ReMix:Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Houseki "Northern Promise" 2:02

As for the Far Promise flood mixes that I've listened to, and off the top of my head, this is probably my favorite. It has this really cool war torn march to it, something to march home to, something to be proud of. Sure, it's all mostly changed context around a mostly unchanged melody, but I like it because it really shows how even a minor change when implemented diligently can drastically alter the mood of a piece.

So I remember loving this back in 2001/2002, but it hasn't really aged well. Some of the samples are not so great, and the arrangement itself is short. Ah well...'tis good while it lasted!

Cello sounds mechanical by today's standards, but everything else holds its ground reasonably for me.

As far as the musical direction, this hits the target perfectly. A sweeping, emotive portrayal that represents the theme in ways that could never be done in the game. It compliments the melody in such an effective way. It never seems overdone, never seems manipulative. Fantastic execution.

I also really loved the delicate, musicbox ending. The potential emotion of the theme was really milked in this mix, and I'm all for it. Very impressive orchestral arrangement, even today.

Nicely orchestrated. Very pretty. The melody hasn't been changed around much, but the backings are constantly varied, with military snare, strings, music box. Good work.

Very well done. This and the Punk remix are the clear winners of the group. It's way too short though, and needs some extra interpretation, but a beautiful start. 2 minutes well spent.

i love this remix. can anyone recommend others like it?

This really is a beautiful song. I really love that english horn (?) repetition of the main melody; that was when I knew this was a great song. Actually, the cello makes me feel sad at first, but the english horn and the snare cadence make it feel hopeful in a way. Great job on evoking emotions with this one Mr. North. You had my idolization before, but now you've got even more of it!

If I were to criticize one thing, it would be that the cello seems a touch "fuzzy" in the high frequencies...though it's entirely likely that might be from the MP3 compression, I've heard it happen before. Still, pure musicality trumps minor quibbles like that every time, and this has both a beautiful musical quality and great samples throughout.

Final word: Powerful, concise and well put together. Great job.

I am a little surprised that there are not more reviews of this song, so I might as well add my two cents. I really, really enjoyed this piece. Every element was perfect in execution, and it had a very professional feel to it. I want to say that I wish it were longer, but I think it was just long enough. It feels very complete, despite its length. An excellent remix. 94/100.

Probably my favorite Radical Dreamers remix on OCR, the only one that authentically captures the epic feel of the original from the game's opening. Short but very sweet.

Haven't checked out remixes of Chrono Cross' "Another World" yet, which is supposed to be the same melody, but I should soon.

Wow. Haunting, emotive, poignant...uhh, I'm running out of fancy words. Wonderful stuff here, I dig the snare cadence in the background. Only complaint is the length, which isn't too bad as it keeps the song from getting repetitive.

So the intro theme from Chrono Cross originated in a game I've never heard of called Radical Dreamers. Interesting...

I love the overall sound of this piece. The slow and sad strings along with the lonely cello intro add a dimension of hopelessness to whatever situation whatever theoretical character might be in.

The character makes up his mind. And suddenly a militaristic snare line bursts onto the scene, maintaining the solemn character of the piece. The second time through the melody adds to the feeling. The decision is made.

A moderate orchestral push brings life and action to the last time through the melody. The character seems to have made it out of whatever jam he was in.

And in the end, it all winds down to a single, solitary, music-box-like chime.

Nice work Mr. North. You've impressed me yet again. I suppose that means I'm your fan now. Well done.

This IS FarPromise. If it and all other mixes had to be ranked, this would be a close 2nd to the original.

Orchestral? Yes. Good? Better than good. This is an awesome mix! It has wonderful but sadly intermittent marching-style drums in the background, nice slow strings, isn't repetetive at all. The main lead in the beginning sounds something like a mix between a single bagpipe and a violin, but it sounds good either way. This mix is just over two minutes, and it definitely leaves you wanting a lot more. There are some nice subdued trumpets at around 1:14, and the whole thing makes me think of Braveheart... A nice music-box ending, too, though it's not a unique touch...

Radical Dreamers 'Northern Promise'

Mmmm, tasty orchestral goodness here from the great Dale North. Everything here is done great. I especially liked the quiet trumpets used at around 1:14. And I'm not a big fan of trumpets. The music box ending is quite nice also.

Check it out, along with the rest of the Far Promise flood of Apr 21st. Collect the whole set!