Jump to content

Musical Discoveries in Touhou Fandom


Ken Hisuag

Recommended Posts

As of tomorrow, this thread is officially a year old! The first post featured the circle Paradise of Boundaries, which does remixes in the styles of the individual Touhou games. I've had these two songs on my "to-post" list for a while, and now I'm posting them in commemoration. Luckily one of them happens to be a Suika theme, though I personally think the second feature fits the occasion best.

Spoiler

 

 

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was overwhelmingly apparent as of Thursday that I would have to feature the Len'en Project here this week; I've considered posting from it several times over the past year, and kept putting it off in hopes of a more fitting time. That time has obviously come.

However, in my attempts to narrow down a few themes to represent the series, I decided that such a task could not be appropriately handled in a single post. So now, I am announcing Len'en Month! Each week I'll feature one of the four currently released games.

The first game (technically) is Len'en 1 ~ Evanescent Existence, and right off the bat newcomers are introduced to Jynx's signature style with the menu theme, To the Village That Isn't Real ~ chain link? Though essentially a simple motif structure, the song stands out for its instrumentation contrast of piano and overhead synth, and a nifty audio effect for its loop.

Spoiler

 

Next is In This World ~ Monochrome eye, essentially the U.N. Owen was Her? of Len'en. Widely acknowledged to the best (or at least most infamous) piece in the series, with a strong motif and complimentary instrumentation, it's rather fitting that this should be the theme of the series' signature character.
. . . or is it?

Spoiler

 

Rounding off is the game's "final" boss. Being that this is a Touhou-inspired series, obviously there's an extra stage boss which may or may not prove to be the true final boss, but nonetheless Empire Power ~ Eternal Force technically holds the distinction of first final-boss-theme in the series. It doesn't get as much appreciation as it deserves, imo; the motif is perfect for the purpose, preserving the ominous confrontation sound that a good boss theme should have. Not to mention that bass . . .

Spoiler

 

As an added bonus, I'll include the extra boss theme as well. I have it on good authority that this is a very obscure theme that even some Len'en veterans aren't familiar with, so it's just as well that I help propagate it. The theme itself is something of a controlled chaos, and is an earlier example of Jynx's jazzier side.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited by Ken Hisuag
I was here on Saturday!

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Dana Iclucia Definitely not your standard folk, but a very creative arrangement nonetheless.

It seem this was the perfect time for a Len'en themed month, with the next remix tournament around the corner. This week is game #2, although canonically I believe it takes place simultaneously with the first entry. This is personally my least favorite entry in the series thus far, simply because fewer motifs stand out to me. By far my favorite theme from Earthen Miraculous Sword is the menu theme, Repose That Detests Even Good Luck ~ Need umbrella! The confident entrance of the piece with a lengthy, repetitive intro to a expectedly simple motif bolstered by a many-layered accompaniment is, in my perception, a fitting representative theme for the series as a whole.

Spoiler

 

After that it becomes more difficult to choose between tracks. I'll feature Prismic Accelerator for it's fast-paced presentation and featured ZUNpets; of all the themes thus far, this feels the most "Touhou"-like.

Spoiler

 

Next will be Below a Deep Vanishing Cloud ~ Mow Down! This theme has a stronger motif and good progression, but is most noteworthy for being the longest theme Jynx had composed up to this point. I find it impressive (and possibly confusing) that his long themes don't feel unnecessarily stretched out, and in fact usually maintain good progression through to the loop (yet there are some shorter themes with lesser quality in this regard . . .).

Spoiler

 

Finally, Mono Eye ~ Ironic FATE, the extra boss theme. Now might be a good time to mention that the titles rarely mean anything, except when they do. This piece has what is probably the best primary motif in the game, and does a great job presenting that motif without overusing it. The majority of Jynx's work is more chaotic and defiant of traditional music structure, while he saves themes like this one for late-game use. There may be a study to be had on that topic, but I'm not currently invested enough to attempt it.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited by Ken Hisuag
s

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Len'en, week 3. Possibly my favorite in the series from a musically collective stand point.

First off, good ole' stage 1 Decayed Tranquility ~ be motivated, leading into its melody with an encouraging but leisurely pace that picked up only a tad bit by the loop point, just as a stage 1 theme should.

Spoiler

 

Next up is boss 4.1, stage 4 having three different bosses depending on who you're playing as. 4.3 is a theme for the series' main characters, but Only in Beige, Only in Earnest does a better job at showcasing the variety of sound this game has to offer.

Spoiler

 

BTW, the stage 4 theme is basically Len'en's Retribution for Eternal Night, as in it's a stage theme arrangement of Len'en's main theme. While it's far from one of the best tracks in the series (or even this game), you may want to give it a listen anyway: Each of Their Thoughts and Footprints.

For the third feature, I'm skipping ahead to the extra stage theme The Lost Road that Widens the Sky. At some point, Jynx developed a signature intro style in which he'd use an instrument unusual for a Touhou-style theme, and then not use it for the rest of the piece. This gives quite a few of his themes very recognizable entrances, which helps make them more memorable. Of course, the best themes follow up the intro with quality motifs.

Spoiler

 

Finally, a jump back to the stage 5 boss theme. Len'en 3 technically has between three and four "final" bosses; the primary responsibility for the incident lies with this character, but at some point in production Jynx moved the boss up a stage to make room for a different character. Thus, there is a certain sense of finality to Moon Child ~ Homunculus Dream, in keeping with the original intention. Also noteworthy is that this piece doesn't loop in the normal way.

Spoiler

 

I believe these four tracks do a fair job at representing the unique diversity of styles Jynx employed for this game's soundtrack. However, I can't pass this entry by without mentioning my favorite theme in the series, A Name Cast off from the Edge. Coincidentally, it also happens to be the longest piece in the series to date, and everything I said about the previous record holder from the previous game applies.

Spoiler

 

Possibly a bit repetitive, but with spectacular progression!

Edited by Ken Hisuag

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  

20 hours ago, Drunken_Flower said:

if anyone has Fragrant Plants or Dancing Water Spray or Ridiculous Game or Drunk as I Like or just ALL SWR arrangements
pls send

Ask and you shall receive.

Spoiler

 

I know I have more somewhere, but I'm having trouble finding them at the moment so I'll have to get back to you.

  • Like 1

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/19/2021 at 8:11 PM, Ken Hisuag said:

Ask and you shall receive.

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Thankw! SUIKA MUSIK

also here my submission

Spoiler

feel like ive posted this here? but cant find so yeah

 

also my current fragrant playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBobLKXql6t8sNxiyrWx-nvv-Fpj4WizF

 

also while listening to O-Life Japan Dark Pegasus in the Remix Tourney
i think of this

 

  • Like 2

mob_suika-export.gif.6d8d97d0ef2df024e56271e49c363436.gif🍺 BEER FOR THE BEER GOD!!!🍺 mob_suika-export.gif.6d8d97d0ef2df024e56271e49c363436.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not going to claim I'm familiar enough with Len'en 5 ~ Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle to properly represent it's music, nor do I feel guilty for it. This game is possibly one of the most creative takes on the curtain fire genre, featuring a branching story in which you can make choices mid-stage that effect what bosses you'll fight and consequently what dialogue you'll get to hear. A single stage is guaranteed to have multiple potential bosses (even some stages have multiple themes), and consequently there is a significantly larger quantity of music for this game. All together, the total number of pieces Jynx had composed for Len'en over the previous three games was fifty-seven. This game alone featured fifty-four in its soundtrack. Granted, many of these themes are rearrangements of previous themes, for returning characters. But still . . .

Acknowledging that I've posted two out of the three games' menu themes already, I still think War Record of Heaven and Shadow ~ Playing soldiers is a perfect introduction to this soundtrack.

Spoiler

 

Next up will be my personal favorite from this game, the "main" character's theme Feathers Flying off the Beaten Path ~ Eleven-dimensional. As is the case with at least half this soundtrack, this is technically a remix of Yabusame's theme from Len'en 1. But where that theme is slower and focused on dissonance, this version is slightly more energetic, and features a new section with a standard harmony, creating a contrast.

Spoiler

 

I've only got two songs left, so I'm going with Necromaster. A double remix of two themes for the same character, both from the previous game. You wouldn't know it if you weren't familiar with the original themes, though, which imo is the best kind of "mashup."

Spoiler

 

Finally, to close off this Len'en feature, I could not forget to include one of Suzumi's themes. My personal preference is MO-NA-D-2 ~ Memory Forgery; it's slightly more subtle than its counterpart MO-NA-D-1, with a more easily discernible melody. Otherwise, it's arguable the most important theme in the game, so I couldn't very well leave it out.

Spoiler

 

Proper representation of this game would require more than four examples, but I do not have the strength of will to pick any more. Hopefully these features have pricked the interest of those previously unfamiliar with Len'en.

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the sound of the French lyrics, but the audio isn't balanced properly. The vocals sound on top of the music, rather than being part of the piece. Otherwise, these are very good arrangements; I especially appreciated the Ancient Temple and Capitol City pieces.

Having covered all four of the currently released Len'en Project games, I can now return to the more familiar territory of Touhou arrangements . . .

Spoiler

SIKE!

Those of the Len'en fandom who thought they might escape exposure of the project's darkest secret, behold now this final feature. For buried beneath the illustrious creations of of the one-man circle Trick Nostalgia, behind the oft-praised imagination of Jynx, there lies the incomplete ruins of a game that never was . . . twice!

Len'en ~ Emergency Everyday:

Spoiler

Wow, you can't see where the spoiler box ends when it's in another spoiler box.

While this may sound very much like the Len'en so many know and love, with its discordant harmony and familiar violin midi, it in fact had little to no connection to Jynx at all!

Before the first official entry to the Len'en series, there was this project spearheaded by the mysterious individual known only as Daijin. Three stages were created, complete with custom music, before the game was permanently abandoned for unknown reasons. Some time later, Jynx (a friend of Daijin) asked for permission to take up the project. He was granted this permission on the conditions that he start from scratch, and would retain the name of the series. Thus was Evanescent Existence born.

But the foundation upon which Jynx's work would be build was not to be forgotten. Though the original music is difficult to locate, a close recreation thereof was arranged by another friend of the original creator, known as Popfan. In a similar spirit to Jynx's own series of PC-98 era Touhou remixes, Popfan released slightly modernized versions of Daijin's themes, while also adding a couple original compositions of his own.

Spoiler

Side note, may we appreciate the colorful reimagining of Jynx's standard music video style?

With that, the Len'en features are truly done . . . for the time being, at least. To end it off, I leave one final entry from this ill-fated game, in which Daijin paid homage to the inspiration that itself served as the foundation for what would become Jynx's Len'en Project.

Spoiler

Fun Fact: The bosses for whom this theme was meant to play were named "Red-White" and "White-Black," respectively.

 

 

Edited by Ken Hisuag

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shrine seems pretty quiet; I think I might be the only one not playing the new game right now.

As much as it would behoove me to post some remixes of the new themes, I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet. So until there's a proper download for the OST, I'll just stick to my backlog. There is a linking factor between these two arrangements, but I suspect DF is the only one who will know it.

Spoiler

 

 

  • Like 1

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Ken Hisuag said:

I think I might be the only one not playing the new game right now.

you're not alone
i havent played since th16 release
that also explain why aint familiar with new themes

18 hours ago, Ken Hisuag said:

As much as it would behoove me to post some remixes of the new themes, I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet. So until there's a proper download for the OST, I'll just stick to my backlog. There is a linking factor between these two arrangements, but I suspect DF is the only one who will know it.

i can easily rip out the music
but again I HAVENT DOWNLOAD THE NEW GAME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
not mentioning i need to upload it too...
i need better internet

try searching in youtube?

18 hours ago, Ken Hisuag said:
Hide contents

 

have you checked our dead circle?
https://moriyashrine.org/files/file/680-moriya-records-album-melodic-procrastination
well yeah the song aint there but the arranger made 2 in it

 

mob_suika-export.gif.6d8d97d0ef2df024e56271e49c363436.gif🍺 BEER FOR THE BEER GOD!!!🍺 mob_suika-export.gif.6d8d97d0ef2df024e56271e49c363436.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not really a 2hu song but it's from EnS so let's say it is :D

it's from one of very few EnS original albums and since i won't be able to pick it for tournament i've just decided to drop it here

PS. Chata voice really is amazing, isn't it?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/9/2021 at 7:35 AM, Drunken_Flower said:

have you checked our dead circle?

That was the linking factor. Benjo did a Dark Road of Fate remix for the album as well.

On 5/12/2021 at 7:26 AM, Dana Iclucia said:

not really a 2hu song but it's from EnS so let's say it is :D

-_- sure why not

I say I post some a-TTTempo, so I do.

Spoiler

 

 

  • Thanks 1

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this count as 2hu?

Spoiler

love Shin Takarajima

this actually quite fitting in touhou game
although i can't see this plays in UFO, HSiFS probably suit it better

they really nailed the calm part, i have no complain.
but the climax part 0:52-1:14 and 1:48-2:34 sound too... energetic, it just aint have 2hu in it
nothing can do about it.
or is it? maybe you can think of better solutions.


embrace traditional(?) memes

 

mob_suika-export.gif.6d8d97d0ef2df024e56271e49c363436.gif🍺 BEER FOR THE BEER GOD!!!🍺 mob_suika-export.gif.6d8d97d0ef2df024e56271e49c363436.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've begun to familiarize myself with the new soundtrack, and consequently with some of the more noteworthy remixes thereof.

Spoiler

Amplification isn't too good on this one, but the background erhu has such a subtly sinister effect.

Some of the lyrics to this song are English, and may or may not imply spoilers. Otherwise, it's a surprisingly fitting eurobeat arrangement.

Finally, one of the best Touhou orchestrals I've come across in a while. The boss themes for the fifth, sixth, and extra stage are a bit too harsh in their instrumentation for my liking, so more balanced arrangements have been very helpful for acclimating to the themes' motifs.

 

 

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Returning to the backlog.

I can't remember when I bookmarked these arrangements. For some reason, I normally associate GarageBand with lower quality remixes, but this artist seems to make good use of the software. These specific entries are noteworthy interpretations of PC-98 themes.

Spoiler

 

 

  • Like 1

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Theme of the week is long-lived-leitmotifs, and no Touhou music phrase has been more prevalent in the series and fandom then the arpeggios of Theme of Eastern Story. More often then not, a Touhou fangame will feature its own take on this theme, blending it into whatever moods and styles characterize the project. As such, there is an abundance of arrangements that contain this motif, even though its nature allows for varied application.

I would post some of my favorite examples, but it would mostly be Wanwan. I will limit myself to one Kaisendo Group title theme, and try to feature some other projects.

Spoiler

 

Additionally, I have an inquiry: in what piece did ZUN first use the Eastern Story motif? It's named for the bonus track of Akyu's Untouched Scores Vol. 5 (released in 2007), but was obviously in use before that, most notably in the series's reboot Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (from 2002). However, the earliest feature of the phrase that I can find is actually the Seihou Project's first game, Shuusou Gyoku (late 2000). Is anyone aware of an older example?

Spoiler

 

 

TTT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.