ReMix: Xenogears 'Hymn of Aveh'

downloadDownload MP3
6,662,189 bytes, 4:37, 192kbps
Stream/preview on YouTubePlay Preview
Streaming preview on YouTube
eStarland.com
Xenogears

Ever since we posted Kate's addictive and memorable debut FF9 vocal arrangement, 'The Rose General,' I've been looking forward to the follow-up. Production may not have been pristine on that mix, but damn if the vocals, lyrics, and overall arrangement weren't drop-dead gorgeous - I find myself revisiting it quite often. Only time will tell if I do the same for this lovely Xenogears ReMix of 'Bonds of Sea and Fire,' but all signs point to a resounding "YES"; Ms. Covington writes:

"I recorded this acoustic/vocal cover of Bonds of Sea and Fire about a year and a half ago and posted it up on my youtube site. From frequent requests I've decided to finally submit it to ocremix. All acoustic instruments (violin, recorder, djembe, harp, tambourine) are performed by me. There is a small amount of synthesized bell-harp as well in the chorus played on keyboard. The "lyrics" are supposed to be in the language of Aveh, (harsh consanants and vowel endings just like a desert language should be) I wrote the music for the small bridge to flesh this song out.

I'm not sure this meets the standards of ocremix production wise, it's an older cover of mine and has very inexperienced mixing. However, I'm proud of the ideas behind the arrangement and the recording itself, and hope it might be an enjoyable listen for you guys in any case. Let me know if there's anything that can be done for it."

Don't worry Kate - it sounds fantastic. Recording vocals & live instrumentation is simply downright HARDER than doing the type of sample-accurate sequencing most of us take for granted, where the level of control is ridiculously fine-grained and everything can be infinitely tweaked w/ unlimited undo. Sibilance in particular must have been challenging on this track, but the day a mix that sounds like this gets rejected is the day we'll need to seriously recalibrate our process. The same pared-down, raw emotionality that worked for 'The Rose General' again works here, with each instrument playing an important, distinct role. Everything's separated, clear, articulate, and tailored to Kate's arrangement, but the most beautiful instrument is again her voice. I guess naysayers might criticize her made-up Aveh language, but I for one think it's pretty damn creative and - more importantly - she sings it with authority, authenticity, and emotion. We might not know what she's saying, but we can tell she feels it, and means it, and that's ultimately half of what a great vocal is all about. Of course, simply having the talent to execute is the other half of that formula, but I don't think there are any doubts, there.

With new-age folk and Loreena McKennitt-style, Celtic arrangements there can be a tendency to stick too closely to expectations and form, but the transition interval at 1'46" was anything but expected, and I want to emphasize that even if Kate couldn't sing a lick to save her life, her arrangements would stand on their own as quite sturdy instrumentals. It sounds cheesy to say "HEY LOOK FOLKS, SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN!!," but you know what? She has - awesome.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
Absolutely a great vocal performance. I love the slightly Asian feel to the music I picked up. I am not familiar with the Aveh language, but it sounds like a mix of Japanese and Latin... very cool.

- mjwes on February 13, 2011
Dunno why anyone would be bothered by the made-up language; it's not any different from listening to a song in an existing langauge you don't understand.
Anyway, about the remix in hand...it's bloody amazing. Voice work and instrument playing are very good (especially the violin), as is the arrangement. It really makes me want to listen to the OST again (I paid outta my ass when I bought it a decade ago, but I never regretted it).
Waiting for her next submission.

- Martin Penwald on July 14, 2010
She just now submitted this? Oh man, this has been one my favorites for a while.

- Catharsis on July 8, 2010
Kate, I have not yet played Xenogears (though I want to someday), and I had no familiarity with this track until looking it up after hearing your mix.
And in spite of not knowing the source tune, after listening to this twice it's easily become one of my favorite OCRemixes of all time. I love this every bit as much as Star Salzman's "Pillar of Salt" - and as remixes go, that one ranks very high on my scale! :)
This is at once a relaxing, breathtaking, and mystifying arrangement. And I'm sincerely impressed at your great talent, to have played all of those instruments so expertly. From here on out, I'll be patiently waiting for your next mix to arrive here - and of course I'll be browsing YouTube for the ones that aren't here yet.
Best of luck in your future endeavors!
-Dave

- Karth on July 6, 2010
the only reason i knew the source tune was because of the Of Sea and Fire mix by Ziwtra, when I heard it here I was like ohmygoodness I know that lol
awesome stuff

- delbuster on July 2, 2010
Another great one by Kate. What a wonderful voice she has. She's cute too.

- Velocifero on June 28, 2010
katethegreat lives up to her name :)

- Theophany on June 28, 2010
loved it! incredible vocal performance (as expected, of course). i just wish I could play so many cool instruments :nicework:

- halc on June 28, 2010
"So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:9
"For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14
"Old dragon, old dragon Aveh
No brighter star leads us
Give us light" -Hymn of Aveh
"How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer [Satan], son of the morning!
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God' "
Isaiah 14:12,13
Interesting...
(I do think the song sounds beautiful)

- a_d on June 27, 2010
Nuh uh, however, it fits with the Xenogears mythos regardless. If you're familiar with ancient cultures, the concept of 'dragons' varies a lot, from things like Tiamat and Bahamat, the Asian Lung, our own western variant which we are more familiar, and even things such as South America's feathered serpents. The consistency is immense creatures with at least some reptillian traits of considerable power and cunning.
The world set of Xenogears showcases that gears were developed further since the crash to contend with immense monsters.
That all said, I feel the mixes Kate has posted up here on OCR, this one especially, showcase Kate's genre mastery. I'd love to see her branch out a little bit, but I definitely will keep coming back for what it is that she "does."

- LazarCotoron on June 27, 2010
Is Aveh a dragon in the game? I thought Aveh was just a nation. I ask this because the lyrics of Kate's song talk about this.

- a_d on June 27, 2010
Fantastic! The quality of our female remixers and their singing is raised once again.

- MechaFone on June 27, 2010
Really great piece. Instantly reminded me of Mitsuda's Creid -- one of my favorite collections -- with which this would absolutely fit right in.

- Nebula on June 26, 2010
The violin in this is to die for, and the vocals aren't far behind. Amazing piece, kate, absolutely stunning.

- Melbu Frahma on June 26, 2010
DrumUltimA;691401 wrote: Woah, Kate, is that you playing violin!? Wow, it wasn't enough that you can sing your face off-- you play like a million bucks too!

Great work, and congrats on the Yasunori Mitsuda kudos. That's really awesome :D


Thanks! Yes the violin is actually my first and formost instrument! I only started singing and playing the others instruments as a teen ^_^

- katethegreat19 on June 26, 2010