Posted 2017-01-31, evaluated by Liontamer


Now we transition from high-energy enthusiasm to starry-eyed dreaming, as Doc Nano (Alex Johnson-Buck) takes us on a gorgeous, piano-driven tour of the night sky, with deliberate, developing accompaniment that lends a moment of delicate introspection to Super Mario RPG: Window to the Stars. Alex writes:

"Ah, Star Hill. One of my very favorite settings from any game, ever. In exploring its reaches, you stumble across the unfulfilled wishes of friend and foe alike, all stymied by the evil forces gripping the world. It was moments like these, full of subtlety and heart, that set Super Mario RPG apart from most games of that generation, and certainly signified a huge departure from the minimalist storytelling of the Mario series proper.

The setting of Star Hill was hugely augmented by a wonderful little musical theme, comprising a simple arpeggio motif supported by a pipe organ, chimes, and string pizzicati. As the source material is rather scant and amelodic, I opted for a short piano piece reminiscent of a Chopin prelude with a ternary ABA form. The A section is built on a faster version of the aforementioned bell arpeggios. The B section contains an original counterpoint to the main theme, and is backed by a simple orchestral accompaniment that crescendos to a climax with the reprisal of the main theme towards the end. The second A section is differentiated from the first by countermelodies on the oboe, French horn, and clarinet."

The end result reminds me of Super Mario Galaxy more than a bit, which is only EVER a good thing. WttS do-director DaMonz writes:

"When I stepped up to help with the direction of this project, one of the very first things I wanted to do was to get in touch with Alex because of a beautiful piano arrangement of his for Star Hill that I had heard a while back on his YouTube channel. When he came back to me with a completely upgraded arrangement that included various orchestral elements and a further-elaborated structure, I was completely thrilled! I could not have asked for anything more. Alex's arrangement is an absolutely stunning take on the source material that tells an engaging story, and adds a lot of emotional depth to the album."

Basically: What he said. In a little over three minutes, Doc N. takes an already-sublime piano arrangement and builds around it with countermelody & harmony, constructing a musical ascension to the stars that rises up both literally & figuratively, with the piano's upper register put to good use. Absolutely beautiful.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 5 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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BLAHMASTER
on 2017-11-01 15:18:09

gorgeous certainly is an appropriate work for this! I love it!

After a few more listens to this I think I'll dig out some Ben Folds...

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Crulex
on 2017-02-01 23:49:18

Definitely one of the best takes on Star Hill that I have ever heard, full of hope, beauty and a touch of whimsy. Just gorgeous and I'm going to agree with DJP that this gives me the feeling of a Mario Galaxy type tune, all wondrous and it's "curiosity of space" vibes. It's hard to improve on this game's classic score, but you've aced this tune. Lovely Remix.

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Cole Train
on 2017-02-01 18:57:26

Yes my dude! Nano really just took an already beautiful track and built on it and somehow ended up with something even more beautiful. Hell it even fits Star Hill I'd say better than the original song!
Definitely one of my favorites on the album.

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MusicHunter
on 2017-01-31 20:52:45

What a beautiful melody this song is. its a very heartwarming piano playing and just makes me wanna curl up with my gf on the fire listening to it. you guys have NAILED THIS ONE. i was expecting it to be abit more trancy but this is perfect too!

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Liontamer
on 2017-01-31 06:57:33

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Nintendo , 1996, SNES)
Music by Yoko Shimomura
Songs:
"The Starlight's Flower Shines on Star Hill"

Tags (9)


Genre:
Impressionist
Mood:
Mellow,Romantic
Instrumentation:
Clarinet,French Horn,Oboe,Piano,Strings,Woodwinds
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Super_Mario_RPG_Just_One_Wish_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,976,673 bytes
MD5:
1f89325b82c97e2b941e7965d90445ec
Bitrate:
201Kbps
Duration:
3:14

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