ReMix:Final Fantasy VIII "Longing for the Horizon" 4:09

We continue our SeeDs of Pandora journey with an intimate, stirring acoustic/folk take on "Blue Fields" from ZackParrish, collaborating with E. Jesús Chic Acevedo (Irish flute), Ian Martyn (Irish whistle, Irish bouzouki), and Kestrelgirl (violin); right from the intro we get wistful, longing winds paired with gentle piano chords and a sustained pad/ambiance that's just ***chef's kiss***, but things only get better from there, as lush strings lead in doubled acoustic guitars; Zack writes:

"Track includes performances by Ian Martyn, KestrelGirl, and Jesús Chic Acevedo. This is my first experience working with Ian and KestrelGirl, and the second time I've worked with Jesús. Those familiar with my arrangements might recall his name from playing the Irish whistle on my arrangement of Terra's theme from FFVI. The man's still got it... though this time he contributed the Irish flute instead, with Ian playing Irish whistle & bouzouki, and KestrelGirl laying it down on violin."

With all the Irish instrumentation, you might have expected a more explicitly Celtic vibe; it's there, but it's subtle, and I think the piece is comfortable coloring outside some of those lines, to its credit. Even a bit bluesy in places (2'05"), the dynamics & interactions between The Strummed, The Bowed, & The Blown are, in a word, gorgeous. Somber, reflective, but then it gets more assertive in the second half; album director Jorito writes:

"Zack has a very cinematic style of composing, and the Irish, Celtic-inspired whistles and the strings this track opens with prove it. And I definitely don't mind, I dig cinematic takes. While the first half is a pretty straightforward cover of the original, in the second half the track really becomes its own thing when the drums kick in. The live instruments add a lot of life to the track; the woodwinds especially stand out to me. And, of course, one has to appreciate all the funny filenames Zack used during the WIP creation process, a thing that was good for a few laughs and normally not something you notice unless you're an album director. A great take on the overworld theme!"

Judge Chimpazilla evaluated; shorthand notes read as follows:

"Lovely piano and winds opening, strings sound natural, beautiful soundscape, nice guitar and deep percussion, well-personalized arrangement, very humaninzed yet tight performances, source sounds like plenty."

Another excellent mix that leans more toward the acoustic but works in some choice cinematic/electronic flavors where appropriate, to great effect. Amazing work from Zach, as always, whose arrangement is elevated by some very heartfelt, emotive performances from Ian, KestrelGirl, and Jesús!