Not that nothing's been going on with me, musically - I do have plenty to report on, and I should get to that at some point or other. Summer is insanity for me - we're transitioning into summer camp mode at work. Once the transition is over and we get into the groove, I should be more focused with the music thing.
For now, I'm going tangential. One of the ways I kick back, relax, and get inspired is by searching out really awesome remixes of videogame music. Also, it's a good practice to keep a listening journal, take time to listen to something and then write down what you notice about it. Sharpens your mind. If you've got interest in making music, you ought to listen with some intent.
Or not. Do what you like. That's just my take.
I am, of course, a gamer, but I am not as prolific of a gamer as I might try to seem. I've still never finished a Final Fantasy, even though I am in love with the music. When I was a kid, there were pockets of communities on the internet where you could get MIDI versions of videogame music - there was remixing going on then, too, but nothing as sophisticated as today. Most of what I had downloaded were attempted replicas, not remixes. VGMusicArchive is still around, where I used to get most of my music. I'd spend hours just listening to this stuff, which is how I know most of the Final Fantasy music without having actually played most of the games. It's just that good. You'll see.
Okay, so here's a well-known theme, even for folks who aren't gamers. It's the Super Mario Bros theme, originally composed by Koji Kondo (also of Zelda fame) and remixed by Saitama Saishu Heiki (otherwise known as SSH). SSH is renowned for his punked-out remixes of a variety of game music. The year is... oh, it's the 80's, I guess.
This one, in case you didn't notice, is real punked-out. He gives it a nice long intro, releasing the main theme at 0:35. The fun thing: IT'S IN MINOR!! We're used to a blithe little riff to introduce the Mario Brothers, but this remix gives the whole theme newfound intensity.
I have noticed about my own music that where melodies are concerned, I like to leap around quite a bit. There's stepwise motion (adjacent pitches), and there's leapwise motion (leaping over pitches). The very beginning of the Mario theme is three huge leaps. And it's very leapy all in the middle, too. It could be coincidence, but...
Time's Scar.
Chrono Cross.
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda.
Year: 1999. So, we've now got capability for more sophisticated sounds, including actual percussion. This is a live recording, but it's pretty much a replication of how it was in the videogame. You've got to give it at least a minute and 15 seconds to get through the pretty intro into the rip-roaring gypsy dancing part.
Again, notice the two giant leaps with the violin right after the picked-up part.
This is a really iconic and awesome piece of music. I think the intro draws me in, but it's those two leaps right at the beginning that stole my heart away. There's an emotional and adventurous wildness about them.
Battle Theme.
Final Fantasy IX.
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu.
Year: 2000.
Remixer: I dunno, it don't say T_T
Okay, so here's the thing. Final. Fantasy. Is. The. Thing.
Nobuo Uematsu apparently wrote like 160 pieces for Final Fantasy IX, and composed I think most of the Final Fantasies. Nobuo Uematsu is the man. The end.
I was having a conversation after a contra dance one time with a parent. She said her kid rated music based on its viability as boss fight music. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY CONCUR. To be completely fair, this is just a regular fight, and not a boss fight, but it's cool anyways. Uematsu is one of my favored composers, mostly because his music doesn't just convey a mood, it conveys a story. This is something I have innately understood ever since I found Final Fantasy music. Most of the time I would also get visuals and storylines. Sometimes this still happens, but to be completely honest (and hopefully not freaking you out), it's a little bit like a trance. The eyes shut, the inside gets all tingly, there is nothing but me and my imaginings.
So I try to not have it happen when I'm driving, is basically what I'm saying.
I will attempt to explain with this paltry breakdown:
0:00 - intro. There's going to be a fight. There's a lot of tension. The offset rhythms in the guitar, the melody that leaps, but tightly, the repeating of it.0:25 - a little break. your focus flies away a little bit from the fight, a little space opens up for you to realize your own fear and determination.
0:31 - return to the intro riff.
0:37 - Theme A. (0:49, repeats.) This is the enemy's overture. This is the realization of the hero: this is the enemy. Tough, huge, unimaginably strong. The notes have lengthened, and there's some cool anticipations that seem to make it roar a little (as in the end of the first phrase).
1:02 - Theme B. Up to 1:07, you get these flighty little riffs overtop of a more soaring and stable couple of chords. This is the hero rising up in spirit, drawing up to the full extent of being, striking at the enemy.
1:07 to 1:14, the response. The enemy isn't going down so easily. The harmonies draw into uncertain territory, leading tones pushing you somewhere you didn't expect.
1:14 to 1:26 - actually an ECHO of the original Theme A, in new and more hopeful harmonic space, believe it or not. Listen carefully. The rhythm gives it away. We have a reminder that yes, the enemy is here, but the hero will stand and fight. The theme ends at 1:26 on this triumphant note.
At that point, the theme cycles back around on itself - in this remix, there's a guitar solo, but in the game it loops back around.
Hope you enjoyed my geeking out... maybe I'll do it again sometime ^^
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