ReMix: Star Ocean 'Summertime'
So, hopefully you've been enjoying The Dark Side of Phobos the past couple days - torrent's been rather healthy, that's for sure. Don't forget that VGDJ, OCR's official podcast, could still use some support (i.e. your vote) if you've not yet lent it. You'll certainly be seeing more Phobos (the dark side is strong...), but on a decidedly different tip, and quite timely given that it's the height of meteor shower season, newcomer Hale-Bopp brings us an addictive vocal ReMix from Star Ocean. This is right up my alley - catchy rock/pop with a melodic backbone of solid steel, admirable vocals, strong production, and a playing time that fits it like a glove. Have no doubts - this mix is ALL ABOUT the three-minute rock/pop gem thing, and doesn't try to segue into any sort of art-house experimentation or over-extended soloing. And the amazing thing, the reason I'm gonna be listening to this for years to come, is because HB's made it sound like the original is an arrangement of this mix, and not the other way around - the vocal harmony, the lyrics, the guitar instrumentation, drumming... everything makes it sound like the melody was written from scratch for this particular track, and not adapted from elsewhere. It sounds very, very natural; it clicks. David's voice is vaguely similar to Star Salzman's, and since this is also a mix with original lyrics (and good ones), comparisons can be drawn, but the style here is guitar-driven and more stripped down; it's got the same type of instant appeal and accessibility as The Ken Song, and is similarly anthematic, lyrically and musically. Shnabubula reluctantly capitulates to the overwhelming pop attraction:
"There are things in this song that I enjoyed A LOT more than I expected myself to. I sunk my teeth into that whole "why try" rhythmic sandwich. Also the part of the instrumental section with the new chord progression starting at 2:04 especially like at 2:09 when the guitar parts sync up with the drums. Really, that part forced me to start liking the song when my intellect told me I should be doing otherwise. BUT MY INTELLECT WAS WRONG SON!!! Flawless execution of somewhat corny material with a suprising amount of depth."
The tradeoffs between solo vocal and well-panned unison harmony work their magic, and there's some brief but jammin' instrumental breakout as icing on the cake. Fortunately, there's still enough of summer left to enjoy HB's mix - it's perfect convertible music, and will be on the very next mix I burn specifically for that purpose. Perfect for the drive up to Otakon next weekend, methinks. A fantastic and just (again) very natural, easy-to-appreciate first ReMix from Hale-Bopp - definitely hope to see more in the future. Excellent.
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