RT8: [NOT] the Last Remix Tournament

[CountVonNumenor]

Alright, time for my review

 

ARA - Area 4 (Capital City of Flowers in the Sky)

Oh, so this song is from Bouhou Youyoumu. I am only used to the previous game (Koumakyou), but I know this one is pretty much the same idea. Always found it funny how every dungeon exploring session starts with the crew yeeting your chosen character down the pit. But on with the song itself. For me, as it was my first taste of Touhou games (and bullet hell as a whole), PCB will always remain a game close to my soul. I never managed to finish it, but I got far enough to listen to Capital City of Flowers in the Sky while trying to get rid of that pesky Lily White [HARU DESU YO! intensifies] (also damn you, Prismriver sisters). And due to tat bias, I pretty much love in one way or another every song of that game (it is also the Touhou OST I know best). Therefore, listening to this arrangement made me get back to some sweet memories. 

Simply out of the nostalgia factor, I will rate it 8.5/10

 

Kommisar - Maple Dream

First time I am listening to Kommisar. It was actually quite a good song though. I got myself quite familiar with Changeability of Strange Dream, but I will be honest and say it took me quite a while until that lightbulb in my head lightened and said "Hey, I know this song". Still, I would say it was a good arrangement of a neat original song that finishes the album. 

Overall, I'll rate it 7.5/10

 

Shibayan Records - MyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyon!

Indeed, quite a lot of Myon. Not to be confused with MyonMyonMyon! (Myon x3), MyonMyonMyonMyon! (Myon x4), MyonMyonMyonMyonMyon! (Myon x5), MyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyon! (Myon x7), MyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyon! (Myon x8) or Myoisia (best exemplified in the so-called "Myon Saga"). Anyway, I have chosen this song because it has quite a bit of nostalgia factor for me. It was one of the first Touhou music arrangements I have listened to, and originally found it not through the official Shibayan Records upload, but through another source that used an image from Sazanami Mio  - that upload no longer exists, so I am using the official one. Anyway, what I find funny, but also a bit stupid, is that I was listening to Shibayan Records in the early days as a Touhou enjoyer, yet did not realize it. It literally took me a year to figure out that the song that had a Youmu pic was the same song as the one I knew from long ago, and therefore had contact with the music circle for longer than I thought (for context, in the autumn of 2021 I was having a bit of a Shibayan phase, in which I used to listen to a lot of their stuff). I had at least 2-3 options of what I could have picked from them, including Desert Years, Tiny Little Adiantum and one more Yuuka-related song whose name I cannot get to right now. 

Conclusion - I will rate this Myon/Myon

[buskerdog]

I'm keeping it brief this time as I've been rather busy.

Boho Youyoumu Area 4

A pretty upbeat chiptune arrangement which reminds me of early Sonic OST. The instruments in this are really well balanced so that nothing feels grating, but what I liked most was that this has some really cool counter melodies in it. It's a really nice listen that has plenty of deviation from the original theme while still being distinctly a Capital City of Flowers in the Sky remix. Also, I did have a listen to Ken's looped version for convenience. 7/10.

Maple Dream

Now this one is very interesting, it sounds not just like a chiptune remix but seems to have a lot of synthwave influence in there as well. It's much heavier sounding than the previous chiptune feature, and it also seems less conventional than what you'd usually expect of chiptune, which makes it pretty novel. I like the creative direction, it's very cool and I think it's well done, I just don't personally enjoy it as much as the other chiptune, so 6/10.

MyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyon!

Myon of many indeed, this is a song I first heard 3 years ago so this is a bit of a trip down memory lane. Very chic and cute, and composed of a lot of repeating sounds that only slowly develop throughout the song, it has a vibe that I can just zone out to, which is something I like about a lot of Shibayan Records' songs. The vocals really support that, they sound so sweet and also really stick out, since they don't really match up with the background music or even the original source song. There's also just the fact that 3L has to be one of my favourite vocalists. 8/10, would myon again.

[SasaMisa]

10) Okay, this is the first of the tunes I chose, and for a twist of fate, I may never have even experienced it to cite to you all in the first place. It was pure chance that I came across TopNep's channel on YouTube while researching Japanese study aids, and an even bigger coincidence that he decided to speedrun Bouhou Youyoumu around the same time as well. (#^_^#)

The game, which is great by the way, features a lot of wonderful pieces (I adore the remixed track for Chen's stage), yet this one stands out for me as the most emotional for sure. Capital City of Flowers in the Sky was also already one of my favourites due to its very prominent placing on the Heaven stage of Wandering Souls, long before I ever played PCB. It's such an uplifting track and only loses out to Onigashima in the Fairyland due to my love for Suika. (^_~)

Ah, and Gou: I mentioned before on YouTube I didn't pick anything from the Scarlet Family games, but that I did choose something from one of Marokaka's other titles - this was it! In addition, the sole reason I haven't done a playthrough for this one is because I quit in dismay upon losing to Sakuya on the Extra stage while doing a speedrun for the game. I would have beaten the best time I've seen online by quite a margin simply by skipping a load of the grinding (level 16 instead of 20), but I carelessly forgot to buy the Koakuma item and bloody died because of it. Haven't been back to it since. (-_-)

8.5/10

11) Oh my god!! This sounds like it could have been produced on the Commodore 64 itself. It's so similar in tone to the sort of thing Ben Daglish & Matt Gray did for The Last Ninja games, it's uncanny... I've got to show it to my mate and see what he thinks. (*_*)

As for tune itself, well I like it, what can I say. I'm not familiar with the original, but other than it getting a bit repetitive towards the end, I think it deserves a very high rating merely for its damn unique style alone. (^_^)

9/10

12) This is pleasant, very "fuwafuwa" like Myon, and indeed the sort of thing you can have on in the background and it won't disturb you in the slightest. Vocals are nice too and fit the track well. Not much more I can really say about it that hasn't already been said, other than excellent pick, CVN! (=^_^=)

8/10

Edited June 22, 2022 by SasaMisa
Word substitution.

[Gou the frog]

10: ARA - Area 4 (Capital City of Flowers in the Sky):

Game osts, I have a soft spot for these kinds of tracks. Well, this sounds like pokemon to me which does bring some good memories of mine. Aye, it almost brought me a tear. 

8/10

11: Kommisar - Maple Dream:

Odd, the video is unavailable for me so VPN it is then. (It works perfectly when I messed around with the flags) All right, onto the arrangement itself, What? this a chiptune week eh? First time listening to Kommisar, I don't have a whole lot to say but it does ring nicely; Ah, my old man would truly enjoy this; simply beautiful.

8.5/10

12: Shibayan Records - MyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyon!:

Still, not the first time I had a feeling of hearing a certain song somewhere before. Oh, the Myon saga, might be nostalgic for others but mine hasn't come come out on stage yet so, this starts off strong and have this everlasting myon cast upon you. (How Myon jokes are here including Ken's) Aye, I feel like a I've become younger the longer I listen to this piece. Oh, I'll give a near 5 star dish rating being:

(7.5) 4/ 6 Myon

[Drunken_Flower]

sorry for the late reply i've been quite busy in past few days

10: ARA - Area 4 (Capital City of Flowers in the Sky)
eyy i've played this game, the soundtracks are actually bops
the tempo is faster than what i usually expect from Capital City of Flowers in the Sky, still works, i still feel the ambient in it.

7/10

11: Kommisar - Maple Dream
eyy Kommisar, been a while since i heard that name.
and an 8-bit arrange, while it still count in chiptune, it has whole different feel yeah?
tbh i feel the opening is quite bland, idk why, everything seems in check but i just doesn't feel like it.
the main part is amazing tho

wait what happened in 3:05? the transition feels a bit sudden.
hmm yeah i prefer the earlier parts.

7.5/10

why sudden increase in chiptune

12: Shibayan Records - MyonMyonMyonMyonMyonMyon!
the 6 myon
sorry but i hafta give you a bit of rarity penalty, i highly doubt any 2hu enthusiast haven't heard about this iconic song.

hmmmmm idk what to comment
i feel like since everyone knows about this song, everyone share the same feeling. it's also quite obvious.
yeah it's a bop 3Love Shibayan

but despite how many times i heard this arrange
i can't point out where the original is??? is it because me not really liking youmu theme??

8/10

 

[Ken Hisuag]

Halfway through.

ROUND 5:

13: Unlucky Morpheus - Feast the Night Away
Suika with a friend! Lyric video available in the Vault.

Spoiler

 

14: Yukari - Palace of the Earth Spirits
Climactic Heartfelt Fancy! Video's a bit loud, so I recommend turning your volume down a bit before starting, and adjusting it as needed.

Spoiler

 

15: A-One - Moondust (DJ Command Remix)
Eurobeat with progression! Remember to re-adjust volume from the previous feature.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Ken Hisuag

[SasaMisa]

13) I may not be as huge a fan of Broken Moon as I am Onigashima in the Fairyland, but even I recognise a good tune when I hear one. Making it sound as if the two oni themselves are singing it is also great. Love those Suika & Yuugi images as well, especially the second one there. Okay, my overall rating might be a little biased on account of these facts, yet it is what is it, I suppose. (^_^)

9/10

14) Ah, I wasn't expecting my third pick to come out quite so soon, but as it has, I had better tell you all why I rate it as the best tune in the game, not to mention the best remix of Heartfelt Fancy to boot:-

Pure chance again that I happened to click on somebody's playthrough of Touhou Hack and Slash, which had him wandering around the cavern with Marisa on the 1st floor blasting everything with Master Spark on Hard difficulty. Now, at the time, back in late 2014, I wasn't that impressed with what I saw and for a while, I simply moved on and thought no more about it. A few months later though, I woke up one morning thinking about the tune on that section, which I didn't know by name despite it also appearing in Wandering Souls on the Underworld stage ("The Bridge People No Longer Cross"). Seriously, I didn't even know who the girl walking about on Floor 3 with all the iron golems was at this point - sorry about that Isaac! (^_^;)

In any event, I located the video again, plus some others, and decided to give it a go myself after downloading it from this very site as it happens. To say I was instantly hooked is an understatement and it quickly took 2nd place on my list of favourite Touhou fangames after the aforementioned Wandering Souls. Imagine my surprise when getting to the 4th floor and realising it was indeed just like Diablo with multiple locations, as well as unlockable characters. Okay, it may seem obvious now that the game is based upon Subterranean Animism, with the Scarlet Devil Mansion and Moriya Shrine thrown in for good measure, but back then, I knew almost nothing about Touhou Project remember. (-_-)

To cut a long story short: I played it to death in the years that followed, finished it with all 4 girls, on all 4 levels of difficulty, without a single death. Even found the original Japanese version and played that, on top of an earlier revision & demo version just to see what was changed. Longest play session was 2 months, an average of 12-16 hours a day, from New Years Eve when I got woken up by a bunch of drunks outside my window, right round until my birthday on February 28th. I have finished an entire run in just 10 days, however, and may well be the only person to ever 100% complete it no death/no restart. (*_*)

I haven't played it quite that obsessively since... indeed, the playthrough on my YouTube channel is an average run on Normal difficulty with Reimu alone. My one regret was that I never got to tell Nijiiro Hitsuji just how much I adore his game because his site went away before my Japanese reached the level where I could formulate a meaningful response. I didn't get to play the next game he was working on either, which featured Youmu (I've still got the dinky rotating sprite he put up somewhere), although I did manage to download Touhou Explorer, which was also a ton of fun, not least from seeing where all the sprites for Hack and Slash came from originally. (^w^)

With that out of the way (apologies for gushing on about the game so profusely and hijacking your thread somewhat, Ken, but I don't often get to talk about the aspects of Touhou that I enjoy with people whom I know give a damn), it was a no-brainer for me to choose this particular piece as my favourite. Same as with anything relating to Satori in general, the sheer melancholy contained within it suits my sensibilities right down to the ground. Yeah, the original is nice and the one in Adventures of Scarlet Curiosity is really awesome too, yet this one gets me in the feels every time. Not going to give it a 10 because that's just silly, but it's damn near that as far as I'm concerned. (#^_^#)

9.5/10

15) Hmm, I assumed this one was going to be some kind of ballad to begin with, and then it totally changed, except not in an entirely unpleasant fashion. Those English subtitles leave a lot to be desired though (parts of the song aren't even translated), not that it's any worse than what I've come to expect from Western translations of songs and it in no way detracts from the material itself. Unsure I agree with the single Japanese comment on YouTube either, which says it would have been better with a female vocalist; interested to see what you guys think there. Also, who's the character in the image? I don't recognise her! (I thought it might be Keine without her hat). Well, regardless, I'm going to give it a very good rating overall. (^_~)

8.5/10

Edited July 11, 2022 by SasaMisa
Word substitution.

[Tenkko]

13. Unlucky Morpheus - Feast the Night Away

I heard about Unlucky Morpheus in passing and told myself "hey I should listen to more of them" and then I didn't. I think they have since moved to their own original stuff? Anyways, Broken Moon arranges are always fun. The oni are always fun. This is a fun song. The double vocals making it seem like it's being sung by both Yuugi and Suika is a really nice choice. Just wish the upload was higher quality but that has no bearing on the song.

7/10

14. Yukari - Palace of the Earth Spirits

This actually reminds me of something and I don't know what. Like the whole way it's arranged. It's really nice, some really good ambience, with a lot of percussion underneath to keep things moving. Really like all the little arpeggios on that synth too, it gives the whole song this like "dreamy" feel. It's a bit too low-profile for my taste though but, again it is bgm. 's alright.

6/10

15. A-One - Moondust (DJ Command Remix)

Eurobeat is something I enjoy on occasion (or whenever there's a driving section in a game), but if I listen to too much of it at a time I start to hate it. Now this is a very mellow one which is a nice change of pace for the genre, but idk I feel it's missing... something. Like it has no bite. And not just because it's slow, like I went and listened to the original arrange by GET IN THE RING and I prefer that 10 times over.

5/10

7 hours ago, SasaMisa said:

Unsure I agree with the single Japanese comment on YouTube either, which says it would have been better with a female vocalist: interested to see what you guys think there.

Yeah I think it would've been better with higher pitched vocals. Wouldn't have sold me on it still but, yeah. Also that is indeed Keine without her silly hat.

Edited June 26, 2022 by Tenkko

[Shionne Imeris]

1. I'm really fond of UM but this song's either one of their much much older works or youtube compression/uploader source completely screwed it and quality is quite bad while technically it doesn't affect how good/bad song is (at least in first case where song is really old) i would rather listen it in better quality aside of that UM vocalist and guitarist as always doing great work

7/10 because quality

2. Heartfelt Fancy belongs to my top 4 themes and most likely it'll always be thus why it's arranges have an extra effect on me this one lies on the weaker side of those but it's still solid regardless and also doesn't wander off too far of the original track (subjective and depends on circumstances but still)

8/10

3. I was pretty sure it's going to be eurobeat even before i've read Ken's comment and only A-One was enough though Commander sometimes does really neat stuff (i usually don't dabble in euro too much despise it's fair similarities to trance and such) in most cases (music in general) i prefer female vocals over male ones but there are some exceptions that prove to really be amazing despise male vocals (5150, ICDD et cetera)

6.5/10

[buskerdog]

I feel like I keep being super slow on these, and then see people's posts and realise that I'm actually not last...

Feast the Night Away

Hey, nice to see some Unlucky Morpheus representation! Double drunken vocal with a full on energetic opening. The mix of folk and hard rock is something I'm easily bought by, and I think that the flute brings out a traditional party feel that's very fitting for the Oni. I also like how Demystify Feast was thrown in there for some musical variety, just at the point it seemed it was about to become very simple and repetitive. The main focal point of this song, however, is clearly supposed to be the singing double act, and it's certainly a dynamic I dig. The upload quality of this video could really be better, but that's not going to effect my judgement. The arrange could have been more creative, but it has a solid instrumental, fun vocals, and rockin' energy; a song that appeals to simple pleasures. 6/10.

Palace of the Earth Spirits

Master Spark solves everything

This is an interesting take on Heartfelt Fancy that I have interesting thoughts on. There's some nice ominous chords going on, setting a cool tone. Not the biggest fan of the main melody instrument especially right at the beginning, but things seems to even out and figure out how to blend together after a bit. What am I fan of is the weird echoey vibe noises, for lack of a better term, I love experimental ambient stuff like that. The arrange also seems increase in intensity throughout the loop, but it does so in a very subtle way that you don't really notice it happening. It also gets more of those echoey noises during the high point of the song so I dig.

Strange to talk about, but kind of groovy. 6/10.

Moondust

It is no secret that I am a fan of the eurobeat. But despite eurobeat having been featured several times before on the remix tournament, both by me and other participants, I've never given one a 10. Why? Well, that's because for me, the golden standard for eurobeat is something like Moondust. A combination of that signature high-energy dance beat, emotional musical progression throughout the song, and meaningful lyrics make this an absolute treat. Funnily enough, this is actually a eurobeat cover of a song that is originally one of GET IN THE RING's ballads, and a song that has received numerous other covers by doujin circles. This takes the strongest parts of eurobeat and supplements it with the strengths of the original song, patching up the traditional weaknesses eurobeat has making for something truly sublime. 10/10.

By the way, the other versions of this song are totally worth your time too. Maybe I'll make a post about them on musical discoveries after the tournament is over. And since everyone's been discussing about the vocalist, here's my take: I really like that this version is sung by a male because all the other versions of this song are sung by a female. It's different, and I like to hear that guys can sing the same lyrics as girls too : )

Also, it's kinda ironic that AXEL K. of all people sings this lol, since his past work is pretty much the definition of "eurobeat go brrrrr"

@Shionne Imeris I know you're referring to Unlucky Morpheus, but I can only read UM as Unconnected Marketeers...

[Shionne Imeris]

4 hours ago, buskerdog said:

I know you're referring to Unlucky Morpheus, but I can only read UM as Unconnected Marketeers...

Haha fair enough

[Drunken_Flower]

my excuse is that i forgot
13: Unlucky Morpheus - Feast the Night Away

Spoiler

that's a sudden opening.
tbf ive listened to hell lot of suika arrange and holy ive been spoiled with them.
this was an early piece from UM and i know there's better arrange than this so that kinda put this one on quite a disadvantage.
yeah yeah i know about the upload quality, i already considered about that.

kinda wished the metal part is more audible, this one just feels like rock.
you can hear slight gothic in the background and that's about it.
i have no other comments than that
nowadays UM is so much better, that sets the expectation bar quite high for an older work.

while i like this, i dont think i will choose this one among others
6/10
ah yes the usual tournament rating where we rate earlier rounds too high.

 

3:50 WHAT IS THAT CREDITS?!? UNACCEPTABLE!!!

On 6/27/2022 at 4:39 AM, Tenkko said:

I heard about Unlucky Morpheus in passing and told myself "hey I should listen to more of them" and then I didn't. I think they have since moved to their own original stuff

yeah they better off not doing 2hu arrange lmao, i think 2hu will only hold them back at this point
you should listen to their original stuff if the genre meets your taste. psst!! i love angreiver

While looking for another video with better quality, i got distracted with 'reaction' videos, didn't know they very popular to the west audience.

14: Yukari - Palace of the Earth Spirits

Spoiler

eyy i know about this game, the story is poorly made!
tbf it's a small game.

somehow this track feels repetitive while also not.
it has ambient echo vibes which makes sense since the settings was in a cave, ok not quite a cave but chireiden, both have same feel.
given without context will make the echo/reverb feel overwhelming.
the arrangement itself also quite faithful to the original, the notable difference is the percussion, the synth stays to the original melody.

idk what to compare this to from top of my head
6/10
6 is a good number

i spent more than a hour looping this, hoping i can find something to comment.

15. A-One - Moondust (DJ Command Remix)

Spoiler

why the vocal sounds like non-Japanese speaker?

This is softer than usual eurobeat, kinda nice to see another take on eurobeat.
while some of you might feel something off, yeah that's because this a `give and take` situation.
you cant have upbeat and mellow at the same time, it's one or other.
and in the end it depends on your taste.

the second vocal kinda conflicting at times, especially at 2:40, they both at the same volume, the focus is split apart.
while also there's lyrics, i dont really pay attention to the lyrics since i dont really think the meanings is the focus in this song.

hmm what kind of situation would this play in?
ending credits?

7.5/10

you sure like Keine dont you?

 

 

[Shionne Imeris]

58 minutes ago, Drunken_Flower said:

yeah they better off not doing 2hu arrange lmao, i think 2hu will only hold them back at this point
you should listen to their original stuff if the genre meets your taste. psst!! i love angreiver

recently they released evolution album and m (evolution version is so damn good)
 

Spoiler

 

[Gou the frog]

13: Unlucky Morpheus - Feast the Night Away:

Alright the piece I have choose has finally came onto the stage: This express me well enough that Yuugi and Suika got in a duet, and sang to their heart's content. This shall be my first step to differentiate how a song is good or bad. 

8.5 /10  

Spoiler

I got a bit carried away with the song quality and the repetitiveness of suika arranges. Damm, well, I need to gather more rare ones that are actually good ones. (Ironic that I chose two arrange that are old and get countered by newer work; *Need to Improve my taste)

14: Yukari - Palace of the Earth Spirits

Very wild... yes, the ambience is! The progression of the song feels natural but also unnatural. I don't know how to put it but really. The main melody is a interesting choice; I can respect SasaMisa choice for this, so 6? Nah 7/10. 

15: A-One - Moondust (DJ Command Remix):

Oh my lord, this is one of the best things I've listened to. The singer being a male is a very refreshing start; the start of the song is just so magical, the energy this song gives and puts in. The instruments are truly carefully chosen; the guitar just draws you in closer. The beat, which I expected to be stale, but boy, have I never felt this good after proven wrong; such powerful tunes with a lot of emotions driven across this arrangement. It's just, I don't know why, but this speaks directly to my soul; it feels really fulfilling, like that one time I played "Mystia's Izakaya." It is like everything about my good old times with the lads and memories of an innocent childhood. Anyway, the beat here is both mellow and upbeat. Yeah, about that. I believe I also love those two being experimented with in the song. The pause near the end of the song is really something. (I really rumbled on this one, didn't I?)

Shut Up And Take My Rating of 9.π/10 

Well, It's really fun to listen too most of the styles, remixes, arranges and old music being picked in this eight tournament, seems like it's going to end soon. Aye, I really want to see Ken's picks, maybe in the next one?

[CountVonNumenor]

After a week of delaying my answer, it is finally time to revire this round of songs. 

 

Unlucky Morpheus - Feast the Night Away

This has probably been my favorite song of the round. I like the duet, and consider that the voice chosen for Yuugi was very fitting. Definitely made me curious for more songs of these guys, or even of this duo. Also, Broken Moon really makes for a lot of good remixes. 

Knowing what I said, I will give it an 8/10

 

Yukari - Palace of the Earth Spirits

The original song is familiar, but I cannot remember where to place it in SA. Was it the Stage 4 theme? As a whole, I think it works well as a stage theme, as seen in this little fangame and arrangement (although I am more used to the version used in another fan game, Help me remember, Satori-sama!). However, I do not really see anything too groundbreaking with it, or to catch my attention. Which is not a bad thing, don't get me wrong. It's just...a good ambient song. 

I will probably give this one a 6/10

 

A-One - Moondust (DJ Command Remix)

In my early days with the fandom, I used to listen to quite a few Eurobeat tracks, with the ones catching my attention being the songs in English for A-ONE. Then , I had the surprise to find out Stack also had at least one Eurobeat song, i the form of Last Alarm. Sine that, I have not really found anything new. This song is a bit of a comeback to what I used to listen to in that phase, but maybe not enough. Maybe these songs can be a bit of a hit or miss? I am starting to feel this sort of thing for the first time - nope, I think the first time was when listening to the album Coooonsultant!, where the first two and last song were very good, while the rest of the album was a bit...yeah. This song, probably not as remarkable as I would have imagined. Maybe I did not pay enough attention, but I could not track the original song (despite being Keine-related)

Sorry to say this, I will probably also give it a 6/10

Edited July 3, 2022 by CountVonNumenor

[Ken Hisuag]

ROUND 6:

16: Touhou Gengaku Kyo - Demoness of the Underworld
Spooky, or sad? But only for a short period; such is the way with Merry remixes. Despite my efforts, I couldn't work out a translation of this title.

Spoiler

 

17: ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers
Over to epic orchestra. Quite a contrast in energy, eh?

Spoiler

 

18: S.S.H. & Aether - Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse
Then into epic something else. It has elements of symphonic orchestra, but I'm not willing to commit to that assessment.

Spoiler

 

For now, there is no deadline for round conclusion (we may discuss that post-tournament), but I would recommend aiming to get your reviews in within a week.

Edited July 6, 2022 by Ken Hisuag
Temptation to label it "Homely Demoness . . ."

[SasaMisa]

Not my review, merely to help out with that first title:-

黄泉醜女

It comes out as "Demon of the Underworld", though I would stress that we are talking a 'female' demon here (shikome can also mean a homely woman). Yomotsu is just a variation on yomi, another word for Hades, hell, or the underworld. Oh yes, the Japanese have dozens of terms for it. (^u^)

東方弦楽郷

The circle name is simply "Eastern String Township", as in a stringed instrument. (^_^)

Edited July 11, 2022 by SasaMisa
Word substitution.

[CountVonNumenor]

Alright, this time I should be a little faster with the review. So, what do we have today...?

 

Touhou Gengaku Kyo - Demoness of the Underworld

Hey, a little bit of content from Surnist (yeah, I really miss him - Surnist, where are you? It's been a year already without content). The song itself is quite beautiful. It was extremely sad, but also beautiful thanks to orchestral. In all my honesty, I have never listened to Mary the Magician, and still have to explore the music CDs outside Changeability of Strange Dream and Neo-traditionalism of Japan. But I think another remix for this song was also used in LostWord for the ost recent Hifuu chapter, and I then I realized the melodic line sounded so similar. Definitely I should check out the original song, and congratulations to the arrangement creators,

Absolutely loved this, and due to also having a bit of a personal bias for Maribel and Renko & music CDs they are featured on, I will rate this 9.5/10, or maybe even give it my first 10/10. Quite an emotional song, and something I enjoyed a lot. 

 

ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers

Finally, another arrangement for Chimata's theme. Until now, I only knew a couple more remixes - Infinite Gradation from Akatsuki Records (and featured in the first round of this tournament), and a metal cover from YaboiMatoi. I think I have listened in the past to a few more orchestral covers from this group, and all were quite good. Plus, I am just happy to see more Chimata content. I am gonna get into a bit of a side story now: when the full story of Unconnected Marketeers came out last year, I was not yet a Tenkyuu fan. I though she was looking interesting, liked the sky cape, and thought people were too harsh when calling her "worse looking than a Touhou OC" (despite myself affectionally nicknaming her "fashion disaster" to put her in a similar light to Hecatia). But as time went on, and fanart appeared, she started growing more and more until becoming m favorite 2hu from UM, thus overthrowing a weird duo formed by Sannyo and Tsukasa (ay, fox lady gonna be fox lady). Now I am just happy to see her whenever the case,  and can't wait for her appearance in LW now that the other characters from TH18 are starting to get in. 

For the Chimata factor, I am gonna give it an 8.5/10

Art by miz_(mizillustration) https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/99522508

 

S.S.H. & Aether - Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse

Alright, this has been an interesting one. Quite a variety of music types (or maybe I am going crazy and started hearing things that are not there), going from symphonic to rock and at some point even a bit of chip-tune? Then at 4:30 suddenly singer. Quite refreshing to hear a male voice singing something, and he sounds a bit familiar. Where have I heard him before? Might have been in Touhou Spell Bubble. Overall, it's an interesting arrangement, with a variety of things going on every now and then - not that it is a bad thing, don;t get me wrong. 

For this song, I think I will give it a 7/10

[Shionne Imeris]

1. it really feels quite emotional with these swaps but overall i'd rather say it's more on a sad side quite a nice one too also songs that come from mari and renko albums are usually good themselved so it adds up nicely

7.8/10

2. Chimata's theme is def a th18 mvp for me, this one's also quite solid and while i would prefer it more as rock/symphonic metal this one works for me (would like to see more parts like 3:03 for example)

7.5//10

3. yo Saitama! Been a while, huh?  This one's surprisingly calm compared to quite a few of his works and that's prob a - for me but it's still kay and at least his guitar solo in this continues tradition of being good (seems like there's some rap added which must be either a guest vocalist or samples i guess

8/10 mostly but not only for solo and ending

[buskerdog]

NO MORE PROCRASTINATE

Demoness of the Underworld

Eerie orchestral, yet also meloncholic and emotional. Violins can very easily sound bad when they are not done well, but I can happily say that this is not the case in this piece. I thought that the piano was a bit loud at the end but that's really the only critisism I can bring against it. Despite literally only containing a piano and a violin it sounds and feels like there's way more going on, so you can tell they really nailed the atmosphere. 8/10, this is quality stuff that really sets a scene.

Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers

More orchestra! But this one get me ready for FITE!
The drums in this already set a really crazy pace, the whole energy of the piece is incredibly motivating, while also creating a sense of danger/climax. As the description says, "epic final boss music is epic". This take on orchestral is not afraid to up the intensity with more modern flavour either, I can definitely feel some metal influence in those drums at times. The cherry on top is the delicacy added by the traditional Japanese instruments. This piece uses lots of different ways to bring out the epic in orchestra, and it uses practically all of them well, without any sections feeling like they step on the toes of others. And I also have to mention that I'm a fan of the brief drum solo bit. This is a 9/10.

Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse

I was intrigued by this right at the opening. It felt like it was leading up to something big, and indeed, that big thing came. The main melody in hard rock form on top of the chosen chord progression and counter-melody already makes for incredibly energising music. The following, techno-whistley section makes for a very nice sounding break to relax for a moment. Then, after that, you're gonna throw HARD ROCK PAN PIPES AT ME??? My secret weakness, pan pipes - now you've got me invested. The epicness of the music is really sinking in, you could certainly describe it as epic rock or metal. At 3.20 the tune is also being shaken up a bit now it's been repeated a few times, very much approve. As if this song didn't have enough going for it already, we've even got a funky break down section in there. Finally, there's suddenly J-RAP??? My OTHER secret weakness??? HOW??? The ending guitar riffs are just pure cool, I'm getting some Stone McKnuckle energy there. Meiling fans, rise for your national anthem I guess, 10/10.

Time to spend 5 minutes learning Meiling combos in Soku before giving up.

 

Still two more rounds to go. Ken, surely we're not getting a better overall round than this, right?

[Tenkko]

Kept putting this off which I kinda regret because this is a really, really good round

16: Touhou Gengaku Kyo - Demoness of the Underworld

I don't know if Merry the Magician is one of my favorites from GFC, but I definitely love the vibe it has going and the few interpretations I've heard of it capture it perfectly. Including this one. Piano+strings is a great combo and it fits this song really well. Gets rid of the more energetic rhythm in favor of showing the more spooky, melancholic side of the original, which I think is really the best part of it. There's a bit of light around 2:00 before it jumps back to the dissonance for the ending. Love it.

9/10

17: ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers

I swear this reminds me of another soundtrack and I can't remember it right now. Anyways orchestra with drums, metal drums it seems. Good! Very grandiose, very energetic, very "top 10 anime fights". Big fan of the reharmonization work during the 2:30 part, and also that one swapped chord at both 2:08 and 4:00 that gives it a more menacing and sinister sound and that I spent 20 minutes trying to pinpoint what it was.

8/10 where is that bus?

18: S.S.H. & Aether - Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse

Few months ago I decided to dig a little bit more into SSH's stuff and when I arrived at this track, hoo boy. That intro already gave me some expectations but what I got was so much more. The main melody is kept pretty straightforward which is nice, while the B section gets some neat instrumentation and some more variations, really like those electronic drums the first time round though. Then that break down. That break down is so good. Followed by a guitar solo with the vocals blasting, right into another variation of the B section and then jumping back to the main melody yes. Pretty sure the vocals are samples, think they used them in other songs too but damn if they don't work great here.

/10

Edited July 9, 2022 by Tenkko

[Drunken_Flower]

time flew so fast

16: Touhou Gengaku Kyo - Demoness of the Underworld
according to Japanese mythology, Yomotsu-Shikome is a... hag.. of the underworld sent by Izanami to chase Izanagi.

im wondering what that name implies to this track.
the album is named after Izanami, so that could mean something.
after a bit of research, ohmygod the album is quite a deep rabbithole, it even has a sister album from Izanagi perspective.
i think this track is meant to be listened together with whole album. i want this album... wdym the booth.pm is out of stock, WHY!
definitely tragic song. it's tragic since i cant seem to get my hands on the remaining tracks

it's supposedly a simple track, only consisting 3 instruments; piano, violin and a cello.
even though, the arranger seems have given a lot of thought into this track, each note and progression tells a story, you can even feel the emotions.
they know what to express, i can clearly understand what they trying to convey.

i'd say it's a 10/10

according to the info, all 6 tracks of the album is Mary the Magician, can you believe an album made from a single track?
even after hearing the crossfade, they all are not the same to each other, each one is unique.
the arranger must really love this track, then i understand why this arrangement is so amazing.

17: ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers
i have to increase volume 200% relative to the previous track, is this one muted or the previous is too loud? although the previous is my usual hearing volume.

hmm i feel the brass section is a bit muffled, they are not bold enough.
i'd say the same for the percussion at the opening, although they have more intensity in later part.
i think this a mastering issue, the whole track lacks treble.

so yeah i can sense the track wanted an epic boss feel, and it's definitely has acquired it
8/10

the flute never came back.

18: S.S.H. & Aether - Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse
hmm i feel this one is a bit more hectic
rock synth? i mean they've made rock synth before yeah but i usually listen to S.S.H for their heavier stuff.
i think this track is from their first touhou album.

the build up is quite amazing and i love the guitar riff.
is it me or there's a large amount of Shanghai Teahouse arranges that use synth?
im just a bit annoyed with rap, it's so sudden and caught me off guard
the vocal itself reminds me of Roughsketch, they probably has connection but i cant seem to find any mentions in their site and wiki.

7.5/10

[Gou the frog]

Last but not least

16: Touhou Gengaku Kyo - Demoness of the Underworld:

(I also miss Surnist) It's definitely a master class in giving the story to the listener still, the strings are pulled carefully and in consideration. Even thought it has less instruments it make more 8.8/10

17: ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers:

Chimata eh? That's a instant up. It's really wild and how should I put it the boss theme that she should have when you find out the Busting Market. That aside, I can't really think of what to comment. 

So 7.5/10 eh?

18: S.S.H. & Aether - Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse:

Ah, now this is something else with lots of rhythm shifting and quite a variety of them. Also, the rap indeed surprised me in a good way. Really, another Shanghai Teahouse which never fails to impress me and boons points for Meiling.

A Jolly 8/10

Alright, now that covers me.

[SasaMisa]

Not quite, Gou! I'm the last person this time: my original post was just to help out with the title translation. Apologies as well for holding things up, yet I've been inundated with work on Gelbooru, and there's no sign of it letting up any time soon either. (*_*)

16) Hmm, having watched a great playthrough of Ender Lillies quite recently, this piece at once made me think of that game because it does have an extremely melancholic tone to it (also thought it was a Lily White game first of all from the thumbnail on StoneofTriumph's channel, but we won't go into that here).

Nice piece all the same and now that I've actually got pretty much all the Ghostly Field Club stuff on the way - even though it won't be arriving much before the end of August now, I would guess - I definitely have a lot of tracks to look forward to listening to. (=^_^=)

8.5/10

17) Still not that familiar with Kouryuudou, having only watched a single playthrough of it. Epic boss music in any case; the sort of thing I just know Evil_Nazgul would have used in his Team ⑨ game if he had continued with it to the present. (^_~)

8/10

18) My dad was a big Shadows fan and a pretty decent guitar player to boot, so understandably, I've always gravitated towards instrumental music. I don't mind vocals if they're done well, although I'm not a fan of rap at all. For that reason, I'm going to have to knock a point off for this one, but I'll soften the blow a bit for that smashing Meiling image. Regardless of my feelings, I've still sent it to my mate who's a big Meiling fan, just to get his impression on it. (^w^)

7.5/10

Edited July 11, 2022 by SasaMisa
Adding some text.

[Ken Hisuag]

ROUND 7:

19: Water Color Melody. - M.E.P.H.I.S.T.O.
Some funky flavour for our enjoyment.

Spoiler

 

20: Komeiji Records - Elegant Ice Maiden
A fun little fairy arrangement, with some unique genre clash.

Spoiler

 

21: Demetori - Higan Retour ~ View of The River Styx
The awe-infused epic of symphonic metal.

Spoiler