ReMix: Final Fantasy VII 'A Foray into the Eastern Horizons'

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Very cool stuff from the uber-slick mv that mixes the Wutai theme from FF7 with the perhaps more familiar and certainly more ubiquitous Schala from CT and ends up with something altogether original and striking. The ReMixer explains:

"this mix was started one morning and finished late afternoon, on the same day. i wanted to remix both of those themes for a long time, but since schala's theme had already been remixed so much, i decided - when i was halfway done with this mix - to throw it in. the obvious style is ethnic/asian, not really conformist but not a western cliche of it either (i hope). some said that it reminded them of "the last samurai"'s soundtrack by hans zimmer (which i didn't hear) but some of the inspiration for this partly came from the "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" soundtrack."

You could probably liken it with either soundtrack; as for Western cliches, I actually think this style is in itself more a hodepodge of traditional Asian instruments with a more Western structure, but it's used in non-Hollywood Asian films, etc. all the time so I don't think it's fair to call it cliched or "faux ethnic" because it's a legit amalgamation of influences that's sort of evolved as motion picture soundtracks have evolved, on either side of the Pacific Ocean. Production is stellar, and the articulations on each and every instrument used are all very believable. Contrary to the belief of some, it's not enough to just have high-quality samples, especially when it comes to instruments where articulation and context is everything, if one wants an arrangement that is dramatic and effective. The ReMixer has to have some idea of how each instrument is used in a given context, and that's where mv shines, on this mix in particular. From the deep, meditative percussion to the various plucked, bowed, and blown traditional instruments displayed here, it's a virtual smorgasbord of exotic timbres, all implemented with care. Definitely not the type of mix where it sounds like someone just "decided" to use a given patch to add that "ethnic" vibe, but where instead each addition and part was given due diligence. Great dramatic sounds and also an effective merging of the two themes - with something as conspicuous as Schala, I was a little worried that I'd reach a certain point in the mix and it would just kinda shout "SCHALA NOW!!" but the transition was graceful and appropriate. Striking is the adjective that I think best describes the mix, which would be in good company amongst the best of Asian-themed film scores. Excellent.

― djpretzel