ReMix:Final Fantasy VI "Frozen Light" 4:15

Newcomer Pipko Fanfare makes a dark Final Fantasy VI theme even darker, and we're here for it! She keeps it short and sweet:

"A sort of post-rock or doom metal-ish take on "Another World of Beasts" from Final Fantasy VI by Nobuo Uematsu. Slow, introspective, sludgy, heavy, and moody. I'm really feeling good about this."

Good reason to feel good! For slower ReMixes that aren't melodically transformative, it can be a challenge to fully recognize and appreciate what's been done to personalize things. Judge Gario best expressed how Pipko incorporated several aspects of arrangement to tilt the interpretation factor enough within a melodically close manner:

"Well, this is certainly an approach. This is almost contemplative in its pacing, and the guitar work just sounds... thick and rich. I like the use of register to help distinguish the first second from the second - the tension really does sound elevated from one section to the next.

This is certainly a conservative arrangement, but the instrumentation, tempo change, and small variation in repeating the ending section (repeating 2:54 - 3:24 with double bass and more strained lead guitar), as well as the shift in register from the lead halfway through the arrangement should be considered plenty of individualization from the artist, for OCR's purposes. I can see the argument that the notes are more or less the same, but I think there's a plenty valid argument on the other side that there's more to personalizing an arrangement than changing the notes and chords.

The production is pretty good [...] The arrangement is conservative, but it isn't a cover; it stands on its own when compared to the source, which is what I'm looking for when it comes to OCR standards. I think it'd be a great addition to the site."

I'm digging the dark, deliberate weight of the bells, liked the textural changes at 1:20 & 2:56 for the choruses, and appreciated the backing guitar going meedeley-meedeley-meedeley the first time and then screeeeeeech the second time, during those choruses. Some Js claimed the drums plodded, yet to me, the overall textural complexity amidst the slower tempo meant the drums as written were working very well. From 2:54-3:48, the drum kicks with varying intensities was a very subtle yet nice touch, so the relative drum-writing sophistication was on point for me. Loved the final winddown at 3:48, with the warmest most upfront tone yet for the guitar lead yet and beautiful cymbal work. There were so many low-key yet overt ways the textures were varied up over the course of the piece (if you're paying attention). Nice debut, Pipko; definitely a lot of be proud of here! :-)