| Francis "Fermat's Last Theorem" Gayon |
| Across Time, Across Worlds |
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Game(s): Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger |
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The Grand Audition 2007 - Round 2 (Mitsuda's Crazy 88s) Entry |
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[Download (11394.48k)] |
| Comment: |
A parade of themes from two games close to my heart. I used Sibelius 4 for the composition and the rendering was done by Kouen. It's pretty long but I hope you don't get bored.
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| Arni ~Home World~ |
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Game(s): Chrono Cross |
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| Download: |
[Download (4142k)] |
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This piece is an orchestral arrangement of the Arni Village theme and is actually my second attempt at video game remixing; the first was a set of five orchestral variations on the theme from Figaro Castle from Final Fantasy VI (currently under revision) which was used for a musical my class produced way back in 2004. This one is actually the only relatively "successful" one out of the batch that I made in 2006 which also included Golden Saucer and Fighting from Final Fantasy VII. I was so new into this kind of stuff that I wasn't even able to give this piece a more original title.
Composed for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, French horns, trumpets, timpani, solo flute, and strings using Sibelius 4 and rendered by Kouen with GPO samples using SONAR 6 Producer Edition.
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| Tceles B Hsup (Talking Broom Blues) |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy |
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The Grand Audition 2007 - Round 3 (8-bit Jazz) Runner-up |
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[Download (3206.32k)] |
| Comment: |
The theme from Matoya's cave with a brief introduction using the overworld theme. I immediately liked this tune the moment I heard it. So I took that quirky, three-part tune and did a combination theme and variations with some degree of improvisation, particularly in the middle. The theme is never presented explicitly but appears in a distinctly original form at several points throughout the length of the piece.
At 200 bpm, I tend to call this my "little ball of energy" as it maintains its... enthusiasm throughout most of its length. It was designed to make you tip your head from side to side while tapping your feet. I hope you enjoy my first "jazz" piece ever.
Composition done using Sibelius 4 and rendering by Kouen.
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| Brothers |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy IV |
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| Download: |
[Download (3790.83k)] |
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Major spoiler alert, people! If, for some reason, you haven't played the wonderful game from which this piece borrows its themes (perhaps having been comatose for the better part of a couple of decades), you may want to skip the next paragraphs and go straight to downloading.
The inspiration for this composition? The idea just came as I was browsing the shows on TV and came across a rerun of "Brothers & Sisters" on a local channel. I know, I compose for the most inane reasons. Just wait a couple of weeks or so and you'll see another example.
The piece basically summarizes the interaction between the Cecil and Golbez. After the introduction of both themes, it goes directly into a battle-theme-like segment in 7/4—something unusual for good ol'-fashioned me. The themes slowly meld until the two "come to terms" at 2:25 with the two being played simultaneously. As for the ending, I'm sure those who have played the game will understand why The Red Wings lingers with low notes while Golbez, Clad in Darkness (now played in the parallel major which also happens to be the tonic) "soars" above it in terms of pitch while slowly fading away...
Composed using Sibelius 4 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 6 Producer Edition.
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| The Mad |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy VI |
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| Download: |
[Download (6074.12k)] |
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This piece features the theme of one of my favorite villains of all time, Kefka, and allows us a glimpse into his chaotic mind. The remix focuses on being, well, unfocused as it jumps from delicate contrapuntal melodies to Rachmaninoffian segments of unadulterated power and fury in a split-second. Notice that I also attempted to deconstruct the original piece itself, phrasing the segments differently and mutating the theme over and over.
Composed using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| Terra, Incognita |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy VI |
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| Download: |
[Download (3958.54k)] |
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A theme from one of my favorite RPGs of all time—Terra (I refuse to call it Tina; the name is simply too common for one of the most complex heroines in all of RPG history.) was rather easy to play around with as it has a very simple structure. I made a conscious effort not to overdo the remixing, though, as it is in that simplicity that the theme finds its beauty. The remix is an exercise in syncopation. Though not incredibly difficult, the rhythmic difference between what is played by either hand can be rather confusing.
Composed using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| From VIII for VII |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy VIII |
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| Download: |
[Download (5098.47k)] |
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This piece is dedicated to Shawn "Lusipurr" Cooper, long-time Head of Interaction and my former direct superior. I was truly surprised when he announced that he was leaving the site; and though his reason for leaving is a very valid and important one, I could not help but feel sad. I had been a migraine-inducer for him while I was abent for the longest time attempting to learn the conundrum that was HTML. I felt the need to offer him something as we part ways; thus, this piece came into being.
This piece is an arrangement of Ami from Final Fantasy VIII. I bet that even the non-French know what the word means and would be able to deduce why I chose this for Sir Lusipurr, as I refer to him.
Composed for a string quartet and rendered by my dear friend, Kouen, using SONAR 5 Producer Edition using GPO samples.
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| The Wiccan Lesson |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy VIII |
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| Download: |
[Download (6836.2k)] |
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This piece is an etude in A minor. An etude is literally "a study," i.e. an exercise for pianists, and, as such, requires a large amount of technical skill to play. Despite being just an exercise, I tried not to focus on just the difficulty. I've heard a few etudes that are indeed very technical, but they are not very pleasing to the ears. I tried to emulate Chopin's style in making his etudes—technically demanding without sacrificing beauty.
I used Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec as the main subject of this piece, but I'm sure most of you who are familiar with the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack will recognize a fragment from the Ending Theme—the segment based on Liberi Fatali. I just thought it fit quite nicely with my main theme so I dumped it in there as well.
Composed using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen with GPO samples using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| Windurst Waltz for Woodwinds |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy XI |
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| Download: |
[Download (6411.2k)] |
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I had decided to work with The Federation of Windurst some time ago (as soon as I heard the track from the piano collection) and decided to go for a waltz for woodwinds. Why a waltz for woodwinds, you wonder? I just thought that the alliteration was catchy. That's all, really. I actually mentioned in SPOILER ALERT! that "I compose for the most inane reasons."
Overall, the piece is quite lively (and riddled with trills). The first part of the piece is fiercely repetitive and insistent—a characteristic of the first part of the original track from the OST. I tried to break it up a little by introducing an original theme (upon the same chords) at around 1:20. I also mixed up the order of parts a little, e.g. an early segment of The Federation of Windurst appears quite late at 3:33 (embedded within a modified version of the second Vana'diel March that I added for some flavor) while a relatively late part appears early on at 0:57. The piece ends with the first two notes of the main theme.
Composed using Sibelius 4 for two flutes, an oboe, three clarinets, and a bassoon. Graciously rendered by Kouen using SONAR 6 Producer Edition.
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| Furious Prophecy |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy XI |
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| Download: |
[Download (9746.51k)] |
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Composed for Adriaan "omegabyte" den Ouden, Furious Prophecy is, without a doubt, the most massive remix I had ever composed with almost 70 pages of orchestral score. The piece draws upon Sarutabaruta (which means "the land of prophecy" in the ancient Tarutaru language) for inspiration and the new energized character drove me to name the piece as such. This piece utilizes the sonata form, making this the most classical output in quite a while.
Composed for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbals, and strings using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| Light-Years |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia |
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| Download: |
[Download (7694.12k)] |
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Macstorm had helped me a lot while I was learning all the stuff there was to learn about being curator and being a staff member in general. In return, I asked him for any piece that he wanted in any way he wanted it remixed—a "thank-you" gift, if you will. He requested for Distant Worlds, the ending theme of Chains of Promathia, in a brasswind-heavy arrangement. I was more than happy to oblige and I coughed up this piece a few months back. I originally planned that only he and I would have the copy, so as to make the piece all the more special, but Macstorm decided it would be better if it would be featured here in Sound Test for everyone's enjoyment, so here it is.
Composed using Sibelius 5 for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, French horns, trumpets, trombones, tuba, timpani, tubular bells, and strings, and graciously rendered by Kouen with GPO samples using SONAR 6 Producer Edition.
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| To the Sword of Kings |
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Game(s): Final Fantasy XII |
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| Download: |
[Download (5080.14k)] |
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Still part of my solo piano series which includes The Wiccan Lesson, the two Spherical Aberration pieces, and The Mad, To the Sword of Kings is considerably subtler. I was listening to the Final Fantasy XII OST when I noticed a bass sequence somewhere in the middle of The Stilshrine of Miriam that was strikingly similar to Destiny's opening progression. Thinking it was something pretty good to work with, I started playing with the themes and this is the end product.
Composed for piano using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| The Chipper Ember's Home |
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Game(s): Golden Sun |
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| Download: |
[Download (3871.34k)] |
| Comment: |
This piece utilizes a theme that I found quite likeable the moment I heard it while playing Golden Sun a few years back. It's like a bowl of sunshine for oboe and strings. I decided to subdue the happiness a bit, though, removing octave acciaccaturas here and there.
This mix is rather odd in that it is comprised of a motley group of instruments. Otherwise, it's fairly nothing out of the ordinary. I shifted the time signature from the original 5/4 and 3/4 to 4/4, and played around a bit with the melody. I also mixed up the themes a little.
Composed for oboe, vibraphone, electric piano, electric bass, and drums using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| Procella |
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Game(s): Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
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The Grand Audition 2007 - Round 1 (The Shy but Courageous One) Winner |
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[Download (5967.55k)] |
| Comment: |
A storm approaches - first occurs a few raindrops, then a downpour. From thence, the eye, followed by the storm's other side. As the tempest recedes, the clouds part to let in the sun's rays, a drop of water falls from a rain-soaked leaf onto a still puddle...
I give credit where it is due; thus, my sincerest thanks to a dear friend, aka Kouen, who did the rendering.
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| Azure Reflections |
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Game(s): Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
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| Download: |
[Download (4538.76k)] |
| Comment: |
This remix is based on a very short, seven-measure theme from what some would argue as the greatest RPG of all time. It is one of my favorites among the six "colored" songs, i.e. the songs on the menu represented by a colored semiquaver, tied with the Minuet of the Forest. The challenge was in extending this very short theme into a somewhat substantial remix. I didn't want to use other themes, so as to "preserve the purity of the water." Then, an idea came to mind—why not utilize retrogrades and inversions (part of Schönberg's twelve-tone technique)? It meshed well with the idea of "reflections on water," anyway. And so, this piece into being.
Composed for flute, horns, glockenspiel, harp, choir, and strings using Sibelius 5 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 7 Producer Edition.
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| Krebs Concerto - III. Allegretto |
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Game(s): Parasite Eve |
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| Download: |
[Download (3518.92k)] |
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...or, more formally, the Concerto for Solo Violin, Strings, and Harpsichord with Basso Continuo in F-sharp minor (Krebs) - III. Allegretto. This piece was actually started earlier than the Windurst Waltz, but ended up getting finished later since I got "composer's block" in this movement. I got stuck in the first solo segment.
Like in the first movement, the tutti opens with the main theme of the original piece (or at least a part of it) as the ritornello. I employed a time signature change again, this time from 3/4 to 2/4, but the theme is still quite recognizable. I took fragments from the original piece and used them at the beginning of the solo sections.
This mix may not be for everyone since it's in a quasi-Baroque style—like something straight out of Vivaldi's repertoire, but I still hope that you'll give it a try.
Composed using Sibelius 4 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 6 Producer Edition. The GPO samples for a Stradivarius used for the solo violin are quite lovely, no?
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| Krebs Concerto - I. Allegretto |
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Game(s): Parasite Eve |
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| Download: |
[Download (3644.52k)] |
| Comment: |
...or, more formally, the Concerto for Solo Violin, Strings, and Harpsichord with Basso Continuo in F-sharp minor (Krebs) - I. Allegretto. This piece was actually started earlier than the Windurst Waltz, but ended up getting finished later since I got "composer's block" in the third movement.
This movement employs the ritornello form which is, put simply, like a rondo but with the ritornello or refrain (played by the tutti) appearing in fragments. I changed the time signature from 4/4 to 6/8, but I'm pretty sure you'll still recognize the theme used. Note that Theme of Aya has several "layers" to it. I took each of those layers and used them to initiate each of the solo segments (the "episodes" in between the repeated parts).
This mix may not be for everyone since it's in a quasi-Baroque style—like something straight out of Vivaldi's repertoire, but I still hope that you'll give it a try.
Composed using Sibelius 4 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 6 Producer Edition. The GPO samples for a Stradivarius used for the solo violin are quite lovely, no?
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| Krebs Concerto - II. Andante |
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Game(s): Parasite Eve |
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| Download: |
[Download (2490.38k)] |
| Comment: |
...or, more formally, the Concerto for Solo Violin, Strings, and Harpsichord with Basso Continuo in F-sharp minor (Krebs) - II. Andante. This piece was actually started earlier than the Windurst Waltz, but ended up getting finished later since I got "composer's block" in the third movement.
This movement is closest to the original piece out of all three movements. Se Il Mio Amore Sta Vincino is a lyric piece to begin with and was perfect for a second movement, so I just tweaked it a little—changed the melody here and there, put repeats, etc.
This mix may not be for everyone since it's in a quasi-Baroque style—like something straight out of Vivaldi's repertoire, but I still hope that you'll give it a try.
Composed using Sibelius 4 and rendered by Kouen using SONAR 6 Producer Edition. The GPO samples for a Stradivarius used for the solo violin are quite lovely, no?
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| The Metallic Verge |
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Game(s): SaGa Frontier |
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The Grand Audition 2007 - Round 4 (SaGa Noir) Entry |
| Download: |
[Download (5137.34k)] |
| Comment: |
The main theme I used is Devin, though some may find it unrecognizable due to the modifications I made but the pattern is the same. I also added some Hero as a contrasting second theme. I hope you like this arrangement though it's a bit hurried. I had to finish more than 60% of the piece in a day since I was busy arranging a vocal piece amongst other things. I hope it's... metallic enough.
Composed using Sibelius 4. Thee wonderful rendering is by Kouen, whom I sincerely thank for braving to tackle 18 different instruments.
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| A Lazy Summer Afternoon |
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Game(s): Secret of Mana |
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| Download: |
[Download (6269.61k)] |
| Comment: |
Last year, I was skimming through some classic games and came across this SNES game called Secret of Mana. Honestly, I have never played the game, but based on the reviews I read, it seemed like something I would enjoy. And so I played it. The first time I entered Potos, I heard this melody that I instantly liked and eventually decided to make a piano arrangement of it. I ended up with... this! If you listen, you will also recognize that I used the main theme in the presto section.
This piece is dedicated to my dear friend Kouen, who is, himself, an excellent pianist. He rendered this submission as well as all of my other submissions using SONAR 6 Producer Edition.
Composed using Sibelius 4.
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