ReMix:Final Fantasy VI "Ghetto Palm" 5:16

By Radiowar

Arranging the music of one song...

"Blackjack"

Primary Game: Final Fantasy VI (Square , 1994, SNES), music by Nobuo Uematsu

Posted 2013-10-30, evaluated by the judges panel


First off, as you've hopefully already seen, we've JUST released our FIRST commercial album, For Everlasting Peace: 25 Years of Mega Man!! $9.99 digital download on CD Baby & iTunes - please lend us your support & consider buying it!!

Alex (Radiowar) has an awesome track on there, plus my own arrangement that I had originally planned for inclusion on Maverick Rising finally sees the light of day as a collab with Diggi Dis, and he knocked it out of the park! Plus Sixto, plus halc, plus Joshua Morse, plus DarkeSword... the list goes on, and we really need your support & also appreciate ratings & reviews on the iTunes store!

But back to Alex; he sent in this dreamy, downbeat synth-pop FF6 arrangement with the following note:

"This was my entry for zircon's FF6 contest from last month. Did not seem to make much of an impression on people, buuut I still like it! Inspired by the opening credits from Drive."

It's funny, because the track of Alex's that DID end up on Balance and Ruin ("Stone Drum") was one that took a few listens for me to really get into. My initial reaction was lukewarm, I'll confess, but by the third listen I was completely sold, and the whole thing finally clicked for me. This arrangement is more intuitive & accessible right from the get-go; perhaps not as deep, but a very pleasant, transcending vibe that actually reminds me of Leitbur's two vocal tracks from B&R - go figure! I love Emunator's judge comments:

"I've gotta say, I like what you've done here. This is a very restrained, additive mix that doesn't grab you right away and evolves at a very slow pace. However, I find it engaging all the same because of how your melodies morph and change up along with the dynamic curve of the song... it's the little change-ups that count here. Overall I'm really feeling the tact that you put into arranging this theme into an unexpected and unconventional style. It doesn't really need to have any flashy transitions or massive breakdowns, it just works. "

In all my years, I've never heard a judge refer to the "tact" someone put into an arrangement... and yet it totally makes sense. While other judges expressed a relative preference for Radiowar's more traditional approach, everyone pretty much agreed that he did a good job with the style he was shooting for. Compositionally it's a bit minimalist, but things do evolve, and most importantly I think the artist captures a very unhinged, ethereal aesthetic effectively. This is music to disappear into, to clear your mind and let your thoughts flow, or - as the artist's stated inspiration in itself suggests - play on a long car trip, preferably at night. Transporting, shimmering work from Radiowar!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 11 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Polo
on 2018-01-13 17:13:41

What really gets me is 2:15+. This is where the mix takes a somber, soul-searching turn. It's as if Setzer suddenly became acutely aware of something important deep in his heart. As he stares into the distance, he ponders his life, his choices, what his friend Darill meant to him, and what the future holds. The way the mix fades out as it continues its phrase makes it sound like the airship-bound gambler will fly higher and longer in his search for that meaningful something...

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Black_Doom
on 2014-12-30 01:12:43

While some find this piece similiar to Leitbur stuff, I think this one is much more downbeat and more tense as well. Still, this is quite dreamy too. It has very strong sense of flying. Awesome work.

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metaphist
on 2013-11-05 17:21:15

I've been listening to a lot of this style lately, Com Truise and the like, so this is an absolutely welcome surprise.

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x_loto
on 2013-11-05 02:37:33

This also reminds me of Leitbur. Those were two of my favorite tracks from BR, but the pumping is so harsh it's hard to listen on headphones; I definitely agree about the compression. Still very nice! Lovin the groove.

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Mythezza
on 2013-11-02 18:24:41

I really dig this and its synthy vibe. Not what I usually go for, but really, really cool, man.

PS. Stone Drum is my favorite track off BR.

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WesternZypher
on 2013-11-01 13:48:41

Nice...sort of reminds me of Kavinsky

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Crulex
on 2013-10-31 11:30:19

Slick downbeat we have here. Yeah, this has some smooth, dreamy synth and bass work I can really get behind. While I also agree a bit with OA and kinda wish the compression wasn't quite so high, I can see the effect of it on the arrangement and I dig the idea quite a lot. Just a small puddle of an issue compared to the ocean that is this wonderful ReMix to me. Nice work as always, Radiowar.

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evktalo
on 2013-10-31 06:24:27

I really liked the analogue feel to the synths, and the deliberate sparseness, they combine to quite a beautiful effect. Also takes the source to a really cool direction, which I thought was both natural and surprising.

On the downside, I do have to agree with OA about the compression, it didn't sound very nice to me how the bass drum seems to scoop out the rest of the piece almost every time it hits. Well, aesthetically I wouldn't mind that much but on (these) headphones, I actually find it physically a bit uncomfortable.

Despite that, a great refreshing track and I always appreciate a new tune from Radiowar. This is also quite inspiring towards my own music making, makes me want to try a similar approach - and I think it'll be a challenge to make such a restrained arrangement without making it sound empty. Good stuff!

--Eino

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Adventdawn
on 2013-10-30 16:16:00
This be so fly.

Yeah, it also gets Robot Unicorn Attack 2 on my brain for some reason :nicework:

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Liontamer
on 2013-10-30 15:39:34

This be so fly.

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djpretzel
on 2013-10-30 15:31:26

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Final Fantasy VI (Square , 1994, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu
Songs:
"Blackjack"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Downtempo,Pop
Mood:
Mellow
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Final_Fantasy_6_Ghetto_Palm_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
9,998,148 bytes
MD5:
448c0b4bae443d4684150720e0dbee7f
Bitrate:
250Kbps
Duration:
5:16

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