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Chrono Trigger: Texture

7/24/2010

8 Comments

 
Hey all! Was out of town this week, so I apologize for the delay in posting new arrangements! This week, I decided to take a break this week from the carefree happiness of Super Mario World to dig into some Chrono Trigger music. Now I must confess, I still have not actually played this game *dodges flying bullets* but it's not my fault, I tell you! When I was a kid, my sibligns and I grew up with a Sega Genesis and then a Nintendo 64; the only time I got to play Super Nintendo or Playstation was when I visited my cousin's house two or three times a year, and I guess he didn't have Chrono Trigger, because I hadn't even heard of it until I was in college! But rest assured, I DESPERATELY want to play this game, I have absolutely loved all of the music I've heard from it so far, and it's one of my favorite segments that I perform with Video Games Live.

So until I hijack a Super Nintendo and steal a copy of Chrono Trigger, I have been hunting down the music on Youtube. And wow...I can't believe how many orchestral colors Yasunori Mitsuda was able to get out of an SNES sound system. It really is very deep and complex music. Tell me the Chrono Trigger theme wouldn't sound completely EPIC with a live orchestra and solo saxophone.

What jumped out at me when I was listening to the Chrono Trigger music was the use of strong orchestral textures in video game music, which I think was pretty innovative for its time.  I've included a link to a VERY lengthy Wikipedia article, but in a nutshell: texture is essentially the way all of the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic elements in a piece work together. And video game music is absolutely the PERFECT way to learn rudimentary texture! Seriously! Early video games (i.e. NES) had only few channels of sound to use for instrument voices, so the texture as a result was very "thin."For example, any piece of music from the first Castlevania: you've got your melody line, your harmony/countermelody line, bass line, rhythm section. And that's it. Because there's only one "voice" per line,  it's VERY easy to hear the distinct lines of the texture. I found this awesome video a few days ago that is a GREAT example of how the growing abilities of sound cards give composers more textural ability. And it was not only the number of channels, but the growing number of "timbres" available to the composers. I mean, listen to the Chrono Trigger theme! Some of those sounds are CRAZY good for their time, like the timpani hits, strings, the snare drum! Over the years, video game music has become just as texturally complex as a modern-day orchestra--and in some ways even MORE complex, because video game composers often work with electronic instruments, which means the number of timbres they could create are positively endless. And as a result, all of these new timbres can work with each other in different ways to create new textures of sound.

I liked both of these new pieces for different reasons. Chrono Trigger's theme really gets my blood pumping because it feels like it's always moving forward. The big timpani hits in the bass really give the piece power, but there is also a forward momentum in the quieter sections, i.e. the little harp ostinato that Mitsuda employs starting in m.26; the melody, harmony and basslines have become very long and sustained, to create a sweet, quiet moment. Without the percussion and rhythmic bassline, the harp is the instrument that keeps the piece moving. What a great choice; it's a soft, light timbre, a short, plucked sound, and therefore doesn't take away from the melody and harmonies. It's "there" without distracting us from what we "should" be listening to. I find that Mitsuda-san uses a lot of ostinatos in his work, which I'll write about next week regarding his "Corridor of Time" piece.

"Zeal Palace" also has some seriously dark epicness, in very simple but effective ways. The use of pedal points give it a really forbidding, grim tone. It's like the antithesis of the Chrono Trigger theme, which excites us right at the beginning with loud, in-your-face drums and percussive harmonies; in the beginning of Zeal Palace, the low/high strings are barely moving at all, but it's the lack of movement that puts us on the edge of our seats! Two totally different approaches, but both excite us as listeners. Too cool :-D

Enjoy the new arrangements for Chrono Trigger and Zeal Palace! More on the way!
8 Comments
Walter T. Sano
8/1/2010 11:54:48 am

So, you've only now had your life touched by Chrono Trigger? And, by the looks of it, there's still some work to be done. But fear not! Ever since the internet went commercial, about 15 years ago --I've been a "Gamer Boy" since the 80's--, the need for less noble ways to acquire knowledge has been diminishing (<--lots of I's here).

Have you listened to the opening theme of Chrono Cross (PSX)? How about Final Fantasy VI (FFIII in the US, both for the SNES) and its Terra's Theme? CC's opening video can be easily found on YouTube, and so can Terra's Theme, in audio only and... orchestrated! -- look for "Beginning of Fantasy - Terra's Theme (FF VI)". (I still prefer the SNES version, though; call me nostalgic ;-)

By the way, do you know about OverCloked Remix <ocremix.org>? They have lots and lots of fan-made remixed tracks for most videogames you can think of -- I especially enjoy listening to the Shadow of the Colossus remix, though I've never played the game. It's sure worth a visit!

And, on a side note, I don't know how much you are into anime, but I'd recommend Joe Hisaishi's works for Studio Ghibli (Totoro, Spirited Away, etc.). My all-time favourite is "Kimi-o nosete" (from "Laupta, castle in the sky").


From the Tropic of Capricorn,
-Walter

P.S.: Oh, and Chrono Trigger has been re-released for the PSX and the Nintendo DS, too.

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Walter T. Sano
8/1/2010 12:03:51 pm

P.P.S.: There are two remixes for Shadow of the Colossus; the onee I like is called "Snowfall on forbidden lands".

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Walter T. Sano
8/1/2010 12:21:43 pm

Ok, I'm on verbose mode tonight :-p

Just found your video for both Chronos, on VGL Sao Paulo last year. I wish I'd been there =(

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Wade W
8/8/2010 02:09:13 pm

I was about to lose it when you said that you hadn't played Chrono Trigger, but then you explained why and something similar to what happened to you and SNES happen to with me an N64. (I haven't even played through Ocarina of Time all the way yet- Gasp!) I plan on getting it for the 3DS though!

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Brandon Smith
8/12/2010 01:40:15 am

A Yasunori Mitsuda concert would be very cool. At one of the last Distant Worlds concert I overheard some people saying they wished there was a similar thing for Mitsuda's music.

Reply
Laura
8/20/2010 12:35:23 pm

Wow, thanks for the great comments everyone!

Walter: Yes I have heard of OCRemix, one of my favorite sites!!! :-) I'll definitely have to check out that Shadow of Colossus remix you mentioned, I absolutely love that game!

Brandon: TOTALLY agree. I've been getting more and more into Mitsuda's music lately, it really touches my heart in a very special way. I hope he keeps it comin! :-)

And no worries everyone, my best friend Mallory has graciously offered to lend me her DS and her copy of Chrono Trigger!! SCORE!! Now you don't have to explode in rage, Wade ;-)

Reply
Mark Grimm
12/17/2010 10:59:57 am

It's the tall nerd again, I couldn't help but post this Chrono Trigger arrangement. Talk about texture-- it's on a marimba.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAq3zyb0o9U

Enjoy!

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culinary schools link
3/8/2012 11:52:50 am

Nice weekend of yours.

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    Video game music was what got me composing as a kid, and I learned the basics of composition from transcribing my favorite VGM pieces. These are my thoughts and discoveries about various game compositions as I transcribe and study them. Feel free to comment with your own thoughts/ideas as well!

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  • Home
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