ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword "Sword of Storms" 5:20

Newcomer & renaissance man MrHassanSan (Hassan DuRant) has written for both Science AND Original Sound Version, two of my favorite realms, in addition to composing for games, and here pens a bright, energetic, & suspenseful symphonic march arrangement of Skyward Sword & Ocarina of Time, with some shifty time signatures and good handoffs between brass, winds, & strings:

"I've been lurking on the site for a few years now. Since I'm about to ride up to MAGFest with an OCR vet, I thought I might try my hand at this. Thank you for your time! I was running in silence one day, having forgot my running earbuds at a friend's place, when two weird things happened: First, my mind began counting my footsteps in 5/4 time. Second, Ocarina of Time's "Song of Storms" got stuck in my head, despite the fact that I've never actually played that game at all.

The piece, a complete orchestral re-working, references and heavily expands on motifs from two themes from the Legend of Zelda: "Song of Storms" (particularly the note-fifth-octave motif) and "Ballad of the Goddess.""

Pretty cool! Mix is a bit low & dry, which exposes certain elements a bit, but the arrangement compensates and does a wonderful & lively job blending the two themes. Liontamer writes:

"I enjoyed the constant "Ballad of the Goddess" variations throughout, and the way you intertwined "Song of Storms" in places was very creative. It does wander at times, but the ride is a fun one."

Most of the best journeys involve at least a little wandering, right? Judges focused on a few production nits but were digging the arrangement; Gario adds:

"All things considered, this track does a great job taking such a short theme and expanding it into such a large orchestral piece. It never really loses touch of what it's arranging, but it rarely covers the source the same way twice. Very impressive arranging in this. My is sues are relati vely nitpicky compared to the amazing arrangement, well humanized instruments and well balanced orchestration."

Competent production and creative arranging usually make for a pretty solid mix, but I think the 5/4 time signature elevates this & makes it more interesting, less obvious, and perhaps a bit more engaging for fans who already knows these melodies - and various permutations of these melodies - quite well. It's also cool to see more Skyward Sword as that entry in the series tends to get less attention (okay, more than Wand of Gamelon, but you get me) than others. An enjoyable & elaborate debut arrangement from Hassan - would love to hear more!