Hello EoFFers! I do hope you’re having a lovely day, whichever hemisphere you’re in. Today I’m bringing you the first in a new weekly series in which I hope to explore the depths of the music of our beloved Final Fantasy!
We’re going to start off with one of the most oddly placed tunes in Final Fantasy, a real conversation starter… A mixture of techno and synths all collide with some epic drumbeats to make…. The SEYMOUR OMNIS BATTLE THEME! Yes this theme belongs to without a doubt one of Final Fantasy’s biggest douchebags! So why is it so blooming epic?! I can’t remember music this insane since Final Fantasy VIII’s ‘The Man with the Machine Gun’ which, has anyone noticed it pays a slight resemblance to?
Now of course, this theme song plays at a pivotal point in the game: Tidus and the party are inside of Sin and who should they bump into but Seymour Guado! Once again he's spouting off some crazy talk about how he can finally be Sin. Now when I got to this part of the game, I was suffering from the “oh God not this guy again! Haven’t I killed him like 12 times already?” But then something magical happened…
Yes. Listen to that absolute glory. It has everything. Some chanty “ahhhs", some epic drum beats, funky keyboarding, and then some pretty sick techno just laying it on thick there with a mish-mash of just about everything. It’s a bit deranged, isn’t it? Just like Seymour I guess. I couldn’t help but bop my head to this piece of pure unadulterated funk as I sat and kicked Seymour’s Guado ass. I wanted this battle to last forever.
It’s such a zany piece and is one of the musical highlights of Final Fantasy X for me, purely because of the stark difference to the other tracks in the game – which while they are varied depending on which location you’re in, are all pretty much orchestral pieces, and in some ways very sombre at times.
Such a bouncy and out-there tune will always be done some severe justice by The Black Mages. I love this version as it strips out the techno aspects and replaces it with some rockier elements, giving it a different flavour entirely. I can just imagine how much energy they put into performing this live – and I can only imagine how the atmosphere would lift when they play this to an audience of Final Fantasy fans, and even just any music fan! This is a brilliant and fun piece of music.
One thing that I find really exciting about the internet is how many talented musicians will take to YouTube and remix some of their favourite Final Fantasy songs. I’ve picked a few of my favourites from the very vast selection of fan-created remixes for the Seymour Battle Theme.
This inspired remix by YouTube member Sonicwave1000 has a really edgy feel to it, it reminds me of the music you’d find in a Sonic the Hedgehog game (I have no idea why…) and it also feels a bit like the theme music of hit television show ‘Skins’ at some points. It’s toned down a lot, but given a totally different feel to the original.
HighwindIV has stripped the theme back to the bare bones, and it feels a lot less pacy than the original and the above remixes, but it still retains that catchy, vibrant melody and it emphasises the melancholic tones in the piece too. There are some new additions of melody in this remix which I happen to love – it’s rather inspired and really shows the passion that fans have for this music!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this and enjoyed the music too! What are your thoughts on Seymour’s Battle theme? Do you love it or loathe it? Stay tuned for next week when I’ll pick another song, maybe even leave some suggestions and I’ll see what I can do for you….
04-10-2013, 06:17 PM
Goldenboko
I love Seymour's Final Battle Music. I recall one time when my iPod was on shuffle on the subway and the Black Mages version came up I found myself head-rocking. Everyone stared. Oh the embarrassment. :shobon:
04-11-2013, 04:38 PM
Bolivar
For some reason the song didn't stick out to me while I was playing the game! I didn't realize how awesome it was until everyone here kept bringing it up in good music friends and I actually just paid attention to it.
04-12-2013, 03:01 AM
FFIX Choco Boy
I enjoyed quite a bit of FFX's music, this one being one of the good pieces. Not quite as good as To Zanarkand, imo, but still very satisfying. However, nothing will ever beat the music from FFIX. Rose of May in particular. Katethegreat19's rendition is just breathtaking, and the same with her versions of Melodies of Life, You're Not Alone, and The Place I'll Return to Someday.
04-12-2013, 10:55 AM
Night Fury
I too don't think this is better than To Zanarkand, but then, I don't think the two are really comparable. They're very different to each other. To me, anyway. :D
