Paths Less Travelled: Terranigma Comments from visual artist & original director David Owen (Odai), album directors Jorrith Schaap (Jorito) and Troy Plain (Trism), mastering engineer Kristina Scheps (Chimpazilla), and ReMixers Album freely available at https://terranigma.ocremix.org TERRANIGMA What can I say about this game? When I was about 15, I would frequent an independent computer game shop in my nearest city, a short train journey away. It always had all the great new games set up for customers to play at the counter and allowed folks to request-test anything that was on the shelves. Their range was incredible for such a humble hole-in-the-wall retailer, and included titles that were surely unheard of by most folks. Terranigma was one of these games. I actually walked past it on 3 occasions before taking a punt on it. Pre-owned at less than a year old, and I'd heard nothing of it. But I was feverishly into JRPGs and thought "Hey, what the hell?" I'd got lucky before, and the shop had an excellent returns policy. I'm so very glad I did. What waited was a uniquely quirky story, with a plot centred on the myriad shades of grey between dark and light. It sported three-dimensional characters and excellent gameplay with some unexpected difficulty spikes to keep me on my toes, and was one of the pioneers of choice-based progress. The graphics were incredible for the technology and the JP-EN translation was... well, let's say charming... Roll on to today and I still rank it among my favourite games. Even with the progress we've made in the past 25 years, it holds a corner reserved for the magical. It's a sadness that it didn't get more coverage. My beginning of Paths Less Travelled was an effort to bring the game more into the forefront and pay some small tribute to it, and Quintet, the game's ultimately and mysteriously doomed developer. I started this project with hope and vigour and it quickly gained traction. With HoboKa as my second, we made good tracks, but unfortunately, as dedicated as he was, life prevented him from continuing. Trism quickly and humbly took up the yoke and we powered on for a good while, churning out progress like there was no tomorrow. Then, suddenly, life happened to me too and the project halted. With every intent on coming back to it, it sat there gathering dust while life continued to happen. A couple of years rolled by before, out of the blue, Trism approached me, offering, again humbly to take on the mantle of project director to get it over the finishing line. After all, we'd done so well and we were so close. I agreed, of course, and relegated myself to art director and shouter-from-the-shadows. Jorito quickly came on board as co-director, and suddenly the machine was moving again! With Trism's enthusiasm and Jorito's experience (and admittedly very little help from me), the album has turned out to be better than I could have ever hoped. So here we are! I encourage you to sit back, enjoy your beverage of choice, and experience the work that is Paths Less Travelled: Terranigma. Every single contributor to the album has reflected stellar work on every track, and it proves to be a truly eclectic triple-album that pays homage to what I consider to be one of the very best unsung computer games of all time. Huge shout-outs to every musician and contributor, to Trism, HoboKa, and Jorito, and, of course, Chimpazilla for her patience and mastering most every track on the album. - David Owen (Odai) I have to admit I never played Terranigma until near the end of the album production process, so I wasn't fully sure what all the hype and all the love was about. That didn't stop me from claiming my first 2 tracks ("Mountains" and "Crysta") in the first run of the project, and two more during the album restart. When checking out the OST, I noticed quickly that this was not your typical RPG music fare, but rather something interesting and different. After finally playing the game, the tracks, and their context, make a lot of sense, because they are all very well chosen and perfectly crafted for the occasion. The game is definitely worth a play, as one of the great SNES RPGs; if you haven't done so, do check it out. While I was only active as a contributing artist in the first run, I was a bit sad to see the album project come to a halt. I was already playing with the idea to maybe pick up the pieces and try to help the project towards completion, but sadly I never found the time due to prior commitments and real life distractions. When Odai finally handed over the reins to Trism to give it another go, my schedule cleared up enough to offer to help out. I am glad I did. Terranigma is a great game that deserves all the love people give it, and the album project is a great way to pay tribute to it. Massive thanks to Odai for starting the project and the beautiful artwork, Trism for being a great co-director, and Chimpazilla for her mastering services as well as helping out on a few tracks. Hope you enjoy listening to the album as much as we enjoyed creating it! - Jorrith Schaap (Jorito) Well. This has been quite the experience. Three years and one hiatus in the making and it's finally here. I've never been involved with something this, well... involved before. It would be entirely accurate to state I had no idea what I was getting into when I offered to become assistant director to Odai when the project was in its infancy, and I CERTAINLY had no idea what I was getting into when I offered to resurrect the project later on. It isn't hyperbole to say that this project would either be significantly less substantial or straight-up wouldn't exist without Jorito stepping in. His experience has been essential to the completion of the album (not to mention his contacts within the remixer community) and I would be remiss if I didn't also give a huge shout-out to Chimpazilla for offering her mastering services during both "eras" of the project. And also, I need to thank Nadzilla from the very bottom of my heart for engineering Manji's "Destiny's Spire" on very short notice and doing a fantastic job of it! As for the game itself; like Jorito, I had also not played the game when I offered my services on the album. I picked the "Royd" source due to its cool hook, but it did plant the seeds of interest when I looked up the Royd character and started reading into the story of the game itself. It sounded utterly bonkers! I had to play this thing! And play I did, and while life didn't allow me to play it to completion (though I have seen the game finished by some wonderful LPers on YouTube), I have to say it was an amazing experience, there really isn't another game quite like it. So. Here it is, for better or worse. I really hope you, the listener, enjoy this smorgasbord of different genres and interpretations of some truly amazing source music. Now; what to choose for Paths Less Travelled vol. 2... - Troy Plain (Trism) I was invited onto the Terranigma project originally to provide sound support and mastering, which I was honored to accept. A few of the tracks required mixing help, and two of them ("Her Resolve" and "Royd Rage") I ended up collaborating on too, writing a bit of my own material for the tracks in addition to mixing and mastering. I was sad when the project went on hold, but I was thrilled when the project was taken up again by Jorito and Trism. Jorito collaborated on several of the tracks himself, including adding more excellent work to both "Her Resolve" and "Royd Rage." Even throughout the hectic final push to finish the album, Jorito was wonderful to work with. I have never played Terranigma, but I was astounded at the amount of love for the game that I felt as I interacted with every single track. I hope the listeners enjoy this album as much as we enjoyed making it, and I hope they feel the love that went into its production. - Kristina Scheps (Chimpazilla) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-01. Ganaé - "L&D" Source: "Light and Darkness" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka, Masanori Hikichi Jorito: "Light & Darkness" can be considered the main theme of the game, as you hear it in the title screen and you hear parts of in other tracks. Ganaé brings a sweeping symphonic suite of the theme that tells a compelling story with plenty of development, movement, and lots of interesting parts. Highly recommended! Trism: Pretty much as soon as Ganaé provided his first WIP for this track, I knew it would have to be the album opener. His interpretation of the already amazing "main" theme is epic in scale and execution, and it perfectly sets the scene for everything that's waiting for you on the rest of the project, as variations of the melody are repeated a fair amount throughout the soundtrack. Ganaé: I didn't know Terranigma before this album and I accepted to work on it because it was a challenge to me. The track was pretty long and I wanted to make it as a big orchestral suite with different parts. The most difficult was to keep the spirit of game (Odai helped me a lot) and freely mix the different parts. I'm happy to have done it and I hope you'll like it. Enjoy. 1-02. Jorito feat. Earth Kid, JoyDreamer, Lauren the Flute, Kain White - "Find My Way" Source: "A Place to Return To" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito - arrangement, accordion, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, shakers, percussion, production Jorito, Lauren the Flute - lyrics Earth Kid - lead vocals JoyDreamer - backing vocals Kain White - acoustic guitar Lauren the Flute - flute Trism: I'm always completely blown away when a remix includes vocals and this track is above and beyond anything I've heard before. Everything in this track fits together perfectly; from the live flute to the choir and, of course, the vocals, this is a wonderfully organic piece of music. Jorito essentially put a band together to record this and the end result really showcases the talent of each individual. Definitely a stand-out track on an album full of awesome music. Jorito: This track was a loooong time in the making and saw its fair share of bumps on the road, much like the story of Ark, the protagonist in Terranigma. Originally started in mid-2016 for the Terranigma album, it got shelved for over 2 years until the album project got restarted. But I'm glad I was able to finish it, and I hope it conveys *just* the right feeling to anyone who played and enjoyed the game. Crysta plays a key role in Terranigma. It may just seem your regular oldskool RPG hometown music and just the place where the game starts (and ends). You don't even see or hear it a lot in the game, but it *does* tend to stick with you because of the way the story is told. Much like Crysta, I wanted this track to not only give a sense of home, of comfort, of belonging, but also a sense of development, discovery, and overcoming the things life throws at you. Did I succeed? Well, that's for you to decide. I always envisioned this to be a song with vocals, but finding a lead vocalist turned out to be a challenge. Due to the long production time and various life circumstances, it was only until at the last moment, when all parts were already recorded, that Natalya (Earth Kid) was able to help out. I am glad she did, and you gotta love how her voice blends with Joy's in the choruses. :) Kain White was kind enough to play the arpeggiated guitar part and the strumming in the choruses (even if I did record some more guitars for the choruses myself to fill it out a bit more), and Lauren (the Flute) provided the expressive flute parts. Accordion was done by yours truly, because I had one lying around and it just fit the bill. As always, a big thanks to everybody that helped bring the track to life; while samples are pretty good nowadays, they are never a 100% substitute for real instruments played by real people. I'm glad this track "Found Its Way" (see what I did there?) to completion and I hope you all enjoy the ride! 1-03. Jean Of mArc feat. Gamer of the Winds - "Blue Magic" Source: "Prime Blue" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: Jean-Marc was another early project participant that we managed to reactivate for the restart. The WIP he showed for "Magic Rocks" showed a lot of promise and a great soundscape. When he had fleshed out the arrangement more, I couldn't help but notice the large amount of woodwinds he had in it. So I reached out to Gregory (Gamer of the Winds) again after checking in with Jean-Marc to see if he'd be interested in trying to replace the VST instruments with real instruments. Both were on board with the idea to give it a try, and it was totally worth it. The original VST instruments featured flutes with a wooden timbre. Since Gregory didn't have any wooden flutes that worked with the key of the track, he told me he could get a similar timbre with a regular flute, and to my ears that worked pretty well. Check it out, I'm sure you'll like it. Trism: "Mysterious" is the word that immediately comes to mind with this track. The flutes invoke feelings of deserted red rock canyons and huge expanses. To make this from such a short source track is truly remarkable and Jean-Marc's composition really stands out as a highlight. Gamer of the Winds' contribution really elevates this track into the stratosphere and beyond. A truly wonderful piece of music. Jean Of mArc: Terranigma is a game I have only ever played vicariously. It was never released in North America, but I had a friend who had imported the game from Europe. She was obsessed with it, and as a result I heard details about it all the time. The game is also considered somewhat of a hidden gem, and I've always been interested in great games that don't get a ton of attention. The title of the album project, Paths Less Traveled, intrigued me for this reason, and when I learned that its first game would be Terranigma, I knew I had to sign up. There's something about the mysterious nature of the track "Magic Rocks," also known as "Prime Blue", that draws me in. The track is quite short, but has an ethereal, syncopated feeling I wanted to bring forward even more. I decided to mostly keep the mixture of textures (chromatic percussion, winds, and bass). However, the original track lacked any feeling of punch or forward momentum, and that was what I wanted to most bring to the track. My two primary means of doing so were variations and improvisations in the lead winds, and drums & percussion. Lots of drums & percussion. Jorito suggested that replacing my virtual winds instruments with live performances by Gamer of the Winds would take it to the next level, and he was 100% right. Gamer of the Winds performed everything wonderfully, and brought his own signatures and touches to the mix. The result is "Blue Magic," and I'm very pleased with it. I hope you are too! 1-04. Supercoolmike, Chimpazilla, Jorito - "Her Resolve" Source: "Prayer" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: Elle, in her various incarnations, is a key character in the game, and has one of the best themes in the game, to my ears. The source track definitely is a lovely and moving piece of music that evokes *just* the right feelings. While this arrangement, originally started by Supercoolmike, was maybe a bit more rhythmic-driven, it still managed to evoke a similar mood and timbre. Both Chimpazilla and I enjoyed what Supercoolmike was trying to do, so we both offered to help out; first Chimpazilla with some additional part-writing and production work, and later me with redoing the original trumpet and solo violin parts and ultimately also the backing strings. I can't help but enjoy the breakdown at 2:19 and the following conclusion; they bring just the right amount of determination, melancholy, sense of loss, and strength that, to me, clearly highlight the character of Elle. Trism: This is one of those instances where a song title really captures the feel of the track. The horns that play the main melody really paint a picture of someone striding towards their destiny, especially when it's underscored with the military-style snare. The build from the simple guitar intro to the beautiful full horn section gives the track a sense of melancholy determination, which is fitting for Princess Elle. Supercoolmike did a great job on the main body of the track, after which Chimpazilla used her magic touch to bring out the emotion and life of the composition. Supercoolmike: I would like to thank Odai for having me be apart of the album and Trism for helping out in the forums with the updates. Big thanks to Chimpazilla for collaborating with me for this track. She really helped me out flush out the track to have a more emotional and vibrant feel, while also adding her own ideas to further emphasize the idea I had originally set out for. 1-05. David Kiraeth feat. Trev Wignall - "Yomi or Not Yomi" Source: "Yomi" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: Yomi is a weird little creature that you meet early on in your adventures in the world of Terranigma, and he (?) acts as your sidekick and helper in the game. His theme in the game is a rather comical, unserious affair, but David managed to bring out the darker undertones that will be familiar with those who played the game. Trev's effected violin makes Yomi sound rather creepy too, so if you ever would meet Yomi, now you at least know to run away as fast as you can. :) Trism: For such a light-hearted theme, this mix certainly brings a much darker edge to the original material, which can be fitting, depending on how you look at it. The sombre tone is boosted by Trev's electric violin and David's slowing down of the source track to make a dark, almost menacing experience. David Kiraeth: I have to confess I never played Terranigma... but the more I learn about this game, the more intriguing I find it. It gives it a special place along the "mysterious and surely great games I've missed but don't want to try to not break the magic!" It's not like I have the time to play it anyway. Well, back to Yomi! It's the first remix I made for this album, and from what I know, Yomi is a (not-so-) friendly demon in the game with which the plot starts, and who meets a tragic end. For these reasons, I decided to make the original catchy theme more adventurous and nostalgic! I couldn't have done it this well without Trev (the instrument "star of the show," it's him!). 1-06. HoboKa feat. Stahalamora - "Enigma of a Broken Soul" Source: "An Unforeseen Event" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: Every RPG needs its sad, lamenting music, and "Sadness" is that music in Terranigma. While HoboKa plays it relatively straight, sticking close to the source track, the floaty vocals and the instrument choices give it a more ethereal and dreamy feel rather than a profound feeling of sadness and loss. Still, it does work well with the source material and gives it a nice new interpretation. The performance by Stahalamora does bring a lot to the track; always great to hear live performances take things to the next level. Trism: HoboKa perfectly sets the scene right from the outset with nighttime sound effects that compliment the emotion of the song. Stahalamora's vocals are perfect for the main melody and Hobo's minimalist approach to the composition works wonderfully, creating a sense of almost hopeful melancholy. Yes, that's an oxymoron. No, I don't care. HoboKa: Well, I love this OST, as does everyone else who participated in the Paths Less Traveled. Decided to employ Stahalamora's vocal chops in order to make a cool orchestral, sing-songy, conservative remix. Sprinkled with the feelings of wanting, sorrow, and perhaps just a hint of sexiness. I commissioned Stahalamora to sing in my Terranigma cover-mix, to which her singing helped push the remix into not-a-cover territory, LOL. And boy, does she have the voice of an angel, as well as a certain je ne sais quois that I so desperately needed (and she's also very beautiful... which is a distant third reason why I chose to bring her on. I swear on my honor as a gentleman, a scholar and a retard -- I mean saint). Right, serious mask on, I aimed to make "Enigma of a Broken Soul" as close to the source as possible, texture and notation-wise. I know not if I should've tried something more creative notation-wise. But, it seems to be easier for me to get posted when I take less risks. Oh, and certainly not least of all, I also have to drop mention to Chimpazilla, for helping to fix the mix and add in a more ethereal aesthetic that surprisingly jived very well with my intent. So, thanks to all who contributed and helped me make this happen! By the by, Odai is a kick-ass project coordinator, and I strongly recommend him for further projects to all other prospective remixers. :) 1-07. Fredrik Häthén feat. JohnStacy, Alex Hill, dannymusic, DavidRussell323, Dean Nguyen, Harpsona, Andrew Thompson, Chromatic Apparatus, Andrew Steffen, mkafie, Gabriel Vizcarra, Bassoonify, Gamer of the Winds, Damian Nguyen, Lauren the Flute, Catboss., Travis Kindred, Andre Beller - "Beginning of the Journey" Source: "Departure" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Fredrik Häthén - arrangement JohnStacy - French horn, trumpet Alex Hill - tuba dannymusic - trombone DavidRussell323 - piano Dean Nguyen - percussion Harpsona - harp Andrew Thompson - cello, viola, violin Chromatic Apparatus - cello Andrew Steffen - viola, violin mkafie - violin Gabriel Vizcarra - viola Bassoonify - bassoon Gamer of the Winds - clarinet Damian Nguyen - oboe Lauren the Flute - flute Catboss. - flute Travis Kindred - bass Andre Beller - bass Jorito: Fredrik is an artist that I met through Materia Collective, and I always admired his orchestral arrangements. So, when he posted on Facebook that he loves Terranigma and was thinking about doing an arrangement from some tracks, I immediately reached out to him. As per usual, he writes his tracks with notation first and then enlists the help of an army of talented performers to record it with real instruments for him. Even though I am slightly jealous of him (as I have yet to make an arrangement that features solely live performances), he and his performers really made the arrangement shine and the result is a great dynamic piece of orchestral music that's definitely worthy of your attention. Trism: The suspenseful opening of the track puts me in mind of a classic Hammer horror movie, before slipping seamlessly into the main body of the song which is a much more optimistic and hopeful affair. Fredrik writes that he wanted to convey the feelings of Ark as he sets out on his journey, which I personally feel he pulled off beautifully. It's wonderful to have a track on the album that features a fully live performance, so a big thank you to everyone who contributed to this piece! Fredrik Häthén: What I first and foremost wanted to illustrate with this arrangement was Ark setting out on his journey into a dark, foreboding world that he doesn't know. I wanted to keep the feel of the original while at the same time adding more heroic elements to show more of a progression from uncertainty to steadfastness. I also want to give a huge shout-out to all of the amazing musicians who perform on the track and bring the arrangement to life! 1-08. Manji - "Destiny's Spire" Source: "Trials" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Manji - arrangement, guitars, bass, drums, samples, mixing Nadzilla - additional mixing/mastering Jorito: The Towers of Trial are the first dungeons in the game and they are, in fact, your first trials. Since these towers are in the underworld, it only makes sense to pay tribute to that with some balls-to-the-walls unapologetic metal. It's probably the heaviest track on the entire album, and I think Manji did a great job of evoking the darker and scary feelings of the underworld and its challenges. \m/ on! Trism: You can't go wrong with some classic heavy metal and this source could easily have been written with that genre in mind. Manji does a fantastic job in evoking the dark, forbidding nature of the towers themselves while simultaneously upping the pace with double-kick drums and guitar solos. The breakdown halfway through gives you a moment to breath before kicking you right back into action again and provides some lovely variation to the pace of the piece. Manji: Terranigma is a great game with a lot of distinctive dungeons, but the Towers that you have to conquer right at the start of the game are my favourites -- each one "awakens" a continent on the Earth, and they're suitably mysterious and ominous while also easing you into the game's battle system. They're also the first place where you hear one of Terranigma's multiple excellent dungeon themes, and as soon as I listened back to the theme upon getting involved with the Paths Less Travelled album, I could hear the makings of an extremely heavy-metal guitar ReMix inspired by bands like Atheist and especially Mithras. I wanted to throw in as many blastbeats and guitar solos as I could get away with while still building a little bit of a story through the song -- the ambience at the start is intended to evoke Ark trudging up to the looming Tower through the fallen underworld ash, before throwing open the doors and launching himself into battle. 1-09. Clément Panchout - "Everlasting Campfire" Source: "Evergreen" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: Clément dropped out of nowhere, it seems, and had a very specific track he wanted to claim: "Evergreen." Mostly because he had such warm memories from it. Fortunately, the track was still available, and I'm glad he picked it up, because he really did it justice. It also just needed a few short iterations to get it to the final form that you can now listen to, so whatever worries he might have had originally about his ability to join the project were completely unnecessary. A lovely take on a lovely track from the game. Trism: Clément joined the project after the hiatus and was initially worried that we might not allow him to take part as he wasn't an "official" remixer on the site. One listen to his SoundCloud and I signed him up immediately! Clément stated early on that he wanted his song to tell a story and invoke specific feelings and moods, which I personally feel he's achieved wonderfully. Oh, to revisit those days by the sea; mind you, in my case, I was usually getting attacked by seagulls... Clément Panchout: I've always been a huge fan of A-RPGs. Back in time, Terranigma stood as the perfect game after so much love given to its big brother, Illusion of Time. This game was very special to me, restoring the game's broken world was a personal achievement. ^^ The OST was part of the revelation of course. I remember the 10-years-old me listening to the whole "Evergreen" track contemplating all this luxurious vegetation! Remixing this song, I wanted to give both happiness and nostalgia moods, because these two feelings melt in me when I think back to that "Terranigma time." So, I imagined a bunch of friends, on a beach with a guitar around a campfire, telling good old memories. This is where my song starts... 1-10. Jorito feat. Sirenstar, Juan Medrano - "Will We Meet Again" Sources: "Into the Door," "Welcome Rain," "Firm Steps Upon the Land" Original Composers: Masanori Hikichi, possibly Miyoko Takaoka Jorito - arrangement, lyrics, vocoder/talkbox vocals, production Sirenstar - lead vocals Juan Medrano - electric guitar Trism: When Jorito sent me this track's early WIP, I thought I'd accidentally opened my 80's synthwave playlist (don't pretend you don't have one). Then he just casually mentioned he was including vocals and guitar solos, as if it wasn't a big thing. The outcome is more '80s than '80s and is a perfect closing track for the first disc, giving a sense of hope for the rest of the adventure. Jorito: Near the end of the Terranigma album project, I found myself inspired to take on another track. I was pretty intrigued by the "resurrection medley" on the list of available tracks. When I sat down and played with the main arpeggio from "Into the Door," suddenly synthwave happened. Not a bad thing, not at all! Fortunately, the other resurrection/revival themes have a decent amount of melodic content buried in them, so I took what I could and just ran with it. The arrangement more or less wrote itself after that, and while the connection with the resurrection themes might not click instantly (mostly because you hardly hear these songs in the game), it actually has a ton of source in it. I also tried to incorporate the game's themes of resurrection and reincarnation into the lyrics. Same as Manji in his end credits arrangement, I found myself inspired by the same line from the game's script -- "If we are bound by fate, we will meet again in time, somewhere" -- and that quickly became the foundation for the track. Finding somebody who could do both the synthwave genre and the lyrics justice was a bit of a dilemma. After some asking around, I found Sirenstar, who has been active mostly in Materia Collective, and she turned out to be not only a great synthwave fan, but also a great fan of Quintet! Both turned out to be a great help, because she did the parts justice and even pointed me to some new synthwave artists to enjoy. :) I also had some guitar parts written, but was in need of a guitarist to play them. Help arrived in the form of Juan Medrano, a.k.a. Sixto Sounds, whom I have always admired for his great guitar work. Turns out we both dig the '80s sound, so getting him on board was mostly a formality. Or in his words: "'80s as fuck. Melodic as fuck, keep coming to me for guitar parts," followed by a "I dig it!" when he heard the final version. Gotta hand it to the man, he has a flair with words just as much as he makes his guitar sing. Especially dig the tasty solo! Once all parts were recorded, I still wasn't 100% happy with the flow and how the theme was represented; it had no anchor, so to speak. After some thinking, I settled on recording some more vocals on talkbox (the recurring "Will we meet again?") and that really seemed to glue the track together. Hope you dig it, and till we meet again! Source breakdown: Since it's quite a creative mix that takes bits and pieces from multiple sources, I figured a breakdown would be helpful: - the arp from "Into the Door" plays throughout most of the track - the lead part from "Green Returns" (:12-:34) is used for the vocals in the verses - the lead part from "Green Returns" (:46-:58) is used for the vocals in the choruses - the string part from "Firm Steps" (:21-:37) is used for the lead guitar parts; first in 1:06-1:18, and with more elaborated versions at 2:40-2:51 and 4:40-4:53 - and as a last and maybe less obvious reference, the ascending chord buildup from "Green Returns" at 1:28-1:36 can be found in the solo section (3:06-3:46) Sirenstar: Really excited to be on my first OCR release. ♥ I had a great time working with Jorito, he's an awesome producer with a solid sound and vision for his track. Even better that it's a community dedication to a Quintet game! Lastly, this only furthered my synthwave habit. XD 2-01. DaMonz feat. Denis Bluteau - "Nature's March" Source: "Zue" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: In the game, "Zoo" plays while you're trying to resurrect the animal life, and it's a track that has a lot of syncopation. While it starts off a bit as a trance track, DaMonz borrows a lot of that syncopation in his take on the track. All the percussive elements, first and foremost led by the heavy snare solo, give the 4/4 side-chained beat a lot of interesting rhythmic variation. The natural-sounding flute, a great performance by Mr. Bluteau, and the electric bass, also make for an interesting contrast with the rest of the instrumentation that is more synthetic in nature. All in all, a highly dynamic and interesting take on the original that managed to retain the feel of the original while still bringing a lot of extras to the table. Trism: There was a trance track I loved dearly in the late '90s called "Nomansland" that incorporated flutes against the typical beats and synths of the genre, and DaMonz's track really invokes the feeling I got when I first heard that song back then. There's a fantastic mix of styles here that work together wonderfully as well as some unexpected percussive elements that really drive the track along. DaMonz: When David asked me to join the project, I was a total Terranigma n00b. I took a good listen of all available tracks, and this one struck me in particular mostly because of its awesome rhythmic intricacies and its beautiful, simple theme. I immediately thought that the melody would be a perfect fit for transverse flute, and that the background should contain a lot of percussive elements. I then decided to add in a marching snare solo, for which I watched quite a bit of military marching band videos and snare competitions for inspiration. I hope my writing lives up to the style! In any case, I had a lot of fun with it. I also want to point out the amazing flute performance recorded by Denis Bluteau, I'm very grateful for his help. And big thanks go to Sébastien Dufour (Trainbeat) as well, for providing the recording space, equipment, and expertise. 2-02. LongBoxofChocolate - "Looking Out for the Big Guy" Source: "The Willful Lion" Original Composer: Masanori Hikichi Jorito: After you resurrected the animals, you end up on a bit of an escort mission together with Liem, the son of the lion king. It's a playful and slightly silly part of the game to me, and LongBoxofChocolate did great with retaining that playful feel, with their playful arrangement and lovely live performances. The loungey start might fool you, with that e-piano and smooth sax, but it gets fleshed out into a more groovy track soon enough, with plenty of interesting breakdowns and playful interpretations of the source. In case you're wondering about the title, Liem consistently calls you "big guy" and while you are originally sent out to rescue him, he does look after you, too. Trism: What would you call this? Lounge groove? Grounge? Well, probably not that last one, but this is a great example of one genre blending wonderfully into another. The gentle, laid-back initial half of the song gives way to a much more upbeat latter half, all the while retaining the same playful feel throughout. The guys seem to have had a lot of fun with this one and it certainly comes through. Aaron Schmitt of LongBoxofChocolate: "Looking Out for the Big Guy" is a reference to Liem, the lion cub, and how he refers to the main character, Ark as "Big Guy." A name like this sets a huge expectation on the main character. I played Terranigma from start to finish more than ten years ago. The combat system stood out to me as it was the first time I'd ever encountered real-time combat. Briefly watching parts of a playthrough brought memories of my own playthrough to the fore, and we settled on the form of the tune. After seeing Liem and Ark interact, I fell in love with the idea of Ark being a role model for Liem. Unfortunately, Ark's destiny is predetermined by the script, and the script is where the idea for our ending came from. I latched onto a phrase uttered by the Mud Doll -- the boss of this particular stage. After he collapses the bridge, he says "Even if you grow old, you will only face the pain of betrayal." This line holds a lot of gravitas and is, in fact, foreshadowing. After refreshing myself of the plot, I remembered the demon companion's betrayal of Ark. Thumbing through the script, there is an occurrence of the sadness theme, which is why we chose to end the arrangement with it. Reflecting and respecting the solemnity of the game was a priority throughout the writing process. The Mud Doll's statement about "the pain of betrayal" was not aimed at Liem; I think it was aimed at the player. It sums up our recording of this tune -- the triumphant approach of a lion cub followed by the foreshadow of sadness. 2-03. zykO - "Punch Drunk Beneath a Lazy Tree" Source: "Sanctuar" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: "Sanctuary" is one of the more peaceful songs in the game, and plays in the bird sanctuary. While it's not a relaxing song per se, zykO felt it would work well as a calm piece. It's not too hard to picture zykO lying in the grass in the bird sanctuary, noodling away on his guitar without a care in the world. Of course, being too relaxed can make one a bit crazy, so if you're hearing some darker and more anxious undertones as well, that's probably why. Trism: Acoustic guitars and semi-distorted leads, oh my! This is quite an off-the-wall remix that meanders its way through a few different styles but manages to retain the feeling of relaxation throughout. Strings, choir, and piano move in and out of the soundscape before giving way to the aforementioned guitars and some light percussion. An excellent interpretation of the original source material. zykO: Life can come at you throwing haymakers. Charmed or not, some land, some don't; you catch a few either way and the best thing you can do, at that point, is take a break. One hopes to do so under their own accord, of course, but at times, that play is not in the cards. But ya know, either way there are few places better suited for a punch-drunk nap than in the cool shade of a lazy tree. This piece has guitars and stuff. 2-04. jnWake feat. zykO, ilp0, Ivan Hakštok, Trev Wignall, Jorito - "Brave New World" Source: "Further into the Wide World" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka jnWake - arrangement ilp0 - rhythm and lead guitars zykO - main guitar solo and other guitar leads Ivan Hakštok - bass Trev Wignall - violin Jorito - string production assistance Jorito: jnWake is another artist whose interest we've managed to rekindle when we rebooted the album project. He essentially already had the full arrangement done, and even had a lot of recordings ready, it just needed mixing. Just a few iterations later, he delivered this adventure-ish version of the overworld that somehow reminds me of the Wild Arms OST. I even helped out with some string work on it, so I might be biased if I say you gotta love it. Regardless, it's a great arrangement that keeps on moving and keeps you on your toes and ready to explore the world. Also good to see him back in the remixing game, it has been too long! Trism: If you were to play this track while someone was speeding across the plains on a galloping horse, head-down and eyes squinted against the flying dust, it would not be at all out of place. A wonderfully upbeat piece that exudes hope and adventure, jnWake has done a fantastic job in keeping the feel of the source alive and well. jnWake: This is quite an old track by now. If I remember correctly, I wrote this remix on like November 2016, so my memories of my intentions back then are a little hazy... I've always loved the Terranigma soundtrack, which is kinda underrated since the game was never globally released, so I was pretty excited to remix something from it. For this project I picked the overworld track, which plays in-game as you explore the second main map of the game. For the remix, I wanted to keep the theme's main motives while adding my own spin to it. Since this track plays on the overworld, it marks the start of the real adventure in Terranigma. Hence, I wanted the remix to have an adventure-ish vibe. Given that the game is also a lot about nature, I decided to pick non-synthetic instruments, so I ditched all the pads, synth leads, and other stuff I like to use... well, most of them, anyway. Since I wanted the track to sound natural (and because sampled acoustic guitars never sound too good), I contacted people to play the main instruments live and that's how I ended with a lot of collabers: ilp0 plays rhythm and lead guitars, zykO plays the main guitar solo and other guitar leads, Ivan Hakštok plays the bass, and Trev plays the violin. Regarding the structure of the track and source usage, I feel it's pretty clear for the most part. The remix begins with a more relaxed vibe, but quickly shifts to a more acoustic-rock-oriented approach to show it's time for action! After a few fun solos and leads, there's a little break and relaxing section before the ending, where the piano and zykO's solos take the lead. Hope you like it! 2-05. Manji, Jorito feat. Pavos - "An Afternoon in Clisson" Source: "Town" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Trism: If this track doesn't invoke the feeling of sitting in a quiet, European village on a warm summer's day, then what possibly could? When Manji picked up this track, he had already completed and turned in his awesome heavy metal "Tower" remix, so I was half-expecting something along the same lines. When he presented his initial idea and it was this beautiful, laid-back waltz, I was very pleasantly surprised! After he explained his inspiration for his style, it made a lot of sense and I feel he certainly got what he was aiming for. Jorito: Manji's take on the "European Town" theme gives us a waltzy affair, which makes sense given the source material. It's a bit of a hybrid soundscape with orchestral instruments and piano, but backed up by electric bass, tremolo guitar, and drums. The initial version had some issues with dissonance and muddy mixing. I offered to help out, and ended up adding some parts, removing the dissonances as well as I could, adding some better quality samples, and doing the usual orchestration, instrumentation, and production tweaks to bring it to you in its current form. All while still trying to retain the mood Manji had in mind. Hope we succeeded to convey the scene of a sun-laden rustic village on a nice summer day! Manji: My greatest inspiration for this track, besides the tranquil brilliance of the original song, is drawn from real life -- a few years ago, I went to an extreme metal festival called Hellfest located next to a small town named Clisson in western France. In complete contrast to the festival, Clisson itself was a beautiful medieval town full of old stone buildings and castles, and I ended up spending a lot of my time there, relaxing by the side of a quiet river with freshly-made sandwiches from a nearby boulangerie. This version of "European Town" attempts to draw on those memories and paint an idyllic picture of Ark discovering a little French town relaxing in the sunshine on a glorious summer's afternoon. All the instruments are sampled except for the bass, a brief guitar lead, and the piano melody, which was graciously recorded live by Pavos -- it's been a very different approach than I would take for my usual "drums-bass-guitars" style, but a very fulfilling one nonetheless! 2-06. That Headband Guy - "From the Depths of the Dungeon" Source: "Under the Ground of the Giant Tree" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: I've known That Headband Guy from his arrangements on YouTube before I knew he signed up to do a track on this OCR album. THG also was one of the people who came on board before the hiatus, and it was until pretty late that we discovered he left us some nice stems to mix, rather than a completed mix. So that meant I had to put on my mixing hat and mix the raw tracks together into a coherent whole. I hope I did it justice, since rock/metal is not a genre I work with often! With regards to this arrangement of the game's main dungeon theme, I really like what THG did with it. It has those chuggy quad-tracked rhythm guitars, those big, punchy drums, and some cool lead guitar work to boot. Short but powerful, gotta love it! Trism: The darker sources from Terranigma really do lend themselves well to the metal genre, don't they? That Headband Guy's chugging rhythms and screaming leads are reminiscent of the classic metal bands of yesteryear and the arrangement as a whole is a perfect, punchy sub-three-minute head-banger. 2-07. David Kiraeth - "Soothing Rhythm" Source: "Liotto" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: David was one of those artists who was on board early in the project, and at that time he also created his first version of "Southern Rhythm." When the project restarted, he was immediately on board again. When listening to the old version of his track, we had quite a few feedback & update iterations with David to bring it to its final form. It's a very interesting piece, soothing and calming on the other hand, but also with a hint of edginess with the glitch effects and some of the synths. Completely different from the upbeat original, with it's more Latin influences, but an enjoyable track in its own right. Trism: David came a veeeeeeery long way from his initial contribution to the album 3 years ago to his finished product here. The arpeggio opening sets the scene for the atmospheric soundscape that dominates this track, mixed in with a super slowed-down rendition of the sources melody and some lovely understated glitch and digitised vocal samples. The sudden cut-off uses silence to snap you back to reality, which is surprising but well-executed. David Kiraeth: The second remix I made for this album. It was a long story of back and forth with Jorito and Trism, so if you find this track any good, it's also thanks to them! To add some backstory, it was rather difficult to change this really catchy tune (which appears in some desert village, I think?) into something more relaxing. So if you are relaxed, you can thank me. If not, blame the original author! 2-08. HeavyViper feat. Gamer of the Winds - "Wade into the Changing Tide" Source: "Ship" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: Hal is one of those artists whom I have worked with before, since I recruited him for the Secret of Mana album. He did great there, and when the Terranigma album restarted, I made sure to reach out to him to see if he'd be willing to hop on board again. And I am glad I did! His take on "Call at a Port" is a lovely one and, to me, is reminiscent of the music you hear on the various Konami game arrange albums. It evokes a dreamy soundscape that whispers of relaxing waters and the dreams of travel to me. His original take included a VST whistle in the intro, and while it sounded good, I thought it could be better. Since I have worked with Gregory (Gamer of the Winds) a few times before, I knew that he could take the woodwind parts in this piece to the next level. So, I figured a reach-out would be appropriate, and once I connected Hal and Gregory, they quickly joined forces and made it really shine. Trism: I'm always amazed when two people who have never worked together can come together and make amazing music. Which of course is exactly what has happened here. Gamer of the Winds' contribution really lifts this to a whole new level, while HeavyViper's arrangement is wonderfully reminiscent of lazy evenings by the beach, watching the tides roll in. The almost ethereal guitar work and the minimal percussion are a great combination and give everything a dream-like quality. Everything comes together to create a very chill, laid-back experience. HeavyViper: Terranigma was a hidden gem in the SNES library, originally only getting a release in Japan and PAL regions. I didn't get a chance to play it when it was released, but I'm a huge fan of one of Quintet's other games, Illusion of Gaia. Quintet games are very striking in tone and script, and they're definitely some of my favourite titles on the platform. It's a real treat to be able to contribute to an album based on one of their works. Whenever I play Terranigma, I can't help but linger at the sea ports to listen to the BGM, "Call at a Port," so it was obvious which piece I'd have to remix! I started with a clear image in my mind of someone playing the flute alone on the rocks near the sea. Of course, being a guitarist, I then immediately started dialling in surf rock tones. These didn't feel quite right, so I ended up reigning them in a bit and writing a more laid-back and relaxing take on the piece, one that ebbs and flows with the tide. After hours of tracking guitars, I remembered that this was originally going to be a flute piece. I quickly went about adapting the original melody for flute, adding a harmony for good measure. Then, after throwing a few rough mixes Jorito's way, he introduced me to the very talented Gamer of the Winds, who took a liking to the piece and was kind enough to record some live piccolo tracks for me. They're lovely, and a great deal more convincing than my hacky MIDI efforts! There's a lot of layering going on in the piece, especially with the guitars, and this was a pain during mixing. While in the past, I've had trouble managing backing instruments like pads and synths, this time it was challenging to get the guitar and flute tracks balanced to my liking. Despite this, I ended up with a mix that moves gently back and forth across the stereo field, flowing like... well, you know. I'd like to thank Jorito for the invitation to contribute to the album, and Gamer of the Winds for his stellar performances. After all this, I'm really in the mood to take a trip down to the seaside... 2-09. Jorito feat. Manji, Tuberz McGee, Lauren the Flute - "Skaði, Fjallið Veiði Gyðja" Source: "The Sacred Summit" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito - arrangement, production Manji, Tuberz McGee - lead guitars Tuberz McGee - rhythm guitars Lauren the Flute - vocals Trism: This was, I believe, the first track that Jorito put together for this album, way back before the hiatus. An electronic/metal/orchestral hybrid! I've listened to enough metal bands to know a well-crafted track when I hear one. Jorito has made an awesome arrangement with this one and chose some excellent collaborators to bring his vision to life. It feels like the soundtrack to Thor standing atop a mountain, hurling Mjölnir into the clouds, and bringing the metal thunder down onto the world. Jorito: I'm a big fan of JRPGs, but sadly hadn't played Terranigma until very recently. As such, I was totally unfamiliar with this great soundtrack. When Odai started recruiting for the album, I went over a few of the tracks to see if anything struck my fancy. "Mountains" instantly resonated with me because I thought it'd do well with some chugga chugga guitars combined with orchestral, a style that I love. As usual, I started the arrangement with MIDI and samples. The rhythm guitars already sounded good with samples, but, with a bit of help from my pal Callum (Tuberz McGee), they really came to life and gave the track the energy it needed. Had lots of fun writing the guitar solo at the end, and I dig Callum's performance there too. The other guitar leads were played by Manji, who gratefully replied to my request for real guitars after my initial MIDI WIP. Lastly, I reached out to Lauren, who I worked with on another track. Turns out she's not only a great vocalist, but also a die-hard fan of Terranigma, so getting her on board to record the soaring operatic vocals to give the track that extra bit of epicness wasn't all that hard. All in all, I'm pretty proud of this track and happy how it turned out. Extra kudos to my collaborators for joining me on the ride, it's always amazing to see how much of a difference great live performances make! And if you're wondering about the title... "Skaði, Fjallið Veiði Gyðja" is Icelandic (not Old Norse, unfortunately) for "Skadi, Hunter-goddess of the Mountains." Odai painted a vivid picture about Vikings, icy mountain peaks, and firepits when he listened to my track, and I thought it'd be nice if the title reflected that. Tuberz McGee: Jorito is very quickly becoming my favourite collaborator because he hits me up with crazy arrangements that always sound stellar. This mix is no exception as I had to sit down and make sense of the arrangement before I could even fathom how to play the guitar part. This track was a lot of fun! Manji: When Jorito shared his idea for this track -- Vikings, opera, heavy metal -- I was (as a fan of all three of those things!) immediately on board. The lead parts were a lot of fun to record once I'd managed to work out the timing, with lots of room for flourish. I did a couple of takes to get the basic structure, then zeroed in on the trickier parts and did a few more passes to make sure they were as good as possible. Jorito then worked his magic to fit the parts seamlessly into the song and make the end result sound super epic! Lauren the Flute: I was so glad to be asked to contribute to another one of Jorrith's tracks; it's always nice when you find an arranger whose style just clicks with you. Plus, I'm a huge fan of Quintet, and Terranigma is, in my opinion, their crowning achievement in all ways, especially the soundtrack. I appreciate how every track Jorrith produces is different from the others and yet they're all fantastic. The moment the electric guitars kicked in with this one, I was in love. The recording took place during a really difficult time in my personal life, so it was a struggle sometimes, but it's nice to be able to look back and say I overcame that and created something to be proud of. Thanks for being patient with me, Jorrith, and I'm so honored you asked me to be part of this. 2-10. Rozovian, MrSubstitute - "Trepidation" Source: "Those Who Stand in the Way" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: Out of the blue, Rozovian stopped by to show some interest in doing a track. He even asked which part of the album could use a bit of extra TLC. So, we pointed him to the later part of the game, where we had some more challenging tracks that were still available. He settled on the boss battle theme, not the easiest of tracks. What he came up with is quite different from the original, with various different sections, some eclectic sound design, and a somewhat anxious feel that leads towards a more careful, attentive mood. Funnily enough, parts of the track, mostly the first minute, remind me of the music you would hear in Metal Gear Solid while you're sneaking around the enemy base. While it's a bit more experimental than most tracks on the album and the structure a bit eclectic, give it a spin to see what kind of mood it invokes in you. Trism: I do love me some dark, atmospheric music, and Rozovian's track has that in spades. His willingness to take one of the more difficult sources on the album and put together this dread-laden, almost oppressive mix is truly impressive, and I, for one, am very grateful that he offered his services to us so late in the game. Strap yourself in for a bit of a trip on this final track of disc 2! Rozovian: "Trepidation" is a bit of a mess. I'd say it's illustrative of my 2019, but that's less because of artistic expression and more because of a lack of focus and not enough time spent on it. But I like my sound design. I like how my collaboration, an IRL collaboration this time, turned out. I like my interpretation of the source. But the arrangement is one of the dumbest things I've ever put together. 3-01. Nadzilla - "The Road to Lhasa" Source: "Lhasa" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: Lhasa is this exotic location in Terranigma, definitely inspired by Tibet, and it has a distinctly Eastern, Asian sound to it. Nadzilla went for an entirely different feel, maybe more a European Middle Ages-inspired take with some modern guitar influences. The drums give it a lot more drive than the original too, which has a more laid-back feel to it, where this version tells a story of a journey, of a destination just out of sight. Give it a spin, see where it leads you. Trism: Nadz is one of my very best friends IRL and I had him over to my house to pitch an idea I had for this track that I thought we could both work on. He took the source away and within a few days came back with pretty much what you hear on the final track. I knew there was nothing I'd be able to add that would be anything other than detrimental to the final product, so left the track as a solo effort on his part. It's an excellent opener to disc 3, giving a sense of wary optimism for the last leg of the adventure. Nadzilla: Trism assigned me a song for this project because he was curious about how I would interpret it. The source material is compelling, but the thing with covering existing music is you should either do it straight, or really different, and nothing in between. After knocking some thoughts around with Trism, I liked his idea of taking a northern European folk route with it, and so named it "The Road to Lhasa," as an homage to the traveling aspect of Terranigma. I hope I have successfully realised the concept! 3-02. NyxTheShield - "Espíritu Gitano" Source: "Quatro's" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: Talk about unexpected surprises! Nyx was the very last person to claim a track, when we thought we wouldn't see any more interested artists. I happened to be chatting on Discord that I was co-directing a Terranigma album, and Nyx went "What? I need to be on there!" At that point, most tracks were already claimed, but he took a liking to "Nomads in a Desert" and dropped a first WIP a few days later. With that chill groove, the guitars, and the Latin percussion, it sets a very relaxed vibe that I could imagine a band of roving nomads could be playing in real life when they have set up camp for the night and it's time for dinner and celebrations. Despite the source track being a very short, repetitive 4-bar track, he added a lot of variation in his arrangement and instruments in order to flesh it out into a full track. Trism: Nyx is (I think) the third person to tackle this source during the lengthy development of the album and, oh man, does he hit it out of the park! Considering the tiny amount of source material, he has managed to create a track that somehow evolves from something flute-led and salsa-esque into an almost salsa/film noir soundtrack fusion complete with saxophone! And accordion!? Which is not a sentence I thought I'd ever get the chance to write, to be perfectly honest. NyxTheShield: Terranigma is by far my favorite game of all time and one of the few ones that brings me to tears every time at the end. When I heard there was an album project coming out on OCR, I felt the obligation to contribute to it in any form. And thus this track came to be. I hope you enjoy it, it's an amalgamation of a lot of different musical influences I had on my life. 3-03. Nostalvania - "Protectress" Source: "Fyda" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: I'm mostly familiar with Nostalvania through his piano arrangements, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear him go beyond piano solo work and show up with this fully fleshed out lounge version of Fyda's theme. Still with plenty of great work on keys, of course! The feel is totally different from the source track, a lot more playful and groovy, but also with plenty of chill. Fyda suddenly seems a lot more fun character after hearing this arrangement, and not so much as the very serious and slightly stuffy guardian she is portrayed as in the game. I'm sure you'll agree, especially after you've grooved along to the tracks laid down by Markus. Trism: A cool, upbeat jazz number for Fyda's theme, and it works so perfectly. The intro alone is enough to make me feel that I've been transported to a smokey jazz club in the '50s. I love the organ work that threads through the whole song, and the bass work is sublime. It's impressive that Nostalvania took a very military-sounding source and turned it into a fun, jiving remix. Nostalvania: Since I'm from Europe, I actually had the pleasure to play Terranigma on the Super Nintendo (still got the cartridge). I really enjoyed the game and its excellent soundtrack, so I'm very happy to be part of its first OCR album! This is also my first album track as a solo artist. For my contribution, I chose the track "Fyda," because I found it would be very suitable for my remix style. And, of course, it's just a wonderful composition. The original song is some sort of heroic march. However, for my interpretation, I transported "Fyda" into the realms of jazz and funk. One of the first things I did was changing the time signature to 7/8, my favourite odd meter. For the B section, I switched to a slower 4/4 groove to get some contrast with the more busy sections. Furthermore, I added some original writing, like at 1:50, a nice little cadence, and also some piano solos. As for the instrumentation, the track is pretty keyboard-heavy. There is acoustic piano, e-piano/Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and organ. Bass and drums complete the ensemble. Many thanks to Chimpazilla who did a great job at mastering the track. On a final note, I want to give credit to Odai for being the album initiator/original director, and also to Trism and Jorito for taking over the project after it was on a very long hiatus. 3-04. Trism, Jorito, Chimpazilla - "Royd Rage" Source: "Royd" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: A few months before the final deadline, Trism approached me with his take on Royd's theme that he arranged during the first run of the album project. He had already submitted it to the panel, but it wasn't approved back then and he was looking for some feedback to try and improve it. Since he got stuck a bit, I offered to help out and wrote some extra bass parts, added some vocals, arps, gated chords, and leads to spice it up, give it some more textures and variation, and put a bit more bass in the drum & bass. Because Trism already had a solid and inspiring foundation, it was rather pleasant and easy to work with. Also many thanks to Chimpazilla for mixing and mastering it, as well as adding some extra ear candy. I hope we succeeded spicing it up and hyping you up with this new incarnation of the track! Trism: Oh, yes, Royd. I have to admit; I'd never actually heard of Terranigma before Odai created the thread for the album project. After listening to a few songs from the soundtrack, I was instantly hooked; there's a really interesting theme and tone that seems to run through the whole OST that gives it a really sombre feel, even when a track itself is quite cheerful. Royd's theme really stood out to me though as the main melody sounded a lot like a dance track "hook." My initial WIP to Odai sounded nothing like the final product though, as he quickly suggested I try and turn it into a drum and bass track (not sure I quite managed that request, but here we are!). This track took a long time to get to the point that I felt it *might* be good enough to get onto the album, and that was only after a LOT of revisions and versions being sent to Odai for feedback (this being pre-hiatus) and some sparkle being added by Chimpazilla during the mixing and mastering phase. Sadly, it didn't quite meet the judges standard for approval, so I attempted to go back to it several times over the course of the albums downtime but was never able to really improve it significantly. I may or may not have referred to it as "an albatross around my neck" on several occasions. Then, on a whim, I asked Jorito to take a quick look at it for feedback purposes. Being the amazing human being that he is, he offered to take it away and try to improve it. And it improve it he has! To the point where, if I go back and listen to my initial solo version, it sounds pretty empty and incomplete. As the only drum and bass track on the album, I hope you enjoy it! Since my last submission, Jorrith and Kris have assisted me quite heavily in getting the track up to an album standard, and I can't thank them enough for the time they spent with me on this. The track now has some vocoder and a solo, as well as some dubstep-style bass (to name but a few new additions). The track has been brilliantly mixed and mastered by the ever-amazing Chimpazilla, so I'd like to give a massive shout-out to her (and also an apology for dropping so many stems on her originally!) and also to Odai for creating the album project and for the constant coaching he provided while the song took form. I've included a breakdown of the source usage, which has made me realise that I've made 21 seconds of source melody do A LOT of work in this track! 0:00-0:24 - Build-up, no source 0:24-1:08 - Intro, lead uses isolated notes of the main melody from :00-:12 of source 1:08-1:21 - Intro continued, no source 1:21-1:30 - Truncated version (without the ending) of the main melody during :12-:21 of source 1:30-1:32 - Dubstep-style bass, no source 1:32-1:42 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source 1:42-1:54 - Main melody from :00-:12 of source 1:54-2:02 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source 2:02-2:06 - Drop, vocoder, no source 2:06-2:13 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source 2:13-2:17 - No source 2:17-2:39 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source 2:39-2:46 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source 2:46-2:50 - Main melody from :00-:12 of source 2:50-3:00 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source + vocoder 3:00-3:12 - Breakdown, no source 3:12-3:45 - Mixtures of main melodies of :00-:12 and :12-:21 3:45-4:07 - Arpeggio of main melody from :00-:12 + notes from :12-:21 4:07-4:34 - Improv solo with main melody notes in the background 4:34-4:46 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source + improv solo work layered on top 4:46-5:00 - Main melody from :00-:12 of source + improv solo work layered on top 5:00-5:08 - Main melody from :00-:12 of source 5:08-5:18 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source 5:18-5:30 - Main melody from :00-:12 of source 5:30-6:08 - Main melody from :12-:21 of source + vocoder + isolated notes from :00-:12 of source 3-05. djpretzel - "An American Expanse" Source: "Freedom" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: The city of Freedom is an important location in the game, and it's located in North America. So for both of these reasons, I thought it was suitable that this was the track that struck djpretzel's fancy. Originally, he wanted to do something similar to OCR01427, "Twoson Hits the Road," and his first WIP showed just that. When I reached out to him later for a WIP update, he told me he had pivoted towards an entirely different direction that he liked better and also felt would be more interesting. And, oh boy, was that true! It's not often that you hear such a synth-laden Vangelis-inspired VGM arrangement, and that makes it a very unique piece to begin with. He also completely nailed the style and genre, so I definitely recommend you to sit back, soak in all the synth goodness, and enjoy this one-of-a-kind arrangement in all its glory. Trism: You got Blade Runner in my Terranigma! But, oh my, is it tasty. Never would I have expected anyone to go in this direction with this source, but djp is djp for a reason, and this track oozes Vangelis-inspired vibes while keeping the original melody intact, which is no small feat! djpretzel: Terranigma's highlight is a unique, epic narrative of good and evil told through the lens of the evolution & expansion of life. It's pretty cool like that. I took the plucky, twangy, hoedown vibe of the "Freedom" (or "Freedom, USA") town theme and transported it into... the FUTURE! In this case, the future is like... bitcrushed... melting... Vangelis. If you crossed Blade Runner with "Red River Valley" at a geological tempo, it'd be a start. I liked the idea of taking traditional country/Western intervals & motifs into outer space, basically. This arrangement begins in the desert, looking out across a vast horizon, and is generally sort of an ode to American landscapes. Or, perhaps, it's an ode to unity, and what we could be capable of as a nation if we could overcome our division & work for the betterment of all? And eventually build spaceships and lead our species into the stars? Sure. Just to be clear, the audible noise envelope on the lo-fi timpani, the bit-crushed perc bits, the saturation & the in-your-face delay are all part of the show; colors are supposed to smear across the sky, thunder & lightning are supposed to crash, etc. It's one part Romanticism, one part Impressionism, and the rest is just oscillators & DSP. I used Pigments, Rapid, Diva, Repro-1, and Avenger. I wanted this mix to achieve a very specific sound/mood, and through a ton of experimentation, I'm happy with the end result & proud to be contributing it to the album! 3-06. Jorito feat. Gnegon Galek, Juan Medrano - "Groovin' Like a '90s Kid" Source: "Perel" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito - arrangement, production Gnegon Galek - lyrics, vocals Juan Medrano - electric guitar Trism: Talk about an 11th-hour contribution! When Jorito casually mentioned that he might pick up "Perel" after the original remixer dropped their claim, I was quite surprised, considering we had something like a week until the deadline. Then, a day later, he dropped what could easily be considered an advanced WIP on me, then, 2 days after that, he just casually mentions he's planning a rap section and a cameo from Sixto. Then, a few more days go by and, BOOM; completed track. Seriously, this dude's work output utterly terrifies me. Jorito: "Perel" was a last-minute drop-out on the album, and I was sad it would not be on the album. So, I did what any good album director with music skills would do: arrange it myself. Originally, it started out as a chiptune track, just because I wanted something simple that could be finished quickly. When pondering a title, I recalled this YouTube review of Terranigma, where they called Perel, a supporting character with a skateboard, a "typical '90s kid." Since it already had the groove and bounce that you hear now, I quickly settled on "Groovin' Like a '90s Kid" as a title. When I sat down again the next day, I figured "Why not take this bounce to the next level and go all the way new jack swing and '90s cheese with it?" And, so, it happened. Can't say "no" to the cheeze, after all. And gotta have those orchestra hits, too. No holding back, gotta go all out. I quickly figured out that it would need rap to make it a true homage to the '90s, but... where does one find a rapper who not only knows Terranigma to write some suitable lyrics but can also deliver it quickly? After some asking around, Gnegon offered to help out. He knew the game, had done a single rap verse in one of his own tracks before and wouldn't mind giving it a try. After some back and forths, he wrote some lyrics from Perel's '90s-hipster perspective and was able to get it done just before the deadline. Same goes for Juan; we both share a fondness for melodic stuff and we both have warm fuzzy memories of the '90s. He liked what he was hearing, and was able to help out again just in time with his signature Sixto sound. Anyway, it was a lot of fun to do this track, and maybe a bit of a guilty pleasure. So, while I was sad it was dropped, I am happy I picked it up and got to play around with it. Also major kudos to Gnegon and Juan, who hopped on board and helped bring the track to the next level with their performances, at the drop of a hat, no less. Hope it makes you groove like a '90s kid too, I know it did make me! As a quick source breakdown, I mostly took the main melody (:09-:26 from the source) and used that at 0:20-0:38, 1:05-1:23, 2:09-2:36, and 2:36-2:54. I incorporated the repetitive single note motif (:27-:34 in the source) as a clavinet with some extra notes, a bit more groove, and some variations in 0:38-0:47, 0:56-1:03, 1:23-1:39, and 1:50-2:00. Gnegon Galek: When I reached out to Jorito to do the vocals, I had no idea what I was going into, other than that I had to rap. To be honest, I'm out of touch with OCR, so I was very positively surprised to learn that it's for a Terranigma track! I love this game. I was recommended to play it a few years back by one of my closest friends and it was one of the few video games that moved me to tears and I had so much fun playing it too. I immediately loved the idea for the track as well; practically all my artistic integrity is rooted in the '90s, one way or the other. Wish I knew earlier of this project, would've totally submitted a whole track of my own! 3-07. rebrained - "Walking Amidst Future" Source: "Neotokio" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: rebrained was one of those remixers who staked his claim in the earlier run of the project, and his spin on "Neotokio" is a very atmospheric piece with lots of ambience, and it wouldn't be amiss in the Blade Runner soundtrack. While his take on the track is a lot slower and maybe not easy to identify at a glance, it does completely and totally convey the feelings of Neotokio for anyone that grew up with Vangelis' classic score. Trism: A beautiful mix of Vangelis and shamisen. I've never been to Tokyo, but I can easily picture what it might be like to walk though its bustling nighttime streets while listening to this track. Not a spot on the soundscape is wasted and the overall effect is a sense of rain-soaked neon washing over you while you dodge other pedestrians on busy streets. Beautifully atmospheric. rebrained: Although the Neotokio area in Terranigma is visually close to contemporary Tokyo, "Walking Amidst Future" depicts a place more distant in time. Sampled and digital instruments slowly crawl through the motif, giving off an air of slight melancholy: a rainy city going nowhere fast, while the noise of traffic and constant advertising wish to suggest otherwise. Mix of influences from vaporwave genre and Vangelis's Blade Runner soundtrack are fairly obvious, but even now, several years later, I stand by them; how else could you approach something called "Neotokio"? 3-08. HoboKa feat. Usa - "AHHH, the Zombies Ate John Carpenter" Source: "Wandering Souls" Original Composer: Miyoko Takaoka Jorito: "Wandering Spirits" is the track that plays in the mirage city of Louran and it has this creepy, ghostly, deserted, and haunted feel to it. HoboKa managed to retain that feel and amp it up to 11 with his take on it. The atmospheric sound effects, monster grunts, eerie chanting, and big drums do a great job at creating this horror vibe. Campy and perhaps a bit cliche? Maybe. John Carpenter-esque? For sure. Comfortable and enjoyable? Well, maybe not that, but definitely worth a listen if you played the game, because it immediately takes you back to Louran and its nastiness. Trism: Hobo was going for creepy, and creepy was got! He namechecks John Carpenter in the title for good reason; this sounds like something that would have been right at home on the In the Mouth of Madness OST. Eerie, slightly off-kilter leads give way to wailing spirits in two and a half minutes of pure dread and menace. I wouldn't recommend listening to this while walking through the woods at night (I speak from experience!). HoboKa: Went for a storm-ish drum, campy 80's horror vibe. I think it paid off well. To top it off, I've summoned Usa (Daniel Lippert) from the bowels of HELL (o.~) to add some much-needed EPIC-ness and to touch up a few samples (I think I wound up swapping the re-touch-ups with samples I found from Spectrasonics' Omnisphere -- sorry, Daniel!). Nevertheless, his awesome female vocalist sample... not sure what style or culture it came from (Tibetan?) is perhaps one of the BEST vocalist samples I have ever come across and it has so many unique articulations too. Usa is a KING when it comes to production and style. Enjoy!! 3-09. Trev Wignall - "Hypotheosis" Source: "Laboratory" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka and/or Masanori Hikichi Jorito: Dr. Beruga's laboratory is the most high-tech science fiction location in the game, and Trev managed to evoke Beruga's madness and crazy experiments with his heavily effected violin and lots of whacky percussion sounds. It's a very interesting and somewhat hypnotic soundscape with more than a dash of insanity in it, and, if you ever played the game, I'm sure you will appreciate this look inside the crazy scientist's head. Trism: It seems fitting that we let a musical mad scientist loose on the game's mad scientist theme. Kitchen utensils!? Seriously?? The results can't be argued with though; this is wonderfully off-centre in the best way possible. The electric violin is amazing and, mixed with the homemade percussion of Trev trashing his kitchen, it really invokes the feeling of wandering into a laboratory full of weird machines crackling with energy. Trev Wignall: I've never played Terranigma, although I've watched gameplay footage and can appreciate its sci-fi fantasy lab setting. I imagined a slow burner track full of strange sounds conjuring the forbidden mystical experiments taking place in Beruga's laboratory. Hopefully, I'm on target. The result is an idiosyncratic electronic dance track that only begrudgingly lets the listener go at the end. Much of the electronic percussion comes from me playing kitchen utensils. I hit oven pans, rattled silverware around, and digitally manipulated the results. My goal was to blend the electronic sounds, samples, and synthesizers with my acoustic instruments to portray the tension between good and evil in the game. In this setting though, we're on evil's home turf. 3-10. Sbeast - "Dark Gaia Appears" Source: "Overcoming Everything" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka, Masanori Hikichi Jorito: Dark Gaia is the final boss in the game and it comes with some interesting plot reveals that I won't spoil here. Let's leave it at that it's pretty epic and that's exactly what Sbeast tries to evoke here, with plenty of hints of darkness but also with the drive towards victory that you typically find in a light-vs.-darkness encounter before reaching in its triumphant climax. Most of the tracks on the album have a very different vibe to them, so if you're in for some epic orchestral guitar work, look no further. Trism: Symphonic metal! Yes! A fantastic genre choice by Sbeast for this source. Everything about this screams "FINAL BOSS! EVERYTHING WILL BE EPIC!" This is what I imagine a collaboration between Nightwish and Dream Theatre might sound like, and I honestly cannot give any higher praise than that. The manic keyboards mixed with the chugging riffs and double kick pedals really bring the energy to this final confrontation. Bang your head and put your horns in the air! Sbeast: There's a few great tracks from the Terranigma OST that stuck out to me, including "Light and Darkness," "Elle's Theme," "Evergreen," but I'm usually a sucker for end battle themes because they tend to be the most epic. So I came up with an arrangement of "Final Battle," which plays during the confrontation with Dark Gaia. The first main difference is a faster tempo, which I think suits this symphonic metal-styled arrangement. The track sticks quite close to the source material for the most part, but with changes in instrumentation and some variations of the main theme towards the end. The highlight of the track for me is the section starting at 2:52 until the end, with tries to capture the essence of the track with a grooving rhythm variation, and added guitar harmony, which finishes on a rising transposition to bring the song to a climax. 3-11. Manji, Jorito feat. JoyDreamer, Catie Williams, Richard Spencer - "Mother Earth (Bound by Faith)" Source: "The Way Home" Original Composers: Miyoko Takaoka, Masanori Hikichi Manji - arrangement, live recording, lead guitar, lyrics Jorito - production, orchestration, samples, all mixing, guitars JoyDreamer - vocals Catie Williams - flute Richard Spencer - viola Trism: This is a wonderful bookend to the album, especially as a counterpoint to Ganaé's album-opener, "L&D." The game's ending is semi-ambiguous and the opening part of this track reflects the potentially happy ending that the game alludes to. When the song kicks into high-gear, it really captures the triumphant feel of an adventure completed; the battle is over and it's time to celebrate! Using lines directly from the game was an inspired choice and the words themselves are the perfect way to end the album as a whole. "We will meet again," indeed. Manji: As soon as I volunteered to remix this track for the Paths Less Travelled: Terranigma album, I knew that I'd need assistance with it -- as the finale to the album (and the game), it needed a sweeping orchestral treatment to capture the feeling of a completed journey, which is something I don't have a great deal of experience with. After the arrangement was sorted (originally, I had drums throughout and a number of other less orchestral instrument choices), I called on two friends who are extremely talented musicians from my local (Sheffield, UK) music scene -- prodigiously talented flautist Catie Williams (who I've been in bands with for over ten years now) and violist Richard Spencer (who's equally talented, and predominantly plays bass for Sheffield heavy noisemakers Ba'al). It was fantastic to collaborate with them both on this, as well as with JoyDreamer, who provided some incredible vocal parts and was happy to keep recording more oohs and aahs as we developed the arrangement. I can't overstate how instrumental Jorrith was in making this sound phenomenal -- my initial mix was quite flat, sparse, and lacking in dynamics. When he sent back his version, having fully reorchestrated the track and added in a ton of additional sounds to flesh it out and give it that full orchestra feel, I was utterly blown away by how much more lively and epic it was -- he deserves full credit for how great this remix sounds! Thematically, I wanted this track to match the wistful, poignant, but uplifting ending that the game has -- after Ark's peaceful death, Elle from Crysta speaks to him, telling him of her regrets about the Elder's manipulation and villainy. Much of the script in Terranigma suffers slightly from a not-stellar English translation, but there's a line in this speech from Elle that really touched my heart -- "If we are bound by fate, we will meet again in time, somewhere." It's a beautiful sentiment that hit very close to home for me, and I thought matching those words to the Crysta theme would be a lovely callback. As Ark dreams his last dream, of becoming a bird and seeing the world grow older, I wanted this remix to provide a fitting soundtrack for his final journey. Jorito: When Chris shared the first sketches of his arrangement, I saw the potential of what he was doing and was on board with it immediately. When he pointed out that he always envisioned the track to be a collaborative effort because orchestral wasn't his strong point, I offered to help out and throw some of my orchestral sample libraries at it. Little did I know that the arrangement inspired me so much that I essentially did a whole re-orchestration and ultimately also all of the mixing. I split up the string parts across the various instruments of the string family, added more movement and harmonies to them, introduced a full woodwinds section, harmonized the brass section, added percussion accents, a few layers here and there, did some creative playing with the vocals, and recorded some simple rhythm guitars to fill out the climax of the track. Even though it sounds like a lot of work, it all went so effortlessly due to Chris's rough diamond of an arrangement. The final result even surprised me when I compared it with the WIP that we started with! To me, the track highlights the reflective nature, the sense of conclusion, and the end of a journey that make ending themes great, and it is a fitting and powerful illustration of the feelings I experienced when I finished Terranigma recently. Thanks to Chris for having me and letting me be part of this wonderful journey!