Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 76! Paradise v Gunshot, resureplay v Doldrums, Speartip v SkyTwilight

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 15, an annual celebration of the best of the best video game music according to the voters!

Important Links:
Bracket: https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=474630
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16XAaBMDuUnQ4c5AxQNL9ZhvD7VG5kQyrXWWZxnkrn-o
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/79443554
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0xt7lOF1eB-H4NpAaF1yAnU
Compatibility sheet (courtesy of Haste!!): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iGYWo_ifr_p2uYpD_I6TwBQS2tm7zJtPCxYZfRJcG8I
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VNrPnFRI7nJ4PqFiURBW0NWqxvXiuasoq8Sn_O169ss
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
Discord: https://discord.gg/WDvMS4a

Rules:
- Listen to both songs in a given match, at least through the loop time provided (to make sure you don't skip before you've heard the whole thing!)
- Please consider the loop point listed when judging the song; if a video loops one minute 5 times, don't treat it as if it's a repetitive 5 minute song
- If it's a match between your favorite song ever and a song you despise, still LISTEN TO BOTH! Votes can and will be disqualified if there is suspicion songs are not being listened to, and you may be discounted for the rest of the contest for repeat offenses.
- No alt accounts, no rallying or begging, etc., etc.... You only get one vote! Swapping votes is alright, just make clear that you've already made a vote and are swapping.
- Make clear what your voting options are! Please keep votes separate from any comments, and use the titles given in the topic post.
- Voting in all matches is not mandatory, feel free to skip matches you do not wish to vote in.
- Vote based on the links provided, and not other sources of audio. Links are specifically chosen for best quality and the like.
- Don't discuss vote tallies in this thread, or in other threads, as they may influence votes. Likewise, please refrain from looking at the running tally before voting.

Voting Period:
- Today's matches will last 24 hours from the time of posting, or 24 hours from 10pm Eastern, whichever is the later time.
- Please note this may mean that two topics will be active at the same time!
- If you anticipate being unable to vote in a given day, please send an absentee vote to @banshiryuu or @Toxtricity, or post your absentee vote in the discussion thread!

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Match 1

Paradise Killer - Paradise (Stay Forever)
Composer: Barry Topping

In the Doldrums song link is dead.
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I need you to wear this bolo tie. It's office policy.

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Raetsel_Lapin posted...

In the Doldrums song link is dead.

whoop must've been extremely recently, and there's no other uploads for the right version so it'll be replaced in a few mins. sorry for that!!!

Paradise (Stay Forever) (31/64) / Gallant Gunshot (14/64)
resurrectedreplayer (12/64) / In the Doldrums (28/64)
Speartip of Judgment (24/64) / Sky of Twilight (4/64)

what the hell today is really good

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Video link for 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - In the Doldrums:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XndrrvTm6M
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UF8 votes:

GG
rr
Speartip of Judgment (Murasaki Tsurugi)

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgement

Rip Yasui. I'll be voting for you in R4 if you win anyway.

Paradise: [9] - 18/256 - 10/64
Gallant Gunshot: [9] - 37/256 - 15/64

RR: [8.5] - 57/256 - 23/64
In the Doldrums: [8] - 95/256 - 36/64

Speartip: [8.5] - 66/256 - 26/64
Sky of Twilight: [8] - 92/256 - 33/64

Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Speartip of Judgment
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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Ginga Force - Gallant Gunshot
Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru - resurrectedreplayer
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky - Sky of Twilight
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Gallant
hate to do it, but RailRoad tie
Speartip


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Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Speartip of Judgment
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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Speartip of Judgment

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight
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Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight

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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

Paradise Killer - Paradise (Stay Forever)
Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru - resurrectedreplayer
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky - Sky of Twilight

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abstain for now, match 1 is fucked beyond belief
In the Doldrums
Undertale - Spear of Justice

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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

Gallant Gunshot
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

match 3 fucking evil in so many ways it's not even funny

Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

I hate that I'm voting against Gallant Gunshot twice in a row here, but I'm liking Paradise more with every listen.

Other matches are also good (but not close).

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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

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Paradise
Doldrums
Judgment
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Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight
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Gallant Gunshot
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight
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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

Gallant Gunshot
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Gallant Gunshot
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight

Super close matches today, so I went based on mood. And would you know it, I'm not feeling quite the same about some of these today as I used to in the past.

Ginga Force - Gallant Gunshot
Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru - resurrectedreplayer
Murasaki Tsurugi - Speartip of Judgment
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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Sky of Twilight

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

Context matters a lot to me when listening to video game songs, and I'll often read the YT comments to get a hint of where the music plays if it's not obvious from the title. With In the Doldrums, I think it just plays in the daily life/exploration scenes which didn't really enhance my enjoyment, so I've started pretending it's a dungeon theme because that's what it makes me imagine, and I'm magically able to enjoy it a lot more!

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There aren't any dungeons in 13 Sentinels.
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School is like a dungeon...for the soul...

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PIayer_0 posted...

School is like a dungeon...for the soul...

Deep...

Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight

resurrectedreplayer
Speartip of Judgment

9. Paradise Killer - Paradise (Stay Forever)
Theres something almost pure about this song. I dont know how else to describe it. I like music that feels pure, whatever that even means. I would say a lot of my favorites The First Thing and You Were There are prime examples fit that bill. Ill have to dig a bit deeper and process what that means, but it feels internally self-consistent.

vs.

48. Ginga Force - Gallant Gunshot
Not my favorite Yasui to make round three (and Point of No Return was only 41/64). This doesnt do a heck of a lot for me but I do like those synthy keyboard notes that open the song and keep dangling around all throughout.

and

52. Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru - resurrectedreplayer
Hot take:
lastendconductor > worldenddominator > goldenslaughterer > the executioner > resurrectedreplayer > dreamenddischarger

I havent rated the other two. Note that there is a very significant drop between goldenslaughterer and executioner. The top three are very high up. resurrectedreplayer is much lower, however. Will we ever rest until all eight are retired???

vs.

5. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim - In the Doldrums
I really love this song. I prefer the shorter version, but I love the longer version too. This song, oddly enough, reminds me of the same sort of dystopian future aesthetic as Shin Megami Tensei IVs music, albeit a much different take. This is sort of like...looking out at a ruined cityscape, pondering why you were left alive. Maybe this is the aesthetic the game also goes for, I dont know, but thats the very strong impression I get from listening to this.

and

14. Murasaki Tsurugi - Speartip of Judgment
Two years ago, UF8 nominated this for a VGM ranking topic of mine. It placed 38/174 and got a 7/10. This is what I had to say about it:

time for big edm big time big time edm

There are a number of little things I like in this. I like the subtle volume fluctuations throughout, and I love the big melody emerging at 2:55, and the siren-type call throughout. Its a very fun track; it reminds me of an EDM version of Balrogs Theme from Street Fighter II (there actually is a hard techno arrangement of Balrogs Theme done by Yuzo Koshiro that sounds nothing like this). Overall this sounds like music for a yacht casino.

I also like the little outro. Nice touch.

There are some things in this writeup that make no sense. Little outro? Volume fluctuations? Huh? One thing thats been consistent is I absolutely love the big melody emerging at 2:55, and the siren-type call throughout. 2:55 honestly might be my favorite moment in any song this year, just the way it builds and then keeps building. That alone would be enough to rank the song highly, but this is also a song with no shortage of musical ideas. Its always a delight to listen to.

vs.

63. Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky - Sky of Twilight
Last year when I said I was surprised I disliked this song so much, Tox said he didnt see why its a very un-me song. I sort of agree with him, but I do normally like Kanako Itou and I also often enjoy surprising songs, ones that keep changing all throughout. But Sky of Twilight does not do it for me, like, at all. Apart from the muddy guitar which is maybe the closest insta-dislike I have I dont quite know why. Maybe it feels like a bunch of disjointed musical elements that never combine for me into a cohesive whole I do value cohesion a good deal in music. Every year this song gets in and I get nervous that its going to beat a bunch of things I really like, so Im hoping thats not the case here!

This might be the first round 3 day where I have very clear preferences in all three matches. Heres hoping!

Votes:
Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Speartip of Judgment

Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Sky of Twilight

Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Speartip of Judgment

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Paradise (Stay Forever)
In the Doldrums
Speartip of Judgment