Song of the Week - WEEK 88 Voting/WEEK 89 Nominating
 

Week 88 Voting is closed.
Week 89 Nominating is open.

Week 88 Voting
The rules for voting can be found here.

Results:
1). [30] Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky
2). [24] Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley
3). [19] Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
4). [14] Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version)
5). [12] The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24
6). [11] Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity
7). [10] Dragon Valor (Game Rip) - Brize Forest
8). [6] Freespace 2 (Game Rip) - Ending Score

Tracks:
Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity
Dragon Valor (Game Rip) - Brize Forest
Freespace 2 (Game Rip) - Ending Score
Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version)
Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24
Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley
Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky

Week 89 Nominating
The Nominations Queue can be found here.
The rules for nominating can be found here.
A list of previous nominations can be found here.

Here is the link to the corresponding thread at the other forum:
- Soundtrack Central

Pimpage
The "Best Chiptune Contest" has begun! Round two now open for voting!

Here's the original S3M of Uplink - The Blue Valley. I'm convinced it sounds better.

I've placed the original module in the extras folder, so

can be added to the opening post.

(STC thread coming soon!)

So added.

I never knew that .s3m stood for ScreamTracker3; it sounds like something the Ghostbusters would use more than anything :)

23:32 * CHz is listening to: Gore Screaming Show Complete Sound Archives (Disc 1) - SADISTIC SEXART 2006 (3:20).
23:32 <+CHz> Crash, is it wrong to nominate something to SotW just because of the track and album name?
23:32 <@Crash> I suppose not.
23:32 <@Crash> Don't expect victory though.
23:32 <+CHz> Luckily this song happens to be pretty :rock:in.

• Artist: Denkare
• Album/Game Title: Gore Screaming Show Complete Sound Archives
• Track Title: SADISTIC SEXART 2006
• Disc Number: 1 (of 2)
• Track Number: 7
• Catalog Number: N/A
• Year: 2006
• Additional Information: The true name of the group is "電気式華憐音楽集団," but good luck getting that in English. The Japanese Wikipedia page for them gives "Denkare" ("デンカレ") as an alias, so let's go with that, what say?
• Sources: http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/my...tml#post330703, http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/電気式華憐音楽集団

Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version) Wasn't this track in Power Instinct Matrimelee for PS2?

Yup, that's the game. However, only the arcade version is called "Matrimelee." The PS2 version had the new name "Bonnou Kaihou" and was billed as a sequel, even though it's pretty much just a straight port with added stuff (like the music video containing this extended version of the forest stage theme).

by the way, it's "Seeking the Blue Sky"

Agreed!

The tags and file name are right. It's just the name in the opening post.

Let's just say there's a huge dichotomy between the tracks I like and don't like this week. All in all, except for one or two outstanding pieces, I think this week could have done a lot better. Anyway, here are the results:

3pt: Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version) (9)
The cheesy lyrics really play extremely well in the song, and to tell you the truth, I was immediately addicted. I have to say, this song got replayed 2 more times in a row, because it's that addicting. And that's for a five minute song too. The enka-style vocals in the middle jokingly mock traditional japanese music, thus not sounding in anyway problematic. I highly recommend this song, and believe that it's one of the ones that should at least place.

2pt: Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky (8.5)
All in all, this is probably my 6th or 7th favorite song in the two original soundtracks. However, that's not saying much considering Wild Arms Vth vanguard happens to be the current soundtrack I'm obsessing over right now. I have a feeling at least one or two of the melodies are going to become boring sometime in the future, but I'm satisfied with my score for now. By the way, take a listen to Mountain of No Return. That's one of my favorite in there right now. Oh, and I'll give this two points especially because this soundtrack is very new and common for everyone. Understandably, I'd like rarer soundtracks to win.

1pt: Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley (6.5)
This really isn't a bad song, with interesting ambience combined with a melody that develop. Unfortunately, the problem lies in the fact that it IS twelve minutes, which does immediately signal a certain degree of redundancy. Besides that, I feel that the song doesn't really stray from the normal. Although it's somewhat enchanting, it's not truly that unique.

Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1) (6.5)
I think in this case, the very disorganized system of instruments actually hamper the melody at the beginning. The melody, although not completely original, does certainly make up for the song however. All in all, it's still pretty decent..

Freespace 2 (Game Rip) - Ending Score (6.5)
This song does an extremely good job at what it was intended to do. It provokes a very deeply fearful melody that slowly develops into a huge surprise at 1:48. The music was obviously intended to scare somebody. But unfortunately, scary music is not exactly what I'm seeking in terms of a game music melody. Huge props for the effects, though.

Dragon Valor (Game Rip) - Brize Forest (6.0)
I feel that this song is somewhat uninspiring especially because I've heard similar rhythms before. I mean, the melody is OK; however, the entire song as a whole fails to impress me.

The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24 (5.5)
Despite the oriental instuments, I feel that the largo tempo really detracts me from the song. This is a very simple melody, so it has to be really addicting in my opinion in order to receive a high vote. This is not the case for this song.

Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity (5.5)
There seems to be a trend in the ambient development of melodies this week. Unfortunately, this song suffers the exact same problem as The Blue Valley. Certainly, the song is somewhat interesting, especially the jazzy style of the piano in the background, but it just doesn't cut it for me.

I must be the only person in #gfchat who doesn't save logs.

Decent picks. Uplink was the real suprise for me though.

(2 pts.) Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
(2 pts.) Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley
(2 pts.) Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky

It might be just my skewed taste in music, but I felt last week's roster of tracks was more interesting.

3 Points - Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
2 Points - Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky
1 Point - Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley

I was considering allotting a point or two to "Lets Go! Necromancer," but I decided I enjoyed "The Blue Valley" slightly more. Seeking the Blue Sky was very enjoyable and upbeat, but seeing that Fighting Back was also very lively and that I'm partial to Thunder Force tracks, I couldn't give 'em equal recognition. :D

You don't have to divide your points by the traditional 3-2-1 allocations. You can mix the points anyway you wish:

2-2-2 (This group stood out but none were more special than the other.)
3-1-1-1 (I'm helping out my own nomination and spreading the rest of the love so I don't look greedy.)
2-2-1-1 (There were a lot of good tracks, making this week hard to decide.)
2-1-1-1-1 (A mixed bag; most were okay but not great.)
1-1-1-1-1-1 (Worst week ever. I really don't care what wins as long as it's not the two tracks I snubbed.)

Feel free to reallocate the points as you like if you really think another track deserves some love too.

As a test, I've added streaming MP3's to the first post. Let me know how you think they work or if there are any loading problems.

Ambiguity: Definitely a techno/trance track here. The piano is a nice touch, but there aren't enough variations on the various loops to make the track earn its running time. The song was four minutes old before the first really interesting bit popped up.

Brize Forest: Has a nice sense of drive and the synthy melody is okay. I'd be lying if I said it didn't seem a tad familiar, though--reminds me of something from SD4, which isn't a particularly good thing to be reminded of.

Ending Score: As a choirwhore, I was digging the chorus here, even if the surrounding instrumentation left a bit to be desired. The second bit kicks in a bit more militaristic action, but drops the choir, while the third sounded almost like a requiem. I liked the vocal work, but the rest of the song could be more compelling.

Let's Go! Necromancer: To quote Calvin and Hobbes, "ACKPTH!" This is what the DomZ singers from Beyond Good and Evil sound like after they've had a few.

Fighting Back (ST1): Some nice drive to this one, combined with a mildly catchy synth melody, giving the whole thing a vague Sonic/Blue Bomber vibe. It's a grower.

Four24: The backing piece here is quite nice, but the oriental horns are a bit too pat for my taste. Like 99.99% of Asian-themed tracks, I want to grab the composer by the shoulder and say "We get it! It's oriental!"

The Blue Valley: Good lord, this is the longest track we've had in awhile. Reminds me of some of the lesser Sim City tracks in its tendancy to get a bit lost getting from point A to point B.

Seeking the Blue Sky: Goldfish nominated this? It's a pretty nice light orchestral track with a nice woodwind melody and bagpipes (!). I haven't been too impressed with Wild Armitage of late; perhaps this new installment has something to offer.

Not a bad week, all things considered.

The Point Spread
Seeking the Blue Sky - 3 pts.
Fighting Back - 2 pts.
Ending Score - 1 pt.

This week was slightly above average. Most tracks were either good or just ordinary.

3 Points: Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky
2 Points: Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
1 Point: The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24

No thanks: Freespace 2 (Game Rip) - Ending Score

Hey guys, I'm wondering about the eligibility of my next nomination.

Album: Klonoa of the Wind 2 ~Something Forgotten Wished by the World~ Original Soundtrack
Composer: Kohta Takahashi, Eriko Imura, Katsuro Tajima, Kanako Kakino, Hiromi Shibano, Asuka Sakai, Yuji Masubuchi, Go→Shina
Track: Going to Lunatea / The Sea of Tears (After Polly's Entry)
Track #: 7
Year: 2002
Catalouge Number: SCDC-00201~202
Source: CC

Nominating this for a good buddy of mine. I wonder, though, if it's eligible; seeing as we've had a number of Klonoa tracks in the past. Anyone wanna insert 2 cents into this one?

Smells like voting time again. Recently discovered the Plok! soundtrack and was gonna nominate something off it, but then realising it had already been nominated four times put me off. Plus that whole silly restriction period thing (Now who's silly idea was that?).

Hopefully this should do a little better than that other Darwinia track I nominated.

• Artist: Dma Sc
• Album/Game Title: Darwinia Soundtrack
• Track Title: Visitors from Dreams
• Disc Number:1 (of 1)
• Track Number: 1
• Year: 2005
• Sources: http://gh.ffshrine.org/song/810/1
  http://www.darwinia.co.uk/extras/soundtrack.html

Average week, with a few exceptions (last couple of weeks were much better). The first bunch of tracks were quite limp, though The Blue Valley just came out of nowhere and was a pleasant surprise. I consider it the best track this week. And the S3M definitely sounds better, I've had it on loop for a bit to know.

(3 points) Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley
(2 points) Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version)
(1 point) The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24

No way! That one was on my upcoming noms queue (though I probably wouldn't have nominated it until a month or so down the road). I really liked the other Darwinia track you nominated awhile back (Impact of Silence), so I got the rest of the soundtrack. I hadn't listened to it until only recently. Visitors from Dreams stood out the most; it's a pretty cool song.

I look forward to seeing how it does. :)

2 points ~ Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
3 points ~ The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24
1 point ~ Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley

I'm making a small return, which should be considered more as a guest appearance than a regular contribution, at least for now. Here I go:

Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity
It took a while to build up, but the full development was interesting, with a good rhythm. However, there wasn't enough variations in the piece as a whole, only some layers added or removed. Not bad, not great, somewhere in-between.

Dragon Valor (Game Rip) - Brize Forest (2 POINTS)
I'm probably biased as I ripped this soundtrack myself, yet I have to say I find Dragon Valor's music to be quite good for a less popular Namco title. On the other hand, it couldn't compete with the big Namco franchises, but it can still on some grounds, at least in my tastes. "Brize Forest" is the main theme, a powerful one that flows well and should please most synth-rock fans. It's among the best themes the game has to offer, but not my top favorite, not that it matters here. I like this one enough to give it points.

Freespace 2 (Game Rip) - Ending Score
A dark medley, sharing its time between semi-ambiance and militaristic energy, the later not being long and developed enough in my opinion. It's well done, just not what I feel like listening to in this context.

Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version)
The concept of this track reminds me of Cho Aniki. I love some tunes from Cho Aniki, especialy "Aniki 02". Do I like "Let's Go! Necromancer"? Sadly, not as much. Music-wise, it's very cool, but what brings my opinion down would have to be the vocals. Not that I can't enjoy songs with lyrics or vocal effects, but in this case, it's too heavy on some elements that I associate with the kind of Japanese culture I tend to dislike (see obsessive Japanophiles and otaku). It's still very good, but a part of it spoiled the rest in my case.

Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1) (2 POINTS)
One of my favorite composers, Tsukumo is an arranger though this time. I'm pleased by the fact he used his distinctive sound. It's a great Technosoft composition and well rendered.

The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24
Peaceful and relaxing, however it's too simple to get my points.

Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley (1 POINT)
Go conceptual tracker music, go! I like this kind of atmosphere and sound, but in my eyes, "The Blue Valley" has a major flaw: it's too long and not enough concise. The "Quality vs. Quantity" idea can be applied here; if quantity would have been reduced, I believe the quality would have raised. But this is my opinion. There are segments I really loved and felt the magic, while during some others, it was more ordinary, and globally, it's OK.

Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky (1 POINT)
Well executed and charming, with many instruments and dynamic melodies. Nothing's wrong, except that this isn't my favorite kind of music. I find it a bit too light/happy (very slightly) to keep listening to it for long and stay interested. I can still recognize the qualities of "Seeking the Blue Sky".

-----------------------------------

There is a track I liked when I discovered it, but as time went by, I forgot about it. Recently, while cleaning my HD, I've stumbled upon it and started to listen and enjoy again. While it's not the best tune out there, I'm still wondering what other people might think of it, so I'd like to make a nomination:

* Artist: Satoshi Kadokura
* Album/Game Title: Metal Saga ~Chain of Sandstorm~ Original Soundtrack
* Track Title: Route 99
* Disc Number: 1
* Track Number: 4
* Catalog Number: INCD-E0101
* Year: 2005
* Sources: http://www.gmronline.com/info.asp?Ca...r=INCD-E0101~3

I shall nominate again, because you all didn't like Freespace much this week. I am amazed that this soundtrack isn't more toted: it's stunning.

Title: Guerra 1
Game: Total Annihilation (Red Book Audio)
Year: 1997
Track: 2
Atist: Jeremy Soule (apparently)
Notes: I certainly wasn't expecting such high quality from a 3D RTS in 1997. My mind was blown, to say the least.
Upload: http://www.sendspace.com/file/lssp5d

Good old Jeremy Soule. The composer has had quite a few SoTW nominations, even a few placings, even though we've never had anything from TA. TA is a great choice, a great OST, but I never nominated anything from it simply because I've already put up a bajillion Soule tracks :)

I had no idea it was a Soule track. Back when he was good, I suppose. :D I never did like more of his recent stuff, but TA's soundtrack is a work of art. The Elder Scrolls and KOTOR just seemed like a bore to me.

Damn, I forgot all about TA, and I do own the actual game! Otherwise, I'd have nominated something sooner. All I remember was how spectacular the music was, and how it complemented the onscreen action, becoming more intense as things got hectic. I'm surprised to learn it was Jeremy Soule all along. Looking forward to this. :cool:

No one super huge happy fun time track this week, unfortunately.

(2 points) Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky: I feel appropriately dirty picking a Wild Arms track in SotW, but it's deserved her. Has its western trappings and combines it with a villagey-feel. Happy and bouncey and enjoyable without overkill.

(2 points) Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley: It probably should be a bad thing that in 12 minutes there were no surprises and I knew exactly where it was going. Nonetheless, this is enjoyable stuff, and thankfully the track never loses its propulsive backbeat.

(1 point) Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1): Not much to say. Enjoyable synth.

(1 point) Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity: I must be the only one who likes these Armored Core games. Trite at times (piano, breakneck dnb, etc.), but the song's agreeable enough.

I suppose I should vote, while I'm at it. The flash player is really nice, though Necromancer doesn't work at the moment. Props.

Ambiguity: Calming but almost emotional. Too bad it doesn't really DO anything other than be cool and calming. A perfect way to start off the contest playlist, though.

Brize Forest: The mediocre RPG battle song of the week.

Ending Score: I nominated the track, and I like it. Bugger. It has a cool movie-like quality that goes with the last movie in the game extrodinarily well.

Let's Go! Necromancer: Creepy sounding Japanese guy chanting in front of a slow meody? Uh...no thanks.

Fighting Back (ST1): The mediocre racing song of the week.

Four24: Yawn, but in a good way, sorta kinda. Nothing I would bother with for my hard drive, but it's okay.

The Blue Valley: This one, on the other hand, does have a place on my HD. Why? IT'S SO BIG! (Shawn Elliot voice) I enjoyed this one quite a bit, and it's long to boot. I have longer, but nice enough to make it a good combination.

Seeking the Blue Sky: Ooh, nice one. Almost a combination of Prince of Persia and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's good stuff, I like that comparison.

2 points each:
-Ending Score
-The Blue Valley
-Seeking the Blue Sky

Dragon God sez:

• Artist: Masahiro Kajihara
• Album/Game Title: Triggerheart EXELICA OriginalSoundtrack - SOUND ANCHOR
• Track Title: STAGE 1 ~Exelica, Dancing at Dawn~
• Disc Number: 1 (of 1)
• Track Number: 4
• Catalog Number: N/A
• Year: 2007
• Sources: Just pulled it from the MP3's tags. :\

Argh. I wanted to nominate a Total Annihilation track at some point, too. Guess my plans will have to be put on hold for a while! Wait a minute, the TA track Sceptre X nominated is a track I wanted to nominate, too. Argh. But you'll be certain there's a very high chance that I'll support the track. :P

Nice week. Here's how I voted:

(2 points) Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley
It might be 12min long but the song never feels like it's that long. It might take a while to develop but it certainly was worth it. Agreeable instrumenttion also helps a great deal.

(2 points) The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24
For people who are remotely interested, this comes from a Taiwanese PC RPG set in ancient China (way before the Tang Dynasty). This song plays in a startling turning point in the game and the gravity of the event is perfectly captured by the simplicity of the song's presentation and thought-provoking melody. Actually, such tracks, down to the instrumentation, are rather common in Taiwan/HK swordfighting drama serials and flicks. :P

(1 point) Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity
It took me several listens to warm-up to this even more but I'm glad I gave it a chance because it's very nice. I like how the track builds and it's interesting to hear how the various layers work together.

(1 point) Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
Nice and upbeat. The melody is lots to like. However, it lacks a bit of the mysterious X-factor to bump it up.

Freespace 2 was close to getting a point. I think it's pretty nice but too many good tracks this week. Wild Arms V was quite close too, but lacks more of the mysterious X-factor I've been looking out for this week. Call it personal whims. :P

Here's my Soule nomination:

* Album Title: Icewind Dale II Soundtrack
* Artist: Jeremy Soule
* Track Title: Heart of Winter Theme
* Source: http://www.tracksounds.com/reviews/icewind_daleII.htm; http://pc.gamezone.com/gamesell/p20183.htm; http://www.mobygames.com/game/window...winter/credits
* Disc Number: 01
* Track Number: 40
* Catalogue Number: NA
* Year: 2002
* Note: Although this is from the Icewind Dale II soundtrack, the nominated song is from the first Icewind Dale expansion: Heart of Winter. The IWD2 soundtrack is bundled together with the IWD2 Collector's edition box set.

This is a weird week in the sense that I'm a little bit under whelmed by it as a whole, but it's downright painful cutting one of the top four tracks out of points. It has to be this way though, you all have forced my hand on the 3-2-1 distribution, because there's something here that's getting the shaft and needs a boost.

3 points - Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity (getting skunked bad)
2 points - Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley (the s3m really does sound better)
1 point - Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1) (for the rockin' middle section)
0 points - Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky (great song but it'll win without my help)

Nomination:

* Artist: Unknown
* Album/Game Title: Fur Fighters (kuttlas' game rip)
* Track Title: New Quack City
* Disc Number: N/A
* Track Number: 25 in the rip
* Catalog Number: N/A
* Year: 2001
* YouSendIt Link: http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...5579FC68B10183
* Additional Information: A huge thanks to kuttlas for answering a long standing request for a rip of this game and making this nomination possible. Title came from myself. It's the name of the level this track plays in the game. However, the mp3 isn't tagged or named accordingly. No clue at all on the artist.

Edit: Gamefaqs lists some credits for this game, Nick Wiswell is noted as being the audio producer, but there's no composer or music credit.

WEEK 88 points
 

Ambiguity: I had a feeling this song would be shoved toward the bottom after my first listen to this weeks batch of songs. Anyways, it's my nomination but it's also still my favorite without any bias I think. This song really multiplies in quality after the first listen or two. I love the development in the song, very well done I think. It's too bad Kota Hoshino doesn't compose a large amount of songs for the Armored Core series anymore, (Saitoh seems to be taking over). I like the mood this song sets, partially a reason why I love the Armored Core series , along with the brilliant gameplay (it's a mystery why so many people don't like it).

Brize Forest: Decent song. Songs like this give a great fighting beat to a game. Although, these songs commonly are just mediocre, and don't amaze most of the time.

Ending Score: I really don't like the opening melody with the strings. The voices don't fit with it in the beginning. The development in the middle of the song was very well appreciated. Although, sadly, it doesn't resurrect the song from the depths of the ground. The ending wasn't the songs saviour either, too bad. Decent song.

Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version): :-) I not exactly sure why I like this song, slightly. The voices are just decent, but the melody is cool. But this doesn't compare to the recent cool, rockin' tracks (whatever you want to call them...). Slightly Cool nonetheless. (Many Artists yes?)

Fighting Back (ST1): Synth, these kinds of songs always sound better within the game it seems. Kind of a boring melody and overall presentation.

Four24: Hmm, an interesting nomination. I wouldn't have expected something exactly like this to come into the pool. The simplistic style is nice, I'm sure the scene or event this song is tied to would boost the impact somewhat.

The Blue Valley: A long song, reminds me of a composer I recently heard, making techno style sounds, but using actual instruments (I can't remember his name >.<). The melody is very enjoyable, cool development. Some of the parts of the song are on the brink of being completely boring. Cool.

Seeking the Blue Sky: I've always wondered if I would like the Wild Arms Series, but my budget just doesn't cut out for another RPG. I like this song, not surprised it's getting a good amount of points, it will probably get one from me too. I like this refreshing theme, very enjoyable.

~~~POINTS~~~

1st ---> Ambiguity 3pts
2nd ---> Seeking the Blue Sky 1pt
3rd ---> Four24 1pt
4th ---> The Blue Valley 1pt

5th: Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version)
6th: Brize Forest
7th: Fighting Back (ST1)
8th: Ending Score

I wonder when the time will come when I put a song above my own nomination, I'm almost waiting for it (but nominating a song just to lose and waste a slot seems silly). Anyways, Ambiguity and Seeking the Blue Sky were the top winners this week, but there was a big enough gap between the two that a 3 - 2 would seem out of place. Although, the Wild Arms song beat Four24 and Blue Valley (and Necromancer song, but you can only give out so many points). 6 and 7 are about the same, with #8 sitting rightfully at the end of the list.

3 points-Seeking the Blue Sky (nom)
2 points-Brize Forest (really cool synth rock)
1 point-Let's Go! Necromancer (I recognized this one as "Let's Go! Yin Yang Fortuneteller" from New Power Instinct Matrimelee OST...Classic stuff, though I definitely prefer "Over Clock of Palpitation")

Fighting Back ranks out slightly...It's good, but not as pants-wetting as some of Technosoft's other shmup works.

Nothing else really caught my attention this week.

I have found out the name of the TA track, I'll bring it up now to save grief later. The track name I have in my first post (Guerra 1) is some odd Spanish playlist Windows Media Player gave me.

Revised nomination:
Title: Brutal Battle
Album: Total Annihilation
Artist: Jeremy Soule
Year: 1997
Source: http://www.tauniverse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31517
Upload: In my first post.

Good to see that people have been meaning to nominate this track, it makes me feel like I have a chance. :D

3 points: Dragon Valor (Game Rip) - Brize Forest
1 point: Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity
1 point: Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky
1 point: Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)

Xuan Yuan came close.

The Blue Valley. The main criticism seems to be length, but it wouldn't work nearly as well for me if it was shorter. It works as a track that sits under the action gaining energy before finally boiling over. Twice. There's a great bit at 6.47 where the thrust of action cuts out completely after a long simmering-down period following that first melody - you know at that point that the track's preparing to build to its true apex. The second melodic section is even prettier than the first, reaching majestic heights even, with the involvement of strings at 8.23. [3]

Let's Go! Necromancer. I like this sort of upbeat poppy music, as long as it's not too sugary or stale, and this is neither thanks to a good fusion of styles, and not taking itself too seriously. There's a eurobeat-like synth, oriental instruments, an electric guitar, that slow warbling bit, and a pick & mix of silly vocal samples and the like. The main vocals are also quite good, especially the punchy chorus. Fun. [2]

Ending Score. Not as dark as I would like it to be. The haunted voices have that great effect which makes them sound like they're coming from the beyond, but the plodding tune in the same section is far from other worldy. I'm quite neutral about the middle section. The track seals a point with the final section: the haunted ambience here reminded me of Tangerine Dream. I don't know their full body of work enough to say that with confidence, I'm thinking specifically 'Near Dark'. [1]

Please keep this open. I'll be voting a bit later.

I changed my votes listed here:
http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/sh...936#post405936

Looks like I'm due for a new nom. I'll have it by the end of the night.

Edit: And here it is now (/Omec)

* Artist: Kenichi Tsuchiya
* Album/Game Title: Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne OST
* Track Title: Normal Battle ~Amala Network~
* Disc Number: 1 (of 2)
* Track Number: 18
* Catalog Number: N/A
* Year: 2003

Nomination:

Artist: Tim Bartlett
Album/Game Title: Immortal 3
Track Title: Ork
Disc Number: 2 (of 2)
Track Number: 12
Catalog Number: AKCD002~3
Year: June 15, 2006
Source: http://gamingforce.com/audio/gfa-albums.php?id=4337

Votes coming very soon! :p

EDIT: OK!

Ambiguity - Does nothing for me. I mean, it's not bad when it starts out with the piano, but then the bad techno drum loop comes in, and it's just a lot of nothing. I honestly think I'd feel a lot differently if it had better-fitting drums (or none at all).

Brize Forest - It was nothing special before, and it's nothing special now. I will say that it's not bad. Gotta love that awful-sounding double snare drum hit.

End Credits - This one was at least interesting. Pretty decent stuff, and it's always nice to hear choral parts.

Let's Go! Necromancer - OK, this one was interesting...but in a different way. Kind of fun, in a way, but not something I'd normally listen to.

Fighting Back - Decent synth rock. Pretty ROCKIN' at the end without needless crazy noodling, and nice prominent bass.

Four24 - Ah, this is nice and peaceful. One I'd occasionally listen to when I want to hear something relaxing.

The Blue Valley - Beginning isn't bad. At around the 2:00 mark, I thought, "Ah, this is going to get good." I thought an awesome melody was going to come in, but it didn't. Fortunately, at 3:30 a melody does come in. Doesn't last long, though. Then at 5:40-ish, we get some pounding timpani. At least, I think that's what it is. At 7:53 things get a little more interesting with the bells, cymbal hits, and tambourine. Wow, it really doesn't seem like I've been listening to this for 8+ minutes. It goes by really quickly. Gasp, strings! Now it sounds kind of like an actual normal song (not that there's anything wrong with ambience and percussion/rhythm). Slooowing things down now as we approach the 10 minute mark. At 11:00, it's all happy with a bells melody again. And we've come to the end of our journey.

I have no idea why I wrote all that out like that.

Seeking the Blue Sky - The first song that is obviously quality from the get-go. I'm guessing this will be the winner.

So-so week.

2 pts. - Seeking the Blue Sky
2 pts. - Four24
1 pt. - The Blue Valley
1 pt. - End Credits

Voting is closed!

1). [30] Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard Original Score Vol. 1 - Seeking the Blue Sky
2). [24] Uplink - Hacker Elite (PC Game Rip) - The Blue Valley
3). [19] Technosoft GAME MUSIC COLLECTION VOL.15 ~ BEST OF THUNDER FORCE - Fighting Back (ST1)
4). [14] Shin Gouketsuji Ichizoku - Bonnou Kaihou (Game Rip) - Let's Go! Necromancer (Extended Version)
5). [12] The Sword of Xuan Yuan 4 - The Black Dragon Dances and the Cloud Flows (PC Game Rip) - Four24
6). [11] Armored Core Original Best Track - Ambiguity
7). [10] Dragon Valor (Game Rip) - Brize Forest
8). [6] Freespace 2 (Game Rip) - Ending Score

Nominations will remain open because next week's a battle.

More to come about The Blue Valley in a little bit (my internet connection is being absolutely dreadful tonight).

Additional Spam:
And by "a little bit," I really meant a pretty sizable chunk. I'll be lucky to get this uploaded tonight. :mad:

Well, two out of three isn't bad.

I really didn't care for the Hacker Elite track. I felt it meandered far too long and never delivered anything even close to a suitable payoff for the time invested. Every time I felt as though it was moving toward an escalation in the melody and pacing, it merely switched up the ambient sound effects.

I'm not one to hate on ambience; most times, I'll throw it a point if it's decent. But eleven minutes is much too long. "Uplink" was, to me, VGM's version of a used car salesman, feeding me just enough to keep me interested, yet never delivering on any of the promise of excitement. In the end, I felt like I'd been bamboozled.

I would've liked to see Four24 or Let's Go! Necromancer take that space instead.

But what can you do?

Oooooh!! I envy you Shanks! Third place on your first ever SotW!!!!! And it was a puny arrange; I just gave you points because of my Thunder Force loyalty and the nice tune. Oh well, I met the winners head on! It's about time.

I'm with Crash on Blue Valley. Very tiresome; don't know what all the fuss was about. But props where props are due, I suppose.

Agreed. Sure, I gave it a point, but it's just one point because it was kind of interesting. Like you said, there were a number of places where it felt like it was leading up to something bigger, but then it just changed the instruments a bit and started off in a different direction leading nowhere. For it to get 2nd place seems really odd to me. Of course, I should be used to SotW's odd results by now.