Welcome back to the Weekly Themes feature, last week we looked at the fast paced and energetic ‘Seymour Omnis Battle Theme’. So for this week I opted for something much different. I took to YouTube to browse through the hundreds of available pieces of Final Fantasy music, and let me tell you, I found a real gem…
‘A Secret, Sleeping in the Deep Sea’ from Final Fantasy VII is sometimes also referred to as the Underwater Theme, and my goodness just listen to that melody. It’s so serene yet incredibly haunting, hardly surprising as the theme also happens to be somewhat associated with the secret Super-Boss, Emerald Weapon. This particular boss is found at the bottom of the sea, and happens to have a staggering one million HP and the party must defeat it in 20 minutes or less (unless the Underwater Materia is equipped).
You may wonder why I chose this obscure piece – well, that’s exactly why. It’s a bit obscure, when you think of music from Final Fantasy VII, this piece probably wouldn’t be the first one you thought of. You’d probably list off 'Tifa’s Theme', 'One Winged Angel',' Aerith’s Theme', and even the 'World Map Theme'. There are so many other pieces of music from Final Fantasy VII just like this one and it is these kind of pieces that are my favourite. These are the ones that speak most to me and make me feel the most nostalgia. These are the pieces that just play along harmlessly in the background as you explore these vast areas and unknowingly drink the music in. Then some time later, you may stumble across it on YouTube and you’re thinking “wait, I know this one” and “wow, I remember spending hours looking for Emerald Weapon.”
I suppose that’s why we all love Uematsu’s music so much, it’s timeless and classic. It takes us momentarily to a Fantasy world, and the world of 'A Secret, Sleeping in the Deep Sea' is a mystery, who knows what is sleeping in that sea, down in the vast abysses of emptiness below the submarine.
So while this song may not pull right on the heartstrings like ‘Tifa’s Theme’ or get the blood pumping for battle like ‘One Winged Angel’, it has a presence all of its own which just happens to be a beautiful one.
This user-created version of the tune comes from YouTuber PhoenixRiseMusic. I do think this is just an astounding version of the piece, and it was the first I discovered that really made me think “wow… this is beautiful.” It’s so gentle and peaceful, you wouldn’t ever suspect that something is lurking out there waiting for you when you listen to it. He perfectly captures the spirit of the deep sea, the tranquillity and stillness. This is from PhoenixRiseMusic’s album that he arranged himself, inspired by the tracks from Final Fantasy VII titled: “Final Heaven: A Melancholy Tribute to Final Fantasy VII”
Here is something a bit different. A dubstep remix of the song by MrVoseMusic. I’m not a big dubstep fan, but I like this remix. I like it a lot, it gives it a fresh edge without completely remodeling it. I can’t help but bop my head a little. I also bet that Emerald Weapon spends a lot of his down time wopping in the deep sea trenches. Okay, maybe that's a little bit too far but you catch my drift.
So that's it for this week! Let me know what you think about the choice of music, do you love it or hate it? Does it bring back any Final Fantasy VII memories for you at all? And of course, remember to leave a comment about the remixes too and possible suggestions for the next weekly theme!
04-18-2013, 04:04 PM
Jinx
I've always really love this song. It's very quiet, and nice to fall asleep to.
04-18-2013, 05:38 PM
FFIX Choco Boy
If there's anything in Final Fantasy that excites me more than chocobos, it's the music. And when you get chocobo music going? WHEW! My head and hips get bopping involuntarily the whole way! ... anyways... I enjoy these articles, so I'll be reading and probably commenting every time a new one comes out.
With regards to "A Secret, Sleeping in the Deep Sea", I loved this song when I played FF7, but this is one of a very few pieces where I will say I enjoyed some fan remakes better than the original. PhoenixRiseMusic's rendition was absolutely breathtaking and calming at the same time, but unlike Locky, I did get the feeling from it that there really was something out there, lurking, but it was barely perceptible. After all, there's a whole entire ocean out there, and only one Emerald Weapon. And MrVoseMusic's dubstep version was also a fun one that I enjoyed more than the original, but only because I felt it fit better for an actual battle with Emerald than what really plays. I would say overall, my rating for these three is:
