ReMix:Pokémon Diamond Version "Knowing Your Roots" 4:41

Arceace (Ben Clifton) hits us up after four years with a fantastic, stylish, & high-impact chiptune/edm future bass jam on "Eterna Forest," from Pokémon Diamond:

"Certainly been a while since I've submitted anything, but here we are!

Life got pretty busy for me after graduating college, and it's probably been a solid 2+ years since I've really done anything music-related. But it's nice to know that throughout all of that, I can still return to music. Thus the name for this track! (Oh, and I guess it has to do with trees and forests and stuff.)

I chose to start off the arrangement almost entirely with 8-bit sounds, which then build up to more complex instruments and styles later. I like to think it symbolizes how you can take a little 8-bit song from a game like Pokémon and transform it into something new and exciting!
...or perhaps I'm hyper-analyzing, and it's all just a coincidence.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Either way, hope you enjoy!"

First things first, Ben ain't dusty at all, and picks right up where his formidable skills left off, artfully crafting a blend of pop, chip, & even mellower jazz flavors (piano at 1'49" is just plain old beautiful, delicate, & understated) - wonderful work all around. His arrangement gracefully segues from hard-hitting bass/chord hits & sidechained circuit bits to pristine, emotional acoustic piano reflection, and that ain't easy. Judges were unanimous; prophetik music writes:

"ooh, a fun concept on this one. the intro chiptune bits going into the first big swell at 0:22 are really nice, and it builds great to the first drop at 1:00. there's a lot of fun use of space throughout this entire first part, and i really appreciate the contrast between those rhythmic saws and pads, the very simple on-beat drums, and the sustained tones used in the melody at 1:24 onward. the entire breakdown is really nicely paced and stays with the melody just enough to keep it connected to the more vibrant parts."

There was some nitpicking on the clarinet, but I'd rather it be there in this incarnation than not, as it adds that extra little touch of expanded, less-obvious instrumentation to the puzzle. Confident, creative, varied, & absolutely fun - highly recommended, glad to see (& hear) Ben back at it!