Song of the Week - WEEK 100 Voting/WEEK 101 Nominating
 

Celebrating 100 Weeks of SoTW!
Week 100 Voting is closed.
Week 101 Nominating is restricted.

Week 100 Voting
The rules for voting can be found here.

Results
1). [21] FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
2). [20] Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
3). [14] www.fm.scene.org:8080 - Search for the Lost Riff
4). [12] Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
5). [11] Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
6). [10] OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~
7). [6] FZ Series 'AXIS' - After the War
8). [2] Ridge Racer 6 (Game Rip) - I Want You

Tracks (links):
Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
FZ Series 'AXIS' - After the War
OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~
Ridge Racer 6 (Game Rip) - I Want You
Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
Some Website - Search for the Lost Riff

Notes:
If you are a member at more than one of the forums which this event is being held at, please nominate and vote in only ONE of the forums. You may, however, comment in the threads at any of the other forums.

Week 101 Nominating
The Nominations Queue can be found here.
The rules for nominating can be found here.

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

Festive! :D

Drakken accidentally reversed the artist and album tags on Seaside Front. I've fixed the tags and changed the file name, so the links in the first post should be changed.

Also, as promised/threatened in the BSC, my next nom:

• Artist: Tomohiko Sato, Isao Kasai, Sayuri Yamamoto
• Album/Game Title: Snowboard Kids 2 (Game Rip)
• Track Title: Linda's Castle
• Track Number: 14
• Year: 1999
• Sources: http://www.mobygames.com/game/n64/sn...kids-2/credits

Now that we're at week 100, I'm going to try to get back into listening, voting, and nominating, at the least. I'm behind by like 10 weeks, but I'll catch up.

It's good this is the selection for the 100th week, since this is one of, if not the best weeks I've heard in ages. Pretty much no weak links here.

Voting later though.

On the contrary, I was disappointed by this week. Everything felt thoroughly like background filler, whereas I was hoping for tracks that demanded immediate notice, something outstanding for the one-hundred mark. It was sort of a "been there, heard that" experience for me. A little jazz, a little retro-synth, a bit of standard techno, something quasi-moody - the usual.

I didn't hate any track but none of them stuck with me. Breaking even at zero isn't very satisfying.

So, it's a six-point spread this week.

All of the following tracks get 1 Point:

Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~
Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
Some Website - Search for the Lost Riff


Some weeks are better than others. Oh well.

I'm on the road still, so this'll have to be quick. I'll provide more substantive comments--as befits Week 100--later.

The Point Spread
3 pts. - String of Restraint
2 pts. - Search for the Lost Riff
1 pt. - Wingless Angels

2 points - FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
2 points - Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
1 point - Some Website - Search for the Lost Riff
1 point - OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~

My votes:

(2 points) Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint

(2 points) OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~

(2 points) FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima

3 points - FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
2 points - OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~
1 point - Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint

3 points: Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
1 point: FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
1 point: Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
1 point: www.fm.scene.org:8080 - Search for the Lost Riff

Damn, where are all of the voters? At the current rate, SotW is looking like it needs to go into retirement. And just when I was getting back into it too. :/

Blame SAUS/BSC.

Considering that the nominations are resisting well, something is telling me that we need a change in the votation system. It may not be true, but in the late times we are getting so many appreciable nominations that voting for ones or another is really hard. 5 songs per week could be a posible solution :confused:

This is a cyclical slump, guys. The votes diminish each summer. Regular contributors are away from college; it's warm outside and people aren't glued to the computer; the BSC steals some thunder, and now the SAUS does as well.

Once the BSC finishes (pick up the pace, Dr. U), I expect interest in SotW to perk up again. As the end of August approaches, people will return to school and the votes will improve.

Happens every year. Last year we didn't notice it so much because SotW went on a six-week hiatus during the BSC. I don't think anyone has to be worried right now. If interest doesn't improve by the beginning of October, then there's a problem to address.

And ikkei, you obviously had time to comment on the slump. Couldn't you have at least tossed out some points as well?

I just moved to a new place, so I haven't had much time to sit down and listen to any new songs in any contest. I should get to this sometime over the weekend.

Just stating that I am still around and intend to vote, but things have been busy lately. I'm sure others have been busy too, and a lot of votes will show up last minute.

(X'o')

2 Points - String of Restraint
1 Point - Ukishima
1 Point - After the War
1 Point - Seaside Front (Arrange Version)
1 Point - Search for the Lost Riff

Really good stuff this week befitting the century mark of this event. All tracks were enjoyable so I'll have to go with a six hit combo.

1 point each to:
FZ Series 'AXIS' - After the War
Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
Some Website - Search for the Lost Riff
Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon

My next nomination:

* Album Title: Planescape: Torment (PC Game Rip)
* Artist: Mark Morgan
* Track Title: Main Title
* Source: http://www.mobygames.com/game/window...orment/credits
* Disc Number: 1 (of 1)
* Track Number: 1
* Catalogue Number: NA
* Year: 1999

Like I said before, an awesome week befitting of the landmark. I think I chose a bad week to nominate the Ridge Racer track, as much as I like it I'm not gonna give it points either. Nothing was bad, but two tracks in particular shone brighter than the others (and you can kill me for the awful reference).

2 points:
Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima

1 point:
OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~
Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon

Yay, voting!

(3 points) FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
(2 points) Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
(1 point) Some Website - Search for the Lost Riff

Eligibilty question: For Guitar Hero 2, the song "Jordan" was composed specifically for the game by Buckethead (and has not been released elsewhere). Buckethead is obviously not a VGM composer...Eligible or no?

(and for future reference...GH 3 will have a similar piece by Slash...again, obviously not a VGM composer).

I think as long as the tracks by Buckethead and Slash were composed specifically for GH3, the tracks should be eligible. It's like how Christopher Franke was engaged to compose music for the cancelled Babylon 5 space sim (one track from the game was nominated for SotW). And Franke usually composes for TV and film. Think the B5 game was his first foray into VGM.

I think that it's technically eligible if it was specifically composed for the game and not a remix of any kind (or a sneak preview of something that later appeared on an album).

But I really do wish people would nominate some cut-and-dry stuff for once, instead of constantly trying to push the envelope.

I'd consider opposing simply on the grounds of Guitar Hero being too popular.

Okay week, nothing legendary.

(2 points) FZ Series 'AXIS' - After the War
(2 points) Some Website - Search for the Lost Riff
(1 point) Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
(1 point) FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima

2 points : Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
2 points : Ridge Racer 6 (Game Rip) - I Want You
1 point : Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
1 point : Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon

Don't close this down too early, I'll be trying to squeeze my votes in later tonight.

And yeah, I'd say anything Guitar Hero is too popular for this.

I'm not pushing the envelope (or not trying to, anyway)...If anything, Jordan is one of the only recent tracks I've enjoyed by actually playing a game. Believe me, if you want me to try to push the envelope, I'm sure I can make pretty decent arguments for some stuff with extremely loose attachments to videogames/VGM albums...Which would result in a whole bunch of ugly eligibility polls and the like.

And Guitar Hero...Too popular? Wow...Um, okay, whatever...I know it's popular, but I doubt it has anything to do with any original music contained in it.

But Guitar Hero was a game designed completely around music. Unlike other games, you're focused purely upon the sound. You have to notice the music. And it's certainly not obscure, not like Vib Ribbon or Frequency.

Besides, Buckethead? Yicch.

Rhythm games generally exhibit that trait. But it was designed around licensed music (songs that had their day in the sun or were from small Boston bands no one cares about), not "original" works, which Jordan was.

Eh, whatever, drop it...I'm not nominating the song.

Pretty decent week.

Seaside Front is decent, though these kind of tunes generally don't stand out to me. The "chorus," if you will, is nice.

As this week's requisite retro tune, Desolation Canyon isn't bad. Is Wild Guns related at all to Wild Arms?

Search For the Lost Riff was cool, but it wasn't the AWESOME!!! song that it was made out to be. Still, it gets bonus points for reminding me of Jazz Jackrabbit 2's music.

You can usually expect quality stuff from Yamane, and she doesn't disappoint with The Wingless Angels. One of this week's best tracks, for sure.

Ukishima - The vocals and strings are nice, but the song still doesn't do much for me. Seems kind of boring, I guess.

I Want You is generic techno to the max. I was very glad when it finally ended.

After the War is a solid jazzin' nom from DH, though not one of my favorites of his. However, upon a 2nd listen, I found myself able to get into it a lot more. That's the way it tends to be with jazz.

String of restraint - Yay for something that sounds a bit different. I love cool string, uh, riffs (what's the proper term?) set to a drum beat. The rest of the song is neat as well.

2 pts. - After the War
2 pts. - The Wingless Angels
1 pt. - Search For the Lost Riff
1 pt. - String of restraint

Also, I hereby call for Phantasy Star Online/Universe music to be ineligible from this point on. I think we've seen our fair share of PS tunes here at GFF, both in SotW and in BSC. (And on a personal, non-relevant note, I'm tired of seeing it do well, since I generally don't care for it :p).

It never occured to me that Guitar Hero would be too popular...all of the recent nomination talk has been about raw eligibility, so I seem to have gotten out of the habit of thinking that way.

That aside, it's good to see some more votes trickling in. Now that I've got a free moment, I'd like to provide some comments (I voted earlier).

Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint While a little on the ambient side, there's nothing about this tune I don't like. Terrific piano work is the real highlight, with some nice electronic and guitar flourishes to add splashes of color.

FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima A little on the oriental classical side for my taste at times, but not bad. It doesn't have the aggressiveness or electronic sensibility that characterizes many of the best PS tunes, but the choral parts are a welcome touch.

FZ Series 'AXIS' - After the War A bit of a letdown, quality-wise, following two solid tracks. There's a decent 1980's style sax here, but it's not doing anything particularly interesting, and the rest of the instruments aren't doing much of note.

OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~ An impressive, dark synthy piece that really takes off at times. Despite the synthiness, it's almost gothic at times, which the choral part helps accentuate.

Ridge Racer 6 (Game Rip) - I Want You The weakest track of the bunch. It follows the standard trance practices of endlessly repeating with minimal variation and mixing in shrill vocal samples in odd places.

Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version] Reminds me of Sonic, perhaps due to the synth and generally bouncy feeling. It's nice enough, with decent melody and drive, but it doesn't linger.

Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon Another Western-style track. After being deluged by these in the BSC--man of which were high quality--this sort of tune suffers by comparison. It gets the broad strokes of the genre right, but doesn't do anything terribly neat with them.

Search for the Lost Riff Its questionable origins aside, this is a pretty nice track. I was reminded heavily of Deus Ex at times, and Mega Man at others, perhaps unsurprising considering its pedigree. Very enjoyable.

EDIT:
I think we're close to reaching the saturation point, yes.

Decent week ... 100 of them, where does the time go?

(3 points) FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
(2 points) Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
(1 points) Search for the Lost Riff

2 points - Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
2 points - Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
1 point - Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
1 point - FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima

Pretty solid week for #100. It was one of those weeks where tracks I liked ended up not getting points.

Voting is closed and nominations are restricted!

1). [21] FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
2). [20] Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
3). [14] www.fm.scene.org:8080 - Search for the Lost Riff
4). [12] Wild Guns (Game Rip) - Desolation Canyon
5). [11] Air Buster - Seaside Front [Arrange Version]
6). [10] OZ Original Soundtrack - The Wingless Angels ~Requiem~
7). [6] FZ Series 'AXIS' - After the War
8). [2] Ridge Racer 6 (Game Rip) - I Want You

Happy 100th!

Just popping in to say that I agree with placing a moratorium on all Phantasy Star related nominations.

And while we're on the subject, I'd suggest the same for Wild Arms. Nine Wild Arms tracks were submitted to the BSC; it's no longer what I'd consider an obscure series.

Supporting the Phantasy Star break. It doesn't have to be forever, maybe a month or two.

Definite yes to the Phantasy Star restriction. I dunno about Wild Arms, I'm not too familiar with the music in the series but I'm more than willing to accept a significant majority. Besides, as long as Wild Guns is eligible I don't mind.

And who the hell gave my track points?

This Phantasy Star talk happening now is funny, actually, because we have a song from "Phantasy Star Collection - Sound Collection II" coming up in week 101. That's from the older Phantasy Star RPGs, though. We should make a distinction - we're just talking about PSO/PSU being disallowed, correct?

Wow, it looks like Song of the Week has a *BRIGHT* future ahead! :D

Sorry, couldn't help it. :p But seriously, a big thank you to all nominators for contributing to 100 weeks of SotW! And also to our very own founder, Kaleb.G! I would certainly attribute to SotW, more so than the BSC, for expanding my scope and experience with VGM. Here's to 100 more weeks of great game music! :)

Vaguely statistical comparison of Weeks 1 and 100!

Week 1: September 16-23, 2004
Week 100: July 17-30, 2007

Week 1 Voters: 23 (Access Gamer, Bean, Chuckster, _DH_, Dragon God, Dr. Uzuki, el jacko, Elorin, Excrono, gdog66, GoldfishX, Kaleb.G, King Laharl, Moguta, MrMonkeyMan, Nites, orion_mk3, PichuChan401, Ramzavail, Secret Squirrel, Shokatshin, Snowman, Talaysen)

Week 100 Voters: 16 (aviness, bishop743, Chuckster, CHz, Crash Landon, _DH_, Djinova, Draconis, Drakken, Elorin, isdapi, Kaleb.G, orion_mk3, Para, TCK, TheKnightOfNee)

Voters present for Weeks 1 and 100: _DH_, Chuckster, Elorin, Kaleb.G, orion_mk3, Para/Nites

Week 1 Winners:
[33] Unreal Tournament 2004 - Hyperblast Redux
[31] Metal Black -The First- - Doubt
[29] Soul Calibur II OST - Unwavering Resolve

Margin of victory: 2 pts. (1st place), 2 pts. (2nd place)

Week 100 Winners:
[21] FOR BRIGHTER DAY Phantasy Star Universe Original Sound Track - Ukishima
[20] Brighter than Dawning Blue Music Collection Lunar Passport - String of restraint
[14] www.fm.scene.org:8080 - Search for the Lost Riff

Margin of victory: 1 pt. (1st place), 6 pts. (2nd place)

1). I'm tending to agree about banning PSU/PSO stuff. I've thought PS1-4 stuff would be out as well, but no one besides myself really flinched at the dungeon medley from the first sound collection back when GoldfishX nominated it and similarly with LANDEEL, so I guess they're still fine.

2). Wild Guns is completely unrelated to Wild Arms. Different composers, developer, etc.

3). I think a Wild Arms stop isn't that bad of an idea either.

Just a quick reminder that I was once known as Nites here.

And this is great, both nominations I made for Week 1 and 100 both got 1st XD

Well, I'm certain about PSO/PSU material, that's for sure. In that the earlier PS games and albums are still tied to the series as a whole, I'm leaning toward prohibiting them also, since they're not grand deviations from the formula, such as in the case of Super Mario Bros. and, say, Mario Is Missing.

But the nomination for Week 101 should stand uncontested. If anything, it'd be grandfather claused into eligibility.

Aww what, Lost Riff lost? Is that even possible? This was my I WILL WIN nomination, what happened?

Ah well, congrats to everyone keeping SOTW alive enough to reach 100! Woo