Posted 2014-10-16, evaluated by djpretzel


How weird is it to be posting a ReMix of video game music written by Sir Paul McCartney?? As someone who does NOT think The Beatles are overrated (i.e. huge fan), it's a sign of the times that he'd experiment with the medium, and Bungie's Destiny is certainly a larger-than-life title to make a splash with. We'll return to regular chronological posting of the queue ASAP, but we wanted to kick off the 3XXX series with one more out-of-cycle mixpost - a pop/EDM vocal mix of Destiny's end credits theme from Jillian & Andrew Aversa! The source expresses an uplifting, optimistic version of futurism that's rather refreshing, thematically, since soooooooooooo much sci-fi is thoroughly & unquestioningly dystopian. Jill writes:

"I'm a huge fan of both Marty O'Donnell and Paul McCartney's work, so when they put their heads together, my ears wept for joy. As for the video, I made all three cosplays in record time - less than a week - so I probably looked like a madwoman covered in fabric scraps and strings of hot glue. It all came together once the makeup was on though, and we had a blast shooting until 6AM (at Larry's house, of course!)"

Andy adds:

"For the music, we wanted to do something different by bringing in more atmospheric and electronic elements, without losing the epic & uplifting vibe from the original. Since Jill wasn't able to represent the robotic Exo race in her cosplays, we used vocoded harmonies throughout for a robotic effect. Very proud of how it all came out!"

Stylistically, this reminds me of "Deliverance of the Heart" off of VotL - another excellent Aversa collab with Jill on vocals. If you picture McCartney's theme done in that style, you're not far off, although there are some more assertive touches like the kick drum rolls that modernize this track a bit more by comparison. Larry rambles on at length:

"It was a thorough 11-hour shoot at our crib, but three sets of makeup and costumes TAKE TIME, SON! But good times were had in Atlanta, including some much-needed culinary support from Slice & Pint. I've gotta give major props to the video's director Landon Donoho. I've now seen him direct two of Jill's music videos in Atlanta, and he's an amazing creator. It's fun and impressive to watch him work and for anyone in the NYC, LA, or ATL areas who need a director, he's your man. Much love also to Stephanie Anderson & Joseph Titus Davis of Neon Armour BodyPainting, who both ensured Jill's Destiny looks were on point, Paige & I loved talking shop with them, and we all had a great time even while wrapping up in the wee hours of the morning!

Before discussing Jill & Andy's arrangement, I first have to say that I love the original. It's not inherently important that Paul McCartney was involved with Destiny; what mattered was that his contributions were substantial and GOOD. Some people think "Hope" is too cheesy/uplifting or (wrongly) non sequitur for the game. But when first I heard the song, the hook was sweet, the treatment of McCartney's voice was excellent, and I felt the full emotion and gravitas of a "OSHI-, it's a f*ckin' BEATLE" behind it. It's cool that McCartney's ideas were on multiple tracks with O'Donnell and Salvatori, and I'm looking forward to checking out the complete soundtrack. But make no mistake, Sir Paul came to bring it.

I enjoyed the Aversas' take with its ambient and ethereal touches, with Jill's vocals handling most of the source usage, allowing the instrumental to explore lots of original ideas. The whole package is pro, but just hitting the ear candy I love to discover, the countermelodic synth accompanying the verse & chorus vocals (first used at :16) was a very subtle element, so take care to isolate it and enjoy it. I also loved Jill's chorused vocals in the background starting at 2:08, which come across wonderfully in the music video. Neblix felt Jill & Andy's version fit more of the mood of Destiny's world, so I'm interested in others' reactions. Make sure you also check out DAT VIDEO to get the full effect. :-)"

I can see where the scope & positive outlook of this song might not jive with the gameplay experience, but not having played more than 15 minutes of Destiny, I can't say one way or another. What I do know is that it stands very nicely on its own, has a good verse, a GREAT bridge, and a chorus that DOES stretch into Contemporary Christian territory a bit for my tastes (i.e. too earnest), but doesn't break the deal and is thus not a dealbreaker. Regarding the bridge:

[13:54] <@djpretzel> I just realized
[13:55] <@djpretzel> that the bridge for this Destiny track
[13:55] <@djpretzel> which imo is the best part
[13:55] <@djpretzel> TALKS about building bridges
[13:55] <@djpretzel> it's a bridge about bridges...
[13:57] <@djpretzel> Jeff Bridges should sing it, and then the music video could just be footage from Bridges of Madison County
[14:00] <@Larry|Work> this is going into the writeup
[14:00] <@djpretzel> ok

Ahem. I also like the idea of a more positive outlook with regards to the application of science and technology towards building a better future; we too often get "mad scientist" plots or "they tampered in nature/god's domain!!" cautionary tales, or aliens that were advanced enough to build a spacefaring culture coming to steal our water and shoot PEWPEW guns at us, or eat us. This has a more pan-human techno-optimism to it; thank you, Sir Paul! And thanks to the Aversas for yet another beautiful collaboration; they were JUST the folks to arrange this tune, the end result is spot-on, and the music video is a great additional part of the experience!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 13 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Slither2Unknown
on 2023-01-30 07:51:30

Fascinating. Um... The strongest impression I got off this song, throughout, was that it really really sounded to me like a song that could have featured in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. From the lyrics to the sparkly rising music, to the vocals; This vocalist sounds a lot to me like the singing voice of Rarity. I would consider that a good thing, and it has a very cohesive style. I just find myself laughing that this particular cohesive style, to my ear, has ponies and rainbows written all over it.
Leaving that aside for a moment, I feel like this song does an excellent job of evoking the joy of exploration with feelings of intense wistful determination bordering on greed for the delight of uncovering the unknown. I listen to it, and I picture people (well, ponies, but I said I'd leave that aside) building crystal towers into the sky, and shining lattices that connect worlds.

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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-03 11:29:21

I managed to miss this remix despite all the noise around it. And wow, that's really excellent -- what would you expect but goodness from the Aversas? :) The choice of synths is on spot. Jillian's voice is beautiful, as always. My words cannot describe the quality of the remix, so I'll just finish by saying that it's also nice to see modern soundtracks getting some OCR love! :)

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Daniel Caton
on 2015-12-02 11:57:58

Bridges about bridges. What have you DONE? Anyhow, this is yet another epic collaboration between Jill and zircon. I don’t think there’s much more that needs to be said, but golly, I’m gonna give it a shot. Jill’s vocals are a joy to listen to, and zircon’s electronic soundscapes are constantly swirling around and forming a powerful backdrop. The intro, oddly enough, reminds me of Owl City’s Fireflies. Anyone else, or am I just nuts? Regardless, I wanna see that collaboration, guys. Get on it. The layered vocals and constant arps work together really well. I might have liked a bit more on the bassy side, but that's just a personal choice and it's more than fine without it. I officially approve of this here remix, so shoo and make with the listening.

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Musical Mantis
on 2015-05-03 04:10:51

I liked that a lot!

And it's funny, because last year my indoor Drumline's show was called Burning Bridges (Clarksville Audio Theater if you're interested). But yeah, thought was a coinkedink.

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CC Ricers
on 2014-10-21 20:07:15

Wow, just incredible. I could imagine that at one point this was planned to be Remix #3k.

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timaeus222
on 2014-10-20 13:38:55

Man, those harmonies are just tastefully done, especially at 1:20 - 1:36. The bass is pretty spot-on too at 2:24. 3 The 12-hour shoot was wayyyyyy worth it. :D

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Crulex
on 2014-10-20 13:22:13

This ReMix is wonderful and definitely has an uplifting spirit about it. It is nice to see a ReMix with a message of a brighter future that isn't overly cheerful or cartoony. Just beautiful and on point. Gorgeous vocal work from Jillian and awesome musical chops from Zircon. You just can't get much better than that.

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fredrikd
on 2014-10-18 04:28:51
No way! DAT ORIGINAL THO.

Yes, this is the best of both worlds!

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Tigerspike
on 2014-10-17 11:50:03

Beautiful vocals, as always. Fantastic remix, and awesome costumes in the video!

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Liontamer
on 2014-10-17 10:42:47
I liked this one better than the original :)

No way! DAT ORIGINAL THO.

------------------------

Shut the door.

S'over.

https://twitter.com/PaulMcCartney/status/523084349215109121

A tip of the hat to @zirconst @JillianAversa http://youtu.be/yj2_cdlGnkk #FanArtFriday

:nicework:

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fredrikd
on 2014-10-17 10:16:28

I liked this one better than the original :)

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OverClocked PodCast
on 2014-10-16 18:00:57

There's too much talent in this ReMix to handle! Everything about it is perfectly smooth, magical and on point. I loved the surprising, full-fledged optimism on display in the original version, and this more electronic take is super cool.

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djpretzel
on 2014-10-16 14:05:13

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Destiny (Activision , 2014, PS4)
Music by C Paul Johnson,Marty O'Donnell,Michael Salvatori,Paul McCartney,Skye Lewin,Stan LePard
Songs:
"Hope"

Tags (7)


Genre:
Pop
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Singing,Synth,Vocals: Female
Additional:
Lyrics > Lyrics: Existing
Origin > Collaboration

File Information


Name:
Destiny_Hope_Rising_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,792,199 bytes
MD5:
43d8036fb3ca388fefc3fae21bca4459
Bitrate:
222Kbps
Duration:
3:25

Some hope for the future
Some wait for the call
To say that the days ahead will be the best of all

From out of the darkness,
Our future will come
If we leave the past behind, we'll fly beyond the Sun

We will build bridges up to the sky
Heavenly light surrounding you and I

[Chorus]
Hope shines brightest in the dark
Where nothing's ever seen
Lighting undiscovered places no one's ever been

Some hope for the future
Some wait for the call
To say that our destiny will be the best of all

[Chorus]

We'll be together, sharing the load
Watching in wonder as our lives unfold
And we will build bridges up to the sky
Heavenly light surrounding you and I

Hope for the future
Hope for the future
Hope for the future
Hope...

Hope for the future
Hope for the future
Hope...
Hope...

Hope

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