ReMix:Demon's Souls "Abandoned by God" 4:58

By RoeTaKa

cinematic classical organ piano strings woodwinds sad solemn tempo-variable timesig-4-4

Arranging the music of one song...

"Maiden Astraea"

Primary Game: Demon's Souls (SCEI , 2009, PS3), music by Shunsuke Kida

Posted 2015-10-14, evaluated by the judges panel

Soooo good... all of RoeTaKa (Alex Roe)'s work in the Souls franchise has been stellar, making for one of the most memorable pairings of a modern series with a dedicated & talented fan arranger that I've ever seen. Here he takes on the lovely "Maiden Astraea" theme from Demon's Souls with a lush, somber, & cinematic arrangement that builds in both instrumentation & intensity:

""Maiden Astraea" is a very popular song for Souls fans and the character herself is one of the most interesting in the game. The original song has some cool polyrhythms and those are really fun to listen to. Like my last Demon's Souls remix, I took a more cinematic approach and made it like a journey - and a little more emotive! I have no idea why I decided to use a recorder during the build-ups - that sound really got to me for some reason."

Whatever works - I'm not gonna question it, especially when Alex is able to imbue his soundscapes with such tension & drama... even when the samples show their faults, there's an organic, ethereal sheen to everything that maintains the auditory equivalent of suspension of disbelief through sheer... atmosphere. Liontamer writes:

"The arrangement is structurally straightforward but slowed down nicely while presented with a more contemplative feel. The string work serving as an original countermeloody at 3:02 was too stiff, IMO, but otherwise Alex really nailed the cinematic approach. I also would have liked 3:30's section not to initially sound like a retread of 1:26's, but there was more intensity for the latter due to added part-writing, so it wasn't a big deal. The softness of 4:24's close was nicely crafted as well. Alex continues to demonstrate his ability to create emotional arrangements. Nice work!"

My favorite moment was the build & pullback at 2'21" - love the diminishing percussion right after the cut, as lovely & lonely piano takes over and things slowly build back up again. All of Alex's arrangement work in this franchise, while varied in tempo & tone, has a certain aesthetic to it that's appropriate, striking, and unforgettable. This ReMix is no exception, as he takes on one of the standout themes from the first installment and again works his magic to create a very particular & breathtaking environment.

― djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 6 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2018-03-13 01:14:02

This has quite the emotion to it, and I get the sense that this would be something incredible with the right visual picture in mind with how cinematic it was. The amazing build-up in the beginning, the slow-down and the final rebuild to the end made this work so well as an arrangement that makes me think of someone becoming more determined and hopeful while getting towards the top of a mountain or some kind of imagery like that. Anyway, very good ReMix, I'd say.

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nitrozsz
on 2015-12-28 12:22:36

This is an amazing piano performance backed by amazing, melodic synth work. It’s so mysterious, and when the violin kicks in, the mood of the track becomes more somber. Then we have the strings build up to a more hopeful mood to counter the somber violin. This truly is an experience of different feelings being invoked through one track.

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YoshiBlade
on 2015-12-02 22:44:34

The Soul's Series tends to consume everything it comes into contact with time, social lives, emotions and it seems that RoeTaka is not immune from the the intrigue and mystic the Soul's series soundtrack, having remixed quite a few tracks from the various games. With such devotion its no wonder S-tier material, such as this, that is produced when you take a talented Remixer, RoeTaka, and combine it with a great soundtrack and spice it up with the sort of insidious devotion this game can instill us with. I'm not one who raves about the more melodramatic remixes, but Sir....your remixes make me want to praises the Sun all over again!

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timaeus222
on 2015-10-27 19:59:11

This is a mix that basically takes its sweet time on a fairly simple oscillating melody, but to great effect. Well-developed dynamics, and though it has some somewhat stiff lead sequencing, still some good stuff!

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DimeTower
on 2015-10-18 01:34:06

I am now in "Run, Do Not Walk" territory for everything from RoeTaka, a status gained not by nailing one song but consistently providing mixes that truly move the listener. The ability for this song to surge forward and fall back, the beautiful use of background melody and quiet harmonies is truly amazing. 2:22-3:05 are a gorgeous example of how a song can 'lessen' in sound but actually intensify in feel and delivery, allowing the back half to build more strongly than before.

This series and this remixer are well matched like few I have seen. Great stuff here.

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Liontamer
on 2015-10-14 13:41:25

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Demon's Souls (SCEI , 2009, PS3)
Music by Shunsuke Kida
Songs:
"Maiden Astraea"

Tags (10)


Genre:
Cinematic,Classical
Mood:
Sad,Solemn
Instrumentation:
Organ,Piano,Strings,Woodwinds
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature
Time > Tempo: Variable

File Information


Name:
Demon's_Souls_Abandoned_by_God_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,955,497 bytes
MD5:
9fcc7ef823837d100c3b05bf351d54cf
Bitrate:
211Kbps
Duration:
4:58

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