Posted 2015-08-04, evaluated by the judges panel


Newcomer Richard Daskas sends us an orchestral Chrono Trigger march that also incorporates piano & guitar, arranging the main CT theme but also incorporating several other themes including "Frog's Theme," "Schala's Theme," "Secret of the Forest," "Courage and Pride," "Brink of Time," and "Battle with Magus." That's a lot to take on in 3'26", but the approach avoids medleyitis by sticking with a brisk uptempo vibe & segueing into calmer waters when needed. Liontamer went to the trouble of laying out the sources in his vote, so let's cover that up front:

  • "Chrono Trigger" - main source
  • "Guardia Castle - Pride & Glory" ("Courage and Pride") - :56
  • "At the End of Time" ("Brink of Time") - 1:11
  • "Frog's Theme" - 1:19
  • "Magus Confronted" ("Battle with Magus") - 1:26
  • "Schala's Theme" - 1:34
  • "Secret of the Forest" - 2:11

"Though there weren't any big structural changes to the melodies of anything here, I felt there was plenty of personalization in this arrangement in the different instrumentation, occasional tempo changes, new supporting writing, and creative integration or pairing of other theme cameos. Instead of an A+B+C+D format, there were some references to other themes, but done in a way to combine most of them with the Chrono Trigger theme's backing pattern (e.g. 1:27-1:56), not just stopping and starting different themes with no flow. I had no problem with that arrangement structure."

It's a relatively unique approach and it works well given the overall style and the more compact duration; I also liked the less traditional instrumentation used for the intro and later with the piano/guitar additions to the orchestral setting. Chimpazilla summed it up nicely:

"I actually like this arrangement and I find it cohesive as a whole. I totally see what Deia is saying about it being medley-ish or like a rondo, but it seems ok to me. I like the production, with the exception that the snare is panned too far to the left and the brass too far to the right. The samples are used quite well, strings and piano sound particularly good to me. The source writing is very conservative but I like how the themes interweave, I love the instrument choices, and the track has good flow and dynamics."

Those last three things are key & are what make everything work; good debut from Mr. Daskas that does a great job sailing through highlights of one of the best VGM scores ever without feeling cursory or superficial - more like a brisk flyby, checking out the points of interest & weaving them into a unified aerial tour!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 8 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Jakos
on 2015-12-29 17:09:29

What a good work, I like it. Like Chernabogue says there are some weird articulations, I noticed that too, but nothing special.

I really like that you feel the Main Theme of Chrono Trigger the whole time, and also you notice the other songs in a subtle way. A good flow on the song and a good work. :smile:

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Crulex
on 2015-12-29 12:41:40

So many themes put together in a way that mesh and gel in a fantastic orchestral concert that exemplifies how beautiful music can be. This is a really amazing ReMix. Nice work.

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Necrox
on 2015-12-04 16:28:58

I like the flow of this mix; it feels like a genuine medley, not just a bunch of songs put together.

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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-03 02:13:07

An interesting orchestral take, with a touch of cinematic influences. The samples are very nice (at some points like 0:45, there are some weird articulations, but nothing problematic), and the production is clean. The piano parts are lovely and add a little something to the track. A nice and emotional remix. :)

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Daniel Caton
on 2015-12-02 18:36:24

Ooh, fancy! I really like the style of this one. As was previously mentioned, the panning’s a bit off for some of the instruments, and I think the piano’s a touch on the quiet side during its solo. Aside from that, though, it’s very well done. The samples are, as Chimpazilla pointed out, used quite well. There weren’t really any parts that stood out to me as being particularly unrealistic, so that’s always a plus. I find orchestral samples can be a pain to work with sometimes, but you succeeded admirably. Keep on writing, sir, and I think you’ll do fine.

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coolaggro
on 2015-08-07 11:40:05

Awesome job. Really gets the epic feel of the main theme while still incorporating all the feelings from the other themes. Well done.

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r0shAr
on 2015-08-04 16:04:12

Well, to be honest, it's impossible for me NOT to love any arrangement of the main Chrono Trigger theme. Regardless, this song is fantastic! This is definitely one that I will enjoy for a very, very long time.

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Liontamer
on 2015-08-04 13:09:58

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

Sources Arranged (7 Songs)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"At the End of Time"
"Chrono Trigger"
"Frog's Theme"
"Guardia Castle - Pride & Glory"
"Magus Confronted"
"Schala's Theme"
"Secret of the Forest"

Tags (12)


Genre:
Cinematic,March
Mood:
Suspenseful
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Brass,Orchestral,Piano,Strings,Woodwinds
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature
Time > 6/8 Time Signature
Time > Time Signature: Variable

File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_Flow_of_Time_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,044,262 bytes
MD5:
5b31a6c8eeab38b79afed165750cf80a
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:27

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