ReMix:Chrono Trigger "Lesser Kerubic Patchwork" 4:01

By Israfel

Arranging the music of one song...

"Schala's Theme"

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

Posted 2002-12-10, evaluated by the judges panel


Israfel's work is anything but ordinary - his Soul Blazer ReMix still stands as a great arrangement with many tonal colors in its arsenal, all well-utilized. This Chrono Trigger mix is a bit more global, using ethnic wind, percussion and string instruments and mixing them with bombastic symphonic goodness, then adding to that some breaks and chime fx. Sounds like an Erhu on lead for much of the piece, or something similar - the merging of traditional folk and ethnic styles with orchestral and adding beats to that is all quite seamless, which is difficult and seems to be a great strength of Israfel's pieces. Judges had some surprising hesitancy and didn't necessarily feel the breakbeat was called for or fit in, and I'd concur at the least that it'd be interesting to hear a version without, but since two fairly distinct genres were already being merged I don't know that a piece of a third was too inappropriate, and it does lend some forward drive to the mix. The sweeping, massive nature of the intro alone, with huge booming brass and upwards horn riffs (ala Williams' closing number in SW:EP1) is to die for. The quality of some of the individual pieces used in this mix is just fantastic, and furthermore they're being utilized i.e. played in a fashion that's appropriate and true to their original contexts. That's an impressive accomplishment that only adds to a stellar ReMix. Kudos to Israfel for something very, very different - Schala thanks you and I thank you too. Highly recommended.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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ella guro
on 2009-12-05 18:15:01

I like "Greater Alchemic Patchwork" but this one seems to have a lot more energy and inspiration behind it. I don't think it's just cause it's more accessible either, because I've heard both plenty of times (enough for that to be much less of an issue). The ideas seem to cohere a lot better and have more of what I call potential energy behind them - one kind of falls into the next, like each was meant to be there. It's takes great compositional skill to make things that wouldn't seem to fit at all fit together perfectly. And that's exactly what he does here.

The production is about the same as "Greater Alchemic" but I think it becomes less of a bother because there's just more going on. I would've liked to hear less relying on drumloops cause it's very obvious that Israfel is capable of much more interesting percussion, but I get the impression that using drumloops was kind of deliberate here.

Great stuff overall. I really wish Israfel was still involved with the community.

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42
on 2009-12-05 16:58:26

Now this, unlike its greater patchwork cousin, is amazing. The intro reminds me of wandering through some hazy, darkened opium den. Shapes only half recognizable in the shadows and giant Arabic pillows, darkened by the accumulative years of smoke, used for seating around giant hookas. And THEN some idiot goes and ticks off the surly proprietor of the establishment, and a fight scene riminiscent of the elevator lobby sceen in The Maxtrix, except translated into 12th century Persia, ensues. Then those not involved go back to their Lucys in the skies with the diamonds.

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OA
on 2009-10-28 14:59:31

Some of the string leads sounded just slightly out of tune, but this was a really creative and well done mix. I thought the breakbeats were cool and further emphasized that this is a whole new way of listening to Schala.

Some of the horn rips seemed a little random, but overall I was really feeling this one. One of the early tracks that really broke new ground, IMO.

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evktalo
on 2008-10-31 11:01:00

Sure it feels like I've heard drumloops like these a hundred times before, but it's the whole that counts. Plenty of space in this mix. There's really very few elements, and it works really well. The last 1:20 or so is quite, quite beautiful.

--Eino

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DragonFireKai
on 2007-03-01 14:41:17

Very well done, I think the Breakbeats do detract from the piece, but don't let that keep you from downloading this song. It is an amazing work, the ethnic-orchestral fusion works very well.

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Dionyseus
on 2005-10-16 11:29:14

5 out of 5 camels! I would have given it 6 out of 5 camels if it didn't have the breakbeats though.

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Bummer
on 2005-09-25 15:42:00

Schala´s theme, a lovely bell melody full harmony with spreads joy to ebulibody. So naturally you think the same about this, until you reach 0:15, WHOA! Maybe it wasn´t very calm. It does actually get a little calm after awhile, releasing it´s soft and chill arabish style that makes you shake along the drum rhytm.

Nice man, I give you 5 of 5 camels for this one. Deal?

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GrayLightning
on 2005-09-22 00:20:25
Good work, McNoods.

This isn't by McNoods, it is an Israfel mix. :lol:

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Nateconq
on 2005-09-21 23:45:49

When I first heard this, I was hesitant. The song sounded almost tribal. It seemed to have a goal, to come together and create something good, but I didn't know what.

Then, right at 1:45, it all made sense. Everthing in the song had been leading up to this explosive climax. It blew me away the first time I heard it.

This song never gets old and deserves extra 'points' for being original. Good work, Israfel.

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Mr. Fox
on 2005-01-20 14:37:01

Best Schalas Theme ReMix...

Which is quite something.

Considering the number of ReMixes this theme has...

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yubinotarepanda
on 2004-04-07 10:12:55

I wish I'd written this review a long time ago.

This remix is the best of the best. I mean, I like a lot of remixes on the site an awful lot, but in all the time I've been listening here, this is one that is never, ever boring or repetetive, no matter how many times I've listened to it or how familiar the whole thing becomes to me.

It is, of course, the best remix of Schala's theme in existence, and went a direction with the melody that I think augmented the dramatic sweetness of it (which is rare, and in this case mind-blowing, since the original melody was already pre' 'leet). Israfel, d00d, you are a fucking genius.

Two more things about this track: I sometimes street race on a windy mountain road nearby my house, and sometimes on the freeway, and this is one of my favorite tracks to do either one to, or to drive fast to in general. The other thing is just that I'm an aspiring screenwriter, and there's a particular screenplay that I wrote that, if ever produced, I would kill to get this song on the soundtrack of, no matter what copyright roadblocks there might be.

Heh. So yeah, it's one hell of an awesome remix, and Israfel should be made king of a medium-sized island villiage for calling it into existence, and DJ Pretzel as well for having created a forum for me to find awesomeness like this. God Bless you both.

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mv
on 2003-04-29 17:35:46

this is one of many mixes that showcase why i think israfel/michael dover is one of the best video game remixers out there. original ideas, daring approaches, amazing sounds and addictive grooves.

"lesser kerubic patchwork" is no exception. the new dramatic direction given to the piece, the beautiful ethnic sounds and perc, along with the catchy breakbeat (which, however, could have used some variation in spots) make this track an instant classic, and definitely a novelty among the many cliche remixes provided by most artists out there.

this track is something nobody should miss, or bash :) grand stuff.

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sparkydaman
on 2003-04-14 13:36:34

holy manticles y'all this is the bizness foo. GET THIS: I WAS PLAYING TEH CHRONRO CORSS last nite and i though YOU waht could be bettar then this musik? YOU WAHT IS... g3t this: it's bettar than teh CHROSHAN RHCORS!! HAHAHAHA!

ok ya'll i was feeling up th mastercreature last night anda he told e to get this song that's why i rilly downloaded tit

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The_Clover
on 2003-04-13 19:04:12

MmmmMmmm

I love the intrumentations in this piece. Fighting music to me, but not loud and blaring painful fighting music, but rather the kind of music you would hear between two guys (or girls, or a mix of the two) that know their shiznit.

This kicks ass, asian desert style, y0! (And no, I don't know what asian desert style is, bexcept that it is most kick ass, or it is now, since I loved this song.)

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Kotetsu
on 2003-04-03 16:05:43

This song is simply amazing. It starts out slow like Schala's theme, but then the fast paced drum loop kicks in at about 0:16 to give the song some life. The change of the drum loop at 0:33 is somewhat sudden and could be done better, but it doesn't take away from the song. When Schala's theme comes in at 0:45, it manages to be the main focus of the song without overpowering the other instruments. The pauses/breaks/whatever in the drum loop are very well timed and make the song what it is. The beginning part of Schala's theme at 2:35 is quiet, but noticable. I actually didn't hear it until the 3rd or 4th time I listened to the song.

Overall, this song took a huge creative risk, and it paid off big. And for some reason, it reminds me a lot of the song at the beginning of Men In Black (which I haven't heard in years, so I have no idea what it sounds like any more).

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"Schala's Theme"

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File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_Lesser_Kerubic_Patchwork_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
3,946,676 bytes
MD5:
96acbaaac19e2e776594474cf614211c
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
4:01

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