ReMix:Final Fantasy "Fierce Fairground Fight" 5:44

This might be my favorite track off the album; blackguitar (Julian Zwoch) totally kills this prog rock/metal arrangement and I'm really glad he took the judges' feedback on production, as the cleaner mixing really lets it shine. Incorporating creepy fairground elements with a catchy-as-all-getout riff that's the foundation for a rhythmically & harmonically compelling roller-coaster ride, this mix couples aggressive, accessible energy with a pretty elaborate structure. Brandon writes:

"I was blown away by blackguitar's OCR debut, "Samus's Lonesome Waltz" from Metroid Prime. So, I tracked him down and luckily he was interested in covering three tracks we needed. "Fierce Fairground Fight" is a truly masterful medley. It includes "Shop," "Floating Castle," and "Menu Screen." His ability to throw in legit metal riffs and leads while keeping smooth transitions and a consistent feel make this another highlight of the album."

I'm really reluctant to even call this a medley since the themes are so naturally & tightly intertwined; I'd feel comfortable pointing to this arrangement as a textbook example of how to integrate multiple themes into a cohesive whole, either way. Julian writes:

"When Brandon asked me to collaborate on his FF1 project, I was happy to help because I fell in love with the series' music nearly twenty years ago. To rework their musical roots means much to me. Since nearly all tracks were taken when I entered the project, I decided to make a medley from 3 remaining pieces that, in my opinion, fit perfectly together (with a little harmonic change here and there). The project goal was to recreate the music in a progressive rock/metal fashion, and a dark mood suited perfectly for me, so I modulated two songs to minor. The evil "Floating Castle" didn't need a change, it sounded genuine metal from the beginning. The funny "Shop" theme sounds like a fairground organ piece to me, thus, I chose that instrument and also named the whole remix "Fierce Fairground Fight." Hope you like it! Big credits go to Sascha Stange @ Razorblade Records. He mixed and mastered this and he did an incredible job. Thank you, man!"

The specific steps taken to combine the source tunes are indeed, as Brandon said, masterful; there are always numerous approaches one could take, but I do think that there's often an optimal path, one that best capitalizes on the strengths of each source and finds a sweet spot. That's this mix, at least for me, and it seems like Emunator agreed:

"Sounds awesome dude, I've always loved the arrangement but now that the mixing is really clicking, it's on a whole another level. Time well spent, in my opinion, this is definitely an album highlight now if it wasn't already one."

Really excellent stuff; while Random Encounter has plenty to offer, this was one of those tracks where I went "DAMN" and shook my head - clearly Brandon's decision to follow up w/ Julian was a fantastic idea, and I'm glad the sequel to his 2010 debut completely fulfills the promise of his initial mix - and then some!