I know, I know. It has been two weeks since I last wrote a Theme of the Week. Maybe it was three… Anyway I’ve been dreadfully lazy for a while but I think I’m over the worst of it at least. There is something about finishing University and education that just makes you want to confine yourself to bed, in your pyjamas, and spend your days watching trash television and various films on Netflix…
So, to match the laziness I’ve been feeling, I picked a lazy song for this week! No, not you Bruno Mars, I’m talking about the delightfully relaxing Fisherman’s Horizon from my favourite of all the Fantasies! Final Fantasy VIII! Yeeeeeeey! Fisherman’s Horizon is of course a location – and quite a favourite one too!
A little bit of FH history for you here! Did you know that the buildings of Fisherman’s Horizon are made mostly of recycled materials? Also, did you know that Fisherman’s Horizon is powered by windmills and a sun panel? Let’s just say that the people of FH were the original hipsters... The Mayor and his wife are both pacifists who can be found sat in their home centred in the large sun panel. I always thought that the Mayor’s Wife Flo definitely had the look of a free spirit.
A very sleepy and melodic piece, Fisherman’s Horizon is like many of the location pieces of Final Fantasy VIII – calm and relaxed. There are few town themes in Final Fantasy VIII that really differentiate from these, Esthar and Galbadia are perhaps the two that most stand out as being different. One thing that I love about the music of Final Fantasy VIII is the instant nostalgia I get when hearing it. The same can most definitely be said for the other games don’t get me wrong! But VIII was the first Final Fantasy I played so it will always have a special place in my heart, and my God does the music from Final Fantasy VIII tug on my heartstrings the most.
The orchestral version of Fisherman’s Horizon seems to just breathe a whole new life into the piece. When given the grace of a full orchestra it becomes, in my opinion, one of the greatest pieces of Final Fantasy music to get the orchestral treatment. It has everything in this version. It has a gentle wave of choral voices for an opening, and then a quiet and relaxing build up until it reaches a beautiful swell and crescendo towards the end – never losing that spark of genius that makes it such a recognisable piece of Final Fantasy VIII. What’s not to love here, really?
That said, if the orchestral version is a bit too soft for your liking, you could always give this Metal Version a try. Shawn2point0 of YouTube has created this one. You may think that Fisherman’s Horizon wouldn’t suit a metal makeover – well actually I think it quite works. The melody and pace stay the same, but the arrangement gives it a whole different feel. Maybe the hipsters of FH have outgrown their relaxed ways and fancy doing some head-banging…. Who knows?
Now this isn’t quite a remix, but a lovely string cover by MoonBowMusicMovie! I love this. I love seeing people play Final Fantasy music and I especially love it when they play Final Fantasy music as well as this!
So, what do you think of Fisherman’s Horizon? Does it make you want to be lazy too? I always feel it makes me relaxed and takes me off to a quiet place in the back of my mind where there’s a slight breeze and the sky is clear and blue – there’s a romance about this song for sure.
I hope that if I’ve done anything today, I have made you want to dust off your copy of Final Fantasy VIII and play it, if not that, maybe to just play through some of the excellent pieces of music from the game. Go on, you know you want to…
05-15-2013, 05:25 PM
FFIX Choco Boy
AGH! Final Fantasy VIII! Kill it with fire!
Anyways, personal vendettas aside, if there's any redeeming factor about this game, it is Nobuo's always-entrancing work. FH was another really good piece, but for some reason whenever I feel it, I think not of FFVIII, but of Arni Village in Chrono Cross. I don't know why, but I've always made that connection.
As for how relaxing it is, I find it to be one of the better pieces for chilling. Not as good as, say, Melodies of Life or Dali Village's theme, but anyone who sees my posts knows I have an unnatural love for FFIX and its music.
Ratings:
Original: 8.7
Orchestral: 9.2 I just feel like orchestral scores is exactly what this piece needed.
S2P0: 7.8 While the metal remix does seem to fit well with the sound, I think that it changes the essence of the piece, and sort of removes me from the immersion, but it's still a good listen.
MBMM: 8.7 While I'm not personally a fan of string covers, I think this one hit the head right on the nail. It's not over the top, like some musicians try to compensate for the other instruments, but neither is it too slow or weak for only using the strings. I feel like they found a very nice balance, while also keeping the essence of the piece alive.
05-15-2013, 05:29 PM
Night Fury
Yeah, I really think that while the original in-game piece is classic, the orchestral version brings it well and truly to life!
