Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 4! DragonFeed v HORROR, SealedVess v IroniA, BlockBall5 v AncntMakes

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 16, an annual celebration of the best of the best video game music according to the voters!

Important Links:
Bracket: https://www.bracketmaker.com/tlist.cfm?tid=475935
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_IU5iCFTM_4WEx8ZWKwznMz5v2tarCKh1Ag0mxIgAes
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80027411
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0xxfgkmGKvEyWfHvNZ53Kbn
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16XAaBMDuUnQ4c5AxQNL9ZhvD7VG5kQyrXWWZxnkrn-o
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
Discord: https://discord.gg/WDvMS4a

Rules:
- Listen to both songs in a given match, at least through the loop time provided (to make sure you don't skip before you've heard the whole thing!)
- Please consider the loop point listed when judging the song; if a video loops one minute 5 times, don't treat it as if it's a repetitive 5 minute song
- If it's a match between your favorite song ever and a song you despise, still LISTEN TO BOTH! Votes can and will be disqualified if there is suspicion songs are not being listened to, and you may be discounted for the rest of the contest for repeat offenses.
- No alt accounts, no rallying or begging, etc., etc.... You only get one vote! Swapping votes is alright, just make clear that you've already made a vote and are swapping.
- Make clear what your voting options are! Please keep votes separate from any comments, and use the titles given in the topic post.
- Voting in all matches is not mandatory, feel free to skip matches you do not wish to vote in.
- Vote based on the links provided, and not other sources of audio. Links are specifically chosen for best quality and the like.
- Don't discuss vote tallies in this thread, or in other threads, as they may influence votes. Likewise, please refrain from looking at the running tally before voting.

Voting Period:
- Today's matches will last 24 hours from the time of posting, or 24 hours from 10pm Eastern, whichever is the later time.
- Please note this may mean that two topics will be active at the same time!
- If you anticipate being unable to vote in a given day, please send an absentee vote to @banshiryuu, or post your absentee vote in the discussion thread!

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Match 1

Mr. Driller: Drill Land - The Dragon's Feed is the People
Composer: Go Shiina
Loop Point: 5:35
Genre: HORROR NIGHT HOUSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8EhgyJbces

WORLD OF HORROR - Forest Investigation
Composer: Joseph Bailey (Qwesta)
Loop Point: 3:25
Genre: FM WOODS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pahaFRK7Ct0

Match 2

Hollow Knight - Sealed Vessel
Composer: Christopher Larkin
Loop Point: 5:45
Genre: TRAGEDY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0Rk-m0w2A

Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - IroniA
Composer: Lemm
Loop Point: 5:24
Genre: ARTCORE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhxjF6mlP4g

Match 3

Kirby's Block Ball - Stage 5
Composer: Sukezo Ouyama, Ryoue Takagi
Loop Point: 1:17
Genre: SHINE BRIGHT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz1jjTbVoew

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the S

HORROR NIGHT HOUSE
ARTCORE
REVERIE

Dragon's Feed is the only one that super excites me today, but I really really like it and hope it can succeed where Heading back to Town couldn't

Forest Investigation
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

HORROR NIGHT HOUSE which is not from world of horror
ARTCORE even though this match will end in tragedy for it
REVERIE which is not bright

8.6
8.55
7.2
8.8
7.55
8.55

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Stage 5

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Stage 5

Stage (5) > Forest (4) > Makes (4) > Dragon (3) > Iron (3) > Vessel (2)

I wish I Liked Hollow Knight music more but fuck is it boring out of context. Stage 5 is a certified banger which is cool because yesterday we had a differen't certified banger and it died. Forest Investigation is pretty unique sounding and I find I enjoy the atmosphere. Wow, Ancient Makes is certainly a Falcom song and I do not have a comment on the rest please don't ask.

Forest Investigation
Ironia
Ancient Makes

Great music today.

Dragon's Feed [8]
Forest Investigation [9]
Sealed Vessel [8.5]
Ironia [9]
Stage 5 [5.5]
Ancient Makes [8.5]

Forest Investigation
Sealed Vessel
Stage 5

Dragonseed
Euphonia
Ancient Cakes

8.5
8
7.5
9
7.5
9

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

Soylent Green is Dragon People
Irony
Old Stuff

-
Sealed Vessel
-

More later I hope.

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Stage 5

dragon's feed has an erhu so it is legally required to be called a banger. unfortunately forest investigation makes cooler sounds at me that i like (i flipped on this since my favs bracket i think)

JUSTICE FOR CYBERSHEEP'S DREAM, WHY DO I KEEP MAKING MYSELF VOTE CHIPTUNE AGAINST THE REVERIE

(3rd) Kirby's Block Ball - Stage 5
(6th) The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Ancient Makes
(13th) WORLD OF HORROR - Forest Investigation
(14th) Mr. Driller: Drill Land - The Dragon's Feed is the People
(19th) Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - IroniA
(24th) Hollow Knight - Sealed Vessel

fucked rankings today lmao

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Stage 5

From Aakadarrr:

Forest Investigation
Sealed Vessel
Stage 5

From Toxtricity:

Forest Investigation (World of Horror)
IroniA (Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade)
Ancient Makes (Trails in the Sky FC)

Just realized that the beginning of this mr driller song sounds like it would be in a 13 sentinels -()- track

Forest investigation was one of the most profound discoveries to me this contest. Chz is always introducing me to these cool dark proggy tense chiptune forest tracks, like that scurge;hive one by virt too. Slow pitch bends get to me so much

Hgollow knight music makes me imagine that i just ordered dennys to eat while playing the game as if this is as nostalgic memory from only a few years ago i did regularly. except this has never happened because i never played the game (well i did, but never got very far, certainly not enough for this to be a thing)

Songs like this make me wish i was a weeb instead of a furry. Well at least i have klonoa and uhhh, sonic shuffle

Im always surprised how much i actually dig this kirbys block ball song every time i listen. Its not the kind of thing i usually like, but the melody winds up being super emotional to me somehow

Wataru ishibashi knows how to make me get so happy

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People (8.0 - 34th place) / Forest Investigation (8.8 - 12th place)
Sealed Vessel (8.3 - 23rd place) / IroniA (9.4 - 5th place)
Stage 5 (7.4 - 46th place) / Ancient Makes (9.0 - 10th place)

The final stretch of Ancient Makes is too good. Another great day!

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

match 2 was difficult; "artcore" vocaloid-adjacent song seems right up my alley, but it just feels kinda unfocused; i listened to the version with miku included afterward and it's significantly better, but that's not the song given unfortunately. on the other hand, the first half of sealed vessel is brilliant, and every time the second part climaxed i expected it to go right back into the descending string portion that i loved; while it never does, i still enjoy it a bit more than ironia

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

Match 1: Both tracks lead with a slow buildup. Go Shiina's track turns into a funky, high-bass lounge piece that sort of clashes with the violin and flute that goes with it. It almost feels as though the instrumentation from those are playing to another song's beat entirely, and I'm not feeling what's going on with 'em. Forest Investigation though... I forgot that the non-battle theme went that hard for this one! It sounds very World of Horror - which is, spooky dread, and that's just what I want coming off the tail end of the constant shitshow that is the month of May.

Match 2: Not really feeling either of these, if I'm honest. I've tried listening through them both twice now tonight and I sort of lose focus halfway through on both. IroniA grabs my attention more, I guess?

Match 3: I am suddenly reminded my copy of Block Ball is probably melted somewhere in my car dashboard. RIP. Block Ball music is A+ though and I'm sad most of it hasn't been retouched elsewhere except in, like, Megaman romhacks. I appreciate that the Trails song didn't go full bombastic the whole way through, but it takes an awful lot to get over my bias for it, and the opening didn't feel very good for me. Sorry, it's hard to explain. :(

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Stage 5
.

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Ancient Makes

Pretty good tracks today! Not a difficult day though, there's much better songs in all the games I'm not voting, lol

FM WOODS
Ancient Makes

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Ancient Makes

Mr. Driller: Drill Land - The Dragon's Feed is the People
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - IroniA
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Ancient Makes

Forest
Iron
Ancient

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Ancient Makes

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Ancient Makes

Lemm is my favorite Vocaloid producer =)
I personally prefer the vocal version of this over just the instrumental, but this is incredibly fine too
A random YouTube upload describing my feelings better than I can:

lemm defines a hyper futuristic world of fragile mechanisms made of porcelain and glass, running on the whirling memories gifted to its synthetic vocalist.

It always takes me like 10 seconds to comprehend the time signature change at 1:21 in Ancient Makes if I haven't listened to it in a while, because of the snare pattern

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Ancient Makes

what a strangely lilting tune about a man-eating dragon
IroniA is my favorite kind of Hatsune Miku song - an instrumental
SHINE BRIGHT wow is that a Trails in the Sky reference??? anyway Kirby's Block Ball was a fun little game and Stage 5 is cute, but

IroniA

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

8.5
8.4
7.1
5.8
7.7
7.8

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Stage 5

---
IroniA
Ancient Makes

Oh boy, first match is a thing, two real nice songs in very different ways! Dragon's Feed is a very neat mixture of like 3 different, contrasting aesthetics, going between fun groovy, elegant, and historic temple, and it all winds up working very well. And on the other side, Forest Investigation is a great digital creation of an actively eerie, chilling atmosphere. Really, both are very well done and it's very difficult for me to decide between them! So I won't. I mean, a great song will be advancing either way.

Meanwhile match 3 darn another nice little game boy song I don't get to vote for because it's up against another cooler not-game-boy song (and the comparison is not close for me like in match 1 oh well).

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Stage 5

Dragon's Feed is very good, Forest Investigation is... very weird. Honestly it is growing on me, but the competition is too strong here.
I love everything about Sealed Vessel, and Ironia does nothing for me. If Vessel gets wrecked here I'm gonna take it as confirmation that I have very different tastes to the majority of voters and go through the rest of the contest with no expectations whatsoever lol.
Kirby has some friendly beeps and boops. Ancient Makes is pretty bland imo.
Easy votes today!

Dragon: 4/5
Forest: 2/5
Vessel: 5/5
Ironia: 1.5/5
Block: 3/5
Makes: 1.5/5

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Ancient Makes

The first match is okay, the second one is pretty good, not a fan of the third.

Mr. Driller: Drill Land - The Dragon's Feed is the People
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - IroniA
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Ancient Makes

mr driller was a very hard one to pick, i really like both of them

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Ancient Makes

Forest Investigation
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

Dragon's
Sealed
Ancient

Match 2 is the strongest one yet.

Forest Investigation
IroniA
Stage 5

Mr. Driller: Drill Land - The Dragon's Feed is the People
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - IroniA
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Ancient Makes

I like the genre combination in The Dragon's Feed is the People. Traditional oriental elements mixed with jazz mixed with some funk is pretty cool. Erhu usage is always a plus in my book as well. It could be executed better so the transitions (particularly the one at 2:45) are more seamless. The motifs are also somewhat lacking. Go Shiina did good on this one all things considered.

The pitch bends after the intro of Forest Investigation (0:53-0:55 and 1:11-1:13) are pretty neat. This does a good job of capturing a horror element as a whole. I also like the main synth that starts at 1:58. Pretty interesting song, but I wouldn't say it's something I'd really go back to.

Hollow Knight is a soundtrack that I still haven't listened to in full, despite wanting to. I've quite liked everything I've heard from it thus far, and Sealed Vessel is no exception. Great string work in this one, especially in the middle with the string quartet portion, and the choral effects in the background are well-executed as well. Also worth noting the crescendo in that section is just fantastic. Kinda sad that this one isn't getting more support, but it's not surprising either.

I listened to the original version of IroniA with the Miku vocals last night, and I definitely like it better with the vocals. The instrumental version feels a bit empty without them (which is usually the case with instrumental versions of songs in general). There are some interesting elements in the instrumental however that carry their own weight, like the piano parts, the solid mixing, and just the general instrument selection. The synths at 4:02 are pretty cool too. Good song, but the lack of vocals puts it a level below its competition unfortunately.

Stage 5 is definitely a Game Boy theme. The melody isn't anything special, so it doesn't really have any redeeming factors for me.

And Ancient Makes is definitely a Falcom battle theme. There's nothing really offensive about it, but it doesn't do anything to interest me either. I guess it'll take my vote still.

Votes:
The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Stage 5

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Stage 5

Forest Investigation
Sealed Vessel
Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People
IroniA
Ancient Makes

The Dragon's Feed is the People
Sealed Vessel
Stage 5

WORLD OF HORROR - Forest Investigation
Hollow Knight - Sealed Vessel
Kirby's Block Ball - Stage 5

WORLD OF HORROR - Forest Investigation
Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Arcade version B - IroniA
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Ancient Makes

Dragon's Feed is a lot better than my initial impression made it out to be, surprisingly close match here. Echoing the previous posters' sentiment about liking the instrumentation.

Wow, Forest Investigation is so cool from a sound design perspective. Agreeing with MaxGalactica about the cool pitch bends (actually my favorite part of the song).

Sealed Vessel is giving me vibes of both Kingdom Hearts and Dark Souls music. Slow buildup, but has some good parts to it.

Something just feels fundamentally wrong about having Vocaloid music in this contest, without the actual Vocaloid. I mean, even at best, Vocaloid is more of a guilty pleasure listen than anything, but it also is meant to be the main attraction. Anyway, the song is good.

I love classic Kirby music, to the point where it was one of the series that originally got me into VGM in the first place. (Sorry Kirby!!)

ancient makes is worst trails final boss theme I rate 8/10