Song of the Week - WEEK 65 Voting/WEEK 66 Nominating

Song of the Week returns after its BSC hiatus! If you're new to the event, rules for voting and nominating can be found further down in this post.

Week 65 Voting is open.
Week 66 Nominating is open.

Week 65 Voting
The rules for voting can be found here.

Tracks:
Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1
Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu
Diablo II Soundtrack - Desert
Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Game Rip) - Max's Choice - Duty Vs. Passion
Namco Game Sound Express Vol.10 Cyber Sled - Be warped time
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Game Rip) - King Leo's Theme (Arranged Version)
Raystorm - SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon

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


Week 66 Nominating
The Nominations Queue can be found here.
The rules for nominating can be found here.

Here are the links to the corresponding threads at the other forums:
- Chudah's Corner
- Soundtrack Central

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Woooo it's about time! FYI, the link to the Diablo song isn't working. I'll vote after it's up.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Link's fixed. Go forth and be voteful.

EDIT:

Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1 Chiptune ahoy. The tune has a nice bit of complexity to it, at times to the point of distracting busyness. I wasn't too fond of the synth theremin, but the rest went down easy.

Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu Definitely an "African" vibe from this one--it reminds me of the Lion King more than anything else. African vocals almost always strike me the right way, as opposed to Japanese ones, and I dug the sound on display here. Nice instrumental and percussinve backing too--the Civ series has come a long way from the last one I played.

Diablo II Soundtrack - Desert I said in the BSC that Blizzard tends to have rather weak music for its games, especially in comparison to the brilliance of the games themselves. Diablo II is a good example of this--despite great synth (perhaps even live instruments), this track fuzzes into nothing. It gives a definite Arabic feel, but absolutely nothing else. I always played D2 with the music off and my own MP3's in the background, and this is why.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Game Rip) - Max's Choice - Duty Vs. Passion I was impressed by the MP2 track that showed up many SoTW's ago. This tune isn't as impressive; while it does have a decent string melody, the synth textures that accompany it aren't anything special, and I was hoping the tune could be put through more paces.

Namco Game Sound Express Vol.10 Cyber Sled - Be warped time Techno-funk, that SoTW stalwart, returns. I liked the synthy lead the popped up near the beginning and at the loop, but it's sadly absent from much of the song, leaving nothing but samples and loops to carry the tune, something they couldn't do if it came with handles.

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Game Rip) - King Leo's Theme (Arranged Version) The electric guitar chords here are standard-issue, but the piano and strings underneath them, as well as the synth elements, take the track a step further. I wish they weren't so undermixed, though--the guitar overpowers everything in terms of volume, and what it's doing just isn't interesting.

Raystorm - SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7) I wasn't digging the SFX at the beginning--they're one of my major music turn-offs--but they luckily fade out. Once the song proper gets started, it's not bad--definitely on the trance side of the techno spectrum, but with enough variation to keep it interesting.

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon SMS music has never really done much for me, despite being cut from the same cloth as some of my most beloved NES tuneage. The piece is nice enough, rather simple, and pales in comparison to this week's other chiptune offering.

Not a bad bunch to kick SoTW back off with, all things considered.

The Point Spread
3 pts. - Baba Yaga
2 pts. - Punky Cyborg Castle
1 pt. - Max's Choice: Boxers vs. Briefs

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

Great to have SotW back. The Best Song Contest is a nice diversion, but I enjoy SotW more.

I'm gonna forgo the critiques and just assign some points.

3 Points: Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu
2 Points: Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1
1 Point: Namco Game Sound Express Vol.10 Cyber Sled - Be warped time

An overall solid week to get back into the swing. I didn't hate a single track.

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

Punk Cyborg Battle 1 - This chiptune is better than most, I have to say. It's got a great beat and plenty of ROCK'N. It reminds me of a cross between Final Fantasy and Gradius with its focus and great composition.

Baba Yetu - This is my nomination, and I nominated it because from the first time I heard it on the title screen of Civ IV I was captivated by it. I actually stopped just before the game would've started so I could listen to the entire thing. It, like Voyage (The Moon) before it, has a WONDERFUL SPECTACULAR layered melody that melts me like butter, and while the vocals aren't as technically proficient as other SotW tracks have had on them, they're used more as an instrument instead of the main driving thrust of the song, and that works to their advantage. I simply LOVE this song.

Desert - Blizzard can't make good music to save their fucking lives. End of story.

Duty vs. Passion - This is a bit of a non sequitur for me, because this sounds like something out of the Tales... games, but it's in Max Payne. A haunting melody with woodwinds on the lead... except it gets REALLY repetitive in the middle. :/

Be warped time = Hm. I'm not too sure what to say about this one. On the one hand it's rather listenable, but on the other hand... doesn't have much in the way of substance.

King Leo's Theme - Daaaaark... aaaaaangsty..... rooooooock. With piano. Basically sounds like just about every other SNK soundtrack that's been released in the past 5 or so years. :/

SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7) - Wow. This is... weird. And in a good way. Hooray for random voice clips! And it's a good thing the melody kicked in when it did, because I was about to write it off as weird but ambient, and my AMBIENT BIAS would've kicked in. This one actually switches itself up nicely and provides a pleasant listen. :O

The Last Dungeon - Whoa. There's a reason the chip squeaks when you go that high. DON'T TRY THOSE HIGH NOTES. Other than that, I really love the jazzy melody here. Interesting chiptune.

THE VOTES NOW.

3 points for Baba Yetu
2 points for SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7
1 point for Punky Cyborg Battle

I was speaking idiomatically.

- Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1 -

Overall a very nice, and catchy synth tune! Not much else to say about it really. Either way, no complaints is a good thing.

- Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu -

I predict that this track will win. While it's not my favorite track here, I can accept it if it wins. It kinda makes me feel calm when I listen to it too... It just isn't a track I can casually put on and just listen to anytime. My enjoyment on the track seems to be based only on my mood. Either way, a very nice track!

- Diablo II Soundtrack - Desert -

Ugh, this game had TERRIBLE music. This track is no exception. NEXT!

- Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Game Rip) - Max's Choice - Duty Vs. Passion -

I'm not to fond of that constant sound effect going on through the song. Every other part of the song I like, I just wish that damn sound wasn't there... Decent track overall though.

- Namco Game Sound Express Vol.10 Cyber Sled - Be warped time -

It's pretty good, but it sorta just drags along for me. Not something I would listen to much at all...

- Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Game Rip) - King Leo's Theme (Arranged Version) -

Ahhhhh FINALLY my nomination! I remember my first time ever fighting King Leo in this game. The match ended in 5 seconds with me getting my ass completely handed to me, but one thing stood out in that fight. (other than how damn godly of a character King Leo is) The music was catchy as hell! After fighting him a few more times, I learned to really appreciate this track. Then the game finally came out for PS2, and along with that the ripped soundtrack! This damn song keeps me in a constant state of head nodding. Great piano, and even better guitar! Some people might not be too fond of the guitar overpowering everything, but I personally love it! This song just does it all right for me. It's DYNAMITE!

- Raystorm - SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7) -

This track caught me completely off guard! It kinda hit me the same way Tricktrack from PSO hit me when I first listened to it. It certainly isn't as good as Tricktrack, but it's still a damn good song. This song nearly made me vote in favor of it over my nomination. I dunno what it is about this song, but I looped it 3 times already, and it's over 6 minutes long so that's gottay say something!

- Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon -

Another track that just drones along without me caring about it much. Not my cup of tea...

~POINTS~

3 - Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Game Rip) - King Leo's Theme (Arranged Version)
2 - Raystorm - SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7)
1 - Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

3 points - Baba Yetu
2 points - Duty Vs. Passion
1 point - Air Zonk

FELIPE NO

3 points - Baba Yetu - Hey, this song is classy. Great vocals.
1 point - Duty Vs. Passion - Decent track with an epic yet subdued sound.
1 point - King Leo's Theme - Fairly catchy tune, though the guitar riffs are pretty generic.

Double Post:
BTW the special week is next week yes?

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

That it is.

By the way, you've only given out 5 points rather than 6. =o

Eek, this is Mo0 posting. Forgot my sister was logged on.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

First time for me to participate in one of these. I'll be brief. Here goes.

Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1
I usually adore chiptunes, but this one was a bit over the top for me. I didn't like it much.

Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu
Great vocals and I liked the percussions. The whole track flows smoothly from beginning to end.

Diablo II Soundtrack - Desert
More like ambient sound/background noise than a full-fledged vgm track.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (Game Rip) - Max's Choice - Duty Vs. Passion
Average piece, not much variety in it.

Namco Game Sound Express Vol.10 Cyber Sled - Be warped time
Decent listen in addition to the cool synth. Though nothing that stands out.

Neo Geo Battle Coliseum (Game Rip) - King Leo's Theme (Arranged Version)
Riffs. Cool riffs. That pretty much sums it up.

Raystorm - SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7)
Stellar! Just the way I like it. Trances me each time I play it.

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon
This one has some nostalgia factored in. Nice track, though not the best, from a truly excellent game.

3 points: Raystorm - SLAUGHTER HOUR (AREA7)
2 points: Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu
1 point: Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon

Passable week.

(3 points) Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu

(2 points) Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1

(1 point) Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon

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

Drakken is on vacation, so I just realized now that the special week nominations never got in. I'm feeling too lazy to write out full infos for these, so I'm just going to copy-paste the top of the nomination queue:

Drakken: The Incredible Machine 2 (Red Book Audio) <Timothy Steven Clarke, Randy Dersham, Jan Paul Moorhead, Kenneth Rogers, Christopher Stevens> - [08] Techno Rave

Zaggart: Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory Soundtrack <Amon Tobin> - [02] Ruthless

Kanji: Age of Mythology Original Soundtrack <Stephen Rippy> - [03] Chocolate Outline

Shaolin Samurai: Maple Story (Game Rip) <Wizet> - Beachway

Elorin: Musashiden II: Blademaster Original Sound Track <Junya Nakano> - [2.12] Temple of the Ancients

Excrono: Genso Suikoden III Original Soundtrack <Michiru Yamane, Takashi Yoshida & Masahiko Kimura> - [2.28] Complex Thoughts

orion_mk3: Koudelka <Hiroki Kikuta> - [07] Kiss Twice

GoldfishX: Konami All-Stars 1993 ~ Music Station of Dreams <Konami Kukeiha Club> - [3.10] Dance With a Crocodile

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

Baba Yetu is a clear winner. Reminds me of Mystic Ruin from Sonic Adventure, one of my top nominations in last year's BSC. The other songs are all decent or more-than-decent as well, but that one easily stands above them all. Man, I want to play CIV again now.

The one part in Punk Cyborg Battle 1 at 2:27-2:30 is awesome. Desert is a great ambient song. The Wonder Boy track is really nice, but not quite as catchy as the one in BSC. King Leo's Theme has a strong beginning, but the rest of the song is a little boring. Max's Choice - Duty Vs. Passion is the kind of track that I would normally like, but something is missing there. I think the tempo might be just a little too fast at some places.

Didn't care much for Be Warped Time and Slaughter Hour.

Okay, let's see…

3 points — Baba Yetu
2 points — Desert
1 point — The Last Dungeon

I was speaking idiomatically.

And now that the special week nominees have been announced, (The theme is "precussion") I'll say what my nom (which i regrettably thought of way too late) would've been: The victory theme from Tales of Legendia. Short as hell, but its as awesome as it is short.

(I'm not nominating this or anything, I thought of it, so I thought I'd just stick my 2 cents in)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

3 points - Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu - Seems like the clear winner this week. Everything's really well done in this.

2 points - Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1 - Much better than the other chiptune, which is way too high pitched for my liking. This one has a lot of variation, including that little staggered bit that sounds like triplets. I enjoyed it.

1 point - Namco Game Sound Express Vol.10 Cyber Sled - Be warped time - Have I heard this before? Or maybe it's because it just sounds a lot like some of the later Mega Man X tracks, only done a little better. I like the style in this and the samples used.

How ya doing, buddy?

Oh crap, forgot I had one more nomination from Draconis:

Zero Wing (Sega Genesis Game Rip) <Tatsuya Uemura, Toshiaki Tomizawa> - [05] New Day for Me (Stage 2: Legrous)

Because of the special week, this will have to come in on Week 67.

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

A decent week overall. As usual, comments may/may not come later.

3 points - Civilization IV Official Soundtrack - Baba Yetu
2 points - Air Zonk (Game Rip) - Punk Cyborg Battle 1
1 point - Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System Game Rip) - The Last Dungeon

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm sensing a trend in the votes. Hell, I was going about my business at work today and caught myself singing Baba Yetu under my breath, and I wasn't even listening to my ipod or anything. That's an infectious track.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Wait, I'm pretty sure I nominated "Born to be Bone" for percussion week...what happened there?

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

Wasn't "Born to be Bone" also in the BSC? If so, then your nomination may have been removed to prevent duplication.

Otherwise, I can't explain it.

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

I had a track in both SoTW and the BSC, but that was a mistake on my part. Looking through the rules, there doesn't seem to be anything against that per se, though I suppose it's a matter of common sense.

I did notice that a fair number of SoTW alumni made it into the BSC though.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Dhsu

Wait, I'm pretty sure I nominated "Born to be Bone" for percussion week...what happened there?

You'd have to ask Drakken. Maybe he already had eight songs when you made your pick, or maybe he just felt the tracks others picked were better.

Originally Posted by orion_mk3

I had a track in both SoTW and the BSC, but that was a mistake on my part. Looking through the rules, there doesn't seem to be anything against that per se, though I suppose it's a matter of common sense.

Being in the BSC doesn't necessarily automatically disqualify a track in my mind, although I think it should certainly be taken into consideration. I think, in conjunction with the Gitaroo Man OST's popularity, the BSC nomination of Born to be Bone would've made it ineligible for SotW, even though it lost in the first round.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I know it's for the extra fantastic theme week, but are we all okay with a Musashiden II: Blademaster track appearing? For as many tracks that actually made it through to compete in the contest, there were twice as many nominated, it was probably the most nominated soundtrack out of them all.

FELIPE NO

Here's my first nomination for Song of the Week:

Anachronox (PC) (2001) (Game rip) — (Will Nevins, Darren Walsh, Tony Diaz, Matthew Hembree, Kevin Geist, James Palmer, Ron Jones, Will Loconto) — Bricks (Jazzy Final)

No official soundtrack for this game has been released, and even the only game rip that I've found is kind-of shitty; oh well. I don't know who composed this track, but I've listed the people who have been credited as having worked on the game's music and sound. It would probably be hard to find the track, so I've uploaded it.

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

I am pretty sure Bricks Jazzy Final has been in contest before, because I distinctly remember someone (orion?) didn't get the Jazzy Final part of the title.

Jam it back in, in the dark.