ReMix:Secret of Evermore "Everstreams Through Evermore" 4:15

Brink-of-Time (David C. Jacobson, Jr.) follows up his FF11 debut from 2020 with this mesmerizing, exploratory cinematic synthwave arrangement of Secret of Evermore:

"I have a ReMix for you that I did for the now-cancelled project Paths Less Travelled 2, with mastering by your own Chimpazilla!

I did a synthwave spin on this normally (to me) more somber/relaxing song. It has probably been the most fun I've had arranging something. I hope you all enjoy!"

After the PLT: Terranigma album hit so hard, I was really excited for the follow-up, but things fizzled a bit due to some of the controversy surrounding composer Jeremy Soule. It is what it is; I don't think honoring & interpreting someone's work has to translate to a tacit endorsement of the morality of every single act they've performed across their adult lifespan, but I also respect that others feel differently. To me, art was always supposed to be connected to the human condition, which is inherently a flawed thing, and I reject any antiseptic requirements that artists whose work I appreciate share all of my values & beliefs, which are continually evolving, at any rate. There are folks who insist that "cancel culture" lurks around every corner & represents an existential threat to liberal democracy, and there are folks who insist it's a complete fabrication and a lazy blanket defense against long-overdue reckoning(s). I think the concept might be overblown, weaponized, & distorted, but I do think it maps to a real-world trajectory of disproportionate moral condemnation & inconsistent reasoning, both of which are Bad Things™. There is often also a disturbing psychology to the mob pile-ons & the righteous glee derived from public condemnations, and I really don't think that represents the best of us. And by "us" I mean humans, just to be clear.

But even if the Evermore album's cancellation was a bummer, at least it resulted in the creation of this wonderful, immersive, liberally-arranged piece of cinematic synthwave - BoT's done a fantastic job transforming the source into something that feels like it would belong on the Oblivion soundtrack. Some judges were iffy on the arrangement being too liberal, but everyone was feeling the production - prophetik music writes:

"the intro is really nice. the filter on it is enough to catch it but not enough to stomp out the character. the bass swell is also well-handled and comes from absolutely nothing. the presentation of everything at 0:39 is really great - i particularly like your unfiltered bass synth. gario's right that there's a backing pitch that's not fitting everything else (seems like a minor sixth right at 0:54). the melody when it comes in is quite loud as well, at least when it's higher in the register. once it drops lower it's more balanced. the drum entrance is great, the soundscape is just very idiomatic."

DragonAvenger adds:

"Yeah, not too much to add here. I agree that this wanders too and from the source, and while it might not pass Larry's standards I'm good for it.

I will say that this is a really nice take on the source that I wouldn't have expected. Lovely use of synths and great adaptions of chords throughout."

Synthwave *tends* to lean towards simplicity, or at least a pared-down construction, so it's important that the foundational components are solid. To me that translates to analog warmth, movement, & character on the leads, pads, basses, etc. - the synths can't be flat, sterile, or anemic, or things fall apart pretty quickly. David got the memo, and the various components here are all imbued with the requisite depth & dimension - superb work. Beyond that, the arrangement itself is a complete reimagining of the original that combines these tasty ingredients for a compelling dish; this is one I'll be coming back to, and a creative & well-executed vision for Soule's orignal. Bravo!