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The phantom remix tournament.


jssf1992

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1. i've heard this song several times as well as so much good reviews about it personally tho it's even even for me:
- Male vocal is fine but i'm not really fond to male + english vocals
- Eurobeat goes mostly from bad to mediocre for me this one may be just slightly above later one
- big + for 98's theme tho

7/10


2. Orin theme was one of my favourites some time ago however not every arrangement of it was top notch then this one especially shines for me when 2:13 kicks in i like rigid paradise but this one is something i would rather listen to when doing something (exactly playing) rather than normally

7/10 too i guess


3. yet someone baited me it's going to be vocaloid song because that hatsune (and it's tsumiko's not miko's but i've read it properly a bit too late) but this one is lowest in ranking of songs posted in this round what should i say, it's just not my style, i don't like vocal same goes to pretty much everything else

5/10


as someone probably noticed i usually give grades 7 or lower mostly because when i'm not THAT picky with music it's just some particular genres that i usually don't listen to and it's just hard for me to give higher grades for songs genres i usually don't listen to i just hope no one minds it too much

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Time Will Tell

Yo, Eurobeat? idk who posted this but of course I know it Wait nevermind I read the other reviews I know who posted it. I'm a fan of many of T.Stebbins' Touhou remixes, and this one is no different, he's got a great voice and it works well with his arrangements. Lyrics in this one are kinda edgy but that rarely bothers me, especially when the music's a bop. 8/10.

Corpse Voyage / Rigid Paradise

Well this is... weird. Beginning of this sounds goofy, not in a bad way though, I thought it was rather fun. Then, suddenly rock? Well that escalated quickly. And then menacing French cook vibes? It's all very random, but I'm strangely drawn to it. I still feel it's very mismatched though, but I'm gonna give it 6/10 anyway.

So Bright

You know, I'm quite a fan of Hatsunetsumiko's work, but I don't listen to much of it, so this reminded me I should do more of that lol. Although the instrumentation does sound good, especially the guitar, I find it quite difficult to understand the vocals even though they're in English. This isn't always a problem for me, but here it's bothering me. My other problem is that I can't really tell it's a Touhou arrange until near the end. Doesn't help that I think the main bit is pretty repetitive. These are small criticisms, I like how unique it is and I don't think it's low quality by any means, I'm just not a massive fan of this. 5/10.

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 7: Time Will Tell
Alright. Here we go.

The hard but smooth tones of Eurobeat make it perfect for adrenaline-pumping high energy pieces, and I may not have heard a song that make use of this as powerfully as this one. The pacing is perfect, the source pieces are well suited, and pretty much every aspect contributes to the effect of the whole. This is Reimu as a realistic hero of Gensokyo’s humans, capable and determined to protect that which she considers to be under her care; a person with a complex history and authentic emotional investment. In short, this is Reimu as a character.

This is communicated in the lyrics without explicitly tying the song to Touhou. The artist has carefully crafted the piece to work best in the context of the fandom, but to sound like a standard Eurobeat pop song to someone unfamiliar with the melodies. This is genius, but it also means my estimation of the song will be with that understanding.

Spoiler

The world of Touhou has demons, Japanese demons, concept-based folklore monsters, ghosts, and all manner of other things. It has a spirit world for the dead, a celestial plane for other dead, two separate hells, and many other places. All this is considered in light of the fantasy nature of Touhou: internal consistency is unnecessary, and continuity with reality is not expected. So long as we are in this context, references to such things will be understood as such.

But in an English song crafted such as this one, these concepts are presented without context. The responsibility has been laid upon the listener to understand the kind of world the song is depicted, based on their own understanding of reality. For someone who believes in the existence of Hell, and its active purpose as an eternal prison for demons from which there is no escape, such a song may come across as rather flippant.

This is probably the best Eurobeat song I’ve ever heard, and it deserves at least 8/10 if not higher. But it's not something I'd choose to listen to.

8: June, Hydrangea, Test of Courage
I think I just experienced auditory whiplash.

I've often wondered what Jssf's round line-up strategy is, and what kind of effect it has on the tournament. The intro segment of this arrangement is such a bizarre contrast to the serious epicness of Time Will Tell, so the two sudden transitions within the piece felt strangely cohesive. Unfortunately, subsequent listenings did not impress as much. The instrumentation is fun, but the piece isn't held together by anything. I could rate the first and second halves independently of each other, since there is little continuity between them.

For the experience alone, I enjoyed this entry very much. But I don't think I can give it more than 5/10.

9: So Bright
What defines funk? This song seems to mix elements of disco, rock, and jazz, but I suppose musical genres are loosely defined as a general rule.

Another English piece, but . . . Honestly, I can't understand a word he's saying. I think I understand some of the chorus, but it doesn't make much sense so I'm not sure. This may work in favor of my experience, though! I enjoyed the beat immensely (easily bobbing my head to it), and I could appreciate the relaxed feeling of the music. The vocalist's voice seemed slightly creepy, but it worked well with the instrumentation. Altogether a refreshingly unique experience.

It didn't really appeal to me this time around, but I'll try looking further into the genre later. 6/10.

Edit: @Garison DeCrick Source piece for So Bright was Faraway 380,000-Kilometer Voyage. Doesn't make a bit of difference, but for the record and all that . . .
Also, since you've brought it up, I've been having a much harder time this tournament figuring out who did what. End-of-tournament guessing promises to be very interesting. ?

TTT

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1: ngl but im having hard time with this one since eurobeat it not really my stuff,
first of all, the vocal is amazing no complaint about that. 
i just not fond of the instruments. especially the kicks, it sound muffled.
dunno but aint hate nor love this, more like if this managed to play in my shuffle, aint skipping.
7/10

2: holyshit this hella different from previous
what song this about??? June, Hydrangea, Courage Test??
the video description messed up.
0:00, yes this a march indeed, the song title is June though... and everyone ask what's Koishi doin in here. probably has somethin to do with the album name.
(have y'all listen to what i posted in musical discovery? the tennenjemini one 771559501814824981.png?v=1)
0:28 the March ended, i demand moererere >:C
also what's this genre, wild west but with accordion?
1:32 ????????(nice)??????
well yes that was fun, but why?
i probably can use this in some occasion???
8/10
who put this?

3: ohmygod another sharp turn
and it's FUNK YOOOOOOO
i dunno hatsunetsumiko made this kind of arranges, i should listen to them more (  •̀ω•́  )
and i quite like this actually. need more banger in my playlist instead of depressing stuff... orz.
i outta comment
9/10

also i just realized i switched the L R of my headphone while previously fixing it

edit: help! my YT recommendations now filled with eurobeats

 586643788907151373.png?v=1

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Hmm, we got a couple things here I'll have to remember to comment on at the end, but for now, Round Four!

 

First, METAL.  Kind of.  Reincarnation but Metal:

 

Second, a vocal arrangement of Tomorrow will be Special:

 

Third, an electronic mix of World of Fantasy:

 

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1: Oh O-Life Japan, we got this album here btw
as we know, MasamiT does some weird arranges
this one is like TAM and KEIGO but one mind.
i may listen to this one too much, but it's been a while so idk how i feel.
the build up is kinda long, i kinda tired of it
0:40 oh finally there it is, the best part of the song.
kinda hoped it like this for the whole song, dunno how that will turn out but yea.. 
1:24 here comes, i feel like ive heard this somewhere, or maybe it just etched to my mind so bad im having false memories.
the rock kinda overshadowed by the melancholic, it aint feel as intense as it can be.
3:16 the transition is a bit too fast, if only it hold for a bit longer
7.5/10
unrelated but i hate the image, from technical view.

2: Akatsuki records eh? i kinda tired listening to them. at least the rock or pop or sumthin like that.
but this, their ballad are heckin awesome.
the opening percussion threw me off a bit, aint expect that.
ohmygod, the voice. so kalm yet powerful. but.. yea i guess y'all know stack.
the lyrics kinda melancholic tho, ofc it fitting.
i feel chills yet at peace. i cri.
also those two theme are my favorite but.. does that matter? i guess it does.
9/10? too low
10/10?? yes
i want summer back, it's hella cold right now

3: the vocal startled me, aint expect vocal but yea that's my fault not reading the title.
and it overwhelmed by the music.
and im tryin to ignore the dubstep voice samples.
also i dunno but the instruments sound a bit muffled? if only a bit more crisp(?)
2:00 the... what you call it, the sound of like a beep somethin. yea that took too much focus from that part.
or maybe there's no focus at all, they all (instruments) ranged kinda similar.
2:48, yes i like this part. (i blame Camellia)
3:24, the bgm starting to be chaotic, i confus.
3:40 is it me or the beep a bit louder this time? dunno but that feels better.
i guess my problem with this song is the mastering.
it starting out not great, but better later in the song.
7/10

 

i feel like i know who submitted those songs

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

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1. Pretty nice piece of work build is a bit long but i don't really mind and i especially like when it kicks in at 1:58 i like metal however i prefer screamo,vocal or plain deathmetal (metalcore also fine by me) it also obviously depends on song a lot, also theme that i really like


gotta gib 8/10


2. Image isn't that bad imo lmao
Since it's Akatsuki i knew it's gonna be stack as well but i if i have to i prefer to listen metal/rock arrangements instead, and with ballads, it's same about stuff like surf or post rock, plenty of orchestral stuff and plenty of low tempo stuff as well, i'm just not really fond to them (prob won't change anytime soon) and i rather listen to something else.
welp, stack voice gives it a very small + from me but still


6/10 (5 without stack)


 

5 hours ago, Drunken_Flower said:

i feel like i know who submitted those songs


Tee-hee~

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15 hours ago, Garison DeCrick said:

But with this one, there’s that one specific sound that’s like really elastic and stretchy which kind of grates on my ears when hearing them in such short succession with one another. And it’s really only that sound effect, the rest of it is fine for me

Yup that's just psystyle in a nutshell ?

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10: Reincarnation
Imma do a Garison-styleTM play-by-play on this one.

0:00-0:42 - The intro is a beautifully epic built-up, laying a foundation for the piece that promises a complex musical journey, typical of O-Life Japan.
0:42-1:25 - The "second intro," the actual beginning of the piece being built on that foundation. Jssf alluded to metal, so I foresee where this is leading to and can appreciate it as such. If there's a musical term/technique for hype building, this would be a good example. A minute-and-a-half into the track I'm fully engaged and anticipating the climax.
1:25-1:37 - Restraining the guitar to both hold on to and continue the build-up, creating a transition into the main body of the piece. My anticipation is immense.
1:37-1:47 - Sudden dip into piano feels like a stumble backward which prematurely shatters the tension. Seems stylistic, but to make it work the previous section would have needed to be longer and this section shorter; that is, stronger tension over a smaller gap, to simulate being on the edge of the transition. As is, leaves me feeling confused.
1:47-1:58 - Main section feels unsatisfying after the broken build-up. The metal still feels restrained, despite the increased percussion attempting to infuse more energy into the piece.
1:58-2:04 - Sudden transition in piece brings unexpected realization in listener: I've been tricked. Previous section was actually more build-up, and now I have to start the piece over again.

0:00-1:58 - Much better. Now that I'm not expecting the climax to follow after the initial introduction of the metal, the order of events makes more sense. But now half the song is gone, and I'm a bit concerned about whether the artist can make good on all the tension he's created. The 1:47-1:58 section might have too much energy for what it's for.
2:04-3:05 - Excellent! The piece has finally reached its actual primary section, and is proceeding with high energy. Very satisfying.
3:06-3:18ish - Standard drop in energy to simulate the climactic feeling of the finisher. Except . . .
3:18-3:36 - This part confuses me so much. The transition from the previous section is insufficient, and the style clashes with the rest of the piece. If there had been choir elements throughout, then they would have been present in the previous section, allowing for a perfect transition from the symphonic metal into the solo choir to create the interlude. Instead it comes out of nowhere, and even ends on a resolution, as if the piece is over already.
3:36-4:05 - An otherwise perfectly satisfying finish goes underappreciated because I'm still trying to figure out what the choir was for.

Overall, it's a really good arrangement with some powerful potential. But I get the impression the artist wasn't happy with it, and kept making little changes and additions in his attempts to perfect it. I'm left rather confused, and slightly disappointed. 7/10.

11: The Way Home We Walked Together
STACK!

The arrangement is beautiful, but the vocals are definitely the highlight for me. Even if you don't know the lyrics, the voice communicated the intended emotion of the song on its own. Honestly, I can't get over how versatile her voice is; I've not heard a song of this sort from her before, and it's so different from what I normally hear.

If I try to extend this any more, I'm just going to keep talking about Stack, so I'll cut it here. 7/10.

12: World of Fantasy (Remix) [Psystyle]
Why'd I commit to this cold-open bit?

The implementation of Maiden's Capriccio into this style is bizarrely handled here. I've been dipping more into the hard EDM genres of late, getting used to the style and learning to appreciate and enjoy its strengths. This particular arrangement seems undecided on what it wants to be. The vocals and their instrumental compliment seems to be at odds with the hard beat interludes, though I can't tell how much of this is the music versus the vocals. From this track alone, the regular "DON'T STOP THE RAVE!" is both annoying to me personally and distracting from the rest of the song. I'm also having trouble following the song's progression; it feels like the same idea repeated roughly four times with slight variance and different angles of transition.

Ironically, I found the original World of Fantasy to have a bit better structure. Rather then trying to force two differing aspects on top of each other, there's a third transnational style which bridges the gap. I still have questions, such as what the lyrics are, how well they contribute to the song as a whole, and who invited don't-stop-the-rave-guy. But overall, I rather enjoyed it.

So for psystyle remix, it's 5/10. But I'm definitely more open to this style now then I was last tournament, provided there's something for the "organized noise" to be structured around.

TTT

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Reincarnation (Violin / Metal?)

The first time I listened to this, I though it had a promising start, but was disappointed with the rest of it and felt it ultimately should have just been a violin remix all the way through. I found that, except for the violin, the instruments sounded quite low quality and transitions between the different styles didn't sound good. However, I also thought "This is probably the kind of chaotic madness that will grow on me after a second time listening".

I was correct.

Perhaps that's to do with no longer having any preconceived expectations of it, but the second time I enjoyed it a lot more. The beginning has quite a delicate sound, especially the part with the piano, and it's contrasted with the growling undertones of the electric guitar which eventually takes up a more powerful role. I really appreciate the progression in this. The part with the trumpet also gives the song an uplifting push towards its finish. I still don't like the random choir bit though. All the energy just suddenly... disappears. My opinion about the instruments needing some better quality remains, but I actually really like this. 7/10.

The Way Home We Walked On Together

That's some really nice percussion at the start... WAIT IS THIS STACK?? Now this is a calmer song than I usually hear from her, but it works great! It has this very airy feel I like to it. I also feel that there's a lot of variety in how she sings and the instrumentation used which makes the song interesting, while still adhering to a consistent theme. It's really well done and is very pleasant to listen to. 9/10. I swear posting anything with Stack is a guaranteed way to get high points in this.

World of Fantasy

You know, I've been wondering where the electronic remixes in this are; it looks like they're finally showing up. The start sounded promising, but I'm really not of a fan of the "breakdowns" in these sorts of remixes. I guess I have appreciate that they're experimental by nature though. This remix is so dividing for me because I pretty much like 50% of it and dislike the other 50%. Unfortunately the bits I don't like really drag it down so think I have to settle on a 4/10.

 

On 1/25/2021 at 6:17 AM, Drunken_Flower said:

Akatsuki records eh? i kinda tired listening to them. at least the rock or pop or sumthin like that.
but this, their ballad are heckin awesome.
the opening percussion threw me off a bit, aint expect that.
ohmygod, the voice. so kalm yet powerful. but.. yea i guess y'all know stack.
the lyrics kinda melancholic tho, ofc it fitting.
i feel chills yet at peace. i cri.
also those two theme are my favorite but.. does that matter? i guess it does.
9/10? too low
10/10?? yes
i want summer back, it's hella cold right now

Lol try reading this like a poem. Much poetic. I cri every time.

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mood

1: OH LOUD, i was watching quiet streams when i heard a ding, so... yes.
what's this, folk? also i've read the title beforehand but i don't understand how alt rock works. and a circle i never heard, Nice!
0:00 i love the instruments, idk but it feel really catchy.
0:16 the voice sounds nice, seems powerful.
having hard time recognizing the touhou, but probably because i forgot how legend of tohno sounds..
1:11 background voice? nice. now it feels like... idk.. it just feel better.
1:45 idk why but i love those toms
3:34 now i realize the BG voices starts to take up the main vocal
4:00 oh yeah, that part was indeed really loud compared to few previous seconds
4:25 i personally not really fond of fade out ending, in anything tbh.
and that's it, i have no much complaint in this one.
now y'all gonna think this mine submission... sadness.
8.5/10
i feel ive been too generous this tournament (except few, sorry)

2: ive seen this somewhere before.
0:05 usual stuff, ive put my electro ears beforehand.
0:39 DAMN YOU KOISHI
yes now that's a weird mix.
0:53 now it really starts
aint really fond how they mix the vocals tbh. just like the previous round.
1:07 i do like this instrumental part
1:22 fast transition, at least smooth it out a bit smh
aaand repeats, that's pretty much it for the remaining part
i can't notice differences
oh wait 3:40 it slows down
4:08 ngl but this part is the kind of electro i usually(which rarely) listen
idk but this guy style seems not opening great and just be better at the end.
still no difference from any other electro.
6.5/10

3: Kappa really good at cropping.
a rap, bold move choosing infamous genre, not many likes em tbh (me neither)
0:00 IT'S SHOWTIME (reminds me of Cruel Angel Thesis but faster)
the translator gave up with the rap already
n-not that i listen to tamaonsen but i know it's him.
0:24 oh there's the captions
0:35 eyy the female voice, nice!
0:57 idk what happened to me today but i cant recognize 2hu patterns
i feel it's here but im not sure. Lonely Werewolf is my fav soo this kinda strange.
2:38 me neither
3:45 gets me everytime :
this one not a full rap, so im kinda relieved
this one kinda fun, the slow part 2:28 just feel s l o wyes, i mean considering the pace of other parts, it feel aint fit very well.
8/10

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星霜降る野、夜を邌歩く

This has a very steady feeling to it, the singing kinda makes it feel like a lullaby, but slow rock? It's a very unique sound and it has these really nice, graceful vibes to it, but is also has this rather energetic side to it. The chorus behind the main singing also really adds a lot to it; actually there's loads going on here with instrumentation but it never feels over-crowded in any way. I like this. 7/10.

Little Little Wish

Now when it comes to electronic music I wouldn't say this style is my favourite, but it is the sort of thing I might listen to on occasion, and honestly this is pretty good. Not sure what to say about it other than the part with the piano surprised me, but not in a bad way. Actually, it adds a nice calmer moment to the song so that it's not just high energy all the way through, and the high-energy part really is all the better for it. Oh, I should also mention good vocals. I think it deserves a 7/10.

LWCO

YO IT'S GET IN THE RING, BUT WITH RAP?? And there's something so jazzy to this, too! It's fast, it's frantic, and listening to this was an absolute rollercoaster. There are parts where you see their usual heavy style of rock in this, but it's also got these upbeat and jazzy parts too - but, like, mixed with rock? It's really cool! If I had to make one complaint, it's that the ending is quite weak, but this is still a 9/10 song.

 

This was a really good round

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1. Alternative Rock just like post-rock in most cases goes just ignored by me but since it's tournament, at least vocal is half decent but i prefer one from third song, well i just can't say much about this song and 1 thing i certainly wouldn't say is i like it but that's just me


5/10


3. when i see word rap i can only think about my native language rap songs which i just pretty hate, on other hand it's GET IN THE RING and it's pretty nice i like mixed male and female vocal (just as much as duo female vocals which i can mostly remember from some Yonder Voice songs) it's also type of rock i would usually listen too as well however i'm not that much into Kagerou theme, even though it has some jazzy-like "aura" like someone said before it's still pretty good regardless

8/10


 

12 hours ago, Garison DeCrick said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if Amamiya Yuki- chose this song, it sounds like their type of style.

and here i thought it was already obvious lmao (and yeah i love complextro too)

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13: Time Passes in the Field, Walk Slowly Through the Night
Now here's a study!

This arrangement sounds deceptively simple, as it doesn't draw attention to its more creative aspects. First thing I noticed was the slight dissonance between the notes sung and the music played. There's a fine line between the bad singer and the musical master, but I was fairly certain that this was intentional; it sounded precise and exact, as though in opposition to the "incorrect" accompaniment the chords were following. Sure enough, the reprise after the interlude is harmonized, with the effect of a planned progression successfully executed. The second major decision in the arrangement is the change from the original's 4:4 time to a near-swing 3:4 time. This allows the piece to mosey along at a leisurely pace without losing energy. But it's so subtle that I almost didn't notice. In respect to instrumentation, Jssf referred to this as "rock." Yet while most rock arrangements rely primarily on the electric guitar, this piece distracts from its presence for the most part, favoring the piano and pipe-organ/synthesizer(?). It's finally given more attention in the interlude, but even then it seems detached from the rest of the song.

I strongly suspect this song to be the type which had a lot of thought put in to how its lyrics and music re-enforced each other. Unfortunately, I can't find the lyrics for this one; if anyone knows what they are, I'd be very grateful.

Definitely a unique experience, and I look forward to looking further into this artist's work. 8/10.

14: Little Little Wish
Spacelectro, take two.

This is the kind of hard EDM I can get behind. Firstly because of the melodic presence, but also because of the incorporation of the style to the lyrics. The song depicts a person (specifically Shinmyoumaru or Koishi) who desires something she does not have; the music starts with an anticipatory intro, which seems to build up to an action but unexpectedly drops to calm piano. This drop is remorseful; we are at the end of the story, after she sought out the means to accomplish her desire. The music jumps to full intensity as she admits her failure, the impossibility of fully accomplishing what she wants, and the destructive results of her determination to accomplish it anyway. The rest of the song follows this idea.

In case anyone's curious (epilepsy warning?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJGGktb7kgA

Granted that most of this is simply my perspective interpretation of the song, but that's kinda assumed anyway. 7/10.

15: LWCO
kagerou sus

I LOVE THIS PIECE! High energy, good instrumentation, excellent vocal performance, and even just a fun, catchy song. I find this rather ironic; I'm not normally a fan of rap, and Lonesome Werewolf is possibly my least favorite track in the entire Touhou series. Then again, my gripes with Touhou 14's first half was mainly presentation and instrumentation, and this arrangement certainly addresses both those issues. Perhaps I'll appreciate the original more in future.

Taken on their own, the lyrics depict a rather gruesome situation, the dark nature of which seems at odds to the excited bounce of the music. For all that, the piece maintains a sense of urgency, belying the subject of the song. I interpret this as the dichotomy between the game's concept and reality. Of course, this is from the perspective of someone familiar with Mafia/Werewolf, and I can't be sure that's what the song is actually referring to. But the association fits perfectly, and my appreciation for what was already a great song on its own is only amplified by that familiarity.

I wonder how long it will take for me to learn how to sing this? 10/10.

Post-readeveryoneesle'sreviews:
@Drunken_Flower 100% with you on fade-outs, and I actually thought this was your submission just from the song alone. Scrapping that idea now; I said it before, but post-tournament guessing is going to be a lot of chaotic fun.
@Garison DeCrick I thought the same thing about that picture! I guess if it ain't broke . . .

TTT

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On 1/29/2021 at 9:02 AM, Garison DeCrick said:

Ok, so, I’ve put my whole rant in this textbox below. It’s a massive tangent that goes into the image choice that was used, it’s insanity. But anyways, I’m talking about the music now lol.
 

  Reveal hidden contents

First, picture choice. Is it just me or do people use this image a lot? I swear whenever I hear a remix of Sukuna’s theme, 1/4th of a time it’s this pic. Like, literally, here’s my collection.

(Also, yes, I call her Sukuna instead of Shinmyoumaru. It’s way faster to type).

This one’s the most popular. By a landslide. Talking millions of views. No remix, just one from the OST. The omnipresent ScarletFlameFlandre.

 

Another OST reupload. Louchan, another notable Touhou reuploader.

 

Yet another OST duplicate. Yep, even Clownplease uses this image!

 

You like Sukuna’s theme? Do you want to listen to it for ONE HOUR!?!?! Honestly, these 1 hour compilations have always pained me. Like, it’s the worst of both worlds personally. Why play this when you can use the loop button? (Unless it’s not on mobile or something idk?) And I can’t even put this on a playlist because I’m stuck listening to ONE WHOLE HOUR OF SUKUNA’S THEME. Like, don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad theme, but oof.

 

Wan~椀~ byサリー Personally my favorite remix I’ve heard of her theme. Linkstarzelda being another well-known uploader.

 

Feeling Heart by Amateras Records. This one has cool visual effects at least.

 

Little Braver by RP.D&MW. More obscure rock remix. Has an audio synthesizer in the corner.

 

Swear By God by Yuuhei Satellite. Funnily enough, the thumbnail covers the art lol. But it’s still  the full image on the video itself.

 

小さな針のようなby 奥山ナマリ Even senya can’t escape!

 

DD by monochrome-coat. A hilariously-short title. Very close to the shortest Touhou track name I’ve ever seen. Yeah I’ve seen one’s that are just “?” or “A” XD

 

 

And these are just the Youtube ones! I haven’t even gotten to nicovideo.jp or bilibili yet!

Lonely Little Circus by カミヤシロ

https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm22613185

 

And even Mizuiro ‘s profile picture on this site itself

https://moriyashrine.org/profile/6386-mizuiro/content/

 

But, out of curiousity, I’ve gone and did a Google Image search of the image, and wow. It’s pure insanity how much times this image is used. Official ZUN art? GONE. Alphes? GONE. Twilight Frontier? Ehhh… close contender, BUT STILL.

https://www.google.com/search?tbs=simg:CAQStAIJaEA_16cq5Rd8aqAILELCMpwgaYgpgCAMSKPUQzxz5C_1YLrRHAHPgL0By7HPcL4yH1IZAgqzfzI4YkoSn-Oac3oikaMIA5gbz-wKoVd7cp5j23GAPT8iJYFgmXgXzfRFL1zGRECOhAuzNV0beTyIqHJMbeCSAEDAsQjq7-CBoKCggIARIE9bv-dgwLEJ3twQkaoAEKJwoTZmljdGlvbmFsIGNoYXJhY3RlctqliPYDDAoKL20vMDJoN2xrdAobCghoaW1lIGN1dNqliPYDCwoJL20vMGdkd2t5Ch0KCmNnIGFydHdvcmvapYj2AwsKCS9tLzAydHgxawoeCgl3aXRjaCBoYXTapYj2Aw0KCy9tLzAxMGxxNDdiChkKB2ZpY3Rpb27apYj2AwoKCC9tLzAyeGxmDA&sxsrf=ALeKk01b6-Ft_hCCb_g3pm-PfkycLhIa9w:1611875920226&q=touhou+shinmyoumaru+sukuna&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGjpbd4b_uAhUTO30KHdDJA6wQ2A4oAXoECBAQMw&biw=1920&bih=969#imgrc=h5a-blTlSaMlvM

LIKE SERIOUSLY IT’S AN ARMY!???!?! Genuinely, this has haunted me for years. Why? Why do people choose THIS image in particular? Is it some demonic aura? Some divine spell?  

AMAZING

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

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sorry guys but i'm probably gonna be out of there for a decent while and right now i'm in kind of hurry so i'm just going to leave ratings and short notes with them

i hope no one minds it that way

1. 9/10 i could call it one of my favourite SOUND HOLIC songs easily

2. 5/10 a bit too calm for my tastes even for orchestra

3. 7/10 this is rather kind of orchestral i would listen to, theme and traditional style are also pretty good

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FLASH STORM

Well, this is moreso a remix of At The End Of Spring, but I did hear some bits of A Tiny Tiny Clever Commander in there as well so I'll let it slide. This is one of those songs where the synergy between the singing and the instrumental works really well. Other than that, this is just some plain good metal, with enough shifts to move the music forward and an epic guitar solo part. 8/10.

Bad Apple (Orchestration)

Oh, I happen to know this one. I'll be honest, for me it's just too difficult to recognise as bad apple, but I know it's trying to fit into classical style and that it's not exactly meant to be the bad apple I recognise; and I also know the composer knows that too as I've read their comments before. Which, overall, makes this incredibly difficult to rate for me. But I guess I'll take it from the top. After the initial intro, it sets a slow, melancholy mood. Then about halfway through there's this kind of turn in the music, where it feels grander and more atmospheric, but still overall melancholy. And then this grandness is amplified toward the end, ending with a nice, calm resolution. I guess I don't normally listen to "sad" music so doesn't immediately click with me, but it definitely feels like it would work well as the soundtrack to something - sort of reminds of the Ori games in that regard. I definitely can't give it less than a 7/10. In the right context it's possible I would give it even more, but I'm going to take it at face value as it is here, so I'm sticking to that 7/10.

Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess Pretty sure flight IN the bamboo cutter is a typo

I love the mood set by the traditional instruments working with the orchestral instruments in this, it creates this very grand and powerful music that feels like it's depicting some grand or climactic moment, and it has a lot of these different shifts in pace in the song, which just furthers the sense of scope it has. It really creates this sense of awe, but is also quite energetic. Feels like it could fit a cinematic opening just as well as a final battle. 10/10.

 

Sidenote: I feel these were a good selection of songs to finish off with. How does Jssf decide what order to post the songs in; is it just random generation or does he choose?

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1: ooh metal
the vocal and the instruments are amazing
id say At the End of Spring is too cheerful for metal stuff, it amazing but at some parts it feels a bit off.
i can't comment anything else.
8/10
im also at the mood for some bang, so yeah...
im a professional. (that was a sarcasm)

2: Flan, stop stealing Elly's theme.
ohmygod, this feels G R A N D 
im feeling [?????] vibes from this.
dunno but aint hear any 2hu in this?? only the opening contain a bit of bad apple. (oh! then i read busker's comment. Im not the only one yay)
i also heard a bit at 3:26, it really slow, im having a hard time recognizing this.
i feel this works as a cinematic movie ost.
7/10
not sure if can be used as game ost, maybe for last boss? well yea it grand... but too slow for last boss theme.
for ending theme? yes slow, but too grand.
wait, this great for ending this tournament.

3: oh a traditional
the intro nicely intriguing
japanese trad is always feel amazing, or just me?
i kinda wish they use more traditional instruments in this, kinda ruined the traditional feeling.
add few shamisen and there you got it.
8/10
 

jssf, you shoulda put the bad apple after the lunatic princess.
and then we have a proper ending.

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

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16: Flash Storm
Metal, right? I'm trying to get a better grasp at the difference.

Sound Holic always delivers arrangements of highs: high quality, high intensity, and high energy. This remix is all of those, and deserves the praise for it. However, I'm struggling to find something uniquely memorable about it. To me, it sounds like a metal remix of At the End of Spring. It's a good remix and a great performance, but there's nothing specific to say about it aside from the slight elements of Tiny, Tiny, Clever Commander mixed in, which aren't even that prevalent.

It's still a 7/10, but I'm probably not going to remember this one.
There wasn't anything noteworthy about the lyrics either, btw.

17: Bad Apple
. . . without the exclamation marks.

I've a feeling this one's going to be rather divisive. Stating the obvious, it's really easy to miss the Bad Apple!! motifs completely; the arranger even admitted this was just a few note adjustments away from being an entirely original piece. As such, it's hard to decide how to estimate it.

As one who loves orchestra in its purest form, I love this piece. It's very baroque, which isn't used much anymore, due to the complexities of arrangement. The progression is almost invisible, which is usually the mark of a film score where the music follows predetermined emotional "events." Yet it never stagnates, and neither overstays its welcome despite being five and a half minutes.

The Bad Apple!! references add an intriguing element to the piece. On first listen, they can serve as islands of clarity in what may otherwise be a confusing ocean of unfamiliar music. I fear that, for some listeners, their existence may hamper appreciation for the full piece, since the tendency will be to focus on the familiar melodies. But others will gradually (or perhaps even quickly) appreciate the smooth integration of the motifs into a more emotionally diverse construct.

Regardless, this is certainly a unique experience for Touhou. 8/10.

18: Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess
"Of," not "in."

This arrangement is almost perfect! The instrumentation is a good blend of full orchestra and traditional folk, which creates a fitting representation of Kaguya in her most elegant strength. I've always preferred Lunatic Princess over Immortal Smoke simply for its complexity, and I find it very satisfying to finally hear a proper orchestral remix of the theme.

My one gripe is two fold, and is concerned with the ending. At 2:20, the drumbeat is delivered with an air of finality, and puts to rest the energy of the piece. At 2:22, the energy is picked up again, building up to the second stage of the arrangement. But there is no second stage; this section builds up to nothing. Granted, it's careful not to promise more than it delivers, but it still feels unnecessary to the rest of the piece. Of course, without this extra the remaining piece would feel too short, since it had very little build up of its own. I personally would have looped it at 2:21/2:22 back to 0:08/0:09, or have used the post-2:22 section for an intro to a second stage of the piece, or something along those lines.

Still, it's by far the best arrangement I've heard of one of my favorite themes. 9/10.

TTT

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All right, here we go.

So, first off, highest rated song was the arrangement of Retribution for the Eternal Night, with an average of 9.5!  It also got three of the seven 10/10 ratings that we had.

It also was a pretty big help in giving Buskerdog the highest average ratings across his picks (8.8)

Get in the Ring, Toyosatomimi's medley, Lunatic Princess, and Time will tell also got 10/10 ratings from somebody.

 

My picks were  Time will Tell, Crimson Belvedere, and U.N. Owen (undoubtedly for some).

My personal favorites of other picks were:  Rush Garcia's Bad Apple, Lunatic Princess, The Legend of Tohno, and Tomorrow will be Special.

 

So, you guys were asking how I choose the order?  Sorry to say it's nothing special, I just make sure that I don't ever have a round with more than one entry by a single participant by making a list and staggering the first, second, and third piece of each round.  I don't really choose based on the actual pieces.  Sorry to disappoint.

 

A bit of sad irony that of picks, the one I like the most was the lowest rated.

I've noticed we've had a lot of things in the 5-7 range, which is kind of sad to see.  I wonder if our expectations have been getting too high?

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