Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 20! Coalescence/Routing, Bamboo Past/RainPrvPurple, R113/RadicalDream

(+) Yeah! (+)

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Route 113

Routing
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Match 3 is so much harder than I expected.

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

tfw you want each RoR song to win individually, but you also don't want both to win together...

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Purple Rain

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Coalescence is a pretty cool song. Melody is catchy and I like how it builds on itself throughout the song. Routing is actually pretty fun overall but not quite in the same tier. Especially like the part at 1:13.

Rain Formerly Known as Purple is a pretty cool song. Melody is catchy and I like how it builds on itself throughout the song. Bamboo Boogaloo is actually pretty fun overall but not quite in the same tier. Especially like the part at 0:32.

Pretty vocals vs mid Pokemon route theme.

Rain Formerly Known as Purple > Coalescence > Radical Dreamers > Bamboo Boogaloo > Routing > Route 113

Good day.

beatmania IIDX 23 copula - Routing
The Messenger - Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)
Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers

MATCH 1

Coalescence feels very "lo-fi hip hop beats to study to." Until it doesn't when the song starts get a little heavier with the drums and other instruments. I think I like the softer parts of this song more.

Routing's a really fun song. I wish it was a little less distorted in how it sounds, but it has this cool future funk kind of sound. 1:13-1:41 is my favorite part.

MATCH 2

Bamboo Boogaloo is another fun song. The song picks up more after 0:32 when the extra instruments come in.

Can't really think of much to say about The Rain Formerly Known as Purple. It's nice to listen to the whole way through, and unlike Coalescence, it doesn't lose anything as the song gets more intense.

MATCH 3

Route 113 is nice. I don't really think of RSE music when thinking of Pokemon songs that I like. Though, it's certainly iconic! In a way, this song feels a little bit different from some of the other route themes in this game, and not in a bad way.

Radical Dreamers always feels really sentimental to me, and I've never played Chrono Cross before. When I listen to this song, I feel like I'm thinking back to a distant memory of this song being associated with a really important moment in my life, only it's a memory that I've never experienced at all. I feel like that makes no sense to anyone reading this though lol. The important thing here is that I really like this song! The soft vocals and acoustic guitar are really pleasant here. I'm glad to finally see this song in the contest in my time participating in it because I always liked it, but despite including it in support consideration playlists in multiple years, I never had enough room to support it (maybe I supported it one year, I don't remember).

Radical Dreamers > Routing = Bamboo Boogaloo (Past) > The Rain Formerly Known as Purple > Route 113 > Coalescence

Routing
Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)
Radical Dreamers

fuck you match 3 i'm legit MAD i cannot vote for route 113, radical dreamers is just too good and too important to me i cannot convince myself to vote 113 lol i hate this world. definitely secretly hope 113 wins......,,, anyway today is really good and then there's risk of rain

(out of 114)
(5th) Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers
(18th) Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire - Route 113
(22nd) beatmania IIDX 23 copula - Routing
(51st) The Messenger - Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)
(93rd) Risk of Rain 2 - The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
(106th) Risk of Rain - Coalescence

From Toxtricity:

Routing (IIDX 23 copula)
Rain Formerly Known as Purple (Risk of Rain 2)
Route 113 (Pokemon RSE)

This song is so sad

This song sounds like rhythm game music from toby foxs friend

This song sounds like it would be played on banjos

This song is called purple but it is using basically every color except for purple for me wtf

This song sounds like chrono cross! I like that soundtrack!

rse is by far my favorite pokemon GAME as an actual video game, which creates some level of bias toward the infamous way that it sounds (tho it is far from my favorite pokemon game in terms of music), but i do still think i genuinely crave its bizarre grainy crunchy instrumentation somehow too (i like the instrumentation to the point its probably my fav pokemon game in terms of sound, and even tho i like most other gens compositionally more..i wish i could hear rse versions of them). Route 113 was one of my favorites to the point that i believe i was the initial nominator of it when it got into vgmc3! My taste is significantly different now and this would not be my first pick from the game anymore, but i still hold fondness for it no question. Very cool memorable ichinose chord-melody interaction style that is just so comfortable feeling

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Routing
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
abstain

Coalescence
Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Route 113

Only big surprise for me is going for a Pokemon theme, simply because of how close it is to Snowman. The Messenger is neat but it can't quite beat one of my favorite RoR songs, and while Coalescence isn't a favorite, I'm not in an aggressive rhythm game mood.

Routing
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Routing
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

one day!

No time for writeups today. Might do some later tonight instead.

Votes:
Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers -Le Trsor Interdit-

Routing
Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)
Route 113

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Route 113

Coalescence > Route 113 > (Radical = Purple) > Boogaloo > Routing

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Radical Dreamers >> Coalescence The Rain Formerly Known as Purple Bamboo Boogaloo (Past) >> Route 113 >>>> Routing

Routing / The Rain Formerly Known as / Dreamers

Coalescence: In a taxi heading down a dark but familiar road in a downpour, his downcast eyes drop to his lap as he downs his last drink.

Routing: A huge parade of kids bouncing around on pogo sticks bounds its way into the middle of the street, stopping all traffic as they have their fun.

Bamboo Boogaloo (Past): Dangerously dueling atop a precarious rope bridge, two rivals dodge around each other while trading attacks.

The Rain Formerly Known as Purple: Looking upward at the sky with a squint as the sun rises up from behind clouds, she continues her trek uphill, uprooting herself.

Route 113: Soot floats down from the sky, obscuring your vision as you walk through the forest to reach a blackened but beautiful clearing.

Radical Dreamers: Soar with me through the sky as I take a journey in the night, traveling over sleeping towns and villages worldwide.

Radical > Routing = Formerly >= Coalescence >> Route >> Bamboo

i think my votes today tell a nice story, though maybe itd have been funnier if i was able to go Routing / Formerly Known as / Route 113 or something

Routing
Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)
Radical Dreamers

Incredible day today.

Risk of Rain Coalescence 5 Chris Christodoulou music isn't necessarily my favorite but i can see why people really enjoy it. The songs are too mellow and drawn out for my interests, but for people that enjoy those things, chrisx2 is your guy. I sorta enjoy how the main motif grows to new levels with each repetition. It's like I'm melding into the soup of sounds. On the other hand, it's the same melody over and over, so it can get a bit boring to listen to

beatmania IIDX 23 copula Routing 6 Love all the funky samples and dj scratching sounds this one incorporates. Though it gets a little too wild, it's a blast to listen to.

The Messenger Bamboo Boogaloo (Past) 8.5 One of my favorites. This soundfont is so infectious. The ninja rush of the melody building on top of itself in these choppy energetic waves is really cool. The second part with its lower bass like sounds also has some intracate progressions i enjoy.

Risk of Rain 2 The Rain Formerly Known as Purple 6 This one is a full on feast for Chris Christodoulou lovers. It is a complete expidition, starting with a simple beat and gradually adding more instruments and sounds in such a smooth and effortless way that you can't help but feel engrossed in its charm. I really enjoy the little knocks and beeps thrown in from time to time. I enjoy the guitar riffs in this one and the sweltering riffs that start at the 4:50 mark. They help to not make the track sound too samey and give it a greater depth and epicness.

Pokmon Ruby/Sapphire Route 113 7 This is a pretty cool track. I like the mystery and intrigue the melody leaks. It gives a nice floaty dreamy soundscape that contrasts well with the occasional punctuated horns.

Chrono Cross Radical Dreamers 8 This miiight be my favorite Chrono Cross song, or at least in my top 3. The guitars give a reflective and sorrowful intro to the weighty emotion in the light vocals. There's a delicate balance in the pitch of the vocals and the notes of the guitars. And a sort of dance where the bgm will hit notes in the pauses of the vocals. I don't really care for the last minute where it's just a lot of harmonzing, but otherwise it's just a beautiful and heartfelt track.

Routing
Bamboo Boogaloo (Past)
Route 113

Maybe this is that "GBA bias" that was being discussed on Discord, but I wonder how Route 113 got into this contest. I can't imagine that anyone is sitting around thinking "hmm I feel like listening to Pokemon Route 113 right now." That being said it is pretty interesting when trying to listen to it objectively and not consider context.

Coalescence
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

Routing
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Radical Dreamers

--
Coalescence [7.6]
Routing [7.8]

Surprisingly, I don't really care too much for these two at the moment, I just feel a little more investment with the crazy synths that Camillia is throwing at me today.

Bamboo Boogaloo (Past) [8.3]
The Rain Formerly Known as Purple [8.5]

Bamboo Boogaloo is some chiptune goodness showing up again, but Purple is such a good groove; it does feel like it goes on for a bit too long, but that guitar and synth are with you for the whole ride and it's very hard to not appreciate that.

Route 113 [8.4]
Radical Dreamers [9]

I'm sorry Pokemon Gen 3, I really like your trumpets but it just can't compete with this absolute gem from Chrono Cross. I love how well the singer complements the acoustic guitar all throughout the song, and the relaxing atmosphere created by both is one that I personally favor for ballads like it.

Risk of Rain - Coalescence
Risk of Rain 2 - The Rain Formerly Known as Purple
Chrono Cross - Radical Dreamers

As if all of the rest of B3 wasn't already enough, the first match was pretty good & tough tbh. And hell, the Messenger track I probably wouldn't say deserves a R1 exit either. But it's TRFKAP, c'mon. The absolute best song I was introduced to last contest.

And of course the quality kinda drops off for me as soon as we enter B4 (Though Dreamers is alright)

Rain 2 > Rain 1 > Beatmania 23 > Bamboo Boogaloo (Prequel) >> Radical Dreamers Edition > Route 113 (wow, HOW many sequels??)

Ok, relistening to all of these songs to do writeups on them.

Chris Christodoulou has excellent production in his compositions. Fantastic mixing in Coalescence. The percussion and synth choices are great. A lot of people have the issue that his music is a bit repetitive, and while I can understand that, his music evolves and builds on itself enough that that's not too much of an issue for me. The synth starting at 3:57 is definitely my favorite element here. Definitely have Risk of Rain (both games) high on my list of soundtracks to listen to soon.

Routing has some pretty neat synths. The composition is a bit all over the place and the song is a bit too short for me to really appreciate it. It definitely doesn't stand a chance against Coalescence.

Bamboo Boogaloo is kinda catchy. Some neat parts in this, but also some kinda obnoxious parts too, particularly in the middle section. I like the part at 1:35 though. I might've considered voting for this one, but considering what it was up against, definitely not.

The Rain Formerly Known as Purple is a trip. What an incredible buildup. I like this for similar reasons that I like Argon Refinery. Long song with a repetitive foundation, but the way the composition builds around it throughout makes it never feel dull to me. The e-guitar is fantastic, the synths are superb, just a great song overall. I really like the final chord in this as well.

I quite like the main acoustic guitar core of this composition. However, I'm not really a fan of Noriko Mitose's voice here. The echo-y mix on her voice doesn't really help it either. At least the composition itself is pretty solid. Would be nice to have an instrumental version of this with a violin or something playing the melody. It still got my vote since it had much weaker competition.

Yeah, GBA Pokmon is really not my thing musically. The horns used in this one (and a lot of other GBA Pokmon songs) are just painful to listen to. The melody is ok, but nothing particularly memorable for me.

Good day solely because of the rain. Can't wait for the rain to self-cannibalize next round.