ReMix:Dark Souls "I Had a Name" 4:50

By RoeTaKa

Arranging the music of one song...

"Nameless Song"

Primary Game: Dark Souls (Namco Bandai Games , 2011, PS3), music by Motoi Sakuraba

Posted 2015-03-11, evaluated by djpretzel


Alex has been laying down the law with a series of comeback mixes that have ranged from exciting to dramatic to stunning, including our first arrangements of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. He returns to the latter with this very solemn, emotive orchestral & piano composition that develops slowly and conveys both beauty and pain over deliberate, sustained passages:

"I covered "Nameless Song" a little at the end of my "The Fall of Artorias" remix. However, it was very briefly used. The song is haunting, it's like a sadder version of "Return to Slumber" from Demon's Souls. I felt like I could have done a lot more with it and wanted to write something kind of sad, kind of beautiful."

Check... and check; this arrangement really draws you in & tells you its story - cinematic, but in a "serious foreign film about the human condition" way, not blockbuster epicality. Pacing is slow, but holds your attention, and there's a restraint to everything that makes the ramp-up and more intense later bits all the more compelling. DragonAvenger writes:

"What a pretty take on an already pretty source. RoeTaKa does a great job keeping the mysterious grandeur of the original, while adding a delicate touch. Love the combination of the strings and the piano. If I were to make a crit, I'd love to have heard a bit more rubato to really add that human touch to the piece. Great work :) Credit to OA for the use of 'mysterious grandeur.'"

"Mysterious grandeur" sounds just about right - there's sadness, there's beauty, but there's also a sense of scale, conveyed over time, as the melody & progression unfold. Striking stuff; so very glad that Alex returned, but equally excited that he's bringing attention & interpretation to some amazing VGM from this modern series!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 7 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-03 02:37:11

It starts off very nicely, almost like a movie theme or the start of a trailer music track. The piece is very emotional, I could see it has the music playing during a sad scene in a movie. Yet again, Alex succeeds in making something very epic without making it ultra-bombastic. I really love this one, it sounds really good. :)

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Crulex
on 2015-03-17 14:57:06

Certainly very emotional, and the ending left me with sad feels, but musically, that's great. A gorgeous and powerful ReMix. The piano sounds sweet and the the mix seems to progress naturally. Very well done.

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Nase
on 2015-03-14 06:43:28

cheers roe!

i had a deeper connection with some of your dark souls remixes you posted on your soundcloud, most of them mirroring that sad/beautiful vibe as well.

this feels like bgm in itself, but good bgm! introspective and serene and all dat :D

i tried getting into dark souls last year, but couldn't get over the console-like feel or something (pc port, dunno if it's considered good). maybe i can give it more time sometime, as you clearly have!

keep it flowinnn mate

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evktalo
on 2015-03-13 06:55:13

I have trouble connecting with this piece. The strings are playing super loud almost constantly, which feels like it was forcing the emotion down your throat (with very much the sensibility of blockbuster epicality). The arrangement is otherwise good, well paced and emotive, and I love the gentleness and tone of the piano.

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DimeTower
on 2015-03-12 23:30:10

A beautiful mix. At 1:15 I realized I was in for something truly moving and evocative... and I don't even know the source material. At times powerful and at times a sort of distant lament, I give this song full marks. 3:45 to the finish is goose-bump inducing and finishes in one of the saddest trails I've ever heard. Wow.

Beautiful work by RoeTaka.

Get this mix.

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MusicHunter
on 2015-03-11 12:53:50

Wow this song is Great! i love the solo piano just at the start that it builds up the song to the main theme its just pure love to the song!

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djpretzel
on 2015-03-11 12:02:28

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Dark Souls (Namco Bandai Games , 2011, PS3)
Music by Motoi Sakuraba
Songs:
"Nameless Song"

Tags (9)


Genre:
Cinematic,Classical
Mood:
Dark,Sad,Solemn
Instrumentation:
Choir,Piano,Strings
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Slow

File Information


Name:
Dark_Souls_I_Had_a_Name_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,712,145 bytes
MD5:
a0b3575d60e9cccb2f44e698914d37dc
Bitrate:
210Kbps
Duration:
4:50

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