• Touhou 6 New Classic Score Attack Ongoing!

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The Remix Tournament Awakens

o_0

4: Maiden's Cappricio/Armpit Maiden - Blooming
Medley of one.

This calls for a breakdown:
0:00-1:03 ~ Atmospheric ambiance with light melodic accompaniment is a tried and true formula for many a slowly built up melancholy, and such was my anticipation for this beginning. Does it have to be this long, though?
1:04-1:40 ~ A secondary build up, or the next step of the introduction? The rain faded out, but then it came back. The added instrumentation doesn't lend toward my expectations of melancholy, but rather indicates a more sinister direction. I'm okay with this, but I'm getting a bit tired of this long intro.
1:40-2:18 ~ Immediate discordance! Unexpectedly limited instrumentation, a suddenly pronounced plodding pace which is neither melancholy nor sinister. Why?
2:18-2:35 ~ The apparent moment of climax is past, its brevity committing nothing to whatever thematic progression this piece supposedly has. I officially have no idea what is going on.
2:35-3:47 ~ This is now a different piece. The first two-and-a-half minutes were apparently the introduction, but did nothing to prepare the listener for the currently presented tone.
3:47-5:00 ~ The last minute was build up, proving that the first part was completely unnecessary. I actually like this part, but I can't focus on it because I'm still confused by the path it took to get here.
5:00-5:08 ~ The piece is over.
5:08 ~ The piece is not over.
5:08-5:44 ~ The piece was over; this is a different piece.
5:44-? ~ Honestly, I can't be bothered anymore.

It's a shame, because the quality of arrangement is quite good apart from the confusing progression. If there was a proper transition between the second and third part (dispensing with the first part), I believe this would have been a fine experience. Instead, I'm left confused and slightly annoyed.

I'm rating low, though I acknowledge it may be unfair. 4/10

5: Sonic Hybrid Orchestra - Soul Concerto
Quite the follow-up.

The initial build up is rather lackluster, being more along the lines of what DF defined as a "remix." Then the rock kicks in, and suddenly it's symphonic metal reminiscent of Our Hisoutensoku! Granted that its instrumentation is a bit more limited than is customary for the genre, it still presents a high energy drop and carries through with it. This leads into an improv-style B-section, dropping into the customary energy saver and ramping up into a fitting finale. I was fully expecting this to be a looping track, but was instead treated to a fairly fitting lead out. There still seems to be something missing throughout the piece, but it's certainly not for lack of trying.

Points deducted for the intro, but otherwise a very satisfying experience. 8/10

6: chizhidoo - Falling Pegasus
. . . how shall I get this into the playlist . . .

The progression here is unusually solid for this genre, mainly because it balances out its noise sections (breakdowns?). They're kept just short enough that they don't overcome the song, and they're spaced out with melody snippets from the source pieces, keeping the whole thing grounded. The energy was carefully managed throughout, and it keeps its goal in sight; there wasn't any point in the piece where I was questioning the direction. I would have preferred some more clever usage of Dark Pegasus, as it seemed to be overcome by the much more obvious True Administrator. Then again, I'm more familiar with the latter piece, and possibly I just didn't notice some of the incorporation.

I worry that this won't be a particularly memorable entry, but I enjoyed it in the moment. 7/10

 
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1. Maiden's Cappricio - Blooming
nice atmospheric opening, personally the length is just right. it's all doing nice
up until around 3:50, i feel the supporting instruments starting to disappear i thought my headphone broke, it's like they mashed together and became lost.
i can actually understand what's the story behind this piece, except the part after 5:00 i dont understand, what for? should've ended with the piano instead.
if only the mastering was nicer i could listen to this more
7/10

2. S.H.O - Soul Concerto

0:27 eyy nice guitar
it's pretty faithful to the original up until 2:00, i thought this was gonna be a cover until the very end.
this part actually nice, breaking up the repetition of the original.
3:10 it's back to the original, 3:35 eyy this finally has turned into a re-arrangement, and y'know me i love those kind of heavy part sound thing.
8/10

3. chizhidoo - 墜ちるペガサス - "Falling Pegasus"
what is this genre? i never know what's it called. it say color bass which i don't get at all. my hearing say is pretty close to complextro or hi-tech, that thing Camellia usually make.
yeah the progression really reminds me of Camellia
this actually very nice, it's not ear-grating as others and i can actually listen to
wait i just realized this has Saki theme in it... right? and i still havent listen much to the new themes, just some of em
9/10
what's this? a 9(Nine) for an electro from me? DF himself? yeah i

 
Alright, time for round three!

First, a folk version of the Fantatistic Legend of Tohno:


Spoiler




 
im about to say that i almost forgot i was in tourney but it seems im first so yeah!

apparently today my comments are quite long
1. O-Life Japan - マヨヒガ演舞

-100 for rarity
763059750144442368.png
, i definitely already heard this loonggg ago
Irish Folk eh?
i dont really mind the slow opening from 00:00-01:02, feels reasonably fitting
though im a bit annoyed at the repetitive part at 01:40
i dont know what to comment after that but it feel ok-ish, nothing too significant
04:28 Discord notification sound!
the violin solo-ish(?) focused(?) part is nice, especially after 05:02
this a enjoyable piece overall, minus the rarity 7.5/10

although this nice, no one beats Floating Cloud in this genre so i set the bar quite high
2. Youkai Sound Team - Hyper Flavour

first thing that came to my mind is, i hate that opening sample.
quite unlucky of you to choose this, that sample been blasted everyday everywhere over my ears without my consent. help.

i dunno what to say, the buildup is kinda generic
01:41 the touhou in in, sounds like Hartmann, and quite cinematic? well yea i don't think it quite fit?
02:32 another theme, this time is Faith is for the Transient People
03:38 Hartmann again
the buildup and climax at 03:56 is quite nice
06:22 i hear Grimoire of Alice
06:58 another Hartmann, but now in jazz??? quite nice compared to previous
07:25 now feels like electro swing?? finally a part i like
ok the remaining part seems to be quite amazing

im really sorry but this goes to my not-to-go-music 4/10

also i've tried to ignore this but i hate the comments, don't hang out with indonesians
and this guy everywhere, you sure this not you? or anyone among us? and the timing is kinda suspicious.

View attachment 2281

745646065537253416.png
3: Tennenjemini - CALL OUT!!

oh nice heavy guitar
seems quite chaotic at 00:17 idk what to feel
the voice mastering seems kinda off but at the same time kinda fun?

the theme pick is reasonable, i mean.. those two definitely already met and fight.
i do feel the Futatsuiwa in this arrange, but can't quite point it out
wait this is the th13.5 Futatsuiwa from Gensokyo not the th13 Futatsuiwa from Sado, so probably i was searching the wrong melody
nah that doesn't make lotta difference but now i can tell the 01:02 is the Futatsuiwa.
and wait!! that chaotic part at 00:17 does actually sound like a part of Last Occultism, not the main part of the original so kinda hard to notice.
both themes is in there so that checks out.

idk why but i like the 01:06 heeeyyyyyy yeeeeaaahhhhhh.
i like the intensity in this arrange.

i think my expectation is lowered after the previous so this one kinda got boosted? 9/10

i forgot th13 extra boss is Mamizou

 
The trifecta:

7: O-Life Japan - Stray House Performance
Orchestra . . .

. . . or is it more folk? Definitely a balance of the two, but not quite a blend (however well the balance is handled). "Cinematic" does seem an appropriate word for the style, even if I'd be hesitant to use it myself without such prompting. It is known that I'm a huge fan of Irish Folk, and this is possibly the best adaptation of the genre into Touhou that I've yet encountered. Parts where the folk is forefront seem reinforced by the backing orchestra without being apart of it, whereas the sections of orchestral focus are often lacking any folk elements. I'm surprised by this as a concept, and I might start looking for it more in other pieces. On a separate note, I noticed the piece change at 4:25. The transition was smooth, and both sides were sufficiently developed to compliment each other, but it makes me wonder what the production process was like.

Why so many internal questions? Ultimately, I really enjoyed the piece. 9/10

8: Youkai Sound Team - Hyper Flavour
. . . EDM . . .

. . . I know I use that acronym for pretty much anything electronic with a focus on heavy beat, and I believe I'm justified in doing so. Even if it isn't entirely correct. (Musical genres are hard.) This particular arrangement features a plethora of styles, apparently sourced from a team of individuals working on different parts of the full piece. You can sometimes tell which sections are which based on the change in focus, but these are all transitioned into and out of extremely well. I would expect a project of this sort to be riddled with inconsistent progression and tone issues; not only is this not the case, but the group seemed to do a better job at keeping track of the project's progression than some single-member circles usually do.

Color me impressed. 9.2/10

9: Tennenjemini - CALL OUT!
. . . and rock.

Shouldn't that come before EDM? However, this is also a vocal piece, so perhaps its placement is fitting. I struggled a bit with the mastering of this track; the vocals didn't seem balanced to the music, and everything seemed improperly compressed. I looked for something better, but it would seem this is the original quality. I'm unsure at how much this has effected my experience with the piece; the vocal performance is well done, though somewhat harsh against its accompaniment, and the music seems well arranged but somewhat lacking in sufficient punch (there's probably a better word). Altogether, it comes across as . . . OK. Not bad, but not spectacular, just okay.

I also couldn't find the lyrics. 6.8/10

 
1. more folk, eh? Quite rare piece i would say i kinda like instrument choice and progression but it really starts to shine after 4:26
overall it's pretty nice song i'm usually not really that much fond of folk but obviously it depends on song itself and this one hits

8/10

2. This is quite intriguing i would say not only a medley but more importantly it's Full Flavor or by some also called Omnigenre and as name implies it consists of various genres together
0:00 - 1:18 some drum'n bass as opening i see
1:38 - 2:00 we got some orchestral there
2:01 - 2:53 leading into neurofunk
3:04 - 3:35 and some nasty colour bass there i like it
3:56 - 5:01 a little bit of hardcore
5:24 - 5:45 and rocky rock
5:46 - 6:49 comparable to orchestral metal but a little softer also 6:05 piano in background feels so nice there
7:24 - 8:17 a tad of ele swing too

overall it's possibly the first full flavor touhou song that i've ever heard and believe me i heard a LOT of them

9/10

3. hell yeah, this is kind of rock i'd like to listen aka ones that resemble metal a little more this one sounds nice while also being another medley there and with quite nice and decent vocal i approve
this is a little less than first song because first one kinda impressed me for a folk song it's still good regardless though

8.5/10

anyway. what a round with a double medley, right?

 
Stray House Performance

I really love those mysterious vibes at the beginning, and beyond that it progresses into a great folk tune. I appreciate all the different sections it progresses through, which sometimes implement orchestral and and folk elements together really well. I guess I really dig folk + orchestral fusion. Has some really fun folk energy going for it at the end; Fantastic Legend of Tono is not a piece you hear arranged often and this arrangement was a great listen that I personally think used the source theme well. 8/10.

Hyper Flavour

Because there's so much that goes on in this one it's difficult to explain, but I'll try my best to summarise. Going into this, I really didn't know what to expect, and I still felt that way even after listening to the beginning, all I knew was that I thought the beginning didn't seem bad, but I just felt indifferent about it. Eventually after hearing some of the Touhou parts I felt like I was understanding it a bit more - and some of those parts I thought were really good by the way, such as the Faith is for the Transient People section and the electric guitar version of Hartmann's Youkai Girl. But I struggled to ever get into the "non-Touhou" parts in between those sections, and didn't find that there was really much coherence about it all. And then things only got stranger when suddenly, jazz? Overall, it's all a very strange mashup of things, where I feel that most of the individual sections are done well, I just don't understand why it was all put together. In the end I just feel indifferent about it, since I struggle to even think of the song as a single, connected thing. I can understand why some people might find appeal in having a showcase of several different styles, though.

Since I'm indifferent, I have to go middle of the road with 5/10.

Somehow, this song left both the biggest and the smallest impression on me.

CALL OUT!!

Ah, a vocal song, and dual vocal at that. I like the kinda threatening/foreboding vibes from the vocals before the main chorus. I had to listen really hard to pick out the inspiration from the source theme the first time - was a bit easier to pick out on the second listen, it's definitely one those very loosely based arranges - of course not anything wrong with that, just pointing out my experience. At first I wasn't sure that I liked it all that much, but on consecutive listens I really appreciate what the dual guitar and synth instrumentation does for this song, as well as just the overall structure and energy. Dual vocals also really bring this up. I think I'll settle for giving this 7/10.

EDIT: I seen a few other people saying the vocals don't exactly sound right. I can't know exactly what was meant by that, but... am I the only one who noticed there were two singers?
EDIT: AHAA! I AM THE KING OF PAGE 2!!

 
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Shionne Imeris said:
2. This is quite intriguing i would say not only a medley but more importantly it's Full Flavor or by some also called Omnigenre
Click to expand...
 oh that's what it supposed to be
somehow that flew over my head.
that reminds me this kind of genre been on rise lately, wazzup with that?

buskerdog said:
 am I the only one who noticed there were two singers?
Click to expand...
uh, it's listed in the description
they're sisters even
also ive known tennenjemini so yeah

though the mastering problem still persist, sometimes it sound muffled

 
Drunken_Flower said:
that reminds me this kind of genre been on rise lately, wazzup with that?
Click to expand...
yeah, recently Colour Bass, Riddim, Full Flavor and several niche genres were popping hard. i'm not sure it's just music trends or something else really
not that i mind though i'm really into stuff like that so i'm happy

 
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First?

10: Joulez - Wasted Neverland
It's available on regular Youtube, in case anyone else finds that information convenient.

I appreciate the sound of this piece; it's decidedly hard EDM, but it doesn't get too bass-happy, emphasizing rhythm rather than noise. That being said, I have some complaints. This is a rather loose adaptation of its source material; I could identify one musical phrase out of the original's five[ish]. This isn't an unusual concept, but is usually mitigated by structure of progression. Here, there is little to no progression, with the piece reaching its peek energy within the first three seconds. Then there was the dip at 2:20; while the piece didn't come to a full stop, it still seemed to be an unnecessary fake-out. These are small issues, and didn't prevent me from enjoying the track, but the lack of anything noteworthy meant there was little else to focus on by the end.

Not much else to say. 6.8/10

11: C-CLAYS - Djedefre
Did anyone else have their ears blown out by that intro?

The buildup definitely captures attention for the main body of the song, and the entrance of the familiar motifs was wonderfully integrated into the original sections. I've said before that I consider Nuclear Fusion to be a bit jerky, so it was pleasant to hear an arrangement that customized and reimagined it in such a way as this. The progression structure here is exemplary. I was surprised it ended when it did, but I believe this is only because we've had so many long pieces in the tournament thus far. Sometimes a piece doesn't need to be long to satisfy its goal.

Thoroughly enjoyed. 8.5/10

12: Ibiza - Stalking the Night with a Cross
Had better luck finding the arranger for this one.

What's the statistics on featured themes for the collective tournaments? I feel like we've heard quite a few unique interpretations of Apparitions, yet this still manages to surprise me. I'm not sure if this is intentionally taking inspiration from Akiyama, but I recognize a strong similarity to some of his work from the fighting games (mainly the focus on the accordion-sounding instrument). There's a good balance of holding to the original motifs and adding more original elements, not all of which is improv-interlude. The loop transition is also refreshingly well handled, neither jarring and abrupt nor ambiguous.

Thoroughly enjoyed x2! 8.7/10

 
THIS ROUND SLAPPED

Wasted Neverland

Well, first thing's first I gotta say that this is kind of a cursed platform to share it on. But no matter as I was able to find it elsewhere anyway.

With that out the way, I'm glad it was still shared though because I enjoyed this. I like the long build up this has, it creates a pretty ambient feel since the build up (and the drop) are not actually that intense and it makes for that sort of relaxing style of trance, which is something I like. And then there's the use of flute, unexpected but really cool use of instrumentation which supports that relaxing vibe. That dip into silence is just great too. I could wish more was done with the source theme, but nonetheless the simple implementation has its own appeal, and it's an appeal I get. 8/10.

Djedefre

First thing to talk about is the middle-eastern instruments, they're present all through the piece and that's already a good start as I'm very much a fan of those. I love the build up in this, it has a very intimidating feel to it, not quite tense, but foreshadowing that something is about to happen. And of course, something DOES happen, things get super intense when the rock instrumentation starts to be added, but it's a slow kind of intensity, the kind that just sets such a powerful tone. The subtle layers of techno instruments are the cherry on top of a piece that uses diverse instrumentation to create a very focused mood.

9/10, will remember to keep a safe distance from Okuu.

Stalking the Night with a Cross

From the previous appearances of this game soundtrack, I think I had a certain expectation of what instruments to hear going into this. I was immediately corrected about that. This is an incredibly bouncy and fun remix of Apparitions Stalk the Night, featuring traditional instruments, and I'm all for it. There's a string instrument which I can't think the name of playing an alternate part in the background, and I need to point it out because I really like what it's doing there. Those rapid note flourishes are incredibly entertaining; and of course let's not forget, P I A N O. I love how the original theme was used here, with all those interweaving parts, and the whole thing is just so energetic and groovy. The only disappointing thing is the fade out, since it's looping game soundtrack... 8/10 overall.

 
1. i always liked trance mostly for it's sounding and how long it can get, depending on artist they can also get a bit stale or not and this depending on someones tastes might be a downside as well as upside
this was mentioned twice above but i wish this one would meddle more with original but it's really good regardless i love trance with ambient/choir parts and this flute definitely adds to it and while theres almost no progression it doesn't get boring for me

9.5/10 (would be 10/10 if original theme would be utilized more)

2. another orchestra although a tad different this time i'd say, it was kinda hard to guess what theme it is for me until 0:40 but i that's pretty normal. This really gives me arabish vibes (doubt i'm the only one it was probably supposed to sound to resemble that) but i like it instrumentation and progression is great too

8.5/10

3. fantasy maiden wars again wooo, this definitely sounds like a game ost to me although my first thought was house set which should be quite reasonable i guess, gives also a very little bit of jazz-ish vibes to me but i don't really mind it here this sounds decent though ngl

8/10

 

buskerdog said:
THIS ROUND SLAPPED
Click to expand...
i have to agree there, this round was nuts!

 
ah sorry for the delay
i had to clear my ears

Joulez - Wasted Neverland
eyy i can name this kind of genre

quite a long track
took a while to find the theme, ofc they put it in the kalm part
it feels a bit repetitive but i think that's the point of trance. so yeah...

i cant find anything to comment on
i dont feel attachment to this but neither dislike it
7/10

C-Clays - Djedefre
i didn't expect that opening holyshit

oh this sounds egyptian? middle eastern! we got quite a few lately eh?
a very powerful piece, i mean.. yeah that's how Nuclear Fusion arrange usually is.
the buildup and transition sounds perfect.
and the original theme is easily recognizable so that aint a problem
2:40 I'd like to know what they say in arabic... egyptian use arabic rightt?

i can imagine what this trying to convey.
9/10
if Djed is the son of ra
then is Okuu the daughter of yatagarasu? ?

Ibiza - Stalking the Night with a Cross
the first 2 second gave me impression this is a chinese style arrange, maybe no, tibet-india yes, just slightly.
The "Those rapid note flourishes" i think they use some kind of harp, probably some kind of Koto. it's not traditional but somehow it's often used in modern fusion.
fade-out again? yeah game soundtrack, understandable.

this is a fun piece
8.7/10
Goodbounce ?

 
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Okay, time for the final round!

First up, an orchestral arrange of Flowering Night (with some salsa in there too I think)


Spoiler




 
1. oooh someone just reminded me about that circle, really unique in 2hu fanbase imo mostly because of their intros and the fact that songs tend to tell some kind of story 1:59 is just straight amazing but whole song is just a real banger with good progression and instruments choice

10/10

2. aaaand there we go with another fantasy maiden wars ost (third one i think) it's quite short piece but it does a good job in original theme representation, a little bit repetitive but i don't mind especially it's short (although sudden cut at the end was kind of surprise, i guess someone had to cut the loop there) 

7.5/10

3. i have my concerns about a bit misleading title because i'm pretty it's a house not electronica (or with just very little influence of electronica) but that aside, this piece would be real good if you'd want to focus on something while also listening to music it's soothing and not too sharp to make you wub like frozen starfall stuff often tends to be which has it own charms 

8.5/10

previous round was neat but this one was also really good and those two definitely been my favorites from this tournament so far

 
a

Nanagen Straße - 黄昏のステップ
uhh um im not sure what this genre, i do hear ethno elements in the voice it but im not sure what to call the other. House ethno? lmmao i checked their site and they say... Epic Trance... ok.
anyway ignoring them, this definitely has the influence of latin and medieval folk with modern touch and epic symphony.

i have no idea what he's monologue-ing, ACTUALLY I DO! summary:

"man born to this world blindfolded,
questioning oneself, is it so they don't see unnecessary things?
someone else asked, is it so they see no evil?
why are they choose to keep living under the blinds? the truth is that's because they are all cowards!
the moment man open it's eyes, they afraid to be left behind.
and so everyone continue to dance under the blinds."
Click to expand...
but not the female voice i have no idea what she sayin.
i have a feeling this probably a part of bigger story, that's how usually epic symphony goes, for example: ICDD.

it's quite catchy though
9/10

Fantasy Maiden Wars P - Momiji's battle theme: Observe, White Wolf!
I instantly feel like this a game credit/victory music instead of a battle theme lmao
01:10 the loop transition is not as smooth as the previous rumia theme, the menacing drums feels quite out of place in the middle of upbeat music.

i'd like to give this a 9 for some reason, probably because i like autumnal waterfall but then considering i prefer the execution of previous rumia theme i may need to change both.
8.5/10

Frozen Starfall - Rainforest
house?
idk why the opening so slow, it took like a quarter of the music to change melody and another quarter to start the beats
yeah it says chillout but it's too repetitive

now the one after 02:00
i personally like the part at 2:15
and im outta things to comment...
yeah sure this probably would play in my BG playlist but then it wont give much impression, probably wouldn't even realized this was playing 
6.5/10

 
13: Nanagen Straße - Twilight Steps
*deep sigh*

The music is great; I love the blend of standard orchestra with vaguely varied folk influence (referencing hinted instrumentation and an ever so slight stylistic bend). The vocalists both do excellent jobs, and their performances contrast and compliment each other very smoothly. This arrangement was clearly constructed with the utmost care toward the intended effect, and I believe successfully so. However, what that intended effect precisely is, I can't be sure of; I could not find a translation of the lyrics, and this track seemed especially reliant upon the listener's ability to interpret it for its progression. As such, I am left with too many unintentional questions to be entirely satisfied with my experience.

Though it should not impact my judgement of the piece, I should also note that I did not appreciate the accompanying image, and was unable to find an alternative upload. Nonetheless, 7.6/10

14: [insert composer for Fantasy Maiden Wars P here] - Observe, White Wolf!
That should be sufficient to find it later, if necessary.

Aside from a slightly more bombastic presentation (most notably the intro), this seems a simplified adaptation of its source material. I infer the idea was to replace the signature MoF specific instrumentation with something resembling the standard Zunpet, and adjust as necessary to change the track from a stage-type to a boss-type. Unfortunately, too much is lost in the transition, and the end result feels lacking compared to the original. It didn't sound "bad," though . . .

I'm curious to see how DF categorizes this into his taxonomy of musical adaptation. 5/10

15: Frozen Starfall - Rainforest
Strange note to end on.

The piece has a slow start, but eventually adds layers and gets its progression going. It seems only loosely connected to its source material, in as much as it isn't the kind of piece to hold to melody much to begin with, and the source was something of a medley anyway. I'd compare this to earlier entry Wasted Neverland, in that there is a similar emphasis on the mood rather than progression. I still prefer my mood music to have elements of good progression, but I can respect what these kinds of pieces are going for. There may also be some genre-associated expectations that I need to address to better appreciate this style. Regardless, this grew on me over time.

Let that be it. 7.8/10

 
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