zircon Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 (edited) Preview it: Download it: http://ff6.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Final_Fantasy_VI_-_Balance_and_Ruin.torrent One of my fondest memories as a kid was going to the video store on weekends to rent (yes, rent!) an SNES with one game. The very first time I went, my mom picked out Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Being only about 9 at the time, it was just the right thing to get me into RPGs and the Final Fantasy series. I soon discovered Final Fantasy III, and after taking it home once, I was hooked. It might be hard for anyone to imagine in this modern age of gaming, but each time I rented it I would often have to start from scratch, since people would overwrite my save on the cartridge. But I didn't mind. The game was so captivating that playing the first few hours over and over was worth it. Listening to the original soundtrack and this remix album calls up those nostalgic feelings once more. I've wanted to direct this album since before I even started the 2007 Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream project, but it was not until 2011 that the decision was made to finally do it. We had talked about an FF6 remix project among site staff for some time, and we all agreed that given how legendary the game and soundtrack are, it had to be done right. When I heard that McVaffe was also interested in such an endeavor, I knew it was time to make it happen. Mike was truly one of my biggest inspirations as an aspiring musician and remixer - I remember listening to his huge catalog of arranged and original music and being awed by his technique and range of styles. When we started talking about the album project, it was clear we were on the same page musically, and thus Balance and Ruin was born! The sheer level of musicianship on this project is something I never expected when we first started out. Of course, we had personally invited many talented arrangers at the outset, opening it up to the greater community via two remix contests. But the sum of the project goes far beyond that. Maybe it was the success of the Kickstarter that motivated people, the collaboration which we constantly encouraged between artists, our shared love for the game and original soundtrack, or some combination of these things. Whatever the cause, every single artist gave their absolute best for Balance and Ruin - with the calibre of musicians involved, both established and newcomers, that is saying quite a bit! It's been about ten years since I first joined the OverClocked ReMix community and began my career as a musician. It's where I developed my skills, built a fanbase, met many good friends, colleagues, and even my wife, Jillian. Co-directing this project has been a pleasure, but it's also my way of giving back to this community, and the greater community of game music fans as a whole. I'm very lucky to have had the opportunity to be involved, and to work with some of the most talented musicians I know to produce a project that I believe will set a new standard for video game music arrangements. - Andrew Aversa Coming upon the completion of this project is in many ways for me a surreal experience. A few years ago on a trip to DC, I took some time out from museum hopping and the typical obligatory sightseeing to finally meet up with Dave (djp) and his awesome wife. We played a few fighting games, we all went out to a nice dinner, and as the night ended Dave mentioned “Hey, what do you think about a FF6 project with yourself and Andy (zircon)?” I hadn't been much into game music - or the OverClocked community itself - around that time, but if there was any game I could lend an ear to for a musical project it would be Final Fantasy VI. It's safe to say that FF6 is still widely considered one of the greatest RPGs - and games - of all time. Of course, it feels somewhat quaint and "retro" now, but playing it back when it came out in 1994 was almost a holy experience. The graphics were rich and colorful. The characters were deep and had detailed histories and interwoven storylines. But arguably the most memorable part of the game has always been its gorgeous, sprawling soundtrack. It was the first game soundtrack CD I had purchased at that point, and to this day it remains my favorite soundtrack of all time. And while I already had an interest and appreciation for game music back then, it wasn't till I listened to the music in FF6 that I really started to recognize the unmistakable character of the medium and the genius of this composer specifically - who was somehow able to squeeze these little miracles out of the Super Nintendo hardware. It was this soundtrack that inspired me to actively listen to many other game soundtracks at the time, and ultimately begin cover them, remix them, and eventually create compositions of my own. Suffice it to say, Final Fantasy VI and its music had a huge impact on me back then. So despite knowing that this was going to be a gargantuan project which would likely have a million people working on it and take 15 years or so to complete, There's no collection that I would've been happier working on. Having been part of the OverClocked community since its humble, orange/yellow beginnings, this project was very personal to me in so many ways. In addition to having a deep connection to nearly every note of the source material, the roster of contributing artists was staggering. It included several folks like myself, who have been around and watching the community grow since the late '90's. As well, it included some phenomenally talented younger artists whose talent-to-age ratio is downright scary. And as the drafts and songs started to slowly trickle in over the months, Andy and I would bounce ideas and comments back and forth and it was abundantly clear even early on - this project was going to be something very, very special. So at the end of this journey I'm certainly feeling a bit of relief, but moreover I feel incredibly grateful. Grateful to be included in this amazing compilation, grateful for all the absolutely kickass music that these artists have worked so hard to put together, and that in the process we were all able to help out the site somehow. It was incredible to have been involved with a project featuring music which has been such a huge inspiration to me personally throughout the years. In all, the whole process has been quite the journey, and luckily I've had amazing, uber-talented friends along for the ride. - Mike Vafeas Edited July 1, 2013 by Liontamer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcana Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Huge congratulations to you all. This is a massive win for the community, for the artists and arrangers, and especially for the listener fans of FF6. It's probably not an understatement to claim that the music video remix/arrangement scene wouldn't be as big as it is without FF6 being released in its day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperion5182 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 *joygasms* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxFrost Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Absolutely fantastic of what I've heard so far! So proud to have helped support the kickstarter, and the goal of what OCremix has done to date! Fantastic work! (is listening to a rock opera) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepChild Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 *GASP* The day has come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirby Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 (edited) In regards to the release of this: it's been a long road but we're finally here! Edited October 3, 2013 by Liontamer double post merge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jondy Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Have to wait all day to get home to work now. But now I'll have something to do all my Java homework to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platonist Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 woop! this is going to be epic! but, i do feel a bit sorry for Hyadain. he was on the front page for 3 days. now it's full of releases that no-one will download separately and no one will listen to on youtube. XD Great policy you have there, bro. all facts aside, im very excited for this release Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederic Petitpas Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Dooownnloading !! Looking foward to hearing it all And damnnn a real orchestra, hahah simply awesome .. Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doulifée Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Woaw.. ok need to listen to this while seated in my sofa or my car or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiesty Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Torrent is downloading now. Looking forward to hearing this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverSound Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 I'm just gonna unfold my feelings toward this album... EARGASM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxdyfx Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Was more hyped for this than any other album, did not disappoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitsith2 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Had this downloaded since early in the morning. (Yeah, I guessed the torrent url, and checked to see if it actually existed on the server ahead of release.) The album is very awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Had this downloaded since early in the morning. (Yeah, I guessed the torrent url, and checked to see if it actually existed on the server ahead of release.) The album is very awesome. your h4x. they are l33t. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 So much awesome on this album. Lot to draw inspiration from. Really cool to be involved and humbling to work with some great writers, remixers and musicians. Awesome. XPRTNovice, hats off. Favorite track, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansdown Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 (edited) . Edited September 8, 2023 by swansdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyperion5182 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 The capstone track of this for me was the Opera's Aria. It was the track i was the most concerned for and the one i wanted to hear more than any other. And this thing is packed with top quality sound. I'm honestly crying a bit as i type this because my birthday is tomorrow. And to hear that track is a fulfilled request. One i had made ages ago. It took a long time. But it finally happened...and it is beyond description. I've listened to a bunch and there's just more than i can say. This is just too good for words. My ipod will NEVER be without these songs. Nor my cellphone for that matter. Thank you OCR. A day early but a better birthday gift i never could receive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnappleMan Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 hyperion5182 you're the cutest. I'm so happy that you're so happy. :33333333 I've been following your story arc since the old thread in the announcements forum. Your anticipation and excitement was so addictive that I started anticipating your listening of the album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealthtank Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 My jaw literally dropped when I saw that this album was available and I'm still in awe as I'm downloading it. I want to congratulate and thank all the artists, backers, anyone who contributed to this project. I'm sure you people have poured your hearts and souls into making this and I'm excited to listen your creations. Although I wasn't able to back the project I can at least offer my bandwidth (Gotta keep an eye on my monthly cap) to OC Remix. I think this is going to be the best Canada Day ever! Also, I think Jose did a better trailer for Unbalanced and Ruined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooliobro Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Been listening non-stop since the download completed. Everything has been done with so much care and attention to detail. THANK YOU so much for making this happen. Can't wait for the physical copy to arrive so I can look at it, smell it, take a picture of it, then put it carefully back into the box, and lock it in a fireproof safe that I'll later bury at an undisclosed location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalmonGod Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Thank you so much for this. FF6 is one of the fondest memories of my childhood, and my favorite video game soundtrack ever. It's so great that ocremix is dedicating its biggest project ever to it! I've been anticipating the hell out of this. Can't wait for the physical package to arrive in the mail! This is me today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jondy Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Listening to this album is like being buried alive in kittens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danileigh79 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I'm literally crying right now... This is by far the best album to date Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mega Sackman Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 (edited) This must be the very first time ever i liked a videogame song with vocals. Congrats Jake, Tommy, for such an amazing song. You all really nailed it with this album. It's amazing, and i'm only in the disc 2. Edit: Oh, i don't want to be disrepectful, there are amazing singers around, it's just a particular thing of mine. I say this because i just listened "Till we meet again" and it's superb!! Edited July 2, 2013 by Mega Sackman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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