ReMix:Final Fantasy X "Fayth in You" 4:06

Our first featured solo ReMix from ilp0 (Ilari Nieminen) since 2012 is this fantastic Beatlesque/XTC vintage rock ballad take on "Song of Prayer" from FFX, with a punny title, lush & warm production, exquisitely-mixed Mellotron/lo-fi strings, flutes, & synth, and an overall mellow and slightly sullen/reflective vibe going on:

"This is quite a simple take on the hymn theme that has been playing in my head for some time now. Original material is so short and clear that I did not want to deviate too much from the source melody."

Plenty of bends on the lead melody, and the progression/intonation oscillates from sunny to overcast in a relaxing-but-uncertain fashion. I could easily picture John Lennon or Andy Partridge singing over this, which in either case is huge praise in my book. While I might not call it "simple" per se, it's a relatively straightforward take, but the whole is greather than the sum of its parts, and Ilari has every component mixed in the pocket & contributing to the feel. Larry writes:

"With a title like "Fayth in You," the meaning may be going over my head; for me, the overall tone felt glum and dejected, a takeaway from Ilari's work that I'd not heard before. When I say that, I mean it 100% positively; this was expressive in a way that was full of character. The beats and bass work behind this totally changed the character of the theme, and the overall instrumental change was well done along with some brief original sections to bridge things together. The doubling of the source melody at :15 immediately set that mood up, and I dug the direction Ilari took things in. Just a totally different mood to this arrangement compared with the myriad versions out there of this source tune! Always happy to have ilp0 up on the front page; his work has been nothing but strength and creativity since he arrived. :-)"

I think that's spot-on; the coolest thing about this arrangement is how intuitive & natural it feels and how close the melody sticks, while the overall atmosphere & emotional impact is transformed. Since I listen to a lot of music that sounds more or less like this, it's a familiar aesthetic being applied carefully & effectively to a familiar theme, and since I dig the original melody I love hearing it in these clothes. It's not a concept I would have immediately recognized as particularly feasible, but ilp0 makes it work through craftsmanship & a series of good decisions. Superb, low-key amazing work that's as unexpected as it is rewarding; highly recommended.