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OCR00205 - Final Fantasy VI "Death on the Snowfield"


m68030
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  • 3 weeks later...
But there's this one part in the track that drives me nuts: At around 2'22, the song breaks off from the melody and I swear, it reminds me of a track from Skies of Arcadia everytime!

I can't remember the song's title, or where I heard it, but I want to say it sounds like Ramirez's theme. Anyone who's played this awesome RPG knows what I'm talking about. Maybe you can think of the name of the BGM it reminds you of?

Complete tangent, but this part of the song reminded me of the theme from that old, old kids' television called Are You Afraid of the Dark?, especially right around 2:29. Anyone else think that, or am i just insane?

Reminds me of the video idea I had for this remix (Flash, or whatever). I posted this a long time ago, but it's fallen off the end of the earth, so I'm going to repost it here.

Just wanted to say that, never having played Final Fantasy before, I was still able to visualize this perfectly while listening to the song. Thanks for an immersive experience!

As for the song itself, beautiful. The sound of snow, the vocals and piano, and the drumbeat at the beginning set the mood, while the guitar carried it through flawlessly.

My only (very minor) complaints was the trumpet breaking off awkwardly at 1:37-1:38, and the departure from the melody at 2:22. The latter is simply a matter of taste though (see beginning of this post).

Overall, this is definitely one of my absolute favorite remixes.

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  • 4 weeks later...

What? I can't believe I never reviewed this reMix before; it's my absolute favorite on the site, hands down. I play Deathonthesnowfield whenever I feel dreamy or sad, when I'm writing, when I'm melancholic. I love this song; it is intimate and touches me on some deep-down level.

BEST REMIX EVER.

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  • 2 months later...

Did I miss something? Am I listening to a different remix than everyonee else here?

All I hear is basic, boring acoustic guitar, simplistic piano, and a minimal layer of drums/accompaniment and occasional effects. If anything, this sounds like something you might hear as background music in a movie. I was really hoping for more after reading all the reviews, but this seems very bare. I believe that any feeling of tragedy or sadness comes from the theme itself, not from the interpretation of it in this remix. There are innumerable piano themes that are hauntingly beautiful that I have heard, and this remix simply doesn't compare with them to me. Granted, there are no real technical problems that I can detect, but my bottom line is still this; too simplistic, too shallow, doesn't go anywhere, boring.

Flame me if you want. Ban me if you want. I'm not playing devil's advocate, either, this is my actual opinion.

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Did I miss something? Am I listening to a different remix than everyonee else here?

Flame me if you want. Ban me if you want. I'm not playing devil's advocate, either, this is my actual opinion.

everyone is entitled to their opinion, but have you played FF6? most of the other remixes on this site don't even come close to this remix. i don't know; maybe i just love ff6 so much that i really like this track, but i still think it's one of the best ever.

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Did I miss something? Am I listening to a different remix than everyonee else here?

Flame me if you want. Ban me if you want. I'm not playing devil's advocate, either, this is my actual opinion.

everyone is entitled to their opinion, but have you played FF6? most of the other remixes on this site don't even come close to this remix. i don't know; maybe i just love ff6 so much that i really like this track, but i still think it's one of the best ever.

Yes, I've played and beaten ff6 countless times. It's my all time favorite RPG.

I strongly disagree with your statement that the other remixes on the site don't even come close to this. In fact, I would go so far as to say this is one of the dumbest things I've yet read here. Spekkosaurus' Trial in Concert remix far surpasses this remix in all technical aspects. This is an undisputable point, as any thinking person should easily be able to hear the differences in complexity. From a listener's standpoint, I also find the Trial in Concert far more enjoyable to listen to. Changing dynamics and full use of the piano, along with an arrangement style similar to that of Liszt, make it completely interesting.

I could go on to detail other remixes that, in my opinion, are far superior to this one. However, I believe that would be redundant.

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You seem to be judging this on a technical level, whereas the lovers of this mix (myself included) judge it more on an emotional level. AmIEviL has taken an already somewhat moody piece, and made it even more poignant. The changes he made may not be the sort of things that dazzle you with their complexity, but they are valid artistic choices, in order to achieve a certain mood, and in my view are very succesful. You are probably right that the feelings of sadness are already present in the original theme, but arranging in order to bring out and enhance those feelings is just as valid an approach to remixing as introducing something that wasn't there.

If complexity is what you value most in a remix, then you won't find it here. You're perfectly welcome to not like it, if it's not to your taste, but to doubt it's artistic merit strikes me as being a little, well, arrogant.

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You seem to be judging this on a technical level, whereas the lovers of this mix (myself included) judge it more on an emotional level. AmIEviL has taken an already somewhat moody piece, and made it even more poignant. The changes he made may not be the sort of things that dazzle you with their complexity, but they are valid artistic choices, in order to achieve a certain mood, and in my view are very succesful. You are probably right that the feelings of sadness are already present in the original theme, but arranging in order to bring out and enhance those feelings is just as valid an approach to remixing as introducing something that wasn't there.

If complexity is what you value most in a remix, then you won't find it here. You're perfectly welcome to not like it, if it's not to your taste, but to doubt it's artistic merit strikes me as being a little, well, arrogant.

Argh, I was in the middle of writing a response, and it got deleted. So I'll summarize.

I've made it a point to include "I believe" "my opinion" "I think" or similar phrases in my review of this remix SPECIFICALLY to avoid personal attacks such as the one you just made (that I am arrogant). Then again, I did say 'flame me if you will', but you seem like a rather intelligent and reasonable person, and I would prefer if you did not accuse me baselessly.

I think you're misunderstanding my point. I don't doubt the artistic merit of this piece, nor do I judge based on the level of technical complexity. The reason I brought up technicality is because I believe that there are essentially two types of songs out there- songs designed to conjure emotions, and songs that are pleasurable to listen to, to the point where you could ONLY listen to that song doing nothing else and still enjoy it multiple times. The latter is found often in classical music and jazz, while the former is often found in soundtracks of movies and video games. In an attempt to determine which category this remix fell under, I eliminated the category of technicality first, as it is NOT technically complex. This brings me to my next point.

It seems as though how much one enjoys this piece is directly related to how attached one is emotionall to Final Fantasy 6. I said it was my favorite RPG, but it doesn't mean I have any emotional attachment to it. The fact of the matter is, the characters and the story were interesting, but they certainly didn't change me in any way or invoke any feelings of pity, hatred, sorrow, etc. On the other hand, the manga Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is my most prized material possession, and perhaps one of a handful of defining factors in my life. Thus, the soundtrack to the Nausicaa anime is my favorite music solely because of the vast wealth of emotions it can create for me.

In short, I think AmIEvil depended too much on the listener's feelings about FF6 and the tragedy of the original theme in his interpretation. That is why I believe it is not a good remix.

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The first thing I notice is that its an arangment of "Wanderer of Time" from the FF:Pray CD, simply with an oboe like instrument replacing the singing (though Wanderer of Time was Terras theme, so no beef there)

The piece is okay...

I cant really think of any ways to improve it, but it just didnt really make me sit up and go "WOW!" or anything...

But Id still recommend it for anyone looking for a chillout-y piece

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... On the other hand, the manga Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is my most prized material possession, and perhaps one of a handful of defining factors in my life. Thus, the soundtrack to the Nausicaa anime is my favorite music solely because of the vast wealth of emotions it can create for me.

In short, I think AmIEvil depended too much on the listener's feelings about FF6 and the tragedy of the original theme in his interpretation. That is why I believe it is not a good remix.

u are contradicting yourself here. you are saying that you like a soundtrack because of the emotional quality it created for you, and yet you are also saying you don't like AmIEvil's remix because of the emotional quality that he is trying to convey. Because he felt that emotion, he tried to convey it to us; he enhanced the feeling. that was the goal of the remix. if someone had remixed your anime soundtrack because they were moved by it's emotion, as it had done to you, would you not like the result?

it is the same for us and this track.

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You All are severely De-railing this review.

(I will listen to this Remix shortly, and post a compliment.)

Edit: This is excellent stuff, tear-invoking phenomenal remix of a great creation of Nobuo Uematsu.. I Love it as much as I love ailsean's version of it.

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I have to say that I love this remix a lot. It's definitely a great relaxer for me after I've had a long day & I put on something mellow to help calm me down from wanting to inflict mass destruction on the masses of heathens of the world. But on a serious note, every time I listen to this piece, I always picture in my mind the three Magiteks walking towards the city. And it brings to mind why I loved this game so much when I first played it then and when I play it now. I think someone came up with an idea to create a Flash for this and I have to agree with them on that idea. But all in all, I do enjoy this remix very much so.

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... On the other hand, the manga Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is my most prized material possession, and perhaps one of a handful of defining factors in my life. Thus, the soundtrack to the Nausicaa anime is my favorite music solely because of the vast wealth of emotions it can create for me.

In short, I think AmIEvil depended too much on the listener's feelings about FF6 and the tragedy of the original theme in his interpretation. That is why I believe it is not a good remix.

u are contradicting yourself here. you are saying that you like a soundtrack because of the emotional quality it created for you, and yet you are also saying you don't like AmIEvil's remix because of the emotional quality that he is trying to convey. Because he felt that emotion, he tried to convey it to us; he enhanced the feeling. that was the goal of the remix. if someone had remixed your anime soundtrack because they were moved by it's emotion, as it had done to you, would you not like the result?

it is the same for us and this track.

Actually, I'm not contradicting myself, because the music I listen to is professional, and sold, while remixes here complete with eachother to be accepted on to the site. If I had to give a review of the artist I listen to, assuming he was competing with other artists to be accepted on to a music site, I'd say the same thing about him.

Therefore, my opinion stays; too much dependance on the listener's emotions here. I don't care about FF6, and from that purely unbiased view, I can say that I find absolutely nothing special about this remix.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Actually, I'm not contradicting myself, because the music I listen to is professional, and sold, while remixes here complete with eachother to be accepted on to the site. If I had to give a review of the artist I listen to, assuming he was competing with other artists to be accepted on to a music site, I'd say the same thing about him.

What, pray tell, is professional music? Good music or music which can be sold (I am pointing at the fact that the word professional indicates that professional music is music made by someone who makes money with it.. as a profession)? Now I am aware that 'good music' is a highly subjective matter, but it definitely need not be the same as music which is sold (the more the better). I find the term good music, however ambiguous, preferable when attempting to discern the quality of music. If, for example, I like a song I made, however crude or simple it may be, I value it above the loads of professional music which I do not like.

Therefore, my opinion stays; too much dependance on the listener's emotions here. I don't care about FF6, and from that purely unbiased view, I can say that I find absolutely nothing special about this remix.

I think that what you mean is that because of the association people have with the game they make the link between the remix and the game and therefore can 'see' more in it. Is this so bad a thing? No. Does it change a person's tastes? No. I think that the emotive association, while perhaps intense, does not somehow befuddle the listener. Perhaps someone may like such a piece a little better compared to similar pieces of music but one can also argue that because of the association with the game a person is more keen (critical) on the atmosphere of the game/the music.

Personally, I like this remix a lot. I haven't played FF6, I do know Terra in Black and I think I prefer this remix. I also listened to the original and I found it to be much less touching than the remix.

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  • 2 months later...
What, pray tell, is professional music? Good music or music which can be sold (I am pointing at the fact that the word professional indicates that professional music is music made by someone who makes money with it.. as a profession)?

Yes. I classify "professional music" as any music that is composed and sold commercially by the artist as their main source of income.

Now I am aware that 'good music' is a highly subjective matter, but it definitely need not be the same as music which is sold (the more the better). I find the term good music, however ambiguous, preferable when attempting to discern the quality of music. If, for example, I like a song I made, however crude or simple it may be, I value it above the loads of professional music which I do not like.

Yes, it is subjective. Most professional music is bad. Most remixes are good.

I think that what you mean is that because of the association people have with the game they make the link between the remix and the game and therefore can 'see' more in it. Is this so bad a thing? No. Does it change a person's tastes? No. I think that the emotive association, while perhaps intense, does not somehow befuddle the listener. Perhaps someone may like such a piece a little better compared to similar pieces of music but one can also argue that because of the association with the game a person is more keen (critical) on the atmosphere of the game/the music.

Yes, that is what I meant. It's not a bad thing, no. For instance, "Terra in Black" or "TerraTripMachine" are two excellent remixes of the same theme, but they are both technically superior to this one. This is simply a minimal, soft rearrangement. The problem here is that OCR has limited space and bandwidth. Every remix that gets accepted had better be good, since they're going to eat up more space and bandwidth, and that's why the judges are so strict. If those two factors were not an issue here, I wouldn't mind this remix so much.

Think of it this way. If someone took the Mystic Quest battle theme, replaced the lead with a soft acoustic guitar, took out the accompaniment, added some simple drums in the background, and threw in a couple ambient pads in the background, would it get accepted? I don't think so. Yet THIS did, solely because the /original/ was good and people remember FF6 and the Terra theme more fondly. I find that upsetting, and unfair.

Personally, I like this remix a lot. I haven't played FF6, I do know Terra in Black and I think I prefer this remix. I also listened to the original and I found it to be much less touching than the remix.

Fair enough.

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Actually, I'm not contradicting myself, because the music I listen to is professional, and sold, while remixes here complete with eachother to be accepted on to the site. If I had to give a review of the artist I listen to, assuming he was competing with other artists to be accepted on to a music site, I'd say the same thing about him.

Remixes on this site most certanly do not compete with eachother.

Professional music has no comparison to songs on this site because they are driven by profession while we are driven by personal feelings towards a song.

This song managed to capture the feel of a certain scene of Final Fantasy 6 perfectly. Its not the instrumentation or the accompany that people love (although it was quite well done). Its the mood that this song caught. To me, it was quite perfect with the soft piano chords symbolizing falling snow upon battered battle field, fire silently in the distance. Amievil took that narshe scene right out of the game and converted it to music with uncommon precision. That is what people like about this song, not the fact that its a popular Final Fantasy tune.

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Remixes on this site most certanly do not compete with eachother.

Professional music has no comparison to songs on this site because they are driven by profession while we are driven by personal feelings towards a song.

This song managed to capture the feel of a certain scene of Final Fantasy 6 perfectly. Its not the instrumentation or the accompany that people love (although it was quite well done). Its the mood that this song caught. To me, it was quite perfect with the soft piano chords symbolizing falling snow upon battered battle field, fire silently in the distance. Amievil took that narshe scene right out of the game and converted it to music with uncommon precision. That is what people like about this song, not the fact that its a popular Final Fantasy tune.

Uh. Yes, remixes most certainly compete to be accepted. This topic has been discussed before, even by the judges: there were lots of mixes that got accepted early on that were of substantially lower quality (such as the ones recently removed). The volume of submissions was much lighter when those remixes got submitted. As the volume of submissions rose, they had to be judged more harshly. It's tantamount to applying to colleges; if only a handful of people apply, and they pass the minimum requirements, they'll get it. But if 50,000 people apply, only the absolute best will get in. Thus, the remixes indirectly compete with eachother.

Again, if someone took the Mystic Quest battle theme and remixed it in the exact same style as this, would it get accepted? Doubtful. That theme is much less emotional than Terra's theme. Remixes should not be reviewed or judged based on how good the original song is.

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  • 1 month later...

This is possibly my very most favorite songs on this site. If it's not my favorite then it's my second favorite. I just love this song. It's really got feeling in it. I mean, some people might say you only get the feeling if you've played the game. But guess what! when I first heard this song I had never played the game at all. but after I had listened to it a couple hundred times I searched all over my computer for my old SNES games I've got on here, and now I've been playin that game nonstop for the past week. :) It's great!

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • Liontamer changed the title to OCR00205 - Final Fantasy VI "Death on the Snowfield"

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