Posted 2012-07-16, evaluated by the judges panel


OKAY!!!

We've JUST announced that we're adding copies of FINAL FANTASY 7: VOICES OF THE LIFESTREAM to existing rewards $50 & up on our FF6 KICKSTARTER, making for a total of NINE DISCS of VGM hotness!! So let's celebrate with an FF7 ReMix, right? Newcomer Moomba (Joe Griffith) hooks us up with this really unique, cinematic medley that blends somber orchestral elements with harp, acoustic guitar & a peculiar, love-it-or-hate-it breaking glass percussive element. He writes:

"The origins of this remix are pretty straightforward. Ever since listening to Nekofrog's arrangement of Listen to the Cries of the Planet, 'The Planet Is Dead', the ostinati from the original have been continuously rotating in my mind. Though for some reason chunks of J-E-N-O-V-A kept creeping into it. In fact, large portions of Aerith's Theme also kept injecting themselves into the mental picture I had of the track, but when it came to writing, they didn't really gel too well with the rest of the track, at least not without altering the melody to points at which it no longer even resembled the source material.

When I first got into writing music, it was with a very minimalistic style and I've never quite shed those roots (nor do I want to). Several of the tracks from the FFVII OST are also quite minimalistic in nature, with lots of awesome ostinati and very simple melodies, so I took it upon myself to go about combining a few. I'd actually already written a large portion of the minimalism heard throughout the track for an original piece... in 4/4. It didn't take much modifying to get them to work in 6/8 though.

I owe a fair bit of the final sound of the ReMix to Jeff Ball (some1namedjeff) for giving me the push to actually go back and make the track sound a bit more unique and interesting."

There's a definite film-score vibe going on, not only with the instrumentation but the overall arrangement itself. You can imagine an opening credits sequence, as names slowly appear & disappear, quite easily. While the aesthetic is minimalist, there's still more than a few components, and the deliberate, subtle introduction (or subtraction) of each keeps things interesting. There's a lot to talk about and a lot to admire, but I think for many the salient element is going to be the percussive glassbreak. Because it's a single sample, it does not vary, and thus sounds pretty clearly artificial, in contrast to the overall emphasis on real-world instrumentation. I don't know how many glass-breaking sample libraries out there offer variation in the form of extensive round-robin alternation, but that's certainly what it would take to avoid that particular character & quality. However, to me it CAN come off as more intentional - as in, yes, I'm going to knowingly juxtapose a clearly-sampled percussive element into this soundscape, because I like the contrast... Was that the ReMixer's intent? I don't know. The sample quality on some of the other components suggest that the answer is, "possibly not...," but it's almost a moot point, since I think it CAN work either way. It's going to depend on whether the listener notices, cares, and/or agrees. OA writes:

"I agree that the samples aren't blowing me away, but the arrangement is excellent. I love detailed percussion, and if this was ever performed live, i'd hate to be the guy cleaning up all the broken glass after the show! The blending of melodies is excellent, and the arrangement outshines the somewhat generic sequencing and samples. I wish the ending had been a little more delicate than just ending, but it works for me."

halc echoes this assessment:

"took a while for the arrangement to spread its wings, but once you layered in the Jenova melody, I was all over this. I gotta agree that the samples here aren't gonna blow anyone away (not particularly any more interesting than some of the original samples, just a little higher in quality) but I thought they were tastefully mixed and well sequenced for the most part."

So the judges definitely favored arrangement over production as well. I suppose, if the actual intention on the glass was to strive for a realistic percussive component, I personally would have axed it since it's the one element that's flagrantly sampled, but what this piece shows is a strong, stylized arrangement & a bravery regarding instrumentation. Hopefully both will be better served by improved samples in the future, as I can definitely say that Moomba has my attention as an artist with a distinct approach!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 13 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2013-05-06 14:53:18

I love Listen to the Cries of the Planet and it's perfect for somber, creeping arrangements. The sound effects of breaking glass work nicely here, especially when things pick up about halfway. This is the kind of ReMix that doesn't demand attention with a slap to the face, but it sounds good enough that it really should get the attention it deserves. Not bad.

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DimeTower
on 2012-08-23 00:39:38

This arrangment really does soar above the individual choices for the sounds. Impressive and moving! I loved listening to this and it was an instant download. Great vision and range shown here! Really enjoyable!!

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Anti elytS
on 2012-08-12 22:42:58

I loved the glass sample. I feel it could have had a slightly lower volume rather than being all in your face, but still... effin brilliant choice for percussion. You have inspired me. I have a HUGE cardboard tube waiting outside for me to make some drum samples from it. Expect to hear some crazy percussion from me. Great mix, I'm going to find more of your work.

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Daemos
on 2012-08-01 12:56:08

This is one of those pieces where it is greater than the sum of it's parts. I can hear the source melodies, and individually they are nothing to shout about, but together, they take you away.

This is intriguing enough to actually pull me out of my concentration trance I get into while working, and that's an accomplishment.

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DJLionheart
on 2012-07-27 22:25:15

I like it, especially around 1:52 when the thicker percussion comes in. Nice touch with the shattering glass.

sounds like the answer to "what if Yasunori Mitsuda did FF7?!"

Yeah, like at 2:08 when the bass comes in. It reminded me of the bass licks in Chrono Cross's soundtrack.

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Bahamut
on 2012-07-26 12:32:44

This mix intrigues me with the gentle combination of sounds, at least until the drums kick in about halfway through. The drums bassline disrupt the organic mysterious aspect of the piece. To be honest, I liked the song a lot more without those instruments, it had me curious. Still, the song offers something different from the norm.

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evktalo
on 2012-07-24 04:41:02

Good stuff! Indeed a pretty good arrangement. I enjoyed the instrumentation as well. The mix sounded a little.. constrained. Like the space the music was happening in was a bit too small. I also thought that the ending was a bit abrupt. Like it only built up to a certain level, and then just ended. Regardless, the piece was enjoyable to listen to, and also, importantly, it had unique character to it.

--Eino

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magicbologna
on 2012-07-18 20:18:22

sounds like the answer to "what if Yasunori Mitsuda did FF7?!"

THUMBS UUUUUUP!

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TrueWInd
on 2012-07-18 01:37:50

This is haunting! First time I've ever shivered listening to the opening of an OC Remix, and I mean that as the sincerest of compliments. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but this one really reached out and grabbed me. Great work!

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Chernabogue
on 2012-07-17 06:58:20

Awesome. I love the ethnic feeling. Nice job.

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SJM
on 2012-07-16 20:43:53

Can't get enough 'Listen to the Cries of the Planet' - and I will have to agree: the glass sample is just brilliant ;)

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Mikeaudio
on 2012-07-16 20:32:30

I love the feel of this mix. Very soft and smooth, but is still taking you somewhere. In a way this mix makes me feel like I'm in a small floating boat taking in the sites all over the FFVII planet. Awesome debut!

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djpretzel
on 2012-07-16 19:33:23

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

Sources Arranged (4 Songs)


Primary Game:
Final Fantasy VII (Sony , 1997, PS1)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu
Songs:
"J-E-N-O-V-A"
"Listen to the Cries of the Planet"
"Mako Reactor"
"Those Chosen by the Planet"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Cinematic
Mood:
Dark
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Orchestral,Strings,Woodwinds
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Final_Fantasy_7_Mother_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,798,049 bytes
MD5:
ab16f76b7b5c956e023c3e122e0287cb
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:58

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