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Ken Hisuag

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Posts posted by Ken Hisuag

  1. Finally, I am prepared to feature Undertale Yellow. I'm still haven't fully completed this masterpiece, but I believe I've sufficiently progressed to provide an informed selection of tracks. Most of the music was composed and arranged by team lead MasterSwordRemix and MyNewSoundtrack (very inconvenient titles, but they don't often use their real names so I'm hesitant to favor them myself). A selection of additional tracks were done by NoteBlock and Figburn, with some notable contributions from emBer (other names in the credits had minimal involvement).

    Stylistically, the music is very faithful to its inspiration; not Undertale only, but also Deltarune, as the release of that game took place mid-development and subsequently influenced the project. Leitmotif usage isn't quite as prevalent, but certainly isn't absent either, especially regarding the "Justice" motif that features in the game over screen. Character motifs are usually introduced early and then expanded upon (although I suspect they were usually composed in reverse order). Energy is balanced well (with one exception that I've noticed so far), and many themes are given variations for changes in setting, which I always appreciate.

    Normally, when featuring a soundtrack with multiple composers, I try not to only use tracks from one contributor. In this case, however, I'm hard pressed to do so for several reasons. First, some tracks are simply too spoiler associated, however much I may enjoy them. Second, I already featured some tracks back before the game released, and I don't want to reuse them. Finally, the spread is anything but even, and I can't afford to go out of my way to ignore some of the best tracks in the game without severely shortchanging the feature. Maybe I'll come back to this soundtrack at a later date, when I'm less concerned about providing a superior impression.

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    I put this as the third best soundtrack of 2023. Now I wonder if I should have put it higher; ultimately I'm happy with the ranking, but I want it on record how impressed I was with this as I experienced more of it.

  2. Higashino Seizon Penguin - Fragments
    Admittedly I was more impressed with the circle name than the remix itself, but it's still a fine arrangement (I ran out of time this week, found all of these literally within the past half-hour).

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    SUMIty Piano - Touhou Fuujinroku Stage1 Theme
    This is a really great piece, and I was continually finding arrangements that didn't quite live up to what I wanted for it. So instead of going big, I've gone simple. While I wish the sound quality was better, there's no denying the impressive skill in the performance.

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    Minazuki - Autumn Zwei
    This track has always suffered from having too little to work with. Most remixes I've heard use explosive high energy to keep things going, and it works, but I still feel bad that such effective motifs are so tightly regulated to these styles.

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  3. Posts in the general music thread put me in mind to re-feature Mad Rat Dead. I remember finding this soundtrack back in 2021, and it was the most memorable OST I heard that year. At the time, only one of the names among the collaborating composers was familiar to me, being that of Camellia, who also worked on Dweller's Empty Path. I've since become more acquainted with the work of DYES IWASAKI of TOPHAMHAT-KYO and FAKE TYPE. (why is it all caps?). Other significant contributors were a_hisa, Yo Oyama, and Kazuya Takasu, although I've yet to recognize them elsewhere. There is a strong influence of electro-swing throughout the soundtrack, but several tracks stand out from the rest with contrasting styles mixed in, including folk, orchestral, and other electronic forms. I used some of the best tracks for the first feature, but there's still plenty of high-quality options to work with here.

    Spoiler

    This last one is a bonus track, being a rap cover of the main theme.

     

     

    • Like 1
  4. Every year since 2021 I've posted Irish folk for St. Patrick's Day, and though I may be running low on fresh material, I believe I can make it at least another year.

    Spoiler

    High Kings - The Little Beggarman
    Classic vocal play from the High Kings.

    Irish Rovers - The Black Velvet Band
    The way my grandfather sang this, it was much more energetic. Even though the proper pacing fits the theme better, I miss the memories of my first experience.

    Dubliners - Rocky Road to Dublin
    A fairly well known tune, but no less fun to learn for all that.

     

     

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  5. MTK - sunset stage groovin'
    I'm not really a fan of funkot, but that hasn't stopped me before. Given the context of the original, the tonal conflict embodied in this arrangement style is almost thematic.

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    IZMIZM - Night Daydream
    This may initially seem like a direct contrast to the previous piece, but as it progresses I think it starts to resemble the other a bit; more like the other side of the coin, perhaps.

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    Grimoire Technlogy - Fairly Brilliant
    To complete the trifecta, I've settled on a simple and straightforward arrangement for this track. Overall I'm very pleased with my findings this round.

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  6. Sorry I didn't get to this initially, I needed time to watch the video. It's well presented and organized, and uniquely personal, which makes it especially effective in communicating the theme of the film its reviewing. It's difficult for me to engage with it too well, though, as I'm lacking sympathetic perspective. Remember that the purpose of a story is to make its message relatable; a story portrays the understanding of the storyteller, who themself is capable of being right or wrong. I can appreciate the masterful way in which this particular story is told (and believe me I do), while also judging its message independent of its delivery. I do not believe the value of one's life is in either themselves or in their worth to others; rather, I understand each and every person to be a special creation of God, loved by Him, and therefore transcendentally valuable.

    Now, to the thread subject:

    I love video essays, as they often serve to explain the appeal something has to others when I either can't or have no interest in experiencing it myself (Internet Historian, Pyrocynical and Bricky are some good examples). Other times they can help deepen my appreciation for something I already enjoyed. Story theory and music theory are major hobbies of mine, and a major area where the two overlap is musicals. Sideways is one of the best in this field when it comes to analysis and commentary, both for his presentation and his original theory work (please check him out: https://www.youtube.com/@Sideways440).

    But in the interests of linking only one video to this post for sake of emphasis, I'm going to prioritize Joseph Anderson's The Villain of Edith Finch. If you haven't heard of Joseph Anderson, he's known for his professional-level analysis of story and game design. This particular video wasn't the first I saw from him, but undoubtedly had the biggest impact on how I viewed games as a storytelling medium.

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    • Like 1
  7. It isn't often I can say I know literally nothing about the game from which a feature's music originates, simply because to find the music I must usually learn something about the game itself. In this rare intense, I discovered the soundtrack to Viscerafest through GeoffPlaysGuitar/Geoffrey Day, a heavy metal remix artist who specialized in adapting various pieces to sound like Doom Eternal. By checking his Bandcamp, I found the Viscerafest: Chapter 2 OST, which in turn sent me seeking the Chapter 1 OST by Markie Music/Michael Markie. I was impressed by both, not least because there was a definite distinction between the two while still maintaining a similar style (although there's an inexplicably prevalent oriental influence in the Chapter 2 album that I assume is thematic to the game). For all I know the game is finished, but if it isn't I wonder if they'll get a third person to compose for the next part?

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  8. Pot Still Records - Japanese・Lofi・Saga
    This same artist did two more remixes of the same piece, and I have to respect it. Out of the three, this was the one I appreciated best. The strength of lofi lies in its atmosphere and mood rather than its progression; this is a "chill" arrangement, perfect for background listening.

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    aocha - Child of Are
    The marking of progression checkpoints is a nice touch, but it can be distracting, so I recommend listening without looking at least once. The original piece catches attention with its initial discordance, so I was intrigued by how the motifs sounded in a different setting.

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    NIZI-RINGO - Child of Are (ginkiha house remix)
    I couldn't initially decide between this and the previous feature, so I decided to do both of them (it also transitions better into the high-energy piece that comes next). This is pleasantly bouncy while also having a smooth oriental folk feel; a happy sound, to be sure.

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    VAGUEDGE - Girlish Aspiration
    High-energy vocal to balance out the post. Proper remixes of this piece seemed scarce, most simply adapting the original PC-98 sound into modern Zunish. While there's nothing wrong with that, there's also plenty of strength in the motifs for more standard use.

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  9. For something more relaxed this week, I'm going with Superliminal, a perspective puzzle game. I'm rather fond of these sorts of experiences (e.g. The Witness and Manifold Garden), and this is probably my favorite take on the genre so far, primarily because there's an actual thematic direction resembling a story. The music is mostly minimalist jazz composed by Matt Christensen, establishing a relatively calm (but not always comforting) mood throughout, even for the more tense moments.

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    • Like 1
  10. A classical orchestral offering, because I was here and felt like it. I wonder who can guess where I first heard this piece?

    Spoiler

    Camille Saint-Saëns - Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op 78 ("Organ Symphony")

     

     

  11. minimum electric design - Gutenberg's Scientific Century
    I have my doubts over the title translation. The arrangement itself has excellent energy; a lot of Music Collection vocal remixes will feature duets as a thematic gimmick, but only a few will sound like it's a part of the arrangement itself.

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    Macco-ya - Winding Spacewalk
    The problem with finding a G Free remix is that I'm inevitably going to compare it to Final Dream, and subsequently find it lacking. So instead of choosing something expanding upon the original's tone, I've gone with something more experimental. There's a commitment to atmosphere that keeps the piece going, even if it takes awhile to get anywhere particular.

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    Unprepared Orchestra - Magical Astronomy
    To make up for the lack in the previous remix, I've found a nicely realized orchestral arrangement for this spot. Too many similar pieces have bad mastering, usually featuring poor instrument balancing or amplification problems; so I'm always impressed to find another artist that seems to know what they're doing.

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    CHRONOS RECORD - Legacy of my Grand Father
    Y'all get four this week; don't question it. Obviously my love for folk is showing, but it helps that this is an appropriately reflective remix in tone, thereby capturing the theme of retrospective ending.

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  12. To finish off the month, I bring you the soundtrack to Kirby: Planet Robobot. I don't have any particular reason to feature this game over other entries, but I'm committed to it nonetheless. After the overwhelming volume and variety of Return to Dreamland, this entry seemed refreshingly straightforward, though no less innovative. More mechanical sounding instruments are emphasized in these arrangements as part of the game's theming, possibly contributing to an ever-so-slightly more serious tone overall (it's still Kirby, though). Leitmotif work is also very strong here, this time for actual thematic purposes, which I appreciate very much. Especially noteworthy are the final boss tracks; the modern series has a reputation for dramatic finishes, and the music lives up to this.

    Relating to this, it's interesting to note the split between Ishikawa and Ando; while the former is responsible for most of the series' iconic longstanding motifs, the latter seems to have composed the leitmotifs for this particular entry, and is also responsible for the more climactic tracks. Maybe this is more common than I'm aware, but I appreciate that both composers seem to be equally skilled and relevant to the musical development.

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  13. Groovy Trancer - Spacefaring
    Magical Astronomy is among ZUN's best work, imo. I picked this arrangement to start out with because it fits the theme of space. It's a tad bit long and lacks sufficient progression to justify it, but there is variance between parts if you wait long enough, and that keeps it interesting.

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    AKANEIROTOWN - Labyrinth of the Starry Skies feat. Sarah_
    I've heard so many Greenwich remixes that I wasn't expecting to find anything too interesting. This, however, impressed me; by intentionally contrasting the melody with a discordant vocaloid, the arrangement cultivates a disturbing mood, which both compliments the melody and enhances the impact of the drop later on.

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    Yayayayayaa - The Wheelchair's Future in Space
    Far less refined a remix than I usually favor, but perfect for showcasing what I consider to be the most defining attribute of the original piece: the major key intro. I was surprised to find most remixes failing to incorporate this aspect into themselves; it sets the tone for the rest of the piece, and provides an uncommon contrast of mood. Being so unique in Touhou music, why not use that?

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  14. After some deliberation, I chose to favor Kirby's Return to Dreamland over Crystal Shards or Triple Deluxe, and I'm ultimately glad I did. Ishikawa is joined by Hirokazu Ando, both contributing fairly equally to the soundtrack, which is very large with reasonable but limited variety of style. It is so large, in fact, that choosing a few tracks to represent the whole has been a very difficult task. Even cutting out some tracks I very much appreciated, this is still an unusually large feature. I hope it sufficiently garners interest in the larger whole.

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    I want to point out the significance of release platform for music: As previously alluded to, older consoles had limited audio ability, resulting the development of unique styles tailored to these limitations. Each new generation came closer to proper audio transmission, culminating in the 2010s. As a Wii game, this soundtrack represents the progression of the series' instrumentation to full realization (from a technical perspective, at least).

  15. I believe a thread becomes locked if inactive for too long, so here's something to keep it available.

    I saw this video with the intriguing subject of "pneumatic instrument." Even after watching said video and reading its description, I'm not entirely sure I know what's going on, but it shows impressive mechanical and musical competence.

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    DJtheFirst - Spider Dance

     

    Being thus engaged, I checked the channel for other examples; as of yet there isn't much available, but it turns out the guy has a variety of projects related to melding experimental tech and music.

    Spoiler

    DJtheFirst - How to Train your Dragon

     

     

    • Like 1
  16. greenscarf - Synthetic Shore
    Piano would be too obvious; here's a synthwave remix instead! This motif lends itself to almost any low-energy style, so it's no surprise it works so well in this form.

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    ti - Song of the Secret Sealing Club Meeting a Dangerous Cult
    Iffy on the translation here, but it definitely matches the song. Something this unique only turns up in my searchings once in a blue moon (as they say), and I'm always excited by the discovery. Maybe using strange sounds as instrumentation to achieve the weird atmosphere could be considered "cheap," but then again it doesn't seem very common, and one can't deny it works.

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    Irohaya - Izanami
    Reversing the approach from the previous feature, we have a soothing acoustic remix of a weirder ZUN composition. This is the ideal guitar performance, too, with enough improv to keep unique without losing the mood.

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  17. Not entirely sure what's motivated me to post about this now, but such is the way of things.

    A film project will usually go through a variety of iterations before it reaches a stable state, at which point it usually pursues production and release. On very rare occasions, bits and pieces of these developing ideas reach near full realization before being scrapped, resulting in some of the most obscure media hidden about on the internet. Especially interesting to me are the completely written and recorded songs that sometimes just don't get into the movie for one reason or another. These two are among my favorites, and I wonder how many fans of their respective sources are completely unaware of their existence.

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    Happy Valentine's Day, btw!

    • Like 1
  18. Next up for the month is Kirby Super Star, possibly the most important entry in the series. Returning composers revamped many of their old compositions for the new game, the size and style of which lent itself to becoming a musical retrospective of the series to that point. New themes were also introduced, however, leading to an extremely diverse motif selection that has continued to be referenced from both in future Kirby titles and in other franchises.

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    This game is an excellent example of SNES music the way I prefer it; utilizing the sound available as it is, rather than trying to emulate something beyond its capabilities. The resulting arrangements have a clear separation of layers which reinforce each other without overwhelming the piece.

  19. I love music; it is to me a medium unique in its ability to capture and communicate emotion. In its variety, I perceive the spirit of creativity that I attribute to the imago Dei. In its theory, I learn to appreciate a side of the natural world that seems entirely created for enjoyment, technical aspects and all. In my time on this forum, I've been continuously introduced to new music genres I didn't know existed, while also being given fresh views on genres I'd previously written off. Many of these experiences are still chronicled on the site; you've probably already seen the Share Music You Like thread, but if you haven't I'd recommend you do so. Off the top of my head, I can think of several albums that I either found through posts there or featured there myself.

    For instrumental albums, Kitaro's Kojiki, V.K's Our Story, and The Piano Guys' Uncharted are all represented in part on that thread. My personal collection also includes Phil Keaggy's Lights of Madrid and Frank Klepacki's Rocktronic. In some cases, I can't point to a specific album, but would still recommend the general work of Louie Zong or maritumix. Don't discount classical music, either; if one considers the modern album equivalent to a symphony, then Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 and Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik both deserve consideration, to say nothing of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, imo one of the greatest musical accomplishments in history. If you consider soundtracks acceptable for casual listening, then my favorites are Yasunori Nishiki's Octopath Traveler and Pascal Michael Stiefel's A Hat in Time (and perhaps I'll throw in Alkis Livathinos's Hue, too). Finally, I'll list World Beyond's Mindshell separately, because I'm not entirely sure whether to consider it a soundtrack or not.

    If you prefer vocal music, the aforementioned thread includes songs from The High Kings' self-named album (I wish the industry didn't do this so often, the resulting albums are always confusing to reference), Masayoshi Oishi's Entertainer, and David Meece's Learning to Trust; Steve Taylor is also there I think, but the specific album I'd recommend from him is On the Fritz. I remember Michael W. Smith's Change Your World fondly, though I don't listen to it as much these days. Some of my favorite artists (for whom no particular album comes to mind) are Michael Card, Steve Camp, and Casting Crowns; I suppose their respective best-of albums would be ideal recommendations, but that seems like cheating.

    Make sure you check out the other music threads on the forum as well; Odd Music Discovery and National Music! don't get much traffic, but are ideal for facilitating the discovery of especially obscure music. On the other hand, Other Game Music and Musical Discoveries in Touhou Fandom represent years worth of exploration into the art of music; they may be a bit less personal then you're looking for, but exploring them a little could still be rewarding.

  20. I forgot to post on Saturday, and I'm a bit embarrassed about it because I definitely had the time.

    Unionest.NET - Sleepless Night of the Eastern Country
    I'm rather fond of the original, so I hoped to find something especially good for this. I'm beginning to think any arrangement that could be classified as hybrid will immediately appeal to me; obviously this is a rock remix, but the light elements of jazz really help bring the whole thing together.

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    HAPPY I SCREAM!! - Rainbow-colored Rain
    Again, this is technically just a rock remix, but how often does one hear a harp riff incorporated into such a piece? Then again, I suppose a lot of rock looks for one-off gimmicks to give it character; maybe that's part of what rock is?

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    Assaultdoor - Hiroshige No. 36 ~ Neo Super-Express
    Part of the charm the original is known for comes from its instrumentation and presentation; as such, a remix often must forgo recapturing that charm. I was surprised by this piano arrangement, because it manages to recapture the original's character simply by pausing at the right moments, and otherwise being as straightforward as possible.

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    Since I was late, I'll add something else to this feature, though it may be more to my benefit then anyone else's.

    Sometimes while I'm seeking out remixes to feature, I come across videos that lack proper documentation and without citation of sources. This essentially renders the accompanying piece useless to me, no matter how much I appreciate it, so I'll often endeavor to hunt down alternative uploads in hopes of getting the metadata I require. Sometimes this hunt is successful, but other times I'm left wondering if I've stumbled upon lost media with no way to know for sure.

    This is another remix of Sleepless Night of the Eastern Country, favoring funk; that is the only thing I know about it.

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  21. This month, I'm finally going to explore the Kirby franchise. While I'm decently familiar with its more iconic motifs, I'm less informed as to their origins and development over time. Forgotten Land was amazing, and I'm curious as to whether it was exceptional for the series or merely par-for-the-course.

    Obviously, one begins at the beginning. Kirby's Dream Land was composed by Jun Ishikawa for the Game Boy, and featured a variety of relatively short loops in chiptune. Despite their limited length, these pieces have surprisingly complex progression, allowing their strong motifs to stand out memorably. I was very surprised to realize just how many of the series's signature themes were established right at the start. It would seem the reuse of old motifs for new soundtracks was fairly common as the franchise developed, which practice would have lent itself to the propagation of its leitmotifs. I look forward to perceiving this development as I continue to explore the series.

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  22. Windbreaker - Tengu's Notebook ~ Mysterious Note
    It was really tempting to use the Genso Wanderer theme, but I ultimately decided to go for something more low energy. This remix is short, but successfully recreates the atmosphere of the original track.

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    rythmique - Wind Circulation ~ Wind Tour
    For immediate contrast, saxophone and violin over electronic rock! I can't help but get excited about rarer instrumentation combos, and this piece has pretty good range to justify the interest.

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    EdelSounds - Eyes of the Wind
    Finally, something else high energy but with slightly more grounding, accomplished through a surprisingly balanced vocal duet performance.

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  23. I remember hearing about Palworld a couple years back, and at the time I was completely sure it was just a joke. Turns out it wasn't, and I can't help but think it one of the most hilarious things to ever exist in the industry. Any description of this game sounds made up for the ridiculousness of its compiled elements; I'm sure no one expected the developers to have any serious intentions with the project, especially given the accusations that followed its release.

    That being said, my interest is the same as always, and so I forgo any investment into such considerations if favor of recognizing the very real effort put into its music. Tatsuya Yano's style seems to be ironically emulative of other styles from comparable game series, specifically Monster Hunter, with elements of JRPG. Some pieces seem to indicate a jazz influence, but it doesn't seem overly prevalent yet; perhaps as the game continues to develop, more music will be released?

    Spoiler

    I don't know what this piece represents; something makes me think it's a trailer theme, but I can't find anything to back that up. It's one of the more musically diverse pieces in the OST, so I'm including it.

    This showcases the JPRG influence; my experience with the genre isn't extensive enough to pin down a specific comparison, but I nonetheless make a general one.

    Here's the Monster Hunter style. As of now, this is the more prevalent style of the soundtrack, which is overall lacking unique area themes.

    Given my repertoire, this last piece immediately reminded me of Octopath Traveler, but I'm well aware of my bias there. The latter half is the most Pokemon-esque music I encountered in the soundtrack, which is ironic, but in a way also seems fitting.

     

     

    • Like 1
  24. marasy - Mound Where the Flowers Reflect
    This seems to be a sparsely represented one. Granted that it's primarily reliant on atmosphere with technically little motif unique to itself, it's also one of my favorites, and I had hoped for a bit more. A lot of musicians seem to prefer pairing it up with its counterpart pre-conversation theme.

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    show-jow nico - Reunion
    See, this is more what I was looking for; the mood is retained, but the whole piece is overhauled for a uniquely enhanced experience. The more I listen to it, the more impressed I am; definitely a hidden gem.

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    TKB0111A3 - The Flowers Remain in Fantasy
    Have I featured this artist before? I've alluded in the past to the not-so-fine line between a musical "cover" and a remix or "rearrangement." Most PC-98 adaptations I come across are more covers than remixes, but the technical aspect makes them a bit more impressive than the same thing done for piano. This is one of the few tracks I can think of that I can properly call a PC-98 remix; the artist goes beyond merely recreating the piece and adds interpretive flair.

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    Raccoon Factory - Sagittarius
    An extra, both to make up for the hiatus and because it's the only track left in Touhou 9. After arrangements of piano, folk and chiptune, respectively, it seems only fair to finish with something high-energy and intense, though perhaps maintaining a similar mood. This one is probably as ideal as I could have asked for in all respects.

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  25. Not sure I've ever taken that long a hiatus since initially becoming active. It was unexpected. I'll leave it at that.

    Laurence Chapman provides the compositions for A Highland Song. Without context, I can tell this to be a more heartstrings type game, with the music characterized by rolling motifs kept to low energy with limited escalation. There is light usage of leitmotif, but the focus is clearly atmosphere, so I appreciate it more as a bonus to its intended function. I'm very much reminded of Moss with its instrumentation, but where Moss feels more a physical journey, A Highland Song seems more introspective. It's the kind of music I enjoy listening to quietly and reflectively.

    Spoiler

    This one is technically a bonus track from the OST:

     

     

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