Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Thanks a lot Dio for all your support since the beginning <3
I have started the (big) work on OWA
I have started the (big) work on OWA
Cover Duhemsounds Final Fantasy covers
- Thread starter Duhemsounds
- Start date
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Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
The new cover Gold Saucer from Final Fantasy VII is now available on YouTube, Spotify & all your fav music places.
Hope you'll like that new D2C production
Hope you'll like that new D2C production
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2008
- Messages
- 9,302
- Location
- Νεφελοκοκκυγία
- Gil
- 3,397
- FFXIV
- Polyphemos Bromios
- FFXIV Server
- Moogle
- Free Company
- KupoCon
The new cover Gold Saucer from Final Fantasy VII is now available on YouTube, Spotify & all your fav music places.
Hope you'll like that new D2C production
Sorry I'm late.
This reminds me of one of the nocturnal parades with electric lights at Disney World in Florida (and possibly also other Disneylands, like Paris?) that I saw a few times when I visited as a kid. And that’s very appropriate because the Gold Saucer appears to be partially inspired by Disneyland (not just it being a theme park, but some of the particulars also).
By conjuring that image in my mind you've done a great job.
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
🐺 6th Duhemsounds Anniversary Communication 🐺
Dear wolves friends,
Mid April I was talking about the One Winged Angel project to celebrate the 1M Spotify Streams and the upcoming release of Married Life from UP before that.
This was without knowing the big mess that was going to happen...
- April not fools, Mayday, June recovery
On April 24th a heavy thunderstorm hit my area quickly and thunder was very close, too close.
A bolt triggered a full electric shutdown, this wasn't the first time, but that time when lights went back, the computer started to act strangely.
The computer didn't boot and was doing terrible noises.
First it was saying CPU Fan failure. I made an emergency order for a new one and a two days later with the new one still not working.
After many unsuccessful tries during a whole week I decided to give it to some specialists for a full hardware diagnosis.
One hours later they phoned back to tell me : CPU dead, CPU Fan (the new) dead, GPU dead, Mobo dead...My TV screen also got terminated.
On a 10 years old machine this means buying a new one.
So we are early May and I'm looking for a new computer that will meet the requirements of power I need for my actual projects and at least the 10-15 years future music plans.
The first wave of machines I looked at wad very disappointing.
Second strike on that story : mid May my parent went back from holidays with a respiratory infection. I turned out it was an A type flu and despite KN95 masks I caught it. Having weakness against that kind of things it put me totally down 2 weeks.
This warped me to late May to continue looking for a new computer.
That workstation will have the name of Wolf Tower.
End of May, I finally found a true bomb, the one that I really want.
June 2nd I ordered that beauty, I was very happy...But my bank made some mess with its big buyings rules and triggered a failure on Paypal that triggered failure on seller's side. This took almost a week.
On June 7th I retried the payment with another method. It went good, order got a following number I was reassured.
Waiting a whole week thinking the order was processing in progress I finally got a mail on June 17th 'We haven't got your payment, do you want to cancel ?'.
I took the phone and called them quickly to fix that. They finally found the payment, linked it with the ordered and put it processing in progress.
Fortunately, to compensate the time loss they put it in priority and on June 21st, for Music Day, Wolf Tower was finally home <3
The mess was finally ended. I was starting to become crazy, like Sephiroth was doing everything not to let me cover that One Winged Angel.
- Coming soon
Now that the mess is over and that I have a new workstation ready for work here's what's coming next :
June 30th you're getting the YouTube video of my cover Married Life from motion picture UP with a new full 4K UHD encoding thanks to my new stuff.
My very next work will be the One Winged Angel but a bit different.
I've decided that next new release will be the 1M Spotify Streams event and the 6th Duhemsounds Anniversary event so you will have a cover of Advent One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children which is a bigger version
- The future of Duhemsounds
Once the Advent One Winged Angel, this will be the beginning of a new era :
You will have covers of video games, movies, anime and classical music with a major part for video games as you've asked for it
In the video games covers, you'll have some very creative tracks, this is something you've also asked for
You will have some Duhemsounds Creations still under the D2C flag : This will be some original compositions that will be very video games influenced (or sometimes having movies/anime influences).
These tracks will have a specific title.
For example : Fire Temple D2C
The D2C at the end of a track title will mean it's an original work and not a cover.
In that project of creation there will also be the possibility that for some covers I'll add much more creative elements making them a bit looking as mid cover, mid original.
Those original creations will start to appear during the summer or September.
I hope you will like these new tracks
In the video games field, some licenses like Pokemon will make their come back. It's been a long time wish you have.
I'm also looking at some covers options in the David Wise and Grant Kirkhope universes (Donkey Kong & more).
The Square Enix universe will still be very present as there are plenty of awesome tracks to work and that are licensable without any doubt.
About Zelda and Mario I have some projects too. I need to see what is licensable. Since the US law enforcement about copyrights it's harder to license some covers.
It requires an US release available in at least one store. Most Nintendo albums are missing, even in AAA licenses like Zelda and Mario. There are still some good options, I'll try to find you some cool tracks
This is the beginning of the future road of Duhemsounds, I hope you'll like these new projects.
Thanks a lot for your support during these two months of mess.
See you on June 30th on YouTube for the Married Life video and will give you some news soon about the Advent One Winged Angel work
Your music wolf
🐺 D2C 🐺
Dear wolves friends,
Mid April I was talking about the One Winged Angel project to celebrate the 1M Spotify Streams and the upcoming release of Married Life from UP before that.
This was without knowing the big mess that was going to happen...
- April not fools, Mayday, June recovery
On April 24th a heavy thunderstorm hit my area quickly and thunder was very close, too close.
A bolt triggered a full electric shutdown, this wasn't the first time, but that time when lights went back, the computer started to act strangely.
The computer didn't boot and was doing terrible noises.
First it was saying CPU Fan failure. I made an emergency order for a new one and a two days later with the new one still not working.
After many unsuccessful tries during a whole week I decided to give it to some specialists for a full hardware diagnosis.
One hours later they phoned back to tell me : CPU dead, CPU Fan (the new) dead, GPU dead, Mobo dead...My TV screen also got terminated.
On a 10 years old machine this means buying a new one.
So we are early May and I'm looking for a new computer that will meet the requirements of power I need for my actual projects and at least the 10-15 years future music plans.
The first wave of machines I looked at wad very disappointing.
Second strike on that story : mid May my parent went back from holidays with a respiratory infection. I turned out it was an A type flu and despite KN95 masks I caught it. Having weakness against that kind of things it put me totally down 2 weeks.
This warped me to late May to continue looking for a new computer.
That workstation will have the name of Wolf Tower.
End of May, I finally found a true bomb, the one that I really want.
June 2nd I ordered that beauty, I was very happy...But my bank made some mess with its big buyings rules and triggered a failure on Paypal that triggered failure on seller's side. This took almost a week.
On June 7th I retried the payment with another method. It went good, order got a following number I was reassured.
Waiting a whole week thinking the order was processing in progress I finally got a mail on June 17th 'We haven't got your payment, do you want to cancel ?'.
I took the phone and called them quickly to fix that. They finally found the payment, linked it with the ordered and put it processing in progress.
Fortunately, to compensate the time loss they put it in priority and on June 21st, for Music Day, Wolf Tower was finally home <3
The mess was finally ended. I was starting to become crazy, like Sephiroth was doing everything not to let me cover that One Winged Angel.
- Coming soon
Now that the mess is over and that I have a new workstation ready for work here's what's coming next :
June 30th you're getting the YouTube video of my cover Married Life from motion picture UP with a new full 4K UHD encoding thanks to my new stuff.
My very next work will be the One Winged Angel but a bit different.
I've decided that next new release will be the 1M Spotify Streams event and the 6th Duhemsounds Anniversary event so you will have a cover of Advent One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children which is a bigger version
- The future of Duhemsounds
Once the Advent One Winged Angel, this will be the beginning of a new era :
You will have covers of video games, movies, anime and classical music with a major part for video games as you've asked for it
In the video games covers, you'll have some very creative tracks, this is something you've also asked for
You will have some Duhemsounds Creations still under the D2C flag : This will be some original compositions that will be very video games influenced (or sometimes having movies/anime influences).
These tracks will have a specific title.
For example : Fire Temple D2C
The D2C at the end of a track title will mean it's an original work and not a cover.
In that project of creation there will also be the possibility that for some covers I'll add much more creative elements making them a bit looking as mid cover, mid original.
Those original creations will start to appear during the summer or September.
I hope you will like these new tracks
In the video games field, some licenses like Pokemon will make their come back. It's been a long time wish you have.
I'm also looking at some covers options in the David Wise and Grant Kirkhope universes (Donkey Kong & more).
The Square Enix universe will still be very present as there are plenty of awesome tracks to work and that are licensable without any doubt.
About Zelda and Mario I have some projects too. I need to see what is licensable. Since the US law enforcement about copyrights it's harder to license some covers.
It requires an US release available in at least one store. Most Nintendo albums are missing, even in AAA licenses like Zelda and Mario. There are still some good options, I'll try to find you some cool tracks
This is the beginning of the future road of Duhemsounds, I hope you'll like these new projects.
Thanks a lot for your support during these two months of mess.
See you on June 30th on YouTube for the Married Life video and will give you some news soon about the Advent One Winged Angel work
Your music wolf
🐺 D2C 🐺
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
Advent One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is now here, my first masterpiece cover !
On YouTube in 4K and on all your favorite music platforms
Advent One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy VII Advent Children is now here, my first masterpiece cover !
On YouTube in 4K and on all your favorite music platforms
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
My new cover A Presentiment from Final Fantasy V is now available on YouTube
An emotional #piano rendition
My new cover A Presentiment from Final Fantasy V is now available on YouTube
An emotional #piano rendition
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
My new cover Terra's Theme from Final Fantasy VI is now on YouTube
My new cover Terra's Theme from Final Fantasy VI is now on YouTube
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
Another new one
Ronfaure from XI
Another new one
Ronfaure from XI
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
Lost Fragments from Chrono Cross is my new emotional cover
Lost Fragments from Chrono Cross is my new emotional cover
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello,
Today I'm back with a big one : The Battle from Final Fantasy IV in an all star of all battle themes from IV
Today I'm back with a big one : The Battle from Final Fantasy IV in an all star of all battle themes from IV
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
The Dark Crystals from Final Fantasy III, my new #cover is now available on YouTube, Spotify and all your favorite music platforms.
A creative rendition to discover
A creative rendition to discover
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
More Square Enix love with my new cover Welcome to Our Town from Final Fantasy IV now on YouTube, Spotify and all your favorite music platforms
More Square Enix love with my new cover Welcome to Our Town from Final Fantasy IV now on YouTube, Spotify and all your favorite music platforms
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Starting the #Halloween Month event with my new epic #cover Those Who Fight from Final Fantasy VII now on YouTube, Spotify & all your favorite #music platforms
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
My new cover Into the Darkness from Final Fantasy IV with its dark ambiance is now on YouTube, Spotify & more.
A taste of Halloween before the date
A taste of Halloween before the date
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
A pure Halloween piece, my new cover Succession of Witches from Final Fantasy VIII is now on YouTube
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
🐺Duhemsounds Special Communication🐺
Hello,
Today an important communication to tell you about a major new choice for my lifetime music adventures :
As you know, in June 2021 for the 5th Duhemsounds Anniversary I've extended my covers by adding movies, anime and classical tracks with the existing video games.
I've released some Ghibli, Lord of the Rings, Chopin, Bach, Hanz Zimmer tracks. It has been a great experience and your feedbacks have been very positive.
However, my roots are video games covers and you've pointed it out by always giving more love to my most recent game covers. Especially the wave of emblematic Final Fantasy tracks I've done since this summer.
Also, since a few years now, you keep asking me about the Pokemon, Mario, Donkey Kong and creative rare gems I was doing. I'm not forgetting them.
Back in 2019 I've made a major change in my work method and it allowed progressively to go deeper in the quality of the covers but that method was a bit less creative regarding the sounds combinations and interconnexions.
It was more piano focused with a few background complex things.
Progressively it has evolved over years.
Another problem was the power needed : My old computer wasn't able to handle everything I wanted to do.
Now that I have Wolf Tower, things are totally different. That computer has nuclear propulsion compared to the old one and it changed everything.
You've got a small taste of it since the Advent One Winged Angel of July 22nd followed by a bunch of new tracks until now.
During that big wave, major improvments have been made in the quality of rendition and how deep I can go in the sounds complexity and interconnexions.
Your feedbacks on these covers have been extremely warm and I'm very happy about that.
Today I'm releasing Succession of Witches from Final Fantasy VIII.
That track is a prototype of a major improvment in the work method on how deeper I can go in the sounds and will lead to a revolution from now to next anniversary in June 2023.
With these improvments I'll have everything to give you the super creativity you loved in my first years but with a 2022-2023 quality level
This is why I'm now giving you the major announcement of that communication : Starting today, I do a 100% respecialization into video games covers !
In my projects there will be a lot of Final Fantasy. That franchise could fill a lifetime catalog itself.
Covers from other licenses in the Square Enix universe are also planned. Kingdom Hearts, Star Ocean, NieR series for example.
Square Enix is and will remain a very strong part of my catalog. I like them a lot because they are very friendly with covers and they have some of the best games and soundtracks ever made.
I have the dream to have a partnership with them. I've seen they have a superstore with some covers albums directly made by them in collaboration with selected artists. This is something I would love to get
Staying in the dreams, this year Spotify has reached the 1M total streams and has grown from around 10k Monthly Listeners to actual 25k.
Next big target are the 10M streams and the 100k Monthly Listeners.
Secret lifetime goals are 1 Billion total streams and 1M Monthly Listeners for Spotify.
About YouTube the next target is the 10K subscribers.
Main longtime goals are the 100K subs for first trophy and would love to get the 1M subs trophy too
Returning to covers, I also have plenty of creative projects that will be possible in the Nintendo universe.
For example I made plenty of Zelda dungeons in the past, there are some series of them I haven't finished.
The 2023 versions will be a true revolution compared to the oldies from 2016, 17, 18.
Mario and Pokemon need to come back and you've also told me about your love for Donkey Kong.
I think DK will become a new important license.
The rare gems and games from others editors will also take a whole new dimension.
The major point of this will be June 2023 as it will be the launch of prototypes from the full new method that is work in progress while continuing to improve the actual one.
That very new method will be a start point and will keep beeing improved over years but is the solid root of the lifetime work I plan with video games covers.
About Nintendo, since they decide (I hope) to release their full OSTs to Spotify and other platforms, it will still be sometimes a bit challenging to get licenses. But as soon as I can I'll open to more tracks from them.
I hope you like that new direction I'm taking. Don't forget to listen Succession of Witches released at the same time with that communication.
It's a spooky and powerful track that will surprise you
Your favorite music wolf is also giving you rendez-vous on Oct 31st for Final Battle from Final Fantasy IX closing the Halloween Month event
Thanks for your great support on my covers, I'm always happy to see many of you commenting and giving love to my work
🐺Duhemsounds / D2C🐺
Hello,
Today an important communication to tell you about a major new choice for my lifetime music adventures :
As you know, in June 2021 for the 5th Duhemsounds Anniversary I've extended my covers by adding movies, anime and classical tracks with the existing video games.
I've released some Ghibli, Lord of the Rings, Chopin, Bach, Hanz Zimmer tracks. It has been a great experience and your feedbacks have been very positive.
However, my roots are video games covers and you've pointed it out by always giving more love to my most recent game covers. Especially the wave of emblematic Final Fantasy tracks I've done since this summer.
Also, since a few years now, you keep asking me about the Pokemon, Mario, Donkey Kong and creative rare gems I was doing. I'm not forgetting them.
Back in 2019 I've made a major change in my work method and it allowed progressively to go deeper in the quality of the covers but that method was a bit less creative regarding the sounds combinations and interconnexions.
It was more piano focused with a few background complex things.
Progressively it has evolved over years.
Another problem was the power needed : My old computer wasn't able to handle everything I wanted to do.
Now that I have Wolf Tower, things are totally different. That computer has nuclear propulsion compared to the old one and it changed everything.
You've got a small taste of it since the Advent One Winged Angel of July 22nd followed by a bunch of new tracks until now.
During that big wave, major improvments have been made in the quality of rendition and how deep I can go in the sounds complexity and interconnexions.
Your feedbacks on these covers have been extremely warm and I'm very happy about that.
Today I'm releasing Succession of Witches from Final Fantasy VIII.
That track is a prototype of a major improvment in the work method on how deeper I can go in the sounds and will lead to a revolution from now to next anniversary in June 2023.
With these improvments I'll have everything to give you the super creativity you loved in my first years but with a 2022-2023 quality level
This is why I'm now giving you the major announcement of that communication : Starting today, I do a 100% respecialization into video games covers !
In my projects there will be a lot of Final Fantasy. That franchise could fill a lifetime catalog itself.
Covers from other licenses in the Square Enix universe are also planned. Kingdom Hearts, Star Ocean, NieR series for example.
Square Enix is and will remain a very strong part of my catalog. I like them a lot because they are very friendly with covers and they have some of the best games and soundtracks ever made.
I have the dream to have a partnership with them. I've seen they have a superstore with some covers albums directly made by them in collaboration with selected artists. This is something I would love to get
Staying in the dreams, this year Spotify has reached the 1M total streams and has grown from around 10k Monthly Listeners to actual 25k.
Next big target are the 10M streams and the 100k Monthly Listeners.
Secret lifetime goals are 1 Billion total streams and 1M Monthly Listeners for Spotify.
About YouTube the next target is the 10K subscribers.
Main longtime goals are the 100K subs for first trophy and would love to get the 1M subs trophy too
Returning to covers, I also have plenty of creative projects that will be possible in the Nintendo universe.
For example I made plenty of Zelda dungeons in the past, there are some series of them I haven't finished.
The 2023 versions will be a true revolution compared to the oldies from 2016, 17, 18.
Mario and Pokemon need to come back and you've also told me about your love for Donkey Kong.
I think DK will become a new important license.
The rare gems and games from others editors will also take a whole new dimension.
The major point of this will be June 2023 as it will be the launch of prototypes from the full new method that is work in progress while continuing to improve the actual one.
That very new method will be a start point and will keep beeing improved over years but is the solid root of the lifetime work I plan with video games covers.
About Nintendo, since they decide (I hope) to release their full OSTs to Spotify and other platforms, it will still be sometimes a bit challenging to get licenses. But as soon as I can I'll open to more tracks from them.
I hope you like that new direction I'm taking. Don't forget to listen Succession of Witches released at the same time with that communication.
It's a spooky and powerful track that will surprise you
Your favorite music wolf is also giving you rendez-vous on Oct 31st for Final Battle from Final Fantasy IX closing the Halloween Month event
Thanks for your great support on my covers, I'm always happy to see many of you commenting and giving love to my work
🐺Duhemsounds / D2C🐺
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
It's Halloween time with my new cover Final Battle from Final Fantasy IX, a massive rendition to discover
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Hello
My new cover Bran Bal, The Soulless Village from Final Fantasy IX is now on YouTube
Harp, strings, synths and a few magical things for a very sad rendition
My new cover Bran Bal, The Soulless Village from Final Fantasy IX is now on YouTube
Harp, strings, synths and a few magical things for a very sad rendition
Duhemsounds
Music Wolf
Listen your favorite music wolf : New cover Dear Friends from Final Fantasy V is now on YouTube An emotional flute/piano combo with some great sounds in the background
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2008
- Messages
- 9,302
- Location
- Νεφελοκοκκυγία
- Gil
- 3,397
- FFXIV
- Polyphemos Bromios
- FFXIV Server
- Moogle
- Free Company
- KupoCon
Very, very sorry for the delay. I was busy earlier on in the year, then realised that responding was going to be a bigger job due to the number of covers I had missed. Wow! You really have had a creative burst lately! That’s great to see.
Anyway, I've listened to them now.
Some lovely classic tracks here.
FFVII One Winged-Angel - A carnivalesque take and haunting to boot. Love the choir and keeping but downplaying the guitar, not dominating and drowning out the choir or other instruments, but serving as a rocky backing rhythm.
FFV A Presentiment – I didn’t recognise it at first, because hearing it like this in piano transformed it. I really love the piano work on this. Particularly the dark turn at 1:50. Just thinking about it has me checking myself for Ex-Death splinters.
FFVI Terra’s Theme – I love this theme, of course. Excellent use of piano here too. Full classical vibes have been unleashed here!
FFXI Ronfaure – An excellent track to be sure. One of the clear favourites from FFXI (alongside Distant Worlds itself). I love your version, and how it shifts from a purer state to include more ambient sounds half way through.
Chrono Cross Lost Fragments – I still have not played this game to get the context or have any emotional predisposition to this music. But I enjoyed this track in the manner that you present it and all of its layers.
FFIV battle medley – I love slow build up to the rocky part of one of my favourite boss themes in the franchise. And the Four Fiends theme is also well done. I’d like to hear more medleys like this from you.
The Dark Crystals – FFIII is the one mainline Final Fantasy game that slipped by for me. My knowledge of it comes from my own research, Let’s Plays, or FFXIV (which refers concepts that stem from it a lot). So I am vaguely familiar with this track already, and you’ve rendered it beautifully and cleanly. Love the use of the synthed vocals on this.
FFIV Welcome to our Town – This track means a lot to me, thanks to FFXIV where a version of it serves as the theme tune for the adorable moon-dwelling Loporrits. Your version is dreamy and also has some spacey elements to it, which sort of befit that more recent use of this track. But it also is used for the Hummingway on the moon (same creature, in origin) in FFIV itself, so your version also channels that! I love it.
FFVII Those Who Fight Further– An Advent Children style rendition. The sort that Tifa would enjoy fighting to! I love the choral chanting half way through. I was not expecting that. You made some very interesting decisions with this track and it really works. I almost expected to hear clapping at the end because this could have been a recording from a live performance somewhere.
FFIV Into the Darkness - The ambient noises are well used in this, creating an appropriately echoey, cave-like atmosphere. Then it gets creepier and more tense halfway through (appropriately creepy text to accompany it too!).
FFVIII Succession of Witches - One of the creepiest and coolest battle themes in the entire franchise (up there with Jenova). And you do a grand job with it, taking your time and building it up for dramatic effect at 1:00 then taking us back down to seduce us with a quieter, dreamy, circuslike section and then building naturally into an unexpected and powerful choir finale at 2:20.
FFIX Final Battle – This song (Grand Cross as I know it thanks to The Black Mages), is a perfect one for a Halloween track. You capture the unsettling nihilism of the original, then you work into it the rockier aspects a minute and a half in, but keeping the choir. Excellent! I can definitely get behind this new direction for tracks like this.
FFIX Bran Bal - Bran Bal has always been sad and melancholic. This takes it to a new level. I could almost imagine it being used as a soundtrack to an Agatha Christie-esque detective mystery or film noir, and that’s not a vibe I would have picked up from the original. It suits the track. You've definitely done it proud and introduced additional layers that were absent from the original, looped track. Definitely one of my favourites from you.
FFV Dear Friends – Perfect use of the flute here! And the piano aspects are equally good. This is another one of those tracks that is tied to a lot of emotions for me with the game. It is essentially an anthem for friendship.
Overall, this is some of the best work you’ve ever shared with us. Whatever you are doing right now is clearly working!
Apologies again for being so late!
Anyway, I've listened to them now.
Some lovely classic tracks here.
FFVII One Winged-Angel - A carnivalesque take and haunting to boot. Love the choir and keeping but downplaying the guitar, not dominating and drowning out the choir or other instruments, but serving as a rocky backing rhythm.
FFV A Presentiment – I didn’t recognise it at first, because hearing it like this in piano transformed it. I really love the piano work on this. Particularly the dark turn at 1:50. Just thinking about it has me checking myself for Ex-Death splinters.
FFVI Terra’s Theme – I love this theme, of course. Excellent use of piano here too. Full classical vibes have been unleashed here!
FFXI Ronfaure – An excellent track to be sure. One of the clear favourites from FFXI (alongside Distant Worlds itself). I love your version, and how it shifts from a purer state to include more ambient sounds half way through.
Chrono Cross Lost Fragments – I still have not played this game to get the context or have any emotional predisposition to this music. But I enjoyed this track in the manner that you present it and all of its layers.
FFIV battle medley – I love slow build up to the rocky part of one of my favourite boss themes in the franchise. And the Four Fiends theme is also well done. I’d like to hear more medleys like this from you.
The Dark Crystals – FFIII is the one mainline Final Fantasy game that slipped by for me. My knowledge of it comes from my own research, Let’s Plays, or FFXIV (which refers concepts that stem from it a lot). So I am vaguely familiar with this track already, and you’ve rendered it beautifully and cleanly. Love the use of the synthed vocals on this.
FFIV Welcome to our Town – This track means a lot to me, thanks to FFXIV where a version of it serves as the theme tune for the adorable moon-dwelling Loporrits. Your version is dreamy and also has some spacey elements to it, which sort of befit that more recent use of this track. But it also is used for the Hummingway on the moon (same creature, in origin) in FFIV itself, so your version also channels that! I love it.
FFVII Those Who Fight Further– An Advent Children style rendition. The sort that Tifa would enjoy fighting to! I love the choral chanting half way through. I was not expecting that. You made some very interesting decisions with this track and it really works. I almost expected to hear clapping at the end because this could have been a recording from a live performance somewhere.
FFIV Into the Darkness - The ambient noises are well used in this, creating an appropriately echoey, cave-like atmosphere. Then it gets creepier and more tense halfway through (appropriately creepy text to accompany it too!).
FFVIII Succession of Witches - One of the creepiest and coolest battle themes in the entire franchise (up there with Jenova). And you do a grand job with it, taking your time and building it up for dramatic effect at 1:00 then taking us back down to seduce us with a quieter, dreamy, circuslike section and then building naturally into an unexpected and powerful choir finale at 2:20.
FFIX Final Battle – This song (Grand Cross as I know it thanks to The Black Mages), is a perfect one for a Halloween track. You capture the unsettling nihilism of the original, then you work into it the rockier aspects a minute and a half in, but keeping the choir. Excellent! I can definitely get behind this new direction for tracks like this.
FFIX Bran Bal - Bran Bal has always been sad and melancholic. This takes it to a new level. I could almost imagine it being used as a soundtrack to an Agatha Christie-esque detective mystery or film noir, and that’s not a vibe I would have picked up from the original. It suits the track. You've definitely done it proud and introduced additional layers that were absent from the original, looped track. Definitely one of my favourites from you.
FFV Dear Friends – Perfect use of the flute here! And the piano aspects are equally good. This is another one of those tracks that is tied to a lot of emotions for me with the game. It is essentially an anthem for friendship.
Overall, this is some of the best work you’ve ever shared with us. Whatever you are doing right now is clearly working!
Apologies again for being so late!