prophetik music ⚖️ Posted July 17 Posted July 17 I've been reluctant to submit anything I've worked on for my recent "Reflections" project because most of the music for that has been stripped-down piano arrangements that are fairly conservative and close to the source material in their approach. This particular project for me was much more about visuals and storytelling and nostalgia, and I've found that the more traditional piano cover approach works well for that media. While my rendition of the "Leaflands" theme from Octopath Traveler II is similarly fairly close to its source in the structure, I was happy with some of the arrangement choices I made, and it covers an absolutely beautiful original piece from a soundtrack that has as of yet received little love on OCR. This particular arrangement in the context of my project is meant to convey a feeling of remembering past holiday gatherings and the wistful realization that the family and the world of those times is in many ways lost forever. The original melody has such a feeling of childlike awe and a tinge of longing that for me it worked beautifully as a piano rendition as well. If the arrangement is too close to source for OCR standards I absolutely get it. No harsh feelings for anything that's not up to the standards set for the community. But it's such a beautiful song from a relatively under-represented OST, I figured I would sub just in case it worked out. Either way, enjoy the listen, and thanks!! -Mike Games & Sources The Leaflands Octopath Traveler II Composed by Yasunori Nishiki
prophetik music ⚖️ Posted July 18 Author Posted July 18 opens with some very light piano. the hammer tone of the higher octave of the keys around 0:17 sticks out a bit, but that's a VST limitation more than anything. there's some really nice sequencing in the approach here - starting with the higher octave, moving to left hand block chords, and then by a minute in moving to a more flowing left hand, with more personalization in the right hand - it's a really nice flow. 1:30 adds in some third-hand panned elements which give it a bit of a spacey feel for a bit, a neat addition. 1:42 brings in a new, fuller orchestration that also features constant motion which i think helps convey the feel the remixer was going for. 2:33's focus on the IV-vi movement is really nice and helps emphasize the really nice original elements that make this a nice song. around here though i noticed that most of the right hand had been hammering for over a minute at about the same velocity, and it starts to be a little uncanny valley/machine gun. there's an absolutely delightful transition and key change into 2:58 (genuine smile there, it's great), and we get some noodles that are ultimately a setup for the ending. there's an extremely light doubling in the upper octave for the last line that i wish was a bit louder because i love the idea, and then it's done. i don't think this is too conservative for the site at all! i think there's some real fresh air in this arrangement and approach. really appreciate the couple specific times you really changed it up (like at 2:58), and wouldn't have minded more of that, but what's here is great. YES
Hemophiliac ⚖️ Posted August 7 Posted August 7 (edited) Very emotive performance here. Absolutely fitting in with the rest of the "Reflections" series that you have been doing. This is a nostalgia of positive feelings. There's some interesting decision making here that was unexpected. The first is at 1:01, the chord change here is unexpected but in a good way. Deceptive cadence that extends the phrase out just a little bit more before giving a more stable resolution at 1:04. The second is the direct modulation at 2:58. This was unexpected and unprepared, but handled well. The modulation catches your ear as it signals a new section and gives a contrasting feel. Bold choices like this can be rewarding when handled well, and you absolutely handled it well. Dramatic rubato and syncopation late into the piece really energize and uplift of the climax just before the key change as well. I understand your concern for this being conservative but this does not feel that way to me at all. There's a lot of personalization in the performance and expression that's not present in the original. Not to mention the lack of orchestration around it, this is a piano reduction after all. Great evolution and storytelling over the course of the piece backs up the strong performance. YES Edited August 7 by Hemophiliac
Liontamer ⚖️ Posted August 8 Posted August 8 The piano sound’s in the uncanny valley, though it’s nothing I haven’t heard in something like To the Moon’s music, and the sample articulations are reasonably solid. Not sure why MkVaff hesitated on this one, but thankfully he didn’t overthink himself out of sending this in; it’s a lovely piano take on the source! :-) YES
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