Posted 2015-12-02, evaluated by djpretzel


Well THAT didn't take long!!

Undertale has been taking Steam by storm and winning over hearts & minds, and (much like Cave Story) is largely the work of one individual, Toby Fox. It's on my must-play list based primarily on strong recommendations (okay, raves) from people I trust, and folks seem to love not only the game & its message, but also the music. Case in point: OA is clearly passionate about this game & its soundtrack, and for OverClocked University's upcoming album, Spring Break, he put together our FIRST EVAR ReMix, a refreshing, substantive-yet-brisk rock/pop tribute; individual credits as follows:

OA (Andrew Luers): arrangement, drums, synths, guitars
Level 99 (Stevo Bortz): guitars, synths

Mr. Luers writes:

"I think Undertale is one of the most impressive games to me not for how the game operates - though there are a lot of really well-executed mechanical ideas - but for how it affects you outside of the game.

It's the kind of game I'd want to create in a dream scenario, where you get rewarded for being a considerate human being, but in a way that is both interesting and not superficial. The music itself is really well-written as standalone music, but when it has the emotional connection that you yourself build with the themes, it is even more powerful. Even though the game is just a few months old, a lot of the songs have an emotional and even nostalgic quality that I would compare to Final Fantasy or Chrono themes. They evoke the feelings of happiness, regret, and, yeah, even determination.

I've spent a lot of time trying to capture the emotions of playing through the game in this mix. It is higher energy, but a lot of choices were made specifically to bring the emotional impact to life in a way that fits the game. This was a joy to work on."

For what it's worth, I could definitely tell how stoked OA was about this game & this mix while he was working on it, and I think that comes through in the arrangement's effervescent positivism & energy. He's not alone either - I've got a strong feeling we'll be seeing more mixes of this OST in the months to come. "His Theme" is a simple, delicate melody that builds from a lullabye into more of an anthem, staying chipper the whole time. Andrew & Stevo have upped the energy & momentum but remained true to the wide-eyed wonder, with shimmering guitars, soaring synths, and a driving beat. When that synth lead jumps an octave, that's my favorite bit - invigorating stuff! Toby Fox has clearly tapped a nerve in the gaming world and made something that inspires people, and it's great to see that inspiration find a home on OCR - props to him, props to OA, Stevo, & OverClocked University, and be on the lookout for the full Spring Break album!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Polo
on 2016-02-23 03:35:37

This is what love, adventure, and optimism sound like all mixed together.

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Venom Fighter X
on 2016-02-10 10:25:53

Great Mix!

The improvisatory elements in the latter half of the piece were nice. I would have loved to hear more variation of the melody (hook) and possibly some more call and answer.

I haven't played Undertale, but I really enjoyed this.

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jnWake
on 2015-12-27 20:58:51

Ah, uplifting rock/pop! I'm honestly not a man that particularly enjoys such happy sounding music but I can see that this one is nicely arranged and produced. The buildup in the intro was pretty nice. I like the drums used, add a nice feel to the song. Synth leads are also good, sounding very mellow and welcoming. Piano sounded a bit toy-like, but maybe it was intentional? It feels like you cut too many frequencies off it. Tone change at 4:10 is beautiful, my favourite part of the mix by far.

Overall, this is great! Clean production makes it sound super enjoyable and the arrangement is fun. Making 6 minute pop songs not drag is an accomplishment!

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Kreeping_Death
on 2015-12-23 01:26:14

Incredible. Fantastic arrangement of what has become maybe one of my favorite pieces of music of all time. I welled up like four times. THAT'S a mark of quality.

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timaeus222
on 2015-12-14 23:56:15

Nice and uplifting! The shift at 3:38 was super sudden, though, geez. 0.0 Anyways, I kinda expected a full band treatment of this given the OCU artist label, but this is still pretty great!

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TillyFun
on 2015-12-14 17:03:50

Yay, I didn't cry. :D

Sweet piece in the gentle way. :)

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Blehgopie
on 2015-12-06 20:08:45

Exactly like when I hear it in-game, my eyes teared up when "His Theme" happened.

I have only just played the game as of last week, and I already put it among FF7 and Chrono Trigger as one of my favorite RPGs of all time. The soundtrack is a large portion of why I form that opinion, as is with the other games.

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Cephalo the Pod
on 2015-12-05 16:36:34

Nice! Undertale on OCRemix! Love this games soundtrack and the plethora of arrangements that have already appeared on Youtube.

This feels an awful lot like credits music. Real good credits music.

I hear a lot of "Hopes and Dreams" in here. I know that "SAVE the World" is pretty much just "Hopes and Dreams", but this ReMix includes snippets of "Your Best Friend" which are only found in "Hopes and Dreams". /Pedantry.

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GeneralOleander
on 2015-12-04 14:12:52

I was listening to my current favorite remix posted this year when I decided to check out any new mixes posted, and uh, this might be my new favorite mix of the year. I'm so biased towards Undertale though, so, heheh…

wow, NICE. I really feel like I'm experiencing the Pacifist Route's final boss battle all over again! The source tunes are really recognizable, though with some unique flavor mixed in. Honestly, I could go on and on, but I feel like i might be delving into spoiler territory if I did :P

Just check this out, yeah?

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DjjD
on 2015-12-04 11:20:02

Really liking this mix.

I too, have never played Undertale, but this remix is a good motivation to give it a shot. The song is very happy, uplifting, and float-y. Dreamy in a way. The breakdown at 2:35 is well executed and the piano sounds great with the sweeping wind chimes. As the song starts to pick up again, subtle guitar plucks follow and by 3:35 the song is back in full swing again. It's a bit of a long track, nearly 6:30 mins. However, various changeups, interesting synth choices, and s-s-s-solos really help to keep it an interesting journey throughout. Good stuff!

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Vaizar
on 2015-12-03 22:22:15

Haven't had a chance to play Undertale yet, but this song really, really makes me want to. It's so uplifting and inspiring, and if you felt this way after playing Undertale, I WANT IN.

I feel like I can do anything right now

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Crulex
on 2015-12-03 13:48:46

Undertale really caught my mind on fire with it's gameplay, music and story much like Shovel Knight did last year, so I'm thrilled to hear OA and Stevo take on some of the soundtrack's best themes (even though most of the OST is pretty "the best themes", :P ). The originals were both either epic or touching, but putting them together in a pop rock track that both ReMixer's really excel at was fun to listen to. The production was top notch and I really enjoyed the arrangement that allowed these themes to form a sweet song. For those who have played the game, this is an awesome picture of part of the game that really hammers in the feels, and for those who haven't played it yet, you'd really benefit from checking it out right after downloading this mix.

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DetectiveTuesday
on 2015-12-02 19:37:44

Good goin', guys!

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Thrull
on 2015-12-02 19:16:27

Great stuff. One of the things about the OST is that all the songs are so short, you have to do some editing to get the ideal 6-7 minute repeat experience. This is nice and long =)

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Bowlerhat
on 2015-12-02 17:22:13

Yeeaaah, finally an undertale mix. And a good one as well. I really like the choice of instrumentation. It fits the different moods perfectly :)

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Undertale (tobyfox , 2015, WIN)
Music by Toby Fox
Songs:
"His Theme"
"SAVE the World"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Chromatic Percussion,Electric Guitar,Piano,Synth
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Undertale_Golden_Flowers_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
9,986,926 bytes
MD5:
5ac3de829549d8e052c6fd595967eac1
Bitrate:
207Kbps
Duration:
6:21

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