ReMix:Final Fantasy XIII "Until Dawn" 4:04

An FF13 mega-collab from mega-collab specialist Jorito (Jorrith Schaap)?

Don't mind if we do... this lush, emotive, pop/orchestral vocal track has a somber vibe, with a glint of hope, and features intimate, spot-on performances from a host of familiar faces. Credits where credits are due:

• Arrangement, production, lyrics: Jorito
• Vocals, lyrics: JoyDreamer
• Oboe: Damian Nguyen
• Clarinet, flute: Gamer of the Winds (Gregory Orosz)
• French horn: JohnStacy
• Guitar: Matheus Manente
• Violin: Ronin Op F
• Mastering: James C. Hoffman

Jorito writes:

"Howdy! This is the first track I ever did for the Materia Collective, and now that they no longer exist, I figured I'd try submitting it to OCR, see if it can find a new home.

Even though Final Fantasy XIII isn't a universally loved game, the music is actually pretty great. I wanted to try my hand at a smaller/more intimate/chamber orchestra arrangement with female vocals of the main theme and see if I could add some extra life, delicacy, and emotion to it. I wasn't really going for something epic (no big drums and angry synths in this one, heh). Couldn't resist adding a sneaky reference to the FFXIII battle music, because that track is so good!

This being an orchestral track, it of course also meant getting performers on board - something that's especially crucial in a smaller ensemble like this, where there's no hiding in epic walls of sound. For the lyrics, Joy and I ended up using both the English version and the (translated) Japanese version of the lyrics for Serah's theme, as we felt they complemented each other nicely. We did make a few small changes to glue them together and fit with the track title.

A big thank you to my regular collaborators Joy, Jay, John, Gregory, Damian, and Matheus for their performances. Always a pleasure to work with them!"

Matheus Manente adds:

"So glad to be a part of this one! Listening to the final product brings tears to my eyes. Great job, Jorito!!!"

Matheus's acoustic guitar adds a lot; as Jorrith writes, this piece has more exposed sections where the tone & timbre of each element is in the spotlight, so even for smaller passages or accompanying parts, the humanization and fidelity that these performances bring is vital. When "till dawn..." hits with the ensuing flourish at 0'54", I got dem goosebumps. I know the lyrics are existing/translated, but for some reason I love the "mocking what we treasure" line - it stood out as unique, to me. Joy's voice, with a speedy vibrato, makes the vocal part a heartfelt, moving experience; outside of technical aspects, I think selling a vocal part involves a certain authenticity, where it seems like you believe/feel what you're saying, and this does that, for me. I also really dig how Gregory's winds are utilized - the light, staccato pattern that enters at 0'33" helps define the momentum of the overall mix. John's horn solo at 1'58" starts in a register where I thought for a second it was a low trumpet or flugelhorn, but then descends enough to reveal more o' that rich, creamy French horn resonance. 2'55" reveals a little room noise and I feel like you can "hear the mic" and its acoustic imprint on the vocal, but it's a passing issue. Another minor nitpick, but the ending fadeout sounds linear & a little abrupt to my ears, as well. Absolutely beautiful piece, overall; I remember playing XIII back in the day and... really not liking the storytelling/writing, such that I quit, but I definitely missed out on some amazing tunes. Many thanks to Jorito & a capable cadre of creatives for giving this source such a passionate, dramatic workover and for bringing the source back to my attention - highly recommended!