[SotW] Song of the Week - WEEK 131 Voting/WEEK 132 Nominating

Song of the Week. 125 Weeks and counting.
Week 131 Voting is closed.
Week 132 Nominating is restricted

Results:
1). [32/17.5] Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
2). [32/17] Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
3). [19] Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
4). [15] The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song
5). [12] Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet
6). [10] Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls
7). [4] Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack
8). [2] Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno

Tracks:
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls
Get the Flash Player to play this audio file: Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue

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 132 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.

I'm only getting 593KB of "Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno". Can anyone else confirm this?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

The Tekken track got cut way short, so I uploaded a new version. It should be pretty obvious if you've got the bad version, since it's only 19 seconds long and cuts off abruptly.

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

How did I not notice until now that CHz has a Guwange sig? So awesome.

Anyway, thanks for the updated track. Hopefully I'll be able to properly vote this time around, especially since a preliminary listen seemed to indicate the level of quality is really high this round.

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

Pretty boring week.

(3 points) Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
(2 points) Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
(1 point) Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls

I was speaking idiomatically.

Big review tiems!

Well, Helicopter Attack didn't do anything for me. Pretty effective stuff but nothing I would want to actually listen to.

Let's Play Against Rival is so cheerful and neat, I love everything about it. From the bassline to the melody with the flute fills, everything is just the ultimate of what I love about good old sugar-coated Outrun-style game music. The whole soundtrack amazes me but this track is especially upbeat, so I like it even more. I can't say enough good things about this, honestly.

I believe Japanese singing is not liked much around these parts, but I like it. Kiss me sweet is very nice, a bit too smooth and uneventful for me right now but oh so classy.

Call of the Inferno is okay I guess, nothing special... Seeker's Song is a bit too ambient for me, although I can see it working really well in-game.

Another good track here, Straight Descent of Love is really cute, I love the sax parts. It's a little bit too long for its own good I reckon, but nothing too major to complain about.

River of Souls is a bit boring to me. I guess it's not the worst thing ever, but I just don't understand these kind of nominations. This one's a bit more interesting than the other two or three from before, but I still can't really see myself enjoying this on its own.

And finally, my all time favorite composer Yuzo Koshiro. This Misty Blue track is awesome, I don't know the game it came from, but it's good stuff. I'd give this 3 points, but I prefer my own nomination by a small margin.

3 points - Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
2 points - Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
1 point - Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)

Almost: Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet

How ya doing, buddy?

I don't have anything good to say about this week.

(2 points) Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
(1 point) Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
(1 point) Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls
(1 point) Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno
(1 point) The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song

FELIPE NO

Now that the BSC nomination thread is up, I'd like to submit the following question for consideration: should SotW be suspended again this year during the first round?

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

Originally Posted by orion_mk3

Now that the BSC nomination thread is up, I'd like to submit the following question for consideration: should SotW be suspended again this year during the first round?

Does it necessarily need to be suspended? Can't it be just be give a 2 week period instead?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

That's a no-brainer. Vote in favor, blah blah.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Epsilon

Does it necessarily need to be suspended? Can't it be just be given a 2 week period instead?

Well, that would be a form of suspension, yeah.

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

Personally, I hate suspending things just because there's another event. Most BSC participants ignore SotW anyhow, so why slow things down on their account?

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

Maybe we can just see how things go, and if we don't get enough votes we can extend by a week or something? I don't know, just throwing that out there.

I was speaking idiomatically.

3 points: River of Souls
2 points: Misty Blue
1 point: Helicopter Attack

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by surasshu

Maybe we can just see how things go, and if we don't get enough votes we can extend by a week or something? I don't know, just throwing that out there.

Sounds good to me.

Also, my next nom:

Game: Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection
Artist: Chris Kline
Track Title: Premonition
Track #: N/A
Source: Artist's site

FELIPE NO

3 points: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
2 points: Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
1 point: Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno

That last one was a random. Other than Tokimeki Memorial and Koshiro, I didn't really enjoy this week.

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

Like Ziggy, the last point was basically random. I didn't care much for any of this week's choices.

3 Points: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
2 Points: Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
1 Point: Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack

Jam it back in, in the dark.

3 points: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
2 points: Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
1 point: Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet

Pity vote for Sakura Wars V (unfortunately whenever Junko Minagawa sings I can only think of Prince of Tennis).

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack is a bit too weird/abstract for me to fully grasp or appreciate in a musical sense. It's...intriguing, and probably sounds great to a select few keen listeners, but it's just not my sort of thing at all.

Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival! is a cute little ditty. I like the melody and danceable pacing, but the composition itself doesn't really stick with me. Nice for a while, but tedious afterwards. But still, there's an eccentric charm about this piece. <3

Ah, Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet. I loved this piece when I first heard it, but...damn is it a rollercoaster ride nowadays. Probably one of Kouhei Tanaka's more accomplished Sakura Wars vocal pieces, it is (for the most part) a deeply emotional voyage, ranging from vocal treatments both poor and perfect. And that's just it; while the piece itself is awfully pretty, the fluctuation in vocals impedes the song's potentially gorgeous fluidity. Bah, who am I kidding, I'm nitpicking. It's a wonderful song, just lacking a bit of compositional solidity~ (finger-clicking very ftw)

The giitarrin' in Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno is pretty solid, and the whole track admittedly has an exciting, somewhat-intense flavour. I don't really like it though; the lack of melody is prominent considering the lack of development and scarce instrumental variety. Not great, but not god-awful.

The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song's spooky, chilling tone really send shivers done my spine, so in an atmospheric sense, this piece is fantastic. I was desperately hoping for it to spontaneously flourish somewhere in the middle though, to perhaps offer the composition a greater edge. It doesn't, unfortunately, but as it stands the percussion, vocal chants and overall eeriness do wonders at creating a particularly mesmerizing piece of music. The length doesn't hinder it in the slightest, by the way.

Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM) uses arguably my very favourite Tokimemo melody (and there are a bunch of good'uns!). I love love love the melody here. Love it. It's fun, exhilarating and just plain good. When I first heard this arrangement, I was gob smacked. Soaring guitar flourishes, amazing saxophone work and awe-inspiring progression makes this one of the best, most experienced sounding arrangements I've ever heard. For such a great tune to receive such a fantastic and appropriate arrangement, I feel I must give Yoshitaka Mihara (the arranger) high accolades and a big ol' stamp of approval. (the bridge at 2:15 rox my sox off)

The symphonics apparent in Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls are clean and effective in creative an appropriate mood of tension and mystery (and adventure later on), but the track is just so boring to my ears. It's fine on an atmospheric level, and I'm sure it works wonders in game, but as a standalone track in SotW, it fails miserably. =( Sorry to the nominator but that's how I feel.

It's impossible to dislike Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue. ^.~ It's got a great attitude and a brilliant dose of energy; the infectious melody just heightens the accessibility factor further. Indeed, I like this piece but something about it doesn't entirely click with me. I adore the Koshiro vibe, and I enjoy the composition itself but it's ultimately a fairly fleeting listen for me. But it's fairly fun while it lasts!

Points

3 points: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
2 points: The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song
1 point: Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet

4th: Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue (missed out just by a hair (the size of a quark))
5th: Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
6th: Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno
7th: Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack
8th: Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls

Won't be saving much at all from this week. Very weak, overall. =/

Most amazing jew boots

3 points: Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
2 points: Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
1 point: The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song

Aside from a few tracks, this was a pretty bland week, yeah.

Some of this week's selections are right up my alley.

(2 points) The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song

(2 points) Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue

(2 points) Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls

Sakura Wars nearly got a point (so very soothing and pleasant) but it's hard not to discount my top three picks.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack

The development was not taken far enough to make it good to me.

Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!

By putting my cards on the table, I'll say frankly that I'm not the biggest fan of this kind of sweet-happy-light VGM, yet "Let's Play Against Rival!" doesn't do anything wrong. I guess the way I feel is that it doesn't do enough for me to receive any point. Funnily, I thought it sounded like a "star" theme from the Mario series.

Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet

"Kiss me sweet" certainly wouldn't be picked up by a biker gang to use as their anthem. Not that I really care as I'm no biker, but I still find that some parts are slightly too childish and feminine for my own tastes. It's a good song nonetheless, just not my top choice of what I'd listen to everyday. The main vocalist did a great performance and I enjoyed her voice. On the other hand, the one at 2:23... the pink factor was simply too high that I almost pressed on stop in reaction to my virility's survival instinct.

Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno

A little too dark, heavy, and unmelodic for me to consider it as "Song of the Week". Might be excellent for those who dig the style though.

The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song

The sound and atmosphere are interesting, but it's a little long and slow in this context to reach the 3-points award level. Still very enjoyable.

Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)

Thank God I'm not lactose intolerant! The cheese here was quite strong, but as in the unmetaphorical context, it tastes good as long as you don't eat too much of it. So, I wouldn't listen to it all day long (or all night long with Lionel Ritchie, although I wouldn't listen to his song for the same amount of time either). However, it's a good piece with a solid performance (except the sax solo at 2:36, which sounded out of control and over the top) and a dynamic structure.

Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls

It cannot avoid the comparison with "Port of Adia" on the same soundtrack, and unfortunately, "River of Souls" is weaker in my opinion. With this out of the way, is it still any good? Well, I actually did not find it unpleasant to the ear, although monotonous in the first half. Indeed, I preferred the second, more melodic, half, which emanated a simple beauty. Not extraordinary by any mean, yet not sentenced to the Recycle Bin.

Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue

Who's this guy? Must be a really obscure VGM composer! Oh well, at least it's not from Streets of Rage...

Yeah, Koshiro goodness and all. A disco beat, and a neat melody layered upon it, pretty good stuff. Was I surprised? Not at all.

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

(2 points) Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
(2 points) Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
(1 point) The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song
(1 point) Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

(2 points) Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM)
Usually I don't dig heavy sax noodling, but as a whole it's pretty remarkable.

(2 points) Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue
This one was kind of up and down for me. I think 2 points are allright.

(1 point) Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival!
I thought rather highly of this one at first, but for some reason it got undermined during the week.

(1 point) Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet
Got some really nice parts, but the overall flair is a bit too cheesy and roundabout for me. There are emotional tracks that are straight and uncomplicated.

FELIPE NO

3 pts - Straight Descent of Love
2 pts - Misty Blue
1 pts - The Turok Track

Very weak week that just happened to feature one of my favorite arranged tracks of all time. Misty wasn't bad either. I probably got further into the Turok track than anything else up there, so that must mean I have to give it a point.

How ya doing, buddy?

Cold Winter Original Game Music Score - Helicopter Attack Drakken was kind enough to send this score to me the other week, and I found it quite enjoyable with a dark and complex sound. That said, I wouldn't have put this particular track up; it's really one of the weaker ones in the rip, all churning buildup without much payoff. Perhaps I'll nominate "Fight in the Lobby" in the future...

Puyo Puyo SUN (Saturn Game Rip) - Let's Play Against Rival! While of the happiness and bounce there is plenty, memorization lacks. Of this sort, songs are many, and standing out is the difficulty.

Sakura Wars V ~Farewell, My Beloved~ Vocal Collection New York Complete Song Works - Kiss me sweet Seeing "Vocal Collection" and "Sakura" in the same track title made my teeth hurt, expecting a screechy piece of grating and generic J-Pop. Amazingly, such is not the case; the singer here has talent, and it's performed in a classic 1960's Mancini style. The moon language sounds a little odd in this context, but that's probably because I'm used to hearing it wailed by untalented twelve-year-olds.

Tekken 5 & Tekken Dark Resurrection Original Soundtrack - Call of the Inferno The overall sound has some potential, but the death metal vocalizations are poorly done and really undermine the whole thing.

The Tone Rebellion Original Music Soundtrack - Seeker's Song Very interesting sound, this, more reminiscent of a new-age or world music album than VGM. It's a unique experience that's got some fine parts spread over its admittedly bloated length. While I find it more fascinating than enjoyable, it's still an experience.

Tokimeki Memorial Sound Collection 2 - Straight Descent of Love (Skiing BGM) I finally researched this series the other day, since its tunespawn regularly feature here, and surprise surprise if it ain't a dating sim, that most Japanese of genres--this explains a lot. The song sounds like a sitcom theme from 1981, though it's important to note that I like sitcom themes from 1981 (I could have done without the dreadful solos though).

Turok 2 - Seeds of Evil (Red Book Audio) - River of Souls Nice atmosphere, but ultimately not a whole lot more despite some enjoyable woodwind parts.

Yuzo Koshiro BEST COLLECTION vol.1 - Misty Blue Very strident and full of movement, but ultimately forgettable.

Interesting week.

The Point Spread
Seeker Song - 3 pts.
Kiss Me Sweet - 1 pt.
Descent - 1 pt.
River of Souls - 1 pt.

Jam it back in, in the dark.