ReMix:Final Fantasy VII "Shrouded Reactor" 4:02

Our second ReMix today from Wiesty (Dylan Wiest) is something entirely different - a dark, minimalist solo piano rendition of "Mako Reactor" which effectively captures unease, tension, & darkness with deliberate pacing, dissonance, and a lot of negative space:

"Hello! This is a simple piano arrangement of "Mako Reactor" from FF7 I arranged. This was originally to be part of the FF7 web series project until it came to halt. The concept was to arrange the reactor theme in a way that reflected the mystery/eeriness of the Mt. Nibel Mako Reactor. I think this piece captures the unpleasant feeling of walking through Mt. Nibel and discovering the Mako reactor quite well. I hope you enjoy!

This is a resub (as requested). The panel felt the sample used on the piano and the overall loudness of the track needed some work. I've upgraded to a much better piano sample and have hopefully worked out some of the volume issues. I performed the track in one take, so hopefully there shouldn't be any humanization issues."

No humanization issues, and the panel passed this unanimously, but it's certainly a departure from the effervescence & joy of Dylan's jazzier arrangements; this is bleak, stark stuff that's not gonna put anyone in a particularly good mood... and that's kinda the point. Sir_NutS nailed it with his vote & basically says everything I'd have to say, myself:

"Very somber and dark, with a deliberate, plodding pace. This sounds equal parts menacing and dreary, which seems fitting for this theme, or most of the ff7 soundtrack in general. Left me feeling slightly uncomfortable to be quite honest, which in my mind, tells me this accomplished what it sets out to do. I have no issue with the piano sample used, it shows proper strength when the arrangement sees the need for it, and can be delicate in other times too, which also speaks very well about how the performance handled the required subtleties and detailing."

One of the very most beautiful things about VGM is that, in the service of its form, it is tasked with capturing a huge spectrum of emotions & moods. Generally speaking I think fan arrangements tend towards the energetic, aggressive, or explicitly dramatic, so it's nice when that trend is bucked a bit with something more distant, reserved, and not particularly concerned with catchiness or relatability. This is that; you're not gonna find yourself humming it in the shower, and it's not gonna take you to your happy place, but it's a stoic, dark, & transporting take on a theme that imbues the source with additional meaning and makes an impact.