Ken Hisuag

For as long as I've been following VGM as a hobby, I have remained intimidated by the Final Fantasy series. Nobuo Uematsu is possibly the second biggest name in the industry (next to Koji Kondo), yet when I initially went hunting for examples of his work, I wasn't initially appreciative of it. With the passing of time, I've come to the conclusion that this first impression had little to do with the quality of compositions themselves, and were more caused by my lack of familiarity with the hardware limitations and arrangement styles of the times; more specifically, I was told to start with FFVI & FFVII, and subsequently lacked some of the background knowledge I should have had. Nonetheless, this initial experience has kept me distant from the series, and it remains one of the most major blind spots in my VGM repertoire. So this month, I'm going to try and remedy that. We start with the very first entry of the series, understandably but retrospectively ambiguously titled Final Fantasy (commonly clarified today as Final Fantasy I). As an NES game, this first soundtrack was composed in early chiptune form (I think it's 8-bit, but that term suffers from its own ambiguity; also it only seems to be three-channel, and I thought NES could handle four-channel?). Each piece features a melody line, harmony line, and base line; while relatively simple, these tracks remain memorable through their imaginative progression and carefully curated tone. I was surprised to realize I recognized the motif of Opening, though I couldn't say where I knew it from. Despite not hearing much about this particular entry in the past, it seems to me that several significant leitmotifs originated from it, making it indispensable context to the evolution of the series' music.

^ I keep record of every feature on this thread, as a way of assisting myself and others in tracking down discoveries. This means I will always do a bit of research into any soundtrack someone else posts, with special attention to track names (Monster Hunter has given us an unusual amount of trouble with this). Eyes of Heaven doesn't seem to have official track names, likely stemming from its lack of an official soundtrack release. I wonder if the composer had names for the tracks, or if she only thought of them by their usage in game as they seem to be labeled here?

It occurred to me recently that I haven't taken opportunity to post original Zunish compositions in a while; thankfully an injustice easily rectified. I'll prioritize some names I don't think I've drawn attention to before (so no Wanwan or Aka Kyuketsuki this time around). Melody Harmonia & Roka Enzaki - House of Hidden Horrors ~ Jumpscare Manor Apparently this album isn't in distribution anymore, which is surprising to me since I considered it one of the best. This track was composed by the two primary people of the project. Zunish doesn't really lend itself to "horror" sound, but I appreciate what they went for here. Ocha & Plazzap - An Okeanid-Sylph's Sky Embodiment The chord identification in the video is an amazing feature; it lends to appreciating the deeper complexity of the piece. It's very jazzy, but maintains the tone and progression of an early stage theme; a bit odd, since this is supposed to be a mid-game boss theme, but the music holds up nonetheless. Benji Tunez - In The Birthplace of A New Deity ~ False Salvation, True Hopes The most recently released track here, and the reason I felt a need to do this feature. Compositions like this remind me of what I love about Touhou music; because it isn't just Touhou, but a unique genre of music that can be experimented with in all sorts of creative ways. I find the loop especially impressive here; it may sound like it starts shortly after the climax ends, but it's actually preceded by a mimicking percussion focused bridge with additional melody (mainly the Eastern Story leitmotif, which features prominently throughout this album). I've favored artist names over circle titles due to a tendency amongst these western musicians to collaborate in a variety of projects, making it more helpful to keep track of them individually. Each of these tracks comes from a different project collectively featuring almost a dozen other talents, and I'd encourage checking out what else they have to offer.

Maiden & Spell; a bit different than your standard curtain-fire, but in a good way imo. Just Shapes & Beats may also apply. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1004770/Maiden_and_Spell/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/531510/Just_Shapes__Beats/ Also Jaz, great music piece there, much appreciated.

Hatagoya Spring - The Venerable Ancient Battlefield ~ Suwa Foughten Field -Sengoku Arr.- Hoping that's a sufficient translation. I firmly believe this piece works best with strong, hard-hitting instrumentation, so my focus was on rock and symphonic metal. Initially I kept finding artists I've already featured, but thankfully before settling for one I came across this gem, which is everything I could have asked for; clear melody, strong consistent progression, and exactly the desired tone. I wish it had a proper ending, though . . . Mitei - Tomorrow Will Be Special, Yesterday Was Not. Period. I've had this one ready for a while, actually; folk in general, and especially this folk, is simply perfect for this piece imo. I've heard plenty of good arrangements for this piece already, so I'm not too concerned about missing out. kyomarron_li - Native Faith I thought for sure I'd settle on a piano solo, but I really appreciated this mid-energy jazz take on the piece. The motifs are adapted well to the style (although it seems the iconic intro/bridge is sacrificed), and it contrasts well with the other parts of this feature. Yomii - Native Faith 2023 ver. Actually, losing that bridge is a bit too much; here's that piano remix to compensate.

I appreciate the speculations, they're fun interactions. I don't want to mislead, though; I play very few of the games I feature soundtracks for, and since my focus is the often the music regardless, I tend to refer to the production as a whole in both contexts. I'm pretty sure the only proper fighting game I've even touched is Touhou 15.5, assuming that even counts; I am a fan of Rivals of Aether, though. I've done two features on Guilty Gear: Guilty Gear XX on 04/14/21 (14/04/21) and Guilty Gear Strive on 04/12/22 (12/04/22). The latter was what I was referring to in the latest post, in addition to the Killer Instinct feature from 07/19/23 (19/07/23). The linking factor was vocal tracks; you can figure out the rest. The month-long series features of late have been an opportunity to force myself into becoming familiar with iconic franchise soundtracks that I just wasn't around to discover when they first came out. It's one thing to look into a single soundtrack, but something else entirely to choose from several related soundtracks that somewhat depend upon familiarity with each other for full appreciation. Last year I did Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, and Pokemon, and thus far this year I've done Kirby; in future I hope to cover Castlevania and Sonic (since I'm only familiar with select entries of those series), as well as Metroid and potentially Fire Emblem. But none of those are the plan for next month. I've mentioned in the past my struggle with SNES soundtracks, and this is especially true for one of the most iconic soundtracks from that era. I'll leave it at that.

Randomly coming across a piece of music from a game I've never heard of has consistently led to some of my most memorable findings. Nonetheless, I was some reluctant to follow up on the piece I found from Melty Blood: Type Lumina, due both to the odd name and my past relatively disappointing experiences with other fighting games (much as I loved specific pieces from Killer Instinct and Guilty Gear, subsequent investigation didn't turn up as much as hoped for). I finally decided to bite the bullet though, and for once I was blown away. Despite the games apparent aesthetic, the music favors a variety of dynamic jazz tunes with creative instrumentation and fair progression, with an overall mood I'd describe as "energetic chill." This doesn't mean the soundtrack is strictly limited to one style though; rock, electronic, and orchestral compositions are scattered through, all maintaining the tone while still being unique. I wasn't able to find much information on the composers for this title, other than the lead composer being someone named Raito; given the cohesiveness of the collection, I wouldn't be surprised to hear he did most of the work himself. This was one of the times I enjoyed a soundtrack so much that I went looking for its distribution. Surprisingly this is one of those situations where the soundtrack never got officially released, and by now it's unlikely to ever be. As an odd consequence, I had a harder time deciding which tracks not to include, given that I wouldn't be able to hear them much going forward without actively looking for them. Hopefully no one minds the larger feature. Next month is another series theme. I'm locked in now, whatever my reservations.

^ I don't usually have anything significant to say about other features, but just this once I want to emphasize how much I appreciated this. Granted I come across quite the variety of things in my searchings, but there's still plenty of soundtracks I'm unlikely to ever encounter normally, specifically with less propagated titles and especially in game genres that I'm less engaged with. I don't imagine I'd ever have heard of Irisu Syndrome on my own, and I really enjoyed it; so thank you!

Counter Point: Is the state of the fandom at any time, past current or future, necessarily concerning? What is the actual impact on you or me if this state of affairs continues or gets "worse?" I've been around a while now, and I've seen many fluctuations in the little "circle" we have here. I don't always appreciate them, but they don't bother me overly much; ultimately, my life is not going to be effected by what's happening here. Touhou is the reason I came here, but it isn't really the reason I'm still here now, and it was never going to be. My "About Me" page is forever invisible (why does this exist I don't understand it's been years), but if y'all could see it you'd see a description of what I believe defined my priorities in regard to my interactions: Bible believer Music enthusiast Amateur meme propagator That's me (although I may not live up to the last one anymore), and whatever happens to Touhou and its fandom isn't going to change that. I get the impression you want something out of the fandom that you don't believe you can get in its current state. What is it?

Ryuichi Kaminogi - The Primal Scene of Japan the Girl Saw Orchestral arrangements are usually focused on consistent atmosphere or building intensity. Rarely do I come across a remix that features internal variance to the degree that this does, much less in such a thematic way. I hope I got the correct artist name; there seems to be other options, so I'm defaulting to the channel name. Kibo - Faith is for the Transient People I deliberated a bit on this one, mainly for contrast with the previous piece. This may lack the intensity I usually look for, but it carries the melody and progression through excellent instrumentation. Also . . . ZUN-artstyle-accurate-3D-rendered-Reimu is too oddly specific to be real and therefore can't hurt you. Meanwhile: Chuck Dietz - Cemetery of Onbashira ~ Grave of Being I was not expecting to settle on a rock remix for this track, but finding such a competent performance that wasn't RichaadEB or YaboiMatoi was to much a novelty to let slide. He's also performing outside, which makes it even more unique.

A few names hold an unofficial honor in indie game music for their work in the emergent times of the industry, back when indie developers were considered more amateur. I got used to seeing Ben Prunty, Austin Wintory, and Laura Shigihara high up on lists of the most important people in the development of indie game music, and I took this as an indication that I ought to seek out their work. My expectations were set by a different stage of the industry, however, and it took me some time to understand what made these soundtracks special apart from other projects. The one that confused me most was Plants vs. Zombies. This is a relatively simple soundtrack, with limited instrumentation, lesser quality VSTs, and little variance in style. On the other hand, the melodies are competently constructed, and the leitmotif usage is excellent. While not [initially] a mobile game, the sound is similar to mobile game projects; few mobile games of similar size would put this much effort into their music, however. I'm left wondering about the significance of this title when it released, and whether it incentivized a greater degree of effort in the wider indie game industry.

Sawawa / Maria - Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's Kappa ~ High Speed Cucumber Given the character, I wanted something techno or otherwise electronic. The original being 3/4 timing may incentivize artists toward more classical-sounding styles (or maybe I was fighting the algorithms), but I eventually found this one, which was exactly what I wanted. nori - Autumnal Waterfall I've searched enough for this piece around Thanksgiving that I didn't expect to find much this time around, but this one pleasantly surprised me. It feels a bit short, but the instrumentation is excellently arranged for the melody; folk really suits this track, doesn't it? Mikkie - Youkai Mountain ~ Mysterious Mountain Expectations were to contrast the previous pieces, and I had to search quite a while to find something satisfactory. I don't personally listen to the original much, but I didn't think it was that unpopular; yet I struggled to find many remixes that weren't from the big circles, and I was determined to use something more obscure. I'm glad I stuck it out.

I don't normally post out-of-schedule here, but given the missed week and future plans, I want to avoid wasting a regular slot on a Fracture Feature, and I'm trying to get these tracks off the to-do list.

Almost forgot (it's been a while, after all); I intended to link this thread for posterity's sake, same way I link some Touhou music threads to Musical Discoveries. I prefer to have things organized and consolidated for ease of reference.

I got sick, and it was bad. Over a week later I still haven't fully recovered, but I should be able to get back to business. Despite knowing that Penny's Big Breakaway was being made by the team behind Sonic Mania, I did not assume Tee Lopes was part of the project until I saw his name on the soundtrack, and I was very excited. He is accompanied by Sean Bialo, whose role seems to have primarily been boss music, but that's purely conjecture on my part based upon the way his pieces sound in comparison. Coinciding with the game's bright and colorful aesthetic, the music is overall light, bouncy, and full of happy energy; even pieces that otherwise differ in tone maintain this spirit in context. Instrumentation varies a bit between zany sounds and more typical electronic rock, but always arranged in strong melodies. The soundtrack is of good length, and I had plenty of options for this feature (I could do a second easily); I've tried to avoid a few end-game tracks that seemed potentially spoiler-inclined, while including some of my personal favorites and favoring the game's primary leitmotif.

For my usual commemoration of Resurrection Day, I've selected the work of John G. Elliot. His style shows a remembrance of the classical style, often utilizing large orchestral arrangements in his songs. His lyrics are adapted directly from Scripture, setting him apart from the majority of CCM artists and further establishing a feel of older times. His album Here I Stand was a staple of my childhood, and has continued to be an encouragement to me till now.

'Nuf said.

Oshio Kuimu - Road of the Mistfortune Deity Touhou 10 is full of great pieces, and it's a joy going through them for these features. This is a methodically paced arrangement, strong in the melody and deliberate in its accompaniment. It's also a bit louder then typical, so maybe adjust your volume before listening. I don't really understand the visuals, but I appreciate the effort put into them. Jerico's Law - Dark Enchantment A remix that puts the "dark" in Dark Side of Fate. This is similarly paced to the previous piece, but has moments of higher energy due to the instrumentation. I know a couple of exceptional arrangements of these pieces, so I'm impressed to have found something comparably unique. Zawapee - Moist Gensokyo Beloved Translation subject to adjustment. Another piece I've heard a lot of great renditions of, but this one stood out for being notably more relaxed while maintaining the tone of the melody.

Finally, I am prepared to feature Undertale Yellow. I'm still haven't fully completed this masterpiece, but I believe I've sufficiently progressed to provide an informed selection of tracks. Most of the music was composed and arranged by team lead MasterSwordRemix and MyNewSoundtrack (very inconvenient titles, but they don't often use their real names so I'm hesitant to favor them myself). A selection of additional tracks were done by NoteBlock and Figburn, with some notable contributions from emBer (other names in the credits had minimal involvement). Stylistically, the music is very faithful to its inspiration; not Undertale only, but also Deltarune, as the release of that game took place mid-development and subsequently influenced the project. Leitmotif usage isn't quite as prevalent, but certainly isn't absent either, especially regarding the "Justice" motif that features in the game over screen. Character motifs are usually introduced early and then expanded upon (although I suspect they were usually composed in reverse order). Energy is balanced well (with one exception that I've noticed so far), and many themes are given variations for changes in setting, which I always appreciate. Normally, when featuring a soundtrack with multiple composers, I try not to only use tracks from one contributor. In this case, however, I'm hard pressed to do so for several reasons. First, some tracks are simply too spoiler associated, however much I may enjoy them. Second, I already featured some tracks back before the game released, and I don't want to reuse them. Finally, the spread is anything but even, and I can't afford to go out of my way to ignore some of the best tracks in the game without severely shortchanging the feature. Maybe I'll come back to this soundtrack at a later date, when I'm less concerned about providing a superior impression. I put this as the third best soundtrack of 2023. Now I wonder if I should have put it higher; ultimately I'm happy with the ranking, but I want it on record how impressed I was with this as I experienced more of it.

Higashino Seizon Penguin - Fragments Admittedly I was more impressed with the circle name than the remix itself, but it's still a fine arrangement (I ran out of time this week, found all of these literally within the past half-hour). SUMIty Piano - Touhou Fuujinroku Stage1 Theme This is a really great piece, and I was continually finding arrangements that didn't quite live up to what I wanted for it. So instead of going big, I've gone simple. While I wish the sound quality was better, there's no denying the impressive skill in the performance. Minazuki - Autumn Zwei This track has always suffered from having too little to work with. Most remixes I've heard use explosive high energy to keep things going, and it works, but I still feel bad that such effective motifs are so tightly regulated to these styles.

Posts in the general music thread put me in mind to re-feature Mad Rat Dead. I remember finding this soundtrack back in 2021, and it was the most memorable OST I heard that year. At the time, only one of the names among the collaborating composers was familiar to me, being that of Camellia, who also worked on Dweller's Empty Path. I've since become more acquainted with the work of DYES IWASAKI of TOPHAMHAT-KYO and FAKE TYPE. (why is it all caps?). Other significant contributors were a_hisa, Yo Oyama, and Kazuya Takasu, although I've yet to recognize them elsewhere. There is a strong influence of electro-swing throughout the soundtrack, but several tracks stand out from the rest with contrasting styles mixed in, including folk, orchestral, and other electronic forms. I used some of the best tracks for the first feature, but there's still plenty of high-quality options to work with here.

Every year since 2021 I've posted Irish folk for St. Patrick's Day, and though I may be running low on fresh material, I believe I can make it at least another year.

MTK - sunset stage groovin' I'm not really a fan of funkot, but that hasn't stopped me before. Given the context of the original, the tonal conflict embodied in this arrangement style is almost thematic. IZMIZM - Night Daydream This may initially seem like a direct contrast to the previous piece, but as it progresses I think it starts to resemble the other a bit; more like the other side of the coin, perhaps. Grimoire Technlogy - Fairly Brilliant To complete the trifecta, I've settled on a simple and straightforward arrangement for this track. Overall I'm very pleased with my findings this round.

Sorry I didn't get to this initially, I needed time to watch the video. It's well presented and organized, and uniquely personal, which makes it especially effective in communicating the theme of the film its reviewing. It's difficult for me to engage with it too well, though, as I'm lacking sympathetic perspective. Remember that the purpose of a story is to make its message relatable; a story portrays the understanding of the storyteller, who themself is capable of being right or wrong. I can appreciate the masterful way in which this particular story is told (and believe me I do), while also judging its message independent of its delivery. I do not believe the value of one's life is in either themselves or in their worth to others; rather, I understand each and every person to be a special creation of God, loved by Him, and therefore transcendentally valuable. Now, to the thread subject: I love video essays, as they often serve to explain the appeal something has to others when I either can't or have no interest in experiencing it myself (Internet Historian, Pyrocynical and Bricky are some good examples). Other times they can help deepen my appreciation for something I already enjoyed. Story theory and music theory are major hobbies of mine, and a major area where the two overlap is musicals. Sideways is one of the best in this field when it comes to analysis and commentary, both for his presentation and his original theory work (please check him out: https://www.youtube.com/@Sideways440). But in the interests of linking only one video to this post for sake of emphasis, I'm going to prioritize Joseph Anderson's The Villain of Edith Finch. If you haven't heard of Joseph Anderson, he's known for his professional-level analysis of story and game design. This particular video wasn't the first I saw from him, but undoubtedly had the biggest impact on how I viewed games as a storytelling medium.

It isn't often I can say I know literally nothing about the game from which a feature's music originates, simply because to find the music I must usually learn something about the game itself. In this rare intense, I discovered the soundtrack to Viscerafest through GeoffPlaysGuitar/Geoffrey Day, a heavy metal remix artist who specialized in adapting various pieces to sound like Doom Eternal. By checking his Bandcamp, I found the Viscerafest: Chapter 2 OST, which in turn sent me seeking the Chapter 1 OST by Markie Music/Michael Markie. I was impressed by both, not least because there was a definite distinction between the two while still maintaining a similar style (although there's an inexplicably prevalent oriental influence in the Chapter 2 album that I assume is thematic to the game). For all I know the game is finished, but if it isn't I wonder if they'll get a third person to compose for the next part?