Musical Discoveries in Touhou Fandom

[Jaz:3]

【東方自作アレンジ/Rock】Dance in Devaloka【香る樹葉花/踊る水飛沫/至る有頂天】

【Touhou self-made arrangement/Rock】Dance in Devaloka【Fragrant leaves and flowers/dancing water droplets/complete ecstasy】

Hm... what if I say nothing and post just the title and the video? Hm...yes....wait...something... SOMETHING IS CUTTING ME OFF RIGHT NOW OH NO OHHH NOOOOOO-

 

Edited August 27, 2024 by Jaz:3
I forgot to say that the music goes very hard. Oh well, is anyone gonna read this,uhhh..... edit part 2: HELLOOOOOO, maybe u guys will see this and how long this is, wait.... I can make it longer....here goes... I. LOVE. TOUHOUooOoOoOoOoOoO wait it's "u"U

[Ken Hisuag]

404p - tiny, tiny, CHU
The character of Nazrin is a mouse, but also a major strategist of the "antagonists'" operations, justifying her positions in stage one and five both. Her theme has a decent melody, but it's rather repetitive, and imo doesn't seem to relate to the character very well. My hope was to find an arrangement that stayed relatively consistent with the original's structure, but revitalized the presentation. I don't think I could've found better than this.

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Conagusuri - The Unforgettable Forgotten Umbrella
Part of this challenge is the featuring of unique artists for every piece, whereby I avoid circles I've already used or hope to rely on at a later time. However, I'd given myself allowance after the PC-98 era to consider it a clean-slate, with potential consideration for similar exclusions in future eras. I haven't had to resort to that too much; this time around, I'm choosing to refeature this circle due to the distinction between this remix and the previously featured arrangement. The stylistic contrast impressed me, and I wanted to draw attention to it.

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Kan/Kanpyog - Beware the Umbrella Left There Forever ~ Festival extended
Proper credit was accomplished by proxy, as I had encountered the sister-arrangement with proper citation (thankfully NicoVideo is back online); I recognized the title formatting, and confirmed the shared origin. The parts come together beautifully, with the folk components imparting a tone of nature, and the electronic backing giving it punch.

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[IvanBaAl]

I forgot when was the last time I used an umbrella...

I tried Devil of Decline recently. This game is huge, but I enjoy its music.

There is another interesting game called "The Outsider Who Loved Gensokyo". Author borrowed a lot of music from other Touhou fangames and other sources. This game is still developing (ending is ready though). After 11 years, BGM folder of TOWLG is a treasure room. By the way, I found about Devil of Decline because its music was in TOWLG. To download this game, the easiest way is to find the last video by author (link in the description). Author also has a playlist with music used in TOWLG.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MRyH5pNRlw

 

Edited September 2, 2024 by IvanBaAl
For no reason.

[Ken Hisuag]

Ken Yanagimoto - Sky Ruin
I've not been particularly fond of this piece in the past, but I was surprised by what a difference a few remixes made to my perception. This one in particular completely reinterpreted the tone for me, and as such is an excellent example of what is to be gained from seeking out arrangements sometimes.

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Sharp Eight - nice middle with bad girl
Traditional Old Man & Stylish Girl represents missed opportunity to me; I don't appreciate its intro (it doesn't go anywhere), I've never been impressed with its carrying lines (ditto), and the "chorus" seems flipped from what it ought to be (why are the best parts in the background?). To clarify, these are subjective objections; so for this feature, I was determined to find something that presented the motifs in a way that satisfied me personally, in hopes I could overcome my prejudice against the piece. I'm not sure this is it, as it doesn't quite rely enough on those motifs, but it's going in the right direction.

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TaNaBaTa - Golden Route
Opposite end of the perception spectrum, Interdimensional Voyage is one of my favorite stage themes in the entire series. As such, my prerogative was different; find an arrangement that was particularly unlike the original, while still holding to the motifs. This seemed suitable enough for the feature, contrasting well without being overbearing. Couldn't find the transcribed lyrics, though . . .

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[Ken Hisuag]

Kaburagi.M - Captain Murasa
I expected to settle on something heavier, but I came across this artist and wanted to feature something from his available repertoire. The motifs are clear, and the arrangement itself is excellent! I've come to love these rolling jazz style pieces, it's the perfect music to happily go about the daily business to.

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Mad Tea Party - Rural Makai City Esoteria
I'm reminded of another folkish remix from the tournaments, but this one feels more faithful to the source material in the adaptation. Now that I'm going through it all in order, I think 12 has an underappreciated collection of stage themes, or at least there's some impressive arrangement work on them.

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130Grit - The Tiger Patterned Vaisravana
Initially thought I'd go traditional for this feature, but that wouldn't have contrasted well with the previous piece; then I came across this, and recognized Tangentg as the arranger (he's changed his alias since he was here last). The style of this piece is intriguing; he was always one for surf-rock, but this seems an experimental hybrid of sorts, and it works surprisingly well.

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[Ken Hisuag]

PARADOX - Fires of Hokkai
Thought for sure I'd featured this circle before, but can't find anything, so I'm amending with this. I picture this song as anticipatory, ominous, yet desolate. The general construction of the original is genius, but lacks depth due to its contextual constraints as a soundtrack. Enter the fandom musicians; this particular piece is as much as I could ask for.

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Elemental Records - Grieving Skyscraper
I've referred to Cosmic Mind as the culmination of ZUN's efforts to instill an elevated tone into his motifs. For a remix, I wanted something that furthered that tone. Easier said than done; however, I'm satisfied with this find.

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Mirufi / Milfie - Skyfall
Wasn't entirely sure what I wanted for this one; spacey, perhaps? Regardless, nothing stood out to me until this one; the casual tone adapts the motifs well, and contrasts with the other features. Granted, it's a bit "happier" than I might have anticipated, but if it works then who am I to complain?

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Reading back on my comments this post, it's too bad I couldn't make time for this earlier. Life's like that sometimes.

[Ken Hisuag]

SharKur - Heian Alien : Unidentified
"Heian Alien" remains one of the most tonally unique pieces ZUN has ever released, and I wanted to be sure that was preserved in whatever remix I chose for it. This arrangement is chaotic, shifting from genre to genre as it goes (but not in the full-flavor sense), while still remaining cohesive (feels a bit long, though). I might have gone with something more oppressive, but would likely have needed to sacrifice motif structure for it.

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EastNewSound - Whitest Eden
I did not anticipate how difficult it would be to search for this piece; the phrase "youkai temple" appears in the titles of other more popular compositions of ZUN, which subsequently get more remixes, which then get shown higher in the search results. Yet against the odds I found this arrangement, and by a big name circle no less!

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

Apparently, "Youtube does not allow the embedding of [this] video;" I could use another one, but this was the only one I found that had the translated lyrics as part of the video. Frustrating . . .

Lost Garden - Returning Home from the Sky ~ Sky Dream
Fitting for an underrated theme, if I do say so myself. Sounds more like an ending than a staff role in this tone, but it works well all the same. I'd definitely recommend listening to the original, as I suspect it's one of those pieces from the series that most haven't heard despite being from an otherwise well known entry.

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Edited September 28, 2024 by Ken Hisuag

[Ken Hisuag]

POLTANEST - Did You See That Shadow
Is the question mark implied via language nuance? I feel sure I've seen it actually notated before, so something has to be up here . . .
For some reason this took some trouble locating, and I'm more inclined to assume error on my searching strategies than lacking popularity of the source material (this has to be one of the more popular pieces, right?). It was certainly worth the time, though.

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Team Manju - The Unfound X
The end? Already? Well, no, but that's how the OST is laid out, so that's how I'm doing it.
A medley, but not a medley; I've encountered these before, but they're very rare, and not often done well. This keeps the focus on "Unfound Adventure" while interspersing its contributing references unobtrusively, these being thematically related to the main piece.

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ClumsyRecord - X-MODE
The other arrangements I reviewed lacked sufficient punch, which I was determined to get since it wasn't present in the "Unfound Adventure" remix. It's a bit short, but then again so is the source material. Hopefully I'll be able to do the motif better justice when we get around to "Occultly Madness."

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[Ken Hisuag]

S-Rey - Dichromatic Lotus Butterfly ~ Lotus Natural
Hear me out: If I count "Magic" and "Master Spark" for individual representation, and subsequently give "Flower Mix" its own spot, it's only consistent to consider "Ancients" separate from "Red and White," making this a unique inclusion. Ideally, I found an arrangement of 12.3's version specifically, and a rather noteworthy one at that! The slight discordance fits the pacing, enlivening the old motifs through fresh presentation and original supplements.

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AQUA STYLE - The Legendary Titan
. . .

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This feels like cheating, but I can't justify skipping the entry like I've done with other pieces without representation, because I technically have found something, just not in a format I can use. I really tried to find an alternative, even going so far as to attempt procuring the source album to post the track myself. Instead, I'm going half-way by posted the video I found initially and considering it partially viable for the project.

https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm11850871

TTL Sound - Beautiful Fighter
"Our Hisoutensoku" is among my favorite compositions in the franchise, yet I've consistently struggled to find fandom engagement therewith; every time I've searched for remixes, the results are clogged with that one SOUND HOLIC animation (which I'm not particularly fond of). Of the alternatives, I deemed this eurobeat arrangement the best option, retaining sufficient energy and imagination. But it still isn't the kind of adaptation I've been looking for; perhaps my expectation are unrealistic, but on the other hand there ought to be a wider variety of options imo.

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Given how this entry has been going, I dread to think how difficult 15.5 will be. Going into this, I had presumed the harshest obscurity would be found in 7.5, but it seems the Tasofro spin-off compositions in general are underappreciated, for all that their remixes seem to be preferred by the fandom (if the volume of arrangements specifically based off those iterations are at all indicative). Time will tell . . .

[Ken Hisuag]

Lumarbo - Scenery with Dolls
I expected this one to be difficult, but came across this remix quickly, and was charmed immediately by its simple effectiveness. The soundfonts could be a bit better, but the arrangement's quality comes across clearly all the same.

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NJune - The Brand New Steam Engine
For an orchestral remix, this is somewhat restrained, but in a way that helps emphasize the important parts. The arrangement has some imagination to it, and that's better to me than complex instrumentation.

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??? - Small Shadow and Tiny Conclusion
I was and am hesitant to settle on this remix, but the only other suitable option is a piano solo from Assaultdoor, and I featured a remix from that circle relatively recently. As to this, I can't find proper accreditation, and there isn't much to make the arrangement stand out aside from the instrumentation. At least it's unique . . .

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[Ken Hisuag]

akikiki - The Fairy's Adventurous Tale
I have a nagging suspicion that I've feature this artist before, just under a circle name, but I can't think of a way to verify that, and it's a soft rule anyway. The source track seems to have escaped the obscurity its release context would have it doomed to, but for all that I couldn't find many adaptations that fit my preferences. The melody is excellent, and I appreciate its preservation in this performance.

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Kouki Izumi - The First Spirit is the World Splitter
I know I've featured this artist before, but I can't track down a record of it more recent than several years ago. This piece was particularly difficult to search for, so I'm giving it a pass, despite not being particularly impressed by this specific remix. The "build-up" takes to long, and doesn't contribute anything to the overall arrangement. Still, it's professionally constructed, and once it gets past the overdone intro it does manage its tone well.

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Natsume Kotori (Yuki Alter?) - GENSO ATMOSPHERE
The menu themes for spin-offs seem hit-or-miss for representation. Sometimes this works out in my favor, though; no knowing if I'd have come across this remix if there had been more content. This is the kind of arrangement where lacking progression is a good thing, and this particular piece keeps enough going on to prevent things from stagnating.

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[IvanBaAl]

For me Lonesome Werewolf is overshadowed by stage theme, but this arrange made it incredible.

Arrange Title: Howl for Mochi
Arrange/Remix: LeiYunWolfy

 

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[Ken Hisuag]

Ridil - SPACE TRAVELERS -1969's extended-
Ridil has apparently dedicated a bit of attention to this piece, having arranged multiple adaptations for it. Of the ones I found, this was my personal favorite; with or without the samples, this would still invoke feelings of outer-atmosphere exploration, and the melody keeps it all together.

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Attrielectrock - The Orbit
Coincidentally, another space-themed title, though the tone of this remix is certainly distinct from the previous piece. Perhaps we take the first as the launch, and this second as the arrival? The higher energy of this piece is not enough to push it past "chill," and I think both pieces compliment each other well.

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Fractaleline - Thoughtfulness
Three for three on borderline chill type pieces. This one has a unique sampling style that makes it stand out significantly; interestingly, it is the second arrangement of this track that I found in this style, though I'm sure there's no direct association between it and the source material. This one is a bit more consistent with its usage thereof, but I actually chose it over the other because it was a fresh artist.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Knights of Round - Bell of Avici ~ Infinite Nightmare
The amount of times I've passed over this circle in favor of something else has finally paid off! "Bell of Avici" works best when its motifs can run smoothly into each other at a brisk pace, and there are few genres better for that presentation then this.

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HertzDevil - Hatate Unlock
My hands were tied on this one; the piece is understandably lacking in coverage, and I was happy enough to find this improbable arrangement. It's been years since I've featured HertzDevil, so it should be fine. :)

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SilentBird - The Hide and Seek Lifestyle at the Shrine
While I technically had more options than for "Congratulation Screen," they were still severely limited. The next best option was a rudimentary chiptune arrangement, and I didn't want it to follow HertzDevil. SilentBird arguably deserves the recognition anyway.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Tohka Kochi - An Ice Fairy in Spring
Honestly couldn't have asked for better! Quintessential "chill" for the chilliest title theme in the series, just long enough to present itself without needing to do something else. Given that the motif is reused later, I wouldn't want anything too complicated, so this is perfect.

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K2 SOUND - Playback More
While the intended presentation of the piece is subversion, the motif still seems suitable to me for something heavier, so I went looking for a rock or metal arrangement. This isn't quite as heavy as I anticipated, but keeps the energy up with the vocal performance, and more importantly gets creative with the motifs.

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Lifeguardman - It's fun!
Here's that second take on the title motif I mentioned; given that this piece is more developed, the motif should probably be considered more native to it, even if ZUN implied the other piece came first. The pacing of this arrangement is excellent, and doesn't sacrifice the melody's natural progression (though it's hard to not think about "Three Fairies SAY YA!!!", but that's no fault of the remix).

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[IvanBaAl]

I was trying to find something like this for a while. Searching "World's End" gives all sorts of answers instead of correct one.

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There is also a good theme in Touhou Mahjong, but I didn't find it anywhere else.

[Ken Hisuag]

On 11/18/2024 at 1:22 PM, IvanBaAl said:

I was trying to find something like this for a while.

What a remix! I was expecting a Mystic Square arrangement, and then the intro hit me with "Fires of Hokkai." This also reminded me to go purchase some of Hazama Yuutou's albums that have been sitting in my wishlist for a while, so thanks for that.

Misora / Fuka Sokyu / hiragimi - Fairy's War Midnight
Not sure which name to use for the artist, as he has a lot of pseudonyms. The rock suits the melody, and the arrangement is more than competent, though I struggle to find something interesting to say about it otherwise.

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1nsane - Great Fairy Wars
Bear with this one a moment, it balances out eventually. I expected to find something much more grandiose for this track, but options were surprisingly slim. I could at least appreciate the imagination behind this arrangement, even if it's not what I'd normally listen too.

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Tinzuka - Loose Rain
It was difficult finding remixes for this that didn't incorporate Magus Night in somewhere; in fact, hybrid arrangements have been quite common for much of this soundtrack. The title had me in mind to a piano solo, but listening to the original track again had me leaning toward a more active adaptation; this does nicely at satisfying both sides of my perception.\

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[Ken Hisuag]

yukinadd9 - Volatus Magus
There were other names listed in the description, but I don't know if they're additional aliases or credits. "Magus Night" is traditionally a heavy-handed theme, and I fully expected to settle on a similarly heavy arrangement. For sure this isn't a light remix, but the jazz elements are mixed in thoroughly, and I think that helps alleviate the the tone a bit without losing the piece's energy.

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Fox Factory - Sweety Fluity
I typically avoid the big-name circles with the mindset that I may need them free later, but this piece didn't seem likely to have much for it otherwise; it is, after all, just a redo on the title theme, the motif of which was already reused in another track. Accordingly, this remix is fairly straightforward, with its power invested in the performance.

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Foxtail-Grass Studio - Visit the City of Wood
Translation difficulties, I'm defaulting to the iTunes title. It may be considered bad form to follow up a flute-focused remix with a folk arrangement involving intermittent fluting, but for all that this particular piece stuck with me, and I couldn't give it up. The circle names being similar between the two made it doubly ironic; at least going forward I'll remember I featured the two together.

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Infinnacage Music - An Ice Fairy in Spring -Dawn-
Bonus feature, because I didn't want to forget about this and not post it later. The title is intriguing, causing me to doubt which version of "Ice Fairy in Spring" it's meant to be adapting; perhaps both? The tone seems to me equally applicable to a beginning and an ending, somehow transcendent of both. Especially rare to get this kind of a remix for such an obscure track.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Honomin - Seething Spirits
Maybe not a lot going on here, but that over-tuned bass layer is quite satisfying to me. As far as menu themes go, I don't hear about this one much, so I figure this is a fairly good find.

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Yanagi - Night Sakura of Dead Spirits
The reverb and airy vocal performance contrast with the rock sections, but that may help emphasize the them, which subsequently instigates an ethereal perception to the arrangement. I consider this fitting for the piece.

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Reverse Resistance Records - The Sparkle of the Spirit that Guides the Night
Needed something heavier for Ghost Lead; I almost went with Antares Enigma's arrangement, but that wouldn't have technically been a fresh discovery for me, so I held off and found this instead. It has its moments, especially as it plays with the instrumentation at parts.

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[Ken Hisuag]

sa-sara - Welcome to the Youkai Temple
Last chance to get a "Cafe de Touhou" arrangement in the project, and this seems as good as I could ask for. I don't know that I'd consider it "study jazz," which is what I though the "Cafe" series was all about, but as I haven't actually listened to much of it I must have misunderstood. Regardless it's quite an impressive arrangement.

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AdeleyWolfy - Youkai Girl at the Gate
I'm not as happy with this one; it seemed only right to get a bombastically loud remix for the piece, but I also wanted to avoid the big circles as usual, which narrowed my options considerably. This isn't a bad arrangement by any means, but I can't follow it's progression as well as I'd prefer, and the compression is a bit much at parts. Still, it is certainly the best of all I turned up.

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Sakuga Houkai - Lovely Life ~ See You Next Life
I'm usually ready to let go of my expectations if I find a particularly good arrangement in otherwise contradiction. Lovely Cemetery may lend itself to more serene arrangements, but this remix showcases capability to adapt in the opposite direction with admirable results. I couldn't pass it up.

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[Ken Hisuag]

LENK64 - Zombie Paradise
Here's a melody heavily reliant on its punchy instrumentation, and few better to uphold that while still bringing something unique to the table then Miki Hiroyuki. Shall we make this piece appropriately ominous?
Honestly I've never been that fond of "Rigid Paradise," but it was quite beloved in the fandom at some point, so it seemed fitting to settle on this for it.

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zensen - Desire Drive
Electro swing! Why? Because y'all have doubtlessly heard this piece in any number of genres already, so I had to find something slightly more obscure. Not sure why electro swing hasn't caught on stronger in the mainstream . . .

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goloa - Old Yuanxian (Evil Immortal Extermination Battle)
I'm of a firm opinion that the original piece is held back by its zunish traits. The hits need to be harder, the trimmings need to be starker, the bridge needs to blend better, and for once ZUN's instruments just can't quite get across what is meant to be. So while this arrangement may be a bit rough around the edges, I was pleased by the glimpse into what could be I found in it.

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Edited December 22, 2024 by Ken Hisuag

[Ken Hisuag]

Missed Saturday, so I might as well move forward with the year-end special. As usual, these are select arrangements I've held on to as being of unusual quality, at least from my perspective. Once upon a time these were reserved for use in the remix tournaments, but now they wait for other special occasions such as this.

Levo Lution - Desire Drive Overkill
While advertised as a combo arrangement, this is more a straightforward "Desire Drive" remix with "Border of Life" thrown in toward the end. For all that, the instrumentation and pacing makes for an especially wintery electronic remix that's pleasant and engaging. Sometimes it seems you can't go wrong with "Desire Drive" in general.

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marasy8 - Re:Unknown X
I love marasy's piano performances! "Unknown X" isn't a piece I'd normally consider for such adaptation, but leave it to marasy to make it work. This particular adaptation seems to rely on a string ensemble backing (puts me in mind to V.K's work), though I possibly recall finding a solo version. It's good to be able to judge what elements are best for your performance, whether that be additional or reduced.

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FELT - Faith
My climactic offering for the year. FELT featured prominently in the earliest tournaments, and for good reason; I don't see them propagated as much anymore, possibly due to the circle's disbandment, but they left behind quite the discography. Theirs was an explosive vocal style, with the source material for their melodies creatively adapted from Touhou motifs in ways that rendered them just recognizable enough to be remixes while still testifying to their skill in arrangement, complimented by original motifs for some truly exemplary performances.

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December has been rough for me, with one illness after another. But for all that, I've continued to move forward, putting forth as much as I can in testimony and service. I'm content with the year in retrospective, and I continue to hold hope in Christ. Be blessed, and have a happy new year; Lord willing I will continue posting into 2025!

[Ken Hisuag]

I usually try to make the first musical discovery of the year especially memorable, but I don't have anything specific in mind this time (and I doubt I could match the final piece from the immediately previous post), so instead I'll offer something topically humorous. The title of this composition makes it especially fitting for this time, doesn't it?

Popfan - The Realization of Having Forgotten to Set Your Alarm
FTR, the age of this should be taken into account; Popfan has improved significantly in audio balancing since this piece, and it shouldn't be taken as the standard thereof.

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[Ken Hisuag]

Unexpectedly lacked internet for most of the day, but I've just made it!

myotei - The Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum
An interesting situation that I've only encountered a few times in the past: At first listen, this seems a stylized arrangement that is tailored to the motifs, and the resulting remix is fairly impressive. Then it turns out that the musician does all their remixes in the same style, and it just happens to work well in this instance. Strange, but I'm glad to have stumbled across the best scenario.

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Ooedo Express Mail - Wolf Daughter
Title translation may be a bit sketchy, but that's somewhat fitting for the circle, which itself has undergone several name variations. The remix itself makes some creative adjustments to the time signature, though it may have been to make the arrangement easier given the potential difficulty in the original. Whatever the reason, they make suitable use of it, and the pacing in no way feels forced.

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JLam - A Small Desire's Starry Sky
Amateur recordings such as this tend to harm the overall presentation, but it does not necessarily reflect upon the skill of the musician. In this case, a short but authentic piano performance shines through the inconveniences, and I'm reminded of how simple good music can be.

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Edited January 11 by Ken Hisuag

[Ken Hisuag]

WKG Tupper Records - The Place of Numerous Voices
I usually struggle with "True Administrator," because I perceive its parts as lacking sufficient transition between each other. I have similar issues with "Nuclear Fusion," but have found several remixes that remedy it for me, so I often look out for "True Administrator" arrangements with alternative structure. At the same time, I want something that preserves or even accentuates the pieces elegantly powerful tone. This particular remix isn't quite what I have in mind, but was the best ratio of dynamic quality and presentation that I came across in my searches for this feature; I would have preferred stronger incorporation of the main melody, but the tone is there.

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Xenoglossy - Youkai Festival Shrine Road
The original's strongest quality is its ominous tone, and at first I was worried this arrangement wouldn't retain that. To be sure the intent is a completely different direction, but I appreciate the nods to the source being seamlessly fitted into the progression. Otherwise this is just a really good remix with great instrumentation and creative arrangement!

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Shironekobeat - Futatsuiwa from Sado
May not be the best idea to go with two folk-adjacent remixes in such proximity, but I couldn't pass this one up. "Futatsuiwa from Sado" works so well with folk components, especially when complimented by addition instrumentation. This is a comparatively light arrangement to what I've heard in the past, but it still delivers on the original's direct presentation, giving the perception of intensity without needed to go overboard with the performance.

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