ReMix:Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals "Of Sinistrals and Men" 3:08

By mp

Arranging the music of one song...

"The Prophet"

Primary Game: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Natsume , 1995, SNES), music by Yasunori Shiono

Posted 2001-05-01, evaluated by djpretzel


Pollard actually put this together around the time when I released *ahem* my own Lufia 2 ReMix of the same track, and yes it's taken this long for it to surface. It's all good, though, because his interpretation - dramatic, more minor-key, and led by a double reed instrument - is very different from my own and shows well the flexibility a single track can provide. This is another cross-genre track, in my opinion, mixing straight orchestral with some techno / electro elements for a nice hybrid sound. Very dense layering going on, with an echoed harp, synth pads, overdriven guitar power chords, rock and electro drums, a pulsing quarter-note synth bass, and the afforementioned lead oboe-ish sound. I say oboe-ish because often, depending on the quality of the samples, an oboe can sound very similar to an english horn (or even the high end of a bassoon). But I'd wager that this is an oboe. My one gripe is that I would have put a bit more of a reverb wash on the oboe sample to mask the questionable vibrato trail - but that's the sound, not Pollard. A virtually infallible, dynamic ReMix you *must* download. Excellent.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 13 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Rexy
on 2012-02-12 15:43:00

Oooh, The Prophet. Been quite familiar with this source due to Darangen's attempts to arrange it, and I sensed it as good remixing material :)

So in terms of melodic notation, it's definitely seen as a much darker take on the theme, and can be seen as a manipulative take even for something going as far back as 2001. It would take some thinking to get around the source, but the attention towards what works with the original writing and the manipulation of the melody is what makes this work.

To be fair I'm not really sure what direction it was trying to emphasize; due to the synth bass one might've expected some downbeat tempo, though the acoustic drum sounds would imply something more alternative in sound. I'm not minding the outdated sounds at all, however; they've been processed well, emphasized as much as they could, though two criticisms seem to arise from it: maybe less general master reverb to prevent any mud, and perhaps a little more velocity/volume envelope work might've worked to give the sounds some more depth and humanisation; but considering that the track itself is 10 years old I think for its time the production quality doesn't feel all that glaring to me.

All in all, a very pleasant classic to listen to. It may take some listeners some time to understand Matt's direction and source identification, but once you overlook them this would make some good light listening :)

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Bahamut
on 2009-10-31 04:03:50

Luuuuuuuufia!

I think the near constant pacing hurts this song - it gives the impression of plodding along, but the source is used in a weighty way. Samples sound outdated too, but the in-congruence of the source and its usage hurts it a lot more.

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justinj212
on 2009-01-20 22:11:13

liked the harp synths, especially at the beginning. the drums were a good touch, kind of reverberated and gave it that extra umph. liked the melody and how it developed towards the end. good work!

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DragonAvenger
on 2008-11-12 20:32:55

Pretty good combination of orchestral elements and techno feel. The melody worked out in the oboe/english horn works very well with the background, and the contrast with the techno really brings out the best in both areas.

Ending is a bit ubrupt, just a few more seconds would have made a difference. Overall a good track to keep.

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OA
on 2007-07-03 13:09:21

The more Lufia music the better, says I. There are a few production issues I have with this; I think the acoustic kick could be snappier, and something seems missing in tone of the guitar, maybe kick up the high end a little.

The arrangement itself is very well thought out, however. The buildups are great and there is a distinct power to the procession, but the ending is way abrupt. I'm cool with a fadeout with just the harp; I think it works for this, but it happens too suddenly.

Overall pretty sweet, and it's always good to hear music from the Lufia series.

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Cheska
on 2007-05-28 20:55:16

Ive still longed for Midi's that bring back the emotions we all felt when we saw Maxim, Selene, Arte and Guy face off against the

Sinistrals, The song that played during the aftermath, that theme of sadness that gave us all goosebumps and pray for something to save our favorite (Or at least mine) Snes couple during their moment of need, This song Of Sinistrals And Men brings back all those feelings and memories of one of the greatest Snes rpgs or all times, I wish to give thanks to the Re-mixer for allowing us all to relive those moments if only for a moment, Kudos...

Great Job I do hope to hear more of your remixes.

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avaris
on 2006-12-23 13:06:09

Sweetness I'm a huge fan of the Lufia games. This is def one of the best source tunes from the series. It always set the mood whenever it came in during the game.

This mix def makes use of the melody, the backing (what sounds like a processed harp?) is def a nice touch. Overall I wish there were some parts with some more saw likes synths to heighten the mood. Overall this is def enjoyable, well written and thought out.

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isthan
on 2006-06-21 16:01:15

This remix is very nostalgic to me. It always reminds reading Firesea from Death Gate Cycle... really fits to the mood of that book. With all the dark atmosphere and death...

And guess what? I've never played Lufia, but this remix and a few other encouraged me to find out more about that game. I would try it tomorrow if it wouldn't be Midsummer Festival here.

//wait a minute... how come this remix doesn't have more comments? it really deserves more... people! download this remix! it's definetly worth it.

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uneek
on 2004-09-19 14:11:27

Highly recommended.

Very astute usage of the electric guitar.

Song does end kind of abruptly - starts off subdued and becomes progressively more stirring throughout it's course. Around 2:20 it starts to take off... and then falls off a cliff. I would have liked to see a little more.

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HershDawg
on 2004-07-03 22:06:37

Thats diffently an english horn. I know the tone because i play a real one. My model is a Fox 500.

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VuTheCat
on 2003-05-09 15:54:23

I can't believe this mix hasn't gotten enough attention. It is simply one of the best techno/orchestral remixes on this site. Download, listen, and get lost in the melodies.

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mDuo13
on 2002-07-28 15:19:37

AWESOME!!!!! Orchestral techno at its best! The percussion reminds me of CotMM with its static effects, and the harp and strings are awesome. Gotta love the interludes with the electric guitar (?), too. Best of Matt Pollard's mixes, not too short, but certainly not boring. GET IT GET IT GET IT!!!!!

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orkybash
on 2002-06-05 21:45:05

Lufia II 'Of Sinistrals and Men'

As I've stated before, I'm a sucker for orchestral/techno combos, even though they can be hard to pull off. This particular remix does it very well. Aside from an intro that comes of as being pretty overblown and a fade-out ending, every element here has it's place and is executed well. Recommended.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Natsume , 1995, SNES)
Music by Yasunori Shiono
Songs:
"The Prophet"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Cinematic
Mood:
Suspenseful
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar,Harp,Oboe,Orchestral,Synth
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Lufia_2_Of_Sinistrals_and_Men_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,600,142 bytes
MD5:
fe099533298fa7102394334f2d42c963
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:08

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