ReMix:Final Fantasy X "Mountain Prayer" 3:40

Wow... offering something completely different & very transporting, newcomer Jordi Francis sends us this ethnic folk vocal arrangement of FFX that's, well... transcendent. This is absolutely meditation music, Jordi's voice is compelling in its vibrato and Eastern timbre & intonation, and the sparse percussion and what sounds like an erhu form a minimalist atmosphere that makes you feel like you're floating around in the Himalayas. That may sound cheesy as all hell, but when you actually hear the mix, you'll understand. This is something altogether different, and done well, and I love that combination of characteristics more than anything. The artist writes:

"I grew up playing the Final Fantasy games and carried with me an adoration for most things medieval inspired and Asian inspired, especially when it comes to music. I noticed to my surprise that there was only one ReMix of Song of Prayer, and actually very few Final Fantasy X ReMix's on a whole. I only started digital composition for the first time, as opposed to usual acoustic composing, so it's a whole new experience for me. I immediately wanted to arrange this song as it holds a lot of memories of the game for me. Therefore, this particular track is one that I found myself quite reluctant to mess around with hugely. Rather than taking the approach of an attempt at a genre change, I felt I could integrate the theme of Mt. Gagazet, yet another that holds strong memories for me. I preferred the use of 'single' instruments at a time so as not to overpower the atmosphere. To create a feel of the song building up ever so slightly, I used a drone and adlibbed some simple vocal trills to counter the melody."

You should definitely take the time to check out some of Jordi's original work; it didn't surprise me to learn that he's friends with Kate Covington, who actually helped convince him to submit this mix. Thanks Kate! I'm glad we can draw some eyes & ears to Jordi's very unique voice, and I think his approach for this arrangement has resulted in something very contemplative & soulful. I probably rate eleven-out-of-ten on the secular scale, and reject even generalized spirituality if it comes in the form of superstition, but science has proven that meditation is legit and has measurable effects & benefits. To me, this is the kind of music that lets you disappear from yourself for a bit and go... somewhere else. That doesn't require the abandoning of reason so much as self, which I think is a great thing to do once in awhile. Larry writes:

"This is a creative, interpretive, personalized arrangement, with great performances, and the production was strong as well. That's all we're looking for in the grand scheme of things. :-)"

Very singular, memorable debut from Jordi Francis; highly recommended.