ReMix:Katamari Damacy "Love Everlasting" 4:57

How about some chiptune-infused Katamari Damacy? Does that sound like something you might be interested in?? Thought so! The latest from DDRKirby(ISQ) is actually as much of a tribute to a couple of well-known VGM/chiptune artists as it is to Namco's zany score:

"Hey, guys! My submission this time is "Love Everlasting," a remix of "Lonely Rolling Star" from the Katamari Damacy OST. This one has a special back-story behind it! In March 2013, Aivi & surasshu released The Black Box, a wonderful chiptune + piano collaboration album. It was really meaningful to me, and I liked it so much that I decided to show my appreciation by writing them an entire remix album! And thus, I created Love Everlasting, a tribute album where I took each of the 11 songs in The Black Box and re-imagined it in my own style. I actually ended up having the chance to present the album to Aivi & surasshu in person after finishing it, which was great! ^.^

"Love Everlasting," the title track of the album, is my take on "Lonely Rolling Star," which Aivi & surasshu also made a remix of in their original album. It's a bit of a remix of a remix, in that way. I've always been a fan of the original from the Katamari OST, and hearing Aivi & surasshu's rendition of it was *wonderful* for me. My own rendition takes on a different flavor and atmosphere, also being inspired by some of the good ol' Kirby soundtracks (and using some of their sound effects!). It was really fun to make! Also, the arpeggio sequence near the end of the piece has always been one of my favorite things *ever*. Another note: The little 3-1-2-6-5 melody that pops up through the piece is actually a recurring motif that I used throughout my entire remix album -- it's sort of the "Love Everlasting theme," so to speak. :) Hopefully you guys like this one -- there's more where this came from! ^.^"

Glad to hear it; the sugar-sweetness (with perhaps just a touch of wistful longing) of the melody works well with the spiraling, hiccuping, bending, & soaring lead sequencing, and the floating, outer-space arpeggios seal the deal. Larry writes:

"Now, Timmie's forged from the fires of ThaSauce's One Hour Compo, so his workflow is sick and his ideas come together with the quickness. I love arrangements of arrangements, so tackling "Missing You" from Aivi & surasshu's "The Black Box" album was an excellent premise, and I'm glad they enjoyed it when you presented the Love Everlasting album to them.

Amazing work, Timmie! The way this mix clicks together sounds effortless. I love how, despite the lack of lyrics, the melodic lines are so fun and expressive throughout. You definitely did both the Katamari series and Aivi & surasshu proud! By the way, props to the success of Aivi & surasshu in scoring Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe on Cartoon Network, as well. It's definitely a fun show, excellent for peeps of all ages!"

There's a certain grace and freedom to the dodging, darting, & pivoting lead melody. Of course, it only sounds effortless... like many a Hollywood hairdo, it takes a lot of hard work to seem this flowing & unbound. Splendid meta-arrangement from DDRKirby(ISQ) that embraces the wide-eyed wonder & spacy bliss of Katamari Damacy with some masterfully-crafted, artisanal chips!