Posted 2014-04-03, evaluated by djpretzel


If you're like me, and I know I am, you backed Jill's kickstarter for her recently-released new age album, Atlantis Awakening. If you missed it, you can grab it on OverClocked Records for $6.99 and I can virtually guarantee you'll dig it. Need proof before you shell out your hard-earned bucks? You're in luck, as we've got an excellent new age & folk vocal mix that revisits her solo debut mixpost "Prayer" from way back in 2005 & puts a completely different, lyrical spin on the same source, with assists from some familiar faces:

"Although I appreciated plenty of the music from my favorite games prior to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I can still recall the moment I stepped into the Forest Temple and its haunting theme echoed across the castle walls. Chills ran down my spine, and with wide eyes, I looked at my brother and said the only thing that came to mind: "Whoa..."

It is this piece of music that truly sparked my interest in video game music. Nine years ago, I attempted my first remix, "Prayer," based on the Forest Temple theme. I'm sure there are people today that still enjoy it, but I felt it was time to pay homage once again - and with a good deal of musical growth under my belt.

As I began working on my third CD of original music, Atlantis Awakening, I realized how well the new remix aligned with the album concept, namely: a woman experiencing visions of a lost world and searching for the meaning behind them. In "Generations," she stumbles upon a secret temple deep in the forest and is greeted by three women - a child, a mother, and an old crone - each with her own message to bring.

The story called for a more lyric-centric song than "Prayer's" soothing ambience, so zircon and I began with a driving percussive groove surrounded by layers upon layers of vocal chanting. We were only using sampled instruments at first, but the talented Joe "XPRTNovice" Zieja offered to help by adding a fantastic acoustic guitar rhythm and flamenco-style solo to the track. After that, the MIDI percussion seemed a bit stale, so we asked our good friend Doug "DrumUltimA" Perry to go nuts with some live hand percussion. He used an awesome array of instruments: cajon, Chinese tom, conga, djembe, and caxixi, all intertwined and grooving alongside zircon's masterfully sequenced samples.

In terms of the vocal arrangement, this is possibly the most complex track I've ever recorded. There are 18 vocal layers in total, including nine layers for the background "oohs" and another nine for the main vocals. This was very complex to record, edit, and mix, but the end result has the sort of huge, wide sound we were going for!"

We don't often post "revisited" arrangements, generally because our standards require that the two mixes be substantially different and that each stand on its own. The addition of lyrics alone would have made a strong case for this track, but there are a ton of other changes, as the entire concept has been fleshed out into a narrative, live guitar and percussion add a new dimension, and the overall environment is populated with rich accompaniment, in contrast to its predecessor's stark minimalism. I like both versions, for the record, and still see myself dividing my listening time between the two - "Generations" for more of a song/foreground experience, and "Prayer" for more of an ambient/background experience. Larry writes:

"They're few and far between, but it's always nice to get a spiritual successor mix! Jill mentioned the complexity of the vocals, as well as all of the laundry list of instrumentation; given all that, this piece is a great example of understated complexity as nothing ever seemed too densely packed. All of the elements compliment each other so well, and Doug and Joe's percussion and guitar performances were extremely polished. I also enjoyed Jill's subtle variations on the lyrics to tell the story, and I'm always impressed at her killer lyrical chops. Definitely pick up Atlantis Awakening RIGHT AWAY for more great collaborations between her and Andy, as well as a slew of guest appearences including Jeff Ball, Malukah, Tina Guo, Christopher Tin and more!"

Very cool; wonderful new version of a source that marked Jill's solo debut on the site OVER NINE YEARS AGO, which is crazy to think about. So many changes since then, including her musical & marital evolution from pixietricks to Jillian Aversa, but I'm glad to see both her & Andy getting the success they deserve and continuing to make amazing music!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 11 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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LunaYoshi
on 2014-06-25 16:39:14

Wow. I'm in awe. I, too, had an instant love for this track when I first heard it. The dungeon levels always stressed me out, but the Forest Temple was totally chill and fun for me if for no other reason than this music was playing throughout the stage.

Wonderful interpretation of it! I'd like to see more remixes in this folk-y style, but I'll take what I can get.

I almost missed this remix in the flood of recent posts, but thank friggin' god I scrolled back a month or so because... wow. This is also the first track I've commented on in a LONG time, so I had to remember my login password, lol, shoot. WORTH IT!

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Jedi QuestMaster
on 2014-04-12 01:03:40

I had to stop listening to music for the rest of the day because I was so blown and captivated by this alluring song.

This sounds so natural--better than its source.

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SilverKnight
on 2014-04-10 01:25:50

I love this source, her voice and the remix. Only thing is, I like them separate and I can't put my finger on why. I've listened to hundreds of remixes on here and this is one of the only ones I've like that I've ALSO thought was too much going on at once. Now, I don't mean its too complex mechanically. I mean these elements scream to be released to thrive on their own. I feel like the source and the remix together form a tight bond and would sound amazing separated from the lyrics and that her vocals can stand alone just as well.

I have to say though, this is amazing and thanks for making it for us fans!!

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Drakenwolf
on 2014-04-07 22:00:46

As always, Jill delivers awesome vocals to an impressive ReMix. Zircon and the other ReMixers did a fantastic job producing this masterpiece. I honestly didn't care for the source all that much (even though I love most of the music in OoT), but I couldn't resist giving this a listen. I love this piece, a lot, and have added it to my OCReMix collection.

I give this ReMix a perfect 10/10!

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Crulex
on 2014-04-04 13:20:50

Oh, dear lord, Jill's voice has always been great, but man this is by far my favorite piece of her vocal work that I've heard so far. I think it might be the tribal and airy style of the vocals that Strader pointed out that I enjoyed so much. Hypnotic in an absolutely beautiful way, and I'd be in error if I didn't say how great the actual music that XPRTNovice, zircon and DrumUltima turned out together in this one was. A+ collab here, you guys nailed it.

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bLiNd
on 2014-04-04 02:15:57

Jillian overflow!

Pretty amazing stuff. Digging your new album so much Jill.

Also getting close to finishing my remix of Kindred ;) 3

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Brandon Strader
on 2014-04-03 19:21:51

I ALMOST didn't listen to this because I thought it was on the album, and I want to listen to the whole CD as a CD. Anyway, glad I checked it out, I really like it. Nice "somewhat tribal" sound to the vocals in the verse and the drums in the background. Really love that, nice work!

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Thrull
on 2014-04-03 18:03:46

I am very impressed. Huge development on the original... which I remember listening to when it came out, funny enough!

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meboeck
on 2014-04-03 16:50:52

I love everything about this. It maintains the haunting feel of both the original track and the first mix, but this version really has a personality of its own. I keep loving Jillian's style more and more. Those background vocals will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

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timaeus222
on 2014-04-03 16:28:14

Mesmerizing and enthralling. Gotta love it!

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djpretzel
on 2014-04-03 14:24:28

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo , 1998, N64)
Music by Koji Kondo
Songs:
"Forest Temple"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Folk,New Age
Mood:
Mellow
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Singing,Vocals: Female
Additional:
Lyrics > Lyrics: Original
Origin > Collaboration

File Information


Name:
Legend_of_Zelda_Ocarina_of_Time_Generations_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,421,741 bytes
MD5:
053262f045504b641083706dfaceca09
Bitrate:
224Kbps
Duration:
3:46

Deep in the brume of juniper and fern,
A moon overhead and stones at my feet,
I walked through a veil of cypress and birch
And came to a surface painted with leaves.

Voiceless, a child appeared in the brush
And smiled with a hush, all dusty and tanned.
And before I could speak, she ran to my side
And knelt with a flow'r she placed in my hand.

[Chorus]
Dancing, singing
Voices ringing
Rising, falling
Giving, being

Waiting, growing
Teaching, knowing
Waxing, waning
Ebbing, flowing

Faces gaze upon me.
Ageless figures come alive.

Deep in the brume of juniper and fern,
A moon overhead and stones at my feet,
I walked through a veil of cypress and birch
And came to a surface painted with leaves.

Voiceless, a mother came with her child
And smiled with a hush, all rosy and tanned.
And before I could speak, she walked to my side
And knelt with a key she placed in my hand.

Without a sound, they mouthed the words of mystery,
And I knew no translation for the history they gave to me.

Deep in the brume of juniper and fern,
A moon overhead and stones at my feet,
I walked through a veil of cypress and birch
And came to a surface painted with leaves.

Voiceless, a crone appeared in the brush
And smiled with a hush, all twisted and tanned.
And before I could speak, she fell at my side
And lifted a tome she placed in my hand.

[Chorus x2]

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