Musical Discoveries in Touhou Fandom

[Ken Hisuag]

Bonus Post: Two pieces relevant to the soundtrack of Touhou 7 that I've a feeling many still haven't heard.

Some will know that Japanese Dream... features references to the Japanese folk tune Sakura. Despite being aware of the fact, I hadn't actually listened to the original song until recently.

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Towards the other direction, ZUN has been known to occasionally arrange music for projects outside of the series proper, which pieces sometimes get left out of the role calls. Charming Domination ~ Speed Fox was one such situation, and I thought some might appreciate hearing it if they hadn't before.

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[Ken Hisuag]

aocha - Passing on Through the Dendera Fields at Night
My previous experience with arrangements for this piece have focused on adjusting its energy (I'm especially fond of the Shinra-Bansho version). Thus this take on the piece stood out to me, emphasizing the atmosphere while improving on the progression. It seems a fitting opener, which is exactly what it's meant to be.

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BUTAOTOME - A Traveler's Melancholy
Again, my perception of this piece has been focused on its default presentation; I have not previously considered alternative moods for its motifs. Yet I find this more chill and friendly style very appealing, not to mention perfectly suiting the theme.

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Cajiva's Gadget Shop - Alleinreisende
For a bit of tonal contrast, I chose this uniquely styled piece against my better judgement. I have no idea what is being said in the background, and the presentation makes me nervous; still it's very well arranged, and the most creative take on the track I came across.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Lix (DJ SkyRider) - Ghostly Eyes (Overray Mix)
Though more well known for its appearance in Imperishable Night, Illusionary Night was first published in the Ghostly Field Club music collection. Given the theme of the piece, I wanted something "dark," but in a more literal sense as opposed to being ominous.

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coloured glaze - Unlimited Physics
Most arrangements of Merry the Magician lean into its discordant tones. Initially I hoped to find something intentionally not doing that, for uniqueness. However, I happened upon this one instead, and felt the hybrid style made it more melancholy; this appealed to my own perceptions of the original track.

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K2 SOUNDS - Secret Anthology
This was unreasonably difficult to find, though I fully admit my own pickiness to be at fault. I'm rather fond of Strange Bird of the Moon, and had a very specific idea in mind for its representation; but not only did I fail to find something to match my expectations, I couldn't even find anything initially that appealed to me for style. Eventually I started employing some more desperate searching strategies, and managed to find this piece; it's still not what I initially wanted, but it is certainly a creative arrangement that I believe pairs well with the preceding feature as contrast.

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[Ken Hisuag]

coro - Dim Escape
For unfamiliar names, I usually try to verify the source; unfortunately I couldn't track this one down, so I'll just have to assume the best. There's a higher energy theme this week, unintentioned but not unappreciated. All three of them are less well-known tracks, though to varying degrees; this one is reportedly an unused track from PCB, but being that it was unused it is essentially an original piece to this album.

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Silver Forest - Dieu le veult!
The first video I found of this remix was rather loud, so I sought out this quieter version; I hope this doesn't negatively impact its presentation. This is another revival from the Seihou soundtracks, and I think the heavy-yet-elegant style of this arrangement is especially fitting.

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TUMENECO - Eternal Fantasy ver.W
This is technically a collab with GET IN THE RING, but I believe its mostly the duet; the arrangement itself remains essentially unchanged. Not quite low-energy, but pleasantly smooth, as befitting an epilogue.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Eternal Lives - Returning Soul
Oriental folk, but with a twist I can't seem to put a name to. I love creative arrangements like this, and it seems fitting for this particular piece.

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Frog Apprentice - Firefly Star
There are lyrics to this piece, but the vocaloid version wasn't quite balanced enough for my tastes. The arranger seems to be intending to add an actual vocal performance at some point, but for now I deemed this instrumental version to be worth featuring.

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Red Bullet Sequence - The Night Sparrow's Song is Sucked into the Hollow Night & GYROMIX - Song of the Night Sparrow ~ Night Bird
Two-for-one on this feature. I resonated with the style of the first remix, but was having trouble picking out the source motifs. Thus, I decided to include an extra piece of more clear adaptation.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Having missed a couple weeks recently, I will resist the temptation to use Cirno Day as an excuse to pause my schedule (I can do both).

Cat Cafeteria - The Unforgettable Song
Soft rock was exactly what I wanted for this piece, and I couldn't be more pleased with this; enough source motif to be identifiable, and enough creativity to stand out.

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World End Symphonia - storytellers
This a motif that journeys, and I wanted a remix of stages for it. This was a bit higher energy than I expected, but nonetheless fits all the criteria for my favorite arrangement styles.

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Sakuzyo - Cyber Experiment
For this, I was sort of thinking folk, but was more focused on something that was both different yet complimentary to the previous feature. This has the energy and progression to fit the latter point, and the genre alone satisfies the former.

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[Ken Hisuag]

SciΦ - PARALLEL EFFECTS
One of the most legendary tracks in the entire series deserves a fittingly epic arrangement. As it so happens, I've been following this musician for a while, waiting for the ideal moment to utilize something from them for this series. IMO, nothing quite tops Path Through the Bamboo Forest from Scarlet Curiosities, but the build-up on this piece does a lot to enhance its progression. I kinda wish it was longer, though.

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Takorio - Maiden's Capriccio ~ Dream Battle
Technically a re-used motif, but with enough time and variance that I decided to consider it on its own. I picked this arrangement because it does a great job at exemplifying the way a real piano cover of a Touhou piece with minimal alteration would have to look like; this is playable, but it would be quite difficult to pull off.

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ItsaNother - Spark of Vulnerability
Alternatively, this is what it looks like to mold a motif into a new form without losing its identity, essentially drawing the line between "remix" and "arrangement," to use DF's terminology. I love the creativity evident in such pieces, although I've come to believe a balance between the two helps to develop better appreciation for both.

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[Pepi]

Not a specific song, but Someone 45356 has lots of arrangements using stranger music genres.

https://www.youtube.com/@Someone45356

 

For example, he has Cumbia Amazónica of Son Biten's theme

 

[Pepi]

Border of Life, played in a music box. I want to cry, it's so beautiful.

 

[Ken Hisuag]

Frontier Records - Cinderella Cage ~ Kagome-Kagome
I specifically wanted something in a style I'd expect to find Lunatic Eyes remixed into. As close as the two pieces are, I don't see them blending as much in their associations. Apparently this specific link won't imbed for whatever reason.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnCkZJzjQqk

Teikuru - Lunatic Eyes ~ Invisible Full Moon (Future Bass Remix)
For this one, I was looking for something high-energy and slightly off-balance. This particular find might be more balanced than I intended, but I thought it flowed well.

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fromadistance - Return of the Eternal Night
Elegant and initially serene, but with elements of tension in the buildup. I feel remixes of this piece tend to favor one aspect over the other, but the true strength of the original is the balance of both.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Kimino Museum - Gensokyo Millennium ~ History of the Moon
I never know what I'm going to settle on for these features until I've actually done it; despite intending to use something far more high-energy, I ultimately chose this for its smooth presentation of the source motifs.

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Daihuku - Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess
Again, this wasn't what I had in mind when I went looking, but nothing else seemed quite right for whatever reason. The oriental folk certainly fits the piece.

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??? - Leap of Death
Despite lacking proper credits, this was the best arrangement of Voyage 1970 I found. There aren't very many to begin with; most musicians combine it with other pieces.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Kunokaya - Extend Ash
I'm rather happy about this find. The intro keeps things slightly ominous but energetic, and when the signature motif hits it opens up into a more direct intensity. The piece swings between these two styles according to its needs, sometimes rather abruptly, thus perfectly capturing the finality of its setting.

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Asomosphere & Antipole Sounds - Cruciv
This is a bit more direct and heavy compared to the previous piece, as I believe is fitting. I might have tried for a bit more melody focus, but it may actually be better this way; it burns out quickly, and there's an appealing irony to that.

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Instead of covering the next piece in the series, I've decided to put off the likely inevitable failure of this project by featuring some related remixes I was hunting down outside of the regular features. Specifically, last week I was trying to find an arrangement that combined Gensokyo Millennium with Flight of the Bamboo Cutter, which was surprisingly difficult. In my search, I found a few other crossovers, and appreciated the various ways they each achieved their intended effect. The consistent theme between them made for an ideal set up here.

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Ochatsubo Philharmonic Orchestra - The eternal

TeK - Flight of the Bamboo Cutter vs. Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke

Konpeki Studio - ANSWER//TALKER

 

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Ken Hisuag

[Ken Hisuag]

franctanisharmonicoo - The Polar Day, The Polar Night
What a circle name! This arrangement is a bit unorthodox, but for all that it rambles, it does come together somewhat. Especially considering what a small piece this is remixed from, I appreciate the effort put into it.

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TraumereiFabrik - LET
An interesting blend of instrumentation helps reinforce the "culmination" feeling of the piece from its source material.

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Vitnoise - Ether
Ideally, this track should embody the atmosphere of the game itself, since it isn't linked to a particular moment but rather an unusual event; this remix has the necessary energy while also capturing the ethereal sound of space.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Shishimai Brothers - Fantasy Seasons
I expected Forgathering Dream to be a lot harder to search for, given that its later counterpart has more notoriety, but there are in fact a fair supply of arrangements for the piece. This one has the same mood as the original, but with an additional ethereal tone through its performance.

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It is here that I reach the first "breaking point" of my endeavor. Despite my best attempts, I could not find a remix of the next chronological track in the series. In fact, most of the original pieces from Touhou Suimusou are lacking attention among the musical talents of the fandom. Being thus forced to skip over these pieces, I have decided to mark their absence as I go, as evidence of my search. (Also, given 7.5's odd formatting, I decided to order them with alternating composers--just cause.)

Missing Tracks
{NKZ - Wanderings}
{U2 Akiyama - Silence}
{NKZ - The Moon}

SMXE - Dive
An unusual remix that's a bit too discordant for my tastes, but at least it's something.

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Gan-san-ko Usagi - Eastern Wind
This one almost feels like a technicality, given the poor quality of the recording, but it's still a cover at the very least.

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Missing Tracks
{U2 Akiyama - Solitary Place}

[Ken Hisuag]

Missing Tracks
{NKZ - Intermezzo}*

*Williatico - Intermezzo
Technically several of these missing tracks have been "covered" by this person, but they're ultimately more recreations than remixes, and as such I do not consider them sufficient for this project. Nonetheless, I though I ought to use at least one for sake of awareness, and decided on this one because of the perceived irony of the name.

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Stas Gavrik - Unexpected Visitor (Ambient Ver.)
I'm not normally a fan of Gavrik's "ambient remixes," but I must admit his style suites the source material in this case; mayhaps he'll consider doing more from 7.5 in future?

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Missing Tracks
{NKZ - Demonic Place}

Ringru Touhou Piano - Bad Omen
Short, but excellent; there's creative effort in this arrangement, especially in the accompaniment.

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Missing Tracks
{NKZ - Inner Heart}

Ika Keshi - Skypia
Skygazer was the one pre-battle theme that I found extensive coverage of; for whatever reason this track has received all the attention that the others lack. Beyond, this is a great chill arrangement.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Unknown - Swift Battle
I was really surprised to find an arrangement for this. If I understand the description correctly, it's an arrangement in the style of Touhou Puppet Play, not actually from the fangame itself (but maybe it is; I can't really tell).

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Hidenori Fan - Night Falls ~ Evening Star (Synth Techno Style)
I don't think Night Falls gets the credit it deserves; it's essentially Hartmann's, but with better character integration. This arrangement may not stray very far from the original's tone, but I don't think it needs to; the intro's subversive eeriness contrasted with the main body's progression is already everything it needs to be.

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t=NODE - Theme of Yukari ~ OP ~
I moved this down to after Evening Star because included references, and also because its tone and scope fit better as a closer. The range this arrangement traverses is impressive, yet I think it somewhat fitting for the source material as a more complete encapsulation of its greater context.

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[buskerdog]

Underrated arranger located. You know I don't come into this thread nowadays without good reason.

 

 

[Ken Hisuag]

Almost missed today.

Tonchi - Broken Moon ~ Festival
This fits better with the game's story, imo; a jovial festival theme as a prelude to battle.

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KurowaD - Oni's Island in the Fairy Land (Cross Remix)
For this oft overlooked-with-acknowledgement piece, I wanted something that conveyed the power of its motifs while retaining the many twists of the original. While the instrumentation for this one isn't quite what I expected, it accomplishes more than I could have asked for in atmosphere and progression.

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SilentBird - Waltzing at the End of Summer
Surprised, delighted and grateful am I for this remix. Reinforcing the "ending" identity of the piece, it also serves as perfect contrast to the previous two.

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[Ken Hisuag]

ZTS - Oriental Memory of Forgathering Dream ~ phantasmagoria ~ & ZTS - a vision
To find two arrangements of the same piece by the same artist with such difference between them is a noteworthy situation by my reckoning. Especially surprising to me was my contrasting preference between the two, but I shall leave that unspecified in the interest of intrigue.

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Meylan (Oto Same) - Witches' Ball ~ Magus
I've saved this one for last because of its unique status as a Touhou piece, in as much as it arguably wouldn't be one but for its inclusion in 7.5's soundtrack. Out of the few Touhou-related Seihou themes, Witches' Ball was delayed from adaptation by ZUN into the main franchise until later, and eventually ended up becoming a different piece instead. I like to think this has inadvertently led some to discover the existence of the Seihou Project when they otherwise wouldn't have.
This particular arrangement is more akin to the original piece than the remix it technically represents here, but I've always preferred the elegant tone ZUN's composition initially had.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Riverside - Silence
I found this after doing the feature that would otherwise have represented the track, so consider this an addendum.

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O-Life Japan - When they Gather they Head to the Shrine
A few of the motifs I otherwise missed are incorporated into this arrangement. It's as close as I could get, and has all the hybrid folksy flair O-Life is known for.

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DJ Abner - The Autumn Breeze has Obtained its Wish
A final bonus for the holiday. One of these years I'm not going to have anything fitting for the occasion, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

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[Ken Hisuag]

  

Unchiku Company - Children's Festival ~ Innocent Treasures
Elegance and serenity are the moods I want to associate to this piece, so a piano solo seemed the ideal arrangement to look for. Surprisingly few had the creative quality I sought, most being "carbon-copy" covers. This piece, however, accomplishes exactly the balance of originality and consistency I wanted.

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Curly Hamilton - Utopia!
Elegance and serenity are the moods the original piece contains, and this departure from that tone while remaining consistent with the progression caught my attention. This is where the line between "remix" and "arrangement" blurs, because all the parts of the original are identifiably present, but undeniably different.

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O-Life Japan - Nostalgia of the Girls of a Science Era
I probably shouldn't be using an O-Life Japan arrangement, but I couldn't pass this one up. This mix of different folks is what makes this circle noteworthy, and it continues to impress me every time I discover another example of it.

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[Ken Hisuag]

It's been a crazy day; holiday season hitting full force finally.

itm - Border Between Dreams and Reality
The spacey sound of the instrumentation here fits the title perfectly, as does the serene tone. Sometimes the simple arrangement is best after all.

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t+pazolite - Industry in Dust
Normally this would be a bit too much for me. Ironically, the tournaments have made this style somewhat nostalgic. Since it seemed to compliment the motif well, I decided to stick with it.

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hakoiri - Flower Reflecting Mound ~ Higan Retour
I'm skipping BAiJR because it would ultimately just be a matter of order. I had another option for this one that's arguably better, but the simplicity of this one appealed to me as especially suitable for the source material.

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[Ken Hisuag]

I missed Saturday, and since I intended to be here today I decided to wait.

??? - Spring Lane ~ Colorful Path
I have no reason to believe the uploader of this is the artist responsible for it, and I can't find it anywhere else (remember to cite your sources, y'all). I appreciate the energy of the arrangement, and its instrumentation reminds me of Cave Story. To justify its feature, I'm doubling up on this and the next source piece.

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n-s-lab - Fantasy, Flowers, Dancing in the Wind
There were a lot of great arrangements for Spring Path. This one is the sort to play with the harmony, teasing discord without actually falling into it. This effect fascinates me, but I can't yet define its technical aspects.

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 Arisaki Works - Oriental Dark Flight
The classical approach works surprisingly well for these motifs. I said before this theme was an oft overlooked one for me, and even now I don't know that it holds up well against its Reimu counterpart, but from this I wonder if there's some potential to arranging it more melancholy.

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Ganemes - light flight (2023 Mix)
Instead of melancholy, I found this, but it seems fitting somehow. Despite everything, I still can't keep track of the EDM variations, so I'll categorize this with the other hyper energetic styles I've found.

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[Ken Hisuag]

keiran - Flowering Night
Vocaloid, but for some reason I found this one intriguing. The arrangement doesn't move much, but it also doesn't drag out too long.

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LTexLT - Adventure of the Lovestruck Tomboy
It'd be nice if I could find something more akin to mixing the motifs in the tone of Adventure, as opposed to just being a Beloved Tomboyish Girl remix with additional intro. But I acknowledge that to be a bit much to ask for; at least this was easier than the next one.

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Jun.A - Deaf to All but the Song ~ Flower Mix
When I chose to treat Reimu and Marisa's Imperishable Night themes as unique, I unintentionally set a standard that required me to seek a feature for this piece as well. Understandably, most musicians interested in the motifs choose to remix the original rather than its barely-different successor. This isn't the style of music I'd hoped for, but it's still a good piece.

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[Ken Hisuag]

LeiYunWolfy - Gangster Rabbit
Maybe I don't hear enough remixes of this piece, but I thought the motif integration was done rather well here. I would recommend turning down your volume, though.

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Tenji - Wind Deity Girl
The recorded performance made this stand out; it's a metal arrangement, but from someone I haven't seen before. Make sure to readjust audio after the previous feature, or this'll sound too quiet.

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TUMENECO - Melancholic Poison
Something more professional to balance out the post, though I probably should have prioritized a low-energy arrangement somewhere. Reminds me of GET IN THE RING for some reason.

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