Final Fantasy VIII: SeeDs of Pandora
Comments from album director Darkflamewolf, co-director Jorrith Schaap (Jorito), and ReMixers
Album freely available at https://ff8.ocremix.org

To talk about SeeDs of Pandora, I feel I should start with Secret of Mana. It was my first RPG that I have ever played and it sparked the flame to play more in this genre. It ultimately led me to playing Final Fantasy VI (III at the time) for the SNES. I was hooked on the RPG genre and I wanted more Final Fantasy. Sadly, Sony had moved on from Nintendo at this point and all the cool new games, VII, VIII, IX, and more, were released on PlayStation systems - systems I was too young to have money for with parents who weren't willing to shell out more for additional consoles. So it would be near a decade before I had a chance to play Final Fantasy again and this time it was on the PC with the PC ports of Final Fantasy VII and VIII (strangely, IX never got one). And of course, my first Final Fantasy played was VIII. Coming back to the series after being gone from it for so long was like coming home and Final Fantasy VIII just seemed to be this perfect welcoming party of a game for me. I loved its characters, its world, and its music - the battle/junction system and card game would grow on me later.

Fast-forward to now and I was given the opportunity to direct a defunct FFVIII OC ReMix album project. It was attempted once, but for reasons, it fell through. I was offered, due to my experience in directing Arcadia Legends and Mizar Attacks!, the chance to direct and revive this album - being the last Final Fantasy of the PlayStation era not to have an OC ReMix album. Directing an album isn't easy, especially one of this magnitude that could easily reach 40 tracks or more. I mean, it took us 3 years to finish Arcadia Legends and that was 36 tracks! Enter Jorito, my co-director and essentially my lifeline throughout this entire process. If it weren't for him, I highly doubt this project would have gotten off the ground, let alone finished in record time. It was his insistence and push to give the entire album a year's timeline to complete all claimed tracks - a decision that paid off well and gave incentive to remixers to strive to complete their claims in record time! Jorito is just as much a director as I was on this project and is truly the star MVP of the album.

Despite having a solid directing team and the backing of OC ReMix to revive this project as an official album straight out of the starting gate, we still needed a solid vision for the project. We could have gone the traditional route and just do a chronological ordering of tracks from the beginning of the game to the end and let remixers decide what theming and genre is best for their claimed tracks - or we could go a more unique route and create special, themed groupings of tracks. Taking inspiration from the Spectrum of Mana album, directed by Nate Horsfall, I divided up FFVIII's soundtrack into three distinct styles:

CALM - Chill and slow remixes that had a cultural bent either via arrangement or unique instrument use that gave visions of a specific culture.
CRAZY - Toe-tapping, floor-thumping, heart-pounding beats and fast, frenetic energy in remix form.
GOOFY - Songs that are remixed in ways you would not expect, for example taking a waltz and making it death metal. Constantly surprise the listener and betray their expectations.

With the vision set, we recruited far and wide for remixers and artists. The unique flavoring of the three discs drew interested creatives to the project and helped nurture fantastic remixes and artwork. It was around this time, as musicians flooded in to claim tracks, that we might have more finished tracks by the end than the planned three discs could handle and thus the further theming of the album began to revolve around the three Gardens in the game: Balamb, Galbadia, and Trabia. However, the need for that fourth disc loomed and the only other option left which made the most sense was the Lunatic Pandora (or the Pandora) disc. With these themes locked in, the artists went to work straight away and created some fantastic pieces that matched the original vision. With the help of Jorito, it was an amazingly smooth experience and we managed to get a complete album finished in just over a year's time with a whopping 69 tracks!

But wait, there's more! In the 11th hour, weeks before we were to submit the album to OC ReMix, ZackParrish, among others, spearheaded a crazy last-minute bonus disc with 11 more tracks (get it, 11th hour?!) to cover any last, remaining songs on the OST the core album couldn't. It was a fun, insane rush to the finish line and with a final tally of 80 tracks in total, we have officially broken the record as of 2023 as being the biggest album ever produced out of OC ReMix! We are kings (and queens)! Kudos to all the talented people who helped make this album a reality! It was a joy working on this and seeing it come together.

Finally, one final note to you, the listener: If you are expecting these remixes to adhere close to their original inspirations or to have faithful adaptations of well-known and beloved tracks, then this album might not be for you. The intent with this album was to embrace the remix aspect of OC ReMix fully and to interpret the original melodies in ways you might not have heard before. Our goal is to provide something new and transformative with these songs. So go in with an open mind and know that this listening experience was carefully crafted to take you on a journey (I should know! I ordered the tracks specifically to flow in a way that felt natural). We hope you enjoy this album and may it always rekindle your fond memories of your time playing Final Fantasy VIII.

From the SeeDs of Pandora team to you: Happy listening!

- Darkflamewolf

I've been hooked on JRPGs and Final Fantasy in particular since discovering SNES emulators back in the late 90s, and that hasn't changed since. The very first console I owned was the original PlayStation (PSX), and the starter game I bought with it was Final Fantasy 7. And of course two years later I also made sure to get myself a copy of Final Fantasy 8. To this day I still distinctly remember the "WTF is going on" near the end of the game and, whatever the story was trying to tell me, it flew right over my head.

Fast-forward about fifteen years, and I got into VGM remixing and became an active member of the OC ReMix community. So when an album project got started to remix the Final Fantasy 8 music, I of course had to join and make a track for it. Unfortunately that album initiative got stranded early on in the process, something that always left me feeling a bit sad. At the time I was just wrapping up the OCR Secret of Mana album and was in need of a break, but I always kept the FF8 album in mind to potentially pick up as a (co-)director later. Given the sheer size of the OST I didn't want to do it alone though. So the idea got shelved for a few years.

That is, until Darkflamewolf randomly brought up the comatose FF8 album on the OC ReMix Discord in August 2021. We started talking about the album, djpretzel pointed out that I had expressed interest in helping out a few years before, and after a few chats we decided to team up and rejuvenate the Final Fantasy 8 album and make sure that the only missing OCR Final Fantasy PSX game album got the tribute it deserved. I did have one specific aim though: I wanted to get it done in about a year, because I know how much work these album projects can be and how hard it can be to keep people motivated long enough to create and deliver their tracks. All set and done, we outlined a rough planning, Darkflamewolf sketched out a compelling vision and tracklist suggestion for each disc and came up with a title, I started recruiting far and wide (apparently being in the VGM community for a while and doing lots of collaborations is a good way to build a network), and we were off to the races.

And boy, what a journey it was! We managed to interest a lot of people from the VGM community, with a good mix of OC ReMix veterans, people from other communities, and newcomers. We created a Discord server for the album to help coordinate things (not a small feat with I think in total some 70+ people), many fun conversations were had there, and the setup overall led to a positive, supportive environment that made the whole experience very enjoyable. And of course I would be amiss if I didn't mention the collaboration with Darkflamewolf; we worked really well together as a directing team, each of us with their own areas of expertise and roles yet always united to get the album done and cheering all the artists that joined us on this journey. All in all it was a very smooth experience, and I think all everyone involved should be very proud of what we've achieved together.

I hope all the fun and joy we had while creating this album for you shines through, and that you, dear listener, enjoy this fresh new take on the music of Final Fantasy 8 as much as we enjoyed making it.

- Jorrith Schaap (Jorito)

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1-01. djpretzel - "The Jellyfish"
Source: "Fisherman's Horizon"

djpretzel: Consider the jellyfish. In Spanish, French, Russian, and other languages: "medusa". Not only is it "not actually a fish," which you may have heard someone insightfully inform, it's ridiculously far off the mark. For example, fish have eyes, and jellyfish don't... but even if they DID, they'd be useless, because they also don't have brains. For reference, even microscopic tardigrades have brains; jellyfish are like... micro life on a macro scale. And they've been around FOREVER - just like horseshoe crabs, they seem to have stumbled on an evolutionary strategy that has some serious long-term viability: stay out of the way, and don't be delicious. Of course, they don't always stay out of the way... but most stings are from dead jellyfish bits, not living creatures. Dead jellyfish tentacles can still sting you years, even decades later. Peeing the pain of such stings away is a myth, and basically does nothing, but I suppose it may have a psychosomatic effect, depending on how your brain processes the novelty of urination upon your person. Since I'm dropping so many jellyfish truths, here, I'd like to take a second to point out that the much-feared Portuguese man o' war is not actually a jellyfish at all, but a siphonophore, and don't let any ne'er-do-wells tell you otherwise. Siphonophores are even weirder than plain old jellyfish, and are "colonial organisms," kinda like the Borg or the British Empire. Long story short, our homo sapiens timeline to date is a drop in the bucket compared to how long these strange, strange creatures have been around, so if you DO get stung, don't complain about it, just brag that you were "touched by an ancient," which doesn't sound weird at all.

This is a narrative lo-fi folk trap that transitions into lo-fi synthwave, and I do mean that. Many thanks to Darkflamewolf & Jorito for directing this FF8 album and giving me a long leash & a lot of time, and of course to all other contributing artists. This is a shorter mix, yes, but it doesn't really repeat itself, and it manages to include all the different arrangement ideas I had for this source in one package: taikos, 808s, erhu, psychedelic transition FX, a harmonic wormhole, Output Portal & Thermal, electric guitar, and more. Whether you find this coherent or not hinges on whether you're coming with me on a bit of a journey. Hopefully, it's conveyed musically to an abstract extent, without any liner notes whatsoever, but I can tell you the story I wrote in my head for it, and it's a sad story, and maybe you will like it. There are lyrics and everything - this was originally going to be a vocal track, but that wasn't right, or I couldn't pull it off in time, or both. I still really dig the idea of writing & releasing lyrics to go with instrumentals, like I did with my Golden Sun mix - they help during production, but they're also fun to think about or even sing internally when listening, at least for me.

So there's this fisherman, see. This was a long time ago, pre-industrial, etc. He left his family inland and traveled for weeks to go fish at the shore for the summer, on a small island off the coast known both for its abundance of fish... and for its danger. Something like that. All the fishermen that fish this spot are loners but still have kind of a shared culture, and there's a song they all sing:

All I want is a place in the sea
Far away from geography
To kill my time, alone, waiting for the tide to
Find my body, and carry me home

It's a little fatalistic, but they really like it. This mix was almost going to be titled "A Place in the Sea," even. So one night, he's bored or lonely and decides to go for a swim. He jumps in the water, and he's swimming along, and he's humming this very song to himself. That's a physically-modeled erhu from Reason's Friktion rack instrument at 0'25"; much better than sampled options I've heard in that you can really get some modulation going and get a phrase that sounds alive. I'm happy with it. So, at 0'47", he notices something odd: a couple lights, about 25-30 feet away, that appear to be under the water. So what the hell, right? He swims out a bit to investigate.

As he gets closer, 5-10 feet away, he can see underwater that the lights are... moving! He keeps coming up for breaths & then going back under to study these bizarre, undulating creatures that are somehow giving off light. As he does, he starts noticing a (much) larger light coming up from below. Then, even from above the water while taking a breath, he can see the larger light becoming brighter, and as soon as he goes back down, he can see an entire bloom of bioluminescent jellyfish. He's seen jellyfish before, sure, but never ones that glowed, and he simply doesn't know what the heck he's looking at, and is overwhelmed. Remember, it's a long time ago and stuff, and none of the other fishermen have seen this species before, either. And they don't know that jellyfish don't have brains, or what a brain even is. Yeah, that long ago. 

So this is where things take a dark turn - it's a sad story, not a nature documentary - and essentially this guy gets tangled up in these things, surrounded by them, and suffers enough stings that his body goes into shock and he can't swim or even stay afloat. How likely is this to have actually happened to someone, in similar circumstances, at some point in history? No idea, probably not very, keep going. He's able to struggle a little, but ultimately to him it seems these creatures are malicious, and want him dead, and are going to get their way. He gasps for air, but only water fills his lungs, and panic enters his mind. He imagines their collective song, sung to him - hair band electric guitar enters in a wicked, minor key take on the rest of the melodic phrase at 1'40":

We'll send you down to rot
At the bottom of the sea
You're meat

In his mind, these things are not very nice, and he curses them. He realizes he is going to die. He's sunk beneath the bloom and can only see the light from above now. He is far enough gone to perceive it more like a halo or celestial body, and in his final moments he thinks back to his family, and his children who will grow up without him, and he makes a sort of impossible peace with that. We are now firmly in Melodic Melodrama Mode:

Never got to tell you, all that I had to say
Never had the chance to teach you,
Always planned for other days
I know that love will guide you, but if there could be a way
My last words could somehow reach you
It's the only thing I'd pray:
I love you

And that's that.

Darkflamewolf: 
Why it is my favorite on the album: djpretzel has always been a favorite remixer of mine and his leanings toward funk in a majority of his works tends to lend itself well to this track. The cultural erhu instrument blends seamlessly into the electronica beats that follow soon after, already guiding the listener onto a journey that'll take them to the far reaches of time and back. The sheer fact it tries to cram so much variety into a single track is what makes this my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The Balamb Garden disc was a difficult one to put together and being the first disc of a huge album, the pressure was on to find a track that could encapsulate so much that the entire four discs promise. I felt djp's rendition of Fisherman's Horizon was best suited to opening up this audio journey because of it encompassing a wide variety of styles and themes. It took the cultural aspect with a unique instrument in the beginning, remixed the song in a new and unusual way like the Trabia disc demands, and even got some smooth beats that could have gone on either Galbadia or Pandora discs. It gave everything possible about this album to you in a succinct and bite-size package that it made it the perfect track to start everything off on.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Where the song starts off as one thing, subverts itself, and then becomes something else entirely is what I feel sets this one apart.

Jorito: djpretzel is one of those artists who signed up for the initial attempt of the album project, and I was happy to see him join the reboot too. While the initial WIP showed potential, it took a few iterations to get the current concept and soundscape out. And what an interesting and diverse soundscape it is! With its first more ethnic-inspired section with that very expressive synthetic erhu, to the synth laden bridge that flows into a more synthwave-oriented section including stylistically appropriate 80s synth guitar, it tells an evolving story that will keep you on your toes. Parts around the 1-minute mark and the last minute definitely remind me of Vangelis's work, so bonus points for that. It's also definitely one of the freshest takes on "Fisherman's Horizon" that I heard. A great way to start our album journey for sure!

1-02. Clément Panchout feat. Facemelting Solos, Gamer of the Winds, SableProvidence - "Aroma of Sugary Warmth"
Source: "Balamb Garden"

Clément Panchout: arrangement, production, mixing
Facemelting Solos: oud
Gamer of the Winds: soprano sax
SableProvidence: dizi

Clément Panchout: "Aroma of Sugary Warmth" is a tribute to the sounds of the Middle East, mixed with electronic sounds, more and more present in a second movement to create an ambient soundscape that - I hope - will make you travel.

Facemelting Solos: Oud is a fairly new instrument for me, so it took a few takes, haha!

Darkflamewolf: 
Why it is my favorite on the album: A familiar tune to any who have played Final Fantasy VIII. There have been multiple remixes of it in the past, but none, I feel, that have taken it to the lengths Clément did with the cultural additions of the oud and dizi. It gives a unique flair to the track that it wouldn't otherwise have had and this new, refreshing sound revitalizes what would otherwise be a standard track and makes this my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Coming hot off "The Jellyfish" from the opening number, I needed to ground the listener into a familiar landscape, especially those who have played the game. Balamb Garden is the first place you explore right after the opening and it should be the first thing you encounter in the disc after track 1. The fact it flowed so smoothly after the end of the previous track just made it all the sweeter.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The oud and dizi definitely makes this track stand out. It's a new look at the track, and quite possibly the Garden if taken within the context of the game world itself. A lovely second track on the album.

Jorito: I have worked with Clément before on OCR's Terranigma album, and I was glad to have him join on this album too. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Clément definitely took the cultural element up a notch or two with this track. Having Middle Eastern elements in this track definitely blows some new life into the source track, with a great balance between familiarity and original writing. Especially the section at around the 1-minute mark adds some extra flair to the source track. The live instruments and the dreamy last section really make this one smooth, enjoyable listening experience to ease us further into the world of FF8.

1-03. Chris Kohler feat. Chromatic Apparatus, GuitarSVD - "Moonlit Night on a Calm Lake"
Source: "Waltz for the Moon"

Chris Kohler: arrangement, production, mixing
Chromatic Apparatus: cello
GuitarSVD: erhu

Chris Kohler: Originally, "Waltz for the Moon" is a very fun and goofy song. But nevertheless, I set out to make this fast Viennese-style waltz into a calm tune which features lots of Asian instruments. Here, I naively thought: Well, you can make any melody sound calm and sad, right? Turns out it was not as easy as I imagined it to be, and I struggled quite a bit throughout the arrangement process. :)
Still, I'm very happy with the result and, thanks to my awesome collaborators, we have super-emotional and atmospheric erhu & cello lines at the core of this track.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The intense chill nature of this track combined with the strings provided such an internal sense of calm that I feel at peace when listening, like I'm sitting back and enjoying the SeeD graduation ball in the garden terrace and that makes this my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Three tracks in and we take it down yet another notch, going even more chill and calm with the vibe of the first disc. We take the cultural additions of the previous two songs and go harder with it on this one, doubling down on the aural atmosphere. It felt like the right choice to make and a natural progression of the vibe set already, further cementing the intent of this first, CALM, disc.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The mix of erhu and cello provided for me a deep sense of peace and gave the more light-hearted source tune of "Waltz for the Moon" some deeper gravitas and emotional depth. I feel fans of the game will appreciate this unique take on the track.

Jorito: "Waltz for the Moon" is one of the more memorable scenes of the early parts of the game, with the whole setup towards it and the FMV that highlights the scene, which, back in the day, was rather spectacular when I saw it for the first time. Of course, our intended placement of this track on a disc with cultural flair as a requirement made it a bit of a challenge, but I think Chris did a great job mixing the various ethnic instruments and orchestra together into a well-paced and developing arrangement that tells a story. It's quite a departure from the source track too, with its chill, stately pace, and, while listeners might initially struggle a bit to link it to the source track, I'm sure they'll appreciate this new perspective on the source material just as much as I do.

1-04. Bluelighter feat. Anna Hanabi, Ian Martyn, SableProvidence, GuitarSVD, dpMusicman, Khoo Sze Ning - "Where Is My Fault?"
Source: "Tell Me"

Bluelighter: arrangement, production, mixing
Anna Hanabi: vocals
SableProvidence: dizi, bass dizi, xiao
Khoo Sze Ning: guzheng
GuitarSVD: erhu
Ian Martyn: bass, mandolin
dpMusicman: djembe, triangle, shakers

Bluelighter: This arrangement is based on "Tell Me", a theme based on the character Quistis in the game. In the scene, she realized her difficulty to communicate with Squall, her taciturn student. Hence the title, "Where Is My Fault?" 

Some instrument players offered to collaborate for this album project. For me, it was a great opportunity to work in a different style, to use some acoustic instruments that I'm not used to. After discussion with Jorito and DFW, I oriented my arrangement to an Asian style. I first wanted to use harp, but they convinced me to replace it with guzheng to give a more Asian feel.
 
I enriched my knowledge on these different instruments. Notably, some Asian instruments which I didn't know the sonority or the playing. I was a little worried about guzheng, written firstly for harp, and whose playing is different. I was not sure of its possibilities, but Khoo played it very well!

SableProvidence guided me about flutes and their tessitura. He explained to me that the 2nd voice at the ending was too low for a standard flute, hence the bass dizi. He also helped me to find some contacts, so I could collaborate with dpMusicman for percussion and Khoo for guzheng.

I asked my sister to sing on this piece. She has not yet collaborated on an album project and I knew her voice would well match with what I wanted for this arrangement.

I'm grateful to all instrument players who have collaborated with me. It was a great experience to work with all them! I thank also Jorito and DFW for their advice, on the arrangement and on the mixing.

About the inspiration, I built this arrangement bit by bit. At the beginning, I only wanted an acoustic piece with a female voice with some long notes, representing the character Quistis. I added a pad and a high synth to give more consistency.

At the third part (cf. breakdown), I felt it should be the culminant point for this mix. I added drum, bass... To reinforce the rhythm, I wanted an instrument like guitar, but lighter. Ian, who was also part of the album project, played mandolin as well as bass; he suggested it would be a good option. After this part, I was blocked a moment to continue. I decided in the fourth section to keep a marked rhythm and to start a new harmony. I realized this harmony could be well married with the main melody. It was also a good way to give more importance to the vocals. The dizi takes over the vocal at part five and plays a new melody based on the same harmony. I concluded this arrangement (pt 6 and 7) with a part in the same mood as the beginning.

Breakdown:

Original: 
- 0'00 Melodic Line 1
- 0'25 ML2
- 0'50 ML3

Arrangement:
1. 0'00 ML1
2. 0'51 ML2
3. 1'20 ML3
4. 2'10 ML2
5. 2'45 free
6. 3'15 ML3
7. 3'40 ML1

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I'm a sucker for Asian-flavored mixes and this just took a lovely, if not bittersweet, theme from the game and gave it a bit more of a hopeful outlook, that perhaps Quistis isn't the failure she thinks she is. The vocals only add to this sense of expecting the worst, but hoping for the best, and all these factors combined to make this my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Now that we were all sufficiently mellowed out from the last two tracks, it was time to up the tempo while still staying in that chill groove we'd already established. This track felt like the perfect segue way into the next few songs and except for "The Jellyfish", all songs so far have been happening in and around Balamb Garden, making a nice perfect thematic link between each of them.
What I feel makes it stand apart: A lovely mix of Balamb Garden's theme with Quistis' theme set against a backdrop of vocals and Asian originating instruments to keep in line with the aural vein we had been following for a few tracks now on disc 1. The upbeat melody combined with everything stated above help to transition us into a new stage of the first disc.

Jorito: Bluelighter was one of the album artists that rapidly finished their initial claims (granted, the first one was from the initial album attempt). So he was in a good flow when he inquired if he could do a remix of "Tell Me". Since this track always was intended to go on this disc, with tracks with a distinct cultural flair, we had to nudge him a bit to embrace a slightly different version from what he originally intended. I suggested to him to take this opportunity to use Chinese ethnic instruments, since we had a bunch of performers with these instruments. I'm happy he took that suggestion and ran with it, recruiting a troupe of performers, and embedding him in this soothing blend of Chinese and more European influences. It just works, especially with those soothing vocals as a cherry on top. Just lovely.

1-05. Deedubs - "Garden's Destiny"
Source: "The Oath"

Deedubs: When it came to finding a style of music that would fit a calm yet cultural feel, I decided to go with bossa nova, a style I'm at least somewhat familiar with. With my flugelhorn in hand once again, my goal with this particular endeavor was to express a more somber tone as opposed to just solely a "relaxing" vibe that bossa nova tends to get lumped into. It seemed fitting considering the original source tune, "The Oath", occurs during a more serious moment in the game, in the midst of a fierce battle between the Gardens of Balamb and Galbadia. The title of "Garden's Destiny" was taken from Squall's speech during that moment.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Deedubs took a track that was... for all intents and purposes, a rather unremarkable track. I honestly didn't remember it much until listening to this track forced me to go back and listen to the source. This is a case where changing it to bossa nova actually did the song a favor. It completely changed the dynamic and made it something fascinating to listen to and a track that is more than remarkable, which makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The strident horn at the beginning does and should jar listeners from the vibe they've been getting so far. This song is played during a decisive moment between Balamb Garden and Galbadia's. It should prepare listeners to move away from the Garden of familiarity that we've been with the past 15 or so minutes and look ahead to the stormy waters looming of disc 2 onwards. We are still thematically lingering around Balamb Garden so far, but that will soon change.
What I feel makes it stand apart: I don't think we have any other bossa nova-flavored tracks on this album, this alone makes it stand apart. Deedubs did say it was more somber than relaxing, but I feel it's a mix of both. A hopeful look at the troubled times ahead for Balamb Garden and its SeeD.

Jorito: When Deedubs pitched his idea for "The Oath", I was immediately on board. I'm not sure why, but this track gives me serious "Love Boat" vibes somehow. To me, the track is both a bit sad, yet cheerful and also quite jazzy in some sections. The combination of the brass lead and solos with those soaring strings work well, and you just gotta love how the arrangement keeps moving forward. Definitely an interesting take on the more serious, stately, and vaguely ominous source track. Give it a whirl, let yourself ease into it and relax!

1-06. Cyril the Wolf feat. Jordi Storm - "I Belong"
Source: "Where I Belong"

Cyril the Wolf: arrangement, lyrics, guitar, production, mixing
Jordi Storm: vocals, tin whistle, Irish flute

Cyril the Wolf: I like to make lyrical summations of the plots of games when I have the idea to do so. Realistically, it's imposing an emotional context upon a character that may be lost in a larger plot and this was my attempt at it. Squall never wanted to play the leader but was thrust into the role. In the scene where this song plays, the whole cast is reminiscing about memories that they had lost and then it really throws a wrench into the whole thought process behind the character motivation.

Essentially - the plot answers the questions posed by the lyrics and I feel like the title wraps it up nicely.

Doing things with just a few instruments and vocals is hard, which is why I'm super pleased that Jordi stepped up to give me some of his vocal talents. Anyone who knows my work knows I can sing myself, but his lilt really fit the vibe way better than my own approach, so I was happy to have him, and the tin whistle and Irish flute really gave it the folk-ish vibe I was looking for. 

Guitar was recorded with a double mic technique which was pretty tough, but, overall, getting the chords right to get pretty close to the original piano-driven piece was worth it.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've always loved small, minimalist pieces where it's just a guitar, maybe some instrumental accompaniment, and vocals. It feels close, intimate, and personal, where it feels like it's nothing but you and the singer in the room, pouring out their feelings, and that's why this is my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: As we head out into the wide world away from Garden, we wonder where our place is in this world as a SeeD member. The tin whistle and Irish flute give us a nice foreshadowing of the instruments being used in "Blue Fields" later on in this disc. This felt like a good "we're-on-our-way" starting journey song. It also had some nice folk vibes, that, although muted due to the style of track, gave us a nice flow into an upcoming track after the next one!
What I feel makes it stand apart: The vocals alone make this track shine. Overall, it is predominantly minimalist, but the soft vocals and the emotion pumped into this short song sell this feeling of belonging, and as our first vocal track of the album, it makes quite the impression.

Jorito: Cyril already staked his claim for "Where I Belong" in the initial album run, and he essentially just needed an excuse to finish it. Arrangement, guitars, lyrics, all of that was in place already. Originally, he reached out to us to help find a vocalist that would be able to sing in this style and range, so I was happy I could introduce him to Jordi. We also nudged him to include more cultural elements to the track, as per disc theme, and when I mentioned that Jordi is also a great folk instrumentalist, the next step to add some Irish woodwinds to it was a mere formality. Gotta love it when a plan comes together! It's definitely one of the more sparse tracks on the album, but it breathes a serene and folksy vibe. Together with the rather unique vocal style -to my ears at least- this makes it stand out on the album and gives it just that extra bit of variety. 

1-07. Carlos Piano feat. Marcel Balciunas, Éder Grangeiro - "Roses, Wine, and Gentle Smiles"
Source: "Roses and Wine"

Carlos Piano: arrangement, piano, synths, production, mixing
Marcel Balciunas: marimba, xylophone
Éder Grangeiro: violin

Carlos Piano: The original track is very charming with its curious instrumentation and heartfelt melody. That's Nobuo for you!

It was tricky to make an interesting arrangement - if I leaned too much into the source material, it would get boring; on the other hand, getting too inventive risked deviating from the original vision. I tried to solve that by immersing the song with a new lighthearted swing feel, combining real instruments with synth, and adding dense, short improvisations.

I would like to imagine Laguna and Julia dancing slowly to this rendition, exchanging sweet glances all throughout.

Props to the producers for great ideas and such dedicated help!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The marimba. I don't know why, but it's like a form of cowbell to me and this song needed more of it! Adding a marimba in just the right place could take an already excellent track and make it awesome! It seems like just a small, simple detail or sound, but it just tickles my fancy something fierce. The marimba being a focal point of the track just seals the deal and makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was originally supposed to go after Gaofar since it followed the rough story theme we were following so far given that right after you reach Balamb and get on the train, you get your first dream sequence with Laguna where he meets Julia, but it didn't seem to flow well after that track and it felt better between here right after I Belong.
What I feel makes it stand apart: A simple melody made greater by a flurry of complimentary instruments and an uplifting tone that elevates it beyond its simple beginnings. A small microcosm of love between two people encapsulated into a single song.

Jorito: For the album, we recruited far, we recruited wide, and out of that recruitment came Carlos. As a newer remixer, he wasn't very familiar with what OC ReMix is looking for in a track, nor with the whole process around an album, but he picked things up quickly. We had to nudge Carlos a bit to add some more own interpretation to it than just the swing, and as a result the second half adds a few tasty playful solos between the live instruments to spice things up. A neat take on the source material that retains the soothing and intimate vibe of the original but adds a more playful and upbeat, even hopeful, mood to it.

1-08. Ian Martyn - "Gaofar"
Source: "Breezy"

Ian Martyn: Breezy has always been one of my favorite tracks from the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack, so I decided to cover it acoustically like I have often done before. I'm actually surprised that it worked as well as it did as a jig, and I'm glad that I got to show off the power of the original melody on the Irish bouzouki in the middle. I played Irish bouzouki, DADGAD guitar, Irish whistle, and concertina.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Taking a calm, serene track that varies little and giving it the Irish jig treatment was just the kick in the OST that this song needed. It really feels like you're there at a festival they are holding at the seashore and that's why this is my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The last beat of "Roses, Wine, and Gentle Smiles" felt like a nice tonal transition to the more active and upbeat intro of this song. We are now in Balamb, the town, just at the western edge of our small island nation where our Garden rests. We are ready to set out on our first mission in the big, wide world and the future looks bright. This is our transition point from home and into darker pastures as it ends on an uncertain note.
What I feel makes it stand apart: A classic three act structure where you get a nice glimpse of the final vibe and feel that we'll end out on before diving into the calm nature of the source material itself. Once played out for all its worth, we dive back into the festival atmosphere and end on one last, final dance with that charming lad or lass you've had your eye on the entire day. Lovely atmosphere and a great end to the Balamb section of our CALM disc.

Jorito: Ian was also new to OC ReMix and originally struggled a bit with what we were looking for on the album. His first attempt was essentially a direct cover of the original track, recorded live in a great performance, but didn't add much interpretation to it. When we brainstormed ideas with Ian on how to add some original elements to it, he came up with the idea of an Irish jig. That sounded intriguing, and, with a few iterations to flesh out the arrangement, that's exactly what happened; we get introduced into (the buildup) of an Irish jig, with the calm cover in the middle, and end with the fully fleshed out jig. The Irish jig concept and the fact that Ian played and recorded all the instruments himself make it a great original take on "Breezy".

1-09. RebeccaETripp feat. Gamer of the Winds, Ian Martyn - "The Annals of Truth"
Source: "Junction"

RebeccaETripp: arrangement, vocals, production, mixing
Gamer of the Winds: alto flute
Ian Martyn: guitar

RebeccaETrip: In this track, I wanted to invoke the themes of mystery, memory, and layers of consciousness. It's a theme surrounding the use of sorcery and summons, by which the party receives physical and spiritual augmentation, but with an unfortunate side effect of partial amnesia. It's also a theme for shared consciousness, between past and present, and from person to person. Naturally, I wanted to convey a creepy, yet strangely alluring sense of liminal consciousness!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I'm all for mystical-sounding pieces and ones that take their time to fully flesh out their ideas and take you gently by the hand as they lead you through the parting mists of their arrangement and structure, and that makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Traveling away from the place of your youth and accepting your first mission from SeeD - that comes with an air of trepidation, mystery, and uncertainty. This felt like a nice song to follow a more light-hearted one. Nothing too depressing or somber, but more like an uncanny transition of sorts into the unknown.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It takes another unremarkable song that only plays as mere background to some scenes and/or side sections off the beaten path in the game and gives it its due while elevating it into something appealing and enjoyable.

Jorito: When Rebecca joined the album and picked her claim, she stated "I love making long arrangements of sparse loops like that, so I'll take 'Junction'". And that's exactly what she did. In classic Rebecca fashion, we have a dreamy arrangement with a lovely ambiance in a warm bed of sound. A lofty interpretation of a rather unspectacular source track that evokes a deep sense of mystery and wonder and takes you on a journey, what's not to like? 

1-10. Sorven feat. GuitarSVD, Chromatic Apparatus, optimizasean, Daphne F., SableProvidence, William Sandberg, Travis Kindred - "Find Your Way to the East"
Source: "Force Your Way"

Sorven: arrangement, production, mixing
GuitarSVD: erhu
Chromatic Apparatus: cello
optimizasean: violin
Daphne F.: viola
SableProvidence: bass dizi
William Sandberg: violin
Travid Kindred: double bass

Sorven: Many beloved video games in the world are created in Japan, yet the traditional musicality is often lost in several of these games due to stylistic choices or creative limitations. "Find Your Way to the East" is an appreciation of this convention towards Japanese music (with nods to Chinese instrumentation). It also utilizes Western strings, as if someone from the United States has arrived in Japan and is taking in all the sights it has to offer. From West to East, I hope you enjoy the journey.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: What begins as a slow track turns into a back and forth between two cultural influences that ultimately leads into what feels like both backing off realizing the merit of the other. A track that can be interpreted in many different ways based on who is listening to it and the experiences they bring to the table as they let the song wash over them, and that's why it is my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The opening notes of the dizi arrive in stark contrast as we take that uncertainty hinted at from The Annals of Truth and we delve deeper into uncharted territories like the Tomb of the Unknown King and beyond. Piggybacking onto that theme of the unknown and pushing it to the extreme with the journey into the far reaches of the world where our SeeD mercenaries will be traveling. It felt a natural progression to me and so it found its home here just past the halfway mark.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The mix of Western and Eastern influences really paints a picture of warring influences vying for power in a track all about exploration and seeing who can delve the deepest in a tomb of a lost king. Each side not sure how far they should go or how deep they should dig, lest they release something awful onto the world. This contrast really sets the track apart from others of its like.

Jorito: Kyle was one of those artists who really leaned into all the performers that were available on the album, and, given that we had a lot of Chinese instrumentalists, it meant giving the track a nice ethnic cultural flair, yet marry it with Western influences. While his initial take on the source track was a more traditional orchestral affair and a fairly straightforward arrangement, adding the live instruments, fleshing out the arrangement, and fully exploring (finding his way...) the source really fleshed the track out and brought it home. The merge of the Eastern and Western world is tastefully done, the track tells an interesting story, and I think it makes it a rather unique and enjoyable take on the source.

1-11. Hemophiliac - "Take My Squall Away"
Source: "Love Grows"

Hemophiliac: It's all Jorito's fault.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I grew up in the 80s and this classic vibe from cheesy romantic love songs from that time period were my jam when growing up, and this rendition of the familiar "Eyes on Me" song makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: With the last lingering blow of the dizi from the previous track, it felt a good time to gently find our way into the first full rendition of the love theme "Eyes on Me" from Final Fantasy VIII. With one full rendition found per disc, this felt like a good spot to put it and it definitely changed the feel and tone of the listening experience after two tracks heading in the opposite direction. We are now brought back to happier times and places with this song.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The 80s vibe. Definitely. Not much else to say here. It was a refreshing take on a track that would have otherwise been just another repeat of the primary love theme but without vocals. Bravo!

Jorito: I had been pestering Hemo for a few months already to join the album project, but he never really found a track that he clicked with. Then suddenly, quite late in the project, he showed up with a mockup of one of the "Eyes on Me" variants with very strong influences of Berlin's "Take My Breath Away". Since I'm a sucker for synthpop, of course we just *had* to make sure this idea got fleshed out and finished. Funny how inspiration from an unrelated 5-note riff can result in a full track sometimes. The relaxed, thoughtful, and introspective vibe and instrumentation with tasteful synth leads, FM bells, and 80s drums make this track stand out from the other "Eyes on Me" variants on the album that tend to be more upbeat and high energy. Dig it.

1-12. ZackParrish - "Tears in Rain"
Source: "Silence and Motion"

ZackParrish: In a bid to try and get one of my favorite tracks on the album, I decided with the 2 hours I had on the final day for final submission to crank out one more track. With the futuristic city vibe in mind, I opted for the iconic style of Vangelis, particularly his theme for the scene "Tears in Rain" from Blade Runner. That's basically it. Named the track after that theme in honor of the man himself who departed earlier this year (2022 at the time of writing). He'll live on through his music for ages, I'm sure.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Done in only two hours and references some fantastic music from Blade Runner? Sign me the Squall up! It's transformative and evocative of something bigger and greater than oneself, of a city so big, vast, and magical that you can't possibly comprehend its nature. That's what makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Haunting synths and melodies bringing us back down from the lovestruck 80s we just experienced. It takes those vibes and dials it back to prepare us for the next track, which I had a hard time placing. In fact, it wasn't until this track was created that I finally got the entirety of disc 1 locked down in track order. It truly was the missing link.
What I feel makes it stand apart: There is nothing else like it on the album. It reminds me of tracks that zykO would do where he'd take a minimalist track from the OST and flesh it out into a soundscape. Not exactly a full melody, per se, but a journey that you would take through the environment that the song plays during - a city so technologically advanced that it seems like something straight out of a dream.

Jorito: Talk about last-minute entries! Zack already delivered a bunch of great tracks for the album, yet he wouldn't give up until the deadline had fully passed and managed to sneak in an extra track. The inspiration from Vangelis in this take on "Silence and Motion" is very clear, and it evokes a very gritty Blade Runner-esque vibe, with its minor key, moody pads, the melancholic synth lead in the second half, and, overall, its very atmospheric soundscape. For a two-hour last-minute effort, this is pretty amazing actually.

1-13. Bluelighter - "The Infested Arena"
Sources: "Fear", "Unrest"

Bluelighter: Here is a piano arrangement of "Fear" and "Unrest". These tracks marry well together IMO, by their melody or by their sinister atmosphere. This arrangement sounds a little jazzy with disturbing dissonances, notably at the 2nd play of "Fear" at 1:53 where I've taken some liberties on harmony. Soft parts (notably intro and outro) also contribute to the worrying atmosphere that I wanted in the arrangement. Enjoy!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes two themes that you wouldn't normally think go together and it harmonizes them in a flowing, smooth piano arrangement that is seamless in its transition between the two themes, and that's why it is my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Needing something more focused and melodic than the meandering, yet phenomenal "Tears in Rain", this piece was slotted in right after. For almost the entirety of my ordering process, I had no idea where to put this track. It was a hard piano opening and I couldn't figure out a good track for it to follow until ZackParrish created his "Tears in Rain". That finally made the entire order click and "Infested Arena" finally found its place.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Being our purely solo piano piece for the entire album, it stands apart in terms of unique tone and feel.

Jorito: Quite soon after we restarted the album project, Bluelighter treated us on a solo, atmospheric piano version of "Fear" mixed with parts of "Unrest". With the bounce and jazzy influences, it starts out as a playful take of the source, but treads into darker territories after some key changes, bringing the feelings of unrest and fear from the titular tracks. Moreso than the source tracks, I might add. As the only solo piano piece on the album, it definitely stands out!

1-14. ZackParrish feat. Ian Martyn, KestrelGirl, E. Jesús Chic Acevedo - "Longing for the Horizon"
Source: "Blue Fields"

ZackParrish: arrangement, guitars, production, mixing
Ian Martyn: Irish whistle, Irish bouzouki
KestrelGirl: violin
E. Jesús Chic Acevedo: Irish flute

ZackParrish: Track includes performances by Ian Martyn, KestrelGirl, and Jesús Chic Acevedo. This is my first experience working with Ian and KestrelGirl, and the second time I've worked with Jesús. Those familiar with my arrangements might recall his name from playing the Irish whistle on my arrangement of Terra's theme from FFVI. The man's still got it... though this time he contributed the Irish flute instead, with Ian playing Irish whistle & bouzouki, and KestrelGirl laying it down on violin.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes an iconic overworld theme that is lovely on its own in its original form on the OST, but the cultural Irish elements only seem to enhance this track and give it almost a dreamy and ethereal quality which is evocative of exploring a greater world and cements it as my favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The last few tracks have moved away from the cultural leaning we've been establishing so far with this disc, but now that we're back in familiar territory of the "overworld" theme, so too does that element return with the Irish instruments. Coming off the last vestiges of piano, the whistles were a perfect transition into the open air melodies and themes of the Blue Fields. It could have been placed earlier in the disc, but I felt it was a needed respite from the "Fear" and "Unrest" we went through.

Jorito: Zack has a very cinematic style of composing, and the Irish, Celtic-inspired whistles and the strings this track opens with prove it. And I definitely don't mind, I dig cinematic takes. While the first half is a pretty straightforward cover of the original, in the second half the track really becomes its own thing when the drums kick in. The live instruments add a lot of life to the track; the woodwinds especially stand out to me. And, of course, one has to appreciate all the funny filenames Zack used during the WIP creation process, a thing that was good for a few laughs and normally not something you notice unless you're an album director. A great take on the overworld theme!

1-15. Jorito feat. JoyDreamer, Chris | Amaterasu - "Moments"
Source: "Fragments of Memories"

Jorito: arrangement, lyrics, guitar, accordion, production, mixing
JoyDreamer: lyrics, vocals
Chris | Amaterasu: cello, viola, violin

Jorito: This track was originally done for the Final Fantasy 8 album initiative that sadly got canceled. I already had the main arrangement finished pretty quickly, and it was too good not to finish it.

For my track I picked "Fragments of Memories", a music box-like piece that plays in the Laguna Loire flashback sequences. I really like to do slower, sad, reminiscent songs with feelz every now and then, and this was an excellent source for it. I started out with transposing it to minor key, with just piano and viola for extra sadness, but halfway changed my mind and figured it would be really interesting to switch it back to major key and make it more optimistic rather than sad.

Early on, I also settled on the idea of making it a vocal track again to give it an extra dimension. It was a joy to work with Joy on my remix of Suikoden 2, and I just knew she had the perfect voice for this track. Not only did she deliver a great performance, she also was a great help with the lyrics, which we co-wrote, and delivered some sweet harmonies to boot. 

For lyrical concept, I thought it would be very interesting to tell the story from Ellone's perspective, reminiscing about the moments in her life. If you don't know, Ellone is an important character in the game, and in the first flashback she (as a small, adorable child) and Laguna bond and eventually Laguna marries with Raine, Ellone's foster mother.

I ended up using more and more live instruments as I progressed on this musical journey. For this particular track, I was able to record the accordion and guitar parts myself, as well as some backing vocals. I originally reached out to Chris to perform the lead viola part because I was struggling (and lazy) to make the sampled part sound good. Chris was good enough to point out that he also plays violin and cello and hence would be able to record the entire string section. It gave the track a more intimate chamber orchestra feeling with a drier sound, which I think works really well.

All in all, really happy with how this turned out. Hope it hits you just as much in teh feelz as it did me. :)

JoyDreamer: It was very interesting writing the lyrics for "Moments". I was happy that Jorrith already had a raw set for me to work with, so I kinda knew where he wanted to go with it, but I did have to jump back into the story of FF8 to understand what we truly were writing about. It was nice and somehow I got a deeper understanding of Laguna's story - which was interesting writing from Ellone's point of view. I had to focus on her feelings and her thoughts of everything that happened around her, but it made it easier for me to sing, being somewhat able to understand her struggles.

Darkflamewolf: 
Why it is my favorite on the album: For a game song remix, added vocals is an easy way for me to love it to pieces. Combine it with the lovely voice of JoyDreamer and lyrics that make my heart soar is one surefire way of claiming it as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The last few tracks have been mostly atmospheric or ones that thematically focused on the exploration of the world or its darker corners. Now we bring it back to the focus and soul of the game: the romance of star-crossed lovers that never got to be and the little girl who wanted nothing more than for them to get together and be her parents. It felt like a wonderful start to the next series of songs that would finally round out our experience through the calmer songs of the soundtrack for Final Fantasy VIII.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The shift from minor to major key alongside being one of the rare tracks on the album with actual lyrics make this a standout addition to the first disc and definitely a memorable one!

1-16. feraldreams. feat. Juan Medrano - "Your Smile"
Source: "Julia"

feraldreams.: arrangement, production, mixing
Juan Medrano: guitar

feraldreams.: This track turned out to be very melancholic, sounding distant and dreamy. The main focus is the intertwined relationship of the muted piano which mostly follows the main theme of the track, and Juan's electric guitar adding to the theme and giving it new and original ideas.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It is remixed by one of my dear, real-life friends, feraldreams, and it involves a fantastic guitarist to boot. What's not to love? My favorite, definitely!
Why I placed it in the order I did: Following hot off the feels of the previous mix, I wanted to transition into a more chill, yet still positive mix that kept the same vibes going from the last song while adding something different to the listening experience. This track fit the bill.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It has an ethereal quality with all that lingering reverb and dreamy guitars layered on top of it all. It almost feels like music you'd kick on at bedtime on repeat loop and fall asleep to it. It's just that dreamy.

Jorito: feraldreams.' lo-fi take on "Julia" creates a very lush and ambient soundscape. The dreamy, shimmering pads and clean guitar contrast nicely with the slightly distorted, processed piano and the interplay between the guitar solos and the piano are great; they hold the interest and also keep the track moving and exploring new territory. feraldreams. mentioned in passing something like "Hey, if there are some guys that would want to record some lines with an electric guitar over it, I'm all game". And since, as album directors, we really encouraged collaborations, I was glad we were able to connect feraldreams. and Juan together for this track. Also great to hear a different side of Juan's guitar playing. This more ambient style works very well in this track and shows off Juan's versatility well.

1-17. GuitarSVD feat. James Perretta - "Friends Under Different Stars"
Source: "Ami"

GuitarSVD: arrangement, guitar, production, mixing
James Perretta: viola da gamba

GuitarSVD: The original name "Ami" means "friend" in French and it is played when Selphie's party resurfaces after a mission in the game. Since all SeeD are orphans and have different unknown backgrounds, I think of "Friends Under Different Stars" as a title. The title also reflects the fact that James and I live on different continents (James in Europe while I'm in North America), and he plays a 17th-century gamba while I play a modern guitar. So we live under different stars and are somehow linked by the love of Final Fantasy music.

The intention of the arrangement was to maintain the heartwarming and peaceful vibe of the original OST, but added elements of friendship. Therefore, I have guitar and gamba to support each other while maintaining their own identity, working together sometimes but also competing with each other occasionally. A new introduction, counterpoints, solos, etc. were also added to express the idea.

Darkflamewolf: 
Why it is my favorite on the album: The back and forth of the guitar and gamba. It's a lovely mix that sells its mood and feeling, and definitely warrants a place as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Coming to the end of the disc, it's time to start winding down and getting to a place of zen and calm. I know what the next disc entails and it's going to be a wild and crazy ride, and here was one last song where we could sit, reflect, and relax on friends we made along the way. We've left Balamb Garden, traveled the world and now we've reunited once again to share our experiences with one another.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The interplay between the guitar and gamba is a beautiful thing to behold on this track and forms the foundation of what makes this track unique compared to anything previous or after.

Jorito: I've known Cecil from other albums we've both worked on, and he has collaborated with me as a performer on a few tracks, so I was interested to see what he could do with an OCR track. Cecil is a great classical guitarist, so I already expected a guitar arrangement, but I didn't expect a duet with a viola da gamba - quite an unusual instrument to hear in a VGM context. One of the sparser tracks on the album, it oozes warmth. Cecil originally mentioned he wanted to capture an Ancient Greek feel. The slower, more stately pace gives it a pastoral feeling, and the interplay between the guitar and the viola da gamba is rather lovely and cozy, comforting, just how one could characterize good friendships. 

1-18. Mel Decision feat. metamoogle, Cyril the Wolf - "Lost in Time"
Source: "The Successor"

Mel Decision: arrangement, lyrics, production, mixing
metamoogle: vocals
Cyril the Wolf: guitar

Mel Decision: In FF8, this track comes at the end of the game, immediately proceeding Squall becoming lost in the time compression. I wanted to evoke that feeling of hopelessness and despair as he desperately searches for his companions.

When I started exploring this track, I tried out two very different versions: one simple version with piano and guitar, and a synth-heavy version. 

Simple won out, but it needed something. I wrote some lyrics and had metamoogle, whose voice and vocal range I thought would work well with the song, perform them. His singing instantly brought in that missing element from the song. That, along with some melancholy and verbacious guitar from Cyril the Wolf, really rounded out the track. I can't thank them enough for their contributions.

Cyril the Wolf: I have some cool stereo guitar sounds that I have available to me, so when I was asked if I could do some clean electric, I jumped on it since I knew I could add some cool vibes to the track.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I get a feel of creeping uncertainty and inner dread of the future and what time has in store for us. The lyrics of helplessness only accentuate these feelings. This gives the track a certain air that no other on the album can describe or match and that marks it as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was originally going to be the last track on the last disc, Pandora, but once Rockos submitted his ending credits theme and Chris Kohler submitted his version of "Successor", that quickly dropped out as an option. I knew it was definitely a disc ender sort of song and, after ordering the majority of disc 1, Balamb, it finally became clear to me it fit best here at the end, right before the crazy disc of Galbadia. We move onward from a sense of peace and serenity to a final track of looming uncertainty and dread of the trials and tribulations of the songs ahead - to prepare for a tonal shift that would come swiftly after we transition to the next disc. That's what made this song perfect for the last slot on Balamb.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The lyrics and the minor key take on the album for a song that has a mostly wistful, hopeful outlook. The song is chilling in a good way and I love how it rounds out our first disc and makes you reflect on the first fourth of your journey through this masterfully crafted album!

Jorito: Mel is someone I've seen around on the OCR forums, joining competitions, but she never contributed on an OCR album before. It's always great to see some newcomers in the community join an album project (and hopefully get a good experience out of it - I know how it boosted my skills and confidence when I joined my first album!). "Lost in Time" is a very melancholic and slightly dark and haunting take on "The Successor", helped by the lyrics and vocals and the moody strings. Definitely a memorable way to end the first disc of the album.

2-01. Blake Inc. feat. Cyril the Wolf - "The Galbadian National Anthem"
Source: "Cactus Jack"

Blake Inc. - arrangement, lyrics, vocals, production, mixing
Cyril the Wolf - announcer

Blake Inc.: When Jorito texted me about the upcoming Final Fantasy VIII remix album he and Darkflamewolf directed, I was immediately on board. After Resonance of the Pure Land, I was excited to participate in another OC ReMix album. FF8 is among my all-time favorite RPGs, so I was deeply familiar with the source material. Moreover, I loved the three-disc concept, but as I was late to the party, choices were already limited.

Luckily, "Cactus Jack" was still up for grabs. Not only do I love this song, but it allowed me to do what I'm arguably best known for: a vocal remix. In the game, "Cactus Jack" is the national anthem of Galbadia. Now, I thought, wouldn't it be cool to dial this fact up to 11?

So, imagine: a major sports event in Galbadia, maybe their ice hockey team playing for the championship. But before the game starts, the Galbadian national anthem is performed - and the crowd goes wild.

Cyril the Wolf: As proven by some recent mixes I've contributed to, I can do a decent announcer VO and I answered the call. :-)

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It's a realistic anthem based off of a fictional country in a game. It has thoughtful lyrics that fall in line with everything Galbadia represents. All of it thematically ties into the country that it represents and that marks it as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Blake Inc. had the same idea I did when I first listened to this track. It truly did feel like an opening anthem right before a major sports event or championship. As a result, it actually got moved from the beginning of the Trabia Garden disc and here to Galbadia, which makes far more sense thematically. It would have been weird to be singing a Galbadian anthem on a Trabia focused disc. Although it may at first seem to be a bit out of place when juxtaposed with the rest of the craziness that is disc 2, it became a perfect fit for the introduction to it, since it seemed like a ceremonial event just before a concert that the Galbadians would then rock out to for the next hour! A great segue from the previous disc to the start of the next.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's a national anthem. Something I have rarely, if ever, heard from any remix made from video game music. That alone makes it stand apart, especially on this album.

Jorito: Bla dibla dibla. Fabulous.

2-02. Tuberz McGee - "Two Scars Matching"
Source: "Don't Be Afraid"

Tuberz McGee: I had a lot of fun creating this track! I really wanted to emulate some stylings from djent bands like Periphery and Tesseract. I took particular inspiration from my favourite Periphery song, "Racecar". It was nice to tune down to Drop A and sing a chorus in four-part harmony. Thanks for having me~! <3 

Source breakdown:
0:00-0:30~ - Chord vamp from section A of source material arpeggiated (with guitar melody from section C of the source material)
0:30-0:40~ - Chord vamp from section A but br00tuhl
0:40-1:08~ - Section B of source material, played verbatim for most parts
1:08-1:20~ - Chord vamp from section A
1:20-1:48~ - Chorus based on reharmonisation of chord vamp from section A of source material
1:48-2:15~ - Verse as above (section B of source material)
2:15-2:40~ - Based on section C of source material. Everything is verbatim with the source outside of the vocals.
2:40-3:02~ - Completely original (based on riffage by Mark Holcomb of Periphery)
3:02-3:30~ - Chorus as above
3:30-3:45~ - Same chord vamp arpeggiated as the intro

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I love rock and I love metal. Mix those two together with some nice lyrics that tie in well to the concepts and characters of the game itself and this song becomes my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Of the tracks selected for disc 2, this was the only one that didn't start off either aggressive or in a way that didn't seem to fit right after the anthem. Since I set up the anthem as almost a ceremonial event right before something like a crazy Galbadian concert, having a vocal track to lead us into the rest of disc 2 was a perfect fit for me and a great way to kick off what would be an exciting journey through some of the more intense songs on the OST.
What I feel makes it stand apart: With a majority of the album leaning more heavily into the electronica realm, it feels nice to get a solid metal song and one with lyrics to boot!

Jorito: I was happy we were able to get Callum out of hibernation and pick up his original track claim. While it's a bit more liberal of an arrangement, I do get a kick out of how much it sounds like Periphery or Killswitch Engage while still being a VGM arrangement - even if you may have to put in a few repeat listens to get all the source usage. And, of course, it wouldn't be a Tuberz McGee track if it didn't have all these classic crazy Tuberz vocal harmonies. If you enjoy early 2000s metal and VGM, definitely check this one out. Shame we didn't get to do a reunion of Maverick Astley... maybe next time!

2-03. Pixel Pirates - "Dancefloorphans"
Source: "Truth"

Pixel Pirates: We started by listening to the original and quickly decided that the main melody wasn't enough to hold our interest, but the melody leading up to it had a certain something to it. Since one of the only EDM styles applicable in this case was big room (which switches the main melody for the breaks), we decided to make a big room-esque track where the main melody is in all the slow parts and the so-called drop consists of variations of the intro melody heard in the original. It is quite the departure from the original, but that is a key part of a track from Pixel Pirates.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: When you take a song that isn't upbeat or even remotely dancefloor material and you make it so, you got something special. Compare this to the original song and you can clearly pick out the influence, but it's just a marvel that it translates so well into this format and that marks it as a favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: With the previous track ending as softly as it started, the sky was the limit on what song I could have placed to go after it, however there weren't many songs beyond "Two Scars Matching" that I felt this song could follow up with smoothly. So, I took the opportunity to exploit the opening that the previous song made and popped this into the mix at track 3 of disc 2, giving listeners two vastly different tones and genres for the types of songs they should be expecting on this second disc.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This is definitely a song you can hear being played in a rave or dance hall. It's got that vibrant energy and beat that, while some other tracks on this album come close, doesn't match the beats being laid down so strongly here. A song I can definitely see myself dancing to even when I'm not at a club!

Jorito: An actual big room house arrangement of a VGM track, that's not something you hear often. And I will say it definitely nails that style, with the typical sounds, buildup, and effects of the genre. It does a great job at getting you pumped full of (big room) energy and all hyped up. The track itself had its fair share of production challenges, with one member of Pixel Pirates starting the track, getting stuck on how to continue and the other PP member essentially jumping in and bringing it home. I'm glad this teamwork happened, because we all got a killer track out of it, and it shows the power of teamwork. 

2-04. J Damashii - "Skadooshin'"
Source: "Movin'"

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: You get a fun, intense track in the original OST and you dial it up to 11 with fun riffs, electronic synths, and an overall fun arrangement and you get this being my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: With that rising synth that starts this song, there aren't many tracks prior to it where a clean transition could be possible, but with "Dancefloorphans" ending on a nice synth note that is similar to how this one starts, it became a nice throughline (at least for me) to bridge that divide and allow listeners to flow nicely into this electronica-heavy track.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Lots of synths, lots of electronic beats. There isn't any other track on the album like this where it's this solidly cohesive in tonal theme all the way through. Definitely one you can pick out in an aural lineup of songs.

Jorito: Out of nowhere dropped Sir J (or J Damashii, as he calls himself now) with a surprise arrangement of "Movin'". I actually wasn't aware he changed his name, so when he dropped his initial WIP I was like "Hey, this sounds like a Sir J track" and it took me a minute to connect the dots. In his typical style (I think he refers to it as his take on Katamari Damacy music), we get a diverse, groovy electronic track that keeps on movin'. Interesting, eclectic, and engaging, good stuff.

2-05. The Vodoú Queen, Rockos - "Filthy Lies / Wasted Virtue"
Source: "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec"

The Vodoú Queen: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, production
Rockos: mixing, production

The Vodoú Queen: Let me preface this by saying that sharing my thoughts and processes (i.e. how I compose or arrange music, art, or fiction) is extremely hard to put into words. Sometimes, it all comes in a flurry of rapid flashes of creativity from something I've enjoyed recently in a video game, or heard on Spotify, and I want to try my hand at it. Other times, it's hard and painstaking, like pulling teeth... where I have *zero* clue what the hell I'm doing, how I'm going to achieve it, or why. More times than not, however, I have a (really) bad tendency to overshoot an idea (or several, simultaneously!), having a solid direction in mind, but am unable to put pen to paper to make it all sound even remotely how I had envisioned it in the first place.

This song, "Filthy Lies / Wasted Virtue", came off the back of me getting so burned out between music competitions and two other songs on the album, I just went, "Ahh, eff it...", threw the base MIDI together on Reaper, and sat staring at it for an hour. That hour passed, and, after trying too hard to fit the pieces of the puzzle together by force, I metaphorically flipped the table, and stripped the MIDI to its barest bones (about 4 tracks): bass, lead melody, harmony line, and some other synth pluck thing. And then, I muted everything bar the song's OG bass.

I dug that bassline.

I *loved* that bassline.

After I played with some sequenced bass synths from Hybrid 3, that single track struck a chord with me. And therein were the beginnings of something fruitful.

I believe the old tried and true Bob Ross adage really describes this remix in full. From that one bass track & its harmonics, honing in what I wanted to do with it, to having found further inspiration from listening to a couple of Infected Mushroom albums earlier that same day, to the random friendly convo about IM I had with my wonderful (not-quite-yet-at-the-time) collab partner a day or two prior in the general Discord group chat... it all just, fits, and honestly, I am proud of my contribution and ability to bring this song into a new light.

Phew... sorry. TL;DR -- I guess with all that said, my last few words are: keep persevering despite your self-doubts, even if there's no current clear path to your endgame. Big shout-out to the heads of this project, Darkflamewolf and Jorito, for pushing me to challenge myself, helping with their robust critiques when we needed it most, and even allowing me the benefit (even as a first-timer to these big project-type collaborations in general) to do THREE (very) differently styled songs for this headbanger of an album. Huge thank you and props to my new psytrance-loving buddy, Rockos, for his stellar additions to the track and advice on how to add more depth and fine-tuning to synths and low-end sounds. And thank *YOU*, for listening to our finished work. Hope you enjoy! :D

And always remember: "We don't make mistakes. We just have happy accidents." <3

Source Breakdown:

- 0:00-2:08: beginning of "FLWV", in full, with additionals (e.g. VQ vocals intermixed with Alter/Ego vocals)
- 2:09-2:21: short "break-down"/"build-up", entering a drop before continuing with the source
- 2:22-5:01: remix follows the source pretty keenly, enhancing moments when the song changes from verse->chorus by virtue of SFX, vocal effects, and synth glitching
- 5:02-6:37: a bit of improvising here until the end, incorporating the main choral source elements (~1:00-1:32) of "FLWV"; the dropoff @ 5:43

Rockos: This song was made by Vodoú Queen and I helped finish the last bits and bells + whistles missing from this track. I had a lot of fun collabing on this and hope that this learning experience will help us get better at what we are making.

Also, first time working on psytrance for an OC ReMix. I loved doing it.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've never been much of a fan of the source tune, despite it being a fairly iconic track from the OST. Kudos to this remix for making me a fan of it, or at least this rendition of it. For making this song enjoyable despite all its quirkiness, that marks it as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Riding high off the fading out of the last synth of the previous song, I wanted a song that started in a similar way, but in this case we shifted the happy overtones of the previous two tracks and went straight into dark witch territory. This track was originally going to be part of the Pandora disc, but once that filled up completely with other tracks, the only other place it felt it could go was Galbadia disc, especially giving that bassline that pounds throughout a good majority of the track - earning it the Crazy status it deserves and a spot right here after an equally crazy track.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The sheer randomness of this track and you not knowing where it is going to take you next. It takes the "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" theme and gives it a different feel that is more akin to a witch dance coven than the creepy feel of sacrifice the original had from the OST.

Jorito: Vodoú Queen started on this project as a newcomer and emerged at the next level, doing three tracks for the album. During the wait on "Extreme", she got inspired to tackle two more tracks, "Fithos" being one of them. Doing a psytrance version on this track was quite unexpected, and the arrangement is rather quirky and eccentric and keeps exploring new territory. And that's quite a feat, given the normally quite repetitive nature of psytrance. As album directors, we were quite adamant that the track would be more complete and closer to the source with the typical "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" vocals in, and I'm glad that they made it into the final version. Add in a splash of Rockos's EDM production skills, and you not only have an interesting, well-rounded collab but also quite an unexpected take on the source.

2-06. GlacialSpoon - "Queen of Cards"
Source: "Shuffle or Boogie"

GlacialSpoon: What if the finals of a Triple Triad tournament were given a bit more hype? A breakbeat and big beat-styled track inspired by the likes of The Crystal Method, Hyper, and General Midi. This was one of the smoother compositional processes I've had, with much more time spent on sound instead.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: GlacialSpoon has always been a favorite of mine as a remixer and I try to get him on every album I've directed. He never disappoints with his remixes of insanity. There is just no predicting what he'll do or where he'll take you with his songs. And the final icing on the cake was him taking my suggestion to add that "deep cut" exclamation of "BOOYAKA!" from Selphie as part of the song. That addition alone would have made it my favorite, but everything else around it just sweetens the deal even further!
Why I placed it in the order I did: What better way to dig ourselves up from the witch's pit than a game of cards?! Or more specifically the insanity that is the addictive tune of Triple Triad's theme. For me, it was all about the ebb and flow of disc 2 to make it work. I didn't want multiple hard-hitting tracks in a row that were all similar in sound and genre, it would cause ear fatigue and quite possibly apathy to all the awesomeness being thrown at you. So, choosing this song after an intense psytrance song about witches seemed like the perfect fit.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This song has a specific sound that I just can't describe. The fact I played way too much Triple Triad in Final Fantasy VIII growing up probably didn't help things... or maybe it did? Having a personal attachment to this song to begin with probably makes the difference and I grew fond of this remix almost immediately.

Jorito: As a sucker for big beat, the minute I heard the first WIP, I was grooving in my chair and very down with this remix. Remixing the source in this genre works surprisingly well, and I am envious of Glacial's production chops. I didn't particularly care for the source track, but you convinced me there were a few nuggets of gold buried in there. It's an amazingly groovy and smooth listening experience to me, maybe you'll dig it just as much as I did.

2-07. bLiNd - "Dead End Blitz"
Source: "Dead End"

bLiNd: This track was an interesting source tune to play with. Most of Final Fantasy 8 has a very cinematic style, so repeating patterns are hard to find and play with for an electronic track. Instead, I let the original ride a little more and embellished it with a house beat. Was fun to do, hope you enjoy it!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I think the fake-out at first of using the original source tune before shifting over into that sick drop beat you've come to expect and love from bLiNd was brilliant. This marriage of original sound and breakbeat electronica applied to a track that only makes its appearance twice in the game and only for a short period each time makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: It's like you just have a fun party doing drinks and Triple Triad with friends and oops, party's over and now Galbadian forces have busted down your door and you're on the run! Was a perfect follow-up to "Queen of Cards" with the previous almost cutting out as if interrupted, leading into a high speed chase that'll lead us tonally into the next few tracks.
What I feel makes it stand apart: That sick beat that winds up, drops, takes you on a ride and then drops out to only come back just as fast and furious as before. The song ebbs and flows, but never once lets up on you. Great mood. Great feel. Great exercise running from Galbadians!

Jorito: bLiNd is one of those remixers that goes from no WIP for a long time to *boom* full track in a short amount of time, and essentially he handed us a fully fleshed take on "Dead End" just before the deadline. When thinking of bLiNd, I do think of well-produced EDM, and this track definitely doesn't disappoint. It did strike me as something a bit different from what I'm used to hearing from him, and I dig this combination of EDM and more orchestral/cinematic elements. It's an intriguing combination of sounds of genres that somehow works well and succeeds in creating a rather unique remix of the source.

2-08. Rockos feat. Siolfor the Jackal - "Turn Those UP"
Source: "Starting Up"

Rockos: arrangement, mixing, production
Siolfor the Jackal: guitar

Rockos: Inspiration were those industrial sounds and dubstep textured bass. Also, I had the collaboration of an amazing artist, Siolfor the Jackal, for the guitars. Thanks to the directors of this album, we have made a very proper ending to this track.

Siolfor the Jackal: Thanks to Rockos for having me. This isn't a style I have any experience in, but it was a blast chugging away on my guitar for it and hearing what Rockos would do with it.
I tried to keep it simple (based on an idea Jorito originally had), but added some guitar harmonics and pick scrapes to try and mimic some of the weird electronic sounds in the track already.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: This was such a memorable track for me coming back to Final Fantasy as the satellite of Dollet begins to fire up and rise up from the mountain and automatically builds itself into functionality. This just takes all my childhood memories of that moment and cranks it up several notches to something absolutely wicked, and I can't help feeling this is my favorite track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: It could have gone a bit later in disc 2's lineup, but there were other tracks already established there with perfect song transitions before and after each, so it would have been hard to slip this one in between those. This was one of the last disc 2 tracks to find its final place in the ordering. It was sitting for the longest time outside while I filled in Trabia and Pandora tracklists. It wasn't until ZackParrish made "Tears in Rain" at the last hour, which forced me to move that track to Balamb and then supplement a track in Trabia that a spot opened up on Galbadia disc for this to slide right in and make itself at home!
What I feel makes it stand apart: This is the only track that has this hard, industrial vibe that no other track can match in intensity. It is a thrill to listen to from beginning to end and the multiple repetitions of the primary melody ensure that you don't forget this amazing track anytime soon!

Jorito: When I heard the first WIP of this arrangement, I went "Hm, I bet this would sound great with some chugging guitars", so I recorded a quick example with my electric guitar and sent it over. Rockos liked the idea, reached out for collaborators, and found Siolfor to help out with some proper chugging. Good thing too, because my scratch recording was very sloppy. Together, Rockos and Aaron definitely brought it to the next level and created a memorable take on the source with this combination of hard-hitting dubstep vibes, chugging guitars, and industrial sounds. Also gotta love the overall arrangement flow that keeps developing, twisting, and turning.

2-09. Drakeld - "Downtown Run"
Source: "Never Look Back"

DrakeId: Starting out this project with less Final Fantasy experience than many other remixers, we felt quite free to pick any track without leaning towards any specific fan favourites. After browsing for quite some time, we stumbled upon "Never Look Back" and immediately imagined it as a psytrance remix.

We took inspiration from the metallic feel of the big, bad mech chase and added some Far Eastern influences for no other reason than it sounding cool. The genre was a big challenge for us, since we had no prior experience with psytrance production, but that's the upside to picking a genre after choosing the original track, rather than deciding what you want to do before you know which track to remix - the inspiration will just flow automatically.

The result came to be a high-intensity track with a mystical vibe to it, imagined to fit at your next forest rave. So, don't buckle up and let yourself go!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Those beats! Yes, those beats. I love a song that can continue to explore and flesh out its melodies and thematic concepts. Doesn't matter how long it takes to navigate its melody, just keep giving me those beats while you do so and you got my favorite for the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Rounding out our small mini-burst of pulse-pounding songs, we get this hardcore version of a track that played quite often in Final Fantasy VIII in high intensity escape sequences. The style and feel of the track was similar in quality to industrial to my ears, so it just felt like a natural extension of the previous track, but in dance form.
What I feel makes it stand apart: That running beat that never lets up. And when it does, it just shifts and changes into another beat of a similar nature. "Never Look Back"? More like "Never Stop Dropping Those Sick Beats"!

Jorito: DrakeId, a dynamic duo from Sweden, was a group that we managed to get onboard with the album project through ZackParrish, who worked with them before on a previous album. And I'm glad they joined. They created two great tracks for the album, this first one being a high intensity version of "Never Look Back". Interesting genre choice too, it's not often that you hear a psytrance VGM remix. The break in the middle is quite interesting too, just don't ask me what genre it is. Even though it's a stylistic departure from the psytrance parts, it oozes EDM vibes, just like the rest of the track. Excellent production, and the track is sure to get you pumped, just like at the in-game moments where this track is played.

2-10. Jorito feat. Sirenstar - "Stuck in My Mind"
Sources: "My Mind", "Eyes on Me"

Jorito: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, mixing, production
Sirenstar: lyrics, vocals

Jorito: When the album project restarted, I originally wanted to do a drum & bass track with vocals, mostly because I haven't really done that type of song yet, and because it had been a while since I last made a track with lyrics. I didn't want to go for one of the more obvious source tracks in the OST, yet I did want something that gave me enough melodic material to work with.

"My Mind", essentially the track that will become Squall and Rinoa's love theme and one of the variations of "Eyes on Me", stood out to me for its simple melodic lines and structure, and I figured it would be nice to play around with it. After a quick sketch, I figured the idea would work well enough, so I started playing around with an idea for the lyrics, with Rinoa head over heels in love with Squall and unable to get him out of her mind. I wanted to keep things fun, upbeat, lighthearted, and not taking itself too seriously. Just having fun. One could say "Heartily" enjoyable... (I'll see myself out).

Concept done, I started recruiting for a vocalist. I already knew I wanted to have female vocals on this track, so I was glad to have Natalie on board again, after our first Terranigma remix "Will We Meet Again?". Since she also knew and enjoyed the game (and at the end contributed her own track to the album!), it made collaborating fun and easy. It also meant that we could co-write the lyrics. Always a big help, because writing good lyrics that convey the right intent and flow well isn't easy. And, of course, we couldn't help sneak in a good amount of references to scenes and quotes from the game, see if you can spot them! Also enjoyed adding the dulcimer lick from the opening of "Eyes on Me" to various places in the track, as a bit of a sneaky reference and deep cut.

During production of the track, I was already thinking that this track didn't really seem to be the original drum & bass track I had in mind, but when I wrote the ending lines with the spoken word and had Natalie record those, it finally clicked with us what the genre of this track actually is: anime opening anthem. Works for me! 

Production itself was a bit of a struggle, since I did this track in Bitwig (my main DAW is Logic Pro). It was struggling with playing back the track without glitching, vocal editing was not very smooth either, and I'm still a bit unsure by how the mixing and routing works. So it was a bit of a rough journey and I couldn't *quite* get things to sound like I wanted. That's all on me though, I guess Logic Pro is just "Stuck In My Mind"... 

Big thanks to Natalie for jumping on board with me on this track for the entire time it was in production (about a year, this was the first track I started for the album and the last one that got finished). Hope you enjoy what we created and get some positive vibes out of it too!

Sirenstar: So Jorito asked if I would help out with "Stuck in My Mind" and I was happy to oblige. He did such a great job on the Terranigma album that I was excited to join another project with him (and feared leader Darkflamewolf) at the helm. He not only always has the best remix concepts (in so many genres) for his arrangements, but knows how to make them come to life with his production knowledge, so it's always fun to work with him.

This is an upbeat, electronic dance remix of "My Mind", when Squall and Rinoa finally truly understand each other while trapped in the abandoned space station. After deciding that "anime opening" was a good direction, Jorito and I changed the lyrics to reflect Rinoa's journey to accept her latent powers with Squall at her side. Hope it makes you dance (and not worry about ever being accidentally trapped in space, that usually works out OK for the most part, LOL (in Final Fantasy).

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: This track has just such a happy, bright outlook that you can't help but smile while listening through it. When I want to feel some positivity, this is definitely a song I can turn to to make me smile and that makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: I won't lie, placing this song here was just set up for the follow-on song from APZX. Having a cheerful, upbeat song based on the airship theme is a hard sell when finding a perfect slot to place it among crazy EDM, metal, and electronica songs that permeate the second disc. So when it came time to make "My Mind" part of disc 2, I needed to find the perfect "ending drop off" point of the previous song to flow smoothly and naturally into this track from Jorito. "Downtown Run" had that nice drop off that provided a neat aural "reset" that I needed to shift the listener experience to something more cheerful and different than what the last 10-15 mins had been.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It truly does have the anime opening motif going for it that I feel only helps its appeal and gives it that extra edge to stand out apart from the rest of the songs with vocals and lyrics.

2-11. APZX feat. Jabo, Ron Wikso, TSori - "Theme of the White Hole Prevention Agency"
Source: "Ride On"

APZX: arrangement, mixing, production
Jabo: guitar
Ron Wikso: drums
TSori: trumpet

APZX: The idea for this track was originally to just try and make a trancy version of the track. But then I had the idea of taking a trumpet and distorting it. That was the genesis of this track honestly. TSori provided a raw trumpet recording and I messed with distorting it. From that point, the track grew into what it is now. Jabo & TSori really did wonders with their parts. This track would be incomplete without their work.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've always had a soft spot for airship songs from RPGs and this one is no different - all stemming back to when I was on the back of Flammie in Secret of Mana. This has everything I could ask for from a classic airship song remix and then some. It never repeats itself, always shifts to interesting transitions and sections, and doesn't outstay its welcome. A wonderful track all around that covers a fantastic track from the Final Fantasy VIII OST that makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: It felt like the natural follow-up to "My Mind" and a great segue into "The Marshall". All three of these songs formed a nice, fun, energetic middle portion to disc 2 that I felt was quite needed after the intensity of the three tracks that started with "Dead End Blitz". It would do no good to have too many similar-sounding songs placed too close together without a break or listeners might not be able to differentiate between them after a while and that does none of the tracks any favors. So, sandwiched here between these two tracks was the ideal place for APZX's airship magnum opus track.
What I feel makes it stand apart: That mix of electronic and trumpet is just the kick this track needed to set it apart from other similar songs. It gives this fun-loving song a unique flair that gives you the feeling of soaring through the air in the Ragnarok, a Bahamut-inspired spaceship for all intents and purposes.

Jorito: Ah, the airship theme! I always have a fondness for airship themes. The feelings of elation, of soaring in the skies... definitely the vibe I'm getting from this track. The combination of powerful synths, performed drums, the lead guitar, and the distorted guitar are a bit unexpected, just like the arrangement structure, but it's an interesting combination and it works well for this track. Definitely an interesting vibe that not only is very upbeat and optimistic, it also takes you on a journey and keeps you on your toes. It's an unexpected take on the airship theme. Also bonus points for the title!

2-12. Rockos feat. ZackParrish, TSori - "The Marshall"
Source: "Martial Law"

Rockos: arrangement, mixing, production
ZackParrish: electric guitar
TSori: trumpet

Rockos: I've been on a surge of producing drum & bass since last year and I wanted to continue down the path. So I went and searched through the tracklist for a song that could fit the tempo and there it was. This song was perfect to go with the style. I also wanted to have some rock vibe, so I teamed up with Zack and asked him if he could record electric guitars. Later on, I've been suggested to use some trumpets and I got another collaborator to record those trumpets, TSori, and this is the end product. The song flows well until you hit that part where there is a jazzy solo in the original. Now transformed and discombobulated with some parts of the middle lead added with epic distorted guitars. Sounds deep, fast, toe-tapping, and psychedelic all at the same time!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Everything mentioned above is what makes this track my favorite. The duality of tone, the underlying story element to it and the vastly different shift in genre from the original source melody.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Rounding out the third track in this mini-burst of high tempo, high intensity, and positive vibes was this track, "The Marshall". After placing the previous two tracks in order, this one just fell into place naturally and I couldn't really find a place better to put it than here. Given that its tone was a mix between positive happy vibes and negative dour ones (given the subject matter of the original track), this was a perfect transition song into the boss theme that was about to come next.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This song gives off a duality of both positive and negative feelings and it divides that line perfectly in my opinion. It tells a story of something that started off so hopeful, like perhaps the first day on the job as the city's Marshall, only for it to turn into something twisted and corrupt by the end of the song. It really does feel like a narrative is being told through song.

Jorito: Seems Rockos got the hang of combining his electronic sounds with electric guitars! This time he pairs up with ZackParrish on guitar and TSori on trumpet for this uptempo version of "Martial Law". Sounds to me like he really refined his guitar editing/chopping and mixing skills in this one. While the original is a pretty relaxed track with a bit of suspense added to it (not really the type of sound I'd expect for a town in military lockdown, but I digress), Rockos's version is high energy with a more optimistic vibe to it. Would make being stuck under martial law a lot more enjoyable, I'm sure. The mix of hard-hitting electronic sounds with the chugging guitars works really well. The break at 2:30 is quite a shift tonaly, but it does keeps things interesting, and it flows well. Time to get pumped up!

2-13. Ivan Hakštok - "Final Force"
Source: "Force Your Way"

Ivan Hakštok: I always thought the Black Mages' version of this track sucks, so I decided to make my own version that sucks a little less. I originally had a much longer arrangement in mind but, due to my own laziness and lack of inspiration, I only had two days to record the song, so I scaled it down a bit. I still love how it turned out. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: One of the greatest strengths of any album is the awesomeness of its boss theme remixes. This one goes hard and it really gives Final Fantasy VIII's boss theme some much needed justice. It doesn't stray too far off the beaten path with its interpretation, but with such a strong melody to begin with, it doesn't really have to. It just needs to accentuate what's already there and it already has struck gold, and that's exactly what it does and makes it a favorite for me on this album!
Why I placed it in the order I did: The nature of how "The Marshall" ended seemed to pave the way for this track to begin. The entirety of disc 2 was less about telling a story like disc 1, and more like just going with the flow and feeling of the music as we traveled from track to track. Putting the boss theme here after a nice bout of energetic, fun songs seemed to be the right call to me and felt a natural fit.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Of the boss theme remixes on this album, I feel this one sticks closest to its original source tune without completely relying upon it. It doesn't take too many remixing risks, but I feel it's all the stronger for it. A definite solid mix all around.

Jorito: Ivan already signed up for the original album attempt and wanted to keep his claim. The first WIP came in quickly, but then life and writer's block hit and it took until just a few days before the deadline (and lots of checking in from the directors) for things to fall into place and get the track finished in record time. And I'm glad we kept checking in and were able to work something out after all, because it was worth the wait! While it didn't turn out as the prog rock version Ivan originally envisioned, I can clearly hear the inspiration he took from The Black Mages and similar bands, and it's definitely a highly enjoyable, high-energy, and worthy remix of this boss battle track.

2-14. Gario - "Witch Hunter"
Sources: "The Man with the Machine Gun", "Succession of Witches"

Gario: As one of my favorite tracks of Final Fantasy 8, I've had the idea of blending "Succession of Witches" and Laguna's battle theme for a while. Having learned how to use Vocaloids for a separate reason recently, it granted me the opportunity to actually incorporate the lyrics of that song. It led to a really slick arrangement that builds into a story of Laguna discovering and hunting witches. Honestly, the blend of themes turned out better than I thought it would; here's hoping the audience agrees that Laguna is a good fit as a hunter of witches and sorceresses.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: "Man with the Machine Gun" is one of my favorite tracks ever. Mix it with the "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" theme on top of that while making it a pulse-pounding techno dance mix with super moist claps and you've just made it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Shift from one battle theme straight into another, but launching it with some vocals was the perfect transition from "Final Force". It keeps the tempo that we established in the previous track and just expands upon it. Didn't take much thought on where to put this track. It fell into the ordering effortlessly.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Mixing the "Succession of Witches" track with "Man with the Machine Gun" was just inspired and the interplay between the two themes definitely makes this a highlight.

Jorito: I fondly remember "Man with the Machine Gun"; I had to do a 1:1 cover in a retro tracker for it once for a retro project back in the day, and I dug the source track a lot. Gario's version is infinitely more interesting and better sounding though. A strong blend of two source tracks, electronic sounds, and vocal synth choirs (to give it that nice digital, artificial sound) combined with lots of variation of the source material make this an interesting ride. And, of course, Gario wouldn't be Gario if there was not at least *some* chiptune in there (which I love, especially those arpeggiated chords). And my biggest nitpick during the WIP stages of this track, the clap sounds without any reverb (which became a bit of a running gag), has finally been addressed, so I am more than pleased with the final version of the track and I'm happy to see it on the album! 

2-15. Drakeld - "Warheads"
Source: "Retaliation"

DrakeId: A dramatic remix for a dramatic scene.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've always been a fan of breakneck beats and songs that employ them well. This one has just enough breathing room in between sections to give your ears a breather before slamming you back into the beat and running off with you. This wild ride is what makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Hot off the end of "Witch Hunter", we quickly ease into another pulse-pounding track, but one where the pulse is king and the melody comes in as a compliment to that. The last two tracks have been building up to this point and it's time to pay off with some nice trance beats.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The beat. It's gotta be the beat. Nothing but the beat. This one has the beat in spades. That is all.

Jorito: Cinematic yet with a strong sense of dread and foreboding. While the source is a very short track, Swedish dynamic duo DrakeId managed to flesh it out in a full remix, complete with genre overhaul. The driving beat and the repeating nature of the main arpeggiato push the track forward in a good way, and there's plenty of development on top of it to keep things interesting. I dig the atmospheric breakdown in the middle that gives us a bit of much needed breathing space before we dive into the land of high energy again.

2-16. Siolfor the Jackal feat. Jabo, Serrin's Toes - "Only a Hot Dog Between One and the Sickness"
Source: "Only a Plank Between One and Perdition"

Siolfor the Jackal: arrangement, guitar, bass, mixing, production
Jabo: guitar solo
Serrin's Toes: drums

Siolfor the Jackal: When I mentioned to a friend I was considering joining a FF8 album project, he suggested I do the "dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun" song since he couldn't remember the name. I eventually figured out it was "Only a Plank Between One and Perdition".

It's a cool track, but it took me weeks to figure out what to do with it. A happy accident while playing the bassline made me realize if I dropped the lowest note and played it faster, it is basically the main riff from Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness". When I realized how well that worked with a modified melody, it made sense to borrow the iconic intro as well.

On drums we have Serrin's Toes, who at this point is basically my permanent collaborator. In my eyes, everything he does is brilliant and that's no different here.
Before I could finish recording, I dropped my guitar pick and hurt my neck and shoulder reaching for it. Jorito put the word out and Jabo came in on the last day to smash out a guitar solo to finish the track. Jabo absolutely nailed it, the solo fit so perfectly.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've always been a metal baby, ever since I heard that Quake 2 soundtrack decades ago on the PC. I've loved metal ever since. Take an awesome tune and riff and mix it with Disturbed's "Down with the Sickness"? You got me my favorite track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: What better way to come off a beat-heavy track than drums to herald us into the next? Shifting into solid metal for the penultimate track for disc 2 was a no-brainer. That and we were running out of tracks to order at this point before we hit that oh-so-restrictive 74-min time limit for each disc. We basically started the disc after the anthem with a metal track, it made sense to end it with one right before the final song that would lead us out of the Crazy Galbadia portion of the album.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The riffs. The solo. It all blends together so seamlessly and I love every minute of it. Such a short track that I wish had gone on longer, but it gave me enough to chew on that I love it so. It being a pure metal track definitely sets it apart from a majority of other high-octane songs available on this album.

Jorito: When we originally started the album, we were kinda worried that the Galbadia disc would become a disc with mostly metal, so we nudged people towards EDM too, just to balance things out a bit. Turns out we might have nudged a bit too hard, because we ended up with a lot of EDM and not that much metal after all. So I'm glad Siolfor was able to bring his original idea, a metal blend of "Down with the Sickness" and the source, to life. For something that seems to have started out as a bit of a silly experiment, it actually turned out rather well despite being stuck in writer's block for a good while. Also gotta love that track title, a neat li'l reference to Zell's craving for hot dogs.

2-17. Treyt feat. Shea's Violin - "You Got Me Dancing"
Source: "Dance with the Balamb-fish"

Treyt: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, guitars, mixing, production
Shea's Violin: violin

Treyt: The real reason this exists is because around the time I was approached to contribute to this album, I'd started experimenting with basically anything I could put guitar into. After listening through the list of tracks, this one stood out to me as something I could use to write a punk pop track (something I'd never done before). There's a lot of "I've never done before" in this track: lead vocals, supporting/harmony vocals, genre, not smashing the ever-loving heck out of the ceiling with compression, etc. 

Thanks to Jorito and Darkflamewolf for giving me the opportunity. It's been a motivational and learning experience, and I'm stoked I got to be a part of this.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes such a lovely rendition on what was essentially a waltz in the original game that plays during the SeeD graduation ball, the lunar base, and, strangely enough, in Dollet. Making it a fun dance mix was so unexpected, I couldn't help but fall in love with it, making it my favorite track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Trust me, the irony is not lost on me having a song with lyrics "Let's get this party started" and putting it at the end of the second disc. Regardless, after all that we've experienced through the Galbadia disc, I wanted to end the entire second disc on an upbeat note. Get you pumped and ready to enter the Trabia disc where things get even more crazy with its remix interpretations. Such a wonderful way to end the disc and mark the halfway point of the entire album.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The earworm lyrics and beat. The repetition I think only cements this song and its lyrics deep into your psyche where you just can't forget it days, weeks, months from now. You'll probably be humming it long after the song ends.

Jorito: I already spotted Treyt checking in weeks before on the OC ReMix Discord, posting some WIPs and trying to get active in the community. So when he reached out to see if he could claim "Dance with the Balamb-fish" near the end of the album project, we figured it'd be worth a shot. Always great to have some new talent on the album. The result? A rather unexpected concept and stylistic idea to turn the waltz from the game and turn it into a mix lyrics inspired by early 50s rock & roll merged with chiptune and power chords. An interesting idea that on paper sounds hard to pull off, but I think Treyt nailed it with this high-energy, carefree take that gives the source material a new twist.

3-01. The Vodoú Queen feat. dpMusicman, Gamer of the Winds, SirCorn, Shea's Violin, TSori - "Even Ill Omens Need a Break"
Source: "Premonition"

The Vodoú Queen: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, mixing, production
dpMusicman: piano
Gamer of the Winds: flute
SirCorn: tenor saxophone
Shea's Violin: violin
TSori: trumpet

The Vodoú Queen: Okay... Firstly, this track -- out of the *three* I've done for the album -- I think is my proudest labor of love. ...I don't know if I should say or call it my current "magnum opus", but it does feel like a great culmination of time and effort I've taken since September 2020 to learn the art of music production, theory, and the science of mixing. It's almost like... it has all finally started to click (to a degree, still lots to learn, mistakes made, and help along the way), but the encouragement and freedom to express has really pushed my all and my knowledge with this remix of "Premonition".

Similar to "FLWV", this started out quite small. I was already transposing/transcribing/chopping up "FLWV" and "Premonition's" MIDIs for some initial ideas for "The Extreme" remix, working *a lot* with the Sorceresses' themes from the original soundtrack. (I've got an odd interest and keenness on their lore, theories, image, and allegories between the game and real-life source inspiration). I placed "FLWV's" haunting piano-hits into the beginnings of "Prem's" intimidating soundscape, and... paired with me messing with various vibraphone/bell/chime-sounds from LABS and Kontakt, and making a lot of lo-fi hip hop tracks recently, it turned into this.

My initial idea for "Premonition" was, actually, some sort of hilarious version in ska/reggae. I *might* still take up doing that as a remix, but playing with this arrangement's MIDI came smack in the middle of me doing a piece for Newgrounds' NGUAC and NGADM at the same time. In juggling those, I turned to studying old blues and jazz records, some of the stuff my parents used to listen to when I was a kid (Pat Metheny, being a big one). I was looking for melodical inspiration, and some stuff by The Fugees, Nujabes, and other similar-esque hip-hop artists for the "vibes" and atmosphere. Therein came the *spark* to do "Prem" in that genre, instead, with a hefty lean towards jazz. (I was in an "everything must have sax/brass" mood. xD) Jazz, but with a creepy sound design fitting for a sorceress...

I really do hope people can hear the difference and my skills getting better and stronger step-by-step, with each of the three songs, and I hope people enjoy them all. This was a blessing on all fronts: from the timing, to the happy volunteering of live performances, to the "lightning in a bottle"-effect I felt once again embracing and listening to several artists I truly love and aspire to. John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Yusef Lateef, Maze, Jerome Najee Rasheed - it was a pleasure and an honor to try and do something akin to their iconic sound roots, styles, and leitmotifs, and to equally come out with something I feel is very "me" -- in developing my own style -- as a chaotically-filled bundle of soulful funkyness. <3

Once again, shout-out to Jorito and DFW for giving me the chance and opportunity to do this. And a HUMONGOUS cheers to dpMusicman, Gamer of the Winds, SirCorn, Shea, and TSori for their positively wonderful live recordings woven into this song. I really don't think it would have came this far and been this unique without their input.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. :)

[*NOTE: Also, FWIW, as I guess a bit of Easter egg about the remix's title, "ill omen" is a reference to witches/warlocks/sorcerers/etc. being referred to as such in Europe and in the Colonial-era U.S., with the hunts and trials. Many times, black birds and cats were associated with them (like Ultimecia's wings), and were said to be a prelude to bad tidings, and were associated heavily with witchcraft. I also tried to carefully choose the ad-libs in the song to tie to the sorceresses in-game, with their ability of foresight and independence/disdain from and for society.]

SirCorn: I took inspiration from the atmospheric vibe of the bulk of the track, using melodic ideas for the tenor saxophone for juxtaposition against the ambience. Some of it is free form, and other parts are quotes of the composed parts/ideas from the composer.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: "Premonition" is such a central focal point of the Final Fantasy VIII album that it's played at specific moments of critical importance throughout the game to include all the major boss fights with sorceresses. Its theme can be heard lingering through a variety of other tracks relating to sorceresses. Although the obvious route to remix this track could have made it an intense track, Vodoú Queen chose instead to shift its tone to something more chill, laid back or "jazzy" in their words while still maintaining its creep factor, since this is about sorceresses after all! This change alone, among other things, makes this track my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: This track was being tossed back and forth between Pandora disc 4 and this disc, Trabia. I couldn't really figure out where it would perfectly fit. Once the Pandora disc filled up, I knew the final resting place of this track had to be here in Trabia, disc 3. But where to order it? It didn't seem to flow well after any of the other songs selected for the disc, but I was able to find multiple candidates for songs to follow after it. So, to launch into the third, eclectic disc for the album, this was the prime choice for our intro song.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Jazzy creepiness. Best way to describe it. It's got a sound that just isn't seen elsewhere on the album.

Jorito: At one point during the album production process, Vodoú Queen was working on three tracks at once, this being one of them. Whereas the other ones were more collaboration tracks, in this one Vodoú is the main arranger, mixer, and also producer that went on a recruiting spree to bring their vision to life. It resulted in an eclectic remix with influences from various genres, lo-fi, jazz, lounge, and the occasional bits of creepiness. During the production process, it was a bit of a struggle to figure out which parts should take prominence and which should be background parts because there's a lot going on in the track, but, with a few iterations, that got sorted out and the result is something pretty unique.

3-02. GlacialSpoon - "Swagger de Chocobo"
Source: "Mods de Chocobo"

GlacialSpoon: Picture a chocobo strutting wearing shades and a sharp suit. This was one of those tracks where the idea and initial concept came together really quick, but making it a full piece didn't come too easy. The main inspiration came from KOAN Sound's form of funky, percussive beat with a sweet bassline at the foreground. I didn't grasp their purity (only the neuro bass section in the middle comes close), but the result is hopefully recognisably me.

Darkflamewolf: 
Why it is my favorite on the album: Chocobo themes are always amazing and this is no different. GlacialSpoon lends a certain sense of randomness and unpredictability to the piece, like they do with any track they remix. The sheer fun this track exudes makes this my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: With how abruptly the first track ended, it was basically like an aural reset to me and honestly any song on disc 3 could have been placed to take this slot. However, I wanted to hammer home the crazy nature that this third disc would have - crazy, unforeseen remixes that you wouldn't expect given the source tunes and a wide variety of genres all in one disc. Instead of a centralized theme like the other three discs, it was all themes, everywhere, all at once. What better way to exemplify that than to give you mood whiplash after just one track?
What I feel makes it stand apart: Wark! Wark wark waaaaaaaaaark! [Translation: It's awesome! Just listen to it, kupo! Oh, wait... we're not in this game, are we? Kupo...]

Jorito: It's infectious and funky. It's groovy and makes your head nod to the beat. Maybe not the typical things you'd expect from a Chocobo theme, but it's what you get from GlacialSpoon. I wasn't super familiar with his work before this album, so I can't say this remix is typical GlacialSpoon, but I dig both tracks he did. As different as they are, they both have a strong groove and very slick production. Gotta love that vocoded, distinctly electronic "Waaark!" at the end too.

3-03. Deedubs feat. optimizasean, Wurtzel, TSori, CNDR, Travis Kindred - "El Vuelo de los Búhos"
Source: "Timber Owls"

Deedubs: arrangement, trumpet, mixing, production
optimizasean: violin
Wurtzel: trumpet
TSori: trumpet
CNDR: guitar
Travis Kindred: double bass

Deedubs: One of my coworkers several years ago was originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. One day at work, he asked if he could borrow my Bluetooth speaker to play some mariachi music for me. Even though I didn't understand much Spanish, having only studied 2 years in high school, the music resonated with me in a way I didn't expect and I've been a fan of mariachi ever since. Having worked with a number of Hispanic folks in the jobs that I have had in the past, traditional Mexican music was something I had heard a number of times, but I don't think I recall having heard mariachi specifically. My knowledge of it was quite minimal, only being able to name "Mexican Hat Dance" and a few tracks from the Rayman Origins OST. Nowadays, I have a MUCH greater appreciation for it, enjoying famous singers like Vicente Fernandez, Pedro Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, and José Alfredo Jiminez, among others.

"El Vuelo de los Búhos" was mainly inspired by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, particularly their renditions of "Que Bonita Es Mi Tierra", "México de Noche", and one of my all-time favorites, "Sabes Una Cosa". I arranged the original source, "Timber Owls", with the idea that I would have close to a full-size mariachi band: 6 violins, 3 trumpets, a guitar, and a guitarrón or upright bass, leaving out the vihuela as I figured one might be hard to come by, live or sampled. The original idea was also going to include Spanish vocals, but the idea was eventually scrapped. 

I am incredibly appreciative of everyone who contributed their talents to this remix. Shoutout to Sean Harding for recording all three violin parts which I ran through some effects and panning, and subtly bolstered with a string VST to create the Sean Harding Orchestra!

Extra VST sounds were used for violins, guitar, guitarrón, and hand percussion.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I grew up in California and southern areas of that state. There were many Mexicans living in our neighborhood and lots of local events celebrating their culture. I grew up to love this sort of music during my formative years, so imagine my surprise and delight when a piece like this graced the album. That alone makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Hot off the previous Chocobo song, I wanted to keep the upbeat nature of the disc so far (besides the first track), and there seemed to be no better song to follow a quirky Chocobo themed one than this mariachi masterpiece. Deedubs knocked it out of the park once again!
What I feel makes it stand apart: Mariachi - there are other songs similar in terms of Mexican flair, but none that lean hard into the mariachi style of music. This is what gives this track such a fun, happy vibe that makes you want to dance along with it.

Jorito: Talk about flamboyant! I don't typically encounter a lot of mariachi music here in Europe, but I do appreciate it. The mariachi music I heard was always with a smaller group, not with the full ensemble as Deedubs masterfully arranged here. Having so many live performers on the track is definitely a great boon, and I'm glad I could help out a bit with recruiting. The lively trumpets and lush strings definitely add a lot of life to the track. The remix is definitely a more fun and upbeat than the source track; sounds like a place I'd want to live!

3-04. APZX - "Proposition and Clamor"
Source: "Overture"

APZX: The approach for this track was one that was inspired by the disc it was supposed to go on. How does one go about taking a rather straightforward track and making it "crazy"? It took several tries, but the approach was just to try and make it interesting with arps, a proper low end, wandering leads that interleave with one another to make a coherent whole.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes a track that is pretty serious and makes something very crazy different with it. I love vastly different interpretations of a source track where you can still easily pick out the original source melody and that is why it is my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: It's pretty hard to follow a mariachi track with something that could blend tonally, so instead I went with the overall vibe we were getting from the last two tracks and decided to go with a track that would keep us on a happy note. This song fit the bill and continued to maintain our high for a bit longer.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's got that classic "Overture" that everyone is greeted with the moment they boot up the Final Fantasy VIII game. It's clearly recognizable from the start and gives the promises of great things to come!

Jorito: Stylistically, "Overture" reminds me strongly of something I would expect to hear in FF5 or FF6, since it gives off a more traditional vibe and sound. APZX's take on it is a lot more modern and dynamic. The track is rather a smorgasbord of different styles to my ear, with some Jarre influences (especially in the intro), Italo inspiration, and trance vibes all backed up by EDM and breakbeat drums. And since it has a lot of key changes and transitions in it, it never sits still in one place for too long and keeps on moving, eager to let you go explore and go on adventure. Fitting for one of the very first songs you hear in the game!

3-05. MkVaff - "Willing Sacrifice"
Source: "A Sacrifice"

MkVaff: I can't say I was the biggest fan of Final Fantasy VIII as a game, but regardless of my thoughts on my gameplay experience, the title did have some amazing visuals and music. I was drawn to how creepy and foreboding the original song was, and wanted to be sure to retain some of that feel in this piece.

As well, I just *can't* ignore my soul's desire for something you can at least bob your head to a little bit, so I wanted to create a beat for the track that felt a little bit creepy, old, and in line with the rest of the music.

It took me a while and many revisions to get this song to a point that I would consider "complete", but I hope that the final product itself takes listeners on a journey the same way the process of creation did for me.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've always loved MkVaff's work. These sorts of sorceress tracks were never a complete standout for me personally when listening to the original soundtrack, but when I heard that beat drop partway into the song, I knew we had something special and it quickly became my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: After three tracks of high energy, we needed to bring it back down a notch and give our ears a breather with something different and to re-emphasis the sorceress vibe we started the disc with. This felt a perfect choice five songs into the third disc. That and the way it ends, to me, provides another aural reset that could be followed up by just about any other song and genre.
What I feel makes it stand apart: All the extra distortions mixed with the almost innocent-sounding instruments on display here give it a sense of unease, like something is not quite right when listening. It does its job of putting you off-kilter while still delivering a nice beat.

Jorito: 
When MkVaff said he wanted to create something you can at least bob your head to a bit with a remix of "A Sacrifice", he wasn't lying. While the first minute is a bit more traditional and conservative and serves as a build up for things to come, once the drop hits, the track is definitely propelled forward by a strong groove in the drums and bass. And indeed, it does make my head bob to the beat. It's a good bit less dramatic sounding than the source track, and instead evokes a more chill yet eerie vibe. Sounds like a slightly odd combination perhaps, but it works like a (sorceress's) charm.
 
3-06. CNDR feat. Gamer of the Winds, Jorito - "El Gran Salar"
Source: "The Salt Flats"

CNDR: arrangement, guitar, rainstick, production
Gamer of the Winds: piccolo
Jorito: VSTs, mixing

CNDR: Inspired in large part by the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, I wanted to do an arrangement that pulls from the Andean folk music I grew up with. Got to play around a fair bit with different rhythm patterns, which Gamer of the Winds was a good sport about.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: This one took some time to grow on me, especially since I was a fan of "The Salt Flats" as a source tune. However, the more I listened to it, the more I appreciated the reserved, yet unique take, done on the original melody. It truly feels like a dance you could conceivably see nomadic tribes perform as they live out their harsh lives amongst the Salt Flats and this visual idea in my mind helps make it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Let's face it, the way this song starts, it was hard to tie it into a previous track where it would be a smooth transition. So I needed a song that ended on a "reset" of sorts so that it could slide in effortlessly and not take listeners out of the album with an awkward transition. In the end, I'm happy of the spot I put this track in - if "Willing Sacrifice" brought our energy levels down a bit, this chill folk dance song kept us there.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The minimalist nature of this song, alongside the intimate nature of its sound and recording, gives it a feel all its own that is vastly different from the tracks that have come before and the ones selected to go after it. It's a moment of tranquility amongst tracks that include way more instrumentation.

Jorito: When I heard the first version of CNDR's take on "The Salt Flats", it immediately sounded like a very distinct, unique take on the -- to my ears rather boring -- source track. Definitely in a genre and style you don't typically hear in a VGM remix. But that's the type of stuff I love, and also what OCR is all about. The rhythms are interesting, the performances lively, and the small-scale arrangement does a great job of conveying an intimate vibe of street musicians just jamming together. Once the arrangement was fully fleshed out and all the parts recorded, I had the pleasure of mixing this track for CNDR and replacing some of his VSTs since he lacked the suitable tools and environment to do it himself. Hope I did it justice!

3-07. colorado weeks feat. Chromatic Apparatus, Flake, Shea's Violin - "A Scar to Match"
Source: "Rivals"

colorado weeks: arrangement, mixing, production
Chromatic Apparatus: cello
Flake: accordion
Shea's Violin: violin

colorado weeks: This is my remix of the song "Rivals" from Final Fantasy VIII, which was created for the album Final Fantasy VIII: SeeDs of Pandora. Seifer is a character who's brash, impulsive, and wears his heart on his sleeve; I wanted to reflect those qualities when approaching the arrangement of this track. The original "Rivals" is a brooding track that has a subtle undercurrent of seething jealousy. In my arrangement, I wanted to bring those emotions to the forefront and scream them from the rooftops. With all of this in mind, I chose to arrange this piece as a tango. It's a firey, passionate genre, and the theatricality of it felt appropriate for a character that's in pursuit of their "romantic dream".

Speaking of theatricality, I really wanted to lean into the dramatics of this piece. I did my best to push the envelope of "over-the-top" wherever I could in the arrangement, almost as if this was a dramatic retelling of the opening duel from Seifer Almasy's perspective. The title "A Scar to Match" seeks to reflect that, and is intentionally ambiguous; however accurate this retelling may be could be left up to interpretation.

This piece was filled with firsts. This was my first time writing a tango, and I quickly learned about the wide gap between familiarity with a genre as a listener and actually sitting down to compose the dang thing. Moreover, this was my first time collaborating with other musicians: Flake (on accordion), Chromatic Apparatus (on cello), and Shea (on violin) were gracious enough to lend their talents to this piece, and provided plenty of feedback about the arrangement and performance.

Special thanks to Shea, Chromatic Apparatus, and Flake for their contributions, and to the album organizers Darkflamewolf and Jorito for facilitating all of this. I am so thankful for all of their contributions, suggestions, and their patience. I couldn't have pulled this off without all of you!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The original source tune was very dark, very grim, and, overall, not a very melodic piece to listen to. However, it appears that shifting it over to a tango was the perfect choice and truly inspired. This turned a track that was not exactly iconic from the OST and made something novel out of it, and that quickly turned it to be my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Continuing our small set of dance-like songs, we move on to a different genre with the tango. We go from folk dance to this and the drum roll at the start helps that transition in the best way. With the percussion and drums that are prevalent throughout this song, it helps build an aural foreshadowing of the next song in sequence which uses those as the foundation of its soundscape.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This song being a tango already makes it stand apart from anything else on the album. It's got such a unique sound and it goes hard in the direction it has chosen.

Jorito: colorado hopped in the album Discord one day, saying something like "Uhm, could I claim 'Rivals'? I'm feeling like it could work as a tango and I'm not sure I can pull it off, but I'll give it a try." I'd say it was a success. It's not every day that you hear a VGM remix as a tango, especially not one with many live instruments. While the source has a bit of a darker undertone and a lot of tension, to me "A Scar to Match" is a much lighter track, yet also more dramatic and flamboyant and oozes style. For a track with a lot of firsts, I'd say it worked out great!

3-08. Bluelighter - "The Oscar Goes to Laguna Loire"
Sources: "Slide Show Part 1", "Slide Show Part 2"

Bluelighter: Here is an orchestra track I've made on "Slide Show Part 1 & 2", made some years ago at the beginning of the album project. As with my arrangement of "Treno" FFIX, I wanted to give an orchestra dimension to a piano track. This arrangement sounds like a march band at the beginning and the end. And the middle parts get closer with some movie soundtracks. For the title, I've imagined a ceremony broken by some film extracts, hence the idea of the Oscar.

Enjoy! 

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The first Bluelighter song I heard for the album and indeed one of the first to be completed for it. I've always liked this style of remix from them and this just seemed to build upon everything they've done before into a beautiful culmination of song with quirky elements that reminds us of Laguna Loire, making it my favorite!
Why I placed it in the order I did: Hot off the use of drums and percussion of the previous track, it formed a nice bridge to begin bombastically into this song. Except for the middle portion, which was more cinematic, this big orchestra song did have an air of dance-like quality, completing our trifecta of nice dance tunes for this section of disc 3. 
What I feel makes it stand apart: The big band orchestra-like nature of this track, combined with its center section which contrasts heavily with the beginning and end of this song, you can't say it doesn't have variety and a sound all its own.

Jorito: This was the very first song that was finished for the album. As I listen to this, I can hear the sound of a film roll in a camera in my mind, a bit like what you'd get with silent movies. And I think it makes sense, as Bluelighter's remix is doing a lot of storytelling through music, with each section representing a different chapter in a story. I wouldn't call it an orchestral track per se -- it has more a carnival vibe to me personally -- but it's a good translation of the ragtime style of the source track. A good combination of more lighthearted segments and a more serious, tense middle section make this an interesting musical listening experience.

3-09. DJ Orange feat. Gamer of the Winds - "Night Shift"
Source: "Jailed"

DJ Orange: arrangement, fretless bass, mixing, production
Gamer of the Winds: alto flute

DJ Orange: I'm sure this BGM is lodged in the brain of every FFVIII player. Not sure what inspired Uematsu to write this melody, but it keeps hitting the major 7th on a minor chord, which is annoying, unless you are in a noir setting of some kind. Also, the harmony is a quintessential minor jazz vamp. So there you go, a weird filler track becomes jazz noir. I may have gotten a bit carried away with inserting original ideas, but I feel this is a track where you can use 100% of the source, and still have lots of room for improvisation. Special thanks to Gamer of the Winds for the alto flute comping! I did my best with the fretless bass.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It just has a smooth, chill vibe that takes a track that is, let's face it, quite annoying when playing through the game and this song is playing ad nauseum in the background. And the sections this song does play, they last a fairly long bit of gameplay time too and deal with less than happy circumstances for our characters. So, for DJ Orange to take something like that and make it into something I'd want to hear over and over again of my own volition, that takes skill and glorious inspiration and thus earned the spot of being my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: After a series of fairly active and fun dance-like songs, I wanted to bring it down a notch to relax our ears a bit. Not only that, but this track was an extremely hard one to place. Jazz noir didn't seem to play nice with other tracks when placing this one in between. I needed a track that had a solid fade-out which "Oscar Goes to Laguna Loire" provided and I needed a track following after that was in direct opposition to everything this one established. It was one of the last tracks ordered towards the end of the process and the fading footsteps at the end provided that nice transition to the insanity that was to come next.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This evokes the feeling of watching a hotshot detective navigating through a crime scene and narrating his own thoughts throughout the process of his investigation. This is a unique piece that takes its time to flesh out its atmosphere and let you dwell in it for a spell before gracefully bowing out to the next track in sequence.

Jorito: One day, DJ Orange stopped by with a pretty far fleshed out WIP of "Jailed", stating "I haven't claimed anything yet, I first want to see if this meets the criteria first." It definitely met criteria, and we immediately suggested he claim and finish it. From the get-go, I was immediately getting private detective film noir or spy movie vibes from the remix! DJ Orange seems to have had a lot of fun playing around with and turning in into an interesting remix. It oozes style and is a very smooth listening experience overall. It's a fun listen that keeps developing and is just a very fresh take on the source. And a lot less boring than the source, what more could you want?

3-10. HeavyViper - "OH!! DEKA-DE-JAZZ-DE-CHOCOBO ~ Dirty Contacts Mix"
Source: "Odeka ke Chocobo"

HeavyViper: I come from a chipmusic background; I taught myself how to sequence in trackers so I could make music for FM synth soundchips. So, it should be no surprise I picked "Odeka de Chocobo" to remix.

The original is a very simple track, essentially a straight rendition of the classic, whimsical "Chocobo" theme. I knew from the start I wanted to do something fairly transformative with it, but I also wanted to retain the chipmusic sound to keep it somewhat recognisable. I pictured a game system malfunctioning while playing music or a game, gradually getting worse over time. I also pictured human performers trying their best to keep time with this machine that was clearly on the way out, and getting frustrated while doing so. At some point, I decided to do a jazz breakdown as well, so I guess someone managed to fix it halfway through. At least for a little while.

All in all, this is definitely one of the more unusual pieces I've made. I thought it was a pretty funny idea, so I hope that humour comes through in the track. The original track makes me smile - it'd be great if this take on it makes people laugh.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes a song from the OST that is actually quite grating on the ears, but then runs away with it to make something crazy fun and listenable! Kudos to HeavyViper for remixing this one to be my favorite!
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was basically the halfway mark of the entire third disc of Trabia and with the way this track ends abruptly, it provided the perfect staging ground to follow it up with basically anything I wanted. Since I was having a hard time figuring out where "For a Few Draws More" should be ordered, this "reset" provided the ideal opening to place it there. I feel this track also marks a dividing line for disc 3 where everything before it was not as crazy and experimental as all the tracks that are to follow after are.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Insanity. Pure Insanity. The unpredictable chiptune nature of the track. 'Nuff said.

Jorito: I think I called HeavyViper a madman multiple times with this crazy (in a great way) track. It's literally all over the place. Talk about embracing the crazy theme of the disc and taking it to the next level! I can definitely see how having dirty contacts would make the soundchips go crazy while trying to play back this track. Since I'm a sucker for chiptunes and jazz swing, that also makes it an instant win in my book. Despite the madness of the track, it's also actually a solid and enjoyable piece of music in its own right. Definitely a bit tongue-in-cheek, but a classy and solid attempt at it for sure! 

3-11. Flake feat. Sorven, Audio Mocha, Cyril the Wolf, dpMusicman, ZackParrish, Ian Martyn, Calem Destiny, Hemophiliac, Lucas Guimaraes, Treyt, TSori - "For a Few Draws More"
Source: "The Mission"

Flake: arrangement, jaw harp, whistling, recorder, banjo, harmonica, lyrics, vocals, mixing, production
Cyril the Wolf: acoustic guitar
Audio Mocha: electric guitar
dpMusicman: snare drum
TSori: trumpet
Sorven: trumpet
ZackParrish: strings
Ian Martyn: vocals
Calem Destiny: vocals
Hemophiliac: vocals
Lucas Guimaraes: vocals
Treyt: vocals

Flake: "For a Few Draws More" takes FFVIII's "The Mission" and transports it back to the Wild West, drawing inspiration from Spaghetti Western master Ennio Morricone to reimagine the infamous train heist scene from the game. The arrangement adapts the original tune to a unique instrumentation, embellishing the melody and molding the harmony to better fit the Western theme, while also taking some vocal cues from in-game dialogue.

I've been following OCR since the early 2000s, and I'm happy to finally contribute my first arrangement 20 years later! A big thank you to Cyril the Wolf, Audio Mocha, dpMusicman, Sorven, TSori, ZackParrish, Ian Martyn, Calem Destiny, Hemophiliac, Lucas Guimaraes, and Treyt for providing their performances to this project.

Cyril the Wolf: I'm love doing acoustic guitar work (as you can likely tell from my own arrangement entry on the album) and I'd done some work for Flake before. Was nice to just do some all out Western scrubbin'.

ZackParrish: Didn't contribute much... just provided access to a better string library and fine tuned the part as needed.

Ian Martyn: Always enjoy chanting!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I love the Spaghetti Western genre and, ever since Deedubs did a fantastic rendition of one for the Arcadia Legends album I directed, I've always been on the look-out to include another song just like it in a future album I'm a part of. So, when Flake came to us to pitch this track, I was immediately on board and loved all aspects of it. Throw in a deep-cut reference to the red/blue guard mini-game during the mission and you got this track being my favorite!
Why I placed it in the order I did: The great reset of track 10 for the Trabia disc, combined with the goofy, quirky nature of it, paved the way for this track to immediately follow up. It really wasn't a choice and more of an imperative that this be placed after the "Odeka ke Chocobo" remix!
What I feel makes it stand apart: Spaghetti Western on an album with a huge dearth of it. Need I say more? It makes an impression on you.

Jorito: I'm a sucker for Spaghetti Western, it's such a great style to work in and embrace the cliches and run with it. I remember doing it for my own Skies of Arcadia track, and having Flake's track as another point of reference showing the things I missed or didn't do as well was fun. With a lot of live instruments, all in the classic Ennio Morricone style, vocal chants, mouth harps, it definitely evokes the feels of the Wild West, and it's easy to imagine this classic FF8 train scene in a Western setting. From experience, I can say it's not always easy to try and cram in *all* the Morricone ideas and still keep things flowing well and clean and crisp, but I think Flake did a great job in giving us a seamless experience that tells a story through music.

3-12. Jean Of mArc - "Still Under Her Control, But with New Management"
Source: "Under Her Control"

Jean Of mArc: Setting out to compose a remix of "Under Her Control", I had no idea what style it would be. I mean, what kind of music does one make when under someone else's control?

I decided to make a sketch just using my voice for the music and sound effects, intending it to be stand-in for the real music. But it ended up creating a track in its own a capella style. AND IT WORKED!

Well, kind of. Actually, not really.

It was really hard for me to do all the parts vocally, as my singing range is at the lower end. Things weren't really going in a direction I was happy with, and I wanted to ditch it.

And that's exactly what I did. I PUT IT IN THE SHREDDER!

In an alternate timeline.

But in THIS timeline, Jorito & Darkflamewolf came to the rescue! They suggested I start a new track, but keep all the best parts of the a capella mix I had so far. 

So I ended up throwing my vocals in a food processor with chiptune SFX, electric bass, synthetic saxophone, Berlin drums, 80s synths, breakbeats, and squeaky toys.

AND I CREATED... well, this. It's weird and kind of hard to explain.

Just listen to it. If you like it, you can thank Jorito & Darkflamewolf for its existence. And if you don't like it, you can blame me, because I made it.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The oddball choice to include a cappella was glorious. It elevated this track to new heights and made it so memorable. My favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Since we're on a roll with remixes taken in new, unexpected directions, why not continue the trend? That's why this was placed after a Spaghetti Western.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The acappella elements really make this stand out. Combined with chiptune elements and some soft, but sick beats and you get a track that won't be forgotten anytime soon!

Jorito: Jean Of mArc's track "Blue Magic" from the Terranigma album I co-directed is still a favorite of mine, so I was very happy we managed to get Jean on board for this album as well. Originally, he wanted to create a pure a capella track, but, due to vocal and time constraints, that idea turned out to be not feasible. When we suggested to Jean to maybe re-use what he already made and take it into a new direction, he jumped on that idea and ran with it. The final result? An eclectic mix of a capella, groove, and style with a hint of wackiness that is definitely an unexpected take on the source. Also gotta dig the title. It was originally a working title, but when we suggested it was a cool track title and also reflected the interesting change in direction, Jean was on board with it. And the rest, as they say, is history. I'm glad Jean persevered and gifted the world with this memorable remix.

3-13. SirCorn feat. TSori, Dewey Newt, donut - "Weary Waltz"
Source: "Unrest"

SirCorn: arrangement, production, mixing
TSori: trumpet, flugelhorn
Dewey Newt: trombone, euphonium
donut: bass clarinet

SirCorn: The source material for this track ("Unrest") is a loose, free form, flowing cascade of synths and melodically sparse outside of the motifs of the electric bass. I thought it would be fun to take the chord progression and write around the extended chord quality (minor 6th chords) and write vamps in the style of a chamber music ensemble. The mixed wind voices coupled with the marimba created a steady pulse, much unlike the source. I took a lot of creative liberties with original melodic material based around the harmonic progression to feature the flugelhorn and made it a point to use the closing chord stack from the source as a destination for the piece. 

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It's not everyday you hear a brass ensemble tackling a track like this. It's got a melancholy feel that is very evocative and deep, securing its place in my heart as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was literally the last song placed in the four disc ordering. I struggled a lot on figuring out where to place it and even now, after it's all said and done, I'm still not sure if I'm fully happy with its placement, but I can find no slot better than the spot it's occupying right now. However, given how the previous song ended on a similar pitch to how this one starts and the following one, "Into the Singularity", begins with a horn as well, it provided a nice throughline to where this track could be placed and shine.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This is the only strictly brass ensemble on the entire album. That and combined with its short, but sweet runtime and you got a memorable little song.

Jorito: The source track is short and doesn't have much material to work with. That always made it not an easy track to remix. The approach that SirCorn took was to simply take the chord progression and add some vamps and melodic lines over it. Where the source track evokes a sense of tension, of unease, with a bit of mellow vibe added by the bass, SirCorn's remix is a lot more upbeat and less dark. Since SirCorn provided a further track breakdown in one of his comments to us, let me quote that here verbatim:

"A far as source goes, I composed it almost 1-to-1 against the harmonic progression of the source, picked out the bassline and melody for the stringed instrument, and reimagined the piece as a waltz, using rhythmical accompaniment in place of dreamy synths and embellished melodies for the progression for the flugelhorn. You can hear the trombone and euphonium quoting the source about halfway through the piece and the cascading arpeggio at the end is the source's lead outro followed by the final chord stack. It's an original melody. The bass clarinet follows a lot of the harmonic progression of the source (which is just m6 chords moving around) and the melodies and harmonies are based around that."

While some people might struggle a bit to link it to the source and label it as a remix, at the very least it's a proper homage, inspired by "Unrest" and it works as a short 'n sweet piece of music, in my book. 

3-14. Sirenstar feat. Jorito - "Into the Singularity"
Source: "Compression of Time"

Sirenstar: arrangement, vocals, lyrics, production
Jorito: mixing, production, percussion, effects

Sirenstar: I've been obsessed with this track since FF8's first PS1 release. It's all "F your tonality/harmony, gently place into dumpster while you do a bunch of tritones and parallel fifths (aka crime). But make it fashion." Yeah, sign me up.

So, you may be asking yourself, "What else was Sirenstar doing in 1999?" The answer is, getting into J-rock but also listening to Adiemus Greatest Hits on repeat. 

Eternally grateful to Jorito for coming on board to mix and help refine the arrangement, all while he's been co-chairing the entire album. He has produced a total of 58328063854784 arrangements though so it was just another day for him. XD If you recall the Terranigma album from a few years ago, he was like "Yeah, I feel like making some synthwave", and then suddenly *Miami 1984 sunset grid lines palm trees intensifies*. 

Normally, I'm a very lyrics-forward composer, but, for this arrangement, I wanted the song structure to take center stage. I haven't worked with glossolalia much before, so I wondered what I was going to "say" exactly. The answer was pretty simple -- "When are you?" Because, TBH, when is anyone, LOL.

As for the ending, a gentle reminder from myself and the album chairs to please not Compress the Time; nobody wants that and now we have to fix it, no thanks to you.

Jorito: Natalie has collaborated with me on a few tracks over the past few years, and it was high time I returned the favor. She had an idea for an arrangement of "Compression of Time", and already tried it a few times herself before, but needed a hand to help execute it. So I offered to help her out by mixing it and sprinkling some production magic fairy dust on her track to make her vision come to life.

Somewhere along the line came the idea to add some static to the track, as a kind of compression of time noise. I took that idea and ran with it, adding all kinds of static, distortion, glitching, and reverse samples to make one of the weirdest endings of a track I ever did. Fun!

Hope you like it, and I'm stoked that Natalie finally has her vision realized and her track released!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The recurring vocal line along with the strong singing from Sirenstar combined with the feeling of creepy otherworld-ness laced throughout and ending on an uncertain static are reasons that quickly earned it my favorite spot.
Why I placed it in the order I did: I needed a place to put "Concédeme Un Momento" without it sounding awkward in transition from the song previous and we were running out of songs that could give me that "reset" in how they ended. This song was one of the last few selected for the Trabia disc to give me that and it was high time to go on an epic journey into the cosmos after the brass ensemble piece.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It has such an epic, ethereal quality sprinkled with a sense of existential dread of the unknown that it just hits that eldritch creep factor that so few songs achieve. 

3-15. CNDR feat. Earth Kid, Chris Kohler, Jorito - "Concédeme Un Momento"
Source: "Eyes on Me"

CNDR: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, guitar, production
Earth Kid: vocals
Chris Kohler: trumpet
Jorito: mixing, upright bass

CNDR: I wanted to do "Eyes on Me" as a ranchera valseada, along the lines of Vicente Fernández's live duets with Ana Gabriel. It was fun working with Earth Kid and Chris Kohler on this one, they brought a lot of warmth and personality to the project.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It took a few listens before I truly appreciated this track and it all "clicked" for me. The song is intimate and intense. The back and forth of the male and female vocalists blend so harmoniously when they sing the chorus together. I love it when remixers take chances and go outside the bounds of expectation to deliver something wholly different and unique. Kudos to the performers for making this take on "Eyes on Me" my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: After the eldritch horror of the unknown, we needed to come back to reality and ground ourselves in the world with a love song. What better way to recover from Time Compression than to believe in the love that you share with another? Believe in your friends and they'll believe in you!
What I feel makes it stand apart: A Spanish love song duet of the iconic "Eyes on Me" vocal track from Final Fantasy VIII. I think this is going to stand out pretty well to many listeners.

Jorito: When CNDR casually dropped a rough WIP in the album Discord stating "Hey, I threw this together, should I continue?", I really dug the direction he took this in, and of course that meant Darkflamewolf and I wanted to try and get it finished and on the album. It's not often that you hear a well-known and beloved VGM song with vocals translated to Spanish and in this particular style. As luck would have it, CNDR could sing the male vocals himself, and in Earth Kid we had another Spanish vocalist available for the female part. Add some trumpets and acoustic guitar and you have a neat little and special package, quite unique in its way and in the VGM community, I think.

3-16. Lucas Guimaraes feat. Dionté George, dpMusicman, thebitterroost, MegadudeXD - "Deling City Nights"
Source: "Galbadia Garden"

Lucas Guimaraes: arrangement, production, mixing
Dionté George: saxophone
dpMusicman: piano
thebitterroost: drums
MegadudeXD: additional drums

Lucas Guimaraes: Sometimes, I go into a song having a genre in mind. Other times, I let the song guide me. Since I was on a tight deadline, I let the song guide me. The whole song pointed to jazz. The drums felt like something out of a spy movie. The bass felt like it belonged in a jazz standard. The chords itched for some (minor) reharmonization. I wanted to go short and sweet both to fit the genre and because I've been practicing doing more in less time. Hearing multiple people say they wish this lasted longer felt incredible.

While this is derivative of the source (similar to JohnStacy's "Reflecting Pool" (https://youtu.be/pcxrPNbBCrM), except with the tempo sped up), I wanted to be faithful to both the bebop genre and "Galbadia Garden". It was a hard balance to strike, but I feel subtle nods to the original track the whole way through and lowering the BPM from bebop tracks (bebop is usually 300 BPM+) helped find that compromise. The track also does a good job teasing you for more, while throwing in some amazing musicianship makes for a short and sweet track leaving everyone wanting a little more.

Thanks to Dionté George for contributing an AMAZING saxophone lead, dpMusicman for the wonderful piano that has so many parts that fit well, thebitterroost for doing an amazing job on those drums, and MegadudeXD for some extra drum fills.

Source breakdown:

0:23-0:46: Both the saxophone and the vibraphone are playing the main melody. The bass is also carrying the original bassline.
0:46-1:09: While the tenor saxophone completes the first solo, the marimba is playing the bass part from the original song
1:09-1:32: The vibraphone is playing the original main melody along with the tenor saxophone again
1:32-1:55: The tenor saxophone completes the second solo while the marimba is playing the bass part again; this time doubled an octave to be heard better among the chaos
1:55-2:18: The saxophone plays the original melody until about 2:07 and slowly transitions to doing its own thing. The marimba is playing the bass, but this time in one octave. This is because the upright bass is also back to the original bass part. The vibraphone is also playing the original melody the whole way through.

MegadudeXD: My contribution for this track was the drums. Some of the recordings were live acoustic drums provided by another performer, while I provided virtual drum recordings using my electronic drum kit as a controller and a combination of drum VSTs. I have a strong love for jazz, so the time I've spent listening to and performing jazz over the years was a strong influence in the bebop style I recorded for this track.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I do love jazz and I miss those days I could just sit in a nightclub and just let the music wash over me as they barreled on in their instrumental solos while the rest accompanied them on a long-winding journey that could last hours. I was one of those people who said this should have been longer, because it hit all the right notes for me and secured its spot as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: I wanted to have the next song start minimal after such a beautiful love duet, but then shift into something more upbeat after that. This song helped provide me that beautifully seamless transition between songs. With the succinct and abrupt end, this also flowed nicely into a heavy thumping beat that begins the next track.
What I feel makes it stand apart: We have a few jazz-type songs on the album, but none quite as "swingy" as this nor as meandering. It'll probably also stand apart because of how short it is compared to other jazz songs of this nature - making you wish it had continued on for far longer than what we got. Great piece!

Jorito: This was definitely a last-minute addition to the album. Lucas popped in a few days before the final deadline, with 4 rough MIDI mockups, of which we picked "Galbadia Garden" as a key track that we'd love to have on the album. And because the arrangement was envisioned as a bebop track that also made it interesting, not something you hear every day. I think Lucas managed to wrap up the arrangement, recruit collaborators, and mix it in just two days. The live instruments definitely add a lively vibe to the entire piece, and since it's jazz, it's pretty free-flowing and interpretive with the source material. Definitely a lot more lively than the rather sombre, sinister source material.

3-17. Vylent - "A Wounded Spy"
Sources: "The Spy", "Wounded"

Vylent: I came across a Smash Bros. meme video with a pretty catchy disco tune that I sleuthed (read the comments) to find. I became a little obsessed and wanted to emulate the style, this track was the result of that endeavor.

I wanted to keep it in the realm of the 80s, so I used (mostly) classic sounds. The melodic arpeggiating synth was a Journey-inspired Jupiter-8 sample, the loud bass a DX7 sample, and the drum and orchestral hit samples were from Korg Wavestate hardware. The cheesy vocals are completely AI from a fantastic piece of software, Synthesizer V. 

As for the creation process, it was pretty straightforward given that I already had an idea of where to go. I grabbed the melody, changed the rhythms, and added some 80s garnishments. I didn't think of stuffing in "Wounded" until the tail end of the project, it ended up blending really well!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Those lyrics really sold me on the track. It would have been a perfectly fine track without, but the AI cheese vocals really added something to this track and provided it that flair that was needed to make the song my favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: We only have a few more songs left to order and place in the third disc for Trabia Garden and they weren't as beat heavy as this one was and it needed to go somewhere! The way it ended on the trailing note, when swapping back and forth between the end of this song and the beginning of "Succession of Magical Girls", it just felt like a natural fit.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The thumping beat mixed with the catchy vocals. Add in some "Wounded" and you got yourself a neat little song that you'll remember long after it ends its short runtime.

Jorito: I always enjoyed "The Spy" as a piece of game music, with its cheesy wah guitar licks and the 70s spy/cop movie vibes, because it stood out from the rest of the OST with its distinct style. In a similar way, Vylent's take on it also stands on with a distinct style that, to me, sounds like something Giorgio Moroder would write. It uses similar cheesy tropes, just in a disco style, and that works well for this track. The AI lyrics seal the deal, both tonally and lyrically.

3-18. Warp Whistles Music feat. Becky Reid, John Bishop - "Succession of Magical Girls"
Source: "Succession of Witches"

donut (Warp Whistles Music): arrangement, clarinet, bass clarinet, production, mixing
lobby (Warp Whistles Music): flute
John Bishop: marimba
Becky Reid: glockenspiel
Jorito: mixing

donut: What if Edea received Ultimecia's sorceress powers not as an adult but rather as a young teenage girl? I looked to reimagine the track as a more youthful piece - replacing the foreboding Gothic feel with a curiosity into a world unknown. I sought to tone down the harshness of the original harpsichord with a warmer marimba as the basis and woodwind instruments leading Edea's transformation. After all, what destiny awaits a magical girl as she grows up but to become a witch?

Fabulous live performances by Becky and John on glockenspiel and marimba, as well as my sister Leann on flute representing a young Edea.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes a creepy song and gives it an air of innocence and wonder to it. That and it has the glockenspiel, swiftly putting it as my favorite track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: I put this track in front of "Heresy" because of the way it ends. It ends on what seems like an uncertain note - like: is this power I received something that'll be good for me or will it make people fear and hate me? That sort of emotion felt like a natural flow into the next song of "Smooth Heretic" - fitting as follow-up track titles go.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Employing lesser-used instruments like the marimba and glockenspiel, it creates an aural landscape that is unique to itself.

Jorito: I've come to known donut as a big cat lover, and it was no surprise when she originally wanted to take "Maybe I'm a Lion" and turn it into a cute, inappropriate, and tongue-in-cheek arrangement called "Maybe I'm a Kitten". Sadly that didn't happen, but instead we got an arrangement of "Succession of Witches" in a woodwind ensemble combined with percussion (marimba and glockenspiel), all performed live. The original version of this track is rather dark and ominous, as is proper for an antagonist theme about witches. donut takes it into a different, more lighthearted territory with a sprinkling of magic while yet still retaining some ominous moments. Turned out rather neat and I enjoy the interplay between the various instruments. I've helped donut out with some last mixing touch-ups before on a track, and I was happy I could contribute to this track in a similar fashion again.

3-19. KaS - "Smooth Heretic"
Source: "Heresy"

KaS: I chose "Heresy" to remix for SeeDs of Pandora because I liked the idea of taking a more minimal source, and building more complex harmonies over the basic (but dark) ones present in "Heresy" (while still maintaining the Phrygian mode use). Additionally, I liked the idea of turning the harsher source into something smoother. I anchored it to the source using the piano ostinato and the bass. I'd describe it as a sort of dark jazz influence. Was very fun working on the harmonies, especially in the third quarter!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It feels like it's in minor key, yet it has a feeling of being major key in its "happiness" in how it presents itself - like yeah, sorceresses are known heretics, but they are proud of this and rather embrace this notion. A concept that I love and marks this track as a favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was placed after "Succession of Magical Girls" as explained before and that it came before the last track of disc 3, because "We Are the Winners" was always slated to be the final track of the Trabia disc. This just ended up being the penultimate track right before it.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's hard to describe what makes this unique compared to the rest of the album, but the dark jazz influence with the swapping of what seems like minor/major key shifts (at least to a casual listener's perspective, who knows very little about music theory), helps the song be memorable.

Jorito: "Heresy" is one of those tracks on the OST that I personally always found quite boring and forgettable. KaS's take, a smooth, grooving swing jazz take on it, is definitely a lot more palatable to my ears, and also a lot more enjoyable. Short 'n sweet, less bombastic/dramatic and more lighthearted fun with a few extra licks and parts added in to spice it up, I dig.

3-20. Jorito feat. Numoon, Sirenstar, TSori, Dewey Newt, Cyril the Wolf - "We Are the Winners"
Source: "The Winner"

Jorito: arrangement, lyrics, guitar, production, mixing
Numoon: lyrics, rap (Raijin)
Sirenstar: lyrics, vocals (Fujin)
Cyril the Wolf: vocals (Seifer)
Dewey Newt: trombone
TSori: trumpet

Jorito: This track kinda started out as a joke, with Darkflamewolf, Natalie (Sirenstar), and me brainstorming a bit about a potential rap track. We were asking ourselves what it'd be like if the Balamb Garden disciplinary committee (consisting out of Raijin, Fujin, and Seifer) would corner Squall and his party somewhere and do a bit of a taunting rap battle, in the vein of those Epic Rap Battles of History some people might remember from earlier YouTube days. Sounded like an interesting and a bit silly, crazy idea, and, of course, that's exactly what's needed to get me on board.

After evaluating the available tracks, we selected the "Victory Fanfare" as something that could potentially work as a 90s-inspired hip-hop rap track. I quickly laid down some foundation by resampling the original "Fanfare" and chopping it up with some oldskool production techniques (a lot of fun to relearn that) and turned the pretty repetitive remainder of the source track into the backdrop for rap and other vocals.

I already managed to cast Natalie as Fujin, who, apart from uttering angry single syllables in the game, seems to have a hidden talent for some epic Fergie-style vocals. Finding somebody who could write appropriate rap lyrics and perform them was a bit more difficult, but with some help I managed to find Jamey (Numoon), who also did an epic job on performing as Raijin, with just the right amount of taunt and philosophical meandering, ya know? Lastly, Cyril completes the Disciplinary Committee as Seifer, and while his appearance is brief, it does make quite the impact. ;)

Originally, the track featured a resampled and chopped up version of the original game's music, but of course that's not acceptable for an OC ReMix album. I recreated the entire fanfare part and managed to recruit TSori on trumpet and Dewey Newt on trombone to perform the parts and fill out the team. Managed to sneak in a quick guitar and bass recording in I did myself as well to round out the last parts.

All in all this was a very interesting track to tackle and I'm really proud of what we've managed to create. Big thanks again to all my collaborators, this track wouldn't exist without you!

Numoon: As a retro gamer and rapper, I actually never played FF8. I did extensive research and let the feel guide my lyrics.

Sirenstar: Inspired by 90s hip-hop and the Natalie Portman rap. :D

Cyril the Wolf: Jorito has asked me for voice overs before, so, when he needed someone to be an irritated Seifer, I was more than happy to join in. I never thought of myself as a VO person, but it seems to be something I can do. :)

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: An idea I tossed around with Jorito that he ultimately ended up tackling! I loved seeing this idea come to life and the final result has got to be my favorite track on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: From the moment of hearing this track, it was a no-brainer. It was going on the goofy disc, Trabia. There was also no question that it would end out the entire disc, especially after hearing how the song ended with Seifer cutting the entire song off - seemed like a hilarious and brilliant way to round out the third disc. One last bit of fun and giggles before we launch into the next and final disc, Pandora, where things get a lot more serious and epic.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's the only rap song on the entire album. I gotta love it for that. It takes the lyrics and makes them applicable to the in-game world and characters, which just makes this song all the more special to me.

4-01. HeavenWraith feat. JoyDreamer, Bonnie Bogovich, The Vodoú Queen, Ian Martyn, colorado weeks - "Voces Maledictionis et Spei: Children Fated to Lead"
Source: "Liberi Fatali"

HeavenWraith: arrangement, piano, vocals, guitar, production, mixing
JoyDreamer: vocals
Bonnie Bogovich: vocals
The Vodoú Queen: vocals
Ian Martyn: vocals
colorado weeks: vocals

HeavenWraith: It's been increasingly hard to describe what is the inspiration of my works, as eventually it just becomes an amalgamation of various artists I appreciated over time and music production experience I accumulated. One of the more easy to define influences are those of the first minute of the track - "The Colossus" and "Nightmare in the Den" from Final Fantasy X-2.

JoyDreamer: Thanks to HeavenWraith for allowing me to be part of this and Jorito for recommending me. I hope my voice could elevate the track just a tiny bit. :)

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Ever since coming back to Final Fantasy when playing Final Fantasy VIII on the PC, this song and the accompanying intro cinematic was burned into my mind. This was and is such an iconic track that it needed an equally kick-ass rendition to do it justice. It was almost funny, over half a year went by with no one even touching or claiming the song until HeavenWraith rolled in to take charge and give us my favorite song on the album. My memories come alive when I listen to this track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: It didn't matter which disc on the album it landed on, this track was gonna be the disc opener. It obviously couldn't fit on the calm Balamb disc or the goofy Trabia disc, and, with the Galbadia anthem launching off the second disc, it wouldn't make sense leading there either. That logically made the fourth disc the best and only place to put the "Liberi Fatali" remix - a bit later in the album than most would expect, but I bet everyone will agree that it's the perfect launch vehicle to kickstart our final disc!
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's "Liberi Fatali", need I say more? However, to further ice the awesome cake with this track, real vocals were used for everything and that just elevates this track far beyond what it'd be originally. A perfect start to the final disc and one that leaves you breathless once it's over.

Jorito: Ahh... "Liberi Fatali", the memorable opening track of FF8. HeavenWraith was also one of the artists who joined the original album attempt, but couldn't commit to the restart for a good while. I'm glad that I kept checking in with him every now and then to see if we could get him on board again, because it's a difficult track to remix and I knew he would do it justice. And, boy, did he deliver! It's one of his signature crazy tracks again, in a bombastic mix of heavy guitars, crazy guitar solos, orchestra, and epic choirs that is sure to get you pumped. In his first WIP, he used a sample library for the vocals, so I suggested to use real vocals, if necessary layered with the samples, to give the choir that little extra oomph. I'm glad he was open to the idea, and that I got to help with recruiting some performers, because it did bring the track to the next level. Definitely a great opener for the Pandora disc!

4-02. Earth Kid feat. Bullicann - "If Time Stood Still"
Source: "Eyes on Me"

Earth Kid: arrangement, vocals, piano, harp
Bullicann: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, bass, drum and synth programming, mixing

Earth Kid: The original vision of this song was "What if Evanescence performed 'Eyes on Me'?" As a long-term fan of both Final Fantasy and Evanescence, I had to see this idea through to fruition. I wrote the arrangement, sang the vocal parts, and played piano and harp. To give this track the full impact it needed, Erika performed the guitars, bass, helped out with programming, and took charge of mixing. With her help, we transformed it into a proper power ballad. I even added a little reference to one of the Evanescence songs that inspired this arrangement, "Good Enough".

In arranging and singing this song, I tried to portray the emotions both Julia and Rinoa must have felt during their respective moments with Laguna and Squall: blossoming feelings of love, a desire to stay with them, and, especially in Rinoa's case, for time to stand still. That iconic and touching scene with Squall and Rinoa in the Ragnarok is ultimately what inspired the title. This classic track was fun to work on, and I hope you will enjoy listening too!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Each version of "Eyes on Me" is unique and special in its own way, but this one combined with the Evanescence inspiration just hit a spot in my soul that makes it my favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Placing this version of "Eyes on Me" was tough. We basically have a full variant of this theme on every disc of the album: "Take My Squall Away", "Stuck in My Mind", and "Concédeme Un Momento". So, this version had to go here on the Pandora disc and it had an aesthetic all its own that didn't really fit with the theming of the first three discs. The final question, then, was where to put it amongst the other 13 tracks taking up this disc? After reordering the songs a few times and seeing how each one played into the other, it made the most sense to place it early, right after "Liberi Fatali", to get the love theme of the game out of the way - because nothing else following sounded anything like it. One last bit of love, hope, and friendship before we dive into the Lunatic Pandora, where nothing but witches and sorceresses reside!
What I feel makes it stand apart: Of the four songs that cover the "Eyes on Me" theme, this is the most faithful in terms of interpretation, but that does not mean it isn't original in its remix! Taking it to new heights with the elements of rock interlaced through the original melody. A wonderful rendition of our primary theme of love before we dive into the rest of Pandora.

Jorito: When Earth Kid told us she wanted to try her hand at "Eyes on Me" and do an Evanescence-styled track, I was immediately on board and curious to hear what she could do with a genre that is not in her typical style. To my ears, it turned out more as an 80s power ballad, but that's definitely not a bad thing! As always, the vocal performances are great, and the guitar and bass work complements the track well and give it that vibe that's needed for the genre. Definitely an interesting take on "Eyes on Me", and the genre swap works very well with the source material and brings a new dimension out of this beloved FF8 track.

4-03. ZackParrish - "Set the Stage on Fire"
Source: "The Stage Is Set"

ZackParrish: The album needed more tracks to be done after the final deadline had passed, and this became available. I originally was going to try and just go hard using nothing but synth... but it wasn't hard enough, so I just threw everything at it. Of course, now instead of it sounding like the original where you are preparing for battle... sounds more like you are already in one...

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I like the restraint shown on this track. It's momentous and powerful, yet it does not go overboard with its theme or motif. It gives off a certain gravitas to the track, like the fate of the world hangs in the balance while you're listening to it and that secures it as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: After a lovely song such as "If Time Stood Still" by Earth Kid, I didn't want to go in guns blazing with the hardcore tracks and sick beats just yet. This track provided a good segue into the rest of the album after the primary love theme. If anything, it is a good build up to the rest of the final disc.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Cinematic and powerful. This track has it all. It sets expectations for the remainder of the album left to come. The interesting music box-like tone that begins and ends this track definitely pique the ear's interest.

Jorito: Zack was really on board with this album, delivering a total of five tracks. With "Set the Stage on Fire", he brings us a very cinematic arrangement, something that inspired me me to do a cinematic track of my own for the album with "SeeD". Excellent arrangement structure that flows well and keeps things interesting and moving combined with epic drums, big synths, orchestra, and tasty lead guitar work, this track gives us a journey through enemy territory that feels a lot more intense to me than the source track. The slightly detuned music box seals the deal.

4-04. Deedubs - "The Sorceress's Knight"
Source: "Force Your Way"

Deedubs: Once again, an opportunity to remix a favorite track of mine for another album project arised, this time with "Force Your Way" from Final Fantasy VIII. When thinking how how to approach this remix, my thought process was, "What would this theme sound like if it was given the FF7 Remake treatment?" In no way do I feel like my remix is up to par with the incredible FF7 Remake OST, but it was a lot of fun to see what I could do!

It's not often I write anything with a full symphony orchestra in mind nowadays, let alone combine it with choir and drums. Last time I wrote such a track was when I remixed "Eschebone" from Jet Force Gemini for the Mizar Attacks! OCR album a few years ago. That particular track took me several months to finish. For this remix, I only had a little more than a month available, so some initial doubts were there, but I felt like I was up to the challenge. Of course, I went through the inevitable creative brick wall and "I don't think this is going to work" phase, but despite that as well as getting over some poorly timed sickness, I pushed through as best as I could and was able to finish the remix in good time. Huge thanks to Darkflamewolf and Jorito for their valuable feedback and support throughout this process!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Deedubs work is always wonderful and he went back to his roots of the first remix he had ever done for one of my directed albums: Arcadia Legends. His first track there was a solid orchestral epic as well. Covering the primary boss theme was just icing on the cake for this track, making it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Things would be getting more metal, electronica, and more beyond this point, so I wanted to keep the orchestral vibe going a bit longer with this boss battle theme. This could have gone on disc 2, Galbadia, but the other variant done by Ivan Hakštok fit that disc's theming better, so this version went here.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Epic orchestral battle theme. None of the other battle themes on this album have gone this route and this pays off in spades here. We haven't gone full electronica or metal yet on disc 4, Pandora, so we're still relishing in the epic nature and feel of these songs. The fast-paced beat and tempo really amp the energy up from the last track and prepare us for the next.

Jorito: This was a very late entry on the album, and Deedubs had to put in some overtime to make it happen before the deadline. And boy, I'm glad he did, because it turned out wonderful. It's one of those big, epic orchestra battle tracks driven by a drumkit, a sound I really enjoy but could never really pull off myself. I may or may not also have begged him to teach me his orchestration skills... When I told Deedubs his WIP reminded me of the music of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, he told me "Jenova Dreamweaver" was a big inspiration for him. Could definitely do a lot worse than take the FF7R OST as a guideline! Anyway, another great track from Mike, and another worthy remix of the main battle theme.

4-05. Rockos feat. ZackParrish, Cyril the Wolf - "Heavy Residents"
Source: "Residents"

Rockos: arrangement, production, mixing
ZackParrish: guitar
Cyril the Wolf: bass

Rockos: This song is directly inspired from the song "Heavyweight" from Infected Mushroom. It's the same style of experimentation and has this guitar-driven vibe with some wobbling and effects everywhere. Structure is a mess and it is intended to be. The song goes through multiple iterations and keeps itself fresh. The goal was to have this psychedelic thing going on and some epic moment through it like a toe-tapping song would have while being silly. I have 2 collaborators for this track: ZackParrish recorded the electric guitars and Cyril the Wolf recorded the bass. 

Cyril the Wolf: When Rockos asked if anyone could slap bass, I was excited to do so - but, once I found out it was inspired by "Heavyweight" by Infected Mushroom, I was even more excited! The combination of synth sounds with bass guitar and metal chugs is always something I always enjoy but never seem to have patience with synths. Thanks for having me!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: This was one of my favorite tracks from the original Final Fantasy VIII OST. It was just so creepy and weird, I loved it. I was pushing hard for someone to remix this track since the very beginning and Rockos finally stepped up to tackle this oddball song. Not only did he knock it out of the park, he nailed the insanely unsettling vibe that went with it, which makes it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was the transition track that maintained the momentum from the previous two tracks, but now began to filter in other elements into the mix such as synths and guitars, both of which would play more into the following tracks to come. That and it ended on such a great note (or an elongated fading out of one) that "The Tolls of Stringent Obligation" had a perfect jumping off point to shine.
What I feel makes it stand apart: From distorted synths and meandering melody and hard, crunchy guitars, this track has a very unique sound you'll not find anywhere else on the album.

Jorito: "Residents" was one of those slots that we had a bit of trouble getting filled, so I'm glad that Rockos picked it up. In his signature EDM style with lots of crazy things happening, he managed to retain the creepy and weird vibes of the original while dialing all of it up to eleven. The distorted guitars and slap bass bring it to the next level. I can definitely hear where the inspiration from Infected Mushroom's "Heavyweight" comes in!

4-06. ZackParrish feat. Chromatic Apparatus, Pearl Pixel, Cyril the Wolf, Masikus - "The Tolls of Stringent Obligation"
Source: "The Landing"

ZackParrish: arrangement, guitar, mixing, production
Pearl Pixel: flute
Chromatic Apparatus: cello
Cyril the Wolf: bass
Masikus: drums

ZackParrish: Having already done 3 tracks on the album, and seeing this iconic track open up on the list toward the end of the album's deadline for submission... I thought... why not give it a chance. When I listened to the track the first thing that popped into my head was "Christmas Eve" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra (most people just call it "Carol of the Bells"...).

I was determined at that point to craft an FF8 arrangement in the style of that particular track of theirs. Originally I was going to use a couple of other guitarists to perform all the guitar parts but because of life and lack of time in the end I just did them all myself, but still kept the door open for someone to record cello (Chromatic Apparatus), flute (Alex Parrish, le wife), bass (Cyril the Wolf), and drums (Angel Hernandez).

The core of the track is still very much "The Landing" but peppered with nods to the TSO inspiration. Even the title of the track is an acronym for them :)

All 4 performers did awesome work. I've of course used my wife several times over for flute, oboe, etc.... This is my second time working with Chrom and he's a delight as always and did awesome once again. First time working with Cyril or Angel, but they both brought their A game. For the drums I gutted that part and left it entirely in Angel's hands to craft that part, and he cranked it out in 2 hours. Cyril also contributed some additional parts and variations throughout his part that brought the bass into a much more exciting place than the typical "just dub the rhythm..." spiel. Also a nod to Viking Guitar for linking me up with Angel for the drum part. I had planned on using him in this track but alas... time wasn't my friend this time.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the track and get a feeling of nostalgia not just for FF8 but also for TSO.

Cyril the Wolf: I'm excited I was able to contribute to one of my favorite tracks. When it became available late into the project's timeline I was thinking of contributing something on my own but ran out of time. Fortunately, Zack needed some bass guitar which is my primary instrument, so for me it was easy for me to just lay down the grooves. Other than slapping a little bit during the piano driven bridge, I got to do a little bit of a bass solo during the breakdown before the final "shout" chorus. Great track, thanks for having me!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I've always been a fan of "Carol of the Bells" and especially Trans-Siberian Orchestra's version of it. I've also loved "The Landing" from Final Fantasy VIII, played during a climatic and awesome scene that cemented itself in my young psyche back when I first played the game. Combine the two together and you get my favorite track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Although not the midway point of the Pandora disc, this is what I consider to be the midway or turning point of these 14 tracks. We transition from songs found elsewhere on the OST and primarily focus on ones that occur towards the end of the game, such as the final boss themes and last dungeon(s), etc. It also ended on such a perfect piano outro that was just begging for Lunatic Pandora to come roaring in with its iconic riff - a perfect handoff to the remainder of the disc.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Hard metal mixed with "Carol of the Bells" and one of the best cinematic songs from the original OST and you got yourself an unforgettable track.

Jorito: When Zack mentioned he was interested in claiming "The Landing" and mentioned "my brain immediately does to Transiberian Orchestra for the style", we were immediately on board. The stylistic references to TSO's version of "Carol of the Bells" are obvious, as are the links to "The Landing". One of the more memorable, cinematic moments from the early game, this remix is a worthy take on the source and definitely does do it justice, while still bringing new elements to the table *and* paying homage to TSO while keeping things tasteful. Neat!

4-07. Audio Mocha - "High Tides and Lunar Cries"
Source: "Lunatic Pandora"

Audio Mocha: I love a ton of tracks from FF8 but I knew I wanted to go for one of the more left-field choices and decided on Lunatic Pandora from my list of favorites. I knew it was going to be a high energy modern surf along the lines of Daikaiju but the addition of the EHX C9 guitar (which is what's acting as the organ) had me make a mix of older surf and more modern surf punk. For a bit, I was considering making the organ an accordion and trying to go for a Tango Surf kind of track, like Shakira's "Te Aviso, Te Anuncio" (titled "Objection" for its English version) but couldn't quite make it gel right for this track. 

Another interesting thing about this track is that it was my very first time using Rayzoon Jamstix for the drums instead of Drummic'a, which has a completely workflow since I was no longer manually creating every single note but rather dictating the AI to help with humanizing the fills; Some parts were still manually created but overall, it was more fiddling with a massive amount of knobs to get the drums just right per part. Another thing that I did was use my new Bass VI as both the bass but also as a rhythm guitar. I essentially had one rhythm guitar as a standard guitar while the Bass VI had the same chords but an octave lower, performed on the higher strings. It's been something I've been trying out since most of my surf tracks have a lead that's on a pretty low-ish register (8th to 12th fret, which is pretty low compared to other higher-gain genres like metal, where the guitar tends to live beyond the 12th fret); Doing this allows me to have a crunchier rhythm while also not encroaching on the lead guitar's register too much. I also got to show a preview of this track (with Darkflamewolf and Jorito's approval) during Bonus Stage September 22 so a lucky few got to have a taste of the album beforehand. I hope you enjoy it!

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: The sheer imposing menace that the Lunatic Pandora exudes during both its presence in the game and the theme that accompanies it, I was eagerly looking forward to a remix of it. What I got was something wholly unexpected and the guitars playing that memorable riff permeating the source just seal the deal in making this be my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Lunatic Pandora is pretty much the gateway to the endgame area and bosses - so likewise, this is the gateway song that leads listeners to the final tracks of the album. It doesn't go as hard as tracks prior or after it, but it does give us an unsettling tone of trepidation as we venture deeper into the crystal that is the Lunatic Pandora.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Those unique guitars are what give this song its unique sound. The beat and guitars together, actually. That iconic riff.

Jorito: Of course an OC ReMix album wouldn't be complete with an Audio Mocha surf track. Where the source track is rather dark and ominous, Mocha's take on it is a lot more upbeat and fast paced. Toe tapping, even, yet it manages to keep some of the unsettling vibes of the original. The organ is rather convincing for being played on a guitar through a guitar pedal, actually, even though the slides give away it's not played on actual keys. Definitely a fresh and inspired take on "Lunatic Pandora"!

4-08. Fishy - "In Horto Dormit Nuntius"
Source: "The Castle"

Fishy: This has long been one of my favorite FFVIII tracks for its playful intro, comic dissonance and sudden changes; a fitting theme for a time witch's castle. I tried to retain those elements while upping the rock factor. I particularly enjoyed making the envelope filter guitar sound I made for the sillier bits. I had to go down to dropped Ab on the ol' 7 string to keep the original key.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Taking a pretty complex, wildly changing song such as "The Castle" and leaning hard into its shifting nature 110%. Embracing both the wicked and the weird aspects of the original source tune in perfect harmony - so engaging that it can't help but become my favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Since disc 4 was the last to be ordered on the album, these last few tracks sort of fell into place quite easily once I figured out the first half of the Pandora disc. This just seemed a natural fit for right before the final boss themes.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The 'ducks'. Or rather the goofy sounds in certain parts of the track which during the production process in some of the earlier WIPs, they sounded more like ducks to me than anything else. Became an in-house joke about calling this track "Castle of Ducks!" But yeah, the vastly different tones whiplashing you back and forth definitely set this song apart from the rest.

Jorito: Fishy had a lot of issues to overcome for this track to be created due to various life stuff happening throughout the album, but I'm glad he managed to finished it and record all the parts himself. While arrangement-wise it's a rather straightforward take on "The Castle", Fishy successfully genre-swapped the track into something worthy of rock with a good amount of prog influences. The various guitar tones are great and the (filter) effects plentiful. I definitely approve, rock on!

4-09. Jorito feat. Sirenstar, Chromatic Apparatus, Juan Medrano - "SeeDs of Pandora"
Source: "SeeD"

Jorito: arrangement, production, mixing
Sirenstar: vocals
Chromatic Apparatus: cello
Juan Medrano: guitar

Jorito: This was a track I originally didn't plan on doing for the album, but due to a dropout this key track became available again and we had a slot to fill, just a few weeks before the deadline. Unfortunately I couldn't make it work with the remnants the previous artist left, so I opted to start from scratch, giving it a bit of a cinematic twist.

The source track doesn't have much to it, it's mostly percussion and a few sporadic melodic lines. I opted to use the percussion as-is, and sprinkle it throughout the source (mostly the big drums and the snare rolls). The melodic parts and variations thereof were used throughout the track as well, yet spread out over the entire run length in a different order. Even though the arrangement tells its own story, with its introspective, tense and big moments, I hope people can still recognize it and tell how it is linked to the source track.

I tend to work with collaborators whenever I can, and this track was no exception. I wrote this track and parts with specific instruments and performers in mind, and I'm thrilled they all joined me on the ride. From the airy vocal lines from Natalie, to the serene cello played by Chromatic Apparatus and finally the soaring guitars by Juan, they all gave the track their voice and blew some extra life into it. Big thanks for helping out!

Finding a good title was more of a struggle than making the track (something I'm sure people can relate to). When Darkflamewolf suggested just naming it similar to the album (not the first time that happened!), I thought that made a lot of sense. And I'll admit, it's kinda cool to have your work carry the same title as the album :)

Sirenstar: This is from a very serious time in the game where serious things are happening so I sang it accordingly and stuff.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: "SeeD", despite its minimal nature, was always a song special to me. Being my first Final Fantasy after so many years away from the series, when this played during the mission briefing before the exam, I was completely absorbed into the story and its characters even at those early first few hours. This remix made me feel what I had felt then all those years ago when I was young, ensuring it to be my favorite track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The final push to the end. The last climb to the top of the castle. The last hurdle before the boss. This song, although occurring much earlier in both the OST and the game, the way Jorito remixed it, it truly feels like the last leg of our journey through this album. It's a grave call to arms that rallies all the SeeDs together for one last final battle. This is the feeling this track evokes and what prompted me to have it right before the final boss themes instead of "The Castle".
What I feel makes it stand apart: The soft vocals mixed with the epic cinematic soundtrack make it sound like something from a film score rather than a game. 

4-10. ZackParrish feat. Earth Kid, Viking Guitar - "Make Them Bleed"
Source: "The Legendary Beast"

ZackParrish: arrangement, lyrics, guitar, production, mixing
Earth Kid: vocals
Viking Guitar: guitar solo

ZackParrish: MAKE. THEM. BLEED.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Of the three final boss themes, this was the one I wanted to see remixed the most and it was finished first much to my delight, instantly making it my favorite!
Why I placed it in the order I did: "Outside of Premonition", which was done earlier a few times in the album, this was the first logical choice for the final boss section of the album. It's the first time we see Griever, Ultimecia's greatest GF. 
What I feel makes it stand apart: The sheer malice oozing from this track has to be heard to be believed. Earth Kid's Ultimecia impression is spot on and very chilling. A track that doesn't get remixed often if at all, but one that I feel is one of the stronger battle themes of the game.

Jorito: One of the big end battle tracks in FF8, Zack's take on "The Legendary Beast" (or "Legbeast" as it was called during pre-production, not sure if that's an epic gym workout or a big beast to battle) is rather an intense ride. Despite the slower pace it has its fair share of epicness and creates a big wall-of-sound, yet it retains plenty of movement and dynamics too and manages to ooze intensity and malice. Some great VA by Earth Kid as a malevolent Ultimecia takes things up an extra notch, making this a rather adrenaline inducing track fit for an epic battle. 

As a funny side note, the metallic ring that fades in at 0:30 to this day makes me think my doorbell rang *every single time*, it's so similar in timbre.

4-11. Ian Martyn feat. Darby Cupit, Ian Cowell, Leo Martyn, Carrie Wood, MegadudeXD - "Maybe I'm a Lion or Maybe I'm Not"
Source: "Maybe I'm a Lion"

Ian Martyn: arrangement, lyrics, choir (alto, tenor), synthesizer, organ, production, mixing
Darby Cupit: lead vocals, choir (bass)
Ian Cowell: guitar
Leo Martyn: choir (bass)
Carrie Wood: bass
MegadudeXD: drums, choir (tenor)

Ian Martyn: The final boss sequence in Final Fantasy VIII has always intrigued me, and of course "Maybe I'm a Lion" is an iconic track. I decided to write some original lyrics and turn it into a prog rock track as the original is already highly chromatic and could easily be transformed by changing time signatures. I was also always touched by the character of Griever and wished that he could have been fleshed out more in the story, and I tried to capture his anguish in the choral section at the end. As always, thank you to the incredible collaborators I got to work with this time around.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: This took some time to grow on me, but now that it has, I am absolutely in love with the lyrics and how they're used to accentuate the beat and flow of the song. A favorite of mine to come back to and jam out with the vocals.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The next final boss theme in sequence. 'Nuff said.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The vocals and lyrics intertwined with the prog rock provide such a compelling combination that it definitely provides a new soundscape that you haven't heard yet before in this album - still proving it can deliver fresh takes on known songs.

Jorito: "Maybe I'm a Lion" was a track we struggled to find an artist for. A few people attempted to remix it, but it wasn't until Ian picked it up at the tail end of the album project where we finally managed to fill the gap. Ian pitched the idea to us to make it a prog rock track with all parts performed live (give the relatively short deadline that was deemed easier to pull off). To me, it seems that Ian and friends really pulled off that distinct 70s prog rock vibe, and it's a genre that works rather well for the source track. Or maybe it's just me being used to Uematsu's more prog oriented tracks and work in the Black Mages, because it definitely reminds me of that in parts. I'm also glad that Ian embraces the spirit of OC ReMix and took the opportunity to write some original lyrics; something did that help the track to nail that prog rock vibe and give the song that extra nudge.

4-12. Capt'n Shred, The Vodoú Queen - "All Existence Denied"
Source: "The Extreme"

Capt'n Shred: arrangement, guitars, bass, mixing, production
The Vodoú Queen: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, synths, effects, production
Jorito: mixing assistance

Capt'n Shred: As we started working on this track, two main goals surfaced: we wanted to make a journey out of it, and we wanted to give it its own sonic identity - a blend of styles and influences.

Production-wise, we sought to mix the usual metal band ensemble with synths and some EDM-influenced elements. The goal was to create something dense, rich and a bit more unique-sounding than a strictly metal or electronic track. In terms of the arrangement, special attention was paid to making sure the distinct sections flowed in a way that made sense and told the story of a long battle with peaks and valleys; moments of triumph and madness; aggression and introspection. 

This was definitely one of the most challenging things I've worked on, in terms of both playing and production/mixing. We are really proud of this one, and I hope you enjoy the trip. Shoutout to my computer for not dying on me while mixing this.

The Vodoú Queen: As usual, I'm unsure where to start with these things... but I know, first and foremost -- with this track in particular -- it was an adventure.

And I don't mean that lightly.

It was an unforeseen rollercoaster. I can think that only those who've put their all into something so much, can attest to the feeling(s) and the hardships. But, when I say "it was a lot to take in/do/change/let go of", I mean it in a very positive light, despite my own misgivings, hiccups, and stumbling blocks during this process. :)

This was my VERY FIRST collaboration with another person. This was my VERY FIRST track arranged and submitted to any larger-scale project, album or otherwise, and those caveats carry a lot of weight. I was inexperienced in many, many ways: in mixing, in consolidating a soundscape, in breaking the mold and adding something diverse, new and interesting to an already well-known and established melody and harmony... There was a lot to learn, and I had to battle with myself at times to not give up, or let someone else take my place to do it.

For once, I wanted to try and push myself hard. And this remix of "The Extreme" really did just that.

Process-wise? I know it's pretty cliché-sounding, but there were so, so many hours and (literal!) sleepless nights poured into wanting to prove to myself (and others) that I could put the effort in, to make something musically pleasing and wonderful as the support base and more than just a 'glittery backdrop' to my partner, Shred's, masterful guitar and drum-work. But... I was panicking, scared, anxious and nervous through it all. Skillshare. YouTube videos. Paragraphs upon bullet points upon swaths of Notepad notes on the PC; they were *all* about how to mix each kind of synth and instrument, about post-production, sound techs with EQ, frequencies, bass, side-chain compression -you name it- things I had *never* explored before and barely knew the basics and terminologies of. "All Existence Denied" really put the pressure on to step up to the plate and play ball with the big boys (and girls) - something I was deathly afraid I couldn't/wouldn't manage to achieve.

But by the end? I finally realized something truly special and awesome came out of the labor of both our loves and the identifying genres we crossed together for this track.

I had no major inspirations, other than to make that leap to fuse heavy metal with orchestra & EDM. I think we've done that in spades. My approach? Utter chaos and swimming through a deep-ended pool of emotions to fuel the music-making experience. How did I make it? Throwing shit at the proverbial wall, and seeing what stuck. A heap of trial and error. Testing the waters with new VSTs and plugins for the first time ever, in a new DAW, that I've never dreamed of nor had worked with before...

This track truly tested me: in partnerships, in professionalism, in prospects, and in process. And I'm proud of tackling and overcoming it all. Thank you to Darkflamewolf, Jorito, and especially to Capt'n Shred, for even giving me the chance in the first place. <3 Hope people enjoy this product of a wild ride.

For it, in-and-of-itself, IS a wild ride to listen to. :D

Parts from the source used (all adjusted to "The Extreme's" key signature as F major/D minor):

- "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" A: 0:33-0:50
- "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" B: 0:59-1:26
- "The Extreme": whole song at various points

Source Breakdown:

- 0:00-0:29: 'Overture' plays with music box instrument, glass piano and synth choirs playing "FLWV" A
- 0:30-0:39: 'Overture' plays "FLWV" B, both parts including the spoken choir words "Fithos", "Lusec", "Wecos" and "Vinosec" by AlterEgo "singers"
- 1:02-2:45: 'Intro' plays "The Extreme" from ~0:00-1:20 of the original source, with added lyrics/spoken words taken directly from Ultimecia's lines in-game (spoken by VQ)
- 2:53-6:27: 'Main' plays "The Extreme" from ~1:21-3:50, with additionals and switch-ups to keep the source active and fresh (e.g. solo guitars throughout); 5:57-6:24 is slightly different from the original, as the leads have changed, but it follows the same/similar bassline and length of that section
- 6:28-7:40: This 'Interlude' shifts away from "The Extreme" almost entirely (as original content), accented by pizzicato strings, hand-bells and piano/synth harpsichord playing bits of "The Extreme" Intro (from ~0:00-1:20); mostly has lead/rhythm guitar and more Ultimecia dialogue in this section
- 7:41-9:15: "The Extreme" picks back up, sliding back to its (modified) verse->bridge->chorus structure, inclusive of a reuse of the music box motif (from the 'Overture'), before the finale
- 9:16-9:46: Wrapping it up back to "FLWV" choir lines and Ultimecia-based dialogue

Darkflamewolf: 
Why it is my favorite on the album: "The Extreme" is the classic final boss theme that's being remixed itself throughout the history of the Final Fantasy series, but with variations that are specific to each game. This retelling of Final Fantasy VIII's version is one that knocks your socks off all the way through. I pushed hard for the right vocal inflection and when they come in, they sell the malevolence Ultimecia has for all things SeeD. Kurse them all! Favorite track!
Why I placed it in the order I did: The last in the final boss lineup of songs. Being the longest and most expansive one of the bunch, it had to go at the end.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The sheer ambition and magnitude of this track is astounding and for a first time big-ticket production for an OCR album, this track knocked it out of the park. I fought hard with Vodoú Queen on going back again and again until we got the voice of an eldritch being that Ultimecia had become. They got frustrated, they despaired, but I always encouraged and provided feedback on what sounded best for the track - in the end, we all walked away happy with the sound that was accomplished.

Jorito: As co-directors, we were in a bit of a situation when both Capt'n Shred and Vodoú Queen expressed interest in claiming "The Extreme" for the album. We figured it might be interesting to try and see if we could them to collab together, given the collaborative nature we tried to encourage on the album. It was a bit of a gamble, but with the distinct guitar oriented style of Shred and the EDM inspired sounds of Vodoú, we figured it might be an interesting combination that could yield an interesting result. And that it did! There were some bumps along the road to produce this track, but I'm very happy that both Shred and Vodoú stuck with it and gave it their best. It resulted in one of the most epic tracks on the album, in my opinion, an grandiose 8+ minute monster track that combines different styles and sections into a great remix more than worthy of a final battle.

4-13. Chris Kohler feat. Gamer of the Winds - "Succession of Power"
Source: "The Successor"

Chris Kohler: arrangement, production, mixing
Gamer of the Winds: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet

Chris Kohler: What if "The Successor" wasn't a solo piano piece but a full-on orchestral arrangement? "Succession of Power" is basically my answer to that question. I really enjoyed working on this track because there's just so much awesome and beautifully emotional musical material Uematsu wrote into "The Successor". On top of that it was real pleasure to collaborate with Gamer of the Winds, who for this track recorded page after page of sheet music on a variety of wind instruments.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: "The Successor" is such a minimalist track that showcases a bittersweet hopefulness. This song takes that feeling and expands on it in a very epic way that made me fall in love with it as my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: It was actually meant to go on the tail end of the calm Balamb Garden disc, but when a second "Successor" track presented itself, it just felt more of a natural fit there. Since it had no place in discs 2 and 3, this version got pushed back to disc 4 to be the penultimate track. This actually worked out in its favor since disc 4 was internally known as the "epic" disc where the big ticket iconic tracks and final boss themes were to reside. The way it was remixed by Chris Kohler lent itself well to a certain sense of cinematic finality to the entire album. One last emotional beat before the end.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The sweet release of this track after a huge bout of intensity from the last 4-5 tracks. It's like a breath of fresh air and the orchestral approach makes it stand out in stark contrast to everything placed around it.

Jorito: We have two versions of "The Successor" on the album, each with a different mood. Where the other version is more melancholic and a bit dark, Chris brings us a more upbeat cinematic take on the source track, with a cheerful mood that -to me- has the vibes of what you'd hear at the end of the game, in a triumphant credits or ending scene. The lush, full orchestra with the live(ly) woodwinds from Gamer of the Winds make it a very pleasant listen, and I personally really like the Don Davis, Matrix-esque horns, and the James Bond/spy movie-inspired sections. A great, uplifting and well-fleshed out take on a minimal source.

4-14. Rockos feat. Chris Kohler - "And That's the End"
Source: "Ending Theme"

Rockos: arrangement, guitars, mixing, production
Chris Kohler: trumpet

Rockos: Last minute pick, this song's focus was to have a kinda rock DnB style to it. The source in itself is smooth and mellow. It's the ending you know. But turning it into an action packed guitar/bass drum thing was unexpected and a welcome idea. The first few drafts were just fine, and then a big change came. The turn around happened because of the last part of the source which includes a much larger scale of instrument. It then happened and the song turned out how it is. Asked Chris for trumpets and played the rhythm guitars myself for the second time on a remix. It was a lot of learning and a lot of fun. Thanks Chris. And thanks to both directors for pointing me to this beautiful song.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I wanted this track done. Rockos made it happen. 10/10. Would make it my favorite track ever again.
Why I placed it in the order I did: There were a few contenders for the final track of the entire album, but after listening to this song once, was there ever any other choice? I don't think so.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's the end! It's the culmination of our entire journey through this amazing and fantastic soundtrack! We leave you listeners on a happy note! I hope you enjoyed your time with this amazing series of songs and the talent behind them to bring them to life.

Jorito: As the last track on the album, this fittingly also was one of the last tracks to be finished. Even though it may have been a last minute pick by Rockos, it's definitely not a half-baked track; it's a very varied arrangement with a lot of different sections that keeps moving and doesn't stay in one place too long. The entire track is very uplifting and upbeat, with an interesting mix of EDM sounds that are driven forward by the guitars. To me the track provides a sense of closure, of finality, so it definitely makes for a great album closer.

5-01. Mel Decision feat. Lucas Guimaraes, Gamer of the Winds - "Net Fish and Chill"
Source: "Fisherman's Horizon"

Mel Decision: arrangement, mixing, production
Lucas Guimaraes: tenor saxophone
Gamer of the Winds: bass clarinet

Mel Decision: When approached to see if I was interested in participating in the last-minute bonus disc, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to rearrange something in a style I was comfortable with given the time crunch. I trawled through the OST, and when I realized "Fisherman's Horizon" already had a relaxed vibe, I knew that would be the one. Lo-fi felt like a good fit, and it's a genre I felt like I could pull off in the allotted time. Sax by Lucas (Thirdkoopa) and bass clarinet by Gamer of the Winds really brought this to life!

Lucas Guimaraes: When Mel needed a lo-fi hip-hop vibe, I was happy to lend my sax to it. It's funny how small effects can make my saxophone feel like a completely separate instrument, hahah.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: "The Jellyfish" by djpretzel was awesome and a fantastic new take on the source material. However, this version is more of your traditional variant on the same theme, but with a more chill, lo-fi vibe to it. This is definitely something that feels like you could turn on your local boombox to, while relaxing on a beach with a delicious mai tai, and just while the day away. This sense of relaxation and air of fond vacation memories make it my favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: Out of all the bonus tracks crafted for this album as a neat surprise for fans who weren't expecting a fifth disc, this was the best track to start off the "afterparty" of the album. It mirrored how we kicked off the entire album with a "Fisherman's Horizon" remix - so why not do it again as a quick "refresh" to clean our aural palate after the rush that was disc 4?
What I feel makes it stand apart: There aren't many lo-fi mixes on this album and this track fits that particular bill perfectly. It was a fantastic way to transition between the hardcore, epic tracks of disc 4 to a decidedly unique and different vibe of the bonus disc. It definitely served a very unique purpose for the album.

Jorito: Mel takes the chill to the next level in her lo-fi take on "Fisherman's Horizon". While originally it stays close to the source, it branches halfway with some cool soloing on the saxophone, and later on with the interplay between the sax and the clarinet. Also a rather inspiring and interesting choice when it comes to instrumentation; a bass clarinet was not something I would expect in this track, but it works rather well. A good and relaxed way to start us off on the surprise bonus disc!

5-02. Lucas Guimaraes feat. Sir Telias - "No Shuffle, No Boogie"
Source: "Shuffle or Boogie"

Lucas Guimaraes: arrangement, production
Sir Telias: piano
Jorito: post-production cleanup, mixing

Lucas Guimaraes: With deadline approaching, we were looking for ideas that could be finished fast in like a week's time. I chose this track because it's one of the shortest tracks. Due to the minimal amount of source material, this actually proved to be pretty difficult to arrange. I love creating new arranging challenges for myself though. Sir Telias was gracious enough to lend his piano at the last minute to this.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: There is just one other solo piano piece on the album, so it is always nice to have another! Not only that, but we take one of the most energetic songs on the OST and translate it into a form that many wouldn't expect could be done! This boldness to keep surprising the listener with tracks like this is what makes it my favorite!
Why I placed it in the order I did: The previous track ends on an aural "reset" note where it finishes in such a way that I could honestly follow it up with just about anything else without it sounding out of place. Why not do the unexpected and dive right into our second piano piece of the album after our first initial song? Felt right to me. Also following the chill beach vibe of the previous track, it calls to mind images of a musician playing a piano on the sand with ocean waves crashing in the background.
What I feel makes it stand apart: It's a solo piano piece amidst a sea of remixes that bring a multitude of instruments to bear. It's a nice reprieve for the ears to hear nothing but piano for a few minutes. Sometimes you need these sorts of tracks and I'm glad we have it!

Jorito: "Shuffle or Boogie" isn't the easiest of sources to work with, as it's quite minimal. Let alone doing it as a solo piano piece, it's hard to keep things interesting and moving. I feel Lucas and Sir Telias did a decent job of varying things up and make it work with just a piano, even if, as per title, there is no shuffle or boogie to be found in the arrangement. Due to a strict deadline and other obligations, Lucas didn't have the time to properly finish the track himself, so I offered my help to help out with some timing and volume fixes and mixing it together. Hope I did it justice!

5-03. The Vodoú Queen, ZackParrish - "The Definition of Lunacy"
Sources: "Tears of the Moon", "Intruders", "Blue Sky"

The Vodoú Queen: arrangement, mixing, production
ZackParrish: arrangement, guitars, percussion

The Vodoú Queen: This song began as a premise of filling out content for the 5th, last-hour album of SeeDs of Pandora... and I fully believe it became something more than that.

Lucas Guimaraes came to me with a proposal on Discord DMs if I wanted to help out with his and ZackParrish's idea to expand on the original 69 songs, to beat the OCR record of "longest/biggest album/project done" on the site. His reasoning? I can throw out something pretty decent in a very short span of time. I found that a compliment to be proud of, considering he seemed well-pleased with what I had managed with his own project in the works. And -- irony notwithstanding -- *this* song ended up being almost kin to that one.

I asked him: "What sources *haven't been* covered yet from the FF8 OST?"

He had three answers;

"Intruders". "Blue Sky". "Tears of the Moon".

I immediately went onto YouTube to listen to these sources, and laughed. Not because they were bad, but they were incredibly short. Maybe 20-30 second snippets, two of which were made for cutscenes/dialogue-inserts ("Tears" and "Sky"), and one being mostly done in-between the sneaking segments and montages of the game ("Intruders")... but was comprised of nothing but bassline and a couple of string plucks. Once again, I found myself with very small, very short source material... that I somehow needed to make into a full arrangement. He did say, "You don't have to", to which I replied: "Challenge accepted", and immediately went to work.

Few hours down the line, few additions made, few cuts to the sources... and we had something. This one in particular, I wanted to do a different bend to the genre. Still along the lines of the one I did for Lucas' project (futuristic/cyberpunk synthwave a la something from Blade Runner or The Terminator), but with a unique spin. And then I once again revisited the OST for TRON: Legacy... and it hit me.

*Orchestral* synthwave, with heavy aspects of the big budget film score feel. It was something I never tried before, and being a huge fan of Ursine Vulpine (Frederick Lloyd)'s work with Annaca for film and TV, I thought it would marry quite well to the vibe of the three sources, seeing as they come from Final Fantasy VIII's prolific cutscenes. The biggest inspiration for this take/remix is the cover of "Wicked Game" by Ursine Vulpine. :D My hope is -- in the end -- that others will think the same. I'm really proud of this one, and think it comes out full of passion and strength in using (what I felt) were the key, recognizable bits of each source to swell into the film score-inspired opus I set out to create...

A big shout out and thank you to ZackParrish for helping me give this the icing on the cake it needed (he did the metal guitar work and provided the "beating heart", very cinematic drum samples! Those additions gave the piece so much edge and life, and I cannot thank him enough for those!) Also a shout out to Lucas (Thirdkoopa) for believing in me, my work, and giving me an opportunity to submit more to this lovely album (and let those last unclaimed tracks see the light of day!) Please enjoy the bonus track(s), from all of us who participated in this 11th-hour 5th disc... <3 :)

Parts from the source used (all adjusted to the new key signature as Ab major/F minor):

- "Tears of the Moon": 0:00-0:31 (including arpeggio)
- "Intruders" A: 0:00-0:20 (bell percs in source changed to bass plucks in remix)
- "Intruders" B: 0:00-0:12 (synthy plucks/pizzicato strings in source changed to bells in remix)
- "Blue Sky" A: 0:02-0:07 (harp plucks in source changed to grand piano keys in remix)
- "Blue Sky" B: 0:17-0:20 (flute in source changed to soft piano arp in remix)
- "Blue Sky" C: 0:23-0:30 (low string synth in source changed to small celli section in remix)
- "Blue Sky" D: 0:30-0:34 (harp arpeggio in source changed to bell arpeggio in remix)
- "Blue Sky" E: 0:40-0:48 (strings repeated pattern in source changed to synth horn in remix)

Source Breakdown:

- 0:00-1:12: remix begins with "Intruders" A, highlighting the beginning with quaint synthy bass plucks, and denoting the remix's half-synthwave nature
- 0:09-2:24: "Tears of the Moon" arpeggio played as a synth harpsichord can be heard 'approaching' from a distance, in the background
- 0:33-1:15: "Blue Sky" A is played by low piano synth
- 0:44-0:48: "Blue Sky" B is played by a warm EP synth, briefly, almost whimsically leading up to the major meat of the piece (violins playing accompaniment chords)
- 1:12-1:57: string sections and various pianos play "Tears of the Moon", with additional live guitar and synth violins to strengthen the piece and give it a solid base with cinematic drums
- 2:00-2:24: violins play more of "Tears", accented by "Intruders" B as bell-hits, denoting the on-coming switch in pace and vibe in the remix
- 2:25-2:48: we have a 'break' in the remix, away from the main sources, but staccato celli play "Blue Sky" C as backing with the ambience pads
- 2:49-3:36: 'build-up'/'Interlude' continues, primarily with violin accompaniment; @ 03:27, "Blue Sky" E begins the crescendo back to the main verse/chorus structure of "Tears", and this is capped by "Blue Sky" D giving this section a glorious send-off via beautiful bell arpeggio
- 3:37-5:00: rest of the song is "Tears", supported by rhythm guitars and an added melody played via Kontakt Hypha key synths and LABS choir

ZackParrish: Played guitar, tracked out some drums, moved a few pitches around and offered input for things to move / cut.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It is a very hard thing to take a small source tune and develop it into a fully realized remix track. It's another to take three of them and mix them together to make that fully realized remix track. Vodoú Queen has done the difficult task of doing just that! Not only this, but they also highlighted some lesser known tracks from the OST in a way that I feel does justice to them all. This alone makes it my favorite ever on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The way it starts. That was the key factor here. Coming off a solo piano track into something else entirely is always a hard transition to make. However, the way this track started just felt right - it felt like the right way to segue into the more instrumentally complex tracks of the bonus disc. It was a soft, slow build into something greater, making us leave the piano and beach we just listened to behind and instead taking us to the moon.
What I feel makes it stand apart: As stated just above, taking three minimalist source tunes and mashing them together into a crazy, cohesive mash that just works. It just works. I have to give props to Vodoú Queen for creating this unique song that I don't think anyone else could have come up with and that's why it stands apart from the rest on the bonus disc and the album as a whole.

Jorito: A very interesting remix with a hodgepodge of small sources that only get used once or twice in the game, this is a cohesive take on the source material. I like how it starts very cinematic and continues in this gradual build that evolves and adds more complexity over time. Not sure I'd call it orchestral synthwave per se, but it's definitely a fresh take on the sources, well produced and does a good job of blending the three source tracks together.

5-04. ZackParrish - "Time Will Compress"
Source: "Compression of Time"

ZackParrish: You've heard of mashed potatoes... well, I bring you... mashed timatoes!

I'll see myself out.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: "Compression of Time" has always been a deep, heavy track with a lot of cinematic weight and potential behind it. I'm so glad we got not just one but two remixes regarding this fantastic piece! The slow build-up to a subdued, but still no less bombastic emotional center gives me chills and I can't help but feel amazingly connected to the events of this game when listening - these memories it evokes make it my favorite.
Why I placed it in the order I did: After the soft fade-out of the previous track, the gradual soundscape fade-in was a perfect segway into this track. It felt like a natural extension of the previous. The members of SeeD have witnessed the destruction of the Lunar Cry as tears from the moon rain down onto the planet, and now they are faced with the compression of time from a sorceress from the future. This track and the previous form a thematic one-two punch that really sets the listener onto a dark path to the middle section of the bonus disc after such a more-or-less happy start.
What I feel makes it stand apart: This one continues to build on itself and expands its scope of cinematic greatness as you listen. There are many deep, heavy tracks on this album, but this is truly one that feels like it has emotional weight attached to it too. The heroes are at their lowest point and things are looking bad for them, but there is still hope in the darkness they can latch onto and just believe in the power of love and friendship! (to quote Selphie).

Jorito: I was quite actively involved on Sirenstar's take on "Compression of Time" that's also on the album, so I'm pretty much used to that faster paced version. Yet I dig how Zack slowed it down, made it very cinematic and brought out the tension and dark, mysterious undertones that were always buried in the source. It does a good job at both honoring the source but also telling a musical story through the way the track builds and develops. Overall it just has a very satisfying structure that slowly builds up to a quite dramatic climax before slowly fading out in the nothingness that's left behind after time got compressed. A good complement to the other version of Compression of Time on the album, each with their own fresh spin on the source.

5-05. Mel Decision feat. ZackParrish - "Untethered"
Source: "Drifting"

Mel Decision: arrangement, mixing, production
ZackParrish: percussion, texture

Mel Decision: "Drifting" is a track without a ton of meat on it. How to stretch out a track without a ton of source material? Ambient! Slow it down, bring in a bunch of texture, some long pads (plus the existential horror of floating through space), and boom, we've got a remix. Thanks to ZackParrish for bringing in some much needed percussion to breathe some life into the track. Hope this remix makes your heart race and your palms sweat.

ZackParrish: Assisted with additional drum parts, pads, counterpoint, etc.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It's unsettling, but then again, it is supposed to be. It is the looming dread of the unknown. You are drifting along on currents without control or a rudder to steer your ship to safer shores. This track also reminds me a bit of background music when exploring the uncharted, alien worlds in Metroid Prime too. So that neat little bonus reference for me makes it have a special, favorite place in my heart for this track.
Why I placed it in the order I did: The last ringing note of the last track and the leading whistle of this track seemed to call out for each other and link these two tracks together. Seeing as this was ultimately going to be the last slow piece of the bonus disc, it was best to get this "dip" in the tempo out of the way and complete this thematic section of the journey through the final disc.
What I feel makes it stand apart: You don't normally see many ambient tracks on big remix albums like this and when you do, they definitely stand out. This one takes you on a journey of uncertainty after the time compression. Where are we going? Where will we end up? Drifting along the currents of time to a place we've not yet been. This is the imagery this track evokes with its soundscape that makes it unique compared to all the rest.

Jorito: As a very ambient piece with a thematic, cinematic buildup, this remix evokes the depths and emptiness of space and loneliness. Something the source track does as well, only in a more orchestral setting, whereas this piece breathes more of a Vangelis-esque mood reminiscent of what you would hear in a Blade Runner movie. 

5-06. Lucas Guimaraes feat. Shea's Violin, Andrew Steffen, Chromatic Apparatus - "Song of the Desperado"
Source: "The Man with the Machine Gun"

Lucas Guimaraes: arrangement, production
Shea's Violin: violins
Andrew Steffen (ETHEReal String Orchestra): viola
Chromatic Apparatus: cello
Jorito: mixing

Lucas Guimaraes: When I initially signed up for this album, there were barely any tracks left. I took what I could. So with the bonus disc emerging to life, I knew that I had to go big or go home: I wanted to take on one of my most beloved songs from the whole OST: "Man with the Machine Gun".

I had the idea of a string quartet. I knew there would be some challenges in this. First, string quartets are hard to do and this would be my first (serious) attempt at one. I also knew that covering such an iconic theme with a new take wouldn't prove easy. I grabbed Shea's Violin, Andrew Steffen from ETHEReal String Orchestra, and Chromatic Apparatus, three of the best string players I know. I looked for feedback on string writing wherever I could, spent a while making the recordings line up (probably to the point of diminishing returns) and more.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It's a string quartet. The only one on the album. It manages to wrangle a very dynamic and active track into only strings. That's a fantastic feat. I love it for that and it earns a spot as my favorite on the album.
Why I placed it in the order I did: With the emotional gut-wrench of the last three tracks, it was time to come out of that with a far more upbeat track to lift our spirits. What better way than to hang out with our favorite man with a machine gun, Laguna! Placing both a solo piano piece and a string quartet amidst a lot of other instrumentally complex tracks was a challenge, but putting this at roughly the midway point as a perfect dividing line before the first half and the second of the bonus disc was the best choice to my ears and elevated both our spirits and expectations to what lay ahead beyond the quartet!
What I feel makes it stand apart: Again, I must reiterate, it's a string quartet. Rare in general for OC ReMix and definitely for the remixing scene for Final Fantasy. I'm so happy we managed to get one added to the album somewhere, even if it is on the bonus disc. More FF8 music is a good thing in my book!

Jorito: I ended up mixing this track for Lucas, which mostly meant placing the stems in a space and throwing some decent reverbs on it. Lucas did all the hard work on it. As the only string quartet piece on the album (and one of the very few on OCR in general), this definitely stands out in a good way. Arrangement-wise I like how it keeps on changing and evolving and uses a lot of different playing styles. And having all the parts played by good performers is definitely a boon!

5-07. ZackParrish feat. The Vodoú Queen - "Witches Be Witches"
Source: "Succession of Witches"

ZackParrish: arrangement, mixing, production
The Vodoú Queen: vocals

ZackParrish: Witches be hatin', bru.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Creepy vibes. There are quite a few 'witchy' tracks on this album, but this is definitely one of the few that give off a very menacing vibe. Sure, it has an air of whimsy like the source tune, but it has an undercurrent of malice that reflects the sorceresses in this game extremely well. Capturing that essence was key and I feel Zack did a fantastic job at capturing the mood of what it feels like facing off against these powerful beings of magic - that marks it as a favorite of mine.
Why I placed it in the order I did: We ended the last track on strings and we began this one with the plucking of strings. It felt like a perfect throughline into a decidedly more malevolent track. 'Nuff said.
What I feel makes it stand apart: A rare synth piece from ZackParrish! My heart be still! He excels here as well with aplomb and Vodoú Queen is perfect in their creepy vocals that seal the deal. Fantastic way to start the back end of the bonus disc and bring us home to the album's conclusion!

Jorito: There's definitely a lot of succession and a lot of witches going on on this album! Zack told me that during the production of this track he really had to resist bringing in the guitar or orchestral instruments, and it shows. Instead of the more cinematic tracks that Zack normally tends to make, we now get a rather eclectic synth heavy track with some eerie vocals, courtesy of Vodoú Queen. Definitely a completely different sound than the version done by Warp Whistles music on disc three, darker, less upbeat. 

5-08. Treyt - "As One Closes, Another Opens"
Source: "The Loser"

Treyt: As the game over theme, you'd think this track would be a little less chipper right? I went into this expecting to make a sort of somber chippy-tuney-ish track, but everything in the track just screamed a weird positivity that I completely latched onto and took the whole way through. I just kept having more and more fun with it, and I think it shows.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It takes a track that is somber and slow and gives it a major key happy upgrade. I couldn't be happier with how this remix turned out. I couldn't have expected "The Loser" to turn out this bubbly. I wasn't sure if we were going to get it remixed at all, so thank goodness for the bonus disc so we could get this new favorite gem of mine!
Why I placed it in the order I did: I struggled on this transition since the first seven tracks seemed to flow well into each other and the last four - not so much. Still, I needed to find a nice aural segway from the previous into this one, so I focused in on two things: 1) The synth distortion of the piano leading us out of the previous track and the synth intro leading us into this one, and 2) Thematically, we were facing up against sorceresses in the previous track, so what if the heroes lost? That concept flows naturally into this track, but it's okay though - it's just a game and you can just get back up and restart from the last save! That brings in the hopeful aspect of this track for a better try next game and that's why I placed it where I did.
What I feel makes it stand apart: Happy synth tunes! It honestly feels like one of the happiest tracks on the entire album and it just makes me smile whenever I listen to it. Simple, but that's what makes it stand apart for me.

Jorito: This was yet another one of the sources that was left unclaimed until disc 5 happened. Treyt gives us a neat upbeat take on the game over theme with tasteful chiptune instruments embedded in a satisfying musical bed. It plays around with the source material in all kinds of interesting ways and makes it a banging arrangement of a pretty minimal tune that keeps you going. Losing never felt this good!

5-09. Jorito feat. Sirenstar, Lucas Guimaraes, JoyDreamer - "Moments [Synthwave Mix]"
Source: "Fragments of Memories"

Jorito: arrangement, lyrics, guitar, mixing, production
Sirenstar: vocals
Lucas Guimaraes: alto saxophone
JoyDreamer: lyrics
Kazushige Nojima: lyrics

Jorito: We were a few weeks before release of the album when a few of the remixers were like "Hey, why is this not the biggest OCR album? Let's give it a final push and create some more music!". That idea sounded intriguing to me, and a good excuse to make some more music. Since all the tracks that were not part of the first four discs were already taken, the only option was to remix a track that already was done before for the album. And what better thing to do than to (again) remix one of your own remixes?

For this track I decided to lean into my arrangement of "Fragments of Memories", and specifically the minor key I used in the first half of "Moments". Also, given the short amount of time and my fondness for the genre, I couldn't resist turning it into synthwave once again. Since there were already lyrics for "Moments", it made a lot of sense to make it a vocal remix too. Fortunately Natalie (Sirenstar) was once again on board to provide some kickass vocals for it, as well as some voice acting with lines gracefully borrowed from Ellone's in-game script. Structure-wise it's a bit different from "Moments" though; while I was able to use the verses as-is, I felt that what was a bridge in my original remix would serve better as the chorus for some more oomph, and I had to repurpose the original chorus as the sax solo (courtesy of Lucas Guimaraes). An interesting arrangement puzzle, for sure, but I think it worked out well in the end. This also happens to be the first track I actually played the lead guitar myself on. Needed too many takes and help editing, but it's progress!

So there you have it, an unexpected remix of a remix that I hope you'll enjoy and makes you go "Hey, did I hear this before?" in a good way. Many thanks to my collaborators Natalie and Lucas for joining me on this one!

Sirenstar: If you can take a track like "Fragments of Memories" and make it a e s t h e t i c, I think it's simply proof of the solidity of the source material. However it's also very much Jorito's skill as a producer, which should not come as any shock and or surprise to anyone at this time. (See: rest of album) He isn't gonna say it but he said I could write whatever I wanted. CATS.

Synthwave is one of my favorite genres, both as a listener and a performer. The voice acting was pretty fun too. Hope this album helps you re-live the story of FF8. <3

Lucas Guimaraes: Jorito was going for a similar vibe as The Midnight. As soon as he mentioned that, I offered him my saxophone skills. I've known Jorito for a long time, so getting to perform with him was rad.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: It's catchy. It took me quite a few listens to really get on board with the dialogue over the music, but it grew on me and it is the perfect compliment to the sung lyrics. It is a great counterpart remix to the one found in the core album. And it's separated with enough distance and tracks in-between from its original form and appearance on disc 1 that it's like a nice, warm welcome - making it a favorite on the album!
Why I placed it in the order I did: The order of the day was synths. Compared to the two tracks coming up next, this felt the best one to follow up the previous based on their similar synth styles. I didn't want to have music genre whiplash and I wanted to ride this happy synthetic high for a bit longer before we go into some hardcore EDM and metal. A nice upbeat hurrah before we close out the album!
What I feel makes it stand apart: A remix of a remix. We heard you like remixes while you remix your remix, so we put more remix in your remix while you remix a remix. Does that make sense? Absolutely not! But this being one of the only tracks on the album that does this, it is definitely a standout for that reason alone if nothing else!

5-10. Treyt, The Vodoú Queen feat. ZackParrish, Lucas Guimaraes, Darkflamewolf - "The Definition of Insanity"
Source: "Tears of the Moon"

Treyt: arrangement, mixing, production
The Vodoú Queen: arrangement, lyrics, vocals, percussion, SFX, mixing
ZackParrish: guitar
Lucas Guimaraes: baritone saxophone
Darkflamewolf: claps

Treyt: This track... hoo boy. This track is a remixed remix with 4 collaborators and a producer. When I started I had no idea what I wanted to do, just that I was gonna see if dubstep would work. After working with the original remixer, Vodoú Queen, and getting a drop and some foundational sound laid out, I asked a guitarist for some sicc chugs so I could do a metal/dubstep fusion on the second drop. This intrigued another artist that was in on the conversation, and he suggested baritone saxophone. I honestly did NOT think he was serious at first, but apparently he was dead serious. Not expecting much, I said sure, see what you can come up with.

... and here we are. A dubstep/trap fusion with heavy guitar and, of all things, baritone sax. This track will not be the weirdest on the album, and maybe not even the most insane, but everyone that contributed are 100% my definition of insanity, and we had a ton of fun.

Please enjoy.

The Vodoú Queen: Sometimes remix ideas come from being inspired by the source material, someone else's remix of that source, or another unrelated song altogether. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere -- a "spur of the moment" idea. Sometimes it comes from a lot of planning and foresight into what one wants to do with it.

... And sometimes, it comes straight out of a meme.

The beginnings of doing a collab with Treyt on "Tears of the Moon" began with him taking the MIDI write-up/arranging I did for "The Definition of Lunacy", messing about with it (I believe on one of his live-streams of him working on FL Studio), and showing us in Discord group the end result. It effectively was a sped-up version of the Lunacy song, but with its instruments changed to sound like 80s horror trope-esque soundfonts. Its title? *SpoooooookyKirin* -- based on my nickname.

And I *loved* it.

A sped-up, hardcore dubstep version of the main source? I was immediately in on it.

Yes, it was just kinda a joke and Treyt seeing what he could do with it out of curiosity, but I approached him via DM soon after that to see how he felt about it and if he wanted to team-up to actually make it a thing. He said "yes"; the rest is history. :)

It was a blast working with Treyt, seeing his thought-process, how he works and shakes things up with what he's given. He asked me for various parts to help the vibe and flow of the Intro and Interlude/Trap ("slow") sections: SFX, vocal chop arps, drop builder drums. Some synth and orchestral string leads and pads... some percussion and natural drums... Seeing him take those elements and merge them the way he has done was intriguing to see, listen to and chat about. :D And, I am very happy and proud of what I was able to contribute to this (especially that Trap section!), and seeing so many others want to jump onboard and bulk this wonderful arrangement with their own interesting spin to it!

Hope people enjoy what we put together in this. "Lunacy" and "Insanity" are two sides of the same coin. Truly a wild ride, and truly is *The Definition of*...

Big shout out to Lucas, Zack, and DFW for joining in on the fun! <3

ZackParrish: Recorded some djent on a 7-string.

Lucas Guimaraes: honestly

what even is this track.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: I'm in it. :-P
Why I placed it in the order I did: There weren't many choices left to make here in terms of track order. I knew "Existence Still Denied" was my bonus disc topper to finish us out, so with all the other tracks already laid down and them flowing well into each other, there was only one slot left to place this track. So it went here as the penultimate bonus song.
What I feel makes it stand apart: The sheer collaboration between all participants for this track to make something crazy and fun was fantastic given the time frame. It has a completely different sound and feel than anything else on the album. There's a sense of urgency as the Lunar Cry approaches again and our heroes have to stop it from happening. Will they make it in time? The uncertainty of my clapping at the end leaves it open for debate.

Jorito: It was quite interesting to see the production of this track come to life in the album Discord channel from a distance; to see the energy between the producers and the performers and how the track seemed to come into being as a collection of inspired happy accidents that resulted in quite an epic remix. It's a hard hitting, loud and dramatic EDM track where you can clearly hear the "Tears of the Moon" references that Vodoú Queen used in her "Definition of Lunacy" arrangement on the album, yet taking it to new levels. Using a baritone saxophone in a dubstep track is also quite the inspired choice, and of course the djenty rhythm guitars also take things up a notch. As the only track of this style on the entire album it definitely stands out, and definitely also in a good way!

5-11. The Vodoú Queen feat. ZackParrish - "Existence Still Denied"
Sources: "The Extreme", "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec", "Premonition", "Force Your Way", "The Castle", "Prelude"

The Vodoú Queen: arrangement, lyrics, mixing, production
ZackParrish: drums, sound effects

The Vodoú Queen: And so, we once again reach the apex of the mountain...

It's been almost a year since I revisited my half of this album's "The Extreme" remix, "All Existence Denied". I hadn't planned on revisiting it, nor planned to add a revised version of it to the 5th bonus disc. *All* of this came from a private DM with Zack, and him asking about the remix and what my contribution to the collaborative effort was, directly. I do not think he had even heard the remix itself of the original 69, but I gave him an MP3 render that I had to dig out of the recesses of my old Seagate HD (the PC I had done the work has since imploded, although, thank the gods, the hard drive still worked!)

And then, he asked: "would you like to reignite your vision for the 5th disc?"

I was a bit hesitant; partially because of just how insanely large the DAW file was alone (145 tracks... it wasn't easy mixing all of those beforehand...), and how intricate the BPM changes were within said file... and he was asking this about 3-4 days *before the due date* for our work to be mastered and turned in for evaluation. But after some kindly chatter, I relinquished, and said: "f*ck it, why not?"

Not only did I want to -after thinking on it- go back and see if what I've learned in mixing and post-production since after its inception could actually crank it from that 11 threshold to a full 12 banger (and I hope it did!), but to see if I could utilize *solely* the EDM aspects of the original, and kind of re-add my original plans for the piece itself. I believe what Capt'n Shred and I had done was beautifully married together, and a great, solid remix that went beyond the realms of usual remixes for "The Extreme", and we had accomplished not falling into the category of sounding 'like another The Black Mages' rendition of the source.

But... what else could *I* bring to the table? How could I make it evolve and grow, and in turn, show my growth as a musician and music producer?

Zack and I batted ideas back and forth. He implored me to completely rework the Interlude/Trap section from the original and have it much more focused, much more simplified - and to add a rap to it!! And well, since Darkflamewolf mentioned before that they *really* thought a "sorceress rap" would be cool, and I've done it once before... I figured to try and put more of what bit of vocal / singing talent I've got and do my best at it. Synths were strengthened, leads and basses I tried to tweak and fix by having better call/response action to each other. FX chains were re-examined and ripped apart and envelopes built back again...

... And here we are, once again at the final precipice of this 10-min "magnum opus".

My hope is that this shows a stark contrast to the original, but also is an homage *to* the original by having those callbacks, whilst being a remix in its own right. I hope it keeps people's interest, and they find something new or something they hadn't noticed before, every time they listen to the song. I did my best to make it distinct and have something different and fresh every time the vibe and flow switched gears, and I'm actually very proud of the vocal work I did with this, and all that I've managed to accomplish in wrangling the Frankensteinian beast I had created...

I cannot express how thankful I am for Zack coming to me, just having a talk with me, and wanting me to push myself, express myself, and get my work out there. If it wasn't for him, (or his fantastic ability to fix my horrible transposing and MIDI mistakes, or his truly kick-ass, epic drum creations, OR those wonderful beginning sound effects that lead into the Overture!), I don't think this dream would have come true. The entirety of this album has been one hell of an experience -for better, and almost not at all for worse- and what I've learned in the interim, and the extremely kind people I've met and became friends with has been one of the best experiences in my 30-or-so-years of living on this Earth...

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. Please enjoy, and always remember...

Your Existence. Is still. Denied. <3

Parts from the source used (all adjusted to "The Extreme's" key signature as F major/D minor):

- "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" A: 0:33-0:50
- "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" B: 0:59-1:26
- "The Extreme": whole song at various points
- "Premonition": 0:00-0:23
- "Force Your Way": 0:00-0:12 (including the rising bell/chime "arpeggio" in the original source that plays @ 0:50-0:56)
- "The Castle": 0:26-1:20
- "Prelude": 0:25-0:44

Source Breakdown:

- 0:00-0:20: The 'end' of "All Existence Denied", rewinding backwards with "Time. Will. Compress." in it, spoken backwards and forwards
- 0:29-0:49: 'Overture' plays with music box instrument, glass piano and synth choirs playing "FLWV" A
- 0:50-1:21: 'Overture' plays "FLWV" B, both parts including the spoken choir words "Fithos", "Lusec", "Wecos" and "Vinosec" by Alter/Ego "singers"
- 1:21-3:12: 'Intro' plays "The Extreme" from ~0:00-1:20 of the original source, with added lyrics/spoken words taken directly from Ultimecia's lines in-game (spoken by VQ)
- 3:13-6:29: 'Main' plays "The Extreme" from ~1:21-3:50, with additionals and switch-ups to keep the source active and fresh (e.g. added arpeggio run "hype train" @ 4:28, which mimics the main leads); 6:03-6:30 is slightly different from the original, as the leads have changed, but it follows the same/similar bassline and length of that section
- 3:24-3:47: "Premonition" pads underpin the rise-up to the main core of "The Extreme"
- 4:17-4:29: "Force Your Way" accents the soft 'drop' in "The Extreme" in this section, before the "hype train" begins
- 6:43-7:38: "The Castle" plays upfront and center, mainly by synth harpsichord and long strings, accented by pizzicato strings, hand-bells and a piano key/arp playing bits of "The Extreme" Intro (from ~0:00-1:20); "The Castle" is slightly modified from its original source, mostly incorporating the organ and piano from the original, and an all-new rap written and sung by VQ
- 7:46-9:19: "The Extreme" picks back up, sliding back to its (modified) verse->bridge->chorus structure, inclusive of a reintroduction of the music box motif (from the 'Overture'), and an 8-bit shift in vibe, synth and style, before the finale
- 8:54-9:19: "Prelude" plays softly in-behind the final notation of "The Extreme", utilizing sweet bells and chimes to hint at that mystical feeling every time you hear the series' main theme in any Final Fantasy-related game
- 9:20-9:50: Wrapping it up back to "FLWV" choir lines and Ultimecia-based dialogue, with a special treat at the end ;)

ZackParrish: In the dark of the night I started a lengthy conversation with the queen of madness. We discussed many things surrounding the album and decided to team up in a last hoorah of an alternate take of her remix of "The Extreme", going so far as to "rewind" the version you hear toward the end of disc 4, at the start of this track. We tossed notes and ideas back and forth while steadily working on this track over the course of 3 days. It captures the insanity and the chaos of Ultimecia and her smushing of time to get her... Thanos-esque wish of death and destruction.

Darkflamewolf:
Why it is my favorite on the album: Sorceress Rap! CHECK IT! That and the groovy new EDM beats Vodoú Queen lays down with sick abandon. This track stands apart on its own two legs and can be considered a worthy companion to its other "Extreme" counterpart. My favorite track to finish us out on the final disc of my favorite album!
Why I placed it in the order I did: This was a no brainer. The moment I heard it, it had to be the final track on the final disc. Period. Since Ultimecia ends us on a time loop that ensures her continued reign of terror on the world that SeeD must continue to stop her time and again, it is fitting she reigns supreme as the final track of the bonus disc - where if you loop back around to the first disc, it just flows nicely and you can begin your journey all over from the start - just as Ultimecia intended!
What I feel makes it stand apart: Sorceress Rap! I can't... I just can't! I love it so, and to have it be part of The Extreme - one of the best final boss themes of all time in Final Fantasy? What's not to love? Every aspect to even the rewinding of the original song at the beginning just sets this track apart not only from its predecessor but for anything else heard on the album.

Jorito: After the collab with Capt'n Shred on disc 4, turns out Vodoú Queen wasn't quite done with "The Extreme" just yet. And, of course, a bonus disc is a good opportunity to revisit your earlier work and give it a fresh new direction (I should know because I did it too). And that's what we get, a more electronic, rather than guitar driven, remix that overall tells a similar story to the other track but is expanded to include callbacks to quite a few more source tracks in the mix and also a brand new sorceress rap, featuring Ultimecia. It's familiar yet new and depending on your mood you now have different options to listen to and enjoy your last bit of Existence. Because no matter which option you prefer, it's denied anyway. :)