ReMix:Final Fantasy IX "The Fallen Savior" 4:20

Heavy-hitting FF9 hard rock/metal take on "Pandemonium" from Darangen (Michael Boyd), off of Worlds Apart:

"I've enjoyed this theme since its original incarnation in Final Fantasy 2. I was glad to see it come back in Final Fantasy 9, and I enjoyed how Nobuo made it from a somewhat militant marchy sounding theme to an ominous feel. Final Fantasy 9 is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time, and when I saw Fishy had a project going for it AND the Pandemonium theme was still unclaimed, I had to jump on it.

I always felt that Garland had an interesting role, in that he wasn't necessarily a villain, but an anti-hero. He was the savior of his people and, while his methods were destroying Gaia, he was only doing what it took to make sure his people survived. When he died, so did the hope of his people living on, even if Kuja hadn't of destroyed Terra, there would be no one to finish the work Garland had started. Thus the name for this submission, "The Fallen Savior."

As always, I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it!"

Album directory Fishy writes:

"This is a semi-apocalyptic arrangement of a not necessarily overtly rock-able track, something which I've seen before from Darangen on a certain other Final Fantasy album. Really massive guitar tones in places."

Edgy, almost garage/punk production aesthetic, but then you get an oboe lead & strings to contrast... rough, perhaps, but bursting with a natural, unfiltered energy, so i think of this more as... untamed. Palpable writes:

"Oboe lead was actually pretty sweet, I was surprised how much I was digging the weirdness of the contrast. I do feel like the mastering made this a little harsh to listen to, but the mixing felt pretty good to me overall. Instruments are well-separated and clear. A little more mid-low in the drums would have been nice to avoid the hollowed-out effect you get when the overdriven guitars are not in play, but the bass region is covered well. The 1:52 section is also a little messy, and you can hear the compressor clamp down on the volume.

Close call, but I'm leaning YES. It might make sense to e-mail Mike and see if he wants to touch this up."

Mike *did* touch this up a bit based on panel feedback, with the end result being a little tighter without comprimising the velocity & immediacy of the piece. It's hard enough to work orchestral components like oboe, strings, and the closing music box into a rock/metal setting, but when the presiding aesthetic is (intentionally) on the rougher/looser side of things, it's an even more unorthodox recipe. I agree with Palpable; the juxtaposition of timbres, pairing unbridled energy with refined elegance, works surprisingly well. Great stuff; a little wild, but still focused & strong!