stands out completely, but you are completely surrounded in this one.
- OA on April 24, 2009
- windkirby on April 21, 2009
- Giga Bowser on April 20, 2009
I would love to see a project worked out with the top remixers and this OST.
- UchihaVilu on April 16, 2009
In any case, great job!
- jintoreedwine on April 15, 2009
