ReMix:SaGa Frontier 2 "Shimmering" 3:33

By OceansAndrew

Arranging the music of one song...

"Rosenkranz"

Primary Game: SaGa Frontier 2 (Square , 1999, PS1), music by Masashi Hamauzu

Posted 2012-01-25, evaluated by the judges panel


More Unsung Heroes, this time an upbeat synth pop SaGa Frontier 2 mix from OA, who writes:

"I've always liked this source track, with its super simple pastoral melody, and it's always evoked a sun and sky vibe to me, and I tried to expand on that, but make it a little bit more danceable. Some kind of subtle new experiments on this one for me, one being a more prominent acoustic guitar lead that trades off with the synth, and then an OA-only choir. I've heard people say that a musician's output reflects their personality, and I think at least in this case, this song was a pretty good indicator of how I was feeling, mid-2009. :-)"

Assistant Director Deia says:

"The best way I can describe this song is uplifting. The main synth melody is so happy, it's hard not to feel better after listening to this track. Andrew managed to put a strong soundscape together that keeps everything very light but still full. The track is slowed down a bit from the original, but it still keeps the energy very strong, and I think even adds to it. Nice work, Aibou! <3"

And, since this was actually reviewed by the judges, Mr. Big Giant Circles chimed in with the following:

"Is it a contradiction to experience warm fuzzies and chills at the same time? Is that like dividing by zero? Because it just happened. Anyway, loved the mix. The only thing I might have done differently if I were Andrew would have been to change up the lead synth at least once. But on the other hand, that type of clean, creamy lead synth is one of my favorite lead timbres. So I really didn't mind."

Neither did I. Now that I'm done mass-quoting everyone, I'll throw my two cents in: comfy, approachable, upbeat stuff from MISTAH DIRECTAH; I like the synth bass used, which struck me as unique when combined with the acoustic guitar, and the whole thing has a poppy, anime instrumental vibe that's pleasant and almost requires effort NOT to enjoy. The variety of plucked textures compliment the monoglide sine lead well, and the overall arrangement feels happy, innocent, and carefree.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 11 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Venom Fighter X
on 2016-02-10 10:43:50

Saga Frontier 2 is one of favorite OSTs of all time.

Great job, that melody is amazing and you did it justice. I really like how you added some variation to the melody later on.

The guitar sounded a little off to me. It sound like you are playing a nylon string, but it could be a vst...anyway

Everything note in the guitar line was played close to the same volume and sounded down picked (I do hear the tiny accents in there but I think the execution just hid the dynamic variation a bit). This created a very flat guitar sound imo.

Maybe try adding some vibrator on the slide up or the sustained 'A'

I still really enjoyed everything :)

I hope I don't seem rude, just want to give some feedback.

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Black_Doom
on 2015-12-04 01:30:03

Very cute and uplifting work 3 The lead synth is clearly hard not enjoy and the whole song is really remeniscent of some outro from some anime, like djp said. It just puts a big smile on my face whenever I listen to it :) Good job, Mr. Lures!

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Crulex
on 2013-04-25 09:56:43

So DJP said anime outro feeling, and after hearing this one, I would have to agree with that. Peppy and lively, with a nice, light beat underneath the the melody. OA does a fantastic job with these kinds of upbeat ReMixes and you just feel warm after listen to ReMixes like this one. Awesome.

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OA
on 2012-08-07 17:46:08

also, reaaaaaly disappointed that Dave didn't quote Mattias's vote in the writeup. XD

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OA
on 2012-07-09 14:06:11
Deia's vocals (?).

my vocals :-)

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Bahamut
on 2012-07-04 17:52:51

This is a nice light/quaint upbeat song that is nice to listen to in the background while doing other things. Andrew did a nice job here in keeping it focused throughout with the usage of a soft synths, acoustic guitar, softer drum kit, strings, Deia's vocals (?) , and piano.

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Rexy
on 2012-01-29 17:23:41

You know, I had no idea that this went by the judges first. :razz: But hey, it's one track I remember extremely fondly from Unsung Heroes, so I'll go elaborate my thoughts.

Beginning with this Police-like intro with the fast hihats, acoustic guitar and piano accompaniment, it doesn't take long for the melody to become easily recognisable. In regards to source the interpretation is rather straight-forward, but between the additional acoustic guitar writing work and the adaptation to what was basically a peaceful piano-driven source material while still retaining its beauty, I can say there's been a lot done that really managed to show its character.

The package managed to come off similarly beautiful with some strong drum writing, attention paid towards the backing elements' emphasizing and the tones when applied. I'm amongst the people that especially LOVE that lead synth; it's got this delicate tone to it while still being expressed enough to fit with the upbeat soundscape, and it similarly reminds me of the time when I liked using these mellow synths in earlier works as well (though to be fair they mostly came out sounding like basic sine waves :razz: ); I'm glad to know the technique works extremely well for textures like this, and with OA's growth over the years it shows that his style managed to pay off immensely.

It was great to see the track hit all the right spots on Unsung Heroes, and I really hope he doesn't stop with all the uplifting stuff that I love him best for. Again, a major congratulations for getting it all together and for making those contributions click :D

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WesternZypher
on 2012-01-27 18:57:40

Def getting that peppy, anime outro vibe while the credits roll. Great saccharine shot for these downcast winter days.

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uhhh6677
on 2012-01-25 23:00:18

I liked the intro and the fun and perky lead synth. Kinda was borderline repetitive, but that didn't stop this mix from being cool. Very upbeat, fun, and just overall plain awesome. Very nice mix!

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Chris ~ Amaterasu
on 2012-01-25 20:26:15

I really loved your take on this theme, the guitar and leads were really catchy, great work on this remix!

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djpretzel
on 2012-01-25 19:31:23

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
SaGa Frontier 2 (Square , 1999, PS1)
Music by Masashi Hamauzu
Songs:
"Rosenkranz"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Pop
Mood:
Happy
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Synth
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Fast

File Information


Name:
SaGa_Frontier_2_Shimmering_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,423,079 bytes
MD5:
bd8fb914c98544f4e9c6b1ec8c46dbae
Bitrate:
238Kbps
Duration:
3:33
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