ReMix: Xenogears 'You and I'
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- Game: Xenogears (Square, 1998, PS1)
- ReMixer(s): Dale North
- Composer(s): Yasunori Mitsuda
- Song(s): 'SMALL TWO OF PIECES ~Broken Shards~'
- Posted: 2012-07-07, evaluated by djpretzel
Dale North's been doing amazing things as an editor over at Destructoid, but he's also still managed to find time to make mixes - last year we posted an excellent, emotive vocal ballad from Lunar:SSSC, and now we've got this instrumental pop/R&B take on one of my favorite Mitsuda themes, 'SMALL TWO OF PIECES ~Broken Shards~,' aka 'Broken Mirror' - the very first song we added to the OC ReMix database, way back when. I am currently 1. sick as a dog and 2. in Philadelphia, about to attend a wedding, so I'm gonna keep this writeup pretty short. Smooth EP, hip-hop/r&b beat, and a glide-sine synth intro us in, and then piano quickly takes over the lead melody. The piano itself has a thinner sound that's bolstered by forte playing, appropriate for the genre, and production is generally polished, with the sine synth coming in on the chorus, along with string pads, and cymbal rolls leading us in. It's familiar territory, but Dale does it very well, and I think the key thing here is that Mitsuda's melody is given space & room to shine in the context of a different genre, with a different flow & some nice full harmonies/voicings on the piano part. Short but oh-so-sweet, this is a straightforward instrumental R&B ballad take on a classic Xenogears track which nevertheless packs in a lot of emotion. Speaking of weddings, this would be a great track for any gamers looking for event-appropriate VGM for their special day - beautiful work.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the - Verile on September 30, 2012
- Shhteve on August 1, 2012
- timaeus222 on July 22, 2012
Great arrangement!
- XxSwtDreamerxX on July 20, 2012
DaleNorth;871811 wrote: Well, I AM the guy who did "Home Again" LOL!
I lol'd.
I have a soft spot for this source, and some of the rearrangements of it out there. I think Dale did a nice job with this take on it, albeit sans vocals, which leaves a bit of a hole at times with the given arrangement. The song still feels heartfelt, retaining and enhancing that aspect of the original in some ways while having a Dale North feel to it. I only wish it were longer and soared to another level like the original did.
Great job on this R&Bish take!
- Bahamut on July 15, 2012
Vincent Valentine;871113 wrote: Awesome arrangement for a great song!! Dale North you guys should do a vocal arrangement of this song with the guy that did Earthbound's "Home Again"!
Well, I AM the guy who did "Home Again" LOL!
- DaleNorth on July 14, 2012
- Vincent Valentine on July 11, 2012
Wina A. Kamlongera;870340 wrote: I just want to say that this is an awesome arrangement.
Seconding this. It's one of my favorite arrangements to get posted here lately, to be honest, and of a source that I have very little experience with.
- Melbu Frahma on July 7, 2012
