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

"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.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

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.

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

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

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

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.

I was speaking idiomatically.

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

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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.

FELIPE NO

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.

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

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

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"I Feel Lucky" by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

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

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Elorin

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.

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

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.

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

Originally Posted by Darkcomet72

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

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.

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

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.

I was speaking idiomatically.

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.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by TCK

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by Darkcomet72

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.

I think I told a little lie, it seems it was 6th (Week 24). But given that the only three people who gave it points were myself, Liontamer and el jacko it might as well have been 7th.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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.

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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.

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

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by Synthesis

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.

This is a very cool track!



I was speaking idiomatically.

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.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

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.

FELIPE NO

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.

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

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!

Jam it back in, in the dark.