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Yeah, this came out of nowhere. I thought I'd take a break from my writer's block with Zelda and knock out some other tracks. First, a shoutout to Blake Robinson for his Chrono Trigger Symphony albums. His Chrono Trigger arrangements years ago were what inspired me to take a stab at doing the same thing. You guys should check it out.

I don't need to explain how legendary the Chrono Trigger soundtrack is. Growing up, I used to listen to it on infinite repeat. I felt like I shouldn't tamper too much with the track like I often do. No need to double the length of the track with my own ideas (although I still did extend it slightly at the end. I cheated!). My approach is basically to envision an orchestra where every musician is a fan of the game, and all want a chance to claim the spotlight and show off their passion. Very few games from this era have had music like this in the title screen that can seize a passerby's attention and bombard them with the possibility of a grand adventure that is both epic and intimate with emotions. It's one step above typical trailer music.

The first task is to recreate the same feel of the original track, and nothing is more distinct than the reed instrument that plays the melody. I don't know what sample they used on the SNES MIDI chip, but I did some digging in around, and I found an instrument called the Chirimia, or Shawm that sounded similar, and I EQ'ed it as best I could to push it even closer.

The other stuff I think defines the "feel" of the track is the rhythm. The snare drum and timpani beats that provides the driving undercurrent really defines the energy of the music. I still keep them there, but also distribute it to other low end instruments like the brass, and cello/doublebass. If you listen closely, you'll notice, I change it up a little in each section to break up its potential repetitiveness.

And finally, I added a ton of choir voices all over the place to really up the epicness of the track. Having a choir chant in the background, I feel is my way of showing reverence to classic and immortalizing it in some great hall of fame where it'll be cherished for many more years to come.

Chrono Trigger Orchestrated
Arrangement and fan art by Jeremiah Sun

Original Theme composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

You can buy this game on iOS, Android and Steam

Chrono Trigger Orchestrated

Chrono Trigger Orchestrated - Main Theme

I am a developer as well as a self-taught composer. My style is creating narratives in music through the use of strong melodies and unique instrumentation.

Primary DAW used: Presonus Studio One

Chrono Trigger Orchestrated - Main Theme

The Second Narrator