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Pokémon Soundtrack Discussion with Latios

Started by Latios212, October 22, 2016, 09:06:00 AM

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Latios212

Hey all, this will be a place where I'll share my thoughts on various Pokémon tracks, and hold discussions on them with you guys. I'll be choosing tracks that will come from anywhere and everywhere across the Pokémon universe, from the most popular and iconic themes to ones you almost certainly haven't heard before. Feel free to join in; we can discuss anything like the context of a track in the game, analysis of techniques used by the composers, similarities with other tracks, themes across generations, or status of sheets and covers. It'll be fun!



Tracks discussed so far:

Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue
  • Caves of Mt. Moon2
Pokémon Gold & Silver
  • S.S. Aqua3
Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon
  • Hau'oli City (Day)1
  • Hau'oli City (Night)1
Pokémon Bystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
  • Pokémon Paradise4

Archive
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

Latios212

#1
1 - Welcome to Alola

Track: "Hau'oli City (Day)" and "Hau'oli City (Night)"
Composer: Currently unknown
Game: Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon
Youtube link:
Spoiler
[close]

I've been eagerly anticipating the city/town music from Sun and Moon for quite a while now, ever since they were announced. Across all generations thus far, city and town music as a whole has been consistently spectacular, and Sun and Moon seem to be continuing that trend. Right off the bat, in the demo version, we're introduced to Hau'oli City in the tropical Alola region which has both a day and a night theme! Different tracks for day and night for city/town themes has been absent ever since Sinnoh when they were introduced. But here we have two themes that are instantly more different than any Sinnoh pair. Most of the differences between the day and night versions of Sinnoh tracks consist of a key change and/or inclusion of different background voices. Hau'oli City, on the other hand, completely reinvents the theme.

"Hau'oli City (Day)" sounds as one might expect as the introduction to the new tropical region, giving off a very sunny and tropical vibe, using the ukulele (which seems to be a recurring theme across this soundtrack so far; very fitting). It serves its purpose wonderfully. The melody is bright and memorable, and makes for nice easy listening. Which is perfect for the first theme we get from this region.

"Hau'oli City (Night)" completely changes the style. Instrumentation consists of a jazz trio - piano, bass, and drums, and instantly gives off a Sinnoh-jazzy vibe. It works perfectly as the first night theme we get, and I love it. It shares the same basic melody as the day version and adapts it perfectly to the jazz feel. Braix, Zeila, and I have already made sheets for it; that's how stunning it is.

I'm having really high hopes for the rest of this soundtrack. Are Go Ichinose and Hitomi Sato back on the composition team? Given this track and the jazz we've seen from then in the past, I think and hope so. Can't wait until it's released next month :3
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

SlowPokemon

The track in the ferry port building is absolutely Hitomi Sato, it's obvious just listening to the style (also, she's never been off the team, so I doubt she would be now).
Quote from: Tobbeh99 on April 21, 2016, 02:56:11 PM
Fuck logic, that shit is boring, lame and does not always support my opinions.

Latios212

Yeah - I meant "still" on the composition team, I guess. I was just disappointed she only contributed one track on OR/AS (and not a very good one, at that).
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

SlowPokemon

I'd assume she only contributed one to ORAS because she was busy working on the next game. She's the best of the current composition team so I'm excited for more of her work.
Quote from: Tobbeh99 on April 21, 2016, 02:56:11 PM
Fuck logic, that shit is boring, lame and does not always support my opinions.

Sebastian

Now THIS is cool. Count me in as an active reader.



daj

This is totally approved <3

I love ya Latios ^^

And yes, this track does sound very Hitomi-esque. She's just so dang good with her rhythms, and even in a simple track like this there are rhythmic sparkles that give it so much life. The standard jazz ensemble + ukelele  configuration is essentially chill + Hawaii, and that's brilliant. Hyped for the rest of the tracks to come for sure~

Latios212

Haha thanks guys! ;)

And for everyone else watching, feel free to join in; I don't plan on it just being me rambling on and on all the time :J

Quote from: dajwxp on October 22, 2016, 05:57:27 PMAnd yes, this track does sound very Hitomi-esque. She's just so dang good with her rhythms, and even in a simple track like this there are rhythmic sparkles that give it so much life. The standard jazz ensemble + ukelele  configuration is essentially chill + Hawaii, and that's brilliant. Hyped for the rest of the tracks to come for sure~
Yeee get hyped! I'm really excited for the official soundtrack being released next month as well.
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

Latios212

2 - The Very First Cave

Track: "Caves of Mt. Moon"
Composer: Jun'ichi Masuda
Game: Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue
Youtube link: [PocketMonstersMusic]
Sheet link: [NSM's PDF]



It's the original Pokémon adventure. It's the first time stepping into a cave entrance... let's take a listen to what you hear inside. (Besides endless Zubat cries, of course.)

Mt. Moon sets the scene perfectly for what one might expect after stepping into a cave for the first time. Something about this track just seems so desolate right off the bat, and that's the fact that this track uses only two voices (save for the lead-in to the 3/4 measures) and no percussion. Unlike every other major track in the game, the use of only two audio channels makes Mt. Moon sound empty. In a good way, because you're all alone wandering around the vast interior.

Adding to this is the use of the whole tone scale throughout the piece, which gives the piece a surreal, dream-like feel. On top of all that, this track has the strangest rhythms of all the Kanto themes. Listen to the intro and the song is pretty well-structured with a 3+3+2 rhythm. Things change at measure 13, and the song transitions into the section with lower chromatic ascents that slowly get lower and lower as the song slows down. Right when the song sounds like it's about to break down completely, it snaps back to something resembling the first section, but...

The rhythms past measure 20 can be written out in a number of different ways, but it's difficult to follow along with a single pulse. If somehow you manage to listen this far enough in the theme without being ambushed by a Zubat, this section serves to try and confuse and disorient you as you wander through the dimly lit rooms of Mt. Moon. And when you've finally uncovered a consistent 6/8 rhythm as one of the two voices drops out, the track throws one final curveball at you with a 7/8 measure returning back to 4/4 for the intro. Wow, that's one heck of a Game Boy track. And with only two voices, at that.

Other incarnations:
  • The FireRed and LeafGreen version supplements the original with subtle background voices, ultimately to the same effect.
  • Pokémon Gold and Silver uses the first section for "Rock Tunnel", which interestingly has the melody echo itself an eighth note after it strikes. But it loses the entire rest of the track...
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver also add background voices but changes it to give the track a lighter, less imposing feel.
  • In Pokémon Gold and Silver and HeartGold and SoulSilver the entire Mt. Moon area is revamped and the music is replaced with a simple, cheerful track... as the whole dungeon is gone.
  • Most interestingly, Shinji Miyazaki's anime arrangement replaces the two voices with extremely echoey pianos and messes with the rhythm even more... it starts out in 9/8, changes, and evokes the same surreal-ness in the original.
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

Latios212

3 - Boats, Part 1

Track: "S.S. Aqua"
Composer: Go Ichinose
Game: Pokémon Gold Version & Pokémon Silver Version
Youtube link: [PocketMonstersMusic]
Sheet link: [NSM's PDF]



Unlike Gen 1, the game is far from over once you beat the Elite Four. A whole boatload of tracks awaits in the post-game! Let's see what's in store for your ride back to Kanto.

Right at the start, we get a couple of low G's that sound just like the horn of a boat going off - a nicely placed figure to match the boat actually departing in game.

There are a few factors of S.S. Aqua that make it pretty unique in the varied Pokémon Gold/Silver soundtrack. The first is the use of really big jumps in the bassline - much of the song's bass is written as alternating notes that are more than an octave apart. And then we have the sweet sixteenth note runs, placed at the beginning to introduce the track and later interweaved throughout the melody. Together they give the track a quirky, bouncy feeling that's perfect for the excitement of returning to a newly redesigned Kanto.

Also, these things make it very difficult to adapt to solo piano. You're in for a real challenge if you want to try managing those large LH jumps (with some sixteenth notes interspersed in!) as well as sixteenth notes under the melody.

This track has been re-arranged for Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver as well as the anime, but here the original is really the best version. The other two arrangements provide more background voices but at a loss of having the bass so accentuated, as well as the sixteenth note runs being downplayed in importance.

Hope you enjoyed, more to come on the other boat themes eventually :3
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

Oronoco

Quote from: Latios212 on October 25, 2016, 05:55:18 PMHope you enjoyed, more to come on the other boat themes eventually :3
I'm excited! Good choice.

I almost asked if you were going to do Goldenrod before I realized it isn't a boat theme. But my bad habit as a kid of lyricizing everything turned it into one:

Spoiler
"Sailing, sailing, on the open sea,
Riding in a boat is just the life for me!
Sailing, sailing, on the open sea,
What else could ever make me sing so happily?"
[close]
Quote from: Yellow on October 13, 2015, 05:18:40 PM
...Really though. Don't let them take it away from you. That desire for something more, for adventure... for destiny. Don't let them turn it against you, either.

Nebbles

Hah, we discussed this track in private a while ago!!! Wonderful job.
Quote from: Dudeman on April 13, 2016, 04:54:04 PM
- Nebbles, the beauty with the heart of frozen steel

Latios212

4 - PARADIIIIIISE

Tracks: "Pokémon Paradise" (all three versions)
Composers: Ryoma Nakamura, Keisuke Ito, & Yasuhiro Kawagoe
Game: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Youtube link: [1] [2] [3]
Sheet link: [NSM sheet by Bespinben, first version] [Braix's rough transcription of third version]
Relevant videos: [Bespinben's cover]



Here we have the classic "add stuff to the track as you proceed through the game" move. (See Yoshi's Island map themes.) There are three versions of the Pokémon Paradise theme in Gates to Infinity, titled "Pokémon Paradise", "Pokémon Paradise: Reprise", and... I haven't unlocked the third one's name in Music Paradise yet.

"Pokémon Paradise" starts off pretty bare-bones as one might expect. The track consists of nothing more than a bassline (as you can see in Bespinben's sheet and some (fairly complex) percussion. It's used to introduce the player to a barren patch of land that is suddenly theirs, and the lack of more instrumentation reflects this emptiness. "It sure is annoyingly emp--I mean, refreshingly empty around here, hmm?"

"Pokémon Paradise: Reprise" introduces the guitar line which brings the percussion line from the foreground to the background, serving as accompaniment to the guitar part. Now we can get a better sense of musical structure; for instance, the guitar makes heavy use of the 3+3+3+3+2+2 rhythm. It feels fuller, as the player continues to build up Paradise into a lively living area. Other minor additions are made to the music as well, like the (choir?) at around 1:15. Still, it feels like something's amiss. This track lays a good foundation of what's to come.

The third and final version is where all the stops come out! Paradise is now a thriving hub, filled with lush scenery and lots of friendly Pokémon. Finally we have the addition of the melody, as well as some more accompaniment to really flesh out the sound. It perfectly fills in what you've been waiting to hear all this time The result is one of the most cheerful-sounding tracks in the game - perfect for listening over and over again in the hub world.

The final version of Pokémon Paradise is the track I remember most fondly from Gates. I'd just run around Paradise for no reason other than just to listen to this theme. ;D
My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

Latios212

My arrangements and YouTube channel!

Quote from: Dudeman on February 22, 2016, 10:16:37 AM
who needs education when you can have WAIFUS!!!!!

Spoiler
[close]
turtle

SlowPokemon

I believe I said this somewhere already, but prior to the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, but after already composing and arranging for those games, Kageyama left Game Freak and formed his own company (and, as I'm pretty sure anyone who knows me knows, I think it's pretty good riddance).
Quote from: Tobbeh99 on April 21, 2016, 02:56:11 PM
Fuck logic, that shit is boring, lame and does not always support my opinions.