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Musical Discoveries in Touhou Fandom

RoundLoudness - Bhavaagra As Seen Through a Child's Mind
Might seem a bit high-energy for an opener, but perfect when taken in in context of what it's following up. I've said before that Tenshi's themes don't quite hit the elevated tone I think they're supposed to, so this seems a fitting adaptation.


Liuhaoran Huang - Darkening Dusk
Low-energy was my target for this one, and this is a decent accomplishment of that while retaining the whimsical tone of the original. I kinda wish the artist had leaned harder in that direction, as the pacing seems almost too consistent, but the instrumentation keeps it afloat otherwise.


Jersey & the Merry Bunch - Cinnabar Soul ~ Cinnabar-Colored Soul
Most remixes will understandably focus on raising the intensity of the piece into something spectacular, and I've heard quite a few memorable takes. But I appreciate this being a middle ground of sorts, keeping the energy while lowering the impact with lighter instrumentation. It feels like a happy fantasy ending, and that's what it's supposed to be.
 
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Nanshen - Awakening of the Earth Sprits
My appreciation for the original has a lot to do with atmosphere, so I wasn't intending to be too picky for its remix feature. Despite that, I'm rather pleased with this discovery; it has an eerie fantasy sound to it, which fits perfectly.


Hekoyama / Aoshan (depending on language) / Bokoyamarch (covering my bases) - The Dark Blowhole
Indecisive name translation aside, I settled on this piece for its energy and competent adaptation of the original motifs. I expected to pick something more atmospheric, but the previous find filled that slot for me.


Karkan - The Sealed-Away Youkai/Sealed Specter
A bit more jazzy than might be anticipated for this piece, but too fun to pass on. The string bridge satisfies my desire for a "spider sound" in the piece, while the flute part probably represents the caves.
 
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UNVALANCE - Hate Island
I know that Dark Blowhole technically represents the descent into the underground, but I've always associated Bridge No Longer Crossed more closely with the concept. As such, a remix like this fits better with my perception of the piece; the atmosphere is on-point, but isn't left to carry the piece alone.


HEKATONCHEIR BEATS - Waxy Jealousy
Green-Eyed Jealousy, along with a lot of pieces from this soundtrack, lends itself to low-energy arrangements with its progression and motif structure, and I've heard a number of really great remixes in this vein. However, for this feature I wanted something a bit more intense, in keeping with its actual intention as a boss theme, while still retaining the piece's strengths. While it took longer than I anticipated, I'm exceptionally pleased with this find.


Mentaiko Lab - Moon-Swallowing White Night
Some form of folk was my resolution for this, only further established by the volume of rock arrangements I initially came across. What distinguished this one was its genre; while I'm sure I've encountered folk-centered jazz before, it isn't usually so strongly committed to. The effect here is perfect for these motifs.
 
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TAMAONSEN - Onis Drinking Sake In Autumn
Maybe not what I anticipated, but more along the lines of a Broken Moon arrangement, which is somewhat fitting. For some reason it was a struggle to find a suitable remix for this, even though I know more exist. Not being able to use NicoVideo may have contributed to this.


ACCORD ON CODES - Fancy, Fancy, Fancy
Similarly defying my expectations, but this time I had more options. I worry sometimes about gravitating toward the same genres and styles, and will occasionally force something outside of my norm in an attempt to offset those tendencies.


fractrick - Mishery
I should probably have held out for a proper orchestral, but I was settled on this one once I heard the organ sample and anticipated the percussion style. This arrangement respects the tone of the original through interludes, while still thoroughly committing to its own style. I think it fits the motifs perfectly.
 
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I guess, I have some findings to share.

Sin X Nad.

They create metal arranges of various Touhou themes. A lot of underrated ones. Perfect Cherry Blossom medley is coming soon (this is trailer).


Spoiler




 
Viktor Sharii - Lullaby of Deserted Hell
I actually found this one a while back. There were plenty of other options, but this stuck with me as being especially appropriate for the source material. The motifs work in a wide variety of situations, but nothing beats the serenity of a good solo for it imo.


Avenue Room - Dazzling Hellfire
To balance out the energy, this is a far jumpier arrangement. I've said before how much I appreciate folk rock hybrids, and this is an excellent example made all the more intriguing by the varying motifs it has to work with.


T-Jerion - Hellfire Mantle
I wavered on this one for a while; I wanted something semi-climactic, but not too climactic, lest I short-change the follow-up (a silly consideration, but still . . .). I couldn't say what finally decided it, but I'm fairly settled now.
 
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Original Hellfire Mantle already was powerful and ominous. It's different from what you hear in previous games. "What kind of final boss can live here?"

This is one of my luckiest recent findings. There are a few more, but it's the first of a kind I found.


Spoiler




 
jesterdist - Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom, Nuclear Fusion V2
Not only have I featured jesterdist before, but it was a previous remix of this same piece. I was impressed then, and I'm freshly impressed now; there's an energy to this arrangement that isn't quite the same as a typical rock remix, and it compliments the piece excellently.


Kurodama - The Last Remote
Similarly, I posted a Nuclear Fusion performance from this guy some years ago. The skill in diversifying a solo-instrument performance such as this is inspiring. With NicoVideo still down, I'm at the mercy of the reposter as to proper accreditation; hopefully it's sufficient to relocate when needed.


as key_ (_bazaar records?) - Eat up my HEART???
I deliberating on this one a bit, due to having other options I technically preferred while having held on to this particular remix for some time now. I hold Hartmann's is overrated, but the motifs have been utilized admirably by many talented musicians. I'd prefer if they didn't always "give in" to the refrain, rather committing to the eerie tone the piece starts out with, but I understand the temptation.
 
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Kairo - eyes
The tone of this arrangement is intriguing to me; it manages an abrasively morose mood, something I'm not sure should be possible, and the vocal performance somehow fits it perfectly. All in all a find worth holding out for.


Echoes Construction - Dawn ~ Denouncement
Similarly intriguing, but by degree rather than content. There's a dissonance to this piece that doesn't seem to serve a specific purpose, yet also isn't distracting enough to ruin the experience. I'm not sure what to make of it.


lol project - The Refrain of the Lovely Great War [EP Mix]
I think TREN is the musician within the circle, but the citations are unclear. It's fascinating how early this piece is technically appearing compared to its associated game. I might have held out for something more unusual, but I appreciate the resoluteness of this remix.
 
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Almost forgot: I came across this in my searches, and while the balancing/editing precluded it from consideration for the feature proper, I was impressed by the effort displayed and wanted to share it.

Tatsuo Hasegawa - solitude girl day break
 
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IvanBaAl said:
An arrangement of Theme of Eastern Story. Sounds too good for a few thousands views.
Click to expand...
The pain of trying to trace back the source of a remix that's been improperly cited! 😫
The one link leads to the source page, but I have no way of translating it. Arrangement link is to Twitter, which I can't view because I don't have an account (and won't be getting one). Trying to search the first website's url title turns up some artwork featured on it, as well as more Twitter bios, neither of which help me.

I suspect this exists somewhere else with more views, but the information is too limited for me to confirm. Thanks for sharing, though; it's definitely one of the best arrangements of the theme I've yet heard!

EDIT: Came back to this for another attempt, and managed to penetrate the Twitter barrier a bit by putting the tag through the search engine and finding a direct link to a post from the account (which for some reason the Twitter log-in script didn't kick me out of). From this I confirmed that "5minutejamms" does music composition, so it's plausible that the arrangement in question was from there. Still not conclusive, but something more to go off of then we had previously.

 
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Someone45356 - Teja antigua y curiosa de shanghai
I've been waiting to feature this artist, and when this showed up in my searchings, I figured it was about time. The Spanish folk is in a casual tone, giving it an even, homely feel. This isn't to say it lacks activity, though; there's still plenty going on, keeping the remix sounding full without being overbearing. What could be better for this piece?


Clonesoldier's Factory - AN ORDEAL FROM ON HIGH
I know the title's wrong; I do this because the flippancy is disturbing, and I don't want to emulate it. I wasn't looking forward to this one, but I managed to find a compelling arrangement relatively quickly.


Salad Savior - Magician's Melancholy
Not at all what I thought I'd end up with, but after the previous two choices I figured I ought to commit to something equally contrasting to its source material, while also balancing out the energy of the post. I can't say I appreciate the harsher parts of this remix, but it sounds alright when it's using its melodies.
 
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Kori - Illusionary Sputnik Night
It's been quite some time since I featured this artist, so I'm giving myself some leeway due to this piece being unexpectedly difficult to find for. The style reminds me of another game's soundtrack that I'm hesitant to name.


Marione - The Banquet Begins at Dawn!
I'd have adjusted the translation but for the exclamation point at the end making it difficult to reinterpret. There were a lot of great arrangements for this piece, far more than I expected; I feel the range of genres incorporated into this one specifically works well as a representation of what's out there.


Colorful Harmony - Spring Harbor
End of Spring was always going to be a hard one to choose for; I feel I don't give this piece the respect it deserves, even as I've come to appreciate it as much as I have. A slow waltz may not seem enough, but it's a full arrangement nonetheless, and balanced well with the rest of the feature. Shionne submitted some great remixes for the tournaments, so check for those if this doesn't settle right.


Bonus:

Togakisan - "Sputnik Night" for Piano Trio ~ Roslavets Style
I had to look up Roslavets to understand what was going on here, and I think it's better to have heard something of his compositions before listening to this remix. For context, Roslavets was a "modernist" composer, which means he sought to subvert the standard "rules" of music to express "new" styles (I use the quotations because this is more philosophy than music theory). I personally feel the remix artists fail to understand the fundamentals of Roslavets's style, resulting in something that doesn't quite accomplish what they think it does (again, a fuller explanation would get really philosophical, so I'm holding off for now).
A Roslavets composition:


The Touhou remix in question:
 
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Recent upload by Nick Nitro. An arrangement of "Maidens Capriccio ~ Dream Battle". The art makes a little harder to think about music though...


Spoiler




 
【東方自作アレンジ/Rock】Dance in Devaloka【香る樹葉花/踊る水飛沫/至る有頂天】

【Touhou self-made arrangement/Rock】Dance in Devaloka【Fragrant leaves and flowers/dancing water droplets/complete ecstasy】



Hm... what if I say nothing and post just the title and the video? Hm...yes....wait...something... SOMETHING IS CUTTING ME OFF RIGHT NOW OH NO OHHH NOOOOOO-

 
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404p - tiny, tiny, CHU
The character of Nazrin is a mouse, but also a major strategist of the "antagonists'" operations, justifying her positions in stage one and five both. Her theme has a decent melody, but it's rather repetitive, and imo doesn't seem to relate to the character very well. My hope was to find an arrangement that stayed relatively consistent with the original's structure, but revitalized the presentation. I don't think I could've found better than this.


Conagusuri - The Unforgettable Forgotten Umbrella
Part of this challenge is the featuring of unique artists for every piece, whereby I avoid circles I've already used or hope to rely on at a later time. However, I'd given myself allowance after the PC-98 era to consider it a clean-slate, with potential consideration for similar exclusions in future eras. I haven't had to resort to that too much; this time around, I'm choosing to refeature this circle due to the distinction between this remix and the previously featured arrangement. The stylistic contrast impressed me, and I wanted to draw attention to it.


Kan/Kanpyog - Beware the Umbrella Left There Forever ~ Festival extended
Proper credit was accomplished by proxy, as I had encountered the sister-arrangement with proper citation (thankfully NicoVideo is back online); I recognized the title formatting, and confirmed the shared origin. The parts come together beautifully, with the folk components imparting a tone of nature, and the electronic backing giving it punch.
 
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I forgot when was the last time I used an umbrella...

I tried Devil of Decline recently. This game is huge, but I enjoy its music.

There is another interesting game called "The Outsider Who Loved Gensokyo". Author borrowed a lot of music from other Touhou fangames and other sources. This game is still developing (ending is ready though). After 11 years, BGM folder of TOWLG is a treasure room. By the way, I found about Devil of Decline because its music was in TOWLG. To download this game, the easiest way is to find the last video by author (link in the description). Author also has a playlist with music used in TOWLG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MRyH5pNRlw

 
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Ken Yanagimoto - Sky Ruin
I've not been particularly fond of this piece in the past, but I was surprised by what a difference a few remixes made to my perception. This one in particular completely reinterpreted the tone for me, and as such is an excellent example of what is to be gained from seeking out arrangements sometimes.


Sharp Eight - nice middle with bad girl
Traditional Old Man & Stylish Girl represents missed opportunity to me; I don't appreciate its intro (it doesn't go anywhere), I've never been impressed with its carrying lines (ditto), and the "chorus" seems flipped from what it ought to be (why are the best parts in the background?). To clarify, these are subjective objections; so for this feature, I was determined to find something that presented the motifs in a way that satisfied me personally, in hopes I could overcome my prejudice against the piece. I'm not sure this is it, as it doesn't quite rely enough on those motifs, but it's going in the right direction.


TaNaBaTa - Golden Route
Opposite end of the perception spectrum, Interdimensional Voyage is one of my favorite stage themes in the entire series. As such, my prerogative was different; find an arrangement that was particularly unlike the original, while still holding to the motifs. This seemed suitable enough for the feature, contrasting well without being overbearing. Couldn't find the transcribed lyrics, though . . .
 
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