Hot damn DMO, this is something else! It's obvious from the very start how much work you've put into this. As I'm listening, I'm being reminded of those 'big bad' tunes from RPGs old and new. In particular, I can hear faint similarities to battle themes from Tales Of, Final Fantasy, Baten Kaitos, and the list goes on. Heck, it even reminds me of Pokemon battle themes from time to time. Or even parts of La Mulana. Needless to say, these are some of my favorite RPG series of all time. The cool thing about this entire track though, is that while it is pretty clear that you inspired by other battle themes, you've created something that stands as your own.
Each and every instrument is clearly defined in the mix, with special props on the guitar, keyboard and drums. In terms of composition and instrument choice, I want to start with the choir because it fits like a charm in this piece -- it really emphasizes that 'do or die' feeling that many boss battles have. The guitar in particular is really well implemented, I love those solos (0:54 - whoa)! The heavy bass lines are fantastic, I'm glad you showed some love to the awesomeness that is the bass. The keyboard and piano sections are mind-blowing. Those orchestra chimes, too! Actually, all of the aforementioned instruments working in unison are trademarks of Sakuraba's style, that real heavy progressive style that I really dig.
I feel like I'm kind of rambling, so my apologies for that. But anyway, since I can't arrange my thoughts properly today I'll leave it here. Just an amazing job man. One of your best tracks to date, if not THE best. Bravo! :)
Sorry that it took me a while to get back to you on this one, Neon! Thank you so much for the review, it really means a lot to me! :)
There is definitely a lot of inspiration from the series you've listed out, and I often found myself listening to Sakuraba's work in the process of creating this to understand how he puts things together. I also spent a good amount of time listening to the music of Bravely Default, which has a fantastic soundtrack. There is most certainly influence from the entire list, though. The organ involvement had a lot to do with Baten Kaitos (and some of my favorite classic/prog rock bands), and the claps @2:48 are very close to a certain part of the gen 3 Pokemon Elite Four theme. In general, I've really been enjoying toying around with "battle" themes lately, because they give me a chance to really experiment with fuller ensembles and a variety of themes all within the span of a single song (which seems to be something I really enjoy doing at the moment, I believe it helps me break from creative blocks).
I actually didn't get too crazy with the "progressive" style meter-wise in this one. I think 1:49 is one of my favorite sections I've written in any of the pieces I've uploaded simply because it's the first time I've played around with meter changes. Mostly 7/8, but a shift or two into 4/4, 5/4, and 6/4. Sometimes it's just a really nice feeling to push yourself in an odd direction. It changed the melodic and harmonic content into something I wouldn't normally write.
It's interesting, I really didn't have to work too hard to balance the instruments in this piece. Aside from breaking my old habit of too many voices at once, everything seemed to fall into place rather well. The bass guitar really held up the bottom end of everything, and I tried to "subtract" more sound rather than throw more in. Though it felt a bit counter-intuitive at times, it ended up aiding the piece as a whole in the long run. I agree with you about the bass guitar's underappreciated status, too; my friend picked it up a while ago and has been singing its praises to me on a daily basis. Writing for the bass itself is still something I'm not totally familiar with, but I hope to always show it the love it deserves (and this piece actually started simply as the bass riff in the intro). Panning and general volume balancing kept the song a lot cleaner than usual, which I'm quite glad about. I felt as though I didn't give this one a "proper" mixing session, but perhaps it didn't need too much to work out.
I'm appreciative of rambles, so no worries on that level. I can certainly relate to it, as well. Thank you once again for the kind words and long review! :D
First off, my apologies for not leaving a review on this before now. I recall listening to this a while back and wanting to make a comment about the nice blend of instruments/sounds you've used in this track. Anyway, I like the interplay between all of the instruments -- everything just works really well. Time and again, it's clear that you have a knack for writing catchy hooks, too. The hook does get just a tad repetitive (only by a smidgen), but you break the song down well and as a result, this isn't much an issue. Just a good job all-around, VGM! :)
Just out of curiosity, did you release that other song after?
Such a pretty, full sound! I'm really impressed with this track as it currently stands, Trois. The mix in particular is great -- which tools did you use? Looking forward to hearing more. :)
As for tools.... I just used soundfonts and FL default VSTs -- Fruity Parametric EQ 2, Fruity Reeverb 2... What I did for the piano was sequence two identical piano tracks, except one with a Steinway and one with a Rhodes EP, and then create submix from Rhodes to Steinway, giving the Steinway more influence over the piece -- and then, tried to balance the two. I sometimes wish it were an exact science... ^_^'
Here's that VGM trademark sound again! I've probably said it before, but your tracks have a tendency to both energize and relax at the same time -- it's a very strange phenomenon. For whatever reason this reminds me of something I've heard in an anime.
The melody is quite charming, the percussion is mixed well and your supporting instruments, namely the strings, are all emphasized in the right places (2:34 for instance). The piano has a bit of MIDI sound to it, perhaps a touch of reverb or even delay would edge out its slightly 'tinny' sound. That being said, the MIDI sound of the piano isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it cannot always be helped. When you blend everything together, the strings, piano, synths, and percussion, this track has a slight melancholy feel to it.
Really nice work on this track, VGM. As always, I'm looking forward to hearing more of your music. Keep it up! :)
Bardy! I missed you! xD
Thanks for the review! I tried to put some reverb into the piano but it made them stand too much on the front and I just wanted them to be more on the backside of the track. I also lack of a good piano vst to be honest. Im really glad you like the track tho!
This is such a pretty piece, Calamaistr. The piano. being the emotive instrument that it is, really pulled me into the track. The light percussion rests safely in the mix, just slightly in the background as to not pull too much attention from the piano and woodwinds. Some of the flute notes felt like they trailed just a tad too long in certain places, that being said, what a perfect instrument to play in tandem with the piano.
I can see this in a modern RPG setting, like the 'Tales of' series. Great work man! :)
Funnily listening back to this theres some things that i emediately would wish to 'fix on the mastering here and there, (some things also sound a bit too muffled, i guess thats because in the ost for spaceporthope im working on right now i mastered instruments much clearer) but thanks. Ill leave it as it is. :) oh p.s. i played a few of the tales of games, but i didnt really like them, im more of a final fantasy/suikoden/shadowhearts kind of rpgenjoyer i suppose. -cal.
This is really quite something, sorohanro! It's short, but even sitting at 21 seconds, this loop has a lot of character. I feel as if there could be a grand story here if the track was fleshed out more. I would really like to hear this as a full track. :)
Thanks. Right now I switched to a different type of music, more into live instruments (lots of trumpets and stuff), but it might come a day when I'll get back on this melody and... make it better :D
Well now! That intro is mesmerizing, McCloud. In fact, I wasn't ready for it to be over when the transition comes in at 0:18. The strings really stand clear in the mix and they add emphasis to the solid melodies in the track. Those synths are really the highlight of the track though - hands down. I love how you make it seem like the synths are just gliding about in the song; they really have this 'floating' sound to them, if that makes any sense.
The drums have a bit of a metal feel to them, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Though a lighter, perhaps electronic-based pattern might work well? I'm not entirely sure, I mean they sound good as they are! Again, I loved the intro and I would really like to hear more. :)
Oh you know me, I love my heavy metal and heavy drums. I know I should try to conform to genre expectations more but I can't help myself. :( ... Hahah
Thanks buddy!
Seriously, the way you blend the orchestra with those retro chip sounds make all of these already marvelously crafted melodies by the Yokota-Kondo team a million times better.
x 1,000. x The Universe. x Infinity. <<< The math works out, folks.
Everything from the chip melodies, to the background effects, to the soaring orchestra makes me feel like Mario gliding through the stars. Before we go soaring too far, though, let's talk about the 'groundwork' of the track - the background and the rhythm. I want to talk about the background because, simply put, this is one of those tracks that is amazingly detailed. I'd go as far as saying that this has one of the very best 'behind-the-scenes' detailing that I have heard in a very, VERY long time. Throughout the song, you sprinkle little blips of FX that trip the nostalgia breaker. They fit perfectly, too. Impressive! What's really impressive though? The fact that you made these yourself. If I didn't know you better, I'd call you a no-good, lily-livered truth-bender - but the fact that I know what you can do, well, the audio speaks for itself.
Going back to the orchestra and the 'meat' of the track - it's so expansive! Those Hollywood Strings/Brass sound so enchanting and full, and they really breathe life into the song. The 'bit' leads and synths add to the flavor of the track and the percussion is also very fitting; it hits hard and brings an even greater dynamic sound to the mix. What's more is that this entire arrangement fills you with a fantastic child-like glee, that genuine uplifting feeling, which is awesome! The production value is just over the moon (pun NOT intended) as per usual with your tracks. The general arrangement makes perfect sense, too. Each transition into the next song sits perfectly into the production due to their natural cohesiveness, so to speak.
I feel like I'm just rambling at this point - being tired will do that to you! My only gripe though, and a very small one at that, is that I would have loved to hear more of that wonderful, rich chip sound added to the track. Perhaps more back-and-forth or interplay between the orchestra and these sounds would be cool! Though, the entire medley is amazing as is.
Listening to this was an adventure, Step! Well done. :)
Wow, Neon! Thanks a million for the wonderful review. I read through it like 5 times now already haha.
"Seriously, the way you blend the orchestra with those retro chip sounds make all of these already marvelously crafted melodies by the Yokota-Kondo team a million times better.
x 1,000. x The Universe. x Infinity. <<< The math works out, folks."
Hahaha aw shucks. Let it be said, though: Super Mario Galaxy's melodies are beyond beautiful, both in melody and harmony. While figuring out the melodies and harmonies, all I could think of was "wow, this is the work of a genius".
There are just so many amazing little details, such as how Gusty Garden's melody at 3:43 is different from its earlier repetition at 3:18. Funny story about that, actually - I first didn't realise that 3:43's melody goes down into a minor key, and kept it in the same melody and harmony as 3:18. Then, after listening to the original Gusty Garden theme again, I was like "wait a second, it changes over here", and it set me back like 15 - 20 precious minutes just fixing the melody and the chords of all the twenty-odd different accompanying instruments, despite having only a handful of hours till my deadline. I was both frustrated and amazed at that little detail haha.
"Everything from the chip melodies, to the background effects, to the soaring orchestra makes me feel like Mario gliding through the stars."
That is pretty much the effect I wanted to achieve, so that's awesome to hear.
"I'd go as far as saying that this has one of the very best 'behind-the-scenes' detailing that I have heard in a very, VERY long time. Throughout the song, you sprinkle little blips of FX that trip the nostalgia breaker. They fit perfectly, too. Impressive!"
Super high praise. I'm glad you noticed that! I like putting a lot of detail work in my backgrounds. Hell, I may have nearly went overboard in this track! My addition of chiptune elements gave me so much freedom to add all those little bleeps and sound effects you wouldn't hear in a standard orchestral track.
"What's really impressive though? The fact that you made these yourself. If I didn't know you better, I'd call you a no-good, lily-livered truth-bender - but the fact that I know what you can do, well, the audio speaks for itself."
Haha, I won't lie, they're not too difficult. They just involve manipulation of white noise, and lots and lots of pitch bending / glissandi / very quick arpeggios, played on standard synths. For the Mario sound effects I used this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnSjJUC7z38
And played the notes in that sheet music using synths I made myself with FL Studio's 3xOsc and Sytrus, along with some synths from the free 8-bit plugin Bleep. It only took around half an hour to an hour of work overall, and was relatively simple stuff!
"Those Hollywood Strings/Brass sound so enchanting and full, and they really breathe life into the song."
Yeah, those Hollywood VSTs are a real gem aren't they? Very resource-heavy and hard-to-use, but worth it.
"The 'bit' leads and synths add to the flavor of the track"
That's really what I was hoping for. I had the idea to make a chiptune/orchestra mashup from the start, but I was worried it would sound cheesy, or forced/artificial. I wanted them to sound like they belonged with each other, rather than just two separate styles awkwardly mashed together, if you get what I mean.
"The general arrangement makes perfect sense, too. Each transition into the next song sits perfectly into the production due to their natural cohesiveness, so to speak."
That's great! I agree - there is definitely a natural cohesiveness between Super Mario Galaxy's melodies. A lot of them are a similar BPM, and have nods to each other's melodic phrases. It felt natural combining them together. The only "outsider", so to speak, might be Stardust Road at the start, but I think I gave it a somewhat suitable transition to Into the Galaxy... or at least I hope I did.
"I would have loved to hear more of that wonderful, rich chip sound added to the track."
I can't disagree. If I were to go back in time and remake this track, one of the things I'd do is add more chiptune. I felt like I was exploring new territory by using chiptune sounds, having never used them before, so I was a bit insecure about using them too much, but by the end of the track I think I grew pretty comfortable with them. In fact, I was planning to have this cool little "call-response" thing going on with the orchestra and chiptune at around 3:47, where the chiptune plays, and is responded by the entire orchestra, but alas, I didn't have time for that :(.
"Listening to this was an adventure, Step! Well done. :)"
Thanks for the really encouraging review, man. I'm very happy you enjoyed listening to it ^_^.
I think it goes without question to say that you two have a knack, nay, a real talent for musical versatility. Honestly, you guys represent versatility at its very best – it's impressive! Now, to the song! Within the first moments of the track, I was transported to a classy restaurant where all of the patrons were wearing tuxedos, with elegant drapery and decorations all around. The 'big band' is up on stage belting out these jazzy tunes and here I am enjoying some fine delicacies at a table not too far away from the stage. Uh oh...the music stops, and now I am sitting here at my computer, eating waffles, in cargo pants and a shirt with a panda on it – and not a tux. If only reality could be more like the picture that this track presents! Of course, I'm only kidding, but isn't it great when music does that? When it transports you to another place, even if it's only for a moment? This track does just that.
I really appreciate how you had such a great blend of brass, drums, piano and bass. They all came together quite nicely, though I will touch on a downside on the mix between these afterwards. There were several times where I caught myself snapping my fingers the smooth beat of the track, I guess I just couldn't help it! Again, I have to mention that I had really strong imagery when listening to this song. I keep going back to the restaurant, which is fantastic! The piano work is simply outstanding throughout. I keep going back to that beautiful section at 1:03 to hear it dance along with the others instruments.
I am in no way a jazz connoisseur, or an avid swing listener, so I cannot offer much in the department of composition or even mixing feedback. My apologies for that! I will say though, that the mixing could be touched up a bit, to say the least. Sometimes the instruments, such as the brass (the trumpet in particular) sounded 'fuzzy'. Also, the brass really overshadowed the bass, and even the percussion at times. I feel that if you lowered the velocity or the volume level on some of those hard-hitting brass notes, the other instruments would be able to shine more! All that being said, there are portions where I feel this wasn't an issue at all (such as at 1:03).
That whole business with your computer being cranky really sucks. You two pulled through and presented a smooth track all the same though. Congrats on such a graceful performance in the competition! Well done! :)
Hey there, my name's Brandon. I'm a composer, producer, and audio engineer. If you happen to like anything I have made, or have any questions about using my music in a project, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. I hope you have a good day!
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