What are you listening to right now? Write a single-track mini-review. (Version 2.0)
 

This has been a standard of General Game Music for quite awhile, and with another board wipe comes the latest incarnation of this thread.

Simply post what musical track you are listening to at the moment along with one or two sentences (or more) describing why you like or dislike the song in question.

I will get things started:

Kouchi Sugiyama - Dragon Quest VI Symphonic Suite - At the Palace

Among the castle themes that Mr. Sugiyama has composed, this is arguably one of the most questionable in terms of quality. The piece is arranged as a rondo, and has a dark almost somber tone that can get a bit repetitive after awhile (and has put off many listeners, from my experience). None the less, I find it to be one of his more interesting offerings, primarily because of Sugiyama’s approach, which is much darker the majority of the castle themes. Had the melody in the arrangement been fleshed out a bit more, I really think it could have turned out to be the best of the eight DQ castle themes.

Rating 3.5/5

Currently listening to:

metempsychosis from Shikigami no Shiro 2 OST (aka Castle Shikigami 2).

A tune that needs a couple of listens to really shine, simply because it's trying to do so much. It's techno-driven and made for shooting stuff old-school style, but the main melody is sad and downbeat in a nostalgic way as it comes into the track. The latter part starts about 1:10 in and subtley repeats the melody on a set of synth bells, giving it something of a haunting quality for a remaining minute or so before it fades away.

More likely than not, this will be stuck in my head all day tomorrow. Better make sure it's on the iPod so I can get my fix if needed...

Breaking Benjamin- Home

Great song for a really small(almost unheard of around here)band.
Pretty funny intro with the wizard of oz witch clip of "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too"
Goes with the song considering it all goes with the movie XD.
All in all a great song. The Guitar work is nice, lyrics as well. Some spots in his vocals are a little scratchy but I think it adds to the sound of the band. Rather than being annoying.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - motherfucker=redeemer

This is the second track on the Yanqui U.X.O. album that bears that name, and is also the second shortest track, clocking in at 10:07. The album, while only containing five tracks, is over 70 minutes in length, and this track closes the intense, visual journey that is Yanqui U.X.O. The most consistently musical, and consistently interesting of all GY!BE tracks ever written, this one defies their typical formula of slow rise/slow fall. It reaches its climax in record time, holding the intensity, but never releasing it. The musicianship also displays GY!BE's talent more than usual, breaking out into raucous jams, switching suddenly between followable metres and cleverly spaced time signatures to keep you on your feet. Right towards the end, everything feels that it should fall apart - but it holds togther, and everything finally unifies - then rises and evaporates instantaneously, never reaching resolution.

5/5

Chris Hülsbeck - Jim Power PC-Engine Redbook - Level 3

What a nice track! I can't believe I never listened to this soundtrack before, but it's not too late. The strong electronic/techno/dance elements definitely get me fixed, and the melodies are catchy, however not "over the top". The instrumentation could be better (the guitar comes to mind), but at the same time, it gives it a old-school "upgraded" Amiga touch, so it's not all bad. It will stay in my "Upbeat" VGM playlist.

4.5/5

I abandoned the last thread, so maybe now's a good time to get refamiliarized with this one.

More Than Mario - 01 - You're In Valley Town

Sadly, this might be the best track from Mustin and Dale North's latest release. The original track from Animal Crossing was a pleasant enough ditty, and North's amiable piano work spruces it up decently while keeping the airy core of the track. The light percussion elements also add a weclome bit of depth. When I'm not feeling fully lazy I'll create a More Than Mario thread in the Album Comments forum.

Darn, I wanted to make this thread, but at least I'm back to post in it, let's see if I can reach 300+ reviews again, or not.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 OST - Hydrocity Zone Act 2 -

A much more mellow version of the Hydrocity theme, a bit slower with more of a jazzy feel than act 1, though slower, I feeel it is superior to it's predeccessor. As with the mold of all Sonic tracks, it's catchy as hell. I always thought Sonic 3 had the best soundtrack, and this is one of the best.

MGS: TTS-Snake vs Shaman (Vulcan Raven)

I loved this track because it has that eerie feel to it when you're facing Raven in the storage room. It is also a perfect track to fit this boss battle. Norihiko Hibino did a excellent job on this track. I give it :revolution: :revolution: :revolution: :revolution: :revolution: (5 revolutions) out of 5 Revolutions.

Phantasy Star Online Songs of RAGOL Odyssey -EPISODE I&II- : Silent Palace

When I started Episode II on PSO for the first time, I was greeted with this track. Wow. It was surreal. Perhaps it just fit my excitement at the start of a new adventure, as sappy as that may sound. I like the blend of the more orchestral feel with the electronic instrumentation. All in all, it makes a pretty majestic track.

Monsters in the Dungeon~Tower of Death~Dark World~Monsters in the Dungeon

This is a medley three pieces from Dragon Quest V. The first part consists of the dungeon/cave theme which features a really neat string section that serves to give the melody an air of mystery and uneasiness. In my opinion the composition is the most original and well executed in the series. The second theme in the track is the tower theme, which features a clarinet as the lead for this almost sad, melancholic melody. One would think this would be strangely inappropriate for such an area, but it really shines in game, providing the backdrop to several key plot events. The final theme presented in this piece is the dark, or evil world theme, which is a staple the "Heaven" trilogy (DQ IV-VI). This short piece is lovely in small doses, but isn't nearly as good as the rest of the track.

As a whole, this easily stands as Koichi Sugiyama's best work (as far as cave/tower themes go) for the Dragon Quest series of games.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Kenji Yamamoto - 26 Boss Defeated (Item Room Theme Long)
Oh wow, what a somber, quiet song. Ingame and out, it's perfectly creepy without seeming it's supposed to be. I'm not one that can write long reviews, but what i can say is that if you like soft, haunting and quiet songs, you'd love this. Ingame, it perfectly captures that tense feeling you(Samus) would have after killing a boss. Listening to it casually just gives me the chills in a good way.

5 outta 5.

Laharl's Hymn (Vocal) by Tenpei Sato, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness Soundtrack

The version of the song you hear, when you try to look at stuff in the Dark Assembly, with Japanese vocals. It's sort of a strange mix between lighthearted and morbid. We have the somewhat cheery female singers with various interjections such as "Number One!" and "Aku ga ku hodo!" at the ends of phrases, along with playful instrument melodies. However, the song has an ominous mood throughout, is all in a minor key, and there are several buildup points such as "hikae o mono domo...." and the instruments do a good job of heightening the sense of darkness and then shifting back to the lilting vocals. It's something you'll have to hear for yourself since I don't know how to describe it very well.

A delightful romp in the netherworld: 4/5

Shadow Hearts From the New World

Dead Fingers Talk

The first battle theme from the above titled game. It's one of the most badass battle themes from any rpg that I've ever heard. I get pumped every time I hear it. To anyone who's heard this song, do the vocals translate to anything or is it just random chanting?

Final Fantasy Medley OC ReMix

Has a great blend of all the earlier FF games. The execution is well done and has a deep, happy sound to it. It's accompanied by the other ~1250 OC ReMixes (a few dozen are missing due to review and voluntary removal). I downloaded them using Bittorrent, I can't wait for OC ReMix torrent 1251-1500 to come out.

The Throne Room/End Title - John Williams...This song makes me cry every time I hear it, as I especially enjoy the sped up version of Princess Leia's Theme that is embedded in it...

J&A from UNLIMITED: SaGa

Why is this piece so awesome? Well, I love Hamauzu and his inventiveness, but I love this piece most of all because it sounds like it could've been ripped straight from the Final Fantasy Tactics soundtrack. You know, one of the quirky, happy battle themes like Random Waltz. The piece is very playful, especially the beginning with the swelling strings playing as counterpoint to the cheerful offbeats and piano. Sounds like Hamauzu + Sakimoto. Very short, but ver good.

Hard Fi - Living for the Weekend

Proving to me once again that new music doesn't blow, just I'm too lazy to actually find the good stuff, this song from a bunch of indy rockers from across the pond is a good, hard fun song that's just a joy to listen to. A disco/retro background supports a bouncy, energetic rock trio. The song just completely fits that "lets party" theme of the lyrics. The instruments just hammer along, and delivers a feeling of letting go. My only issue with the song is that the lyrics aren't particularly strong, and they hold up the instrumentals. The song is also a bit repetative, especially near the end.

Zork: Grand Inquisitor Soundtrack Rip - Mark Morgan - Track 9 - Exploring the Underground Empire

I needed something to soothe my nerves and this track turned out to be an apt choice. I remember the tune from way back when I played the game. It was always a treat to listen whilst exploring the expansive caverns of the Great Underground Empire, complete with mists and lights of diffused hues that add to the overall mystique of the experience. Listening to the "Exploring the Underground Empire" today, it still evokes the same wonder and fascination with its blend of electronic samples and effective percussion.

At the time, I didn't know who Mark Morgan was (didn't pay much heed to credits then) and only began taking a more vested interest in his work after the great Planescape: Torment soundtrack. So it was with much surprise and delight that I learned how Morgan was also responsible for music from Zork: Grand Inquisitor and the much loved Zork: Nemesis.

That said, non-sympathizers of ambient music will probably not warm-up to this Zork track.

Sounds like another race coming. :D

Banzai - Anubis

I'd like to call this an Egyptian pop. The title speaks itself on how it sounds. If my memory serves me right, Anubis is a hound-looking God and the beats of the song makes me imagine dogs dancing, chanting and performing rituals to their God. A nice track from In The Groove.

STM - Vanish Into Thin Air

A light, breezy kind of techno song. While it is very energetic, the energy is in very light strokes. It just kind of flutters around progressing up and down it's chords and progressions. Really gives that sense that there's a slight gust tossing about. It also helps there's the sound of the wind howling in the background. Overall it's just a very smooth kind of track I like.

Chrono Trigger - Far Away Memories OC Remix by Neil Benjamin

Normally I don't think of myself as a huge fan of pieces where the main instrument is a guitar. But of those, this remake of 'To Far Away Times' would have to be one of my favorites. The tune itself is memorable, and this remix IMO lives up to the reputation. It sounds like something I'd listen to on a road trip heading home or something. The guitar sounds very relaxing, and makes a very nice 'easy listening' version of the original tune.

Orange Lounge - Marmalade Reverie

Of all the Orange Lounge tracks I've heard, this is arguably their best track so far. At first, it didn't seem to be that good. But as I play it over and over again, I've realized that Marmalade Reverie is well done after all. It has the bossa nova upbeat melody that flows naturally along with the ever smooth vocals of Shizue Tokui. The part I like best is during the middle part of song where the beats are smoothly hit marvelously blends the whole instrumentation. Definitely a must-hear for the bossa nova ear.

CROW'SCLAW - Not For All

This is an original track they made for the King of the Aces High event. Fairly catchy riff, with some parts that remind me of "Thunderkiss 65," and some X-TREME soloing at the end. All in all, nothing earth-shattering here, but a very solid track nonetheless. Everything is in the right place at the right time...it's rock done right.

Let's see what winamp on shuffle brings up.

Chrono Trigger - Gaurdia Castle ~Courage and Pride~

This is an all time fav orite castle theme for me. The melody is very good, sounds so majestic and full of power, it shines even through the SNES synth. I always liked going to guardia castle just for this song. Makes me almost want to go play CT again.

All we need is bring back the old timers here again, right?

CLON - Funky Tonight

This Korean street dance-like track has a difference between the original one and the one from Pump It Up. This one from PIU has been inserted with fully synthesized beats but I think the original sounds better than this variation. Quite interesting to listen too and also enjoyable.

"015.psf2" from the FFXII game rip. This is a very cool, dark, and jungle-dungeon-sounding theme. The best part is at 40 seconds when that twangy string instrument starts playing in the background.

Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap

I really enjoy the vocoder placed on her voice. There is no background audio played in this song, but she pulls it off greatly. The vocoder automatically harmonizes her voice and it sounds awesome.

Kow Otani - [Wander and the Colossus ~Roar of the Earth~ Original Soundtrack #25] A Despair-filled Farewell ~Battle With the Colossus~

Having thoroughly listened to this album since I first gave it a listen on Friday (through Song of the Week), this has become one of my favorite tracks. As the title suggests, the piece has quite a bit of sad undertones, while the he many orchestral hits that are present throughout the piece give it a big, epic feel that makes quite an impression. The booming choir in particular provides the orchestra with a tremendous amount of presence when it joins in during the last minute of the piece.

Had the overall composition been a bit more cohesive though, this would have easily blown away the rest of the battle tracks from this album (yes, even "Revived Power").


Rating: 4.7/5

Currently listening to supira no jokei from FFX, the guitar-arranged Suteki da Ne by Hamauzu. I have been listening for two hours and havent felt any boredom yet. The song incredibly peaceful and very smooth. I really2 love this track, it helps me to relax.

Alright, here is my first time doing this, let me know if I'm doing anything wrong.

Jurassic Park (SNES rip) - Gallimimus Gallop

So there I was, browsing SNESmusic.org to find old classics that were just faint memories. Basically, at one point I was just sitting there and all of a sudden, something came to me and said (JURASSIC PARK). Now I wasn't fond of the game much, I went to hear the music anyway. I was suprised that the songs had names... was there an album for this game? I was slightly impressed with Raptor Rap, but I went on to Gallamimus Gallop and it blew me out of the water. How come I barely remember this song in game?

Anyway, some will find it lame because it's mostly a crazy prehistoric funk track. The intro starts with a confusing line, at least it was confusing for me because I was reminded of that line in game, and I tried to listen to it from a more funk perceptive. Then the beat comes in and the song automatically becomes awesome, then at 0:41(The best part), the distorted bass takes the lead, and I must say, this song is catchy all over. I can't believe I forgot this song. It's fantastic. Not much melody in this, because it's quite funk-driven, but who cares. This is awesome.

9/10

Wizardry: LLYLGAMYN SAGA - Haneda Kentarou - Track 3 - "Fort City Llylgamyn"

I really should be typing out my thesis (my supervisor is hounding me for it...) but I couldn't help but be sidetracked by the Wizardy: LLYLGAMYN SAGA album. Not entirely sure if it's an arranged soundtrack (seems likely from the instrumentation). Regardless, "Fort City Llylgamyn" is one good example of the medievil style that so strongly characterizes the entire soundtrack. With soft strings and winds accompanied by a tinkling harp, the track evokes magic, wonder and an overarching sense of desolation and lost hope. Beautiful.

Anita Mui & Faye Wong - Fashion Show

Since my last post here (see above), I've completed my thesis (finally!) but proof-reading it turned out to be really boring. So I decided to go through my song collection and found this. "Fashion Show" features two bigtime canto-pop queens: Anita Mui and Faye Wong. Very strong on electronics, the song is decidedly different from your usual bubblegum pop, with Mui's husky and deep voice adding a certain seriousness and profound melancholy to the song (fans of Mui can probably relate to this...). Wong plays backup here with her light, otherworldly, crystal clear vocals, and provides a nice contrast to Mui's lines. Overall, I enjoyed the song a lot, though I don't really understand most of the lyrics. :P Really should brush-up on my Cantonese... Sadly, we won't get to hear these two divas in a duet again.

Terror in the Depths of the Fog (Silent Hill 2 OST)

This is an enjoyable industrial/ambient piece that starts with a bunch of rhythmic mechanical noises/drumbeats before introducing a fairly unobtrusive background melody that complements the industrial noise nicely. You don't see a whole lot of variation in the song, but there's enough to keep things from getting overly repetitive.

I don't know that I'd describe it as "Merzbow lite" or something, but it manages to do a good job of straddling the line between melodic and jarring/grating. 4/5

"I Feel Lucky" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

I found it a little catchy and funny after hearing it on the radio~

nice to know there other Kentaro Haneda fans other than me and Bishop here. :D

Currently listening to Bach - BWV 0004 Cantata 'Christlag in Todesbanden' - II. Duet.

The 2nd movement of Bach's choral cantata, the 2nd movement has slow tempo, sung by a sopran and alto. The music in this entire cantata actually whole variations of the one main theme. For me, this is one of the most beautiful Cantata in Bach's catalogue.

It's an absolute crime that that track only came 7th in SotW when I nominated it. Glad to see I'm not the only one who loves that track.

Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts II - Kaoru Wada

I've played little of the series, but this song is beautiful. It takes to original melody and fully orchestrates it. Sadly, it's not nearly long enough.

Project Majestic Mix - Anxious heart

A great rendition of ff7's Anxious heart theme which take a focus on eletric guitar and a eletronica influence. Good stuff.

Hanamuke from Chirinuruwowaka's Iroha Album

Note: Chirinuruwowaka is the other group that Yuu of Go! Go! 7188 decided to form rather recently.

This song retains the wonderful surf-rock feel that I've come to expect and love from Yuu, for a solid total of four minutes. The vocals are clear and projected as always, and the guitars' constant intercessions only help. The melody itself is rather catchy with an active percussion to help it move fast.

You nominated it? I was gonna nominate it in the future.

7th place?! Hah, only reinforces my theory that the best songs come in 7th place. We need to have a contest for them.

EDIT: Okay, don't want to waste space in here, so a very short review:

The Shadow (SNES Rip) - End Game & Staff Roll
This is one of the most depressing songs I EVER HEARD EVER EVER. It's only a 4 measure loop repeated over and over and over and over again, with an extremely odd synth taking an extremely confusing sub-melody every other phrase. The... um... chords (played by synth strings) contain an illegal amount of dissonance (cluster?) and create one of the sickest atmospheres I've ever heard. It's played either at the staff roll (WTF were they thinking) and during the name entry after game over.

10/10

MOTHER 3 - Sound Test 010/052/etc.

A serious sounding track with a bass melody very similar to that of the "Sanctuary Guardian Boss" from MOTHER 2 (EarthBound). I always liked that beat, so when combined with a nice new lead melody here, I find the finished package to be quite enjoyable. Furthermore, the instrument selection is very nice, and the track as a whole reminds me a bit of Journey to Silius. Too bad it wasn't developed further.

Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- Original Soundtrack - Masashi Hamauzu - CD 2, Track 5 - "Trespasser"

I'm very fond of ambient electronica so it's no surprise this is one of my favourite tracks from the soundtrack. There's certainly not much of a melody there but those lush chords are a real steal. Love the progression. The electronics are also very well done; it's reminiscent of what Shimomura did in Parasite Eve. All in all a very cool and surreal piece.

F-Zero AX - 08 - Octoman - by Daki Kasho - This techno song fits the crazy nature of the game very well. This theme is both mysterious and cerebral in that it's composition is minimalistic in the melody but very forceful in the rhythm. Very nice.

"Gone Forever" by Ulrich Schnauss
Beautiful, dreamy, peaceful electronic work.
It really allows you to open your mind and think.

:edgarrock:



This is a very cool track!

:)

Myst IV: Revelation - Jack Wall - Bomb Factory

This is apparently from a game rip so I'm not sure which track it corresponds to in the official soundtrack. In any case, it's a wonderful piece, and easily my favourite from Myst IV. I didn't think very much of the heavy oriental elements Wall incorporated into the Jade Empire soundtrack but what he did for this Myst track is great. It's not as blatant and tends to be fairly atmospheric with its electronic work and light percussion. Despite the ambient trappings, the song has a gorgeous melody that's very fluid and evolves nicely towards the end. The end result is a piece that's both apprehensive and wistful. I need to get the soundtrack so badly. :(

Hitoshi Sakimoto - [Gradius V Soundtrack] - CELL -STAGE 4-

An ambient song with a steady beat in mid-tempo and some cool and innovative sampling. A very nice song to listen to while chilling, from an awesome space shooter game.

The Sword of Xuan Yuan Side Story: Billows of the Bleak OST - Zeng Zhihao & Wu Xinrui - Track 1 - "Fate of a Thousand Years"

I just completed The Sword of Xuan Yuan Side Story: Billows of the Bleak (a traditional Taiwanese wuxia RPG) and couldn't help but go back and listen to this track. "Fate of a Thousand Years" plays in the game's opening sequence and I've always loved it for the grandeur it captures, and the melancholic quality of the piece. But having completed the incredibly tragic and philosophical game, I realise now how integral "Fate of a Thousand Years" was in setting the stage for one of the most impactful RPGs I've played. With strong drum beats, resolute strings, and the delicate strains of the pipa, zither and synth choir, it's indeed a beautiful track made more so if you consider the context it plays in.

Final Fantasy XII Original Soundtrack (DISC 2) 217 The Skycity of Bhujerba

Sakimoto's work always need more than a listening, so is with the Final Fantasy XII OST. Most of his works are just so mediaval and not too memorable, but an exception with this one. The beautiful woodwind in this track actually caught my attention and I put it as my favorite track of the FF XII OST. this track features a light, calming music using woodwind and string, very suitable for the title. I could feel the feel of "Flying city" in the mind.

great track!