Posted 2018-01-19, evaluated by the judges panel


To close out a short week we've got a peppy, Marimba-centered march & Latin-infused jam on "Hello, Happy Kingdom" from Wiesty (Dylan Wiest), off of Super Mario RPG: Window to the Stars:

"This was my first submission for the Window to the Stars album and it dates back to probably 2013 in its original form, which was going to be an upbeat samba sort of tune. I had milked all of the ideas I could out of that avenue and was still not super-happy with the arrangement, so it was back to the drawing board. I've always wanted to do a percussion-only tune, so I figured this could be my chance. I'm no Doug Perry, but I recorded 3 parts on marimba, congas, and clave, which I think makes for a nice, simple percussion ensemble. The beginning is in a minor key and has more of a somber tone which is supposed to represent when the Mushroom Kingdom was taken over by the Smithy Gang. The mood changes at the end when Mario saves the day and you can hear elements of the original samba arrangement being used."

Indeed; things go from from a forlorn march to a tangy fiesta, with Marimba remaining in the spotlight throughout. MindWanderer writes:

"I mostly agree with Gario: it's a great concept, a clever arrangement, and an excellent performance. My one big gripe would be with the lengthy breaks at 0:41-0:47, 2:17-2:21, and 2:48-2:51, and the abrupt transition at 4:02, which breaks up the arrangement into distinct sections. However, each section is based on the same melody, and there's a thematic progression in addition to the consistent instrumentation. It's definitely more like a mini-suite than a single song, but we've passed arrangements like that before. Otherwise, this is fun and different, a good addition to the album as well as our front page."

Generally, we might take more issue with "simple pause" transitions in a medley context, although even then, minimalist instrumentation & continuing threads can help make something feel like a coherent, single piece of music. This is a spartan, focused arrangement that highlights a single instrument very well & makes a unique pivot in tone/temperament; from a performance perspective, it's less about virtuosic wowsmanship and more about exploring the theme. Quirky, particular stuff that fits in well with the playful & offbeat nature of the SMRPG soundtrack!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 3 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Crulex
on 2023-10-21 15:36:13

Very good showcase of the marimba and the different feelings they can invoke from minor to happier stuff. Smoother transitions would have to be my only nitpick, but overall not bad at all.

avatar
nyKad
on 2018-01-20 03:03:22

I like this piece does a great job of exploring the theme and squeezes every drop of juice out of the marimba and other instruments. Fresh squeezed marimba juice is what all the cool kids are drinking.

Also I find it really works for Mario games in general, like all the more sombre parts are just variations on the melody. Made me think of Super Mario World's soundtrack and when I noticed years ago things like the underwater theme is a rearrangement of earlier music.

avatar
Liontamer
on 2018-01-18 16:43:19

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:
"Hello, Happy Kingdom"

Tags (12)


Genre:
Latin,March
Mood:
Energetic,Happy,Mellow
Instrumentation:
Acoustic,Chromatic Percussion,Hand Drums,Marimba
Additional:
Arrangement > Minimalist
Regional > Carribean
Regional > Latin American

File Information


Name:
Super_Mario_RPG_Happy_Times_Are_Back_Again_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,634,300 bytes
MD5:
4ac84f2c518cf26f337cf198712b0fb8
Bitrate:
205Kbps
Duration:
4:54

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