[SotW] Song of the Week - WEEK 130 Voting/WEEK 131 Nominating

Song of the Week. 125 Weeks and counting.
Week 130 Voting is closed.
Week 131 Nominating is restricted

Results:
1). [37] Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
2). [31] Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
3). [18] KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
4). [17] OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme
5). [14] PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity
6). [13] Forest of glass - Fly!
7). [5] Venus & Braves: The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians
8). [3] Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii Game Rip) - Athletics: Track, 110m & 400m Hurdles[/QUOTE]

Tracks:
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Forest of glass - Fly!
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii Game Rip) - Athletics - Track, 110m & 400m Hurdles
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Venus & Braves - The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians

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

Week 131 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

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Oh, I apologize in advance for the length of the Death Smiles track. That was the length in it's ripped form, and it loops a lot. Feel free to stop listening when appropriate. I rather enjoy the track so I kept it as is. I should have thought to trim it come nomination time, but I forgot.

How ya doing, buddy?

(3 points) KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
(2 points) Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
(1 point) OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme

Lol, Halloween Town sounds like a mix of ESP Galuda 2 and Castlevania. XD

Nomination
Artists: Boktai 3 Sound Unit
Game Title: Boktai 3: Sabata's Counterattack (GBA Game Rip)
Track Title: Solar Tree Yggdrasill
Year: 2005

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

Nothing this week really stuck out to me.

2 points: Weakboson~GorgeCity
1 point: Halloween Town Stage
1 point: sacrifice ~ marionette ~
1 point: Feel's Theme
1 point: Swords of the Guardians


Time to nominate then!
Song: River of Souls
Game: Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Composer: Darren Mitchell/Acclaim Entertainment
Track #: 2


I don't know if a Turok game is obscure enough for SotW; if it isn't, I have another nomination I can use.

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

2 Points > Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
2 Points > KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
2 Points > PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity

Nomination:
2006.08.11 - planetarian original soundtrack [KSLA-0025] - 11. Shinji Orito - Human Warrior

I was speaking idiomatically.

Pretty good selection, here.

2 Points: Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
2 Points: OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme
2 Points: Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage

The 'Death Smiles' track deserves a better rip.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Yeah, I agree. Someone ripped it straight from the arcade machine. How do you even do that? Seriously, I'm curious! Well, the OST is only a few weeks away, so I'm happy with what I have.

As for my votes:

3 points: Halloween Town Stage

I love the mixture of those classic Cave elements spliced with that Castlevania gothic sound!

2 points: sacrifice ~marionette~

I'm a sucker for violin and piano pieces. This one is really good. If only my track wasn't nominated, I might have bumped this up to 3 points!

1 point: Fly!

I enjoy Forest of Glass. It's a fantastic album. This isn't my favorite of the album, but it's got that special something that makes me feel happy inside.

FELIPE NO

may i partake??

Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage: If a song's got an exciting tempo and some exuberantly gothic elements, chances are I'll fall in love with it. Despite a really sucky rip quality (I can imagine some overzealous gamer holding a music recorder up to the arcade machine lol), the composition itself is striking. I love organ breaks, like the one at 1:13, and I actually think the song would benefit from much more of those, and more organ melodies in general. Didn't keep my interest for very long, but it's a really entertaining piece o' music nonetheless.

Forest of glass - Fly!: First time I've been exposed to a Forest of Glass piece. From what I've read, it's meant to be a fantastic album. It can potentially be incredibly difficult for me to get into a pure-piano track, so I know a song's a good'un when it draws me in on the first listen. This one does just that; it has a lively nature, which is nicely elaborated upon by the joyous melodies and solid development. Some parts remind me of a battle theme, while other parts make me think of Peanuts. Definitely a keeper; I think it's about time I give Forest of Glass a whirl. Not the best piano stuff I've heard, but the overall feel appeals to me immensely.

KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -: I've heard some Daisuke Nagata pieces before, and have been fairly impressed. I ain't a huge fan of this one though; I appreciate the upbeat chillout style of electronica showcased, which makes the whole track uniquely accessible. On a musical level though, it suffers far too much from electronica-induced repetitiveness. The variety of instruments and sounds adds a decent harmonisation, but ultimately it's not the sort of track I like.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii Game Rip) - Athletics - Track, 110m & 400m Hurdles: I was expecting the worst when I put this on to play. The cheesy "Wii" melody and the predicable albeit fun developments is admittedly really exciting, however even excessive cheese doesn't mask the underwhelming nature of the melody. Not really a memorable piece of music, but it's wacky and entertaining enough to receive some respect~

Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~: Blah nominated this, huh? I've noticed him and I (and a select few other people) share similar music interests. What do I mean by that specifically? We can appreciate good h-game music. (And I'm always searching for good h-game music, 'cause when it shines, it shines.) This is a subtle example of why I find the genre so immediately accessible and appealing; the melody joins with some appropriate instrumental features etc, making the end product feel really...wholesome and hearty. Not demanding, not superficial, just a great piece of music to listen to. Also, the violin does wonders for this piece (it's kind of Agematsu-ish, not surprising considering the composer's Elements Garden connection); as a result, it's probably my favourite track from this week.

OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme: Ohh yeah, Michiru Yamane did the music for this game. You can so tell it's her, and that's a really good thing. The clean guitar passages have a great character and attitude to them, fitting in with the intended purpose pretty well I would imagine. The up-and-down flourishes at 1:31 are pretty damn climactic, but still doesn't really "blow me away". Great piece, though.

PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity: Sounds like a shmup piece, or something similar at least. I'm notoriously hit-and-miss when it comes to shmups, and I'm afraid this one doesn't do much for me. The delicate piano licks contrast nicely with the rapid rhythms, but the overall track feels somewhat unstructured to me. Maybe my ear just isn't mature enough to appreciate some hidden goodness here?

Venus & Braves - The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians: (This is the sort of quality a game rip should be done in!) I sense harpsichord, powerful brass and some other pleasant symphonic adornments; all sounds pretty good! The harpsichord sounds kind of weird in comparison to the rest though. Regardless, these instruments complement the main melody wonderfully, with brief yet emphatic developments and catchy, toe-tapping rhythms. It doesn't suck, nor does it rule; it's a nice, yet ultimately fleeting, listen.

Points

2 points: Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
2 points: Forest of glass - Fly!
1 point: Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
1 point: OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme

5th: Venus & Braves - The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians
6th: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii Game Rip) - Athletics - Track, 110m & 400m Hurdles
7th: PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity
8th: KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -

A nice even point spread to go with a reasonably solid week of music (as far as I know; I personally don't know if this is a good week or bad week)

Nomination #1

Artist: Yoshitaka Mihara
Composer: Konami Kukeiha Club
Album: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2
Track Title: Straight Decent of Love (Skiing BGM)
Track Number: 1
Catalog Number: KICA-7701
Year: 1996
Source: VGMdb

Uploaded to da FTP of goodness, yo.

lol tl;dr aye

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

2 points: Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
2 points: KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
2 points: PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity

Not a bad week, although I can't help but feel the mp3gaining dampened the sound of my nomination. Try comparing it with this then.

Also, did you know that Feel's Theme = Dracula's Castle?!


Next Nomination

• Album Title: Legend of Game Music 2 ~Platinum Box~
• Artist: Hiroshi "Hiro" Miyauchi
• Track Title: POWER DRIFT - LIKE THE WIND (B Course)
• Source: SCDC-00473~82: Legend of Game Music 2 ~Platinum Box~ - VGMdb
• Disc Number: 2 (of 8)
• Track Number: 23
• Catalogue Number: SCDC-00473~82
• Year: 2006

I don't know what everyone else sees in Death Smiles.

Reasonably good week.

2 points: Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
2 points: Forest of glass - Fly!
2 points: OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme

With apologies to: KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
Double apology to: PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity

How ya doing, buddy?

Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage With a name like "Halloween Town Stage," I expected something, well, Elfmanesque. That expectation, the sucky rip quality, and the narration all put me off strongly at the beginning. My impression improved somewhat as the piece wore on (some nice piano and organ), but I do have to wonder what everyone sees in it.

Forest of glass - Fly! Forest of Glass is a very different, wholly piano-based original album from ol' Motoi. I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, but Sakuraba proved with "Eternal Sonata" that he's got a gift for this sort of writing. It's fine, soaring stuff with a strong theme and a terrific set of variations, like the airship themes of old.

KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix - Decent techno-style synth, but I couldn't help but feel like I've heard this done before, and better.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii Game Rip) - Athletics - Track, 110m & 400m Hurdles I wonder which was representing the People's Republic--Mario (wearing red) or Sonic (who was held in contempt by HUAC in 1987). Either way, the music is lively but unexceptional synth, with some nice parts but a very familiar feel all around.

Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~ Is this the Messiah with the tiny possessing angel? Always wanted to try that one. Judging from the style of the track, though, I doubt it--it's string-led and mellow with a nice melody. Quite charming and lovely.

OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme This ain't L. Frank Baum's OZ, or even HBO's. Unfortunately, it probably would have been more interesting if the song had inhabited either of those soundscapes. Aside from a nice section of soaring chords, it's pretty vanilla synth-rock which fails to really set itself apart from the mass of similar tracks.

PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity This tune has some interesting variations on the trance formula of endless repetition, with some very attractive piano and vocal lines.

Venus & Braves - The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians An interesting piece. I was strongly reminded of the Dark World theme from A Link to the Past, which is both a blessing and a curse in terms of comparison.

The Point Spread
Fly! - 3 pts.
Sacrifice Marionette - 1 pt.
GorgeCity - 1 pt.
Swords of the Guardians - 1 pt.

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

Originally Posted by Draconis

Also, did you know that Feel's Theme = Dracula's Castle?!

Fufufu~

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

There's a pretty good chance that vote closing for this week and the start of next week will be delayed by a day because of travel. Advance warning.

Also, intermission

• Artist(s): Norio Hanzawa
• Album/Game Title: Mischief Makers (Game Rip)
• Track Title: VOLCANIC ~Hot! Hot! Inside the Volcano~ (the 2nd Capture BGM)
• Track Number: 7
• Year: 1997
• Additional Information: There's a soundtrack, but none of the tracks loop, and I think two hits is pretty vital for this one.
• Source(s): TDCM-0001: Go Go!! Trouble Makers Original Soundtrack - VGMdb, Game Credits for Mischief Makers, http://www.hcs64.com/usf/downcnt.php?mmakersusf.zip

Most amazing jew boots

Shake shake!

Edit:
No Mischief Makers love, apparently. :[

2 pts: Halloween Town Stage
2 pts: sacrifice ~marionette~
1 pt: 1000 clouds - solid mix
1 pt: Feel's Theme

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage

I so missed Namiki last week, for obscurity's sake...

Very energetic, cool mix of various elements (techno, rock, gothic), and good melodies. It's a bit short though; while the track lasts 7:01, the loop is 1:13, so there isn't space for a huge development. Still, this song is enjoyable since what's condensed in that loop is quite dynamic and fun. Not the best thing I've heard recently VGM-wise, yet it caught my attention positively.

Forest of glass - Fly!

A decent piano piece. I've not yet identified what it is that holds me back from enjoying this album intensively, but it might be how Sakuraba's style translate on solo piano and how it might benefit from the support of other instruments. Not necessarily the full prog rock selection, but I believe I might have liked "Fly!" better with more layers. Still, as mentioned, it's very decent in its solo form.

KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -

Interesting electronica sound, yet the composition is missing a strong melodic lead to be memorable.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii Game Rip) - Athletics - Track, 110m & 400m Hurdles

It sure moves a lot, but its energy did not pass so well through my ears. I felt it was too generic to be special and earn points this week. Kind of grew tired of this style of VGM, yet the interest might come back one day, you never know...

Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~

Beautiful, yet lacking some substance for me to consider it as a classic.

OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme

Better than the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games song in my opinion, but the same comment I gave for that one could be applied here as well. To each his own I guess.

PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity

I like the sound palette and the new agey piano lines.

Venus & Braves - The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians

Good, but not great according to (the yet unpublished) "The Handbook of Music Appreciation: Lessons on How to Differentiate Crap from Masterpieces According to Rimo ©". The somewhat tense atmosphere can become annoying out of context after a while. Still, it isn't bad, simply not special to my ear.

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

(2 points) Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
(2 points) PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity
(1 point) Forest of glass - Fly!
(1 point) Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~

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

Next nomination:

Artist: Mike Oldfield
Album: Tr3s Lunas
Track Title: Tr3s Lunas
Track Number: 9
Catalog Number: 0927476982
Year: 2002
Source: VGM Rush, VGMdb

I'll upload it to the SotW server.

FELIPE NO

<<2 points>> Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
<<1 point>> PSYVARIAR2 ORIGINAL Sound track PLUS - Weakboson~GorgeCity
<<1 point>> OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme
<<1 point>> Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
<<1 point>> Forest of glass - Fly!

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

New nomination:

=== Kaleb.G ===
* Album Title: Seal Online (Game Rip)
* Artist: soundTeMP
* Track Title: Across The Misty Forest
* Source: Korean client BGM files' ID3 tags
* File Location: nom folder
* Track Number: 16
* Catalogue Number: N/A
* Year: 2003

I believe this was specifically composed by ESTi. I recall the composer featuring the track on his website, but I can't remember the address. If someone wants to check it out, be my guest.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

3 pts to Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
2 pts to OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme
1 pt to Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage

Additional Spam:

Nomination:

Album: The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack
Composer: Nenad Vugrinec
Track Title: Seeker's Song
Track Number: 02
Catalogue Number: N/A
Year: 1997
Source: N/A: The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - VGMdb
File Location: on the FTP
Notes: Hope this isn't too long. Also, there's a 'pop' in the beginning of the song that Rimo attests is on the CD itself, so it's not a bad CD rip.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

That's two weeks in a row of stuff I found really good. Let's keep it up next week.

2 points - Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
2 points - KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
1 point - Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
1 point - Venus & Braves - The Witch Goddess and the Alchemist of Destruction (Game Rip) - Swords of the Guardians

And a nomination.

Album: pop'n music 13 Carnival AC ♥ CS pop'n music 11
Composer: Five Hammer (Seiya Murai)
Track Title: fffff
Track Number: 23
Disc Number: 1
Catalog Number: GFCA-38~40
Year: 2006
Source: Chudah's Corner - pop'n music 13 Carnival AC ♥ CS pop'n music 11

How ya doing, buddy?

3 points: Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
2 points: KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
1 point: OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme

Gonna hold my nomination until next week since a Shinji Orito track is coming up.

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

EDIT: Nevermind, go ahead and close it.

I was speaking idiomatically.

(2 points) Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~
(2 points) KAROUS original soundtrack SPRING RAIN - 1000 clouds - solid mix -
(2 points) Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage

Another enjoyable week for me. Beats.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Bigblah

Gonna hold my nomination until next week since a Shinji Orito track is coming up.

<3

I've just this moment realised how awesome the voice sample in Halloween Stage is. That alone is worth the price of admission~ (Hell, the first 13 seconds make a fantastic opening)

FELIPE NO

Just got back from holiday, so this is a quickie, but I had to vote after hearing the Death Smiles track, just awesome stuff. I want a better Death Smiles rip and while I'm at it, I want to play Death Smiles.

3 points - Death Smiles (Game Rip) - Halloween Town Stage
2 points - OZ Original Soundtrack - Feel's Theme
1 point - Messiah Original Soundtrack - sacrifice ~marionette~

How ya doing, buddy?

Quickie voting:

2 pts - Fly!
2 pts. - Feel's Theme
1 pt. - Halloween Town Stage
1 pt. - sacrifice ~marionette~

Jam it back in, in the dark.