Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form. Its primary focus is ocremix.org, a website featuring thousands of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans.
Balance and Ruin features seventy-four tracks from seventy-four artists, arranging from the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI for the SNES. It was produced to help promote video game music, Nobuo Uematsu's amazing compositions, and the talented artists that contributed to this project.
On October 25th, 2012, OverClocked ReMix successfully funded its first Kickstarter project for this very album. Our funding goal was $30,000, which would go entirely toward the physical production of the 5-disc Balance and Ruin, licensing fees to Square Enix, and hiring of live musicians. Thanks to 2,509 fans from around the world, we greatly surpassed our original goal and ultimately raised a total of $153,633.
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One of my fondest memories as a kid was going to the video store on weekends to rent (yes, rent!) an SNES with one game. The very first time I went, my mom picked out Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Being only about 9 at the time, it was just the right thing to get me into RPGs and the Final Fantasy series. I soon discovered Final Fantasy III, and after taking it home once, I was hooked. It might be hard for anyone to imagine in this modern age of gaming, but each time I rented it I would often have to start from scratch, since people would overwrite my save on the cartridge. But I didn’t mind. The game was so captivating that playing the first few hours over and over was worth it. Listening to the original soundtrack and this remix album calls up those nostalgic feelings once more.
I’ve wanted to direct this album since before I even started the 2007 Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream project, but it was not until 2011 that the decision was made to finally do it. We had talked about an FF6 remix project among site staff for some time, and we all agreed that given how legendary the game and soundtrack are, it had to be done right. When I heard that McVaffe was also interested in such an endeavor, I knew it was time to make it happen. Mike was truly one of my biggest inspirations as an aspiring musician and remixer - I remember listening to his huge catalog of arranged and original music and being awed by his technique and range of styles. When we started talking about the album project, it was clear we were on the same page musically, and thus Balance and Ruin was born!
The sheer level of musicianship on this project is something I never expected when we first started out. Of course, we had personally invited many talented arrangers at the outset, opening it up to the greater community via two remix contests. But the sum of the project goes far beyond that. Maybe it was the success of the Kickstarter that motivated people, the collaboration which we constantly encouraged between artists, our shared love for the game and original soundtrack, or some combination of these things. Whatever the cause, every single artist gave their absolute best for Balance and Ruin - with the calibre of musicians involved, both established and newcomers, that is saying quite a bit!
It’s been about ten years since I first joined the OverClocked ReMix community and began my career as a musician. It’s where I developed my skills, built a fanbase, met many good friends, colleagues, and even my wife, Jillian. Co-directing this project has been a pleasure, but it’s also my way of giving back to this community, and the greater community of game music fans as a whole. I’m very lucky to have had the opportunity to be involved, and to work with some of the most talented musicians I know to produce a project that I believe will set a new standard for video game music arrangements.
Director:
Mike Vafeas
Coming upon the completion of this project is in many ways for me a surreal experience. A few years ago on a trip to DC, I took some time out from museum hopping and the typical obligatory sightseeing to finally meet up with Dave (DJP) and his awesome wife. We played a few fighting games, we all went out to a nice dinner, and as the night ended Dave mentioned ”Hey what do you think about a FF6 project with yourself and Andy (Zircon)?“ I hadn’t been much into game music - or the Overclocked community itself - around that time, but if there was any game I could lend an ear to for a musical project it would be Final Fantasy 6.
It’s safe to say that FF6 is still widely considered one of the greatest RPGs - and games - of all time. Of course it feels somewhat quaint and “retro” now, but playing it back when it came out in 1994 was almost a holy experience. The graphics were rich and colorful. The characters were deep and had detailed histories and interwoven storylines. But arguably the most memorable part of the game has always been it’s gorgeous, sprawling soundtrack. It was the first game soundtrack CD I had purchased at that point, and to this day it remains my favorite soundtrack of all time.
And while I already had an interest and appreciation for game music back then, it wasn’t till I listened to the music in FF6 that I really started to recognize the unmistakable character of the medium and the genius of this composer specifically - who was somehow able to squeeze these little miracles out of the Super Nintendo hardware. It was this soundtrack that inspired me to actively listen to many other game soundtracks at the time, and ultimately begin cover them, remix them, and eventually create compositions of my own. Suffice it to say, Final Fantasy 6 and its music had a huge impact on me back then. So despite knowing that this was going to be a gargantuan project which would likely have a million people working on it and take 15 years or so to complete, There’s no collection that I would’ve been happier working on.
Having been part of the Overclocked community since it’s humble, orange/yellow beginnings, this project was very personal to me in so many ways. In addition to having a deep connection to nearly every note of the source material, the roster of contributing artists was staggering. It included several folks like myself, who have been around and watching the community grow since the late ‘90’s. As well, it included some phenomenally talented younger artists whose talent-to-age ratio is downright scary. And as the drafts and songs started to slowly trickle in over the months, Andy and I would bounce ideas and comments back and forth and it was abundantly clear even early on - this project was going to be something very, very special.
So at the end of this journey I’m certainly feeling a bit of relief, but moreover I feel incredibly grateful. Grateful to be included in this amazing compilation, grateful for all the absolutely kickass music that these artists have worked so hard to put together, and that in the process we were all able to help out the site somehow. It was incredible to have been involved with a project featuring music which has been such a huge inspiration to me personally throughout the years. In all, the whole process has been quite the journey, and luckily I’ve had amazing, uber-talented friends along for the ride.
Music
Artists who participated in the album
Balance and Ruin features seventy-four tracks from seventy-four artists, arranging from the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI for the SNES. It was made by fans, for fans, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Square Enix; all original compositions are copyright their respective owners. This album was produced to help promote video game music, Nobuo Uematsu's amazing compositions, and the talented artists that contributed to this project.
On October 25th, 2012, OverClocked ReMix successfully funded its first Kickstarter project for this very album. Our funding goal was $30,000, which would go entirely toward the physical production of the 5-disc Balance and Ruin, licensing fees to Square Enix, and hiring of live musicians. Thanks to 2,509 fans from around the world, we greatly surpassed our original goal and ultimately raised a total of $153,633. These additional funds enabled us to print and ship copies of additional projects like Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream, Final Fantasy IV: Echoes of Betrayal, Light of Redemption and Final Fantasy I: Random Encounter as well as expand the scope of the project and bonus DVD.
We want to thank ALL of the backers who helped make this incredible project a reality, and in particular those backers who went above and beyond and donated $250 or more to the cause.
All original compositions from Final Fantasy VI: Balance and Ruin are copyright of their respective owners.
Arrangements are available under the OverClocked ReMix Content Policy terms of use.
1-01 - bustatunez - Prologue
bustatunez: arrangement AeroZ: cello Jeff Ball: violin
1-01 - bustatunez - Prologue
I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to arrange "Omen" for Balance and Ruin. The first time I played FF6, I remember being surprised and even intimidated by the dark, serious tone of its introduction. I was still new to RPGs, and this game made a profound impression right from the start with its remarkably dramatic opening.
When asked to arrange this piece in a cinematic style, I decided to stay fairly close to Uematsu's original form. Instead of creating a new piece based on his melodies, I decided to ask myself, "What would Uematsu have written if he had the resources of a full symphonic orchestra?" That question influenced all of my interpretation decisions. I approximated what I believe Uematsu must have been thinking of at the time - a pastiche of classic film scores from the 1950s. I took inspiration from classic film composers like Hermann, Steiner, and Waxman in developing this arrangement. Even the more unusual moments in my arrangement, such as the Debussy-esque piano solos and dissonant brass harmonies, came about by recognizing the musical genres and constructs that Uematsu was almost certainly referencing in his brilliant original work.
My other goal was to unify the piece thematically as much as possible among the various sections. There are two main motives I used, the "destroyed world" theme ("Bb C Db") and, of course, Terra's theme. I preview both of them before their main entrances, and make reference to them throughout the piece in several places, in order to add more cohesion to the track as a whole.
Lastly, I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to Jeff Ball and Sebastian Freij (AeroZ) for their solo string playing on this track and on my Gau arrangement, "Wild Child Ballad". The kinds of nuanced expression that these tracks needed simply wouldn't be possible with synthesizers; Sebbe and Jeff's performances brought life and human emotion to both of these remixes.
I'm very proud of our work, and I hope you enjoy this arrangement and all of Balance and Ruin!
1-02 - Mustin - Now Is the Winter
Mustin: arrangement, performance
1-02 - Mustin - Now Is the Winter
I wanted to do this track with The OneUps, but since I had a borrowed sax and guitar - along with the request for an arrangement of this tune - I went for it myself. I'm very happy with the result and very thankful for Andrew and his mixing and mastering. Thanks to Nathan McLeod for letting me borrow his sax and William Reyes for letting me borrow his guitar. And big thanks to Kunal Majmudar and Diggi Dis for their constant feedback as I bounced versions of this tune off of them. I hope you enjoy it!
1-03 - Joshua Morse - Remember
Joshua Morse: arrangement, piano, keyboards Anthony Morgan: electric guitar, electric bass
1-04 - Jeff Ball feat. Laura Intravia - Smoke and Clouds
Jeff Ball: arrangement, violin Laura Intravia: vocals, flute
1-04 - Jeff Ball feat. Laura Intravia - Smoke and Clouds
JAPANESE:
煙と雲
世の中を 憂しとやさしと おもへども 飛び立ちかねつ 鳥にしあらねば
年暮れぬ 雲きて煙 はきながら
世間を 何に譬へむ 朝開き 漕ぎ去にし船の 跡なきごとし
ROMAJI:
Kemuri to Kumo
Yononaka wo Ushi to yasashi to Omo(h)e domo Tobitachi kanetsu Tori ni shi arane ba
Toshi kurenu kumo kite kemuri Hakinagara
Yo no naka o nani-ni tatoemu asabiraki kogiinishi fune no ato naki gotoshi
ENGLISH:
Smoke and Clouds
I feel the life is sorrowful and unbearable though I can't flee away since I am not a bird
Another year is gone; and I still wear clouds and smoke.
Living in this world - to what shall I compare it? It's like a boat rowing out at break of day, leaving no trace behind.
1-04 - Jeff Ball feat. Laura Intravia - Smoke and Clouds
Locke is very connected to Rachel in Final Fantasy 6, so I felt she should be incorporated somehow. I imagined Locke falling asleep and entering into a dream. Rachel appears, and Locke is struck with intense feelings of passion and loss as she sings his own feelings to him, surrounded by a beautiful dream-like landscape.
[x3] Fly with me Sun through the trees Fly with me Tastes like victory
1-08 - Steffan Andrews - Ascension of a Madman
A rearrangement with an attention span as short as the character it pays homage to, this piece takes Kefka's classic theme and weaves it through several divergent styles within the film music vein.
1-09 - XPRTNovice feat. Ray Webb - La Montaña de los Caballos Jóvenes
XPRTNovice: guitar, vocals, flute Ray Webb: trumpet
1-09 - XPRTNovice feat. Ray Webb - La Montaña de los Caballos Jóvenes
Uno, dos, tres, four
1-09 - XPRTNovice feat. Ray Webb - La Montaña de los Caballos Jóvenes
I was looking through some of the gaps in the album set and I saw that nobody had done "Mt. Koltz." I admit, it's not my favorite track from the OST, but you can't just IGNORE a track and expect forgiveness. So, I started listening to it. That minor second chord shift that is prevalent throughout the entire track reminded me a lot of the way some traditional flamenco tunes sounded, so I thought I'd give it a try. My father-in-law, Ray Webb, happened to be in town while I was recording it, and I handed him my trumpet and backed away slowly, the result of which is that screaming trumpet lead you hear in the middle. The guitar and a lot of the nonsensical Spanish singing is live, as well as the flute. I'm still not any more Spanish now than when I started, but I do have some street cred, having slapped a bull calf at the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona back in 2011. And that, I think, counts for something.
Many thanks to zircon for helping me mix/master this. Apparently not knowing what compression is can hinder the quality of your final product. Who knew?
Darkness burrows in when we fall Morning will reveal us after all Curtains wide, say you'll run with me Captives we were called, but now we're free
We won't stop until we say we're done We'll return the world to what it was
Stuck behind, it's not a flaw They don't understand the webs we are
We won't stop until we say we're done We'll return the world to what it was
Glacial thoughts, they linger, then they die Grateful we were not sold for price
We won't stop until we say we're done We'll return the world to what it was
We won't stop until we say we're done We'll return the world to what it was They will never catch us on the run We'll return the world to what it was
1-10 - Leitbur - On the Run
The opening arps were created using a Roland Juno-6 synthesizer, circa 1982.
1-11 - zircon, XPRTNovice, Jillian Aversa, Jeff Ball - A Fistful of Nickels
zircon: arrangement Frank Witkam: harmonica
XPRTNovice: acoustic guitar, whistling, trumpet Jillian Aversa: vocals Jeff Ball: violin
1-13 - Radiowar - Stone Drum
This track is sort of a two-for-one: it opens with an orchestral arrangement of Cyan's theme for a (fictional) film score - the kind you might find on some old, worn, forgotten VHS tape - which attempts to capture the regal, militaristic quality of the music in the style of film music from the 60's and 70's. The music is then "sampled" and rearranged via MPC. The result (I hope) is that I was able to have my cake and eat it too: retaining both the qualities that were important to the original piece and the character it represents, as well as bending those elements in a way which reveals an entirely new way of representing and understanding those same qualities.
This was my second remix I ever really tried on OC ReMix, and the FF6 contest was a great inspiration for me to get going. I kept hearing this wild sort of Caravan Palace remix in my head when I was listening to this, and I thought "Wow, there needs to be more clarinet on OC ReMix." So, I decided to make it happen. When I found out I won the contest, I had no idea what I was in for. Balance and Ruin has been some of the most fun I've ever had musically, and the chance to take my classical training and use my powers for evil has been smugly satisfying. And, of course, there's whistling
1-17 - Flexstyle, OA, Nutritious - Savage Triumph
KingTiger: rad djemble licks
1-17 - Flexstyle, OA, Nutritious - Savage Triumph
Oh man, this track. You guys, this track right here. This was SO MUCH FUN to make, and my collaborators were amazing. OA really brought the heat with his guitar chops, and contributed some of the percussion and sound effects (including the massive explosion-y thing before the final climax). He also contributed a couple of synth bits and bobs to fill out the soundscape. Nutritious did his share of sound effects and bass stabs, added the orchestral sounds during the breakdown, and added some much-appreciated meat to my drums. I did most of the drum work, most of the bass work, and all the synth lead work. I also did the final mixdown 'n such. I would be remiss if I didn't mention my friend KingTiger, who graciously contributed a nice set of djembe takes, which I used in some of the buildup parts. (If I missed any parts of the process, please forgive me--this was a monster, and everyone chipped in with a LOT of great material!) This was a song that really stretched me as an artist--I gave this my absolute best, as did my collaborators. I think it shows, and I hope you have as much fun hearing this as we did making it!
2-01 - bustatunez - Wild Child Ballad
Although Gau's theme is rarely played in the actual game, I really loved its simple, folksy instrumentation and clear focus on melody. Taking heavy influence from Yoko Kanno and Yasunori Mitsuda, I arranged it for an ensemble I use often: myself on piano, accordion, recorder, guitar and percussion, and my dear friends Sebastian Freij and Jeff Ball on strings. This piece really came together thanks to their contributions - Seb was particularly excited to play on the only FF6 track whose original tune actually features the cello!
2-03 - Pot Hocket - Idle City Street
Pot Hocket: guitar
2-04 - DragonAvenger, OA - Courage, Failure, Rosebud
DragonAvenger: arrangement, vocals OA: production
2-04 - DragonAvenger, OA - Courage, Failure, Rosebud
When...
Never run away Never, never run away when the dark is calling
...when the dark is calling Never run away... when the dark is calling
Never run away... ...when the dark is calling Your courage must be strong
Never run away... Never run away... ...when the dark is calling
Never run away Never run away... ...courage must be strong
[sliced vocals]
[x2 with sliced chorus vocals] Never run away when the dark is calling Your courage must be strong, resolution firm
2-05 - Fishy feat. XPRTNovice - Bad Octopus
Fishy: arrangement, guitar XPRTNovice: clarinet, saxophone, trumpet Dan Pugsley: bass
2-05 - Fishy feat. XPRTNovice - Bad Octopus
"Bad Octopus" is a Haken/ilp0-inspired prog circus mush of two of the sillier action tunes from the game. When Andy asked me what track I wanted to do for the FFVI project, I decided to pick a few of the awkward ~45s length actiony songs that no one would want to mix and put them together. Eventually though, I realised that these two were just too silly to mix with the others, so I decided to go all-out circus mode on them. After I finished the track to my regular prog liking, I showed it to XPRTNovice who suggested we amp up the silly and thrown in a load of extra instruments you wouldn't normally find in prog. As a result, it is pretty much now beyond classification, which is fine by me! Like most of my arrangements, it blatantly reeks of someone else's music.
Named after Ultros because he's awesome. Enjoy.
2-07 - Anti-Syne - There Will Be Blood
If you want more (metamorphosis)
...man that you asked for
There will be blood There will be trouble ...care if you want more
...asked for (metamorphosis)
There will be blood
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
2-07 - Anti-Syne - There Will Be Blood
"Metamorphosis" has always been of my favourite tracks from FF6, so to be given the chance to remix this track was a challenge I relished. I didn't feel I needed to change the foundations of the original in order to complete my remix. I kept the big hitting drums and overall feel, but changed the orchestral instrumentation to blasts of crafted, chaotic, glitched up, electronic noise.
2-08 - Chad Seiter - Terra's Resolve
Conducted by Susie Benchasil Seiter Chad Seiter: arrangement, orchestration Susie Benchasil Seiter: conducting Warren Brown: mixing Peter Fuchs: mixing Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering: mastering Slovak National Symphony Orchestra: performance Slovak Radio Concert Hall (Bratislava, Slovakia): recording hall
2-08 - Chad Seiter - Terra's Resolve
To this day, Uematsu-san's "Terra" has remained one of my favorite themes of all time. I have been enamored with it since I was young. I wanted to musically capture Terra's strife and make sure my homage told her story accurately. I felt I could only do it with an orchestra, so I recorded "Terra's Resolve" with an absolutely gigantic 120 piece orchestral ensemble during the recording of my original score to the latest Star Trek video game.
2-09 - Level 99 - A Simple Coin Flip Can Change Fate
Level 99: arrangement, guitar
2-09 - Level 99 - A Simple Coin Flip Can Change Fate
The story of how Sabin and Edgar decided their own fates with the toss of a coin was the part of Final Fantasy VI that resonated with me the most. Despite the trick being played, both sons knew that doing what is right is not necessarily what is best: for them, for the kingdom, for everyone. The nobility, sacrifice, and love shown was something I really tried to capture in my version of "Coin Song." I included "Edgar & Sabin" as well, in a fashion which feels regal and grand in scale, to emphasize what was at stake and how the whole kingdom could have changed if fate, or family, had chosen a different path.
2-11 - McVaffe - Reverie of the Broken Phoenix
My arrangements are typically fairly straightforward in concept, but for Rachel's theme, I was hoping to convey some of the story and heartbreak surrounding the character. The song is meant to sound dreamlike and incorehent, and slowly gains structure and clarity as it progresses, before it once again drifts back into incoherence like someone in a coma. It's a beautiful original track, and this take on it serves to give it a bit more context through the production.
2-12 - Mazedude - Slam Davis
Mazedude; arrangement Jeff Stockham: trumpet
2-12 - Mazedude - Slam Davis
A few things about this track... one, I worked in NYC as a waiter one summer during college. I drove from Jersey City, through the Holland Tunnel, to upper East Side Manhattan day after day. For a spell, to get me through the trip, I listened to the FF6 soundtrack while driving. The juxtaposition of NYC pedestrians against the FF6 music was... quite surreal. To imagine townsfolk walking around from an aerial view, while witnessing NYC townsfolk walking around on the sidewalks... was bizarre, trippy, and cool. It got me through the drive. And whenever the "Slam Shuffle" music came on in such a scenario, I couldn't help but grin as I drove.
Fast forward to this FF6 project, and I knew I wanted to tackle this particular track above all others. But what style to try? I had a few ideas in mind... Indian fusion was one, but it didn't work so well. Another concept was to mimic Miles Davis in some sort of acid jazz, featuring live trumpet. Quite a difficult concept to grasp with a computer, but I went for it... and it was sounding good. But, to make it really work, I needed a real trumpet player. To my good fortune, I was introduced to an incredible professional trumpet player, Jeff Stockham, via the local Syracuse, NY jazz band ESP (http://espjazz.wix.com/esp), and set a recording session, where thankfully, he got EXACTLY what I was going for. The recording session was a blast, and I am thrilled with the result.
I have such a deep love for FFVI and its soundtrack for so many reasons, and am so honored to be a part of this album to pay homage to Nobuo Uematsu's stellar work, as it has had a profound influence on me as a musician.
I chose "Spinach Rag" because of my love also for ragtime music. For an audition in high school, I played a fantastic arrangement of Scott Joplin's "Pine Apple Rag" on viola, which was full of little tricks like slides which can't be done on piano. Since then, I have always felt that ragtime is as fitting for violin or viola as it is for piano. So when I arranged this remix, I wanted to not only play the Spinach Rag on the violin, but to utilize the wide range of possibilites of what a violin can do: slides, double stops, arco and pizzicato, etc. This arrangement is for 2 violins and piano, and intended to be fully playable as a live ensemble piece.
Many thanks to zircon for his production help, turning my MIDI keyboard playing and raw violin recordings into a polished finish piece. He did a great job of capturing the style I was going for.
2-14 - OA, Moonlapse, BardicKnowledge, Laura Intravia feat. DragonAvenger - The Nightmare Oath
2-14 - OA, Moonlapse, BardicKnowledge, Laura Intravia feat. DragonAvenger - The Nightmare Oath
Draco:
O Maria O Maria O Maria O Maria
On far off shores, my words call to you This distant war; my sword sings the truth
Ralse:
Bow to me, the East will overrun this wretched land; defeat has just begun Spoils of war, your will no longer free; Draco is banished, Maria belongs to me
Draco:
Though the stars fade in the sky, the light your love gives never dies I will return, I swear on my life
O Maria O Maria O Maria O Maria
Love conquers all; this is not the end I will not rest, we will meet again
(Ralse:
This nightmare oath will seal our fate forevermore; My ambitions realized, now I will rule them all)
2-15 - Jake Kaufman, Tommy Pedrini - The Impresario
Vocals - Tommy Pedrini Additional Vocals - Tony Marino, James Montagna Drums - Brian "Dogboy" Burwell Recorded, mixed & mastered by Robert Altschuler at Command Recording Studios, Valencia, CA
2-15 - Jake Kaufman, Tommy Pedrini - The Impresario
INTRO
Look into the sins of your past Love as if today were your last
Better times have slipped away, I'm lost beneath the waves Nothing left to save...
EXPOSITION
SAVAGE CRIME! IT WAS NOT YET HER TIME! FOR WHOM THE TOWER PEALS ONE FINAL MOURNING CHIME! FOR THE SURVIVORS......
SCENE I (present time, evening)
Speak to me, before my fate is reckoned, Comfort me, they'll arrive at any second, Six o'clock, and I got no doubt the gang is out for
BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS! OUR OWN, KILLED IN THE FIGHT! YOU'LL DIE TONIGHT!
SCENE II (flashback to two days ago)
O, (THERE HE IS!) Maria, (WHY IS HE, ON OUR BLOCK?) Morte Mia (TRACK HIM DOWN, MAKE HIM BLEED! WE'LL TAKE HIM!)
I'll be waiting, patiently (WE'LL BEAT HIM DOWN, TAKE HIM TO THE GROUND) Come on out and dance with me, (THE DEVIL) The night is young, And so are we!
(guitar solo)
O, Maria, Cara mia, And I know the deck's stacked against us, Even though it feels so right...
Forbidden is our love, Our families, divided from above. Your brothers, will see through the lie; Tomorrow.. they won't ask why...
SCENE III (yesterday)
(piano intro)
O Maria... Far away now... Will I ever see your smile, As night turns to day, I beg you to stay, I'm down, down on my knees, here...
I'm the darkness, you're the starlight, And I'm burnin' up in here, I (MY HEART WILL) Die every day, When you hide away, I don't wanna fear.. (THEIR RIVALRY)
So even though they may discover us, I'm never givin' you up And if they try to tell me what to do
(I LOVE HER!) I'll kill them! (I LOVE HER!) I'll kill them! (LEAVE US ALONE!) Down to the last! No! Oh, (COME GET ME) Maria, (UPSET ME) I need her, for my own (COME CAST A STONE)
(Guitar / piano solo .. commence headbanging)
SCENE IV (this morning)
STAR-CROSSED LOVERS LAUGHING AT THE TRUTH, EASY FORTUNES, FOOLISH IN YOUTH, HA-HA-HA AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, YOU'LL BOTH BE ON THE RUN, AND WE'LL FIND YOU
JUST WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN? YOU ARROGANT MAN! TI AMMAZZO, TI AMMAZZO TI AMMAZZO! INTRUSO! (HE WAS WITH THE WHORE!) CRETINO! (SHOW HIM TO THE DOOR!) FOLLOW HIM! CORNER HIM! MURDER HIM! BEAT HIM DOWN! BEAT HIM UP! SEND HIM TO HIS GRAVE!
Maria............
DRACO LOVE, WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO LIVE THIS LIE!
Then I will die, Sooner than see you gone, I'm gonna go down swingin' Ears are ringin'.....
(guitar solo)
SCENE V (this afternoon)
But I'm alive!! (AH-AH-AH-AH! HE'S STILL BREATHING) MAKE HIM DEAD! (HIT HIM IN THE HEAD!) TAKE HIS LIFE! (SOMEONE GET A KNIFE!)
Suddenly, (GET HIM!) In a flash, (KILL HIM!) I was up, On my feet, (STAB HIM!) With a knife, (DRILL HIM!) Spun around, With a slash, (PRESS HIM!) In a split (GRILL HIM!) Second of, Murderous, (END HIM!) Clarity, (SPILL HIM!) I could see,
One by one, they stood before me!
Then, from the ground, came the most awful sound, And I saw her then, Maria lying there, Someone had stabbed her and, Her time was at an end, And then I ran and ran and ran and RAN!
(guitar solo)
BLOOD ON THE STREET, NOW YOUNG DRACO SHALL MEET WITH HIS FATE!!
ENDING (return to present time)
O Maria, Now it's clear... Broken through the pain and the fear, Before too long, I'll be with.... you......
2-16 - zircon, Jillian Aversa, AeroZ - Till We Meet Again
2-16 - zircon, Jillian Aversa, AeroZ - Till We Meet Again
On the edge of The horizon, When the last of light gives way, The swell of the tide Will serve as your guide, And spirit drift away.
Every twilight Every sunrise, We will glide upon a wave. And I promise to be What fate asks of me, From waking to the grave.
3-01 - Joshua Morse - Flava de Chocobo
Arranged by: Joshua Morse Performed by:
Joshua Morse: arrangement, piano, keyboards
3-02 - Anti-Syne - Johnny's Got the Funk
So for this track I really wanted to go with a bouncy, hybrid electro funk vibe with the half speed beat, but also to try and keep the joy of the original with the piano riff and rock drum fills. I had a lot of fun throwing in solos in as many different styles as I could, with influences coming from Opiou, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Justice.
3-03 - Rexy - Gestahlian Sonata
One type of mixpost you'd often see from me whether on OC ReMix itself or through its site projects is the occasional piano solo, and so I thought it would be a good idea to see how a sonata arrangement would work for the Gestahl Empire theme. It surprised me a lot after completion - lengthy yet expressive, telling much about the Empire's stranglehold upon the world within the first half and Terra's link towards them. Though it may be seen as too early to immediately take action, there is a glimpse of that thought to do so sooner than later.
3-05 - DDRKirby(ISQ) - There's Nothing Like Flying
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3-06 - Brandon Strader - Mogstradamus
I don't remember writing this, which means it was a good session with nothing bad to taint the experience. The ukulele dubstep concept was what inspired and drove me to pay tribute in this way. I love this song SO much and it's a huge personal honor to have made this, and I hope you like it as much as I do!
3-08 - José the Bronx Rican - Pure Essence
Nothing deeper than an electronic R&B "confection", which I thought suited a character theme belonging to Relm, and which could use more rep on OCR. Forged from about a decade of various genre influences, with all the trappings I thought appropriate.
3-09 - Sole Signal - Illusionary
I don't often get the chance to work in obscure or even semi-obscure time signatures, so I really enjoyed the challenge of crafting a 7/4 groove to this track. At first I wasn't sure if there would be enough material for a full track but that just left some leeway to progressively build on the verses and chorus. I hope that it is enjoyed. :)
3-10 - Rexy, Brandon Strader - Black Genesis
I love you my dear, please stay Without you, I'd start to falter No guidance to show the way With humility left on the altar
3-10 - Rexy, Brandon Strader - Black Genesis
Brandon Strader:
I was practicing triplets on guitar so I decided to throw a bunch of those in. A ton of fun recording guitars, bass, and following Rexy's guideline of what she had already written parts for, finding interesting sounds and synths. It's metal that doesn't feel brutal to me, but is quite majestic!
Rexy:
Brandon and I have been an incredible team since our initial encounter on The Sound of Speed, and seeing the track record transfer to this one is further showing how far we've been coming along. To me, the Floating Continent is a huge story-telling curveball that pretty much defines exactly WHY Kefka can be seen as one of the greatest Final Fantasy villains ever (or in my case, THE greatest); inspired by the scenes, this metal take on the source is there to personify the world's transformation for the worse. Kudos to Brandon for not only bringing in the guitar performance and production work, but also throwing in a couple of synth solos within the second half!
3-12 - Flexstyle - Evisceration
This source came up during a staff meeting as one that hadn't been claimed yet, and when I heard it I knew I had to take a crack at it. This is high-energy DnB with a bit of roid rage sprinkled in for good measure. Nine out of ten fictitious doctors recommend turning the volume up, and the tenth one just can't hear you anymore and wants you to get off of his lawn. Happy hardcore breakdown inspired by DDRKirby(ISQ), who was my teammate in a recent competition!
3-13 - Forrest Powell - A Tranquil Rest
Emily Mondok: viola
3-13 - Forrest Powell - A Tranquil Rest
I'm very appreciative of Laura, Emily and Jeffrey for their time spent to add their signatures to these works. My arrangements would not be the same without their help!
3-14 - Derek Oren, Jeremy Robson - Elegy for a Ruined World
Derek Oren and Jeremy Robson:
"Elegy for a Ruined World" get its influence from Uematsu and also Vaughan Williams.
Made with EWQL Hollywood Strings and Hollywood Brass. The woodwinds are VSL Instruments and the percussion is Project SAM and EWQL.
3-15 - Palpable, OA - Event Horizon
This started as an original song that morphed into a remix when the FF6 project came calling. My inspiration stalled out after the first verse and chorus, but OA picked up the reins and provided some sweet variations for the rest of the song, as well as the badass guitar parts.
Having never played FF6, I browsed the OST a little and this track immediately stood out to me as something I could work well with. The chords of the first section were already pretty well rooted in latin-jazz tradition so it wasn't a huge leap to re-imagine the rest in this style. Since it's so tricky one to pull off with MIDI, an awful lot of effort went into making it as humanised as possible, along with layering a lot of audio along with that - vocals, backing vocals, violin, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, shaker and brushed snare, One of the major influences (and the reference I used when I was on the hunt for singers) was Katamari Damacy's 'Que Sera Sera'. I also looked to Fantastic Plastic Machine for inspiration on the arrangement and production of modern orchestral latin-jazz tracks. I hope not to soil anyone's beloved memories with what is a fairly light-hearted vocal rendition especially from a someone who had never played the game! Anyway, I had a total blast making this remix and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Big thanks to Jesse (Xarnax42) for stepping in and delivering some solid gold vox, Jeff Ball for the lovely violin playing and zircon for organising the album!
Xarnax42:
I'm no professional and am much too inconsistent to be a live lead singer, but I've been looking forward to offering some measure of vocal talent to the community. I've been holding out, too, because of poor recording equipment and environment. I finally decided to give it a shot with the means I have and leave it up to my collaborators to determine whether the quality was up to par. I was very excited to jump on Calum's request as Big Band/Bossa Nova is such a fun style to sing. Ironic that it came up when all I had was my laptop and a cheap Samson mic. All of my vocals on this track were recorded in a little office in Afghanistan -- luckily, I had the night shift throughout my deployment, so I could turn off the AC, have the room to myself, and belt my heart out, and got some surprisingly clear results! The collab process was as smooth as I could have hoped. I recorded a few takes, sent them his way, and he always replied with prompt, clear, substantial feedback.. The Final Fantasy 6 OST is one of those most near and dear, and I'm thrilled to make my debut as an artist published by OCR on this project. Many thanks to Calum, zircon, and McVaffe, and to everyone who supports and enjoys the album and the community. Enjoy!
4-01 - Joshua Morse feat. Jeff Ball, Laura Intravia - A Glimmer of Hope
Arranged by: Joshua Morse Performed by:
Joshua Morse: arrangement, piano, keyboards
Jeff Ball: violin
Laura Intravia: flute
4-02 - XPRTNovice - Go-Go Gadget Gonkulator
After I did my "Phantom Train" track, zircon asked me to do something in the same vein for Gogo, which I had actually already been working on in my head once I got invited to the project. The style of the OST track sort of lends itself to this with that tuba, and I just sort of took it from there. If you listen really, really carefully in the background of the carnival part with the live sax, you can hear me selling peanuts and popcorn. Just for the record, I'm not ACTUALLY selling popcorn; please don't send me emails asking to buy any.
4-03 - Forrest Powell feat. Laura Intravia - Katabasis
Artist: Forrest Powell featuring Laura Intravia, Jeffrey Green (cello), and Emily Mondok (viola)
4-03 - Forrest Powell feat. Laura Intravia - Katabasis
I'm very appreciative of Laura, Emily and Jeffrey for their time spent to add their signatures to these works. My arrangements would not be the same without their help!
4-04 - Flexstyle - 13th Floor Demonstration
This was the first track I grabbed for the project, and it turned out that the source was a lot harder to work with than Siamey had made it sound in his excellent remix of the same source. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and took it in a room-filling direction, with artists such as Nero, Justice, and others as my inspiration.
4-05 - XPRTNovice - The Narshemellow
I started writing this one in the living room while my wife was talking to me (gentlemen, don't do this often). The opening line just sort of came into my head, and I ran down stairs in the middle of the conversation to grab a mandolin and start playing. To my credit, I brought the mandolin BACK upstairs so at least I could continue sitting with my wife. After that, it was a short journey to start adding in all sorts of Django-esque lines. Really, though, I think my absolute favorite part of this song is the title. I'm not sure what that says about my musicianship.
4-06 - Argle - The Endless Stair
Never thought I'd have the opportunity to contribute to Balance and Ruin, but lo and behold Zircon held a remix contest for some of the tracks. I chose the Fanatics theme cuz I assumed there wouldn't be much competish for it, and sure enough there wasn't. I know it isn't a classic track like many of the other FF6 tunes, but I hope people enjoy my take on it.
4-07 - Derek Oren, Jeremy Robson - Trauermarsch
Derek Oren and Jeremy Robson:
Uematsu and Mahler were an influence in creating "Trauermarsch" (Cantata for Dancing IV).
Made with EWQL Hollywood Strings and Hollywood Brass. The woodwinds are VSL Instruments and the percussion is Project SAM and EWQL.
5-01 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen: I. Black Dawn
5-01 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen: I. Black Dawn
For this song I tried to break up the workload pretty evenly among all three of us. Finbeard had his hands full recording the drumkit for the entire song. Norg spent most of his time arranging for the first three parts and recording the basses/keyboards. Most of my time was spent arranging part IV, preparing sections for drum recording, mixing the song and recording guitars.
5-02 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen: II. Terror March
5-02 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen: II. Terror March
For this song I tried to break up the workload pretty evenly among all three of us. Finbeard had his hands full recording the drumkit for the entire song. Norg spent most of his time arranging for the first three parts and recording the basses/keyboards. Most of my time was spent arranging part IV, preparing sections for drum recording, mixing the song and recording guitars.
5-03 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen III: Daydream
5-03 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen III: Daydream
For this song I tried to break up the workload pretty evenly among all three of us. Finbeard had his hands full recording the drumkit for the entire song. Norg spent most of his time arranging for the first three parts and recording the basses/keyboards. Most of my time was spent arranging part IV, preparing sections for drum recording, mixing the song and recording guitars.
5-04 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen IV: Polemos
5-04 - SnappleMan, norg, Captain Finbeard - Omen IV: Polemos
For this song I tried to break up the workload pretty evenly among all three of us. Finbeard had his hands full recording the drumkit for the entire song. Norg spent most of his time arranging for the first three parts and recording the basses/keyboards. Most of my time was spent arranging part IV, preparing sections for drum recording, mixing the song and recording guitars.
5-05 - Patrick Burns - Following Forgotten
Something ancient, something forgotten.
5-06 - pu_freak - Royal Blood, Fraternal Love
When I started this mix, I wanted to expand on a manner of arranging that was different from my usual style. This was to not just take the source, modify it a little, expand it a little and then call it a day, but rather to use the source in a different way. For this mix, I've enormously slowed down the source and then added additional melody to complement the source. I actually play almost every note of the source in the first two minutes, but it can be hard at first to recognize it, because of said adjustments. To make it more recognizable, there are some 'tradionally' arranged parts of the mix to make it really clear what the source is. I finish with the original source at the very end.
As for the feeling of the mix, I wanted it to be befitting of a king, but also have the peace and impact of the strong bond between the brothers (hence the name of this mix). I think it worked well: it's something that could be played in the ballroom of a castle, but is still very emotional and calm
5-07 - bLiNd - Bass of the Returners
"Bass of the Returners" was a track I truly enjoyed making because of the sound design aspect of it. Once I got something groovy built, it just flowed from there. The whole track was built in my head before I even started it so it was a result of my imagination.
5-08 - Mattias Häggström Gerdt - Dark Blue Substance
Cyan's theme is a very, very strong theme melodically. So of course I completely butchered it. :)
5-10 - Jovette Rivera - The 6th Kingdom
Jovette Rivera is a multi-platinum selling songwriter/singer/lyricist/producer/model and founder of Royal Kingdom Music in Tokyo, Japan. With eight #1's on the music charts, millions of his work have been sold around the world.
5-11 - bLiNd - Slam Shufflin'
Slam Shufflin' was a fun track just because I knew it would work as house. I ended up using template sounds from NESterYears to build the track and it turned out great. Zozo has always been one of my favorite tracks and gets stuck in my head frequently
5-12 - Sphexic - Jidoorian Rhapsody
I present "The Duel" re-envisioned as a piano improvisation played by Setzer, who, with his wild yet sophisticated (h)air, seemed similar enough to Franz Liszt that the concept just clicked. The scales Uematsu used in the original piece lend themselves well to that Hungarian sound, and I was able to order the melodic ideas to fit the structure of a Hungarian Rhapsody, with the dramatic opening and the more playful second half. Enjoy!
5-13 - WillRock - Strange World
This remix was a stylistic experiment to try and fuse various styles together to make something that sounded a little unconventional. Some orchestral percussion and violins, various synths, electronic drums and a guitar solo at the end it on a high note. I'd say it was a successful remix from an aesthetic point of view :D
5-14 - Archangel - Umaro's New Groove
This arrangement was heavily inspired by various cartoon soundtracks, especially John Debney's soundtrack for The Emperor's New Groove (hence the track title). The remix follows a story: Umaro wanders through his empty caves, alone and bored. His only comfort is his vast collection of bones and rocks, which he uses to make music. One day, he hears voices coming through the tunnels. He becomes suspicious and moves through the caves in a mock-James-Bond/Mission-Impossible manner, dramatically jumping off rocks and skulking stealthily along the cavern walls, until he finally runs into Mog and the rest of the Final Fantasy VI gang. Mog says: "There you are! You're coming with us, kupo! We need your help!" Umaro readily accepts his new mission, relieved and glad to finally have a good reason to leave his caves and be a little more active for a change. With his new groove and a renewed sense of purpose, he is more than ready to kick Kefka's butt.
1-01 - bustatunez - Prologue
I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to arrange "Omen" for Balance and Ruin. The first time I played FF6, I remember being surprised and even intimidated by the dark, serious tone of its introduction. I was still new to RPGs, and this game made a profound impression right from the start with its remarkably dramatic opening.
When asked to arrange this piece in a cinematic style, I decided to stay fairly close to Uematsu's original form. Instead of creating a new piece based on his melodies, I decided to ask myself, "What would Uematsu have written if he had the resources of a full symphonic orchestra?" That question influenced all of my interpretation decisions. I approximated what I believe Uematsu must have been thinking of at the time - a pastiche of classic film scores from the 1950s. I took inspiration from classic film composers like Hermann, Steiner, and Waxman in developing this arrangement. Even the more unusual moments in my arrangement, such as the Debussy-esque piano solos and dissonant brass harmonies, came about by recognizing the musical genres and constructs that Uematsu was almost certainly referencing in his brilliant original work.
My other goal was to unify the piece thematically as much as possible among the various sections. There are two main motives I used, the "destroyed world" theme ("Bb C Db") and, of course, Terra's theme. I preview both of them before their main entrances, and make reference to them throughout the piece in several places, in order to add more cohesion to the track as a whole.
Lastly, I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to Jeff Ball and Sebastian Freij (AeroZ) for their solo string playing on this track and on my Gau arrangement, "Wild Child Ballad". The kinds of nuanced expression that these tracks needed simply wouldn't be possible with synthesizers; Sebbe and Jeff's performances brought life and human emotion to both of these remixes.
I'm very proud of our work, and I hope you enjoy this arrangement and all of Balance and Ruin!