ReMix:Ufouria: The Saga "Above the Clouds" 3:23

By Drakken

Arranging the music of 3 songs...

"Glorious Hebe", "Hebe's Adventure", "Hebereke!"

Primary Game: Ufouria: The Saga (Sunsoft , 1991, NES), music by Naoki Kodaka, Nobuyuki Hara, Shinichi Seya

Posted 2012-02-11, evaluated by the judges panel


Newcomer Drakken (Josh Freund ) sends us our first ReMix of the NES game Ufouria, known as Hebereke in Japan and part of a series of the same name. This is an interesting case of game title localization, because when it was released for the PAL market, whoever retitled it went for a nice little play on the word "euphoria" while ALSO working in the words "U.F.O." (the game involves aliens) and the number "four," for the quartet of main characters. So how many 8-12 year-olds actually got all that, at the time? Two? After all, "euphoria" isn't a word you can work into conversation too easily... if you walk into work and someone asks you how you're doing and you respond that you're experiencing euphoria, you're probably gonna get signed up for an involuntary drug test. But still, high-five for the double pun... and high-five (segue!) to the ReMixer for picking an obscure source and arranging a lush, piano/orchestral ballad that takes us on a deliberate, peaceful soar through the night skies. Josh writes:

"Long time listener, first time submitter. This song is a loose, mainly-piano interpretation of parts of the main level theme + the credits theme of Hebereke / Ufouria, a cute NES platformer made by Sunsoft. It starts off with the source material then kind of flows from there, with phrases from Hebereke's music mixed in and expanded upon throughout. There's a short phrase from the title screen at the very end as well. It's supposed to evoke kind of a floaty feeling of being above the clouds (hence the title), and simple as it may be, I think it accomplishes that nicely."

Yeah, so do I. Josh actually resubbed this based on judge feedback, and this second iteration humanizes the vital piano part - definitely an improvement. Larry took time away from treating professional wrestling like a serious sport to offer his take on the new version:

"I still thought this did a great job adding some more personalized writing ideas to the arrangement, giving it a bit more character and substance, while not disturbing the overall mood of the previous version. And with some of the left-hand writing spiced up and the timing not sounding as robotic, I really thought this clicked that much better. Very glad you were willing to take another shot at this one Josh, you really did a good job of better realizing the potential here. Nice."

Nutritious adds:

"Very nice resub here man. I've heard quite a few versions of this track now - first on the workshop forums, last sub, and now - and it's been steadily improving throughout. Liked the little extra touches you added, like the occasional rimshot thrown in. Sounds like balance is improved here and left-hand writing is better."

So this is a first-time mix that covers new & interesting source material AND was revised & improved several times, incorporating feedback from staff & community. That alone makes it awesome in my book, but it's also a really Zen, calming piece of music. Jarel was talking about throwing his 3DS through a window due to Mario Kart 7 on #ocremix earlier today, and I think he needs to listen to this mix ;) If you're looking for a nice, peaceful way to unwind, realize your karma, actuate your chi, or otherwise chill, this is your ticket.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 10 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2013-04-30 15:48:16

Really is one of those peaceful, tranquil ReMixes that gets the tone right from the piano. You can feel like your floating in the breeze or resting in the sky with this one. Very nicely done.

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Bahamut
on 2012-07-12 08:47:42

The piano really takes center stage here, with all other instrumentation in the background and mainly to accentuate the mood carried by the piano until a little before the halfway point, where the brass ( flute?) compliments the piano to add another layer and a sense of change. It has the feel of a short song, but what's there is sweet and well-executed.

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Soul Splint
on 2012-02-28 14:33:40

Wow. If I had to pick a phrase to describe this, it would be "effortlessly beautiful." It just flows along so nicely. Definitely going on my easy listening playlist.

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Nonamer
on 2012-02-15 17:13:51

Oooooo! A nice soft sounding mix. I like it a lot.

I remember watching a Let's Play of this game a while back. It really is obscure, and hopefully more people will remix this soundtrack.

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Drakken
on 2012-02-15 14:30:05

Thanks for the kind words! Glad people are enjoying it. :)

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Arceace
on 2012-02-14 23:48:30

I love this song. I've never heard the original, but now I am wishing that I had. I can't help but picture a calm atmosphere when listening to this song. What I like most is the combination of my two favorite instruments: piano and oboe. The two of them make this song feel magical. Excellent work, I love it all!

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metaphist
on 2012-02-13 09:09:39

I've been catching a lot of Ufouria on Rainwave and it has an amazing sound track. Very nice rendition here, and thanks for covering this relatively unknown game.

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Arrow
on 2012-02-11 20:59:21

Yeaaah, this is a really wonderful piece. I generally dig calm and chill stuff, but add piano on top of that? I'm sold.

And yes, I no longer want to throw my 3DS through a window now. Thanks for keeping me from wasting $170, Drakken!

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DominusVita
on 2012-02-11 20:21:16

Slow, beautiful, and breezy. It creates the image of looking towards an endless ocean, something out of Chrono Cross or something akin to that. I like it. :-)

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djpretzel
on 2012-02-11 18:26:11

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (3 Songs)


Primary Game:
Ufouria: The Saga (Sunsoft , 1991, NES)
Music by Naoki Kodaka,Nobuyuki Hara,Shinichi Seya
Songs:
"Glorious Hebe"
"Hebe's Adventure"
"Hebereke!"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Ballad
Mood:
Chill,Mellow
Instrumentation:
Orchestral,Piano,Strings,Woodwinds
Additional:
Origin > Resubmission

File Information


Name:
Ufouria_Above_the_Clouds_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,766,849 bytes
MD5:
a842653d5f11c556b183bd65bb1344f9
Bitrate:
223Kbps
Duration:
3:23

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