Game: Mario Kart 64
Title: Setup and Kart Select
Composer: Kenta Negata
Artist: Pyro Paper Planes

In celebration of Mario Kart 8's launch, I bring you Mario Kart 64's menu music. Simple track, yet very groovy. I went with a more chill approach this time around.

This version has no audio trail at the end, making it easy to loop continuously.

Mario Kart 64 - Setup and Kart Select Redux (Loop Version) || Pyro Paper Planes

Game: Mario Kart 64
Title: Setup and Kart Select
Composer: Kenta Negata
Artist: Pyro Paper Planes

In celebration of Mario Kart 8's launch, I bring you Mario Kart 64's menu music. Simple track, yet very groovy. I went with a more chill approach this time around.

Mario Kart 64 - Setup and Kart Select Redux || Pyro Paper Planes

One aspect I enjoy about a remix is how it can not only stir old memories but also how it can put them under a new light. When I was invited to contribute to the "Harmony of a Hunter" project, one of my goals was to produce a song that completely contrasted the style of the original song. I decided to choose one of the more recent popular tracks in the series, Samus vs. Rundas. 

To write such a contrasting piece, I decided to go with something I'd never done before: a piano solo. I'd always wanted to release a piano solo, but I was never too sure how to go about it. I would always put it off for a later date. With the newly set deadline of the 25th Anniversary and "Harmony of a Hunter", I sat down and began to work.

I went through several iterations for the introduction. One version even sounded very similar to JigginJonT's "The Flooded Plain", a piece that was very influential to me. I ended up restructuring the first three chords of the original theme. At the beginning, I had included the second phrase of the battle in the arrangement. I could never quite get it to fit with the rest of the song. It just didn't work with the emotions of the rest of the song. I ended up with this little improvised part that I loved so much, that I decided to replace it in the final song.

And there you have it. I present a song that's dedicated to the memory of Rundas. Enjoy.

Melting Sun (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - Vs. Rundas)

I can remember that, as a child, when I first sat down in front of a piano, the only song I wanted to play was the menu theme from Metroid Prime. Of course, I expanded my musical horizon over the years, but the Metroid series never quite left my heart. And just as I have grown, the Metroid series still lives on as strong as ever. It's hard to believe that the Metroid series is now 25 years old now.

So, for this special day, I decided to celebrate by arranging this piano solo, in dedication to the childhoods of the many who loved (and hopefully still love) the Metroid series like I do. 

The track was close to being scrapped more times than I would like to think. Originally, I found the piece too repetitive. To complicate matters, the original track has a complex rhythm and beat, which made it very demanding to perform on a consistent basis. Even after all my work, I wasn't very satisfied with the final mix, feeling that it went on just a little too long for its own good. However, with a bit of convincing from the community, and a lot of magic from The Orichalcon's mixing abilities, I'm very proud of how Lone Star has turned out.

Special thanks must be given to the project leaders of "Harmony of a Hunter" (especially Darren), and to my friends, as the song would never have been finished if it wasn't for their help and kind words.

Lone Star (Metroid Prime - Epilogue)

An original composition, inspired by Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I arranged the track into different "branches". You can read them in my timed comments.


Distorted Illusion

Composed by Toby Fox.
Redux by Christopher Foss.
From the game Undertale.

Chill (Redux)~ Undertale

Composed by Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka.
Redux by Christopher Foss.
From the game Super Mario Land.

Super Mario Land - Chai Kingdom (Redux)

Composed by Robin Beanland.
Redux by Christopher Foss.
From the game Jet Force Gemini.

Jet Force Gemini - Mizar's Palace (Redux)

Composed by Yuka Tsujiyoko & Taishi Senda.
Redux by Christopher Foss.
From the game Paper Mario.

Paper Mario - Mario And Peach's Theme ~ The End (Redux)

One of these days, I'm going to upload a track that isn't from the Metroid series… but not today, as I present my arrangement of SR388 from Metroid II: Return of Samus.

The Unnamed Frontier marks the fifth time I've arranged the SR388 music track. I always seem to come back to this track. It's one of the few upbeat tracks in the Metroid series, and its musical structure is very similar to the original Brinstar track from Metroid. To me, it's one of the most underrated tracks from the series. I was surprised when no one picked this track for the original Harmony of a Hunter project.

My goal for The Unnamed Frontier was to create a very electro-chill piece, where the beat would build up over time to form a catchy groove. I wanted the listener to feel like they could relax, and come to the realization that they accomplished their goals from completing an epic journey. While the length of the source tune wasn't particularly long, its melodic structure was very engaging and easy to work with. I also open with a small tribute to "The Baby Metroid", a wonderful and small anthem played towards the end of the game.

Throughout most of the piece, I used a simple Yamaha Piano virtual instrument from Logic Studio (along with a few delay and reverb plug-ins). It was somewhat simple design, but I really like how it turned out. The synthesizers were all somewhat experimental, especially the delay effects. For the second half of the piece, the decision to modulate the key signature to a minor key was somewhat of a eureka moment, as it really helped the flow of the track (giving it a bit of much needed variety). I also became a little more liberal with the melodic line. The final touch to the piece was the contribution of VikingGuitar's solo, which gave the track that great climax that it needed. This piece also marks one of the few times were I used nothing but Logic Studio's assets (excluding a few minor choral pads). 

I was mainly inspired by two things. Firstly, I've always enjoyed the relaxing electro music that's often played in lounges. It might seem like an odd thing to take inspiration in, but it's the little musical touches in my day-to-day activities that makes things enjoyable in life. Secondly, I was heavily inspired by Boards of Canada's "Dayvan Cowboy". It has such a fantastic build up, it's a track that simply inspires me to do things.

This piece is a first for several things. It's the first original arrangement I've finished that isn't a piano solo. It also marks the first time I've collaborated with someone. Like the planet SR388, this track marks new ground for me… an unnamed frontier.

The Unnamed Frontier (Metroid II: Return of Samus - SR388)

If there's a particular genre of music that I have a soft spot for, it's trance. One artist in particular, bLiNd, was a huge inspiration to this track (I've always loved Jade Catacombs and G-Storm). So, when it came to arranging a track that's out of my style, I decided to take on Samus vs. Serris, which is a fast-paced track of itself. 

It's somewhat uncommon to hear the music of Metroid in a trance style. I really wanted to intertwine the atmospheric soundscape of the Metroid series with a contrasting genre. Admittedly, this was a very challenging track for me to mix. Slipstream also marks my first foray into trance. To replicate the incredibly complex line, I slowed down the original source tune by 50%, and picked out every individual note that was played. The piece is layered with a wide variety of Omnisphere patches. Their textures and instruments are incredibly organic, and the pallet of sounds were perfectly suited for Slipstream. During the breakdown, I decided to cameo Sector 4 AQA, an ominous track that plays throughout the environment that the monster Serris resides in.

Slipstream was a very fun piece to work on. The fact that the source track is only 47 seconds long gave me a lot of creative freedom and difficulty. The track was a great exercise on buildups and playing on the anticipations of the listener, while keeping a consistent overall energy that the genre requires. Whether Slipstream will live up to the expectations of trance enthusiasts remains to be seen, but I like to think that the amalgamation of ambience and trance has resulted in a unique and enjoyable piece.

Slipstream (Metroid Fusion - Vs. Serris)

One of my favourite moments in a video game is when you encounter an environment or moment that contrasts everything you've encountered up until that point. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, that moment was when you come across Planet Elysia, Skytown. The setting is so peaceful when compared to the hostile locations up until that point. Kenji Yamamoto, Minako Hamano, and Masaru Tajima captures this beautifully with the original Skytown track (which is also featured in the epilogue of the Metroid Prime Trilogy).

The lore of the planet even leaves more to the imagination; sentient robots going into hibernation for hundreds of years, to only perceive the world through their dreams. I really wanted to capture those moments in life where everything just stands still, in a dream-like state. I took heavy inspiration from the works of Thomas Newman and Jeremy Soule, to which their work always manages to put me in a state of tranquility.

For the lead instrument, I chose a very gentle piano. I paired this up with little ambiances throughout the track, such as atmospheric effects or whispering enigmatic passages. This really helped shape the overall piece into a sense of delicateness. The dulcimers worked very well, conveying both an ancient, yet mechanical colour. The final touch to the piece was Laura Intravia's exquisite vocals, which added a final organic layer to the soothing piece.

Entropic Dream is probably my favourite composition. It encapsulates the style of music I love to listen to and create. Sometimes its the little nuances in a piece that speaks loudest. If you listen carefully to Entropic Dream, you might hear something new. As a musician, I hope to inspire listeners to enjoy the little moments in life, to stop for a minute in their day and to enjoy the world for all its sound.

Entropic Dream (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption - SkyTown, Elysia)

Edge of the World

Originally, when I was introduced to the Harmony of a Hunter project, I had hoped to finish a piano solo based on Super Metroid's "Maridia" track. However, when I discovered another artist had picked this song, I dropped the project to work on "Melting Sun". Ironically, the original artist who picked Maridia ended up dropping the project too. It wasn't until Sam Dillard's Beyond the Glass on Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run where we got to hear a rendition of Maridia.

Two years later, while I was looking for the original project file for Melting Sun, I stumbled upon my old Maridia project. I'm surprised how close I came to finishing it. I'm still not satisfied with the bass (left hand) in the final part of the piece, as I feel that the melody is too repetitive, and the overall pacing is too jumpy. However, just the fact that I have this version in itself is a surprise to me. Thus, I consider this more of a bonus track than anything else. Unlike my other piano renditions, this was mostly done in one take.

I figured "Forgotten Strand" would be a fitting name for this track. I hope you enjoy it.

Pyro Paper Planes

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