ReMix:Octopath Traveler "By the Flame" 7:51

Our first featured ReMix of Switch RPG Octopath Traveler comes in the form of a warm & cozy jam from Rozovian (Ad G), off of An OverClocked Christmas v.XII:

"So, SD3 is finally out. I don't need to remix a Mana source ever again. But I probably will. But for this year's AOCC, I decided to do something different, so I remixed something from a JRPG with multiple protagonists.

Everything sprung from those stupid hard-panned percussion elements and the bass rhythm. My good old fake shaker from "Beyond Velocity," and a snare from DrumSpillage, bass from Logic's ES2. Also other stuff from Logic's ES2 and Alchemy, vibraphone from Pianoteq, guess what from Superior Drummer, strings from Omnisphere, and a supporting shaker from SampleTank. Because you can never have too many shakers. Now you know. And panning is fun.

But, yeah, bass and hard-panned stuff was the start. Everything else is just my messing with the source on top, then spending an inordinate amount of time trying to make sense of the arrangement, and usually coming up with even more ideas in the process. No wonder I can't keep my tracks short.

But yeah, Octopath. Good game. Single source, for once: "Flamesgrace, Guiding Light" Merry, uh, midsummer?"

Some of the analog warmth on the textures reminds me of synthwave, there's a ballad feel, and then some of the (excellent) percussion comes off more like jazz, so from a genre perspective this is checking at least a few different boxes, in addition to embracing the wintry spirit associated with the AOCC series. Ad uses the 7+ minute runtime to try some unique ideas, and I like the blend of synth & non-synth elements, something he always approaches distinctly. Sir_NutS writes:

"I'm listening to this one at 8:00 AM in a rainy morning, coffee cup in hand, and it's one of those perfect moments. This song is super warm and cozy. The textures are wonderful and fit very well the overall arrangement and soundscape, and the mix is clear but also has a little bit of dirt and saturation that holds things together fairly nice.

This is a very long one, but I found the arrangement kept things interesting and the length didn't bother me, so kudos there. Some interesting switches on tempo happening around 3:30, with the drum sequencing afterward being very detailed. Then we get an excellent break that takes its proper time to build things up again. This is pretty awesome and unique IMO. I'm on board."

6'19" hits me weird, tonally, but only for a second, and overall the vibe is sweet, comfortable, & familiar while still holding your interest and progressing. Ad also seems to have achieved a warmer, more analog production on this particular mix, and it suits the material like a glove. Great to see Octopath represented on OCR, and equally great to see Rozovian weaving some post-SD3 magic!