ReMix:Final Fantasy XIII "Transcendent Discovery" 3:00

We could probably all use a good long exhale & introspection session, and as luck would have it RebeccaETripp sends us this meditative new age FF13 mix:

"This is my arrangement of "The Vestige" from FF13. "The Vestige" was the first song in Final Fantasy 13 to really grab my attention. Though I loved many more tracks on that OST, this one really sticks out to me. I think It has a unique magic to it, so I've been planning to do a cover of it for quite some time. The original XIII soundtracks were composed by Masashi Hamauzu.

FF13 is as profound as the others - but you need to read between the lines to see a lot of what's there. For a verbose, dramatic, movie-like game, there's a surprising amount of subtext. I talk about this a lot in my FF mini-series.

This remix was mixed and mastered by Nabeel Ansari. You can find his music here: https://nabeelansari.bandcamp.com."

Look elsewhere for melodic hooks & catchy beats; relative to even some of Rebecca's more reflective pieces, this is deeply meditative, reminding me of "Macalania Shaman" & "A Maiden's Prayer" from back in August. Leaning on an ethereal chorus, harp, & neat, discretely-panned hand drums, this has a similar floating feeling & a drone element that explicitly channels Eastern vibes. Liontamer writes:

"Structurally straightforward but transformative enough given the different instrumentation, textures, and original ornamentation throughout."

Rexy had some additional detail/analysis to impart:

"Structure-wise, it does go through one run-through of the source - but the genre adaptation gave the notation a whole other mood. The choral chanting and harp carried most of the source usage, relying on what little apparent melody the original had - and while all this was going on, it allowed for layers of pads and percussion to generate a new accompaniment altogether... The production also has a strong effort - a great sense of balance, lovely textures, and careful use of space to bring out the best of your instruments. The articulations are among your best yet, too - thanks to delicate shaping of vocal envelopes, the attack shaping on the harp, and the brief woodwind usage getting firm care with vibrato and volume shaping...

If it's not evident by now - it's interpretive and calming stuff. It's a more subtractive take on the source with a beautiful presentation suitable for de-stressing. Great work, Rebecca!"

What she said; at just over three minutes, this sets a mood and doesn't really deviate, preferring to explore the interior space and, well, "transcend" all other concerns, per the title. Nabeel's assistance on production gives this an extra sheen, and I liked the intermittent percussion & simultaneous sense of grand, cosmic space + personal, inner journey. Relax and enjoy!