*Your Name Here* The Soundtrack
Alright, this should prove to be a diverting little . . . diversion. <_< >_> It is really quite a simple little forum activity, and all it requires from participants is some sort of music-player program or device (anything with a decent-sized music library and a shuffle function) and twenty minutes or so. How it works:
Shortly in this post I will produce a list of seventeen categories, which will collectively form your “life’s soundtrack”. All you must do is copy and paste this list into your own post, and allow your music player to run through seventeen consecutive random tracks. The first track you are dealt will be your “Main theme”, and the last will be your “funeral” theme. Provide a bit of commentary to keep things interesting, as there are bound to be some absurdly inappropriate results. :lol: The categories are as follows:
Main Theme
Persona
Life
Walking Theme
Battle Theme
Comradeship
Nemesis
*Insert your name here* The Savior
*Insert your name here* The Betrayer
Inspiration
Futility
Power Trip
Ambition
Unanticipated Revelation
Pleasant Emotion
Death Theme
Funeral
I will take the honors of the first run-through:
Main Theme
“Overture” – Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Pretty decent, all things considered. :erm: Exceedingly ominous, what with the creeping vocal lines, but with an unusually forceful brass section. Seems to imply a certain dynamic quality, and a hell of a threatening one. :plotting: The final section (where the strings really get going) is the real highlight; you do not impede the will of Vice Nebulosa without severe consequence, evidently. :evilking:
Persona
“Song Without Words - Second Suite in F, Op. 28, No. 2” – Gustav Holst
It is probable that no one on the forums will recognize this name, but Holst is actually a wind orchestra composer of some skill. The song itself is a woodwind dominated lament of sorts – very somber, rather sentimental – punctuated at key points with brass. It seems that my persona exudes a certain . . . tragic composure. :( Interesting.
Life
“Whoever Brings the Night” – Nightwish
Jesus. *_* A vicious, sordid life is mine, it seems. Judging by the lyrics, some kind of long-standing conflict with a female counterpart is probably involved, and it is not a battle over which I have dominance. Kind of . . . disconcerting, in a way. :erm: I am curious to know what such a woman would be like – ruthless and brilliant, certainly, and the type who would leave a mark upon her chosen target, even if her influence was but brief. Heavy electric guitars, a massive orchestra, and vocals that tend to range on the darker side of a pop style. All very dramatic.
Walking Theme
“Coming Back to You” – Leonard Cohen/Jennifer Warnes
Too regretful, mate. :nonono: There is certainly a time and a place for it, but I almost invariably go walking in a ruminative mood, and I actively attempt to keep outright remorse at a minimum. As always with this combination of artists, there are incredibly artistic and provocative lyrics and a high quality of female vocals, but this is one of their weaker collaborations. Not particularly pleased with this one, but it could have been a hell of a lot worse. :laugh:
Battle Theme
“Prelude” – Final Fantasy X
Oh, this just fails to work on any level. :mad: Nothing more to say about it; it is an awful piece of music. F A I L. -_-
Comradeship
“Sidecar-On The Rail Bridge” – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Cool . . . :plotting: Obviously this is the sort of comradeship in which severe mutual dangers are confronted. There is little to suggest “friendship” here, but certainly the image of myself and one other person working to protect the continued survival that is clearly under threat works. All instinctive trust and savage risks taken without hesitation; all raging strings and thrumming bass. I like it.
Nemesis
“Aeon’s Theme” – Castlevania: Judgment
A bit on the odd side, but not altogether inappropriate. This soundtrack promises a good sound almost regardless of which track is being discussed, but this is admittedly one of the lesser tracks. Come to think of it, actually, perhaps it is fairly appropriate. I generally skip over this track because of its foreign, blatant major key optimism; perhaps this is the ideal theme for my “nemesis” . . .
Vice Nebulosa The Savior
“Rain” – Gackt
For those who are unfamiliar with the man, Gackt is an exceedingly popular Japanese pop/rock artist, known best here, perhaps, by his tracks “LONGING” and “REDEMPTION” from the Dirge of Cerberus soundtrack. This is unquestionably one of his lesser tracks, in my opinion, but it does communicate a certain gentle vibe which seems to be appropriate to the subject matter. Again, could be worse. :erm:
Vice Nebulosa The Betrayer
“Turned to Stone II” – Dragonball Z
You know, short and obscure though the track may be, it actually works quite well. It begins with an obvious aura of tension, and immediately kicks into an incredibly intense set of guitar/synth riffs, implying a drastic change of circumstances on a battlefield. Whoever it is that I have betrayed has just been thrown to the wolves.
Inspiration
“Dynamo” – Megaman X5
Far too much a synthetic pipe dream, not enough an expression of latent potential yet to be realized. =\ Quite “weird”, seems to be an adequate expression.
Futility
“Dream A Little of Me” – Roger Williams
An old fashioned, piano-led ballad. <_< >_> Certain sections of it might feasibly work, provided my outlook on the futility of existence at the time in question was fairly wry and “accepting”, I suppose.
Power Trip
“Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat Major (BWV 1010) – Courante” – Bach
Another failure. -_- Unless my hypothetical lust for power includes the desire to lead a merry, vaguely Celtic-sounding dance, ‘tain’t going to fly.
Ambition
“Ending Cutscene 2” – Castlevania: Judgment
Quite good, indeed. :plotting: Dramatic, as any Castlevania track must be. It has a markedly sentimental flavor, implying that certain amount of sacrifice is required for my “ambitions” to come to fruition, which is only natural. It ends on a particularly impactive note, imitating the opening chord and sound effects of a considerably more ominous track, “Dracula’s Castle”.
Unanticipated Revelation
“Bitores Mendez” – Resident Evil 4
Something preposterous and horrifying has just taken place . . . <_< >_> There seem to be actual screams taking place in the background. Most definitely a revelation of the catastrophic, lethal variety . . .
Pleasant Emotion
“Abandoned Pit” – Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
A good track in its own right, and provided that the “pleasant emotion” in question is a secret, ambitious one, it has some potential. I like it; very much an unusual take on a category that would normally connote an unusually effusive outburst of emotion. ^_^
Death Theme
“Death of Swallowtail” – Metal Gear Acid
The title certainly works, as does the overall mood – a slow and inexorable end. Bothersome is the fact that several background vocal effects were taken directly from the Mitsuda Xenosaga track “Song of Nephilim”. :nonono: This cannot be tolerated (unless Mitsuda also borrowed them from some kind of sound library, but considering he had the London Symphony Orchestra to work with on Xenosaga, I doubt it).
Funeral
“Tatakau Mono Tachi ~ AC Version” – Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Who in hell decided this would make a decent pallbearer track? ~_^ Not going to happen.
