Ken Hisuag

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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:

That took awhile; Imma leave it there for now.

Finally, the results!

Thank you everyone for participating! I will be back later for post-tournament comments and discussion.

1 minute ago, ScarletPyro said:

Is hollow Knight worth it? I've been looking to try out more 2D games.

For someone like me, base price of Hollow Knight is lower than deserved (a "steal," as they say). But for you, difficult to be sure of; I can say that Celeste was my favorite game before Hollow Knight, so if you enjoyed that game then that may be indicative. Have you played a metroidvania before, and if so did you enjoy it or not?

7 hours ago, buskerdog said:

I like Monster Hunter.

Honestly, your enthusiasm for the series (not to mention the amazing music) has done a lot to make me interested in trying it out. I bought Generations Ultimate for the switch, but I haven't had time to actually try it yet. On a side note, a Youtuber I follow recently did a video essay on the series which I found to be entertainingly informative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DMyw3uz4Ys

I've never played Pokemon, and I'm not too motivated to do so at this time. If more comes of the open world from Arceus . . . I probably still won't feel like playing it, but it'd be a bit more likely. Sword & Shield soundtrack is great, though!

Hollow Knight. My main genre is 2D platformers, and specifically metroidvanias; I adore exploration gameplay, and 3D titles tend to feel more empty to me.

On 7/25/2022 at 10:36 PM, ScarletPyro said:

Over the years, Videogames have been getting easier,

Have they? I don't consider myself to be that well-informed on the "retro era," and I'm aware of some of the design choices that went into arcade games that carried over past their intended purpose, so I can understand the perspective of generally decreasing difficulty. However, the modern video game industry is MASSIVE, producing many products in multiple genres and subgenres for a variety of different audiences. Rather than believe that modern games are easier, I'm inclined to assume (I acknowledge it is an assumption on my part) that the industry has just gotten larger, and thus you see the variety balance out across it. Hard games still exist, though they may not make up the majority of the industry anymore. I'm also aware of how unaware I am of game outside of my sphere of familiarity, whether in genres I don't have an interest in or from smaller publishers I haven't heard of.

Also, "hard" is technically a subjective term (loathe though I am to admit it), referring to the experience a person or group of persons has. There is a degree of consensus to it (thankfully, for the purposes of having a discussion), but it may be beneficial to determine what you consider to be difficult, and (more importantly) why;

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

Video games are ultimately a form of media, like books and music, and their main purpose is to entertain

. . . and as entertainment [serves its] functions in different ways, what is "difficult" will mean something very different according to the situation/context. For example, a "difficult" puzzle game like Baba is You is not directly comparable to a "difficult" run-and-gun platformer like Cuphead; and you may not consider one or either of those "difficult."

I covered Moss a long time ago; at the time it stood out from my other VGM experiences as being exceptionally well instrumented, and featuring an exemplary use of leitmotif. Since that time, this short soundtrack has remained just outside my "personal top ten" criteria, mostly for it's short length and limited relatability (why isn't that registering as a word?). I knew next to nothing about the game (only what my brother told me), but I had the impression that this would not affect my impression on the music.

The impending release of it's sequel, Moss: Book II, was unexpected but eagerly anticipated. With this expanded collection of music, I feel comfortable now counted the franchise among my favorite collections; a greater range of tone is accomplished by additional instrumentation, and the original's prominent leitmotif is joined by a lesser but complimentary musical phrase. These compositions are not necessarily any more accomplished than those of their predecessor's, but they nonetheless spark some curiosity in me, to understand them more thoroughly, that I did not feel before.

I'd normally wait till a tournament was fully closed to resume regular business, but it had been far too long at this point, and I'm anxious to get back into things.

Reliance:Tone - Unfading Dream
Turn down your volume for this one. If you're able, check for NicoVideo posts; the couple I found were better audio quality than this upload.
Otherwise, a good start!

mochiton - Peer to Peer
Selection is such a bizarrely normal name for a Touhou piece, eh? This is also poor-quality audio, but I loved the contrast of jazz to the other things I was finding. I had expected this to be a difficult piece to search for (due to the name), but there's surprisingly fair representation for it.

SoundOnline - Blaze of Colors
EMLC is my favorite Reimu theme, so I wasn't too hesitant to use a big-name artist for it.

I might come back to this later for a more personalized answer, but for now I'd offer that most characters are underdeveloped officially, regardless of representation. As for unofficial development, the fandom tends to focus on older characters post-PC-98 era; new characters will get a bit of development after initial exposure, and then usually fall off according to which ones receive more official development through the Tasofro titles (sometimes not even then; whatever happened to Doremy Sweet?). Statistically speaking, it would have to be one of the PC-98 characters, specifically a single-appearance midboss or early stage boss. So . . . Noroiko?

Oh, what about Genji? Despite being a major part of the first games, I don't see many explanations offered as to the character.

My methodology for this thread is primarily spontaneity, and this afternoon I had the urge to post some Masayoshi Oishi songs.

Sometimes I think visuals distract from the appreciation for the music itself. Not that there isn't something to appreciate in those additional elements as well, simply something to consider.

A Fracture Feature^TM

I've just about given up on getting to hear the full Critadel soundtrack; what I can find is really good, but for some reason it hasn't been released either officially or unofficially.

While I wasn't motivated to plan out a feature for the rest of the soundtrack, the trailer music for Dead Estate impressed me (surprising, considering it's partly English vocal).

Sonic Origins was in no way what I was hoping it would be, but at least we got a new Hyper Potions composition out of it.

We now enter the final round, and the farthest a tournament has ever reached.

ROUND 8:

22: Nami Haven - Rough Sea (Blacklolita Remix)
A more melodic side of EDM.

23: Diao ye zong - The beautiful world
A famous circle in all its glory.

24: Mōse - U.N. Owen was Her?
A respectfully reflective closing.

Felt like looking for Len'en arrangements today.

AdeleyWolfy - Stronger and Stronger
I remember coming across this one before; hopefully it's not a repost.

Mono Chrome - One-Eyed Blacksmith ~ Weapons of Ametsukana
Fun title.

LENK64 - Casino
Miki does quite a few Len'en arrangements.

Boid - Present World Dance Engine
Boid's art is really good, too.

I would be remiss if I did not note the release of the long-expected Cuphead D.L.C., with it's generous supply of new music! As one might have guessed of a game known for its attention to detail, these fresh tunes compare more than favorably to their predecessors. In addition to the big band and jazz of the originals, a splattering of other genres have been mixed in, usually complimentary but occasionally as a sharper contrast. I've omitted some of the more unique pieces to avoid spoilers, but hopefully the spirit of the addition is still felt in these tracks.

ROUND 7:

19: Water Color Melody. - M.E.P.H.I.S.T.O.
Some funky flavour for our enjoyment.

20: Komeiji Records - Elegant Ice Maiden
A fun little fairy arrangement, with some unique genre clash.

21: Demetori - Higan Retour ~ View of The River Styx
The awe-infused epic of symphonic metal.

I should have done this earlier [I always say when I don't do it earlier]. No time for lamentations, though!

Studio Nenem - Astral Sword Dance -Glory-
This is an alternate version of the arrangement DF posted a couple weeks ago, officially released exactly a year after its predecessor. I hesitate to use the term "remastered," but the concept comes to mind.

Hachimitsu-Lemon - Disappearing Queen
In contrast, a different remix of a different final boss by a different person. I'm not used to hearing vocal remixes from Hachimitsu-Lemon, but it sounds alright.

ESQUARIA - Disappearing Queen -Luon Remix-
The actual contrast of the same piece in a different style by a different person. I found these two at the same time!

Missed my post on Saturday, so y'all getting something minor today instead.

Shibayan Records - Tiny Little Adiantum
This was mentioned in the chatbox, and despite discussion implying fair familiarity, I had never heard of it. So here it is now!

asi14 - Lunar Clock ~ Luna Dial
An unusual combination of fighting game style (7.5) and PC-98. I'm not always sure whether such specification are part of the title or not . . .

Miki Hiroyuki - Memory of the Road
I'm still technically in tournament mode, so a few Len'en remixes shouldn't be out of place.

Digging deeper into unfamiliar territory (for me), I pulled out the soundtrack for Willow (the game not the movie). Typically, the older the chiptune, the less likely I am to be impressed by it; having been spoiled by the likes of the Follin brothers or Eric W. Brown, it's sometimes harder for me to appreciate the less complex arrangements that limited hardware instigated at the time. Despite this, the objective aspect of musical quality is worth striving to discern, lest worthwhile experiences be missed.

In this case, I appreciated the effort put forth by the composers to make the most of their simpler compositions. For more atmospheric pieces, drawn out notes inflicted with tremolo sets the tone very well, while more active pieces can employ a baroque style to capture the desired mood. The fight themes are more typical for chiptune, using rapid movement to simulate energy, but are nonetheless well composed in melody.

I also encountered a slight usage of leitmotif, though without context for the pieces I can't be sure of the specifics. The adjustment to mood was noteworthy, though.

ROUND 6:

16: Touhou Gengaku Kyo - Demoness of the Underworld
Spooky, or sad? But only for a short period; such is the way with Merry remixes. Despite my efforts, I couldn't work out a translation of this title.

17: ssbbmaster - Where is that Bustling Marketplace ~ Immemorial Marketeers
Over to epic orchestra. Quite a contrast in energy, eh?

18: S.S.H. & Aether - Shanghai Scarlet Teahouse
Then into epic something else. It has elements of symphonic orchestra, but I'm not willing to commit to that assessment.

For now, there is no deadline for round conclusion (we may discuss that post-tournament), but I would recommend aiming to get your reviews in within a week.

This is not meant as a critique of anyone’s lifestyle or moral standard; it is merely the presentation of perspective.