ReMix: Chrono Trigger 'The Place We Knew'

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Jill joins forces with Reuben for this lovely vocal w/ piano accompaniment of To Far Away Times from the Chrono Symphonic project; Compyfox mastered, Claado Shou wrote the lyrics, and EvilHead assisted with their partial translation. Expectations naturally run high for both Kee's piano playing and Goldin's singing, so hearing the two work together should hypothetically get chills running down spines and what not, and in this case the theory tests true in the lab. Recording is not an issue at all - Reuben's piano is wonderfully clear, sparkling on the highs and resonating with warmth on the lows, and Jill's voice is airy and crystalline. The arrangement itself is very direct; a relatively straightforward adaptation of the original to solo piano and a largely unaltered vocal melody line don't stray too far off the beaten path, but there's enough variation in tempo, and of course the new material any original vocal brings to the game, to make this distinct. I don't think one can talk about this mix without addressing the issue of language shifting in songs, so I'm going to do so as equitably as possible. As any anime fan knows, the Japanese are quite fond of inserting English phrases, often quite goofy ("Pick Me Up, Foxy Night Game!"), into their J-pop, commonly used as anime openers and ending themes. This ReMix is a bit more tasteful (and, thankfully, coherent) than those instances of engrish, but there's still a question here as to the difficulty of segueing into another language within the same song. Of course, there are dozens of examples of spontaneous verses in French from the likes of Blondie (Sunday Girl), E.L.O. (Hold on Tight), and many more, but it might be easier to perform the switch in faster-paced or goofier songs, or from English to a romance language. In my mind, the transition to Japanese from English in a song is... a bit tougher to pull off, artistically. I'm not just talking about appearing like a Japanese fanboy or fangirl for tossing in their language in an arbitrary fashion - I don't think this usage in particular was arbitrary at all, and I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt, elsewhere. I'm talking more about the starker linguistic discrepancies and actual sound of juxtaposing one language adjacent to the other; I think it can probably work, but selectively, and an isolated piano/vocal arrangement might not be the most conducive context. That being said, it ultimately didn't bother me too much - whatever the language, even if she was singing in semi-gibberish ala Cocteau Twins, Jill's voice would be pleasing, and the lyrics themselves have a meter that works and a narrative appropriate to the material. However, I can see the switching being an issue for some, and I wouldn't dismiss such critiques as necessarily illustrating bias against otaku or Japanophilia or what not, though I'm sure that might be a motivating factor for some. Anyways, enough sidebar pontification - pixietricks and Reuben Kee have created a superb collaboration that showcases their respective talents and packs an emotional punch - it's a very fitting arrangement of a classic theme, that brings closure to an epic while still seeming vast and brimming with potentiality.

― djpretzel