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Ken Hisuag

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Posts posted by Ken Hisuag

  1. No. A fanbase is a group entity, and not capable of unique will. It cannot be "bad" or "good," only "successful" or "unsuccessful." The success of a fanbase is typically measured jointly by its productivity and public perception. In productivity, the Touhou fandom has been exceptionally successful, turning out an unusually impressive volume of content. As for public perception, I have never cared much for judging a fandom by this standard. In every fandom, the most disreputable parts are the most well known, and the larger the fanbase, the larger its worst parts are. As such, public perception is often misleading as to the nature of the greater whole. Nonetheless, I suspect this is what you are really after.

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  2. Unlike its predecessors, the Epsilon soundtrack is composed by Black Ice 9, who uses a hybrid style similar to Klepacki but with a strong Middle Eastern folk influence. Pieces from this part of the soundtrack are also utilized for the mod's main theme and other important placements.

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    Overall, these pieces are more foreboding, having limited movement as they slide through their melodies. The Middle Eastern instrumentation and progression is parred with strong electronic elements, complimenting and contrasted as the need allows. I perceive the Epsilon faction as an underhanded group, eschewing straightforward strategies in favor of subversive ones, seeking victory by means of deceit and espionage. Their fighting style emphasizes stealth and sabotage. By incorporating music so distinct from Klepacki, the faction is clearly distinguished from the previous two. However, the genre is just close enough to avoid being out of place.

  3. erisu - Lotus Land Story
    I didn't look very long for this one; once I realized that the track title would be indistinguishable from the game title, I was hoping to find a satisfactory option sooner rather than later. Thankfully I came across this nifty synth remix. It's not quite synthwave, but it still has a nice spacey sound to it, and it manages to hold up well over its duration.

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    Karasu - Phantasmal Labyrinth
    From previous experience, I trust Karasu to excel at unusual atmosphere, and this track is no exception. The buildup is beautiful, and somehow not so sharply distinct from its climax to make the transition jarring, despite its suddenness. This trend continues continues throughout the song; I keep expecting the more intense sections to feel disconnected from the rest of the piece, but it remains inexplicably unified.

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    Factory Noise & AG - Selene's Light
    Honestly, the picture and unfamiliar artist were the deciding factors for this one (there were a lot of good options), but it's a noteworthy piece nonetheless. It has a similar style to the first remix, but differs in scope of arrangement, being slightly more imaginative and expansive.

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  4. In a similar vain, but with focus on individual parts (and in a far more condensed presentation):

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    I appreciate having a breakdown; I often try to differentiate the layers from each other by ear, but it can be difficult to discern the finer parts.

  5. In my first OGM Red Alert 2 feature, I noted that I considered my appreciation for the music to be unusual for me, as I didn't consider myself to be otherwise a fan of the genre. But as I've been listening to more of Klepacki's work, I've realized it's somewhat similar to some of the rock'n'roll songs my dad would listen to when I was a kid (around the same time he was playing the game, actually); it may be I'm more a fan of the genre than I thought.

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    I've alluded before to the idea that different musical styles and genres sometimes need to be put into perspective for certain individuals to appreciate them; I suppose this is just another part of that for me.

  6. As I reflect on the thoughts that the reading of these comments brought forward, I am worried it might diverge too far from the intention of thread. Nonetheless, for the sake of engagement:

    By my understanding, copyright as a concept was instituted with the intent to encourage creativity. By protecting the ability of the creator to profit off his work, there was a greater motivation for someone to create. However, this protection was not intended to be infinite; after a period of time, copyright would expire, and others would be free to use the IP as they liked. The justification for this goes back to the nature of human creativity, in that it is always derivative; no idea is ever ex nihilo. Since human creativity is always inspired by something experienced or learned, no one can claim exhaustive ownership over their creation. Consequently, as the creator takes inspiration from the creations around him, he should not expect to restrict the inspiration others take from his creation.

    This is far from a complete analysis, however; it does not consider the larger topic of motivation in creation (i.e., why does a person create), only its attempted stimulation.

    • Like 3
  7. The Soviet faction soundtrack is also constructed of Klepacki pieces, many of which are from the same albums that contributed to the Allied soundtrack. The major difference is the tone of the selected tracks, which is much harsher in comparison.

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    Because both parts are made up of pieces from the same composer (who is composing in his customary style throughout), there is a similar sound between them. Yet there is still an intentional differentiation, and each choice was made to highlight it.

    The Allies consider themselves more noble, citing the fight for freedom as their cause; they are "good guys" in whatever conflict they participate in. Their fighting style emphasizes strategy in assault. Meanwhile, the Soviets prefer a visage of strength and might, focusing on their will to dominate the world. They don't acknowledge or seem to care about their ethical position, maintaining a manner of superiority over everyone else. Their fighting style emphasizes brute force. Yet behind their internal considerations, the two sides aren't that different from each other; for both, the primary focus is always beating out the other, and everything else (including ethical considerations) comes secondary.

    At least, that's the impression I'm getting.

    On an unrelated note, the soundtrack also includes a few fan remixes, most notable a medley that serves as Mental Omega's own version of Hell March.

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  8. In what sense do you mean "bad"? Bad people, as in a moral sense? Bad at being fans, as in a comparative sense? Without proper qualification, the question is too broad. Do you mean to imply there is something about Touhou that directly correlates to fans of it being "bad"?

    7 hours ago, CountVonNumenor said:

    Nobody gonna write an actual, long and developed answer?

    In your topics, you are usually sure to include a contextualizing explanation that helps define the boundaries of the inquiry. This may be as simple as a restatement (which clarifies meaning), or as complex as an origin of the question (which clarifies intent). Such qualification helps those seeking to contribute to understand how best to answer the question in a helpful and informative way while avoiding confusion.

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  9. I wasn't sure where to put the PoDD demo tracks initially; I wanted them distinguished from the full release tracks, but they don't technically fall into the same category as "bonus tracks." As they are more akin to Shrine of Wind, I choose to feature them with a similar placement.

    REEYA - Reality
    There's an odd discordance throughout this arrangement, not quite powerful enough to be obnoxious but not always subtle enough to blend into the piece. I wonder what the intent behind this decision was.

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    O-ame - Lucid Dream
    There's some quality sound to this one that made it quite satisfying for me to listen to. It is brief, and its progression is a bit too reliant on buildup for its length, but otherwise the composition carries itself well with a fair amount of creativity.

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    [???] - Victory Road
    A full length remix of a five-second jingle! Although the sound quality is a bit less than average, it manages to avoid sounding too repetitive.

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  10. As I was refreshing my memories of Red Alert 2, I discovered a mod project comparable to Beyond Skyrim in ambition; a complete overhaul of the original game's faction system, gameplay, campaign, and even (to a certain degree) aesthetic. Most relevantly for this thread, however, was the inclusion of a freshly complied soundtrack. After a bit of consideration, I have decided to dedicate a month-long feature to it.

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    The soundtrack for Mental Omega is divided into four parts, each specific to a faction. For the Allied faction, the developers compiled a variety of Frank Klepacki's music from various albums of his. There is a focus on specific tone and mood in the selection, leaning away from Klepacki's heavier tracks in favour of his relatively more balanced styles. Granted that it's still Klepacki, but the difference will become apparent when compared directly with his heavier works (more on that later).

    I suspect each faction's soundtrack is intended to somewhat characterize (or, more accurately, match the characterization of) the faction it accompanies. As the Allies are one of the two original factions, Klepacki's familiar sound relates well, while the distinct trend in selection helps mold the perception of the listener according to the developers' designs. I might be reading too heavily into it, but future features should act as reinforcement to my postulations.

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  11. chair - Maple Dream... (chiptune arrange...)
    Maple Dream arrangements are in no short supply, but I found this one quickly and wasn't willing to put it aside. As a companion piece to my tournament submission, this is a far less sharp yet no less intricate take on the piece.

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    Madorenu - Ghostly Person's Holiday
    Arrangements for this track seem much more scarce, which is unfortunate, as it's certainly worthy of more attention. This is a simple remix with a nice atmosphere, if rather little imagination beyond its instrumentation.

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    Yuuhei Satellite - Girls are Preparing
    I was extremely lucky to remember this. To no one's surprise I'm sure, hardly anyone has bothered remixing this jingle; possibly I'd find references to it in larger projects, but I didn't find much in the way of dedicated attention. This may be the sole exception.

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  12. Since the Red Alert 2 feature, my perspective on the soundtrack has gradually evolved from fond nostalgia to genuine appreciation, and I am now considering it as potentially one of my favorites. Despite the heavy tones, there is a greater presence of melody than many of today's soundtracks, and even a limited range of mood amongst the different tracks.

    In the initial feature, I stuck to tracks from the base game. Now, I will add a few from the Yuri's Revenge expansion, in essence a DLC that improved on its foundations in every way. The composer for both (and for other entries in the Command & Conquer series) was Frank Klepacki, who has a reputation for this genre of music.

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    This coming month . . .

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  13. I had an interesting time with this batch of pieces. But I'm going to make the most of it.

    FD - Dream of Eternity & Alstroemeria Records - ETERNAL VERITIES
    There were barely any Dream of Eternity arrangements to be found, which I consider very surprising, as it seems an ideal piece to remix. I've found each of FD's remixes for Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream as I've gone through it, but avoided featuring them against the possibility of future tracks having less representation. This seemed to be just such the time, and I appreciated that the remix in question successfully captured the tone I was looking for, if not to quite the extent I believed possible. Alstroemeria's arrangement, on the other hand, goes in a slightly different direction with the motifs. The result is very . . . standard for the circle; high quality, very modern. Simply for my preconceived desires, I personally prefer the simpler remix.

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    FD - Eastern Blue Sky & Alstroemeria Records - Blue Aster
    To my slightly lesser surprise, Eastern Blue Sky seemly had a similar degree of representation in musical arrangement as its preceding sister track. There was more, but not nearly as much as usual, even for a less popular track. What was available were remix and arrangement from the same two circles that I had found for the previous track, and with similar considerations for them. After some deliberation, I decided to lean into the situation.

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    FD - Eternal Full Moon & Alstroemeria Records - Return to the Moon
    In contrast, there were plenty of options for Eternal Full Moon arrangements, but amongst them were the same two circles again, and by then I'd committed (I'll be sure to post some of the other things I found another time). I didn't appreciate this piece as much as the first two (though I can still detect it growing on me on repeat listens), and though these two takes are quite unalike each other, I can't say I enjoyed either more than its companion. Nonetheless, they both do a good job at capturing the primary motif and building around it; the one enhances the instrumentation, while the other embellishes the presentation.

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    Finally, as an added bonus in compensation for this feature's gimmick:

    SOUND HOLIC - Journey to Planet Earth
    This is an arrangement of all three pieces, done in a style that I wouldn't normally expect from SOUND HOLIC. Granted, it's more a medley than a proper mixing of the motifs, but it's still presented with an attractive flair through dramatic instrumentation. Perhaps not much on its own, but a fitting epilogue to the post.

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  14. Twas my intention to feature Stray today. While the game did not initially catch my interest, I chanced upon the knowledge that the soundtrack was composed by Yann Van Der Cruyssen, arranger for the Cave Story+ soundtrack. I was curious what his original music would sound like, especially in such a different project, and so sought it out.

    In general, the entirety of this soundtrack is mellow ambience, but not to such an extreme degree that it is devoid of progression. Each individual track has a range of moods transitioning in and out of each other (occasionally, the difference is so contrasting that I wonder why it isn't its own track). While this captures the atmosphere of the settings, it also manages to emerge from the background a bit with occasional melodies. Even that aside, the instrumentation is noteworthy for its uniqueness and cohesiveness.

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  15. ClumsyRecord - Fight it out!
    A bit tamer than I set out to find, and surprisingly reminiscent of flip-cup-flop from the Unreal Mahjong soundtrack (something to do with the accompaniment harmony, I think). There was another arrangement by a circle called Watermill, but the audio quality was poor, so I decided to go with this instead.

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    Rami - Moment:_
    Fun-though-confusing animation aside, I appreciate the tone of this arrangement. I'm not sure if it's the genre or musician's style, but it reminds me of Sonic Colour's Aquarium Park; chill, but with an active energy, mostly communicated through the contrast of the melody on piano and the accompaniment on lighter synth elements. However, I will admit to struggling at finding the familiar Sailor of Time motifs in this remix. Hopefully it's just me.

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    RichaadEB - Strawberry Crisis!!
    Mostly as contrast to the previous features, but also because almost every arrangement of this piece is over-the-top symphonic metal, I went with a more straightforward but still high-energy metal remix. Perhaps this won't be a new listen for anyone, but I hope it will at least be an entertainingly fresh one.

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  16. @CountVonNumenor Presumably, you have more experience with/understanding of standard artistic depiction of human features, both in general and in specific relation to age. As such, you are able to analyze Zun's artstyle against said standard and judge it accordingly. I am not so familiar with such standards, and as such I am only capable of viewing this art according to personal perception. I note a wide variety of appearances in the people I see, and as such my association between appearance and age is less defined (additionally, people here are occasionally insecure about their age, discouraging analysis). When I look at Zun's art, the most I perceive is the proportionate depiction of the human figure, and associated aesthetic considerations. I like his art style, and that's about as far as it goes.

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  17. One of the first things I featured here was The Messenger, noteworthy for its double-soundtrack of exemplary chiptune in two different styles. It has remained one of my favorite soundtracks since, yet for some reason I've never brought it up since (except to reference it in relation to other things). I had something else lined up, but I've decided to adjust it, and thought it would be an ideal time to remember The Messenger here again. However, instead of doing a refeature, I'm going to present some of the scarce-but-impressive arrangements that I've come across. For some reason, there are very few remixed from this soundtrack compared to other games with its reputation, but the upside is those that do exist are often more memorable. These are some of my favorites.

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  18. I am out of reactions for today after going through soda's pictures, so I'll have to remember to come back later.

    Sound Refil - Manic Magic
    There were several contenders for this feature, but this took priority. It's so happy! If anyone has the inclination, the NicoVideo link comes with a good animation/visualizer.

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    Sound skt sakabato - Ephemeral Dream, Unfulfilled Dream
    My training in English grammar inclines me to capitalize the first letter of every word in a title, but I try to adhere to stylizations when they seem intentional; nonetheless, this one looks odd.
    There were a lot of Zunish arrangements of this piece, but I used a Zunish last week, so I chose to avoid them. This is an interesting not-quite-symphonic/not-not-symphonic, where the rock undertones are clearly present but not forward enough to really define the track. I think it fits the source piece nicely.

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    Syrufit - sayonara
    Something about the electro style appealed to my idea of the source, though I'd hesitate to explain how. This may not be as tone-heavy as Shionne normally likes it, but I know this is a circle he's familiar with.

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  19. Holding to an obscurity streak, I remembered the soundtrack to Zero Deaths from a couple years ago; for such a hasty project, the music is pretty good. The primary style is synthwave, but there's a fair bit of variety to the arrangements; most tracks are relaxed or at least of low energy, though not quite what I'd call ambient, with enough activity to balance a range of tones. I found it surprisingly satisfying to listen to; even though the melodies are not prevalent, they are more present than I commonly find in similarly styled pieces, adding a unique structure to the progression.

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  20. I have more thoughts:

    On 7/26/2022 at 7:43 AM, buskerdog said:

    like books and music, video games are a form of art, and all art is subjective.

    The nuances of art and its subcategories are not often appreciated outside of their respective audiences, and it is immensely satisfying to see these direct comparisons made. However, I would presume to amend and subsequently attempt to justify this statement, and beg your forgiveness to do so

    Appreciation of art is subjective, but I believe art itself must be definable to exist in any meaningful way. I have heard art defined as "the application of science," but fear this definition is inconsistent with some specific "genres," notably the abstract arts. An alternative understanding of art is "creative expression of intent," further differentiated within itself by the manner and depth in which it is received. These would exist in in many dynamic forms, but all exhibiting the intention of the "artist" via their choice of expression; e.g., a painting for the visual depiction of some idea, either capturing a specific image or a vaguer emotion, with the success dependent upon how well the receiver understands what is being depicted. However, this position can be as inconvenient as the former; there are many films, games, and other medias produced solely for the purpose of monetary profit, and subsequently lacking severely in creative expression. Such iterations would have to be considered "art" under the first definition, but not necessarily under the second.

    To rectify this paradox, I consider art in two forms: foundational, and compound. The foundational, or "proper" arts are those that are capable of existing independently of each other, mainly music, poetry and prose, and the visual arts. The compound arts are dynamic applications of the foundational arts, utilizing them together in ways that are distinct enough to warrant unique consideration. By making this distinction, I can address the artistic merits of a film or game differentiated into its parts. To this end, I consider the art of story to be a foundational art.

    Even this approach has inconsistencies, and I am still trying to gain better comprehension of the subject. Nonetheless, it allows me to address each medium on its own terms and more clearly define the line between "impression" and "analysis."

    . . . Should this be it's own thread?

    • Thinking 1
  21. Sometimes, life happens, and you are forced to prioritize in ways you could not have foreseen. I am thankful for the time I have to engage with relatively simple pleasures.

    Higan Daybreak - Reincarnation
    Understandably, there are a lot of Reincarnation arrangements out there. I determined to seek out a less intense take on the piece, and settled on this one for its wispy sound and (ironically) prolonged progression. I wanted something to contrast the Complete Darkness feature, and this suited my needs perfectly in more ways than one.

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    Golden City Factory - Dim. Dream
    For the most part, I've been avoiding arrangements I'm previously familiar with, but I will occasionally compromise for the sake of quality. There was another remix in an album crossfade that I tried to find, but without success.

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    Hidden Masquerade - Diamond-Studded Empty Sky
    I was not expected the wide variety of options available for this piece; it's not one of my personal favorites, but it clearly has a following. Similar to the Reincarnation feature, I wanted something of lower energy than a symphonic metal piece, so I went with this.

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  22. I had the urge to do something truly random and unpredictable this week. So I reached into the depths of my memory, to the earliest of my experiences with game music. What did I find?

    An ancient typing course.

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    Actually, does this even count as VGM?
    Probably should have saved this for next year's April Fool's, but it falls on a Saturday and I don't trust myself not to forget anyway.

  23. Let's see how much I can cover now.

    4 hours ago, SasaMisa said:

    2) Composer for The Mystery of Gensokyo - Nostalgic Blood of the East ~ Old World

    This reminds me, I managed to track down a name to credit for arrangement! The group responsible for making the game was "Gekikara Spice," and the sound design for that group was handled by one "Raian F." FTR, and all that . . .

    Also, "Yukari" was the sound designer for "Rainbow Sheep," and I'm more sure now that "ARA" is the famous Yoshiki 'ARA' CarrotWine.

    On 6/7/2022 at 11:03 AM, Gou the frog said:

    that's is all I can remember from the 17 pages of musical discovery thread

    I had to resist reacting to this statement at the time it was made, but now I want to clarify my utter shock and awe at the implications: You went through all seventeen pages of Musical Discoveries?! You have my utmost respect, my lad, and I hope our contributions over the years made it a worthwhile experience.

    On 7/29/2022 at 8:32 AM, Gou the frog said:

    Compare to the past tournaments, this sure is an up. Eight participants sure takes up those two months ay? 

    Average round duration in past tournaments has been at least two-per-week, including RT5 which was our previous record at seven participants (technically six and this seven, depending on if you count the host as a "participant"). So I'm inclined to attribute the extended duration to more relaxed rate of review submission, hence my comment on round six. From my perspective as host, this was a difficult change to adjust to, as there is no precedent for the situation for me to fall back on (the closest we've gotten in the past was a discussion about reviews being submitted too quickly). Ultimately, I admit it didn't really cause any issues with the tournament itself, and I didn't notice any negative effects on the participants. However, as a relatively inactive [non]participant, the delay and extended duration was bit more taxing on me. This could just be something I need to adjust to, but I'm interested in hearing other thoughts on the matter, either in favor of the longer duration or in consideration of some alternatives.

    On 7/31/2022 at 1:38 PM, buskerdog said:

    Last time I said I would host the tourney after, so I'm ready to take up the role of the next host. I'm very busy at the moment and anticipate that I will continue to be for several months, so maybe expect the next one later rather than sooner; that being said it seems this tourney alone has lasted us a good while. Whenever the time for that next tourney comes, not needing to make comments myself as the host should suit my business.

    On 7/31/2022 at 5:38 PM, CountVonNumenor said:

    When are we gonna have the next one?

    My thanks to you, busker.

    In the past, the commencement of a new tournament is entirely dependent upon the discretion of the next host. We've experimented with a variety of timings, with the first few tournaments being a full six months apart and later tournaments averaging out to one every two-and-a-half months. If future tournaments are to be as lengthy in duration as this one, then I think we should assume a longer rest period; but the final decision will be left with busker. As always, further discussion on the matter is welcome.

    5 hours ago, SasaMisa said:

    It's been a fun tournament in any event, and it's certainly given me a lot more insight into different varieties of music associated with Touhou Project. Thank you again everybody for taking part and making it all possible. (^_~)

    This, in essence, is everything I hope for with these activities. Thank you, and everyone else, for sharing your tastes, experiences, and considerations with all the rest of us! Lord willing, we will yet get to do this again!

    I still want to get to that discussion on mashups, but I think I'll make that a separate post since this one has been all responses.

    • Like 4
  24. On 7/26/2022 at 10:41 PM, ScarletCyro said:

    I've never tried a metroidvania before, it's probably the only genre I've never tried

    Well, if you're looking for an introduction to the genre, Touhou Luna Nights is a conveniently themed option. The price-to-content ratio isn't as balanced as it probably should be, but as a shorter experience it may be more what you're looking for.

  25. Traditionally, this is the time for final statements, commentary, and questions. A lot has been discussed in previous tournaments, and I will avoid retreading old ground without instigation, but since we had so many new participants this round, it will sometimes be advisable to make reference to them.

    Firstly, I've made a habit of listing the three most personally memorable features at the end, as these are often distinct from what I may have rated highly (especially concerning arrangements I'm previously familiar with).

    Spoiler

    Unlucky Morpheus - Feast the Night Away
    It's a pity I can't find a higher quality recording (either on or off of Youtube), but I'd nonetheless consider this my favorite submission this tournament.

    Mose - U.N. Owen was Her?
    A very close second, this was the settled closer from the moment I heard it.

    Yukari - Palace of the Earth Spirits
    This one still surprises me, it's not the kind of piece that usually sticks in my mind, yet I really appreciate this.

    Looking back over everything reminds me how much I wanted to review some of these pieces; I really hope we're all still around for a next tournament.

    What I will review are my own submissions:

    Spoiler

    #1: ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers
    The most epic of orchestra!

    Over time, ssbbmaster has become one of my favorite orchestral arrangers in the fandom, and I've posted about his work in Musical Discoveries more than a few times. I wanted to get a piece from him into a tournament, and settled on this one as thus far my favorite. A lot of his arrangements, especially of late, are more symphonic metal than orchestral; these are just as good as his straight orchestrals, but I personally prefer the sound of orchestra, and often struggle to find arrangements that satisfy my expectations.

    This piece in particular carries its progression through a series of movements characterized by the contrast between its melody and accompaniment. Early in the piece, there is an intentional discordance instilling a sense of conflict, heightened by imbalance in the instrumentation. This builds until the percussion solo, which give way to an interlude lacking the earlier discordance, rebuilding into a new presentation of its motifs with a feeling of resolve. This leaves the way clear to the end of the piece, set up with a drop in energy to highlight the final resolution. Even with this double interlude, the intensity is preserved throughout, resulting in a truly exhilarating performance. 9/10

    #2: Kommisar - Maple Dream
    Extremely active chiptune.

    Last time I submitted chiptune, it wasn't met with the most enthusiastic response. When I realized we might have a lot of new ears, I determined to try again, and started looking through my catalogue for something that would contrast my other submission (I specifically wanted a piece from the PC-98 era). As I've mentioned elsewhere, I prefer this more "active" style of chiptune to the retro style, though I have plenty of both in my collection.

    Kommisar as an arranger boarders on chaotic sometimes, occasionally utilizing multiple devices to achieve higher quantities of sounds. Nonetheless, he's an undisputed master in his craft, and one of the first modern chiptune artists I came to recognize as an independent artist (by which I mean I didn't find him through a soundtrack). This track is an excellent showcase of what I look for in chiptune; it utilizes a variety of sound modulations (rather than rely heavily on a specific sound), uses distortion as a tool to its advantage, and overall behaves as its own genre of music. There's a fair bit of what I call "improvisation," better stated as motif interludes usually characterized by jazz-style movement, and it contrasts with the source track's motifs wonderfully. 8.2/10

    #3: dBu Music - Unhuman Variations
    The "borrowed" feature.

    I'd intentionally left my third pick open until all the submissions were in, both because I have plenty of pieces saved up and because it helps as part of my role as the host. I should probably clarify that the host's submissions are not considered viable for "winning," and more serve the purpose of buffing out the quantity of features; I see in this an opportunity (though not necessarily a responsibility) for the host to infuse variety into the tournament if desired. Because of the way Gou made his submissions (which I still intend to bring up for discussion), I ended up with an extra piece from him which happened to appeal perfectly to that slot.

    Regulars are more familiar with my music tastes, and this piece fits them perfectly. In addition to orchestra and chiptune, I'm a big fan of folk instruments, with a focus on Irish and Oriental styles. I am especially fond of folk rock, where traditional instruments are carried by the contrasting sounds of modern pop instruments. This piece adds to that contrast the additional element of chiptune, and blends them together to highlight their strengths in ways I've not encountered often. Now, it is a tad bit long, which is to say that it's progression isn't consistent with its length, and I believe it was for primarily that reason that I didn't consider it for a tournament submission the first time I heard it. However, once it was presented in the direct context of a tournament, it seemed an ideal choice for the vacancy. 7.8/10

    That took awhile; Imma leave it there for now.

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