ReMix:Final Fantasy VIII "Time Will Compress" 5:27

Final Fantasy turned 36 this week, so we're celebrating the franchise with a fresh mixflood of our latest community album, Final Fantasy VIII: SeeDs of Pandora! We've had a nice clip of time-themed pieces lately, so we had to fit in one last nod to the trend with ZackParrish's contemplative and cinematic version of "Compression of Time"! Album co-director Darkflamewolf is a very experienced FF8 player, so they resonated with this from a nostalgic lens:

""Compression of Time" has always been a deep, heavy track with a lot of cinematic weight and potential behind it. I'm so glad we got not just one but two remixes regarding this fantastic piece! The slow build-up to a subdued, but still no less bombastic emotional center gives me chills and I can't help but feel amazingly connected to the events of this game when listening - these memories it evokes make it my favorite.

This one continues to build on itself and expands its scope of cinematic greatness as you listen. There are many deep, heavy tracks on this album, but this is truly one that feels like it has emotional weight attached to it too. The heroes are at their lowest point and things are looking bad for them, but there is still hope in the darkness they can latch onto and just believe in the power of love and friendship! (to quote Selphie)."

Fellow album co-director Jorito was very familiar with this theme as well (keep an eye out for that one soooon!):

"I was quite actively involved on Sirenstar's take on "Compression of Time" that's also on the album, so I'm pretty much used to that faster-paced version. Yet I dig how Zack slowed it down, made it very cinematic and brought out the tension and dark, mysterious undertones that were always buried in the source. It does a good job at both honoring the source but also telling a musical story through the way the track builds and develops. Overall, it just has a very satisfying structure that slowly builds up to a quite dramatic climax before slowly fading out in the nothingness that's left behind after time got compressed. A good complement to the other version of "Compression of Time" on the album, each with their own fresh spin on the source."

I'm a sucker for tracks with darker atmospheres, and the rise in energy at 1:34 is a great segment before sounding more pensive at 2:05, not to mention the strings at 4:06. Whether it's the strings, piano, brass, bells, or vox, Zack employed loads of great elements used with care and precision to take you on a journey. If he hasn't already, Zack should dive more into film scoring! What do you think?