Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 33! AliceMstra/Daredevil, Shevat/FieldLate, LUCID/MixedMelody

(+) Yeah! (+)

Daredevil
The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Touhou is one of those franchises where I consistently rate music fairly high, but I still have trouble finding certain songs particularly memorable. Some songs stick and others just ... don't.

Daredevil is a very special song to me. I've grown lukewarm to "cinematic orchestra" over the years, but Ace Combat as a franchise I think handles this "genre" in a way that makes the songs lush and layered and thrilling. To me, this one is no exception. Zero would have been my first choice of an Ace Combat song to throw into the ring (being my absolute favourite piece of vgm!) but as we know, it is a retiree! Thank you VGMC forefathers.

Wow people were not kidding about match 2 being similar. It is weird how I am familiar with both these songs but did not realize this fact until listening to them back to back. This decision is pretty close, but I really really value the kind of percussion that Shevat has. That kind of rhythm is always top tier to me. I also dislike how Field has that little jingle at the end. It really ought not to be a big deal but it genuinely feels like two different songs. I'd still be happy with either of these chill grooves.

Match 3 is also kinda similar. I feel like I enjoy Lucid Nightmare more than I think I do. Every time it's about to come up I'm just "oh it's this bitch" but then I realize that I mean that affectionately ... I really wish it was longer, and that the first section was given more time to breathe before you're suckerpunched straight into Bowser's Castle.

On the subject of songs that remind me of other songs there's like a ten second portion of Mixed Melody that reminds me of Deltarune wtf. I was gonna say that this one ran just a little too long, but then I realized I was just stupid and forgot to consider that it has a loop point. No complaints here. I'm thankful to learn about this game's music. I feel like I've enjoyed most of what I've heard!

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Daredevil
Xenogears - The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
DoDonPachi Blissful Death Black Label Extra - Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Daredevil
The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
LUCID NIGHTMARE

match 2 fucked, match 3 i know manabu namiki is my mom but i reaaaaally dont care for mixed melody lol. actually honestly besides east asia which is pretty good and grieving womb which i LOVE i dont care for daioujou in general, the saving grace is the fact that its tracker music, but these versions are not tracker music........

From Toxtricity:

Daredevil (Ace Combat 7)
Field (Late Night) (Pokemon Legends: Arceus)
Mixed Melody (DoDonPachi DOJ BL Extra)

fm synthesizer is so bright and vivid colours

I love ace combat music because it is so epic

I love yasunori mitsuda and how much he is so pretty and has the chords/chord-changes that i like. Reminds me of chrono trigger!

I love hitomi sato and how much she is so pretty and has th|This ALSO reminds me of chrono trigger! (except this track is in my top 50 pieces of music of all time; and favorite song game freak ever put out)

Whenever a jazz fusion song has a part that seems loosely like the samsung over the horizon melody;;;it makes me think this is an intentional reference, especially given what bands samsung got to do a cover of that..

I happen to be exercising while listening to the tracks at this time; and this song..is very good work out music . . . wow

From Haste_Deux:

Daredevil
Field (Late Night)
Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

LUCID vs. Mixed Melody is a killer match... I prefer the composition of the former and the sound design of the latter, but both are in the 9.0+ tier!

Daredevil
Field (Late Night)
LUCID NIGHTMARE

re: Daredevil
b1
nominated in VGMC13 (didn't make field)

The latest in a long line of Keiki Kobayashi Ace Combat 'epics'. This takes after a feel and progression that Kobayashi really started leaning on heavily in AC6 with Liberation of Gracemeria. It's probably my second-favourite of them (after the aforementioned Liberation) but I don't revisit it nearly as often, perhaps because I don't have quite the same history with it. The story of how the track came to be is told in melodramatic detail in a series of tweets by Kazutoki Kono (and retold here: https://twinfinite.net/2019/03/ace-combat-7-best-launch-saved/)-- a track to give you goosebumps, to 'make people cry'. Kobayashi really leans into it here-- another 3-minute buildup with heavy brass and strings, big vocal payoff. It's very straightforward about it, and I can imagine how that might turn people off of it. But for me-- this is what I'm looking for in this track, this very specific 'big damn heroes' feeling, knowing when to change from major to minor and back. You did it, Kobayashi-san-- you gave me the goosebumps.

Daredevil
The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Daredevil
Field (Late Night)
LUCID NIGHTMARE

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Alice Maestra [7.9]
Daredevil [8.2]

Honestly, closer match than I was expecting. I usually don't go for Touhou music, especially of the older titles, but there's something really refreshing to hear a song that was covered in fake trumpets and just focused more on being a neat PC-synth song. Daredevil certainly has the neat dramatic effect to it, the payoff works well enough for me here even if I'm not completely amazed by the song just yet.

The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky [8.1]
Field (Late Night) [8.4]

Shevat is a pretty chill song, I really like the softness coming from the instruments. Thought, I'll have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the flute here for some reason, it comes off as a little too high-pitched for me and is a little jarring as a result. Field (Late Night), on the other hand, has some really cool chimes and synths coming from it, and I immediately feel more invested in it. It's a real shame it stops shorter than I would've liked, I would definitely appreciate a longer song from it!

LUCID NIGHTMARE [8.8]
Mixed Melody (Stage 4) [8.4]

Mixed Melody has some real neat guitar and synth work going into this, it's hard to not appreciate the electric energy this is putting out. Unfortunately, it stands no chance against my clear vote here for LUCID NIGHTMARE; while painfully shorter than it deserves, I'm definitely onboard the jazz funsion/prog train that Maoki Yamamoto is pulling me into. Such a cool song, I REALLY wish this would get a full version already!

Alice Maestra
Field (Late Night)
Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Alice Maestra
just gonna abstain from this one
Mixed Melody

dear highly acclaimed keiki kobayashi tracks: please stop being the most boring and disappointing music ive ever heard.

Touhou 4: Lotus Land Story - Alice Maestra
Xenogears - The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
DoDonPachi Blissful Death Black Label Extra - Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

MATCH 1

I really like Alice Maestra! I don't have a lot of exposure to the PC-98 era Touhou songs, but songs like this show that they can do some of the same things I enjoy from the Windows era songs. Good repeating melodies and good rhythm in the drums when they pick up at parts like 2:02 are what mainly come to mind.

I think the story behind Daredevil is really cool, but unfortunately, I don't really share the view of Daredevil being that one amazing song that the game needed to make it complete. I can certainly understand why many love it with its powerful and emotional sound, but I personally don't get a lot out of it. I guess there just isn't really much of an overlap between this song and the kind of dramatic songs I tend to love.

MATCH 2

The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky makes me feel like I'm trudging through a snowy forest. I like that soft, descending melody a lot and the backing instruments come together very nicely here to create a really pleasant mood!

Field (Late Night) has a really cool mood too! 0:46-1:31 is my favorite part. As always, layered instruments are very nice. That little jazzy part at the end is a bit unexpected, but pretty nice nonetheless.

MATCH 3

They should've named LUCID NIGHTMARE Mixed Melody because I'm more mixed on the melody than Mixed Melody! Some parts like 0:20-0:33 are good while 0:35-1:05 aren't as good. Still, I like it overall.

Mixed Melody might be my favorite discovery that I found post-nomination period! It was pretty decent, but not amazing in the beginning, but man, once 0:53 hits, it sounds like a completely different song to me! The whole song from there on out up to the loop point is absolutely wild and I love it! All the instruments hit just right, and it's a great example of the kind of prog rock sounding stuff that I really enjoy.

Mixed Melody > Alice Maestra > The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky > Field (Late Night) > LUCID NIGHTMARE > Daredevil

Janus5k posted...

where is REVOLUTION in today's poll I demand a recount

Daredevil
The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
abstain

Alice
Arceus
Aucid Aightmare

7.5
7.5
8
8
8.5
8.5

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Daredevil
Pokmon Legends: Arceus - Field (Late Night)
GITADORA HIGH-VOLTAGE - LUCID NIGHTMARE

Nothing to add today! More great music. Today's murder (like, a bunch of crows):

[9.0] LUCID NIGHTMARE
[9.0] Field (Late Night)
[8.0] The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky
[7.0] Daredevil
[7.0] Alice Maestra
[6.5] Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Daredevil
Shevat
????

Alice Maestra
Field (Late Night)
Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

Daredevil
Field (Late Night)
Mixed Melody (Stage 4)

good day considering my usually low scores

Touhou 4: Lotus Land Story - Alice Maestra 7 Idk touhou music is weird for me. Like it really is a bop. But because there's so many touhou games and songs, and since they all share a similar soundfont and frantic energy level, they start to sound all the same vibe.. And idk then they lose individuality. Anyway I liked the bright striking notes that led the melody

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown - Daredevil 8 The faint quick high notes that carry the enthusiasm of the song, plus the tense epic horns solidify this as good. It's a epic and deeply moving track that makes me feel like ascending to the sky surrounded by stars and feathers. Or maybe climbing a mountain. putting one hand in front of the other.

Xenogears - The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky 6 the high notes that loop over and over are strangely vibrant and dynamic. I suppose the other instrumentation layered over it distracts me from it sounding too repetitive. It's a serene track, but it doesn't fit the sound i like.

Pokmon Legends: Arceus - Field (Late Night) 7.5 Man arceus ost really doesn't sound like traditional pokemon. This sounds like something i'd hear out of a killer7 or maybe metroid game. It's so spooky and futuristic sounding.. but it has traditional instrumentation at the same time? I liked the melody section at 1:21. It was really smooth and washed over me in a calm breeze.

GITADORA HIGH-VOLTAGE - LUCID NIGHTMARE 6 Lol the first bit of the song sounds like the ready music of a mario kart game. This is like one of sergio's favorite songs isn't it? I don't really hear much that hypes me up. I guess it's a rock jazz fusion,, it has some mellow progressions that are amped up by the guitar, but the different instruemental elements just collide with each other in a unpleasant and obnoxious way.

DoDonPachi Blissful Death Black Label Extra - Mixed Melody (Stage 4) 8 There's like one part of this track I like and it's when the original melody starts to build and grow. and evolves into this mezmerizing beat that weaves its way through the background of the song. The drumming is ok but it's a little too pronounced and in your face for me to appreciate it. It's mostly the electronic pulsating ? sound in the background that gains my approval. Well the final rock solo in the end is also very good, I wish that had popped up halfway thru too.

Daredevil / Late Night / LUCID NIGHTMARE

Alice Maestra: Hiding in the cover of night, she swiftly makes her approach towards the looming mountaintop ahead of her.

Daredevil: As the aircraft descends onto the landing pad, its whirring propellers blow leaves off of the ground and nearby trees.

The Wind Calls to Shevat in the Blue Sky: Your nostalgia for your hometown is replaced by feelings of hopelessness upon seeing it in person again for the first time.

Field (Late Night): Stranded an unknown distance from the world you know, you can't help but feel loneliness in this strange new place.

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