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Other Game Music

I need time, so this week is a fracture feature.

First up, every name I'm familiar with in the metal remixing community (and then some) collaborating on possibly the most iconic metal-esque piece in all VGM.


When I first found this next track, I thought I'd eventually find the rest of the soundtrack and do a feature for it. But the little research I did seemed to indicate the piece to be unique to its collection, so I'll use it for this instead (some might guess as to what put it into my mind recently).


To round off, I realize I've not mentioned the Octopath Traveler arrangement albums before. IMO they're a bit hit-or-miss, but there are several tracks I'm especially impressed with, especially this one.
 
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This was supposed to be a double-feature, but listening to two new soundtracks at once proved too much for me.

Sonic Superstars is the latest installment in its series, noteworthy for being the more official return to the 2D classical style (Mania being more of an official fangame, and Origins being a remaster). Several composers from previous entries were called upon to contribute to the soundtrack, making it something of a collaboration project. In theory, this would result in a nostalgic musical smorgasbord. Unfortunately, I think the variety of musicians ultimately hurt the project. With such a range of styles, the soundtrack lacks cohesiveness, and struggles to establish an identity. There are plenty of great compositions, but there are also a lot of mediocre ones which clash with each other.

I've tried to pick the most "Sonic" sounding tracks while featuring more of the different artists involved; this may not be an accurate depiction of what the soundtrack has to offer, but does highlight where my interest in it lies.



 
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I found Super Mario Bros Wonder to be exactly the imaginative musical experience I expected. The franchise has always had a reputation for this style of melodies, and while this certainly felt like they leaned in to it more this time around, I personally wonder if they shouldn't have leaned in heavier. Between the new themes, variations, and "wonder seed" tracks, I perceive a slight reluctance to commit too strongly to the various gimmicks. For example, each level theme has a unique variation for the new elephant power-up, which usually consists of replacing the main instrument of the piece with brass; I think they should have done something similar for all the power-ups in a level, or at least for the other new one, so as to reinforce the idea of the world being treated different based on available abilities. This isn't to say there's lack of variety; the wonder seed tracks alone ensure the soundtrack is interspersed with all manner of creative compositions, and despite being such a large album, I fully enjoyed the listening experience.





 
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On of the soundtracks I had "missed" last year was that of Infernax, a classic Castlevania inspired game that took its gameplay, visual and audio cues from that series. While I know very little about the game itself, from the music I guess it to have a darker aesthetic; the melodies feature limited movement and incorporate minor discordance in their progressions, resulting in a darker tone. While the compositions themselves are alright, I didn't find anything that especially impressed me; I suppose I'm spoiled by modern chiptune and its intricacies, but I've heard soundtracks that manage to be both reminiscent of their inspiration while still feeling creative (Shovel Knight and Cathedral come to mind).




 
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In an effort to be topical, I picked Stardew Valley for this week's soundtrack; as a farming simulator (I think), it can be loosely tied to the American harvest holiday of Thanksgiving. I anticipated the music to be mostly low-energy and relaxing, potentially interspersed with unique event-related tracks. The instrumentation and style reminds me very strongly of old JRPG soundtracks, and I found the listening experience to be oddly nostalgic as a result. Although no melodies stood out to me, the arrangements are pleasant enough and cohesive without being too similar. I've chosen to gimmick this feature by using themes from each season, both because of the significance to the time and because it genuinely seems to sum up the soundtrack fairly well.



 
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With the announcement of the GtoY nominations came the anticipated but nonetheless sharp disappointment with what I can only assume is industry/popularity bias. My own tastes are not necessarily indicative of objective quality, but I feel I can name a few soundtracks outside my preferences that still seem better suited than some actually offered. With this idea in mind, I decided to try out Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, knowing full well it was mostly English vocal and thus not made for me. In hindsight, this may be a poor example; I actually enjoyed the genre elements contained herein, and there were far more instrumental options than I expected.

I perceive that much of the soundtrack is compiled from previously existent productions, in keeping with the radio channel effect its meant to replicate. That being said, some of my favorite tracks were consistently from Hideki Naganuma, who apparently composed his contributions specifically for the game. There may be more like this, but I didn't do as much research past the pieces I'd decided on using for the feature. Regardless, I'm glad I checked this soundtrack.



 
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At the moment I'm waiting on the Steam Award nominations to be announced in case there's something to feature from there. So in the meantime, here's Lego Racers for no reason whatsoever; I didn't know this game existed until a week ago. The music is exactly the goofy quality I'd expect from such a title, but I admit there's clearly some care put into it. The motifs are memorable, and while the progression and instrumentation are a bit unorthodox, they work well together.

"Dark Forest Dash" may actually be "Royal Knights Raceway," and since it seems obvious enough to me I might record it as such.


 
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i really like Alice: Madness Returns soundtrack




 
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So I found out Undertale Yellow was finally releasing about a week before it happened; I don't have social media, so I don't always get such news until late. I was excited, because I've been waiting for this project since shortly after it's demo came out, eagerly following the occasional music drops over the years. Upon having a date, I immediately planned out how to fit a feature in before the end of the year.

However, once I started listening through the soundtrack, I decided I wasn't going to be able to do so properly in time, and chose instead to delay it until next year. Instead, I'm doing a Fracture Feature which includes it and a couple of other games that I want remembered before this year passes. I didn't and don't foresee myself featuring these fully hereafter, so perhaps this is fitting.
Undertale Yellow:


American Arcadia:


My Friendly Neighborhood:
 
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To likely no one's surprise but my own, the week leading up to Christmas has been crazy. I already had this feature planned out, so it was coming one way or another. As of last week, this thread is five years old; it hasn't been consistently active throughout that whole time, but as its existence is rather significant to me personally I desired to commemorate the milestone in some way. While I do not now the exact track used, the first OST featured here was that of A Hat in Time, which is still one of my favorites and is large enough to be refeatured occasionally. The variety of music is exemplary, whether in reference to its instrumentation, its tone, its style, or even its genre. If I had to recommend a single soundtrack to someone without VGM experience, it would be this one.




 
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It's time for the last feature of the year. As usual, this is my personal top five list of this year's VGM. But first, some honorable mentions:

I was not impressed by the Game Award's line up for this years music, and hoped for a better selection from the Steam Awards. For the most part, I wasn't disappointed, though I'd argue some of the nominations shouldn't have qualified (e.g., the game that actually released ten years ago); the one nomination I didn't recognize at all was Chants of Sennaar, and since I'm out of time to give it a proper listen, I'll mention it here in hopes it deserved it.

Another release I didn't get to was Tevi; its composers are the same team behind Rabi-Ribi, so I have reasonable confidence that I'll enjoy the soundtrack when I listen to it.

EDIT: I almost forgot to include Sonic Dream Team. Realistically, this soundtrack was never going to be part of the ranking, but as I enjoyed it more than either Sonic Superstars or even Super Mario Wonder, I thought it deserved to be mentioned.

Now, on to the ranking:

#5:
Yanagi, Kobori, Uratani, & The Glass Pyramids - Hi-Fi Rush
As an early year hit, time has softened its impact slightly, but it certainly deserves to be here. Between the steady beat rock, jazzy interludes, and custom pseudo-parodies, this has become a go-to soundtrack for whenever I just want to bob my head to something in the background.


#4:
Eric W. Brown - Sea of Stars
This year had a lot of high-anticipation releases for me, and while this particular one didn't quite meet my expectations, it is nonetheless a masterful collection. Ironically, some of my favorite tracks are those that distinguish themselves further from the style of The Messenger; I'll always prefer that soundtrack, but the unique ways in which this developed and departed from the original have given both their own identity.


#3:
MasterSwordRemix, MyNewSoundtrack, Noteblock - Undertale Yellow
I had every reason to believe I'd love this soundtrack when it finally came out, and while it may not have had a proper feature this year, I've heard more than enough of it to place it on the list. Nor do I believe my appreciation to be based upon nostalgia, for despite having strong musical inspiration from the original Undertale, there is yet multiple instances of more unique compositions that deviate therefrom. As such, I consider this soundtrack to stand on its own merits.


#2:
Ronan "Mr. Sauceman" de Castel & ClascyJitto - Pizza Tower
From my perspective, this game came out of nowhere and proceeded to be the most intensively diverse soundtrack of the year. Even now I hardly know what to say about it, since it seems to defy comprehensive explanation. Nonetheless, I can fully recommend it, and would even advise digging a bit deeper into the unreleased and removed tracks (I really want those level intro jingles for text-tones).


#1:
Yasunori Nishiki - Octopath Traveler II
If anyone knows me at all, they saw this coming. The fact this didn't get nominated in either event still infuriates me a bit; it seems as though everyone forgot about it shortly after it released. To say that's a shame doesn't even begin to describe the injustice, especially given some of the things that were nominated. So consider this as setting the record straight, as insignificant as it may be here: Octopath Traveler has some of the best music in all of VGM.


For the first time since I started doing this, I've actually played some of the games from which these soundtracks feature. Specifically, I briefly opened Pizza Tower after getting it during a recent sale; I'd already listened through the soundtrack several times, and fully expected it to be included here. I've also been playing Undertale Yellow, though thus far I've not seen past what was in the demo. So I think I can safely say once again that my preferences are based entirely on the merits of the music itself.

Last year I included my favorite featured soundtrack, essentially the discover that stood out the most to me from the year. This year, however, my favorite discoveries were all releases from this year, and as such are already included. Since I'd rather be consistent, though . . .

Bonus Feature (#0):
Jake Kaufman - DuckTales Remastered
This soundtrack has admittedly stuck with me far more than I expected it to given I thought I was somewhat familiar with it already. The melodies are mostly from the original NES game, but Kaufman's arrangements bring out a fuller sound, allowing the pieces to properly present their potential. Additionally, the new compositions hold their own, resulting in an overall superior experience, which is often rather difficult to accomplish in these situations.


I always encourage others to post their own recommendations; I will inevitably miss things, and sometimes I intentionally pass over a significant soundtrack for one reason or another. I'd love to hear about what others are listening to, which is, after all, what this thread is for.

Till next year; shalom!
 
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Only just realized I forgot to post the record for 2023 on Monday, so my apologies for the delay.
Features (in order of initial posting):

Beyond Skyrim: Three Kingdoms – Departure, Stars Be Our Guides

Beyond Skyrim: Morrowind ~ The New North – An Architect of Time

Beyond Skyrim: Elsweyr – A Dance of Tooth and Claw

Beyond Skyrim: Bruma – Of Storms and Half-Light

Journey – Nascence, Fifth Confluence, Threshold, I Was Born for This

Transistor – Heightmap (Hummed), Forecast, Coasting (Hummed), Impossible, Paper Boats

Gris – Gris Pt. 1, Karasu, Environments, Komorebi

The Longing – The King, Underground Palace, Pierced at the Eve of Knives, Deep Deep Beneath the Earth

Dark Souls – Firelink Shrine, Pinwheel, Great Grey Wolf Sif, Ornstein & Smough

Dustforce – It’s Not Supposed to be Snowing, Swimming While it Rains, Elvish Piper Academy, Frozen Hot Sauce

Rabi-Ribi – Azure Snow Land (Orchestral), Rabi Rabi Town (Orchestral), Sky-High Bridge (Orchestral), Sudden Death (Orchestral)

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Hyrule Field, Lost Ancient Ruins, Black Mist, Power of the Deities

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time – Hyrule Field, Windmill Hut, Horse Race, Zora’s Domain, Forest Temple, Gerudo Valley

ULTRAKILL – ORDER

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – The Great Sea, Outset Island, Forest Haven, Ganon’s Tower, Phantom Ganon, Dragon Roost Island

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993) – Overworld, Mysterious Forest, Level 6 - Face Shrine, Ballad of the Wind Fish, Tal Tal Mountains

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX (1998) – Color Dungeon

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) – Ending~Staff Role

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – Hyrule Field, Midna’s Theme, Meeting Ilia, King Bulblin, Twilight, Death Mountain, Ook, Midna’s Lament, Sled Game, Herd Game, Malo Mart

Dungeons of Aether – Arrow of Triumph, Ground Breakers, Aquatic Paradise, Eternal Familiar

Armored Core: Master of Arena – Apex AreA, 9

Armored Core – Insurance Money

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog – Title Theme, The Casino, Lockdown Chase

Hi-Fi Rush – The Beacon, Dev Engine, The Hideout, Heatwave, Through the Halls of History, My Heart Feels No Pain, The Rush

Monster Hunter – Beneath All the Stars in the Sky

Pizza Tower – The Death that I Deservioli, Peppino’s Sauce Machine, Pepperman Strikes!, Extraterrestrial Wahwahs, Wednesdays, Unexpectancy (Part 3), It’s Pizza Time

Okami – Twin Devils Moshirechik and Kotanechik's Extermination, Oki’s Theme, The Sun Rises, Reset ~ Thank You

Monster Hunter X[X]/Generations [Ultimate] – Draped in Valor, The Village of Wind and Meadow ~ Bherna Village, Palico Ranch Theme, Awakening MHG Ver., A Shocking Scoundrel ~ Astalos, The Scorching Blade ~ Glavenus, A Bewitching Dance ~ Mizutsune, Proof of a Hero ~ MHGU Ver., Silver Winged Scarlet Star ~ Valfalk

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – The Road Most Traveled, Caprice, Silt Sunrise, Nerevar Rising

Mega Man II – Title Theme, Flash Man Stage, Quick Man Stage, Dr. Wily Stage 1

Mega Man X – Stage Select, Spark Mandril, Storm Eagle, Boomer Kuwanger, Ending Theme

Mega Man 9 – Maze of Death, Galaxy Fantasy, Concrete Jungle, We’re the Robots, Thunder Tornado

Octopath Traveler II – In Pursuit of Happiness, Main Theme, Main Theme (Night), The Harborlands (Night), Ochette the Hunter, Agnea the Dancer, Normal Battle III, Unshakable Resolve, In Pursuit of Truth/For the Dawn, The Journey for Kingship Ends, Song of Hope

Killer Instinct – Hinnamatoom, Warlord, The Tiger Warrior

DuckTales (NES) – The Amazon, The Himalayas, The Moon, Gyro’s Flying Machine

DuckTales: Remastered – Boss Battle, Scrooge’s Office, Transylvania, I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This, Money Bin, Mount Vesuvius, Title Theme

FTL: Faster Than Light – Mantis (Explore), Deepspace (Battle), Cosmos (Battle), Milky Way (Explore)

The King of Fighters 2000 – Inner Shade, Good Bye ESAKA, Beauty and the Beast, Will, KD-0084, CRYSTAL “Type 9”

Kaiken – Stage 1 Theme

Umineko When They Cry – Miragecoordinator, Resurrected Replayer, Liberated Liberator, The Executioner, Wings, Happiness of Marionette

BLACKSOULS – Snow White Castle

VA-11 HALL-A – Every Day is Night, Gaze that Invited Disaster, Synthstitch, A. Rene

Pokemon Red & Blue – Main Theme, Battle! Vs. Trainer, Route 1, Viridian Forest, Cycling, Battle! Vs. Gym Leader

Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire – Route 104, Surf, Mt. Pyre (Exterior), Battle! Vs. Team Magma/Aqua

Pokemon Black & White – An Unwavering Heart, Driftveil City, Relic Castle, Nimbasa City, Accumula Town, Battle! Vs. Cheren/Bianca, Opelucid City (White), Battle! Elite Four

Deceive Inc. – Get Out (Phase 1), Waiting for Deployment, A Day in the Sun, Operation: Silver Reef

Shovel Knight Dig – Overground (Main Layer), Thermal Vent (Lost Atlantis), Boss - The Packrat, Who Needs Honor (Drill Knight’s Castle)

Sea of Stars – The Mountain Trail (Day), Dance of 1,000 Suns, Serenade of Respite (Day), Songshroom’s Wonders Pirate Version, The Skylands, Encounter Elite!, Title Theme

Tales of Legendia – Short Circuit

Sonic Superstars – Pinball Carnival ~ Act 1, Lagoon City ~ Act Amy, Sand Sanctuary, Final Boss Phase 1

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Overworld, Beach (Elephant), Petal Isles, Factory, Bowser Battle, Piranha Plants on Parade

Infernax – A Good Day to be Alive, Honor and Courage, The Dark Arts, Liquid Town, Knowledge is Power

Stardew Valley – Spring (It’s a Big World Outside), Summer (The Sun Can Bend an Orange Sky), Fall (The Smell of Mushrooms), Winter (The Wind Can be Still)

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk – GET ENUF

Lego Racers – Main Menu, Royal Knights Raceway, Magma Moon Marathon, Knightmare-athon

Alice: Madness Returns – Full OST

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time – Full OST

American Arcadia – Don’t be a Fool

My Friendly Neighborhood – Credits Theme

A Hat in Time – Her Spaceship ~ Corgi Version, Bon Voyage!, Alpine Skyline at Night, Peace and Tranquility, Death Wish

Undertale Yellow – Once Upon a Truthful Time


Technicalities (special cases):

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (Unused Tracks) – Fun Funky Whistle Groove
Pizza Tower – Unexpectancy (Parts 1 & 2)

VanilluxePavilion – Vs. Marnie Remix

String Player Gamer – Mega Man III Title Theme Remix

40Nix – We’re the Robots (Touhou Style Remix)

SilvaGunner – Shop Fusion Collab

The King of Fighters 2000 Arrange Sound Trax – Full Album

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines – Isolated

Deceive Inc.: unofficial music edits – Hard Sell (Phase 1.3 ~ Out of Cover), Silver Reef (Phase 1.1), Diamond Spire (Phase 2 ~ Out of Cover), Extraction Phase (Part 1), Extraction Phase (Part 2)

GaMetal & Friends - The "At Doom's Gate" Jam

Octopath Traveler Arrangements: Break & Boost – Boost: Battle 1

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk – In the Pocket, You Can Say Hi, Scraped on the Way Out

Undertale Yellow – Trailer Theme (Enemy Approaching)
 
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Now, for the first feature of the year:

It took me a while to get to Inscryption; I've had it on the to-do list for a while, but I wanted to give it proper time out of respect for what it is. On the surface, this soundtrack doesn't sound like the sort of music I usually listen to. The secret behind my appreciation has everything to do with the game itself, and as such I hesitate to say too much. Essentially, this is actually two or three soundtracks at once, each composed with a similar idea in mind but each with a different tone unique to itself. Knowing where one begins and another ends would likely have a significant effect on the listening experience, but also necessitates spoiling some of what makes the game (and by extension the soundtrack, to some degree) so special. So while I have selected these tracks in accordance to what I think best represents the strengths and range of its music, for once I'd encourage the avoidance of further investigation without determining whether the game itself is worth your time.




 
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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.


This one is technically a bonus track from the OST:

 
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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?
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.
 
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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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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.







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.
 
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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.









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).
 
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