FF Music Unexpected uses of Final Fantasy music

[Dionysos]

While I was in Greece last week I was watching Greek television and there was a trailer for some sort of disaster documentary flashing images of floods and fires, etc. I recognised the tune that they had used for the trailer fairly quickly, but as the trailer was several minutes long I was able to listen to it long enough to confirm to myself that, yes, they had used a Final Fantasy tune for this trailer/montage!

It was, in fact, FFX's Hurry! by Junya Nakano*
Incorrectly labelled as by Nobuo Uematsu in the linked video.

It fitted the clip montage of disasters which I saw perfectly, but it really threw me (in a good way) that they were using a Final Fantasy track for this.

It seems like I can't ever completely escape Final Fantasy!



So I ask you all, have you ever noticed a Final Fantasy tune being used in an unexpected way? I know people have sometimes used FF music for ice-skating music, or for dances, etc. Have you ever heard FF music in a non-Final Fantasy context like this that you were not expecting?

 

[Linnaete]

I was in Ocean Park in Hong Kong a few years ago. It's essentially an amusement park with a predominant marine theme so you would find all sorts of water-based animal shows, aquariums, water rides and even non-marine enclosures where you can encounter shy red pandas.

Anyway I was in one of the aquariums near where the penguins and seals were and after about a few minutes my sister nudged me and said: "there's something familiar about this background music they're playing." Up to that point I understandably have not paid attention to the music, as it was often drowned out by foreground noise, our chatter and the sound of everyone else talking and shuffling around. After that heads up, I stopped to concentrate for about a minute and lo and behold...

I guess people just really love FFX's soundtrack?

 

[Dionysos]

I'm going to try and remember to post in here with any examples of Final Fantasy music used in non-Final Fantasy contexts, and I invite anyone else to do the same if they think of anything.

In KupoCon's Discord server someone pointed out that Liberi Fatali had been used to dramatic effect during a Louis Vuitton fashion parade. It reminded me of this thread.

It actually makes it all quite creepy!

Having said that, this isn't too unexpected. I know zero about Louis Vuitton or the fashion industry other than the fact that FFXIII's Lightning was made a supermodel several years ago.

I guess Louis Vuitton is a Final Fantasy fan?

 

[Interlude65]

It was, in fact, FFX's Hurry! by Nobuo Uematsu.

That piece was actually composed by Junya Nakano, not Nobuo. Just thought I'd let ya know.

 

[Dionysos]

That piece was actually composed by Junya Nakano, not Nobuo. Just thought I'd let ya know.

Ah. Good catch! Thanks for the info. I believe I was just copying how it was described in the linked YouTube video (where it is attributed to Nobuo) and misplaced my trust in it and didn’t feel the need to double check with the soundtrack listing elsewhere.

I've fixed it now. Whilst it doesn’t at all impact the purposes of this thread, it is important to attribute these things correctly and give credit where it is due. Especially since many of the other composers don't get enough credit.

 

[Paddy McGee]

FF music has been used in a multitude of samples too, and not just in other _nerd like_ music. There's the usage of KH in an J Cole track but as for FF, here's a couple!


XXXTENTACION sampled from the FFIX soundtrack here

XXXTENTACION's 'Okage the Shadow King' - Discover the Sample Source

"Okage the Shadow King" by XXXTENTACION contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

Rapper Kodak Black sampled the Piano Collection from FF10 in a... quite notable sample!

Kodak Black's 'Patty Cake (Original Version)' - Discover the Sample Source

"Patty Cake (Original Version)" by Kodak Black contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

Afrojack sampled both The Landing and To Zanarkand with this track. The To Zanarkand sample is, in fact, the more notable from the start!

Afrojack's 'Rock the House' - Discover the Sample Source

"Rock the House" by Afrojack contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

Playboi Carti's Faster Sampled Find your Way from FF VIII

Playboi Carti's 'Faster' - Discover the Sample Source

"Faster" by Playboi Carti contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

There are many, many others these seem to be the most notable here in the Western world! It's interesting how it's ingrained in Hip Hop/Rap music too. Reminds me of the many, many references to Dragonball you see and hear in Hip hop too, from Frank Ocean to RZA!

 

[Mercurial]

Having said that, this isn't too unexpected. I know zero about Louis Vuitton or the fashion industry other than the fact that FFXIII's Lightning was made a supermodel several years ago.
I guess Louis Vuitton is a Final Fantasy fan?

Jumping on the Lightning x Louis Vuitton theme... I actually came across this in Japan just a couple of months after it became a thing. I had absolutely no idea at the time that such a collaboration existed , so I was perplexed to come across this advert, to say the least...

If I recall, wasn't there a collaboration with Final Fantasy XV andI think, Roen. Certainly a less known fashion company anyway. I'm sure I remember Final Fantasy XIII-2 doing a collaboration with Prada too, simply on the grounds that it looked bizarre.

In terms of music, admittedly I don't think I've ever heard a Final Fantasy track outside of its own gaming context.

 

[Dionysos]

FF music has been used in a multitude of samples too, and not just in other _nerd like_ music. There's the usage of KH in an J Cole track but as for FF, here's a couple!


XXXTENTACION sampled from the FFIX soundtrack here

XXXTENTACION's 'Okage the Shadow King' - Discover the Sample Source

"Okage the Shadow King" by XXXTENTACION contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

Rapper Kodak Black sampled the Piano Collection from FF10 in a... quite notable sample!

Kodak Black's 'Patty Cake (Original Version)' - Discover the Sample Source

"Patty Cake (Original Version)" by Kodak Black contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

Afrojack sampled both The Landing and To Zanarkand with this track. The To Zanarkand sample is, in fact, the more notable from the start!

Afrojack's 'Rock the House' - Discover the Sample Source

"Rock the House" by Afrojack contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

Playboi Carti's Faster Sampled Find your Way from FF VIII

Playboi Carti's 'Faster' - Discover the Sample Source

"Faster" by Playboi Carti contains a sample of another track. Listen to both tracks on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes.

www.whosampled.com

There are many, many others these seem to be the most notable here in the Western world! It's interesting how it's ingrained in Hip Hop/Rap music too. Reminds me of the many, many references to Dragonball you see and hear in Hip hop too, from Frank Ocean to RZA!

Okay that’s FF music used to the extreme. What I’ve never really understood about this sort of music is how songs are sampled like this but they don’t always appear to credit them. Is that allowed/accepted practice?

It’s more than just inspiration, or even doing a straight cover where somebody would usually mention it. This is somewhere in-between. This is taking the track and reworking it but in a number of those examples you can hear the original Final Fantasy pieces quite distinctly.

If I recall, wasn't there a collaboration with Final Fantasy XV andI think, Roen. Certainly a less known fashion company anyway. I'm sure I remember Final Fantasy XIII-2 doing a collaboration with Prada too, simply on the grounds that it looked bizarre.

There were a couple of collaborations for FFXV where fashion is concerned. Roen was behind the black clothing of Noctis and co in the earliest designs (but I think they altered them afterwards). Additionally Vivienne Westwood designed Lunafreya's wedding dress and is even mentioned as an in-universe character in Altissia (as people gather to gawk at Luna's wedding dress in the shop window they mention Vivienne).

This seems to be a trend these days.

 

[Paddy McGee]

Dionysos well, legality around samples is that you need permission - so usually they'll make a song, go out and ask for permission for every sample and then negotiate a fee - but some can make a song with a sample and hope people don't recognize it.

If it's not a well known sample, you might be able to get away with it.

They also may or may not be credited - but they usually are.

The music industry is finicky about things. If you have a chord progression that sounds like something else, they might get royalties from it (Ed Sheeran's Shape of You and TLC, for example).

 

[Dionysos]

Dionysos well, legality around samples is that you need permission - so usually they'll make a song, go out and ask for permission for every sample and then negotiate a fee - but some can make a song with a sample and hope people don't recognize it.

If it's not a well known sample, you might be able to get away with it.

They also may or may not be credited - but they usually are.

The music industry is finicky about things. If you have a chord progression that sounds like something else, they might get royalties from it (Ed Sheeran's Shape of You and TLC, for example).

I thought that would be the case, especially considering that Square Enix is well known to be hyper-protective of its intellectual content. It's why we had to be careful during our Timber Maniacs magazine project. Maybe some of these artists managed to get permission, especially considering that these tracks will presumably be making a profit.

I asked because I was surprised to see the extent to which the tracks have been sampled, and that when I searched for some of these tracks on YouTube to see them in another context, the only citations of Final Fantasy I could find were actually random people in the comments trying to spread the word that Final Fantasy has been sampled. I would have imagined it would have to have been placed in the description of the video or something but I couldn't see it even in YouTube vids which looked official enough (the artist or studio, etc).

I guess in any physical releases they'd need to mention it somewhere in the information leaflet or on the back of the case or something.

 

[Paddy McGee]

Well! you would hope they do! Now, there are always multiple versions of the same song around and I've heard the iTunes/Apple Music version has a less clear version of the sample that could, possibly, be different (in the case of Patty Cake) .

Also, here's a... less well known person using more FFX! I don't think I can play through Besaid ever again!

 

[Dionysos]

Well! you would hope they do! Now, there are always multiple versions of the same song around and I've heard the iTunes/Apple Music version has a less clear version of the sample that could, possibly, be different (in the case of Patty Cake) .

Also, here's a... less well known person using more FFX! I don't think I can play through Besaid ever again!

Oh no!

And yeah, no mention of Final Fantasy in the description of that video despite it actually being the entire beat. He even hums and bum-bum-bum-bums it!
I guess these folks have a thing going on.

 

[Dionysos]

I've recently been reminded about the time some American synchronised swimmers performed to a remix of Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec and Liberi Fatali in 2004.

This thread is the best place to put it, so enjoy!

I think FF music has been used in sport a couple of times. I'm not too surprised. Film scores are used all the time so it is no wonder that a soundtrack as great a Final Fantasy has been noticed and appreciated in a new context too.

 

[Duhemsounds]

Great discovery

Video direct reading is blocked on the forum by a protection but it displays a link 'look on youtube' where it works fine

 

[Mister Goober]

God once played One Winged Angel in a dream I was having.

I was angry because I'm an FF8 fan, not FF7 fan.

 

[Dionysos]

Many people are already talking about it, but no harm in bringing it up here for posterity.

Today at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony various video game tracks were performed as the athletes walked into the stadium. On the Final Fantasy side of things we had Victory Theme and the Main Theme. For Kingdom Hearts we had Olympus Coliseum (very fitting indeed!) and Hero's Fanfare.

Not too surprising in this case, however. In fact, very appropriate to open the Japanese Olympics with music enjoyed worldwide. Especially after 2020 when video games helped so many people survive the lockdowns with at least some measure of sanity still intact.

So yes, hearing this stuff in a stadium was VERY lovely. I probably won't watch much of the actual sports, but this gets my stamp of approval.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1418544460800040968

https://twitter.com/x/status/1418538780613513224

The full tracklist:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1418545839828475908

 

[Paddy McGee]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1418541566445162496

Here's a video of FF's Victory Fanfare playing as Ireland walks out!

 

[Mister Goober]

The world is slowly getting weebier and weebier and weebier.