Posted 2009-05-10, evaluated by djpretzel


So, as previously mentioned, we met and exceeded Jimmy's rather ambitious goal for our annual April fundraiser, which he himself started last year. I can't tell you how important this was to the site... Google ads have really declined over the years, to the point where they are no longer covering our monthly costs, and this event alone has guaranteed that, regardless of ad revenue, OCR will keep on truckin'. I did want to mention that EVERY month you can still help us out - without donating a cent - by buying stuff through our Amazon store or ordering music gear through Zzounds. We've seen laptops, synthesizers, etc. ordered through these links - items some folks were going to buy regardless, at pretty damn good prices - and as affiliates each sale can really help us out. But a huge and very personal thanks to Big Giant Circles, who's single-handedly set in motion an event that truly changes the course of the site's history, for the better.

We've had this one around for a good long while since there was some uncertainty as to whether the panel needed to chime in or not (they didn't) - it's from a little album called Voices of the Lifestream, which arranged the music from some old Japanese RPG called Final Fantasy VII. Go figure. Hopefully most of you are familiar with VotL in its entirety - one of the things that really excited me when I first heard the finished product was how consistently awesome each and every track was - so you may already be familiar with Jimmy's take on the 'Opening - Bombing Mission' theme. It's pretty awesome - Jimmy's gotten even better since, but this highly narrative piece recreates the atmosphere of the original intro and upgrades all the details. If a smile doesn't cross your face when the initial build finally culminates in the primary melodic motif at 1'22", you've got no FF7 fanboy in you at all. One talented video editor actually took the time to edit it to fit the original intro sequence (Youtube here), and it was also the material for one of our many fantastic music video entries. At 6'46", there's a lot of music here, but that's largely because the piece tells a multi-part story and is highly cinematic/cued. There are alarms, train sounds, and all the good stuff you know & love from the beginning of a truly classic game, but there's also BGC's full, rich electronica/orchestral arrangement, too.

In other words, the title isn't just lip service - the mix tells a story. Project director Andrew Aversa chipped in on the mix, and chimes in with his thoughts:

"BGC came to me with WIPs of this remix, which was essentially constructed in two parts - the Opening theme and Bombing Mission. I really liked the new electronic elements that he added in the Opening while retaining its epic melody. However, I felt that it could have used more 'impact' in its production values. So, I offered to polish it up a bit. I basically re-mastered the first part, adding some of my own synth instrumentation as well to double the melody. The Bombing Mission portion of the remix was really great and hardly needed any work at all - I just tweaked the mastering a bit to get it to match the volume of the first part. This is one of my all time favorite sources from FF7 and I'm really glad Jimmy did it justice here. VotL wouldn't have been a complete project without a standout mix of these themes."

...And OC ReMix wouldn't be a complete community without Jimmy, who - in addition to just being an awesome dude - has given back & worked hard to ensure we can all keep doin' what we're doin'. As means of thanks, we'll be posting another BGC album cut next, but I'd like to personally thank Jimmy right here and now for starting something, carrying it through, and making a huge difference.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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OutSpoken
on 2011-07-05 01:45:34

http://reoganworks.blogspot.com/2010/11/song-of-week-235.html

The person who did the writeup for this track on my blog gave it high praise. This has to be one of my favorite FF7 mixes.

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Marmiduke
on 2009-10-23 02:29:47

This confirms one thing: OCR has a dangerous lack of epic concept mixes like this one. This is big, expansive, theatrical stuff with a continuous stream of moments. As a result of this having an aural narrative to tell, the piece is constantly evolving and growing richer. As a listener, there's nothing more satisfying than hearing something gradually metamorphisise both expectedly and unexpectedly.

I really like the electronic approach taken here. It's dynamic and because the sound is constantly being refreshed with new material and interpretations, there's no space left for a single repetitive instrument or phrase. And on the other hand, every element sounds like it is given a substantial amount of attention and room to explore. One of the things I admire most about this is the ability for this to sound neither sluggish nor rushed. Some people may not realise how much discipline and talent is needed in order to make something so fine-tuned when it comes to pacing, let alone everything else a remixer has to worry about.

It would have been a gigantic shame for this to have never reached the site. It's a major release, as far as I'm concerned. It really is a great opening and overall summation of the quality of VotL. Happy to finally have the chance to praise it here.

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Mtlbro
on 2009-06-09 00:40:25

I like that chorus :)))))

Fantastic idea synching this to the opening ! (of the game)

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big giant circles
on 2009-05-15 00:10:09
This is one of my absolute favorite remixes and I listen to it quite often. "Bombing Mission" really lends itself well to remixing, and this and "REAKTR.1" (I'm forgetting the arranger) are vastly superior to the orchestral remixes that are also often made for this piece in the professional concerts.

BGC, please do more like this!

(Though I have a confession to make... I like this piece for the music, not for its fidelity to the FF7 opening. So I find myself skipping through the first 1'20" or so, because while it's part of the game, it's not the most exciting part of the music compared to what follows!)

REAKTR.1 was Tweek and Sephfire, also a very awesome 4/4 take on the Bombing Mission. In fact, I'm going to go listen to it now.

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DaBubba
on 2009-05-14 21:04:19

This is one of my absolute favorite remixes and I listen to it quite often. "Bombing Mission" really lends itself well to remixing, and this and "REAKTR.1" (I'm forgetting the arranger) are vastly superior to the orchestral remixes that are also often made for this piece in the professional concerts.

BGC, please do more like this!

(Though I have a confession to make... I like this piece for the music, not for its fidelity to the FF7 opening. So I find myself skipping through the first 1'20" or so, because while it's part of the game, it's not the most exciting part of the music compared to what follows!)

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Chernabogue
on 2009-05-14 04:29:32

Really incredible mix, just as awesome as the VotL album ! Great job !

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OA
on 2009-05-13 10:48:51

I was wondering if this gem would ever appear on the site. Great way to really kick off the album, right after the serene opening track.

I love the beatwork on this, and the textures and effects, there's a really gritty mood set up, and it's incredible.

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Sir_Downunder
on 2009-05-13 04:37:39

I'm really loving this piece: very theatrical, story-driven, and all that.

One of the earliest games i remember playing was FF7, and one of the earliest pieces of VGM I clearly remember was Opening - Bombing Mission, so it's always held a bit of special place in my heart, and am glad that this was done justice.

Good work, Jimmy! :nicework:

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avaris
on 2009-05-13 04:08:47

One of my favs from the album. At first the expansive and evolving arrangement was both a plus and minus to the overall coolness of the song. But it grew on me over time due to the excellent transitions and attention to varying the timbres and sound design over time while still retaining some sense of familiarity throughout. Good stuff dudes! :nicework:

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yosefu
on 2009-05-12 01:15:36

GREAT tune from the album and i love the drum beats in this one.

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Hy Bound
on 2009-05-11 15:16:12

Finally! This song was my absolute favorite off of the album. Everything from the cinematic opening to the great beat is done incredibly well. Good to see this finally make it up on OCR. Congrats guys.

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Lucentas
on 2009-05-11 12:19:56

I absolutely love this piece--it's cinematic, epic, bombastic, and all those other good adjectives. The narrative angle you've taken here is completely brilliant, and I love it because I can sit back and clearly imagine the opening sequence in my head--it's also great for when I'm writing something that has the same tone.

Anyway, I've actually had this track since I checked out VotL, and I was wondering when it would make its way onto the site. Mad props!

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SwordBreaker
on 2009-05-11 10:17:45

Listened to this gem awhile back in VotL...had it on repeat a couple of times. Thought it was a really good arrangement. Epic in every word with the orchestral and electronic elements. It rivals Mr. Ishimoto's arrangement of the same tracks in Crisis Core.

Now, I need to go back and give this another listen. VotL nostalgia. Seems like it was released long ago, eh? :P

Speaking of the track itself, BGC...I do recall that you were only credited on the VotL album...so I was kind of surprised to see zircon in this submission. So thanks for clearing that up. Don't need to download this one then.

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metalsnakejuice
on 2009-05-11 08:51:15

That tasted great and so l need more.:

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WillRock
on 2009-05-11 07:57:02

Oh yes, every story begins with a name :P

KICKASS.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Final Fantasy VII (Sony , 1997, PS1)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu
Songs:
"Opening - Bombing Mission"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Orchestral,Synth
Additional:
Origin > Collaboration
Time > Duration: Long

File Information


Name:
Final_Fantasy_7_Every_Story_Begins_with_a_Name_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
11,834,853 bytes
MD5:
bdcfbc362b3a2c99967c39062efb64bd
Bitrate:
231Kbps
Duration:
6:47

 

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