ReMix:Chrono Trigger "Rhodes to the Past" 3:31

By Fatty Acid

Arranging the music of one song...

"Yearnings of the Wind"

Primary Game: Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES), music by Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda, Yasunori Mitsuda

Posted 2004-08-04, evaluated by the judges panel


Newcomer Fatty Acid aka Joseph Liao (from that "smartypants" MIT college you might have heard of [/jealous]) gives us this slicked back Rhodes-driven (very punny) CT ReMix with a downbeat/jazzy groove, lovely compressed drums, and a tremolo/panned electric rhodes patch that ties everything together and, while not reworking the primary melody, DOES introduce some original progressions and interludes into the fray that give the composition some character. The panel was very split on whether there was enough arrangement involved, but I definitely concur with the (slight) majority, who felt that one can leave the main melody alone, i.e. verbatim, and still do enough additive and instrumentation work to constitute sufficient interpretation. I'm going to quote at length from Mr. Baranowsky, who shares my take:

"No, No, No, No...I will not have mindless simplicity-bashing. Not on my watch. There are ways to make music interesting without utilizing a 12-tone scale based on the ratio of cornflakes to coco puffs in your neighborhood general store. As I have stated before with certain hiphop arrangements, simplicity must be used effectively to maintain any kind of musical interest. There is not always a need to modify the melody into a mutated beast of its former self. This track builds well, sustains a groove worthy of the highest paid jiggity-jivers in the whole damn town, and does enough breakdowns and mix-ups to keep it all jivin' without too much looping. There are subtle melodic mix-ups in the sine-wave lead that absolutely fit the new form of the tune in the best way. The way the rhodes and synth-a-plucks complement the chord changes runs chills down my spine. VERY well done. This is a textbook example of instrumentation and style adding enough to a track to look past the less-than-revolutionary arrangement."

He also added a comment about his personal willingness to defecate on the lawns of those judges who did not agree with his approval of the mix, though it didn't sway any existing votes to the contrary (apparently this is not as undesirable as one would assume). Like his eloquent and emphatic statement says, I think this is a mix that keeps it simple but has enough additions, where they count, to distance the piece from sounding like a cover and bring it into more interpretive territory. This is hard to do with minimalism, especially when the main melody is so core to the original and is kept perfectly intact, but it can be done, and this is a good example of how. I'd love to see slightly riskier pieces from Liao in the future, but this is an excellent first sub that shows production polish, an ear for the mellow, and subtle attention to detail. Good stuff.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
avaris
on 2009-12-02 11:57:45

Alot of music is like puzzle that needs to be pieced together. Fatty Acid's music is puzzle with simple well thought out ideas that fit together extremely well. One of my favorites OCR tracks and artists by far. It's a damn shame his best song, Madame Balamb, isn't on OCR as that one is pure ear candy! Thanks dude for making such a kick ass track!

avatar
OA
on 2009-12-02 11:08:28

that opening snare reverb is absolutely crazy awesome. I love the little semi-gate added to it. Way classy and well thought-out. The percussion is expertly chosen to add impact without moving the track too far from the chill territory it calls home, and though the melody is totally intact, there is a lot of additional supporting parts that are great, as well as a more liberal take on the theme at the end. Speaking of the end, it's the only really weak part of this otherwise excellent track. I think even a long fade out would have suited this better, but even so, this is great chill out music.

Recommended. :-)

avatar
sittingducks
on 2007-05-15 12:08:18

What an amazing piece. I REALLY want more of his work, but I only see two on OCR T_T.

Yet I see that he has many more (such as his original FF X-2 remix and Matoya no Fuuketsu, for example) that everybody seems to love. Where oh where can i get my hands on these songs?? VGMix is and has been down for quite a while...I'm at my wits end! Google refers me to a million japanese sites when I search Matoya no Fuuketsu and Chem sites when i search Fatty Acid Remix T_T

avatar
DragonFireKai
on 2007-03-13 16:16:01

Very smooth, but not very different from the original song. However, I really like the original song, so I don't mind that much.

avatar
Bummer
on 2005-09-12 12:59:34

Very enjoyable. The melody sounds

like the original, but the presence of

nice beats and soft violins in the back

makes it top notch. Good job, FA.

avatar
blunai
on 2005-06-20 17:16:30

I like this song for the original melody. The added flavor is nice but is a little too hip-hop for me.

avatar
Deathsangel34
on 2005-06-04 21:10:50

i agree a lot with the metroid bit from the last post, it has a very similar feel to what po! did with his Electric Clouds take on Zeal, but this is a lil more "i like this setting, ill stay right here" feeling.. i LOVE the rhodes patch..

great song, love your work Fatty, keep em coming...

avatar
AboveTheDust
on 2005-02-18 10:51:59

I found this one to be very laid back and perfect "ambiance" music for a dorm room or any other room that needs a chill-out-and-relax song.

The main melody remains solid, but I almost felt as if I was listening to something from Super Metroid (Brinstar) in the first 45 or so seconds.

Anyway, this one gets a solid score from me. Very enjoyable easy listening. Nothing too demanding from the listener, but perfect for relaxing and taking a breather from the hectic nature of life.

-Dust

avatar
Gnam
on 2004-10-14 14:01:22

I think the problem is not that the melody itself is not varied enough from the original, it's that the instrumentation of the melody is so similar. The intro is relatively unique, but then once it gets to the melody it sounds like a midi redux with a new drum beat.

The semi-industrial/elctronic sound in the intro is nice, but it doesn't follow into the melody, which leaves the main portion of the song sounding a bit generic.

avatar
flipt
on 2004-08-26 11:27:20

Drums were very well done. Overall, though this mix is missing something for me. I dont know what it is though, but I can't see myself listening to this as often as other mixes, but its not too bad. Again, the drums were done exceptionally well imo.. 7/10

avatar
Strife.
on 2004-08-21 00:56:23

I really liked the yes of stereo sound in this piece. Very nice overall.

avatar
Thornless Rose
on 2004-08-12 19:51:41

i found the introduction to be a bit long, but the moment it gets into the main melody it is fantastic.

avatar
Liontamer
on 2004-08-09 22:48:12

I apologize for partially threadjacking, but felt obligated to address the following:

I'd like to add, though, that I often feel that, in their efforts to further individualize their work, that many artists' recent submissions to OCRemix have sometimes faltered in their focus. Many of these folks of late seem to forget that they are remixing rather than composing new music, and this is a key notation made all the more obvious by this particular remix which, if nothing else, definately holds true to its core.

They are often composing new music, aren't they? [looks at postcount] Thank you for drawing uninformed conclusions while not reading the site FAQ:

The word "ReMix" was chosen but is not necessarily appropriate, as the tracks here are more arrangements than remixes (think of this as the difference between a "remix" and a "ReMix," mmmkay?). Besides, "OverClocked Arrangements" would have sounded gimp.
avatar
Crono3of3time
on 2004-08-09 20:59:05

This one is a lil nostalgia trek for one such as meself... ahh... another fine Chrono Trigger song...

I didn't recognize the first part as it was just starting. At 47 seconds the familiar tunes started coming in, quiet and full. The background music seemed to soothe the song in its transit through the times that be. The alterations near the end help promote a feeling of distance and.. I guess.. light..

avatar
SixthFlyingMan
on 2004-08-09 19:11:30

This IS cool. About the only Wind Scene remix that's good enough to even THINK about downloading. Unfortunately, since I am picky and harsh, I can't take those thoughts anywhere. Not gonna download.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"Yearnings of the Wind"

Tags (3)


Genre:
Ambient
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_Rhodes_to_the_Past_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,154,233 bytes
MD5:
6857b39ce5444674cd9d9a33b701409c
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:31

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes