The binds of life
so complex
misleading
yet so simple
all the same
Interconnected
Is what we are
Unknown
But still
Bound together
There is insanity
unraveling the ties
Breakdown
Yet always
Fitting together
Hatred and fear
False guides
Hunger
But in all
Somewhere truth
Hope and love
True mentors
Wisdom
Yet even there
Something evil
Then death
Some veil
Untouchable
The great crossing
But still life
Life and death
But blips in time
Infinitesimal
But fleeting
Though all we know
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Seven Cities: Chapter Two
On the day the world ended, William DeSautel chanced to look out from his fourteenth story window onto the streets of New York City. Things, it seemed, were weird. New York could never be called normal by the usual usage of the word, but there was a method to its madness, a certain lunatic laugh. Now, though?
It was wrong.
Despite living near Times Square, despite it being noon, despite it being New York Center of the Universe, the crowds seemed thin. That is, thin for New York. The people that did scurry along did so with even less politeness than the famed New Yorker's courtesy usually dictated. Maybe half of the street vendors had turned out.
And there was something else. Something somehow more menacing than the change in the well established daily migration of the rat race. Something more terrifying than the large purple-green storm clouds in the east.
Aren't those supposed to go the other way?
William shrugged. It was just his imagination, surely. He had always been cursed with a mind creative beyond its right. His kindergarten teacher called it beautiful. His high school teachers called it distracting. His grad school professors called it deviant. His psychiatrist called it Generalized Anxious Escapism to the tune of four grand a month.
The cigarette in his hand had begun to smoke. It turned out to be a self-fulfilling hallucination, for William couldn't help but light it before moving to get his pills.
It was wrong.
Despite living near Times Square, despite it being noon, despite it being New York Center of the Universe, the crowds seemed thin. That is, thin for New York. The people that did scurry along did so with even less politeness than the famed New Yorker's courtesy usually dictated. Maybe half of the street vendors had turned out.
And there was something else. Something somehow more menacing than the change in the well established daily migration of the rat race. Something more terrifying than the large purple-green storm clouds in the east.
Aren't those supposed to go the other way?
William shrugged. It was just his imagination, surely. He had always been cursed with a mind creative beyond its right. His kindergarten teacher called it beautiful. His high school teachers called it distracting. His grad school professors called it deviant. His psychiatrist called it Generalized Anxious Escapism to the tune of four grand a month.
The cigarette in his hand had begun to smoke. It turned out to be a self-fulfilling hallucination, for William couldn't help but light it before moving to get his pills.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Youth
Whatever happened to
Weekends?
The cartoon
Marathons?
I knew every
Pokémon.
Go on,
Try me.
Remember
Scooby-Doo?
The real one,
I mean.
Back when it was
Good.
When they solved
Real mysteries.
Remember that
Glow-Pirate guy?
The black knight?
The Creeper?
And when it was
Over
What did we do?
We imagined
And played.
We didn't have this
Internet.
We didn't need it.
All we needed was
A cardboard box
Or a stick
And the fun was
Endless.
I couldn't write well.
I couldn't act.
I couldn't integrate
Or derive.
I could hardly speak
Clearly.
But I believed.
In monsters.
In perfection.
In immortality.
In hope.
In magic.
Is that what went
Wrong?
Belief is a
Wonderful,
Wonderful thing.
We abandoned it.
Calvin is no longer
Real.
But once?
Even Hobbes was
Alive.
And he was
Your friend.
No matter what.
They're all still there.
They'll wait
Forever.
Find them again.
Create
Without worrying about what
Anyone
Would say.
Pick up that stick.
Open the box.
Find a world to
Explore.
Find the lost magic.
Believe.
Weekends?
The cartoon
Marathons?
I knew every
Pokémon.
Go on,
Try me.
Remember
Scooby-Doo?
The real one,
I mean.
Back when it was
Good.
When they solved
Real mysteries.
Remember that
Glow-Pirate guy?
The black knight?
The Creeper?
And when it was
Over
What did we do?
We imagined
And played.
We didn't have this
Internet.
We didn't need it.
All we needed was
A cardboard box
Or a stick
And the fun was
Endless.
I couldn't write well.
I couldn't act.
I couldn't integrate
Or derive.
I could hardly speak
Clearly.
But I believed.
In monsters.
In perfection.
In immortality.
In hope.
In magic.
Is that what went
Wrong?
Belief is a
Wonderful,
Wonderful thing.
We abandoned it.
Calvin is no longer
Real.
But once?
Even Hobbes was
Alive.
And he was
Your friend.
No matter what.
They're all still there.
They'll wait
Forever.
Find them again.
Create
Without worrying about what
Anyone
Would say.
Pick up that stick.
Open the box.
Find a world to
Explore.
Find the lost magic.
Believe.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Facebook!
Alright, so I know I'm not actually supposed to write today, but I have officially applied Facebook to this blog. There is now an RPS page and a like button (right over there (at time of publication) ->) I shall be interested to see how this pans out.
Song of the Week 29: 'PearlSong' by The Wingless
It's that day again: Wednesday. I loathe Wednesdays, Mondays, and especially Tuesdays. On the bright side, I get to write my reviews. So, what I find interesting about this song in particular is that it's from a game that I actually own. I have Super Mario 64 downloaded on my wii, and I must say that it's quite a good game to play (although I still haven't taken the time to beat it yet; I have other...better games that I need to complete). The song is called 'PearlSong', and is another remix from The Wingless (his real name is John A. Burnett). I've already heard stuff from The Wingless that I absolutely love, so I expect more greatness within this mix.
The song starts with complete silence. To break this silence, a single drop of water will fall at 0:03. There is about two more seconds of silence, but then the track starts up at 0:06. The piano starts a four-note pattern, and a synth will start the melody. The synth has a medium pitch, and echoes each time it plays. I'll let you know now that the main theme the song is going to play is from the stage 'Dire, Dire Docks'. It's an underwater world, filled with fish, a sunken ship, and a rather annoying eel. I can already feel the underwater visuals now. This will continue until 0:21, when two light hits from the timpani will lead to another rhythm from the piano to appear. The higher piano can still be heard, but the lower acts as a counter-melody to the synth. There will be two more of those hit sequences from the timpani during this, and at 0:38 more effects will start adding on. Not only does the cool piano and synth continue to play, but a new, higher synth will come. Strings will also be heard playing softly in the background also. I can hear the main melody from Dire, Dire Docks at 0:54, and at perfect timing too. The first minute or so of the song was a great buildup for that. At about 1:10 a lot drops from the song, but the piano doing its thing as well as some clarinet in there (according to djpretzel's review). Some bass will eventually come in at 1:25, but the notes from it are soft and staccato. There really isn't any changes until 1:42. The next section that will appear will be a repeat of the main melody (with the addition of the bass of course). There's somewhat of a new section that comes at 1:58; the main section dies down a little bit and feature the piano a little more here. Here the piano does some fancy fingering, because rapid triplet grace notes are heard throughout this new section. The only other thing playing here that's not piano is the bass (it does a great job of backing up the piano by the way). At 2:14, an actual beat will appear from some percussion (light percussion, thankfully). It doesn't sound all that bad actually. In fact, it's a cool change in the song to add a little more variety while still keeping that peaceful mood. The main melody, with the add-ons, will play again at 2:30. The bass, though it plays a rather small role, really makes an impact here. I could definitely tell the difference when I turned the bass off on my ipod speakers while listening to this, so even the smallest parts of a song are needed. At 2:45 the song still plays the same melody, but it's using different notes that still make it sound really nice. Another timpani roll will appear at 3:02, and the song dies down once again. It goes back to the piano playing it's usual eighth notes and the a clarinet-like instrument playing in the background. This rhythm even changes keys at 3:18. It's quite awesome, if you ask me. Also, at 3:21 there is this absolutetly flawless grace note run that is one of the coolest things I've heard in the song (insert girly "I love it!" scream right here). This continues until 3:38, where the piano now plays a high variation of the main melody. The song is about to die down for good here. The different chords from the piano are great also, and the little bell part that will occasionally come is a nice touch. This entire section repeats itself, and then fades away...
The song starts with complete silence. To break this silence, a single drop of water will fall at 0:03. There is about two more seconds of silence, but then the track starts up at 0:06. The piano starts a four-note pattern, and a synth will start the melody. The synth has a medium pitch, and echoes each time it plays. I'll let you know now that the main theme the song is going to play is from the stage 'Dire, Dire Docks'. It's an underwater world, filled with fish, a sunken ship, and a rather annoying eel. I can already feel the underwater visuals now. This will continue until 0:21, when two light hits from the timpani will lead to another rhythm from the piano to appear. The higher piano can still be heard, but the lower acts as a counter-melody to the synth. There will be two more of those hit sequences from the timpani during this, and at 0:38 more effects will start adding on. Not only does the cool piano and synth continue to play, but a new, higher synth will come. Strings will also be heard playing softly in the background also. I can hear the main melody from Dire, Dire Docks at 0:54, and at perfect timing too. The first minute or so of the song was a great buildup for that. At about 1:10 a lot drops from the song, but the piano doing its thing as well as some clarinet in there (according to djpretzel's review). Some bass will eventually come in at 1:25, but the notes from it are soft and staccato. There really isn't any changes until 1:42. The next section that will appear will be a repeat of the main melody (with the addition of the bass of course). There's somewhat of a new section that comes at 1:58; the main section dies down a little bit and feature the piano a little more here. Here the piano does some fancy fingering, because rapid triplet grace notes are heard throughout this new section. The only other thing playing here that's not piano is the bass (it does a great job of backing up the piano by the way). At 2:14, an actual beat will appear from some percussion (light percussion, thankfully). It doesn't sound all that bad actually. In fact, it's a cool change in the song to add a little more variety while still keeping that peaceful mood. The main melody, with the add-ons, will play again at 2:30. The bass, though it plays a rather small role, really makes an impact here. I could definitely tell the difference when I turned the bass off on my ipod speakers while listening to this, so even the smallest parts of a song are needed. At 2:45 the song still plays the same melody, but it's using different notes that still make it sound really nice. Another timpani roll will appear at 3:02, and the song dies down once again. It goes back to the piano playing it's usual eighth notes and the a clarinet-like instrument playing in the background. This rhythm even changes keys at 3:18. It's quite awesome, if you ask me. Also, at 3:21 there is this absolutetly flawless grace note run that is one of the coolest things I've heard in the song (insert girly "I love it!" scream right here). This continues until 3:38, where the piano now plays a high variation of the main melody. The song is about to die down for good here. The different chords from the piano are great also, and the little bell part that will occasionally come is a nice touch. This entire section repeats itself, and then fades away...
Pros: The piano was perfect, the visuals were perfect, and the majority of this song was extraordinary. The instrumentation was mainly piano-focused, yet there is such a variety when the other instruments come in. The smallest add-ons make such a difference, and work very well with what's going on.
Cons: It was a little too repetitive at tome, but that's the only flaw I think.
Overall: This is another great track from The Wingless. It's now another one of my favorite songs, and it's great to hear a song from such a classic game.
Rating: 9.6/10
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cheezburger?
There once was a kitteh who wanted to haz
"O plz I can haz?" he begged,
But Longcat was too long to hear the request
And Ceiling Cat painfully vague.
And so little kitteh was left with out food,
And tearfully started too cry.
"Oh woe," said poor kitteh, "I haz nothing naow,
A sadness is all haz'd bai I!"
And then came the Walrus, with bukkit in hand
"Oh poor kitteh wai do you cry?"
"I wanted to haz," choked the kitteh through tears
The Walrus said "O kthxbai!"
But even while speaking, his bukkit was took
And like kitteh, the Walrus can't haz.
Here my sorrowful tale concludes with a thought:
"One must give if one wishes to haz."
"O plz I can haz?" he begged,
But Longcat was too long to hear the request
And Ceiling Cat painfully vague.
And so little kitteh was left with out food,
And tearfully started too cry.
"Oh woe," said poor kitteh, "I haz nothing naow,
A sadness is all haz'd bai I!"
And then came the Walrus, with bukkit in hand
"Oh poor kitteh wai do you cry?"
"I wanted to haz," choked the kitteh through tears
The Walrus said "O kthxbai!"
But even while speaking, his bukkit was took
And like kitteh, the Walrus can't haz.
Here my sorrowful tale concludes with a thought:
"One must give if one wishes to haz."
Monday, January 24, 2011
Slipping
It started out well;
Everyone did their part,
And everything was done
In advance.
Clockwork
Would have been jealous.
But then
It
Came again.
The monster that so long
Plagued them
In the Past.
The vicious Slump,
Beast of legend,
Stalked the once golden
Blog.
Its great mass
Drowned
Some portions,
And as the land
Tilts
We begin our fall.
Slipping
Into shadow.
Everyone did their part,
And everything was done
In advance.
Clockwork
Would have been jealous.
But then
It
Came again.
The monster that so long
Plagued them
In the Past.
The vicious Slump,
Beast of legend,
Stalked the once golden
Blog.
Its great mass
Drowned
Some portions,
And as the land
Tilts
We begin our fall.
Slipping
Into shadow.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Better Pidgeotto
Alright, some of you may have seen this already. Since the knew Apocalypse chapter featured a more impressive Pidgeotto, that is what I made. I am very fond of it.
Again, here is a normal Pidgeotto for comparison.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Song of the Week 28.5: 'Day's End' by Sole Signal, Tweek (redo)
I'm posting on a Saturday again, so you all know what that means. That's right, it's another Song of the Week .5 edition. With these .5 posts becoming more common, expect to see these each weekend (unless I run out of Met's posts to redo). Okay, so this is a redo of Song of the Week 3. Titled 'Day's End', this song is from Mario Kart 64. Sadly, I've never played the game (although I've played other various games in the Mario Kart series). I've seen Sole Signal and Tweek in a lot of the remixes I've looked at, so I expect some good stuff from them. So anyway, let's begin.
The beginning of the song sounds rather peaceful. With a calm synth playing the background, a soft, rapid, and higher synth playing for more effect, and piano starting out the melody two seconds into the song, the atmosphere already starts out great. At 0:15 there's some cymbal to transition the song. At this new section starting at 0:16, it pretty much repeats the beginning section but with some soft percussion added in. There's another cymbal roll at 0:32, which means that change is coming. After the cymbal the melody from the piano goes into a different rhythm. The pitch of the piano is much lower, and the melody overall has a much faster rhythm. This will continue until 0:48 where there's another roll from the cymbal. The section doesn't change at all afterward, but there is a slight counter-melody from some strings, as well as a new synth that has appeared. At 1:04 there's probably one of the loudest cymbal rolls I've heard thus far. This leads to a section very similar to the others, but there's something about it that makes the song work. Everything is doing its own thing, but when played together it sounds flawless. Because it's louder in volume, and because there's yet another synth added in, there's awesome atmosphere here. With another cymbal roll at 1:21, the piano melody splits and creates another. The higher pitched melody of the two is the one that stands out the most in my opinion. The two will combine at 1:30 to create a great harmony though. There's a new section that comes in at 1:39, with the piano maintaining a melody, timpani used for extra percussion effects, and other synths playing swiftly. It's even calmer than past sections. At 1:53 the section continues, but it's slightly more upbeat because of the addition of more percussion (this addition of percussion I'm describing is very similar to the one at 1:04). With another cymbal roll at 2:10, the majority of the elements in the song come to a halt. Then at 2:15, guitar starts up and the synth replaces the piano in terms of the melody. At 2:31 the cymbal comes in once again, and creates an increase in volume in the song. Now this section is a little bit different than the others. Despite the fact that the main melody and mood is the same, the percussion is slightly different. Alongside the percussion being played already, there's now a conga-like section being played. There really isn't any changes until 2:48. The section repeats itself, but it sounds more powerful when the strings come in to be the melody. The piano also plays some sort of a counter-melody also. To add more to this incredible section, there's another batch of strings added in after a cymbal roll at 3:03. The piano will change even at 3:20 (after a cymbal roll, of course); it would repeatedly play the same note over and over again. The song will die down a little at 3:37, and everything will become even more peaceful and serene. The song will start back up again at 3:42, playing something very similar to the beginning section but with a different melody rhythm. Strings are heard again at 3:55, and the song will go back into a section that I'm sure is the exact same as one of the previous sections (or similar). At 4:29, after another cymbal roll (there's so many...), the song will continue playing, but without the majority of the percussion. At 4:47 the song goes back into the beginning rhythm, and then fades away into the end.
Pros: The entire atmosphere was great. Even though there was little change in instrumentation and melody, the song did a great job in keeping my interest. Brilliant.
Cons: Not much to say here, although they could have used some other ways to transition the piece, but the cymbal rolls were starting to bug me after a while.
Overall: This is a cool piece to listen to. The peacefulness and the serenity of the entire song is great, and I highly recommend listening to it.
Rating: 9.3/10
The beginning of the song sounds rather peaceful. With a calm synth playing the background, a soft, rapid, and higher synth playing for more effect, and piano starting out the melody two seconds into the song, the atmosphere already starts out great. At 0:15 there's some cymbal to transition the song. At this new section starting at 0:16, it pretty much repeats the beginning section but with some soft percussion added in. There's another cymbal roll at 0:32, which means that change is coming. After the cymbal the melody from the piano goes into a different rhythm. The pitch of the piano is much lower, and the melody overall has a much faster rhythm. This will continue until 0:48 where there's another roll from the cymbal. The section doesn't change at all afterward, but there is a slight counter-melody from some strings, as well as a new synth that has appeared. At 1:04 there's probably one of the loudest cymbal rolls I've heard thus far. This leads to a section very similar to the others, but there's something about it that makes the song work. Everything is doing its own thing, but when played together it sounds flawless. Because it's louder in volume, and because there's yet another synth added in, there's awesome atmosphere here. With another cymbal roll at 1:21, the piano melody splits and creates another. The higher pitched melody of the two is the one that stands out the most in my opinion. The two will combine at 1:30 to create a great harmony though. There's a new section that comes in at 1:39, with the piano maintaining a melody, timpani used for extra percussion effects, and other synths playing swiftly. It's even calmer than past sections. At 1:53 the section continues, but it's slightly more upbeat because of the addition of more percussion (this addition of percussion I'm describing is very similar to the one at 1:04). With another cymbal roll at 2:10, the majority of the elements in the song come to a halt. Then at 2:15, guitar starts up and the synth replaces the piano in terms of the melody. At 2:31 the cymbal comes in once again, and creates an increase in volume in the song. Now this section is a little bit different than the others. Despite the fact that the main melody and mood is the same, the percussion is slightly different. Alongside the percussion being played already, there's now a conga-like section being played. There really isn't any changes until 2:48. The section repeats itself, but it sounds more powerful when the strings come in to be the melody. The piano also plays some sort of a counter-melody also. To add more to this incredible section, there's another batch of strings added in after a cymbal roll at 3:03. The piano will change even at 3:20 (after a cymbal roll, of course); it would repeatedly play the same note over and over again. The song will die down a little at 3:37, and everything will become even more peaceful and serene. The song will start back up again at 3:42, playing something very similar to the beginning section but with a different melody rhythm. Strings are heard again at 3:55, and the song will go back into a section that I'm sure is the exact same as one of the previous sections (or similar). At 4:29, after another cymbal roll (there's so many...), the song will continue playing, but without the majority of the percussion. At 4:47 the song goes back into the beginning rhythm, and then fades away into the end.
Pros: The entire atmosphere was great. Even though there was little change in instrumentation and melody, the song did a great job in keeping my interest. Brilliant.
Cons: Not much to say here, although they could have used some other ways to transition the piece, but the cymbal rolls were starting to bug me after a while.
Overall: This is a cool piece to listen to. The peacefulness and the serenity of the entire song is great, and I highly recommend listening to it.
Rating: 9.3/10
Friday, January 21, 2011
Unbreakable
The power
The feeling that
You can do
Whatever
You can
Possibly
Wish for
The helping
Of the helpless
The goodness
Of what you do
Touching others
Their lives yours
To do what you will
The corruption
Of absolute power
Finding your soul
At first you fight
But then
You decide
You quite like it
The rampage
From your soul
Unleashed
In its full glory
The terror
Of the helpless
Fuel
Unstoppable
You tear
Straight through
The earth
Just because
You can
Unbreakable
The feeling that
You can do
Whatever
You can
Possibly
Wish for
The helping
Of the helpless
The goodness
Of what you do
Touching others
Their lives yours
To do what you will
The corruption
Of absolute power
Finding your soul
At first you fight
But then
You decide
You quite like it
The rampage
From your soul
Unleashed
In its full glory
The terror
Of the helpless
Fuel
Unstoppable
You tear
Straight through
The earth
Just because
You can
Unbreakable
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Self
We tried
to avoid
the pitfalls.
We saw them
coming.
Inevitability
has a certain
irony
to it.
If you
can't avoid it,
what do you
do?
If you believe it is
inevitable,
what do you
do?
What use
is futile
planning?
Caught within
the lair
of your greatest enemy.
This is
your mind.
to avoid
the pitfalls.
We saw them
coming.
Inevitability
has a certain
irony
to it.
If you
can't avoid it,
what do you
do?
If you believe it is
inevitable,
what do you
do?
What use
is futile
planning?
Caught within
the lair
of your greatest enemy.
This is
your mind.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Song of the Week 28: 'The Galaxy Awaits' by Nutritious
I didn't post yesterday, although I was supposed to. It's sort of a long story of why I didn't write anything, but I do thank Met for giving me the day off yesterday. Fortunately, I'm now writing again. So, this is another Super Metroid remix that's going to be reviewed, and is titled 'The Galaxy Awaits' by the artist Nutritious (his real name is Justin Medford). I learned that I've been having more terrible problems with my computer, so I better finish reviewing this song quickly.
The beginning starts out strong. With a couple percussion hits, low strings, and a flute-like instrument playing, the track is off to a good start. There are also other instruments added in there, such as wind chimes at 0:14, and even something that sounds like castanets is heard as well. At 0:17 the brass is added (with some high strings as well), giving the song another boost in strength. With a quick suspended cymbal roll at 0:24, the song continues to increase in volume with the brass and high strings playing the melody/harmony role here. The song doesn't die down until about 0:30. At this new section, the strings are playing a soft, extended note until a french horn comes in to introduce the melody. At 0:35 the melody consists of low strings. This is some pretty powerful stuff; it's one of the elements that I love about orchestral songs. More and more different string instruments are added to greatly increase the complexity and volume of the song (this makes it very epic). Another suspended cymbal roll will come in at 0:52. After this loud roll the brass will play with all their power, with timpani doing what it does best. After a stretched note at 0:58, a new section will start to play at 1:04. It starts out with low strings and percussion playing simultaneously. They would play two beats per measure (It sounds like the key signature is in 6/8 time). Brass and a crash cymbal will be added at about 1:08 also. This seems to be an introduction for a section that is to come. At 1:17 there's a roll on the snare drum, and the song goes into a brand new section. At this section low strings play a simple one-note melody, and the snare drum does an excellent job with it's numerous rolls. At 1:28 the melody starts to be developed from a low brass section. Not only that, but I can hear those castanets again. At 1:38 there's trumpet the plays it's own melody, blotting out the low brass and standing out quite well. At 1:44 the trumpet splits itself to make a harmony of itself. Strings will be heard again at 1:48ish, and the song continues. At 1:59 everything is strong and is showing off its perfection to me. Plus, I recognize the song that the melody is playing. The same melody is still played at 2:13, but it's much quieter. Instead of the normal brass and strings that I've been hearing throughout the song, I now hear flute playing the melody with some bassoon lightly playing alongside it. The strings pop back in at 2:18 though, with a great bass line coming from the lower string section. With a smack of the crash cymbal, as well as the rolling of the snare drum, the song goes into another new section. Woodwind instruments play medium-slow triplets to start out with. As the song progresses, more and more instruments are added. Flutes, french horn, strings, and even the triangle are played to create a great build up. I don't hear a melody until close to 2:45; the strings play a semi-progressive rhythm that I guess would count as a melody. Another cymbal roll appears, which as you know means there's going to be more added. I'm correct, although there was a slight delay before anything the section changed. What really changes is the quick change in melody at around 3:04. Here there's one more concluding section. The strings are very loud, and when the timpani comes in again at 3:11, it creates one of the classic ways to end an orchestral piece. Everything cuts off at 3:23, and then the song is over.
Pros: Mostly everything I would count as a pro. The instrumentation was great, the balance was great, the harmonies were great, etc. Very strong and moving stuff right here.
Cons: There was pretty much nothing wrong with the song, although I thought that a couple of the suspended cymbal rolls were unnecessary when no change was after said roll.
Overall: Looking for an almost flawless orchestral remix from Super Metroid? Then this is the song for you. This is a great song to listen to, no matter what type of music you prefer.
Rating: 9.4/10
The beginning starts out strong. With a couple percussion hits, low strings, and a flute-like instrument playing, the track is off to a good start. There are also other instruments added in there, such as wind chimes at 0:14, and even something that sounds like castanets is heard as well. At 0:17 the brass is added (with some high strings as well), giving the song another boost in strength. With a quick suspended cymbal roll at 0:24, the song continues to increase in volume with the brass and high strings playing the melody/harmony role here. The song doesn't die down until about 0:30. At this new section, the strings are playing a soft, extended note until a french horn comes in to introduce the melody. At 0:35 the melody consists of low strings. This is some pretty powerful stuff; it's one of the elements that I love about orchestral songs. More and more different string instruments are added to greatly increase the complexity and volume of the song (this makes it very epic). Another suspended cymbal roll will come in at 0:52. After this loud roll the brass will play with all their power, with timpani doing what it does best. After a stretched note at 0:58, a new section will start to play at 1:04. It starts out with low strings and percussion playing simultaneously. They would play two beats per measure (It sounds like the key signature is in 6/8 time). Brass and a crash cymbal will be added at about 1:08 also. This seems to be an introduction for a section that is to come. At 1:17 there's a roll on the snare drum, and the song goes into a brand new section. At this section low strings play a simple one-note melody, and the snare drum does an excellent job with it's numerous rolls. At 1:28 the melody starts to be developed from a low brass section. Not only that, but I can hear those castanets again. At 1:38 there's trumpet the plays it's own melody, blotting out the low brass and standing out quite well. At 1:44 the trumpet splits itself to make a harmony of itself. Strings will be heard again at 1:48ish, and the song continues. At 1:59 everything is strong and is showing off its perfection to me. Plus, I recognize the song that the melody is playing. The same melody is still played at 2:13, but it's much quieter. Instead of the normal brass and strings that I've been hearing throughout the song, I now hear flute playing the melody with some bassoon lightly playing alongside it. The strings pop back in at 2:18 though, with a great bass line coming from the lower string section. With a smack of the crash cymbal, as well as the rolling of the snare drum, the song goes into another new section. Woodwind instruments play medium-slow triplets to start out with. As the song progresses, more and more instruments are added. Flutes, french horn, strings, and even the triangle are played to create a great build up. I don't hear a melody until close to 2:45; the strings play a semi-progressive rhythm that I guess would count as a melody. Another cymbal roll appears, which as you know means there's going to be more added. I'm correct, although there was a slight delay before anything the section changed. What really changes is the quick change in melody at around 3:04. Here there's one more concluding section. The strings are very loud, and when the timpani comes in again at 3:11, it creates one of the classic ways to end an orchestral piece. Everything cuts off at 3:23, and then the song is over.
Pros: Mostly everything I would count as a pro. The instrumentation was great, the balance was great, the harmonies were great, etc. Very strong and moving stuff right here.
Cons: There was pretty much nothing wrong with the song, although I thought that a couple of the suspended cymbal rolls were unnecessary when no change was after said roll.
Overall: Looking for an almost flawless orchestral remix from Super Metroid? Then this is the song for you. This is a great song to listen to, no matter what type of music you prefer.
Rating: 9.4/10
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Fantasy
The witching hour drawing near
Recalls those secret thoughts
Of truth and lie and love and lust
And friendship, time, and dreams:
The first so veiled to shield the self
(And others too) from pain;
The next to fill the gaping void
With joyless, weak facade;
The third, of course, a wretched brew
Of hope and fear combined;
The fourth, its twin begot' of thirst
To fill, again, a void;
The next will sprout to bloom and shine
With bond greater than blood;
But next the sixth at it erodes
And threatens bitterness;
The last is where each of these stem
And whence they meet anew.
So midnight brings a life to these,
And, shattered, puts it back.
Recalls those secret thoughts
Of truth and lie and love and lust
And friendship, time, and dreams:
The first so veiled to shield the self
(And others too) from pain;
The next to fill the gaping void
With joyless, weak facade;
The third, of course, a wretched brew
Of hope and fear combined;
The fourth, its twin begot' of thirst
To fill, again, a void;
The next will sprout to bloom and shine
With bond greater than blood;
But next the sixth at it erodes
And threatens bitterness;
The last is where each of these stem
And whence they meet anew.
So midnight brings a life to these,
And, shattered, puts it back.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Ode Part 2
I pray thee, cease to be anew
And dance again that writhing step!
Spasmodic joy well suiteth thee
As violets suit the field unsown.
Yet I could never suffer thee
To be but for a moment gone
- A moment live -
For but thy death,
Thy sweetest balm
- Nepenthe -
- Love -
Sustainest me. Prolongeth me.
So stay thou dead, live not anew
To die again and bloat and burst,
Rather to life remain unbound,
Rather to me remain a friend,
Rather restore to life its truth.
Thou bloated frog on water's edge,
So lodged in the earthen grime.
And dance again that writhing step!
Spasmodic joy well suiteth thee
As violets suit the field unsown.
Yet I could never suffer thee
To be but for a moment gone
- A moment live -
For but thy death,
Thy sweetest balm
- Nepenthe -
- Love -
Sustainest me. Prolongeth me.
So stay thou dead, live not anew
To die again and bloat and burst,
Rather to life remain unbound,
Rather to me remain a friend,
Rather restore to life its truth.
Thou bloated frog on water's edge,
So lodged in the earthen grime.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Song of the Week 27.5: 'Lost in Jungle' by Johan Krafft (redo)
Guess what? I actually succeeded in getting this post done before the day of. After getting numerous complaints from both Reogan and Met, I've started to become a little more committed into getting these posts done on time. So anyway, this is a .5 edition (which is obviously displayed in my post title), which usually means that I'm redoing one of Met's early reviews. This one just so happens to be SotW 8. The song is 'Lost in Jungle' and is by Johan Krafft. If you just clicked on the previous link, you would find hardly anything about him other than the fact that this is his only remix. Sorry for all of my babbling; now let's get to the song already...
The beginning really has no introduction at all, but it starts out strong with some refreshing solo piano. The treble notes will lightly play a three note rhythm (in the form of eighth notes), and the bass notes will basically play one stretched note once in a while for both bass and harmony. At 0:23 the bass notes will start to become a little more active though, supporting the treble melody flawlessly. At 0:27 a new solo piano section will begin. With a very short introduction to said section from the bass notes, the treble will now play the familiar tune of 'Aquatic Ambience' (this relaxing tune is what the remix is based off of). The bass here is much more involved, creating the perfect harmonies for this melody. There seems to be a perfect balance between the treble and bass notes. As the section continues to play everything being played on the piano sounds very complex, but what's great about it is that it's not as complex as you would think. I hardly can hear any chords, and it only sounds really complex because the notes are blended together so perfectly. This cool section continues until 1:04. At this point the song goes back into what it was at the beginning. Despite the fact that it's repeating the exact same thing, I find it necessary, for something new will rise from the ashes of the song soon enough. That, which does indeed rise, is a synth. This will appear at 1:19, showing off that piano shouldn't be the only sound to satisfy my tastes in music. This medium-low synth will play stretched notes, each acting as the synth's very own melody. Blotting out the piano, the synth will create it into a harmony. The entire thing, even with the synth, sounds very soothing. At 1:46 the same synth will now prove to me that it has what it takes to be the melody, for it now plays the end sequence of Aquatic Ambience (giving the piano the boot). The piano does make a good harmony now, and I enjoy it, but the synth mainly has my attention. At about 1:54 there's a long build-up, and a transition is born. The synth leaves, the piano takes over, and the mood has changed all at 2:00. Not only that, but there's now percussion as well as some bass to create more of a groove. This "groove" from the percussion and bass work well with the piano; it's almost like it's now a remix inside of the remix (it that makes any sense). There's even more added at 2:14; additional synths are placed into the background for a more relaxing feel to the song (it also acts as an outstanding harmony!). There's another transition at 2:24-the exact same transition as the one at 1:54-and at 2:27 the synth returns. Playing the main melody of the entire track (Aquatic Ambience), that, along with the other elements playing in the song, really bring the whole track together into something awesome. At 2:55 I can also hear the piano acting like the background singer for the synth also. At 3:03 there's that same transition again, which brings back that same section from 2:00. However, this time around there's a much higher synth to back up the piano (and sounding quite eerie at the same time) that appears at roughly 3:16. This continues to play and does what it does best until 3:30. There's another transition, and the song continues to play. Okay, now we get to the most interesting part of the song at 3:36. With odd animal noises (I can detect monkeys though), and the beat/bass going into a much more upbeat mood, it really adds a little more uniqueness into the song. I start to get a little confused at 3:49 though; an unusual sequence of chords play short, staccato notes in a simple pattern. It hardly had anything that had to do with the relaxing mood of the song, so it makes me think, "Wait...what just happened?" Fortunately I start to get a slightly clearer picture when I hear that familiar synth play the same tune from all the way back at 1:19. By the way, the synth begins to play again at 4:04. With that synth playing, I can see what sort of a role that funky chord sequence plays (although I think it's unnecessary). The piano comes in for the last time at 3:31, which does make make me finally get what's going on here. At 4:44 that funky little sequence does drop (as well as the bass and percussion), leaving the piano to finish off the song.
Pros: I loved the piano, and also loved the type of atmosphere that the synth had created. When the beat and bass came in at 2:00, and also when the section at 2:27 came in, I felt like the entire song worked perfectly. I haven't heard such a great blend of sounds in a while, so this really is a great song.
Cons: Okay, I have to say that the last section, starting at 3:36 with the animal noises, was a bit strange. That section did seem unnecessary, and the artist could have at least introduced the funky chord section in a less...funky way.
Overall: I like this song. A lot. Even after listening to it for a while now after downloading it, I find it to be very enjoyable and cool to listen to despite that interesting section at the end.
Rating: 9.6/10
The beginning really has no introduction at all, but it starts out strong with some refreshing solo piano. The treble notes will lightly play a three note rhythm (in the form of eighth notes), and the bass notes will basically play one stretched note once in a while for both bass and harmony. At 0:23 the bass notes will start to become a little more active though, supporting the treble melody flawlessly. At 0:27 a new solo piano section will begin. With a very short introduction to said section from the bass notes, the treble will now play the familiar tune of 'Aquatic Ambience' (this relaxing tune is what the remix is based off of). The bass here is much more involved, creating the perfect harmonies for this melody. There seems to be a perfect balance between the treble and bass notes. As the section continues to play everything being played on the piano sounds very complex, but what's great about it is that it's not as complex as you would think. I hardly can hear any chords, and it only sounds really complex because the notes are blended together so perfectly. This cool section continues until 1:04. At this point the song goes back into what it was at the beginning. Despite the fact that it's repeating the exact same thing, I find it necessary, for something new will rise from the ashes of the song soon enough. That, which does indeed rise, is a synth. This will appear at 1:19, showing off that piano shouldn't be the only sound to satisfy my tastes in music. This medium-low synth will play stretched notes, each acting as the synth's very own melody. Blotting out the piano, the synth will create it into a harmony. The entire thing, even with the synth, sounds very soothing. At 1:46 the same synth will now prove to me that it has what it takes to be the melody, for it now plays the end sequence of Aquatic Ambience (giving the piano the boot). The piano does make a good harmony now, and I enjoy it, but the synth mainly has my attention. At about 1:54 there's a long build-up, and a transition is born. The synth leaves, the piano takes over, and the mood has changed all at 2:00. Not only that, but there's now percussion as well as some bass to create more of a groove. This "groove" from the percussion and bass work well with the piano; it's almost like it's now a remix inside of the remix (it that makes any sense). There's even more added at 2:14; additional synths are placed into the background for a more relaxing feel to the song (it also acts as an outstanding harmony!). There's another transition at 2:24-the exact same transition as the one at 1:54-and at 2:27 the synth returns. Playing the main melody of the entire track (Aquatic Ambience), that, along with the other elements playing in the song, really bring the whole track together into something awesome. At 2:55 I can also hear the piano acting like the background singer for the synth also. At 3:03 there's that same transition again, which brings back that same section from 2:00. However, this time around there's a much higher synth to back up the piano (and sounding quite eerie at the same time) that appears at roughly 3:16. This continues to play and does what it does best until 3:30. There's another transition, and the song continues to play. Okay, now we get to the most interesting part of the song at 3:36. With odd animal noises (I can detect monkeys though), and the beat/bass going into a much more upbeat mood, it really adds a little more uniqueness into the song. I start to get a little confused at 3:49 though; an unusual sequence of chords play short, staccato notes in a simple pattern. It hardly had anything that had to do with the relaxing mood of the song, so it makes me think, "Wait...what just happened?" Fortunately I start to get a slightly clearer picture when I hear that familiar synth play the same tune from all the way back at 1:19. By the way, the synth begins to play again at 4:04. With that synth playing, I can see what sort of a role that funky chord sequence plays (although I think it's unnecessary). The piano comes in for the last time at 3:31, which does make make me finally get what's going on here. At 4:44 that funky little sequence does drop (as well as the bass and percussion), leaving the piano to finish off the song.
Pros: I loved the piano, and also loved the type of atmosphere that the synth had created. When the beat and bass came in at 2:00, and also when the section at 2:27 came in, I felt like the entire song worked perfectly. I haven't heard such a great blend of sounds in a while, so this really is a great song.
Cons: Okay, I have to say that the last section, starting at 3:36 with the animal noises, was a bit strange. That section did seem unnecessary, and the artist could have at least introduced the funky chord section in a less...funky way.
Overall: I like this song. A lot. Even after listening to it for a while now after downloading it, I find it to be very enjoyable and cool to listen to despite that interesting section at the end.
Rating: 9.6/10
Friday, January 14, 2011
Insanity
I look out the door
Hall of mirrors spinning through
Monstrous reflections
Distorting reality
The mirrors seethe
I try to run
My feet are gone
The words "Death Warrant"
In their place
The reflections come alive
come out of the mirrors
Start their way
Toward me
Panic
Scream
Wake
Find nothing has changed
Well this sucks
I see the flesh
Falling from my hands
Then darkness
Then screams
I suppose that's me
Isn't it?
This strange feeling
That I should be dead
Only a lust
For human flesh
Keeps me alive
You might say zombie
I simply say insane
And you will run
As you truly aught
I have come to the end
My life truly done
Then in death
The same
Over again
Stricken
Insane
Anew
Hall of mirrors spinning through
Monstrous reflections
Distorting reality
The mirrors seethe
I try to run
My feet are gone
The words "Death Warrant"
In their place
The reflections come alive
come out of the mirrors
Start their way
Toward me
Panic
Scream
Wake
Find nothing has changed
Well this sucks
I see the flesh
Falling from my hands
Then darkness
Then screams
I suppose that's me
Isn't it?
This strange feeling
That I should be dead
Only a lust
For human flesh
Keeps me alive
You might say zombie
I simply say insane
And you will run
As you truly aught
I have come to the end
My life truly done
Then in death
The same
Over again
Stricken
Insane
Anew
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Non-TPK
Sometimes
People do things
Because they
Care.
Sometimes
People do things
Because they
Don't want to
Lose you
Yet.
Now,
Do you see
Why
I simulated that
Battle
A billion
Times?
DMing
Is hard.
People do things
Because they
Care.
Sometimes
People do things
Because they
Don't want to
Lose you
Yet.
Now,
Do you see
Why
I simulated that
Battle
A billion
Times?
DMing
Is hard.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Song of the Week 27: 'Malevolent Mansion' by Nekofrog, Sole Signal
Hello, I'm back once again for this week's SotW. So this week's song is from Banjo-Kazooie and is titled 'Malevolent Mansion.' Just to let you know, it's interesting to listen to whether a person would like the song or not. Anyway, if you want the direct mix you can click here.
The first two seconds start off as an introduction for the insanity that is to come. It starts off with a michevious-sounding intro until 0:03. At this next part slow percussion will play, strings will be a simple backup, and the melody will be played by a high synth that pretty much gives the visuals here. What is this, an evil carnival? Seems like it, for the melody really shows the creepiness of everything being played. This continues until 0:24. There's a brief transition here, which leads to a much more upbeat section at 0:25 (it still gives off that "evil carnival" feel though). Here the percussion has sped up rapidly. An electric guitar can also be heard to give the song more of an upbeat rock feeling to the song. The melody is still the same sounding synth as before, but the rhythm has sped up to a much faster pace and rhythm. At about 0:36 the song stays the same, but a few additions arrive. There's now a high synth playing the original melody from 0:03. This continues to play until abou 0:48. With a part of the melody that concludes the section, a new one is created. The main synth is now gone, and a new one has taken its place. This new synth has a medium-low pitch, and plays roughly at the same speed as the melody from 0:25. There seems to be a much calmer atmosphere; instead of the electric guitar sounds there are now strings that play backup. This again continues until 0:58. Here this section is probably more like a transition than a section. The guitar is back to play at every other beat, and the synth is completely going insane (which I have to say is quite awesome). At 1:05 the percussion, as well as everything else, has slowed down back to the speed of what it was at the beginning. The strings and percussion pretty much do the exact same thing as that beginning section, but the melody has changed. Here the melody sounds michevious-sounding again. There's much more flair this time around when the melody puts in a couple trills to spice things up. Also, at 1:16 some electric guitar is added to add more into the track. At 1:27 there's a change in instrumentation. Instead of a synth playing the melody, a xylophone takes over. The strings do back it up somewhat, but the melody was my main focus here. There are numerous rolls here-especially at about 1:34-and does a great job in having some variety in what gets to play the melody. With some electric guitar placed in at 1:36, the song transitions again. At 1:40 it becomes a section that is almost the exact same as the section at 0:25. There are some minor differences though: 1)The melody sounds a little more clearer because it's used with a different synth. 2) This new section has a change in key. This plays more, and At 1:50 I can hear the presence of a small harmony. At 2:01 here's that same transition with the insanely driving synth (the one from 0:58). At 2:13 everything seems to come together. Not only is that one crazy synth being played, but the melody has changed into something slower (and newer) and the upbeat mood is kept at the same time. At 2:23 there's a slight change in atmosphere. With a hit of the electric guitar, everything suddenly becomes much calmer. Bass is added to help maintain a melody, higher strings (they could be synths also) help make this new atmosphere possible, and the percussion continues to play away. At 2:35 very high strings come in to play a rapid four-beat melody. This entire section continues, even adding low strings and xylophone to make plucking effects at 2:48. The original melody, the one from the very beginning (with the same synth also), will return for an encore appearance at 2:59. At 3:08 The guitar acts like a bass, and the melody is now controlled by the strings/xylophone. This continues until 3:21, where that crazy synth will start playing in the background again. This is a much longer transition (yes, I still think it's a transition), as the section won't play until about 3:35. This is now a repeat of the exact same thing from 1:40. The exact same thing. What's great about this is that a person would get to the point of insanity here, but it's so addicting to listen to. There's a small roll from the xylophone at 4:08 (after that entire section was playing of course), and the song goes into a different rhythm from the synth. However, there's now very high electric guitar to act as sort of a counter melody. At 4:19 the melody is now in the hands of the electric guitar, showing off its awesomeness as the crazy synth plays in the background. At 4:31 there is then a quick conclusion, and the song is now over.
Pros: There was great variety in this song, and is probably one of the first songs that I've listened to with that sort of visuals. It did make me go insane, but it was awesome at the same time so it didn't really matter (plus I've had a slight case of insanity these days so it's okay). The xylophone section at 1:27 was really cool, and the changes in atmosphere that appeared occasionally were great. The instrumentation melody-wise was superb also.
Cons: Sometimes I felt that the repetitiveness of the different sections were a little too much for me. Also, the xylophone could've had less rolls at 1:34.
Overall: I had fun listening to this song, and I recommend others listen to it as well. Not only was it fun, there were very few flaws.
Rating: 9.2/10
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
RLRPG
Fighting for love and not winning the war:
-1 XP
Maintaining friendships and juggling trust:
76 XP
Forging ahead on a path not yet clear
(And, doubtless, will never be),
And yet shaping the goal with each flick of the mind:
312 XP
Fighting for love with a hint of success:
504 XP
Making a fool of oneself for a laugh
809 XP
Dreaming up dreams never dreamed before now
And knowing they never can be,
Yet dreaming the dreams for the sake of the dream
2002 XP
Believing in love with a heart never shared
With hope that there can be a We,
And, unceasing, pursuing that love never grasped
Paying dearly the heartache as fee;
Attempting a Epic Feat small and untrained:
(Infinity)xXP
-1 XP
Maintaining friendships and juggling trust:
76 XP
Forging ahead on a path not yet clear
(And, doubtless, will never be),
And yet shaping the goal with each flick of the mind:
312 XP
Fighting for love with a hint of success:
504 XP
Making a fool of oneself for a laugh
809 XP
Dreaming up dreams never dreamed before now
And knowing they never can be,
Yet dreaming the dreams for the sake of the dream
2002 XP
Believing in love with a heart never shared
With hope that there can be a We,
And, unceasing, pursuing that love never grasped
Paying dearly the heartache as fee;
Attempting a Epic Feat small and untrained:
(Infinity)xXP
Monday, January 10, 2011
Ode to that Bespied on Icy Shore one Soft Spring's Morn Part 1
Thou bloated frog on water's edge
So lodged in the earthen grime
Twixt life and pond and shore and death,
How moving is thy simple fate?
How stirring is thy majesty?
- Unmitigated corpulence! -
They mottled flesh in nauseous grace,
Sublime in putrid, rotting mien,
As to a sunbeam bent and long,
Diurnal, blinding, quantum flash,
Recalls those days
- How long ago? -
I heard thy wretched croaking cease
By more each languid, passing hour.
Recall'st thou how thy bathing pond,
Thy home and pool became thy grave?
How, like a maiden, thin and pale,
Traversest slow the hallowed shrine,
In fluid grace
- With sacred song -
So too thou pass'st to thy shrine?
By worms upkept?
By flies adored
And deified?
So lodged in the earthen grime
Twixt life and pond and shore and death,
How moving is thy simple fate?
How stirring is thy majesty?
- Unmitigated corpulence! -
They mottled flesh in nauseous grace,
Sublime in putrid, rotting mien,
As to a sunbeam bent and long,
Diurnal, blinding, quantum flash,
Recalls those days
- How long ago? -
I heard thy wretched croaking cease
By more each languid, passing hour.
Recall'st thou how thy bathing pond,
Thy home and pool became thy grave?
How, like a maiden, thin and pale,
Traversest slow the hallowed shrine,
In fluid grace
- With sacred song -
So too thou pass'st to thy shrine?
By worms upkept?
By flies adored
And deified?
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Song of the Day 26: 'Arc Audible' by Outspoken
This post is technically a "Song of the Day", but it's not there's going to be another huge sequence of reviews in a row. Mainly I'm writing this because of my stupidity; I was completely clueless that Met had one more song of his that needed to be reviewed, and I was informed very recently that I was supposed to post today when I thought I was going to have the weekend off. Unfortunately I've been having a very bad day today, and I'm not exactly in the mood to post. However, just for the sake of avoiding the yelling I could get if I didn't post, I'm going to write something up anyway. So instead of doing the review that's for next week, I decided to finally finish the last Song of the Day that was supposed to be posted last month. Took me long enough, but here's the final SotD: 'Arc Audible'.
The beginning starts out with a very light beat playing in a small rhythm. At 0:08 the beat gets much louder, and now plays in the simple rhythm of one hit per beat. At 0:14 there's a very brief pause, and the song continues at 0:16. Here, playing alongside the beat, is a medium-high sound (that I've never heard before). It plays in a two note rhythm, with the second note higher in pitch. After these rhythms a faint percussion hit can be heard. There's more percussion heard at 0:22 though. After that little ditty of percussion at 0:22, that funky two-note rhythm ceases to play. The beat continues until some soft background effects can be heard at about 0:27. At 0:31 there's another brief pause until a loud percussion hit continues the song at 0:32. This percussion hit can now be heard once every four beats. At 0:36 a suspended symbol-like effect can be heard, which will crescendo until the end of 0:39. Here that effect literally was sucked out of the song. Now it goes back into the beat with the percussion hits (from 0:32). There's a slight change in beat at 0:47, which will then add some more elements into the beat. It's not heard very clearly, but it's there. This continues until about 0:56. Here the main part of the beat will gradually get louder, transitioning into the next section at 1:04. In this new section there's a three-note melody composed of a semi-low synth. The beat is back to it's 'one hit per beat' thing, and the song continues. At around 1:13 there's some light percussion mixed in to add just a little more to the song. This continues all the way until 2:00; there's also that symbol-like effect that transitions into yet another new section. Here there is a lot more percussion, the synth is a little bit faster and more meshed, and there are some cool background effects heard as well. This doesn't really change until about 2:32, where there's a change in beat and a background synth is added. At 2:49 that synth drops, and the melody synth, beat, and the occasional percussion hit are all that's playing at the moment. At 3:00 there's another transition, leading into a section where there's a lot more percussion and a new rhythm for the melody. This continues until 3:37, and most of the percussion now drop from the scene. At 3:44 there's a new melody that comes in which is a soft and higher synth than the last. At 4:02 a small counter-melody appears that is much lower (similar in pitch to the one that appeared at 1:04). That counter-melody will soon become the regular melody, and at 4:16 it's completely on its own. It's not on its own for long, because a soft but still audible beat will come in at 4:25 to back it up. At 4:32 there's a small section composed of both low and high synths, and with a short transition at 4:40, the song goes into another new section. This has all synths still. Another synth is added at 4:57 that sort of acts as somewhat of a bass (I think...). At 5:12 there's yet another synth added; this time it's extremely low. That one acts more of a bass than the other one that appeared at 4:57 (that one is already gone, by the way). There are some higher synths placed in at 5:25, playing a three note ditty and then dropping in pitch for another three notes. At 5:45 I'm starting to hear more of a beat come in, and then as the song progresses I start to hear more percussion as well. The song becomes more simplified at 5:55, although the new bit of percussion stays with the incredibly low synth which was the bass and also a slightly higher (and softer) synth which is more of a melody. At 6:08 it goes back into a section similar to the section at 5:45 (although with changes in overall rhythm and pitch). At 6:24 I can hear the low bass and the high melody playing practically the same thing, or the bass is acting like a harmony to the melody. At 6:40 the melody now focuses more on a medium-low synth that is now starting to play. There's a transition at 6:56, and there's now a change in percussion as well as melody (it's now in a much higher synth). The percussion will drop eventually at 7:14, leaving only the synth doing it's thing. At 7:34 that drops, and the song ends after a couple of echoing notes.
Pros: The synths were pretty good, and some of the harmonies were good as well. I would say that my favorite section was the one at 3:00, for I believe that it had the most atmosphere. I also liked the percussion, as well as that cool symbol-effect...thing.
Cons: Again, it's the lack of overall elements and atmosphere. Some sections of the song seemed way to quiet also. It was also a little bit too lengthy.
Overall: There were some sections that actually sounded really good. These songs are making a lot of progress, I think. There can always be stuff to improve on though. I don't have all that much to say other than that though.
Rating: 7.1...ish/10
The beginning starts out with a very light beat playing in a small rhythm. At 0:08 the beat gets much louder, and now plays in the simple rhythm of one hit per beat. At 0:14 there's a very brief pause, and the song continues at 0:16. Here, playing alongside the beat, is a medium-high sound (that I've never heard before). It plays in a two note rhythm, with the second note higher in pitch. After these rhythms a faint percussion hit can be heard. There's more percussion heard at 0:22 though. After that little ditty of percussion at 0:22, that funky two-note rhythm ceases to play. The beat continues until some soft background effects can be heard at about 0:27. At 0:31 there's another brief pause until a loud percussion hit continues the song at 0:32. This percussion hit can now be heard once every four beats. At 0:36 a suspended symbol-like effect can be heard, which will crescendo until the end of 0:39. Here that effect literally was sucked out of the song. Now it goes back into the beat with the percussion hits (from 0:32). There's a slight change in beat at 0:47, which will then add some more elements into the beat. It's not heard very clearly, but it's there. This continues until about 0:56. Here the main part of the beat will gradually get louder, transitioning into the next section at 1:04. In this new section there's a three-note melody composed of a semi-low synth. The beat is back to it's 'one hit per beat' thing, and the song continues. At around 1:13 there's some light percussion mixed in to add just a little more to the song. This continues all the way until 2:00; there's also that symbol-like effect that transitions into yet another new section. Here there is a lot more percussion, the synth is a little bit faster and more meshed, and there are some cool background effects heard as well. This doesn't really change until about 2:32, where there's a change in beat and a background synth is added. At 2:49 that synth drops, and the melody synth, beat, and the occasional percussion hit are all that's playing at the moment. At 3:00 there's another transition, leading into a section where there's a lot more percussion and a new rhythm for the melody. This continues until 3:37, and most of the percussion now drop from the scene. At 3:44 there's a new melody that comes in which is a soft and higher synth than the last. At 4:02 a small counter-melody appears that is much lower (similar in pitch to the one that appeared at 1:04). That counter-melody will soon become the regular melody, and at 4:16 it's completely on its own. It's not on its own for long, because a soft but still audible beat will come in at 4:25 to back it up. At 4:32 there's a small section composed of both low and high synths, and with a short transition at 4:40, the song goes into another new section. This has all synths still. Another synth is added at 4:57 that sort of acts as somewhat of a bass (I think...). At 5:12 there's yet another synth added; this time it's extremely low. That one acts more of a bass than the other one that appeared at 4:57 (that one is already gone, by the way). There are some higher synths placed in at 5:25, playing a three note ditty and then dropping in pitch for another three notes. At 5:45 I'm starting to hear more of a beat come in, and then as the song progresses I start to hear more percussion as well. The song becomes more simplified at 5:55, although the new bit of percussion stays with the incredibly low synth which was the bass and also a slightly higher (and softer) synth which is more of a melody. At 6:08 it goes back into a section similar to the section at 5:45 (although with changes in overall rhythm and pitch). At 6:24 I can hear the low bass and the high melody playing practically the same thing, or the bass is acting like a harmony to the melody. At 6:40 the melody now focuses more on a medium-low synth that is now starting to play. There's a transition at 6:56, and there's now a change in percussion as well as melody (it's now in a much higher synth). The percussion will drop eventually at 7:14, leaving only the synth doing it's thing. At 7:34 that drops, and the song ends after a couple of echoing notes.
Pros: The synths were pretty good, and some of the harmonies were good as well. I would say that my favorite section was the one at 3:00, for I believe that it had the most atmosphere. I also liked the percussion, as well as that cool symbol-effect...thing.
Cons: Again, it's the lack of overall elements and atmosphere. Some sections of the song seemed way to quiet also. It was also a little bit too lengthy.
Overall: There were some sections that actually sounded really good. These songs are making a lot of progress, I think. There can always be stuff to improve on though. I don't have all that much to say other than that though.
Rating: 7.1...ish/10
Friday, January 07, 2011
For That I Know It
I suppose
I would have thought
She was beautiful
If I had been able
To feel as such
The serenity
Of her expression
As I drained
Her Life-time
Away
The curse
Of Necromancy
To live
Off the Time
Of others
And see them
Fall
Into serenity
Or insanity
As they will
In this instant
That I know
This love
Is the most pure
And fleeting
Of my life
For
Because of it
I shall now die
For that I know it
My world was one
Of fear and war
Like Pandora's Box
But without the Hope
For I took hope
And changed it to fear
And all I knew
Was hatred
And anger
But no more
For now
I know love
As the purest
Of life-time
And I know
That I can take
No more
For love
Is too great
To kill for
I can only hope
They will
Remember
To love
When I'm Gone
I would have thought
She was beautiful
If I had been able
To feel as such
The serenity
Of her expression
As I drained
Her Life-time
Away
The curse
Of Necromancy
To live
Off the Time
Of others
And see them
Fall
Into serenity
Or insanity
As they will
In this instant
That I know
This love
Is the most pure
And fleeting
Of my life
For
Because of it
I shall now die
For that I know it
My world was one
Of fear and war
Like Pandora's Box
But without the Hope
For I took hope
And changed it to fear
And all I knew
Was hatred
And anger
But no more
For now
I know love
As the purest
Of life-time
And I know
That I can take
No more
For love
Is too great
To kill for
I can only hope
They will
Remember
To love
When I'm Gone
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Courage
The hero
Faced the
Fiend
Who had destroyed
The Golden Land.
The pig laughed
And the hero
Wavered.
The mark flashed
And flooded with
Courage.
He charged onward,
Recalling his master's
Words.
"Sword him.
In the face."
Faced the
Fiend
Who had destroyed
The Golden Land.
The pig laughed
And the hero
Wavered.
The mark flashed
And flooded with
Courage.
He charged onward,
Recalling his master's
Words.
"Sword him.
In the face."
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Song of the Week 26: 'Braincooler' by Rozovian
I'm back to posting every Wednesdays from now on again, and I plan on being more consistent with finishing my posts on time. With that being said, let's start off the review. This week's song is from Mega Man X and is entitled 'Braincooler'. I've heard a little bit about Rozovian (he's the artist for this particular track), and have even listened to a song other than this one by him. The other song from him (this has already been used as a SotW, but it's from a year ago.) was pretty good, but let's see if he does a good job on the song being reviewed now. Click here for the actual song.
The song starts off with a techno-like synth, dropping in pitch twice until 0:05. Here there is now a very high synth playing rapid 16th notes in a small pattern. At 0:07 a bass line is now added to back everything up and also to act as a harmony to the two higher synths being played. The bass will continue to grow and rise in pitch. A much lower synth (lower than the two other synths, but not the bass) will start to play at 0:14, doing exactly what the bass is doing at the moment. There is a major transition at 0:17 where a medium-pitched synth will bring some suspense by playing a very catchy rhythm. At 0:21 the bass drops, and more coolness is added when a driving percussion and bass line come in at the perfect time creating a very techno-like beat (about 0:25 to be exact). That catchy rhythm continuously repeats itself. The bass will also get higher as the song progresses; this starts at about 0:33. This entire sequence continues while another synth is added at about 0:38 to continue and improve the quality here. There's a small transition consisting of four notes at 0:52, and at 0:55 a new melody (and section) appears. This new melody is composed of a medium-low synth with electric guitar-like qualities. This gives off more of a rock feel instead of techno, but either way, it still sounds quite cool. At 1:08 another synth very similar to the other comes in, acting as a great harmony. There is a stretched note at 1:21 as a transition, and the song goes back into the first techno groove played before. The synth from 0:38 is heard again, but I can hear it better and more clearly this time around. At 1:31 there's sort of a counter-melody being played in the background (this consists of a high synth). The really catchy synth that has the loudest melody has a small change in pattern at 1:38, and it really helped get rid of the repetitiveness that was going on. At 1:50 that very high, small pattern being played at the very beginning now plays again, and that main synth is now gone for now (leaving the counter-melody, the percussion, bass, etc. behind). More drops at 2:06, which is mainly the supporting synth as well as a fraction of the percussion. At 2:10 a lot of elements seem to blend and fade away until it's completely dropped, leaving the bass playing one long note (I'm pretty sure that the note is a very low C), a synth for added effect, and a a high synth as a melody. The mood in this section is much calmer, and it makes me realize why this song is called "Braincooler". There's a smaller, lower, and less noticeable melody added at 2:21 also to add more atmosphere, by the way. There is a large crescendo between the synths at about 2:27, adding in more of those techno patterns as it progresses. It slightly dies down at 2:47, leaving mainly the background synth. There's also a short pattern played at 2:55 by a flute-like synth (it could even be an actual flute, but I'm not really sure). After this opening sequence, the song sounds exactly like the opening sequence from the very beginning to about 0:17. At 3:04 there is another transition into that catchy synth before, and at 3:12 that techno groove plays once again. The guitar-like synth comes back at 3:26, but this time it plays alongside everything else that's going on. At 3:40 there's a transition (more like a brief pause), and there's now a key change making the song feel more upbeat in my opinion. This cool, new section continues until 4:24 That section, despite the fact that it was quite repetitive, definitely was one of my favorite parts of the song. The guitar synth drops at 4:24, leaving pretty much everything else to play. The song continues, until it fades away at the end.
Pros: This was one cool and catchy song, and has already gotten stuck in my head many times. The harmonies were great, and the overall atmosphere really did make it a "braincooler". The guitar-like synth was really cool as well.
Cons: There were times where the song seemed quite repetitive (mainly the synths), and I thing the transition into the key change at 3:40 could have been better.
Overall: This was a nice song that had some good elements, as well as a great atmosphere. There were very few flaws, and it's a very cool piece to listen to.
Rating: 9.4/10
The song starts off with a techno-like synth, dropping in pitch twice until 0:05. Here there is now a very high synth playing rapid 16th notes in a small pattern. At 0:07 a bass line is now added to back everything up and also to act as a harmony to the two higher synths being played. The bass will continue to grow and rise in pitch. A much lower synth (lower than the two other synths, but not the bass) will start to play at 0:14, doing exactly what the bass is doing at the moment. There is a major transition at 0:17 where a medium-pitched synth will bring some suspense by playing a very catchy rhythm. At 0:21 the bass drops, and more coolness is added when a driving percussion and bass line come in at the perfect time creating a very techno-like beat (about 0:25 to be exact). That catchy rhythm continuously repeats itself. The bass will also get higher as the song progresses; this starts at about 0:33. This entire sequence continues while another synth is added at about 0:38 to continue and improve the quality here. There's a small transition consisting of four notes at 0:52, and at 0:55 a new melody (and section) appears. This new melody is composed of a medium-low synth with electric guitar-like qualities. This gives off more of a rock feel instead of techno, but either way, it still sounds quite cool. At 1:08 another synth very similar to the other comes in, acting as a great harmony. There is a stretched note at 1:21 as a transition, and the song goes back into the first techno groove played before. The synth from 0:38 is heard again, but I can hear it better and more clearly this time around. At 1:31 there's sort of a counter-melody being played in the background (this consists of a high synth). The really catchy synth that has the loudest melody has a small change in pattern at 1:38, and it really helped get rid of the repetitiveness that was going on. At 1:50 that very high, small pattern being played at the very beginning now plays again, and that main synth is now gone for now (leaving the counter-melody, the percussion, bass, etc. behind). More drops at 2:06, which is mainly the supporting synth as well as a fraction of the percussion. At 2:10 a lot of elements seem to blend and fade away until it's completely dropped, leaving the bass playing one long note (I'm pretty sure that the note is a very low C), a synth for added effect, and a a high synth as a melody. The mood in this section is much calmer, and it makes me realize why this song is called "Braincooler". There's a smaller, lower, and less noticeable melody added at 2:21 also to add more atmosphere, by the way. There is a large crescendo between the synths at about 2:27, adding in more of those techno patterns as it progresses. It slightly dies down at 2:47, leaving mainly the background synth. There's also a short pattern played at 2:55 by a flute-like synth (it could even be an actual flute, but I'm not really sure). After this opening sequence, the song sounds exactly like the opening sequence from the very beginning to about 0:17. At 3:04 there is another transition into that catchy synth before, and at 3:12 that techno groove plays once again. The guitar-like synth comes back at 3:26, but this time it plays alongside everything else that's going on. At 3:40 there's a transition (more like a brief pause), and there's now a key change making the song feel more upbeat in my opinion. This cool, new section continues until 4:24 That section, despite the fact that it was quite repetitive, definitely was one of my favorite parts of the song. The guitar synth drops at 4:24, leaving pretty much everything else to play. The song continues, until it fades away at the end.
Pros: This was one cool and catchy song, and has already gotten stuck in my head many times. The harmonies were great, and the overall atmosphere really did make it a "braincooler". The guitar-like synth was really cool as well.
Cons: There were times where the song seemed quite repetitive (mainly the synths), and I thing the transition into the key change at 3:40 could have been better.
Overall: This was a nice song that had some good elements, as well as a great atmosphere. There were very few flaws, and it's a very cool piece to listen to.
Rating: 9.4/10
The State of ReoganWorks
A new story
Every day
Or so it was
Then we all
Failed each other
Now reforms
Life and death
Joy and misery
Then it fell apart
Out with the old
Defective
In with the new
Make it work
Every day
Or so it was
Then we all
Failed each other
Now reforms
Life and death
Joy and misery
Then it fell apart
Out with the old
Defective
In with the new
Make it work
Monday, January 03, 2011
Lycanthropy
He woke horrified. The full moon was past, and now he could see the carnage he wrought. Everywhere about him in the dirt were shreds of all colors, and beneath his fingernails he could feel the skin of something. His mouth was filled with a horrible taste. He wiped it with his hand, recoiling when it came away red.
Every full moon this happened, no matter what he did to stop it. Every time he woke covered in all manner of juices, leaves in his hair. The tomatoes just wearied him further.
He didn't know how much longer he could stand being a were-vegetarian.
Every full moon this happened, no matter what he did to stop it. Every time he woke covered in all manner of juices, leaves in his hair. The tomatoes just wearied him further.
He didn't know how much longer he could stand being a were-vegetarian.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Revolutions, Chronology
1754 - French and Indian War. Colonies fight to evict the Indians.
1763 - With their Indian allies vanished, France sees no choice but to surrender. Strange rituals in the forests glimpsed by frontiersmen.
1765 - Quartering Act passed. Colonists forced to open their doors and larders to British Troops. Enmity rises even as the soldiers keep the horrors of the wilds at bay.
1765 - Sons of Liberty rally under the motto "No Taxation Without Representation!"
1768 - As more frontier disappearances take place, Colonists are backed further into a corner by the arrival of thousands of British Troops.
1770 - Colonists are found mysteriously ripped to shreds. Against all evidence, the British are blamed for this "Boston massacre".
1773 - Colonists protest the East India Company's monopoly on tea by dressing as the Savages which threaten the borders of the colonies. The Harbor is blood-red for days.
1774 - The First Continental Congress is to meet.
1763 - With their Indian allies vanished, France sees no choice but to surrender. Strange rituals in the forests glimpsed by frontiersmen.
1765 - Quartering Act passed. Colonists forced to open their doors and larders to British Troops. Enmity rises even as the soldiers keep the horrors of the wilds at bay.
1765 - Sons of Liberty rally under the motto "No Taxation Without Representation!"
1768 - As more frontier disappearances take place, Colonists are backed further into a corner by the arrival of thousands of British Troops.
1770 - Colonists are found mysteriously ripped to shreds. Against all evidence, the British are blamed for this "Boston massacre".
1773 - Colonists protest the East India Company's monopoly on tea by dressing as the Savages which threaten the borders of the colonies. The Harbor is blood-red for days.
1774 - The First Continental Congress is to meet.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Preview of the Future
It's going to be great. As of this post, the Second Golden Age begins!
I can't speak for the other bloggers, but I think we can agree that the time has come to slaughter the slump. What can be expected of this year? I have a few ideas.
I can't speak for the other bloggers, but I think we can agree that the time has come to slaughter the slump. What can be expected of this year? I have a few ideas.
- Scheduled Content - Posts will be put up at midnight central time, not an hour before midnight the next day.
- Regular Content - Every week will have at least one bit of "Featured Content", such as P:tGA, DL, BCD, OC, AoM, etc. Beyond that, I think it's high time that Thursday Thoughts come regularly on Thursdays again.
- Branching Out - I, at the very least, feel ready to come out of my shell a little more and see if they'll let me play with some Songs of the Week or other Not-Reogan-y posts. I encourage everyone to try something new.
- Comments - There are blocks of posts without comments. Other than extremely filler-esque posts, this is unacceptable. I vow to go back and ensure every post gts the attention it deserves! Who's with me?
- Tags - Spring cleaning has come. Let's cull the dead from the herd.
- Multimedia - Qupar started us off. Met continued with his contributions to the newest Song of the Day. I would love to see more original drawings and music.
- A Writer - Yes, we have a lot of authors now, but I've invited one more to ease any remaining burden. Said author's past work includes a few gems. We will mine for more.
- Collaborations - C'mon, these'll just be fun. Look at Karachay.
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