Board 8 > [VGMC] Day 40! feat. Brain Rolling, Jewel Freezing, and More White than Ever

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to Video Game Music Contest 19, 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=479594
Contest info sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HqEzmlfEUsm6BWJbBxDm6ZUnQQ_2d1ezDlVBN2sYepY
Contest discussion thread: https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80981071
Main bracket playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT3m7iohpL0zm7Svx4DXDy1XjUejSBazd
Last years spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HBxgL9woiCMFKNOPuN_qdxmzjStJXSpC3Ocalfsavdk
VGMC total stats sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K1XdLWiUKB2kX99qYBgnRbLU_sCz4dvZSByKKJHCT6o
VGMC info site (thank you p0!!): https://p0p0p0p.github.io/
Discord: https://discord.gg/7FVXqWj

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!

.

Poisoned Well and You

"As some of you may know, the song Poisoned Well that shows up late in Bracket D is a 21 minute 36 second song that does not loop. As is customary with longer songs in the VGMC nowadays (longer meaning ""roughly more than a Dancing Mad"") we thought to give a little heads up in advance so that if you would like to do your listening of the song at a time convenient to you, you may. Here's a link to the song:"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe4GIkEulSM

.

Match 1

Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE - Katamari on the Dream
Composer: Shogo Nomura
Loop Point: 3:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRFy1u39cik

Keylocker - Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Composer: Elektrobear, Psamathes
Loop Point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8l-qIYsoNI

.

Match 2

Within a Deep Forest - diamond meditation
Composer: Troupe Gammage
Loop Point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNGlOVu-C7I

Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Composer: Jun Maeda arr. Hayato Asano
Loop Point: 5:09
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfWD-jIrIcs

.

Match 3

Final Fantasy VII Remake - The Valkyrie
Composer: Keiki Kobayashi
Loop Point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RYEE6lJ334

Dreamin' Her -Boku wa, Kanojo no Yume o Miru- - Oyasumi Monochrome
Composer: tazuneru arr. raku (Islet)
Loop Point: 4:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zAoi3oFwdg

.

Easy vote form:
Katamari on the Dream / Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation / Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie / Oyasumi Monochrome

Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE - Katamari on the Dream
Heaven Burns Red - Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Final Fantasy VII Remake - The Valkyrie

neural divergence
diamond meditation
the valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version) (Keylocker)
Shiva (Glacier Remix) (Heaven Burns Red)
Oyasumi Monochrome (Dreamin' Her)

there are lots of good modal aspects. you have heard of miles Davis and nekomata master I suspect.

upward pitch envelopse is one of the best aspect of synthesizer fake. oh my god some of these evolving pads are amazing

within a deep forest is a game that was clearly meant for me, or at least what my tastes were when i played it. but I never actually got very far. the atmosphere is well sold by the music for sure though

Oh wow ive been listening to every single thing credited to hideaki kobayashi slowly over the past week or so so this is making me do a double-take in the first 40 seconds on how indistinguishable from pso2 it feels. It turns into something completely different but i really respect that beginning.

This reminds me of the Ralph Schuckett pokemon 2000 & 3rd movie english dub version osts, which is a compliment

This reminds me of blue reflection

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Neural Divergence [A] > Shiva [A] > diamond meditation [C] > Katamari on the Dream [C] > Oyasumi Monochrome [C] > The Valkyrie [D]

Katamari on the Dream is pretty good, but not funky or weird enough to match the song its riffing. Think I enjoy Neural Divergence more on each listen. Sounds very good tonight!

diamond meditation is a nice, chill song. Shiva is just really good though. Mentioned in the reverse ranking (on a different mix, mind you) that I feel like I shouldn't be into it based on my history with fairly similar tracks. It's a mystery to me! But yeah, it's a gooder.

Valkyrie is way too long. I should have saved this for tomorrow since I'm sleepy. This is pretty dull though. Oyasumi Monochrome isn't my thing either but the singer is pretty good.

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

I don't have anything to say today, Valkyrie is an 8/10, everything else except Oyasumi is like a 6/10

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

I don't know how it exists but KataMili just makes me happy. Keylocker delivers some quality alt-rock here too, it's a good match.

diamond meditation is the kind of song i'm just really glad has gotten exposure in our community. obviously no hard feelings towards it here as it just unfortunately drew one of the absolute best songs(/remixes) of last year. heaven burns red: blue reflection edition: the song, definitely has no right to exist, and yet here we are

the valkyrie battle theme is obviously unmistakeably a keiki kobayashi song (if i didn't know better, i'd have easily believed it was made as a scrapped AC8 concept song lol), though having had more time for it to sink in and all, it does kind of beg the question of if it's actually one of his more memorable songs. and i feel like the answer is honestly no, and it isn't really close to one either. of course, i am still voting it, because forgettable as it is, it's leagues apart from an animegame vn opening theme as thoroughly unremarkable as this one is to me. i don't really have anything against oyasumi monogatari (i think it's fine), i just don't really resonate with it of all possible songs getting in when i don't see any advantages it has over any other opening themes out there. but yeah the real takeaway of this one is "why did this get nommed+supported???"

also i have to say this poll was way better than most of them so far

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

oh that looks like a misfired copy paste i didn't notice until now

change my match 3 vote to
The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Dream
Meditation
Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Neurodivergent
Shiva
is a Valkyrie

Shiva is Shiva's theme if she was introduced in PSO2 Episode 4 instead of Episode 6

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

Usually Shiva is one of my favorites, but I'm very drawn to diamond meditation this morning... feels like I'd vote the other way most days.

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Oyasumi Monochrome > The Valkyrie > Katamari on the Dream > Shiva (Glacier Remix) >>> diamond meditation > Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)

Match 3 is very good.

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

abstain
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

two similarly good vocal songs in match 1!

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Goodnight Monochrome

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version) >= Katamari on the Dream >= Shiva (Glacier Remix) > Goodnight Monochrome >> The Valkyrie > diamond meditation

Katamari on the Dream - 8.5
okay wait that was a really cool mix of Lonely Rolling Star and Katamari on the Rocks wtf

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version) - 8.5
oh yeah I still need to listen to the English version sometime. really cool song as-is tho, synths and guitar are awesome and Psamathes is a great vocalist

diamond meditation - 6
I guess this exists

Shiva (Glacier Remix) - 8.5
yeah this song's actually really cool

The Valkyrie - 6.5
okay good I should have enough time to listen to these last couple songs before leaving for work the 9 minute time worried me. anyways yep as evidenced by the composer this sure is Ace Combat music can we at least get Mimic from AC7 in sometime that song rules

Goodnight Monochrome - 8
typical weeb song but I like the bass

Neuraldiv
Shiv
Goodnight Monochrome

...i'd like to invoke my "PLEASE JUST ONE TIME" today. I'd like to think i deserve it, even if I know I don't.

Lyricwise, I put Shiva in the video, and I feel like doing Goodnight Monochrome first. I'll go back and do katamari on the dreams if i have time i guess.

What's there to do but cry?
That aria echoes forth, to who knows where
I'm in my lighthouse, all alone
Then a brilliant line streaks up to a flare

An azure ring, the door opens
You call, just one more time
And I trace the waves of light to our personal fantasy

Good night -- invite me to what comes next
Monochrome -- Dance it with me
So all the layers of snow might unpack
Good night -- let me hear you say it
And I won't want for anything else
If nothing else, put me in the past
So we can now weave
A future, a dream

I remember it all, when I see your eyes
The laughter, the silence,
The meaningless, purposeful moments
The ring's vanished, hauled in
I'm called, only one time
And I retrace reason back to our personal blue skies

Good night -- invite me to what comes next
Grant my wish -- to drown with you
As all the layers of snow melt away
Good night -- let me hear you say it
For your hands to close my eyes and
If nothing else, put me in the past
So we can now weave
Together

And so my fingers touch
On this night when words and tears drip down
Even if the truth is drowning in you
I trace the light waves, and now
Say good morning

Good night -- let me hear you say it...
Good night -- invite me to what comes next
Monochrome -- Dance it with me
For all the layers of snow are long gone
Good night -- let me hear you say it
The waves, this love
Take all of me and put me in the past
So now we can weave
A future, a tomorrow

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Didn't expect to be voting against KotD. Really tough match.

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Match 2 is tougher than expected

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

Neural
Shiva
Oyasumi

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
Oyasumi Monochrome

Katamari on the Dream = Shiva (Glacier Remix) >= diamond meditation > Oyasumi Monochrome > Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version) >= The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
Shiva (Glacier Remix)
The Valkyrie

Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

I supported Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version). A song about your brain getting taken over by an evil computer. On this listen I decided my favorite part is 2:08-3:20, where that simple sequence of beep boops sounds truly despondent as they are invaded by guitar. Thats not to undersell the vocals which are only made more beautiful by distortion.

Katamari on the Dream is a funny contrast against that. The good times are rolling here. Fun bouncy beats and na-na-na-na callbacks.

I also supported diamond meditation. This has some of the best progression Ive ever heard, which is especially impressive with how little time it has to do it. Starting with those few lonely bells, adding on the comforting high-pitched melody, in 2 short minutes it feels like its traveled miles.

Dont even try to deny that ZUNpets would fit in Green Scream.

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome

Hey, finally a Rolling Live song I can vote confidently! The Lonely Rolling Star and Katamari on the Rocks quotes are very nice. Keylocker is a good competitor and I'm fine if it wins too.

HMMM minimally close vote for Meditation here. Shiva is an absolute banger, but I've just always been a lover of the music in WaDF and it barely tips it. Again, very happy with whoever wins here.

Not much to say about Match 3, very okayish stuff here.

Keylocker - Neural Divergence (Saturnian Version)
Within a Deep Forest - diamond meditation
Final Fantasy VII Remake - The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
The Valkyrie

Katamari on the Dream
diamond meditation
Oyasumi Monochrome