Lurker > kaonashi1

Raging Spirits
Speartip of Judgment
My Blaze, My Truth

There's a weird, seething energy under the repeating figures of Raging Spirits, which is what always brings me back to this track. There's no other track quite like it in the Caravan Stories soundtrack (except I guess the track right before it-- Tenement of the Blue Spirit-- which is a calmer take). Mesmerizing each time I revisit it.

I change my mind on this once in a while but dreamenddischarger is probably my favourite umineko zts track. There's sort of a hopefulness to this, a fighting spirit, that doesn't seem to be expressed as much in the others. Drakeryn once described this as the theme of town (and miragecoordinator the theme of mafia)-- I wholeheartedly agree.

A few years ago I'd have voted ded without so much as a pause. Even today this is a really tough match-- a day where I leaned more towards the positive vibes of ded would have swung this. I have a lot of good history with that track, and I still welcome opportunities to listen to it.

Kass's Theme has an accordion and a lot of energy, but I don't think it really knows what to do with it. In the end it decides to play this kinda generic melody with the Legend of Zelda theme thrown in.

Speartip of Judgment's opening klaxon of a synth has this feel of an alarm as the rest of the track cresendos (that delay echo pluck synth is great). Exciting! Synths pan back and forth and the bass plays a frenetic pattern. Real shmuppy. Real nice. Not super sure about the trumpet but I like this.

The main piano melody kinda reminds me of random things. Zoo. The piano segment of Thermosphere. That's weird. In the end I can kinda see how this fits into a Falcom vision of Persona. This is 'groovy' in the way the very prominent bass guitar carries it. Good production, typical of Falcom's sound team, but also very 'safe' melodically (which is also somewhat typical of Falcom's sound team).

The opening to Mad Motor is pretty nifty. Another electronic track full of energy-- this feels like the running theme of today's matches. There's less to this than its predecessors, though. I think the little skittering bits in the background are my favourite part of this track. Like, listen to the thing in the background starting at 0:59! That's cool. Really hits that 'mechanical animal sounds' feel.

Possessed by a Disease (Vocals)
Revealed
Run

Possessed by Disease-- probably my favourite track in a soundtrack I really like. The combination of choral section, drums and strings give this a wild, fevered feel and energy to spare.

I don't mind Cloudbits but I also don't think it really plays to the soundtrack's strengths-- the chiptune work isn't particularly remarkable and deprives it of the sharp arrangement work that other Cloudbuilt tracks have. I also think the medley gives it an unfocused feel, while making the overall effect of the chiptune aesthetic more tiring. It feels like it overstays its welcome (he says, while voting for a ten-minute track).

Tree of Life is real nice. Non-trumpet solo brass! We don't get enough of that. Very pretty. The buildup to the more powerful section at 0:55 is done well, and then we do another buildup in 6/8 time. One of the more heroic-sounding Pokemon tracks I've heard.

It's unfair to Revealed to say I mostly look forward to the second half of it. The first half is full of interesting things-- the different elements of the track build on each other to create an organic-feeling, lush soundscape which also feels necessary to establish the effect of the second half. But man, that second half is maybe the most tense section of music on the soundtrack-- the repeating saxophone hinted at in the track's intro begins to take over, while short synths and electronic sounds tap out nervous, mechanical figures. Different parts of the track rise in a wave and then recede-- it's frenetic, almost chaotic. I was originally somewhat lukewarm to this track relative to much of the rest of the soundtrack but those last five minutes feel incredibly rewarding on subsequent re-listens.

Begins is surprisingly brief. The progression in the middle of the track is kinda neat. I don't love the plainness of the beat or the rigidity of the structure it follows.

Run is also somewhat brief. This has a more conventional FPS/TPS feel, and lacks some of the fuller, crunchier feel of the track that previously represented it. I like its rhythm, though, and the mood it sets.

BREAKTHROUGH.EXE
Boss Battle
Reflections of Violence

(In a bit of a change since VGMC12, I really like Beneath the Mask-- it feels like the perfect Persona relaxing/chilling track, and the instrumental version literally plays in my PS4 home screen [though actually now that I think about it I switched to the Tetris Effect theme recently-- but you get the point]. Tough match.)

Class::EXPAJA
Madness
Cotton Island

short writeups for tired human

EXPAJA is, like, cool. Yeah. Capital letters EPIC at times but never boring about it.

No Turning Back is all right. Some parts of the melody and the way the second square wave and triangle wave support it are cool. Certainly evokes the classic Mega Man feel, but never hits the heights of my favourite Mega Man tracks. (This just reminds me again that I didn't support MM5 and that an extra support would have placed it in the main bracket. Damn.)

Wandering in the Darkness reminds me that I played Trails in the Sky for several hours a long time ago! I should probably return to that game. This is nice enough-- I get some vague Layton vibes.

Madness is my personal #2 of this soundtrack. That opening motif is wild. The last three notes of it stubbornly refuse to line up with the beat the way everyone wants them to and I love it. Then the main beat kicks in and it's jam city. That shining synth chord at 0:55 is the best. Something I love about a lot of Einhander tracks-- they don't rest on their laurels. New sounds and new progressions roll out over the course of the track and it rewards you for paying attention, all the while maintaining its overall aesthetic.

PLOK! I don't love this-- I get the general idea but I'm not a huge fan of it. It's shifty enough to keep itself afloat, though. It's serviceable, and not everything has to be Beach, I guess.

Every time the opening little piano jingle comes up I'm like 'ooo, pretty' and then the actual track kicks in and I'm always a little disappointed. Groovin up is CATCHY and RETRO and DISCO and really wants me to know that. I think this is a near-miss for me-- it sits just on the periphery of catchy for me but I feel kinda repelled by it as well.

Planet Cephei
Golden Fortress
Yuito and His Mother

Frog's Theme has a pretty straightforward martial feel, which I guess reflects the character accurately. This isn't among my preferred Chrono Trigger tracks-- I enjoy more pensive, less strident selections from this soundtrack. This just marches straight down the middle-- it feels almost ingenuous in its approach.

S-11 continues its eternal battle against the soundchip it was written on. Planet Cephei repeats itself but the thing that repeats is pretty cool, and the way the repeating figure is transposed throughout the track is neat.

I remember when the Subterranean Animism soundtrack first came out and I raved about this track in particular-- I think it was my favourite pick from the soundtrack at the time. I'm not entirely sure what drew me to this in particular-- maybe it was the harmonic minor feel of this track, which felt like a bit of a contrast versus other Touhou tracks, giving it a darker feel. Maybe it was the harpsichord backing. Either way I was really into this at the time.

The thing that strikes me first about Golden Fortress is, well, the opening. The first two piano notes give way to an instrumental howl-- a wail of despair and pain. 'You shouldn't be here!' the music seems to shriek. That sliding, string/synth sound continues to shift in and out of focus throughout, like a ghost that haunts the piece as the piano explores the inner recesses of the golden fortress. One of the things I love most about Dandara music is that it allows me to imagine, and in vivid detail-- a crumbling ruin, an overgrown vista, or, in this case, a cold, forbidding citadel.

Flask of Loyalty is a pretty bouncy, catchy track. The highlight of the track for me is easily 1:04, which is really cool. Later on, when the keyboard lead kicks in, it takes on this almost Danganronpa vibe which, while fun, makes me wish it would go back to the other stuff. Still, this is a pretty enjoyable listen.

It would be nice to have a day without one of these 'close in my head' matches. Yuito and His Mother, with its muted synths and echoing percussion, aches with regret. It's a deeply mournful ambience, elegantly conveyed.

Prelude Bedroom
Road Taken
Requiem of Gemini

I quite like the chill vibe that Prelude Bedroom establishes, but wish it chose variation by way of a couple of changes in direction in the underlying chords rather than via adding and subtracting layers. Even a short bridge section would do wonders for my overall liking of the track, I think. I find I like the first half of the track more than the second-- I prefer the sound of the synths in the first half, and don't love the melody played by the lead synth in the second.

SORS IMMANIS ET INANIS. Whatever incoherent rambling I did about Liberi Fatali and 'Final Fantasy music cliches' certainly applies here as well. I definitely prefer the various orchestral arrangements of this over this version-- the added grandeur of a full orchestra really enhances the feel of this track. I think it'd have been really cool to have encountered this in-game without knowing what to expect, and then hearing this in its full Latin-chanting splendour. It must have been quite the effect. Like Liberi Fatali I think this is pretty well-done for what it is. I actually really like the section starting at 3:01.

Road Taken. Man, so much of Fire Emblem Fates music is a winner for me. Really pretty arrangement, nice chords. Has sort of a wistful world map feel, which is a huge positive in my book (see: Memories of Green). I like the feel of the piano lead as it comes in at 0:50 but much prefer the chord progression starting at 1:11. Great track.

When Game Corner kicked in I was like 'is this like Pokemon's Rave On'. I'm not really a fan of this style or composition. It touches on some musical tropes I generally avoid-- boring kick drum patterns and saw synths playing fairly typical progressions.

Pleasure Quarter isn't compositionally among my favourites on the Gravity Rush soundtrack, but I do like its upbeat, swingy feel. I used to prefer the GR2 version of this track but I actually think I prefer this simpler, lower-key arrangement at this point.

Drums with a military march feel, and chanting. Man, I have a huge weakness to this style. This track made for a viciously hard match to decide on. I can pinpoint exactly what gets me about this-- the ascending choral notes at 1:11, which feel super heroic, and the chord/second choral line at 1:39. This match would probably swing (heh) in either direction depending on personal mood-- I think I feel Requiem of Gemini just a bit more at the moment.

NieR: Automata - Memories of Dust

Ace Combat 7 - Daredevil

Sweep ~ Part 3
A Requiem's Melody
Power Glide

Sweep is fun and full of accordion and, uh, guitar? (I had to look this up-- it's apparently a "bouzouki".) I don't always love the segments where the melody is too heavily focused on, but the peripheral elements of the track do a capable job of not letting it become completely melody-dominant.

On a day where half of the tracks are at least somewhat loud, I found Rainbow-Colored Phantom's dosage of plucked strings, mallet percussion, and low-key electronic drums to be a very pleasant panacea. Very difficult match to decide on.

For a track whose style I don't typically gravitate to, I actually rather enjoy Mechanical Rhythm-- its energetic pace and its classically grand RPG-boss approach. This is also really loud, though, in a way that hurts it-- it feels like there's a ton of clipping going on here, muddying its sound and blunting its appeal.

A Requiem's Melody is a really nice slice of Ar Tonelico music that touches on a few different aspects of what I enjoy from that soundtrack-- the mix of chimes, acoustic instruments and electronic elements; the odd vocal stylings; the repeating piano; the bass and percussion; the excellent production throughout.

Power Glide is surprisingly chill for a track that uses that heavily overdriven guitar at parts. Rhythmically interesting, fun chords. Remarkably enjoyable listen.

I enjoy sections of Fantastic Theater's vision of electroswing-- 1:08 is a pretty head-bobbing section-- but I think it falls into some musical tropes I don't find as enjoyable (like the way that section resolves at the end).

Knowledge
Liberi Fatali
New Bark Town

It's been a really long time since I've listened to Hope. Let's see how it holds up.

'Holds up' is probably the wrong term-- I was never very fond of this track. It doesn't really evoke anything for me. Musically I think it's fairly trite. Sometimes the piano intensifies, like it's entreating me to buy into what it's trying to express, and it feels artificial. If I'm looking for things to like, I enjoy the sparkliness of the intro and actually think the sound of wind and seagulls at the end is pretty calming.

Knowledge doesn't have the grandeur of some other Fez tracks-- it replaces it with an inquisitive feel. One of the cooler things this track does is that in my head I start by counting the beats in three groups of four, but at some point, without me even really noticing, I find that I'm counting them in four groups of three. Overlaid repeating figures create a pretty mysterious atmosphere; the bass and lead melody synths feel warm and organic. Nice track.

The Strongest Foe is certainly energetic. This could probably be arranged in a way that would make it a track I enjoy-- change the instrumentation, modify some of the underlying chords. 0:41's melody-- and a bit of 1:15 as well-- adds almost a Castlevania flair to the track.

We're really revisiting some old VGMC classics today. Liberi Fatali is a Final Fantasy music cliche at this point but I think it's still a pretty evocative composition, if a little context-heavy. There's a lot of little things I like about this-- the arragement of the woodwinds, as in 0:35 and 0:47, the quieter, mysterious section that starts at 1:15 and leads into the more ominous section at 1:28. It feels really well-executed, the backdrop to a really thrilling trailer or intro.

There was an ice cream truck that passed by my neighbourhood today, and the music it was playing made me think of old Pokemon music. This has some of that-- a simple, cheerful melody with sort of an idyllic feel. (The ultimate ice cream truck music is, of course, the Pokemon RBY bike theme.)

Mach 13 Elephant Explosion uses the least subtle approach to 'explosive' it possibly can-- stadium rock aesthetic with sounds of shattering glass. One problem I have with this track is that because it immediately establishes this feel and sticks with it for the entirety of the track, it doesn't actually feel very explosive! The effect is fairly numbing and the track doesn't really look to move in any direction-- interesting or otherwise-- afterward.

Waterling Main Road
Quicksand Pit

Waterling Main Road has this really pretty intro that catches my ear every time. There's a pretty nifty, consummately Basiscape section of chords that bridges the intro to the more conventional main melody-- I actually think the highlight in this section is the piano that plays in the background. (I acutally love the piano work throughout.) At 1:24 we're back into some Basiscape chords again! This was the Volume 2 pick (the 'human' volume), and while arguably the weakest track of the setlist I liked its somewhat more serene feel-- not everything has to be Yoshimi Kudo marcato strings! (Okay, so I guess this has Mitsuhiro Kaneda marcato strings.)

Irelia is lovely in arrangement and while it adopts a mostly conventional approach to melodic and chord progression it does a pretty killer job of it. Its moments of urgency and excitement feel earned, because it's built them up well. I like this track more than I'd expect, and am overall pretty surprised by how positive an impression I've had of this soundtrack's representation.

Shining Eyes is a pretty unusual blend of vocals and synths. I actually think this track spends a little too long on its main aesthetic-- the most interesting parts, to me, are things like the breakdown at 1:12. There's a wandering aspect to this that threatens to feel like aimlessness but on a good day might be something I just get into the flow of. Feels like a track I'd run pretty hot/cold on.

Quicksand Pit's aesthetic is a lot more nondescript but actually has what I think is the more ear-catching composition-- especially the section just before the loop, which is a neat set of chord changes. Short and direct, it does a pretty good job with its payload within its minute or so of unlooped music.

(running into intermittent internet outages-- trying to get to snubs match as well but posting this now)

Servants of the Scourge
Silent Undersea Ruins
Millenium Anthem (2000 New Years Eve)

I think I've made up my mind-- aside from the intro, I like section W the best.

The witch under a blue sky feels very blue sky and not quite witchy enough. It does the whole 'play variations on short looped progression' for a lot of the track where the loop doesn't interest me a great deal. I wish it were more adventurous.

Silent Undersea Ruins has sort of a dull melody but a pretty cool atmosphere. I think it really shines starting at 1:06 (which is also the one segment of melody I really like in this track). Lots of nice instruments and synths and effects to sell its core idea (though the water effect is a bit lacking in subtlety).

A New Frontier kinda sounds like a Shatter track, but written with a Hotline Miami/Katana Zero-esque neon-tinged aesthetic. That sounds like it might suit the game's style! I can't help but think it strays from what I like about the soundtrack, though. This has a few cool touches-- that little left/right panning chord at 0:19, the synths at 0:24. This is upbeat and fun enough but a bit shallow. This was a difficult match to decide on.

As I find with Hypnospace Outlaw tracks, Millenium Anthem takes a bit of time to digest. This is weird and goofy but I feel... sort of sad after listening to it? The whole thing feels full of regret. you let me down down down down

The Imperial Army Theme feels very Imperial and very RPG 'bad guy army approaching'. Look out! Hide in your homes! I mean it totally nails that feel. It's not much more to me than that, though-- best served with a side of actual RPG bad guy armies.

Mirror Temple (Mirror Magic Mix)
L'avide
Stage 5: Sinai Mines (Mine Cart Ride)

Extermination's progression is remarkably plain. It has some of the feel of a track I might like but I feel like if we swapped out the synths for electric guitar/bass guitar/rock organ it would feel like a fairly generic jRPG battle theme. Well, except for that explosive ending, I guess.

Mirror Temple is okay. I don't love this remix-- I actually prefer the tension of In the Mirror: the intro's feeling of anxiety and impending misfortune, its sudden dissolution leaving behind a feeling of loss and disorientation, the strange, distorted, not-quite-comprehensible whispering that gives the track a strangely personal feel, like we're indiscreetly peeking into someone's scattered inner monologue, followed by the mounting tension again. Mirror Temple doesn't have any of that, substituting it with a loungy take on the main melody. It feels like there's less at stake-- it's, well, too mellow. I like the melody on the strings that kicks in at 1:17, at least. It's all right but it's not CEREBRAWL. Maybe it's not too late. Madeline says: "My climbs are nice!"

vs FARK is a pretty short, pretty simple music idea but I think it made the right aesthetic decisions for itself-- it sells the idea pretty well. But it still feels a bit short on ideas.

I actually think L'avide kinda shares some of the same issues as the above! It progresses in ways that aren't super interesting even if I typically like tracks with this sound and instrumentation. I like a couple of sections more-- the 3/4 segment stands out and there's a few chord changes I like.

I don't think Sinai Mines has the greatest arrangement-- I feel like it leans a lot on its very in-your-face kick drum loop and other percussion to drive and hold things together-- but it's got some moments of interest.

Fast Track to Browntown has sort of a neat intro, then does a thing that honestly kinda reminds me of vs FARK-- it uses a very short recurring chord progression that always resolves to a major chord. This has more of a sense of urgency than FARK and plays a few variations on top of that looping progression but never really leaves it, making the track feel more static than I think it intends to be.

Undertale (song)
Floatlands
Magma Town

It's been quite some time since I've listened to Undertale the track. How does it fare for me now?

It fares stunningly well. This is a pretty simple piece that really goes for one thing, and I am still sold on it-- it genuinely makes me feel hopeful. I feel like such a sap but I am downright stirred.

Assault of the Silver Dragons always feels like something of a near-miss for me. It opens with that fanfare feel and then that metal-clanging percussion comes in and it has that PS1 Final Fantasy feel and it's cool, almost. But it never really sticks with me. Every time I run into this I leave with the vague impression I like the track-- but I never really remember the track itself.

I like things like Floatlands-- relaxed tracks with a sense of wonder, pads floating in and out, dreamy piano and shiny synth arpeggios. Floatlands goes in heavy for feel-- it doesn't really drive a melody-- but it has its share of highlights: the bass kicking in at 0:25, the section with those shiny arpeggios at 0:51. The chords are light and airy. Floatlands, indeed.

This Battletoad enters foot-first-- heavy, tromping guitar/drums and 'fake' chiptune. It's a bit lead-footed-- it doesn't have a lot of melodic ideas or interesting chords. In the end, it's also trying to get by on feel and aesthetic-- but in ways I care less for.

I never did think Guile's theme went with everything. This is a pretty by-the-numbers remix-- too faithful for its own good. A tinny synth shreds for a while before the actual guitar comes in, like it's telling the synth that the adults have arrived.

When I think 'Magma Town', I think of FIRE! style arrangements, which generally seem to be tribal drums and marcato strings and heavy brass. This is far too pretty to be a Magma Town. This is competently arranged and quite nice.

Support Votes:
Dariusburst
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World
Hypnospace Outlaw

-Dariusburst: Based on what I've heard of it so far I think I like the entire photoconductivity suite. Like, the whole thing.

-YU-NO: Activation!! Also a set with a number of quieter, pensive pieces that appeal to me in a particular way.

-Hypnospace Outlaw: I can admit it now-- when I first heard Ready to Shave I was a bit dismissive about it, like 'haha it's a silly song'. My opinion of it has changed over time, and listening to this setlist gives me even more conviction-- as irreverent as the content can be, Hypnospace Outlaw's music is really interesting and enjoyable. So now I can stand here and declare-- I am kaonashi, and I am ready to shave.

Support Votes:
Fez
Phantasy Star Online
DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu Black Label

-Fez: This setlist is amazing. It feels grand and wondrous. Why did I hesitate on this on the first pass?

-Phantasy Star Online: I feel like there's probably at least three entirely disjoint setlists you can make from the PSO soundtrack that I'd at least consider supporting. And that's just from the first game!

-DoDonPachi Daifukkatsu Black Label: I remember I ran into Desperado once a while back and thinking I liked it and considered nominating it for VGMC. Years later and I still like it! (and the rest of the set too. I did not, eventually, nominate it-- I didn't think it would be liked much by the crowd. Shoulda done it anyway! But I was a lot more hesitant about this kind of thing at the time.)

Support Votes:
Ar nosurge
Reflec beat colette
Kirby Triple Deluxe

very very quick notes:

-Ar nosurge: striking, in a quintessentially Gust way. I really dig the alt pick here.

-Reflec beat colette: totto totto totto NEKOMATA MASTER totto totto totto

-Kirby Triple Deluxe: personal reminder number 271 to do a serious listen-through of various Kirby soundtracks.

less than two hours to go over the second-chance list oh god oh man oh god oh man

support votes part 2

Support Votes:
Super Paper Mario
Ripple Dot Zero
Gravity Rush
Va-11 Hall-A
CrossCode
Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia
NieR: Automata

notes:

-Super Paper Mario: it's funny-- I remember I was really big on The Ultimate Show back in VGMC1, and my liking for it dwarfed other SPM tracks that made it into VGMC. Now, The Ultimate Show is 'pretty cool' while Castle Bleck is the track I'm big on. Tastes change over the course of thirteen years-- who knew.

-Ripple Dot Zero: polymetric ostinatos for days

-Gravity Rush: beautiful setlist that explores a lot of the different aspects of the soundtrack. Again I gravitate (ha ha) towards the moments of peace-- Downtown's relaxed, exploratory vibe; Discovery of Gravitation's wistful piano intro opening up into a lush world of accordion and strings-- but also to the raucous fun of Douse Shinundakara. Really well-picked list that I feel happy listening to.

-Va-11 Hall-A: The aesthetic and style of this game really intrigues me. Another quality setlist from top to bottom, covering a style I really enjoy.

-CrossCode: come for the Ultimate Experience, stay for the pensive, mysterious area themes. I really like the bass work on a lot of these tracks.

-Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia: I mentioned this in the chat but I was overjoyed to stumble on this soundtrack (and the soundtrack of its sequel) back during the gap between VGMC1 and 2. (I think EXEC_LINCA/. showed up in an Ed Bellis top VGM list at some point during that time as well? Might be mixing things up here.) I didn't know anything about this series (or the Gust sound team, for that matter) until that point. This setlist contains both my favourite hymmnos from AT1 (LINCA) as well as two of the three tracks that open the main soundtrack and that so caught my attention the first time I listened to them (A Requiem's Melody, Green Lands).

-NieR: Automata: an all-time series for soundtracks in my mind (along with the previous entry). I recall being absolutely thrilled (and pretty shocked) when I heard the original game was getting a sequel, and watched the initial gameplay trailer featuring A Beautiful Song (and its accompanying boss fight) several times, which gives me something of a soft spot for that track. This set has Possessed by Disease, my favourite on the soundtrack-- a real standout with remarkable energy-- and two of my favourite area themes in Memories of Dust and City Ruins. (The latter statement isn't perfectly accurate-- the one on the setlist is the Rays of Light take on City Ruins, while I prefer the Shade version-- the serenity of the former is nice but I prefer the slightly stronger take of the latter. I also slightly prefer Emi Evans's vocals on Shade to J'Nique Nicole's on Rays of Light, though Nicole has some great moments on other tracks-- her vocal segment on The Tower is the highlight of that track for me and the part I look forward to each time I listen to it and it is so so so pretty. I really like this soundtrack.)

also a hefty number of nominations added to the further consideration pile, with time quickly slipping away

Off-Peak changelist:
-moved Revealed to 5 slot, from alt slot
-removed Mortified by Faith and added Panopticon, placing it in the 6 slot
-moved Memos to alt slot, from 5 slot

Game: Off-Peak
1: Frogphone -
2: Fick Yer Mini -
3: Arcology -
4: Level Design - Sheet Music -
5: Revealed -

6: Panopticon -

Alt: Memos -

Thanks to everyone who provided input for these nominations-- let me know if you have any questions or concerns about these changes.

Nomination setlist modifications:

Einhander changelist:
-replaced one link of Shudder with another that loops once, with the second loop featuring no vocals

Game: Einhander
1: Thermosphere -
2: Badlands -
3: Afterimage -
4: Shudder -

5: Madness -
6: Earthlight -
Alt: Dawn -

Sdorica changelist:
-moved Paradise Prairie to 6 slot, from alt slot
-removed Tragedy Strikes and added Battle 4, placing it in the alt slot

Game: Sdorica -sunset-
1: Hesitant Blade -
2: Pulse-Pounding Battle -
3: Flowing Flutes -
4: Splitting Skies -
5: Poleva Desert -
6: Paradise Prairie -

Alt: Battle 4 -

chugging through noms-- checkpoint partway through day 3:

Support Votes:
Fire Emblem Fates
Terraria Calamity
Theresa
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Cerebrawl
GiFTPiA
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

quick notes on the above:
Fire Emblem Fates - youuuu are the ooooocean's grey waves. The Lost in Thoughts motif is a favourite of mine-- really pretty and emotive chord changes that can shift from sad to heroic depending on the context. Prefer the JP version of the main theme over the EN version, but no dealbreaker-- the EN vocalist has her own charm as well. Updates to the original setlist were great and certainly helped push this over the edge for me.

Terraria Calamity - I might like this setlist on average more than the VGMC Calamity tracks on average. A nomination where my liking of each track in the setlist roughly follows the ordering of it.

Theresa - zzzv compositions are strangely entrancing-- an alien beauty. I think that's exactly the intention. what a statesman is probably my favourite in this list.

Crystal Chronicles - even having listened to this soundtrack in the past, I was taken aback by how charmed I was by this setlist, especially the frontend.

Cerebrawl - PLEASE CALL THE POLICE. Really into the sampled/mashup style. First track has been stuck in my head since stumbling on it in your ranking nomination topic. Training Room is an awesome smooth jam. No-doubter support vote from inception.

GiFTPiA - Surprised by how into this I was. Eclectic mix of... things?... that's interesting, fun, even catchy at times.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Less surprised that I was into this one. Can definitely see the Caravan Stories comparison here, even if the composers are different.

a dozen or so more nominations are slated for a second pass; a lot of pretty interesting nominations so far

home stretch

Game: Sdorica -sunset-
1: Hesitant Blade -
2: Pulse-Pounding Battle -
3: Flowing Flutes -
4: Splitting Skies -
5: Poleva Desert -
6: Tragedy Strikes -
Alt: Paradise Prairie -

This is one of the prettiest soundtracks I have found in some time. Lovely orchestral arrangements. I've probably spent the least amount of time listening to this soundtrack relative to my other nominations-- well, probably more than Thousand Memories on a per-track basis-- but this really won me over.

PIayer_0 posted...

Game: Nier: Automata

thanks for doing this nomination-- I think it's a tough nomination to come to any general agreement with

Wanted to give some opinions/input on it-- I really like this soundtrack.
-Possessed by Disease is my favourite track on the soundtrack, and I think it's pretty unique and interesting among NieR soundtrack picks. I know deo and mycro (who have already posted) also like this track a lot. (On the other hand I think pyre isn't big on the vocal style of this, so I know it's not universally loved)
-Two other tracks I really like personally are City Ruins -Shade- and Memories of Dust. The latter is already there, which is cool. City Ruins would probably be popular? I think pyre likes this one, judging by his use of it in a list.
-I like Alien Manifestation as well! I'm glad it made the list.
-This is a statement with no real basis but-- I'm not totally convinced by 'vgmc retiree' Amusement Park's strength. I wonder what would happen if the vgmc12 bracket was re-run with the current crowd. (It also isn't a track I especially like on that soundtrack so it could be personal bias talking.) (Random aside on this-- if we're using previous vgmc results as a gauge of strength, isn't this a strong argument for something like Emil - Despair, or Song of the Ancients - Atonement? I only notably like the latter, but just following a thought process)
-I don't especially love Weight of the World either! But it's the main vocal song and a lot of other people like it, I'm pretty sure. I also don't love Dependent Weakling-- I actually feel it to be pretty unremarkable in the NieR soundtrack context.
-This is a big soundtrack a fair amount of variety. I like Vague Hope (the Cold Rain version in particular-- kinda gives me the same mood as Kaine - Salvation from the original NieR)! Copied City! Bipolar Nightmare! The list goes on. rwlh likes Pascal (so do I, for that matter). pyre likes Forest Kingdom, I think (that's a cool track too!).
-Thanks for going through this aimless ramble. In the end, this is your nomination and you don't have to take any of this into account but I just wanted to share some of what makes this soundtrack special to me.

it's time for your daily dose of COSMO D

Game: Off-Peak
1: Frogphone -
2: Fick Yer Mini -
3: Arcology -
4: Level Design ~ Sheet Music -
5: Memos -
6: Mortified by Faith -
Alt: Revealed -

for those listening to whole nominations-- this is a really long entry, sorry about that

There's a subset of eight tracks in this soundtrack that I think are really worthwhile for this nomination (well, if Interloper were eligible it'd be nine), so if someone has strong feelings on Panopticon () I'm certainly willing to consider swapping it in for, well, one of these.

it's time

Game: Dandara
1: Weight of a Doubt -
2: Hidden in Logic -
3: Crumbling Memories -
4: Once a Beautiful Horizon -
5: Golden Menace -
6: Golden Fortress -
Alt: The Relentless Choir -

This soundtrack.

This soundtrack is probably not broadly appealing. I think it will struggle in this setting. But I haven't listened to many video game soundtracks I find to be this expressive, this textured. Wistfulness and melancholy, pain and rage, fear and foreboding-- it's a remarkable musical experience.

so uh I may have mentioned I am a fan of yoko kanno

Game: Ragnarok Online II
1: Din Don Dan Dan -
2: Intro Theme -
3: Clap & Walk -
4: Boss Battle -
5: HODO -
6: Yoru -
Alt: Poem -

Aside from the #1 slot, I think there's a lot of different ways this list can go. Boss Battle is one of the (many) tracks that isn't on the soundtrack; everything else is a soundtrack pick (though this version of Yoru is one that doesn't go directly into Sailing, the way the soundtrack version does).

I think I like this soundtrack for different reasons than a lot of other video game soundtracks. Many of them are exciting or moody; this one is generally happy and calming. Yoru has been one of my favourite video game tracks for more than a decade.

banshiryuu posted...

- Einhander: Already gave my blessing to the list, but I actually have one more question to pose! Would there be merit to using the in-game version of Shudder, which loops once and has no rap the second time around, leaving just the sick beat? I like it a lot lot lot because I like using it as a "sing it yourself" round lmfao even though I can't speak that fast half the time but regardless god this game absolutely owns thermosphere is one of my 10/10s just augh amazing ost.

No objection to this! This is what you're referring to, right?


Quick comment on the Fates nomination-- I think the updated version is an improvement over the original, and for my part I'm quite happy Lost in Thoughts All Alone is still there (while I love the motif in general I actually love the original take on it the most). A comment-- I prefer the JP version myself (), in part because I like the somewhat softer take on the vocals and the syllable emphasis doesn't seem as awkward; if I could make one swap suggestion it'd be that (though I'm certainly not demanding anything-- I think it's a good set regardless).

So Caravan Stories has eight soundtrack volumes. And you might be sitting there thinking 'wow that's a pretty huge soundtrack this side of Granado Espada'.

Game: Thousand Memories
1: The Duo of Wing and Star -
2: Theme of Lancelot -
3: Quest of Holy Grail -
4: Vertex Cradle -
5: Lord of the Returners -
6: A Little Witch Struggles -
Alt: A Sisters Story -

(quick note - this game was actually localized as Soul Linker, which apparently I didn't realize until just now)

The third entry-- Quest of Holy Grail-- comes from volume 10. Ten! I guess we should be relieved the game didn't think it needed one track per memory.

I didn't do the 'one track per volume' approach with this one, as I had a more specific list of tracks I really liked. Each volume does seem to have something of a theme to it, though. The entire soundtrack was composed by Keisuke Ito.

This nomination is somewhat loosely constructed-- I haven't listened to the Thousand Memories volumes nearly as much as the Caravan Stories volumes. Different opinions on ordering and the like are welcome.

Mycro was a contributor to this list, notably with the inclusion of Lord of the Returners.

so I was working on a different nom for a while but still need to figure some things out so instead you get this quick fill-in nomination

but man, what a fill-in

Game: Einhander
1: Thermosphere -
2: Badlands -
3: Afterimage -
4: Shudder -
5: Madness -
6: Earthlight -
Alt: Dawn -

consultations done with eminent gentlemen and scholars mycro and deogenerate

Flamander posted...

Nomination: Cerebrawl

oh nice I was hoping you'd nominate this

llame a la policia

(the link for the alt track is broken-- I think it should be https://soundcloud.com/cerebrawlin/2-mello-use-your-mind-cerebrawl-ost)

for your listening pleasure, and to no one's surprise

Game: Caravan Stories
1: Demon Transformation -
2: Bunwaii Desert -
3: Raging Spirits -
4: Laurara's Dance -
5: Muddy Warrior -
6: Waterling Main Road -
Alt: Blasting Blade -

There are eight soundtrack volumes in the Caravan Stories soundtrack (with the middle six representing the music for a different race in the game); one challenge I set out to tackle was to make each pick come from a different volume. Here's some more extensive information on each:

Demon Transformation - Vol. 8 [story music]; composed by Mitsuhiro Kaneda
Bunwaii Desert - Vol. 7 [Lizardman areas]; composed by Yoshimi Kudo
Raging Spirits - Vol. 5 [Elf areas]; composed by Azusa Chiba
Laurara's Dance - Vol. 6 [Gessy areas]; composed by Rikako Watanabe
Muddy Warrior - Vol. 3 [Orc areas]; composed by Mitsuhiro Kaneda
Waterling Main Road - Vol. 2 [Human areas]; composed by Mitsuhiro Kaneda
Blasting Blade - Vol. 1 [common areas]; composed by Yoshimi Kudo

(what is a Gessy? these guys, apparently: https://caravan-stories.com/event/gessy-update/)
(volume 4-- the Dwarf volume-- turned out to be the odd one out in this scenario, which is by no means a criticism of that volume! I just had a tougher time finding one particular standout track from it)

This list was created with extensive mycro consultation; ask your local Electrike about the Caravan Stories OST today!

This is one of my favourite VGM soundtracks and it's been great sharing pieces of it with everyone; I hope you'll enjoy this nomination as well.

Journey - Apotheosis

Musashi Samurai Legend - Aeolic Guardian

Revenger

Tobal No. 1 - Urban Sight
Composer: Yasuhiro Kawakami (arr. GUIDO)


Giga Wrecker - Empress of Nymphs (Harsh Empress Version)
Composers: Teruo Taniguchi, Shinji Hosoe, Takahiro Eguchi

Battle!!

CURE HUNTERS - RHYTHM (Junkyard Stage)
Composer: Moose

[sorry-- the only youtube link is extended; can replace with bandcamp if preferred]

Trigger Heroes - Steel Yourself
Composer: Maxo
https://maxoisnuts.bandcamp.com/track/steel-yourself

The Red Strings Club - Machine Learning
Composer: Fingerspit


dumb things that happened while searching for nominations:
-original shortlist had a katana zero track and literally Glove-on Fight - Blue Blue Bandanna; cross-checking the siiva lists pays off sometimes
-in looking for sampled/hip hop beats, I started looking up stuff by 2 Mello which eventually led me to a certain soundtrack with the track 'Please Call the Police' and I was like 'wow this track is fun I should nominate it-- what other tracks does this game have' and, well, yeah

Revenger

Chocolate Missile

1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Revenger
Invitation Flower ~ Autumn

Class::EXSPHERE_NOSURGE;

Invitation Flower ~ Autumn

not sure if we're at the cap but I guess that reminds me of one other character if there's space (again, major spoilers in the linked page):

Francis York Morgan (Deadly Premonition)
https://deadlypremonition.fandom.com/wiki/Francis_York_Morgan

Battle!!

the links provided for these characters basically spoil the entire game they appear in; read at your own discretion

Henry (Firewatch)
-finding it a bit hard to find a good, thorough synopsis of the character without also getting a take on the character or the dialogue or the ending so I'm going to post a take from Campo Santo itself:
https://quarterly.camposanto.com/the-end-of-firewatch-8a7d334a9586

Samantha Greenbriar (Gone Home)
-it's a lot easier to provide a synopsis for this character, as the vast majority of what you find out about her is through journal entries, conveniently provided here in chronological order:
https://gonehome.fandom.com/wiki/At_the_New_House

Chocolate Missile

Servants of the Scourge

1NF3S+@+!0N (Theme of Crabulon)

Song: The Take
Game: hackmud
Composer: Ryan Ike


Song: 140 Part 4b
Game: 140
Composer: Jakob Schmid


the song title for the 140 track is unofficial-- just following the naming convention for the rest of the soundtrack (which this track is not on)