Song of the Week - WEEK 96 Voting/WEEK 97 Nominating

3 points - Jooli's Song
2 points - Blind Kiss
1 point - Devote for Nature

The top two were easy picks. Jooli's Song was great on my first listen and I'm sure it'll grow on me upon subsequent listens. Blind Kiss had a nice upbeat melody and was a pleasant listen. The last spot could have pretty much gone to any of the other tracks which I didn't think weren't that great anyway.

Nomination:
- Composer: Ken-ichi Ohkuma
- Album/Game: Melty Lancer Original Soundtrack
- Track Title: Charge
- Disc Number: 1 (of 1)
- Track Number: 07
- Catalog Number: POCX-1020
- Year: 1996
- Source(s):
http://www.gmronline.com/info.asp?CatNumber=POCX-1020
http://www.arthistoryclub.com/art_hi...o_game_music_M

Goldfish introduced me to this album about two years ago and I've been meaning to nominate something from it ever since then. Will upload shortly.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by goldsac

*** I know it's kind of a bold move to shake up the system on the first post, but what can ya do. Personally, I think having a decent idea of the context of a composition allows for a much more accurate view of the intent (which is kinda what I'd say it's all about). When people listen to and admire Nobuo's music, I believe a major contribution lies in his great talent for musically illustrating a person/place/etc..
So, for example, if the song is meant to be a theme song for a particular character, one might describe the character when submitting the song. Or, if the song is meant to be more of a mood-setter, maybe describing the atmosphere, perhaps with a screenshot to accompany?
It's a far cry from actually playing through the game, but it would definitely help in evaluation if you ask me. What do y'all think?

First, welcome to Song of the Week, goldsac. Thanks for participating. Please stick around and try not to fade away after a few weeks.

As for your comments, I definitely understand from where you're coming. Perhaps you're wondering about several track's context, but since the asterisks were placed in your comments for "Jooli's Song", I'll offer up an explanation.

What you need to know first is that our nomination rules are rather expansive. We're not limited to nominating pieces that came from video games or arrangements.

Many of us have interests in particular composers or composing teams, such as Tim Follin, Motoi Sakuraba, Yoko Kanno, Mintjam or ZUNTATA, to name a handful. But occasionally, some composers will produce their own independent works that are just as interesting. Because we like hearing this material too, we allow nominations from non-VGM albums, with one caveat: the composer must have at least one non-doujin VGM composition credit. This gives some interesting leeway as to what can be nominated and has lead to some excellent discoveries.

"Jooli's Song" is one such piece. It's from an album by Bjorn Lynne, called "The Gods Awaken", that I found while researching Lynne's background. What this means is that there is no in-game context. It's just something that was created to evoke a particular mood.

I'd highly recommend you look over the Song of the Week Nomination Rules. You may find that more tracks than you initially believed are eligible for nomination. And if you're unsure, or there's a grey area, just ask. If nobody swats it down, it's good to go.

Hope that clears some stuff up for you.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Crash Landon

First, welcome to Song of the Week, goldsac. Thanks for participating. Please stick around and try not to fade away after a few weeks.

As for your comments, I definitely understand from where you're coming. Perhaps you're wondering about several track's context, but since the asterisks were placed in your comments for "Jooli's Song", I'll offer up an explanation.

What you need to know first is that our nomination rules are rather expansive. We're not limited to nominating pieces that came from video games or arrangements.

Many of us have interests in particular composers or composing teams, such as Tim Follin, Motoi Sakuraba, Yoko Kanno, Mintjam or ZUNTATA, to name a handful. But occasionally, some composers will produce their own independent works that are just as interesting. Because we like hearing this material too, we allow nominations from non-VGM albums, with one caveat: the composer must have at least one non-doujin VGM composition credit. This gives some interesting leeway as to what can be nominated and has lead to some excellent discoveries.

"Jooli's Song" is one such piece. It's from an album by Bjorn Lynne, called "The Gods Awaken", that I found while researching Lynne's background. What this means is that there is no in-game context. It's just something that was created to evoke a particular mood.

I'd highly recommend you look over the Song of the Week Nomination Rules. You may find that more tracks than you initially believed are eligible for nomination. And if you're unsure, or there's a grey area, just ask. If nobody swats it down, it's good to go.

Hope that clears some stuff up for you.

Hey man, thanks for taking the time. I've looked at the rules, and yeah, they aren't anything short of expansive! (and that's a good thing)
I found out about Jooli's Song after the fact (apparently it's based on a book of the same name?). I guess my comments w/ regard to that song are moot, but i wasn't meaning to single out that particular song..it was just a good springboard for my point.

I guess it's just a lesson learned that I should look up some background info on the tracks before evaluating. When I found out that the 1st tide was from IQ, as in Intelligent Qube, as in a puzzle game, my opinion of the track kinda shifted. Not your typical puzzle game music!

As for sticking around, that's the plan. My only worry is the obscurity factor. I read through the list of past nominations, and damn a lotta those tracks are just foreign to me. Definitely gonna be good for me as far as exposure goes..but I gotta confess that I haven't dug as deep as many of you on here. Not that I plan on nominating Aeris' theme anytime soon, heh. Just be sure to bite my head clean off if I nominate anything obvious

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by goldsac

When I found out that the 1st tide was from IQ, as in Intelligent Qube, as in a puzzle game, my opinion of the track kinda shifted.

Could it possibly shift to a point or two?

I was speaking idiomatically.

Fairly good selection this week. First 2 places were a tough call. Really crappy brass in my 3-pointer, but the writing was nice on the whole. Lynne's was excellent as well.

3 points: DELIGHT in DAYLIGHT - Cielos de agosto
2 points: The Gods Awaken - Jooli's Song
1 point: Be filled with feeling - Blind Kiss

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

It just hit me what Las Vegas reminds me of. Butterfly, from DDR. Does anyone else hear that, or am I completely crazy?

FELIPE NO

Yes you are. It's obviously "What is Love."

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by goldsac

As for sticking around, that's the plan. My only worry is the obscurity factor. I read through the list of past nominations, and damn a lotta those tracks are just foreign to me.

Obscurity is a relative thing. What's generally intended is that you avoid tracks that come from flagship titles, or games that are particularly celebrated for their music. This is meant to prevent people from deluging SotW with music that we already know is good, stuff that can be found in the VGM collections of most novice listeners because the games are so beloved.

We're usually lenient on what's acceptable. As long as a game doesn't come with its own massive horde of zombie fanboys, it's probably okay. There isn't a set list of series to avoid because we're always finding exceptions to these rules. We've had a Zelda track that came from a little known arranged album, and there was a Game Gear Sonic nomination too. Both placed, by the way, so once it's in, it's judged fairly.

The best rule of thumb is to consider what you, yourself, would define "obscurity" as. If you think it might be too well-known, you're probably correct. But if you've got a solid argument for a track's inclusion, then by all means, say something. Borderline cases almost always favor the person asking. History is also a good precedent; if a track from an album or gamerip has been allowed before, others from the same album/rip/series can usually follow.

Quick heads up: Ace Combat, Guilty Gear, Silent Hill, Katamari Damacy and most Sim City tracks are now considered largely taboo in Song of the Week due to their proven popularity in other contests and among GFF members in general. You couldn't know this as a new member, so I'm filling you in.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Nice week, with some strong standout songs for me.

(2 points) DELIGHT in DAYLIGHT - Cielos de agosto

(2 points) The Gods Awaken - Jooli's Song

(2 points) Raystorm - LUMINESCENCE (AREA5) - full take

"Cielos de agosto" reminds me of the Phantasy Star Online tracks, in a very good way. Top Gear was very close to getting a point.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm not feeling this Be Filled With Feeling track at all. It feels like a lazy effort and a bit cheesy.

The ticking sounds throughout Cielos de agosto nearly piss me off to the point where it might matter as far as point distribution goes. But not enough. Big PSO/Shadow Hearts vibe going on here, it's an incredibly interesting and entertaining track.

The First Tide sounds very familiar to my ears. Trying to remember if I've played this game before. It's film score-esque in it's middle segments and a very decent march type track otherwise. IMPORTANT EDIT: Just came to me what this reminds me so much of: The introduction to Amazing Stories. Not so much the tune at all but the feeling it evokes.

Devote for Nature completely rubs me the wrong way. Annoying instrument set, chattering voices emerging from the background every now and then, and laid back. But not a good laid back, like a Jimmy Buffet laid back.

Hey. I remember this Raystorm song from some weeks back when it won gold. This version is a lot worse.

Bonds is nice. It gets better where the percussion kicks in but not because of it.

Jooli's Song. This is awesome. If it wasn't for Cielos de agosto, it would undoubtedly deserve to win. As it stands, it still does, just not by a blowout.

WHY IS LAS VEGAS NEARLY SEVEN MINUTES LONG? Nah, I'm not seriously going to hold its length against it, but the track is ironically monochrome despite the ever present scaling accompaniment and nothing about it is particularly compelling.

3 points - The Gods Awaken - Jooli's Song
2 points - DELIGHT in DAYLIGHT - Cielos de agosto
1 point - I.Q. Final Perfect Music File - The 1st Tide

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

1 point - Radiata Stories Original Soundtrack - Devote for Nature
2 points - Be filled with feeling - Blind Kiss
3 points - DELIGHT in DAYLIGHT - Cielos de agosto
Runner up - Jooli's song

Nice week overall. Cielos de agosto impressed me

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Nomination time! Again an incredibly hard choice...if anyone feels a different FX tune would have a better chance, let me know and I'll consider changing my nom.

Artist(s): Jake Kaufman
Album/Game Title: FX3
Track Title: Choppastyle
Disc Number: 1 (of 1)
Track Number: 5
Catalog Number: 8BP071
Year: 2007
Additional Information: This is a chiptune cover of a track made for kwakfest, a 1-hour composition event. Yes, this was composed in one hour.
Source(s): http://8bitpeoples.com/discography_g...st=Virt#8BP071

I was speaking idiomatically.

Voting is closed! (nominations will remain open because there's a battle next week)

1). [27] The Gods Awaken - Jooli's Song
2). [26] DELIGHT in DAYLIGHT - Cielos de agosto
3). [18] SYMPHONY GAGHARV TRILOGY - The Legend of Heroes III, IV, V - Bonds
4). [15] Be filled with feeling - Blind Kiss
5). [14] Top Gear (SNES Game Rip) - Las Vegas
6). [10] Raystorm - LUMINESCENCE (AREA5) - full take
7-t). [8/5.5] I.Q. Final Perfect Music File - The 1st Tide
7-t). [8/5.5] Radiata Stories Original Soundtrack - Devote for Nature

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

It's official. Crash is the new _DH_.

How ya doing, buddy?

Does that mean I'm going to get hated on?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Wow, I really thought Cielos was gonna take this one. Congrats, Crash, you picked a good 'un.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'll nominate for the hell of it. Always seem to forget about these SOTWs though.

Kameo: Elements of Power - Chillin' in the Trainers Hut (Game Rip) by Steve Burke

Found on Rares website along with a lot of other free tracks from their games. TRACK HERE

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by BZ

I'll nominate for the hell of it. Always seem to forget about these SOTWs though.

Kameo: Elements of Power - Chillin' in the Trainers Hut (Game Rip) by Steve Burke

Found on Rares website along with a lot of other free tracks from their games. TRACK HERE

Just a heads-up, there have been two other tracks from that game nominated recently (both by myself). Neither placed, and I think that the OST is criminally underappriciated, but just FYI.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

So.....
I was kinda hoping to d/l that Blind Kiss track, but apparently I missed the boat. And as my luck would have it, it fell just shy of placing in the top 3. Does anyone mind possibly linking it for the new guy?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Sure, I can hook you up.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/z82wvd

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by orion_mk3

Sure, I can hook you up.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/z82wvd

much obliged!

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?