Official Nontendo Music Thread

I rather enjoyed the music in the whole game, was a bit odd for me to notice it but it was top notch.

It was to be expected though, considering they used the same composer from Bastion and its soundtrack was similarly cracking.

I never did a top set of themes from persona 4 after beating it I just realised, so I'm going to fix that!  




Kicking my top ten themes off in number ten is:

10.) Sauna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhNAAjCuNMM

what's not to love about this theme?  Demented and catchy, there's a reason the sauna was one of my favourite dungeons and this theme was a large part of that.  Well, that and Yosuke's cringing at the vibes.  

09.) Specialist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqlCQR4dyvg

The cheerfulness of this theme is infectious, capable of making even school work fun.  

08.) Backside of the TV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am-olDTSV2U

Intimidating upbeat and catchy as hell all at the same time, nothing got me pumped for plunging in to a dungeon faster than this theme did, it even made me get over post-Reaper noise phobia fairly quickly!  And yes, I can't stand the reaper, I don't care if he doesn't chase you in p4 he still scares the crap out of me!  

07.) Signs of Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQBbnP_uutA

Say hello to the theme that made me take as long as possible to leave home in the evenings!

06.) I'll Face Myself -Battle-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl74EmI0DxE

"How can you put an awesome theme like this in the mere sixth spot!?" you ask?  That's a testament to the game's soundtrack.  That an awesome, intense, upbeat, bloodpumping theme like this is only number six on my top ten themes, in any other game this would be top three material.  That all said the Reincarnation version of this theme is probably one of my favourite pieces of video game music ever.  

05.) Alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0_eGlrDt6Y

Bittersweet with a dash of sorrow, my favourite flavour.  

04.) Long Way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hng0Stc941I

And so it all comes down to this moment, this last battle.  The enemy is clear, the stakes are high, and the setting is epic.  It's time for the final showdown.  This theme does such a good job of capturing that, along with the twisted nature of the situation as well.  This isn't the actual final dungeon theme you say?  Like I care about specifics like that.    

03.) Heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVLH5V6YvOI

My favourite flavour's back with a vengeance.  

02.) The Almighty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk1BOpAH4Vg

As if anything else was ever going to be in my top two, me with my crush on final boss themes and all.  I'll admit the boss itself was a little underwhelming compared to its counterpart in p3, but the theme?  Perfection.  

01.) The Genesis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1GeWQjIIvI

See above, only swap upbeat with intense and sinister.  Slower paced than one would often think a final boss theme would be, it gets the job done perfectly, and the slower nature of it only adds to the serious nature of it.  


Being a top ten a lot of notable themes didn't make the cut, so I'll give some shout outs in the form of honourable mentions.  And those go to Never More, Fog, Reach Out To The Truth, both other versions of I'll Face Myself, Affection, Time To Make History, Heartbeat, Heartbreak, A Corner of Memories, A New World Fool, and a few others I won't mention because this sentence has gone on long enough.  

And I leave my persona 4 binge with Electronica in the Velvet Room.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHPIstxOkLU

Heaven is my undeniable favourite from P4. I'm not a massive fan of Sauna or any of the really really repetitive dungeon themes - they grate after a while.

I never really found them grating because every ten seconds "I face out, I hold out, I reach out to the truth!"  I had to listen to the ost simply to hear the full versions battles were so frequent.   

To be honest I feel more like comparing The Genesis with Burn My Dread last battle rather than bfes, The Almighty is the theme I'd compare with bfes personally. In both cases you're fighting what amounts to the agent of the real perpetrator, and both of them are the stronger themes than the theme for the perp. That said the almighty doesn't top battle either, but I'd say that's due to them making the perfect final boss theme than to the almighty's detriment.


Thinking about it maybe I should've waited another week or two to digest the soundtrack and the game, I haven't even heard memories yet for instance and my top three are still sort of shifting around. In another week Fog might bump sauna off the list, genesis might slump two slots, and the almighty might be on top. And Memories might also sneak on there, but I'll wait to listen to that fully until I've played the part it initially plays in.

Okay, with Buska starting his music weeks over in the Ninty music thread, I figure I might try to get some constant updates going for the Non-Nintendo music thread. I did start a little while back, but we'll forget those existed and start afresh. I won't be as funny as Buska, nor as knowledgeable as Balla, but I'll give it a go. I think each week I'll showcase three to five of my favourite tracks from a game.

So, let's get this show on the road.

Jay's Jingles - Week 1: Transistor



Transistor is a beautiful action RPG made by Supergiant Games, whose only previous game to date was the splendid Bastion. Transistor invites you into a world with clear cyberpunk influences and a killer soundtrack as you take on the role of Red, a mute woman carrying a talking sword. Together, you and the Transistor work to take on the Camerata, an organisation seemingly responsible for a spate of disappearances across the city.



We begin with Old Friends. This plays as you begin your journey, and I think it does a perfect job of easing you into this beautiful environment, whilst still suggesting there's something sinister going on at its core. There's something comforting about the beginning of the track, but something unsettling lying underneath at the same time.



Next, we continue with Coasting. This track plays when you enter a recurring safe zone open to you, and I think it does a great job of highlighting the fact that this place should be a respite for you. It's more upbeat than the rest of the soundtrack, whilst still keeping that same Transistor sound. Also, something you might realise about me as we continue these each week - I absolutely love everything with even a hint of bossa nova, so that guitar is an absolute dream to me.



In Circles plays at a great moment in Transistor. Ordinarly, you'd expect a boss fight to have music with an epic tone, but not in Transistor. Your first boss fight takes place on a concert stage, and this brilliant vocal track plays as you battle for your life. Ashley Barret returns from Bastion to deliver a fantastic vocal performance, and Darren Korb's composition perfectly accompanies her vocals. It's certainly a unique choice for a boss theme but it works well, the music swelling as you continue through the battle.



Paper Boats plays over the end credits, so to describe its context would be to delve into spoilers territory. Neverthless, even without context, the emotion Ashley Barret gives in this end track is just sublime. There's almost a Bond theme quality to her voice. If you ever play this game, or if you've played this game already, then the emotional context this song is placed under will only serve to enhance your experience. I just sat, controller on the desk, staring at the names going up my screen. A great ending to one of the best games I've played recently.

~~~

So there we are, week one done (THOSE FOUR I DID PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T EXIST OKAY) and I'm chuffed with the outcome. I'll remember to continue this time at least, as I'll be updating around the same time as Drunka.

Good to see someone try to make this thread work, I've tried but running out of ideas fro me.

Cheers Mas. I should have plenty of ideas to last me a fair while, and I'm always finishing games so I'm always finding new music too.

I might give one of these a go soon & pretty sure I have a game no one would expect.   

@Silver: Some sweet picks there, I hadn't played Arena so I haven't heard those themes before, but they were up to par and great fun.  I'd argue about that being the best rendition of Reach Out to the truth however, I'm pretty partial to the Live Band rendition myself!

@Jay: Liking that transitor music, softer in tone than my usual playlist material and that made it all the sweeter.  I'm looking forward to your next set of picks!    


On a non-Persona note I'm currently biding my time before the ost arrives in the mail listening to this from Lightning Returns.  Death Game  I'd do a list but I haven't played the game nor listened to the full soundtrack yet so I'll leave that for some other occasion, although the few tracks I have heard I've liked so I'm confident there'll be a good top ten when the time comes.

And on a persona note, I'm loving this arranged version of heartful cry.  It's much more mellow than the original, which was a frantic intense piece. This version slows things down a fair bit for a more emotional rendition.   

Cheers Athrun! More to come soon.   

That Lightning Returns track is almost like something from a spy movie. I liked it though!

After an award winning opening week that made Jennifer Lawrence eager for more video game music and highly praised by Nobuo Uematsu for "proper good taste in music like", here we are with week two!

Jay's Jingles - Week Two: Shadow of the Colossus



Shadow of the Colossus is a game that I believe anyone with even a modicum of interest in gaming should play. You play as Wander, a young man on a quest to cure his girlfriend from some terminal illness - the catch is that to do that you must slay sixteen gargantuan beings known as Colossi. Each Colossus acts as a puzzle of sorts as you try to work out how to climb on top of the mammoth and stab its weak points for massive damage. The game is haunting in its loneliness, as the world is near barren aside from these encounters. This isn't a detriment to the game's quality, I promise you. As you continue toppling these giants, you wonder if killing these seemingly tranquil beings is the right move. Some don't even attack you. It's a wonderful title, and one in which music plays a key role: music sets up the tone of the Colossi you are facing as well as swelling to accompany your success in the battle. Let's look at it closer.



Silence plays as you encounter some of the more pacifist Colossi. Seeing huge intimidating monsters flying through the air without a care or a gentle giant drifting lazily through a lake should prompt some element of restraint in you, but sadly you pursue the beast with an intent to kill - your girlfriend's fate requires it. I think the melancholy, eerie tone of this track perfectly reflects that. You know that harming these beautiful things is somewhat wrong, but it's a necessity for you, so battle is engaged. Those sad sounding strings do their best to make you feel somewhat remorseful, but it makes sure to build in intensity in the right places to remind you that this is not something to be trifled with lightly.



Revived Power is likely to be the track most players remember from their playthrough of Shadow of the Colossus. As you leap onto some of the more violent Colossi, the track switches from a menacing sounding track to this triumphant battle theme. Full of bombast and spirit, you can't help to feel spurned on towards the creature's weak areas to deliver a critical stabbing blow. As you struggle onwards across these titans, you're inspired. Once the beast falls however... that's another story.



My favourite track - The Farthest Land - is a track that most won't hear during their time with the game. To hear this wonderful piece, you have to idle at the start screen. Upon doing so, a cutscene will ensue where your horse gallops away from the last place you saved without you and heads off on his own little adventure. I think this scene and the lovely music that accompanies manages to emphasise the lonely majesty of this world you're travelling across. Murder is your destination, but you should take a while to really enjoy the landscape of this world - it's a beautiful place. Your horse shouldn't be the only one to enjoy it, you know.



The Sunlit Earth is the last piece of music you'll hear in the game. Yep, it's the credits theme. The stunning piano to open the piece, the wind instrument that comes in afterwards... it's a fantastic ending to a sublime game. There's little to say in terms of context, but it certainly caps off one of my favourite games of all time in a perfect way. Please - if you've not played this before, pick it up. You really won't regret it.

Hope you've enjoyed!

Next week: we REALLY annoy Balla.

I really, really need to get on and play this. In fact, I might go have a peek in the shop when I get back from the gym this morning.

And no offence to Mr Moyles, but I'm gonna let the music hit me for realsies before I go through the music week.

None taken! If it gets you playing it, then I've done my job! There's an HD PS3 version, right?

Also, there's one track you'll probably miss (I did on my playthrough) so make sure to come back here and listen to it!

Hmm. SotC is one of those multiformat games I've always wanted to play, but I can't say that most of the pieces jump out at me. Revived Power, for example, would I imagine be great in context, but on its own it doesn't do much to push itself above other "triumph" pieces.

The one that does stand out, though, is your favourite (although the image is broken): I'm a sucker for strings, as I've said elsewhere, especially ethereal strings. Lovely.

Fixed the broken image! A fair comment in regards to Revived Power - it really is all about the context with that track. I suppose it's the same with a lot of tracks in gaming - where that track falls in the game adds another layer to that track.

Good choice Jay. Interested to see what's next week seeing Balla we get annoyed by it (Hoping Ni Nu Kuni which is a good annoyance).

Drunka if you can pick up the Team Ico HD Collection.

Balla it's not multiformat it's on PS2 and then PS3 as a HD, It's a Sony studio exclusive.

Isn't it obvious what it's going to be?   

Also, Drunka did indeed pick up the ICO/SotC HD edition!

Did he that's excellent, did he post in the yesterday I bought early like I tend to do.

Nah, he tweeted me a picture of the game box!

Yeah seen it, I told him to put ICO on his game's to beat list and scrub Bayo off till Number 2 comes out and just play it then on the Wii U dressed as princess peach.

masofdas wrote:

Balla it's not multiformat it's on PS2 and then PS3 as a HD, It's a Sony studio exclusive.

Details!  It's not on a Nintendo console, so it looks like a smelly multiformat to me.