ReMix:Seiken Densetsu 3 "The Eternal Heartbeat of Mana" 9:06

This ReMix is an experience...

From Archangel (Jaka Čibej) comes a profoundly beautiful & epic nine minute cinematic journey that gives Seiken Densetsu 3: Songs of Light and Darkness an emotional cluster & catharsis. No compromises, no distractions, just a brilliant, absolutely transporting piece of music. The artist writes:

"This is my eleventh submission. It's one of the project mixes I made for Songs of Light and Darkness.

This arrangement took a lot of time to finish. It's the longest track I've made so far, including my original work. I had to split it into multiple project files, because my PC at the time was too weak to handle all the samples and plugins at once. If I were making this arrangement today, I'd probably take a very different approach to it, but all in all, I'm quite proud of the result.

The original track plays during the game's end credits, when Flammie is shown flying above the world. I followed a similar imagery with this arrangement. The track begins with the end of the final battle. The heroes, standing by the Mana Tree, witness small, but noticeable signs that the world is starting to recover -- flowers springing to life, birdsong, and gentle rain. Realizing that they've succeeded in defeating the evil, they smile at each other, then summon Flammie and take to the air (1:04). In the dead of night, they fly across the landscapes of their world -- over lush jungles, vast plains, insurmountable heights and tranquil seas -- until they finally land in a forest not far from the shore (5:37). The town they are headed to is nearby, and they say goodbye to their flying friend, who spreads her (or is it his?) wings (6:35) and takes off once more. The heroes run towards the shore to catch a final glimpse of Flammie flying off into the distant horizon. They reach a cliff above the sea just as a great wave comes crashing into the rocks (8:05), spraying them with cold drops of sea water. A new dawn rises, and they sit quietly on the shore and enjoy a hard-earned moment of peace.

I hope you enjoy the track!"

The evolution of the sound palette over time, how the drums vary in epicosity for instance, or how chiming piano/bells give way to a Celtic flute melody, or the grand introduction of choral components, or the ebb & flow from mellow/warm to exciting to majestic... pure long-form musical poetry; my hat is off, and it is tipped. Album director Rozovian writes:

"I get teary-eyed when I hear this track because of the journey I've had with this album. Many years spent, many lessons learned, many friends made, many annoyed, many people eagerly awaiting the release of this behemoth of an album, and many hours spent wondering if it'll ever get finished. And now it is.

Speaking of behemoths, this track, more than 9 minutes long, serves as a great ending for the album. Bookends. From his collab with HoboKa opening the album to this little piece, Archangel gets to wrap up the album proper. Few remixers have contributed as much as Archangel to the album, and I'm very glad he not only took this amount of tracks, but also these particular tracks. I can think of no better way to end an album but this. After 5:40, the track changes mood, and goes via somber and sweet into grandiose and epic. I get goosebumps and teary eyes. And then... it only gets more epic."

I get it; this is the type of music that speaks to deep emotional investment, time, and passion, and I can see why Rozovian would have that reaction. It's a moving piece, and in its longer duration it gets you in the feels more than once. Judges evaluated this as a formality; Sir_NutS began his comments like this:

"Just stopping by to drop the easiest vote of my life..."

I don't think he was exagerrating; this is Jaka holding on tight AND letting go, at the same time, and it's a near-blinding wave of brilliant, moving material. SD3 was a monumental undertaking, and it deserved an appropriately epic exit arrangement, but this exceeds those needs, and forms a late-breaking crown on the album's head. Songs of Light and Darkness is defined significantly by Archangel's contributions, as Rozovian notes, and I'm proud that this magnum opus is now featured on OCR. Truly breathtaking.