Posted 2024-02-27, evaluated by Rexy


Today's Pokémon Day, the anniversary date for the original releases of Red and Green in Japan! Pokémon trainers worldwide will be wondering about the next direction for the IP while also fondly remembering how they initially discovered the series. My journey began with a Game Boy back at the region of Kanto, where ZackParrish treaded for a lush orchestration of the Vermilion City BGM, bringing Jeff Ball's violin and Pearl Pixel's oboe along for the ride:

"Another piece done for Shinesparkers, this time for their fan arrangement album of Pokémon Red/Blue called Harmony of a Champion. I had quite a bit of fun working on this piece and I hope you can hear it in the music."

Many of the tracks in Harmony of a Champion had musicians craft more than one arrangement connected to a specific theme, like this one - the first half of SoundChris's "A Sparkling Voyage", which also thematically tied in the S.S. Anne. Here, Alex's oboe was able to anchor in the A section's melody when first introduced retrospectively at 0:12, as did the string ensemble at 0:57. The original swelling brass interludes between them and leading up to Jeff's upper-position violin performance were there to provide more of the drama of the growing tide, which is fitting for the bells to float alongside while anticipating the string ensemble to play around the B section when leading up to the calming piano finish. Compositionally, it split the tides of interpretation like the Special stat going into Gen 2, delicately balancing the original swells and gallops with the representation of the BGM - the central component.

While a legacy track compared to Zack's later Shinesparkers offerings and his efforts on SeeDs of Pandora, the quality orchestration is still top-notch, delicately handled and expressed, and further elevated with those essential solo spots from Alex and Jeff. It's a pretty package that paints a picture of a peaceful port town and is a highly recommended listen and bridge toward the rest of the Harmony of a Champion album!

Rexy

Discussion

Latest 7 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Crulex
on 2024-03-30 11:39:27

Pure cinema in musical form, this is so much fun and the whimsical and grand arrangement of it all really reminds me of old classic animated films. Such a good ReMix!

avatar
CJthemusicdude
on 2024-03-23 23:21:19

Gonna echo what TSori said and call this enchanting. It is a thorough romp.

avatar
Emunator
on 2024-02-29 19:14:59

Professionals turning out professional-quality work. Who'd have thunk it? :) Great job Zack, even after all these years this holds up fantastically! Violin is a little shrill playing at that super high register, but that's my only beef.

avatar
TSori
on 2024-02-28 03:40:44

What a beautiful arrangement/ orchestration!

"Enchanting" is the word that comes to mind. It has elements that remind me a lot of some James Horner's scores, and it elevates the source material in a way that feels truly transporting. This is one I will definitely come back to again and again

avatar
Hemophiliac
on 2024-02-27 19:34:09

There is so much charm and fun in this arrangement.

Whimsy and joy in the winds, grandeur in the strings, and majesty in the brass. I can really imagine this from the point of view of a child walking on the beach to only be astonished by seeing large cruise ships docked along the shore. Absolutely lovely and beautiful. Well done!

avatar
Mr. Hu
on 2024-02-27 16:05:38

Might be my favorite Pokémon mix on OCR. Sublime.

avatar
Liontamer
on 2024-02-27 00:00:53
What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Pokémon Red Version (Nintendo , 1996, GB)
Music by Junichi Masuda
Songs:
"Theme of Vermillion City"

Tags (10)


Genre:
Cinematic
Mood:
Epic,Goofy,Happy,Quirky
Instrumentation:
Brass,Orchestral,Piano,Strings,Woodwinds
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Pokemon_Red_Version_Look_at_All_the_Ships_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,103,226 bytes
MD5:
cbd3618c060cc836ee5d832f38036107
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
4:11

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes