ReMix:Final Fantasy VIII "Final Force" 3:51

We're now getting a little more edge with our SeeDs of Pandora culinary tour, as we pivot from big beat EDM to rock/metal & enjoy this high-impact take on "Force Your Way" from Ivan Hakštok, whose candor matches his shreddage:

"I always thought the Black Mages' version of this track sucks, so I decided to make my own version that sucks a little less. I originally had a much longer arrangement in mind but, due to my own laziness and lack of inspiration, I only had two days to record the song, so I scaled it down a bit. I still love how it turned out. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!"

Two days? Wow. In fact, two wows, one for each day. Regardless of who or what sucks, THIS mix is a blast - high octane metal that shreds all over the place PLUS some synths that can actually keep up. Sweet. Album director Darkflamewolf writes about the more conservative approach, coupled with the blast of energy and, well, force:

"One of the greatest strengths of any album is the awesomeness of its boss theme remixes. This one goes hard and it really gives Final Fantasy VIII's boss theme some much needed justice. It doesn't stray too far off the beaten path with its interpretation, but with such a strong melody to begin with, it doesn't really have to."

Fellow director Jorito adds:

"Ivan already signed up for the original album attempt and wanted to keep his claim. The first WIP came in quickly, but then life and writer's block hit and it took until just a few days before the deadline (and lots of checking in from the directors) for things to fall into place and get the track finished in record time. And I'm glad we kept checking in and were able to work something out after all, because it was worth the wait!"

I'll apologize to any & all album directors who I've similarly kept waiting, since I know it can be stressful - we're all in this together, for the music, and busy schedules (and life!) can soundly defeat the best laid plans & the noblest of intentions. Kudos to Ivan for sticking with it and turning in a juggernaut of a track, but also to DFW & Jorito for keeping the faith & the communication. That's it for the FIRST half of our flood, but the (album-level) force is FAR from final, as we've got more in store in the days & weeks ahead! Meanwhile, grab the whole 80-track enchilada, help SeeD the torrent (inevitable!), and please share the news with anyone & everyone!