ReMix:Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES "True Calling (Unplugged)" 3:57

Persona 5 is out TODAY, and so it seems an appropriate occasion for this lovely acoustic pop vocal arrangement of Persona 3 FES from Diodes (Amy Hsieh), collaborating with partner-in-crime (and life!) J Psycle (Jeremy):

"The story behind how this came about is complicated, but I'm just going to call this version 2.0. Version 1.0 was an electronic dance version that I had started working on with Jeremy. It was during that collaboration that I had the idea for this remix, in a totally different chill acoustic style, but with some common elements, like the lyrics and the violin. So we ended up with two different versions, and maybe you will hear version 1.0, too.

Breakdown: I wrote the lyrics and performed all the instruments, and Jeremy did all the production, mixing, and mastering, and helped out with recording engineering and equipment as well. These 2 remixes were our first experience collaborating on music, and we learned a lot from the process.

I want to thank Deia and OceansAndrew for inviting me to be a part of the FF6 Kickstarter project, as that was what introduced me to the source. The first time I heard "Heartful Cry," I liked it immediately, and was inspired with a lot of potential ideas for remixes. Evidently so, as I couldn't stop at just making one."

If you like Diodes' singer-songwriter work, be sure to support her by getting her latest original album, departure!

It's taken a LOT longer than anticipated to see our FF6 kickstarter ReMix requests fulfilled, but we're still workin' on it. The Persona series music is pretty unique in the world of VGM, going for a j-pop/anime thing but working in tons of other influences & elements for a soundtrack that is as stylized sonically as the games' art design is visually. It's cool that in a series known for its vocal tracks, Amy takes an instrumental source and adds vocals/lyrics, making it her own with a more intimate and acoustic treatment; OceansAndrew writes:

"I love this source and Amy has not only created an expansive and unique version of it, but a source-companion that really works as a stand-alone track. The mixing is solid, there are a lot of carefully arranged details that add more interest (that filtered intro is incredibly attention-grabbing), and her vocal performance is emotional, nuanced, and powerful. The arrangement is a huge step away from the original song, but it feels so natural.

The new melodies fit in seamlessly with the original song, the lyrics are great, and the guitar and violin add a lot to the soundscape. The vocal harmonies are perfectly mixed, and the pacing is just right."

The only thing that hits me as slightly off is the last vocal "da" note at in the motif @ 1'40", repeated elsewhere - I can't really tell where the pitch center is. Other than that, I dig what Amy & Jeremy have done with this source; it makes sense, there's good layering & emotion, the lyrics are spot-on & resonate, the vocal harmonies are very purdy, and I think fans of Persona music (which SHOULD be everyone!) will dig it!