ReMix: Chrono Trigger 'Blue Skies Over Guardia'

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Well, it's almost 2004, and I still don't have a mix of my own ready, making my last ReMix of the year the August CT mix of the same theme Shariq covers here. Mr. Ansari has, however, decided to transfer Mitsuda's lively 6/8 piece into 7/8, and has also mixed in some latin percussion, church bells, given a rich french horn section the go-ahead on the melody, and empowered a ride-cymbal to do some rapid-fire syncopating for the bulk of the arrangement, all of which works together pretty durn well. The ReMixer writes:

"I've always wanted to arrange this piece in 7/8 time. The original has such a great folk quality that, for me, hearkens over to some more latin folk ideas that work in less commonplace meters. Translating the melody from 6/8 to 7/8 was surprisingly easy; I think it works well here. I tried to bring a more epic sound to the piece by using strings, horns, and bells, and at the same time keep the folk quality with some quick, syncopated percussion filled with claps and congas. Hopefully you enjoy it."

I think the folk quality has been maintained to a degree, but also think that it's been somewhat sublimated for a more epic, sweeping scope that goes well with the mix title. The tone of the piece becomes more floating or flying as opposed to dancing, to qualify it with verbs, relative to the original. Only a couple minor quibbles - the ride cymbal pattern is mixed pretty loud and doesn't change all that much, and I'd like to have heard more high-end percussion to balance/accompany it. But the accomplishment here is the time-signature switch and what I would call mood switch from something immediate and local to a grander, more encompassing scale. The cool thing about Mitsuda's piece is that it works so well in either context, but that's a credit both to the original composer and the ReMixer as well. Good stuff; different take on the theme that gives it a distinct and enjoyable new persona.

― djpretzel