Depends on what quality you value most in the sound of such a progression. Schismatic tunings have wide, bright fifths and wide, strange major thirds (where sometimes the diminished fourth occupies the same position as the meantone third), so cotton well to the sort of third/sixth-to-fourth/fifth resolutions common in early mediaeval music.
The closest of these to a circle of pure fifths is a division of the octave into fifty-three equal parts, the discrepancy between fifty-three perfect fifths and the octave (if brought down by octaves as it goes up) being incredibly tiny; this tuning is used in Turkish music theory, particularly when tuning the qanun. It has remarkably pure major and minor triads, but only if you use the diminished fourth and augmented second as thirds (which is common in Arabic and Turkish music).
More practical but also more wonky and dissonant are seventeen parts per octave, with very dramatic minor seconds and nice neutral intervals; and twenty-two parts per octave, which has a multiplicity of interesting thirds and the strange distinction of having its diatonic semitones and quartertones as the same interval.
For triads and blues harmony, meantone tunings are stronger, but the fifths are inherently weaker. And of course, all of these tunings can be adjusted from strictly equal to irregular to enhance or minimise certain qualities that the musician finds desirable.
...actually, come to think of it, I think I hear the (diatonic) circle to have a similar meaning between keys (at least similar among majors and similar among minors but distinct from majors). Which suggests that I probably think in equal temperament anyway.
Doesn't explain why I think the keys have different qualities to them though. Maybe it is just pitch?
why does U.S. (and more broadly, western) pop music not like V to I
alternatively, why does it like IV to I and ii to I so much more than V to I
IV to I and ii to I sound (to me) so...going-nowhere
(I am pretty much already certain that western pop generally has less V chords -- and far less V to I sequences -- than east Asian pop, and that this distinction is why I gravitate toward the latter, despite not having run statistical analyses on either hypothesis (except maybe like once, and only as a very light trial run).)
(btw if you or anyone wants to reply to an earlier post, feel free, and please don't feel put-off by my posting things in between. i late-reply to other people's posts all the time, because there's something to be said, and you should do the same too.)
One of the interesting things about Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is how the good tracks (in my opinion) are heavily weighted toward the end of the game.
The early-game tracks are mostly nothing to write home about. They're decent, though not all that fitting. Sapphire Elegy (a cutscene track but basically an area theme since you hear it half the time you're there) sounds a bit at-ease-jazzy (albeit with some unsettling bits), so I'm not sure how applicable it is to the baroquely-ornate Ecclesia headquarters. A Prologue is kinda a nice typical Yamane track but again, I'm not sure how well it fits the Ecclesia HQ. I think it's more of a level theme than a base theme.
Of the early game areas, Chapel Hidden in Smoke feels a bit too "shiny" (high-pitched) for an area that's supposed to be the ruins of a church. (Maybe in a dreamy sense?) A Clashing of the Waves feels a bit generic, as does Emerald Mist. Wandering the Crystal Blue is a bit better for a water area theme but still feels a bit generic. Unholy Vespers is unsettling tonally but otherwise feels a bit too rhythmic and (again) "shiny" for the catacombs-like area it's set in -- maybe if it were filled with more technicolor black magic... In any case, they're not really bad tracks, but just kinda un-notable.
The one exception in my opinion is Jaws of a Scorched Earth, which feels like you're passing by scenery but at the same time suggests a feeling of curiosity.
Also, not exactly an action area, but there's also Serenade of the Hearth -- for a town theme, it's a bit unsettling but it's also kinda comforting, fitting to the warm but nevertheless troubled feeling of the town. It's turned out to be a track I like a lot, surprisingly.
The earliest boss themes is also kinda meh, I think -- Symphony of Battle feels a bit too organized for the chaotic feel its tonality suggests. It gets good some time into the battle, but nevertheless feels a bit too slow, like it tried to be epic but just didn't quite get there.
Mid-game themes start to suggest more unease, such as Edge of the Sky. Tragedy's Pulse is a bit more "weird" (read: musically unsettling) and interesting, though the regular beat still makes it feel a bit light. Hard Won Nobility has a very prominent melody in that typical Yamane fashion, and it is a bit "shiny" in the middle of the track, but oddly, it kinda works without being too cheesy -- I think it's because it's complemented by that lower bass and the fact that it's in 3 time rather than 4.
Dissonant Courage is also a more intense and enjoyable boss theme.
Then you get what's basically the climax of the game. Both the boss themes -- Sorrow's Distortion and Lament to the Master are high-intensity tracks, with the first expressing a straightforwardness in the midst of driving harmonies and the latter exhibiting quick changes in rhythm and tonality (one might say "crafty", as the beat subdivisions remain the same while the beats change), respectively consistent with the characterization of the opponents you are fighting.
Then, the game goes emotionally and musically silent for a moment while you pause to collect your thoughts.
And the start of the endgame greets you with An Empty Tome -- while an upbeat action track like this might not always work well, it -- the theme of the game, actually -- worked as a refreshing wind of confidence after the events that just transpired.
The last major area of the game also contains Malak's Labyrinth, whose subdued (and slightly dreamy) sound and twisty tonality correspond well to a mysterious (and slightly maze-like) area; Ebony Wings, which I think is the weakest track in this part of the game -- it's flashy but the area isn't exactly very flashy, and the harmonies could be a little less repetitive; Tower of Dolls, a remix of an older Castlevania theme, and whose rhythmic intensity works decently well with the clock-tower features of the area (though I wouldn't say perfectly); and The Colossus, which -- while it works -- I think is a bit too bright for the very final sub-area of the final area (I feel it's trying to imitate Demon Castle Pinnacle from Dawn of Sorrow and Gaze Up at the Darkness from Portrait of Ruin[/url]).
The last non-final boss theme, Chamber of Ruin, is among my favorite boss themes, with its mixture of arrogant showmanship in the first half (in 7 time!) and a totally demented but extremely catchy beat in the second half, all coming with a deliciously chromatic top line. It so perfectly fits the final area's first two bosses!...but it doesn't exactly fit the other two well, sadly, though I guess it works for them. (For what it's worth, this track is a bit reminiscent of the similarly grand and showy Great Gate of Darkness from Dawn of Sorrow (which made a cameo appearance in Portrait of Ruin).)
The final boss theme, Order of the Demon isn't as deliciously twisted and evil and Chamber of Ruin, but it works well and is a pretty grand and intimidating track with rhythmic and tonal instability. (If anything, the final battle arena isn't ornate enough!)
Finally, an apology to the cutscene tracks. I kinda forgot about them, I guess? They're definitely nice -- tracks like Oncoming Dread and Heroic Dawning. The map theme Destiny's Stage is also decent. The Cantus Motetten and Trace of Rage tracks are nice and melodic, though not particularly notable themselves -- however, they do serve to provide melodic motifs that return in dramatic fashion in the boss theme Lament to the Master. Some of the cutscene themes are a little bit unexpectedly "electronic"-y, given the setting of the game -- Stones Hold a Grudge is an example. The second map theme, Passing into the Night, was a nice touch, though not particularly notable otherwise, especially since you wouldn't be listening to it for very long, though it's a nice track anyway. Probably the most memorable cutscene tune is the gently sorrowful and tuneful Rituals, which is definitely nice and fits its purpose well. The game over theme, Consummation, also works well (and you'll probably hear it a lot when using the Death Ring to perfect bosses).
As for extra-stage stuff, Lone Challenger, the extra mode stage music, is kinda meh -- that horn instrument for the melody kinda feels odd. Though the remix of RIDDLE is pretty nice (albeit thanks in part to the strength of the original track).
Fun fact: the boss themes are named after Castlevania games: Symphony of the Night, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria/Dawn of Sorrow, Lament of Innocence, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia.
...oh, the heck with trying to fix this. That's best it's gonna get. It could be worse. I could have copied part of it into Microsoft Word and copied it back. It would have instead looked like this:
And the start of the endgame greets you with An Empty Tome -- while an upbeat action track like this might not always work well, it -- the theme of the game, actually -- worked as a refreshing wind of confidence after the events that just transpired.
But I typed it into the IJBM editor using BBCode to insert all those links. BBCode is not enabled here, so I couldn't just copy what I had -- I had to copy from the completed post, formatting cues and all.
preliminary, incomplete list of non-classical non-folk music I like
most of these things can be found on youtube
i have inserted disambiguation notes for some of the songs
from Japan: Life is like a Boat Afternoon Repose Another Grey Day in a Big Blue World Tune the Rainbow Eternal Snow Time After Time (Mai Kuraki) I Look Up At The Sky Because You Are There as time goes by ~Never Forget Me~ Love^2 Sugar (a.k.a. Love Love Sugar) Cruel Angel's Thesis Future (Kiddy Grade) Starry Heavens Infinity (Lost Universe) Marisa Stole the Precious Thing Cirno's Perfect Math Class Canta Per Me Take a Shot SECRET AMBITION Shining Days (Mai-HiME) When the Small Star Descends (Chiisana Hoshi ga Oriru Toki) Goodnight (Little Viking) 1st Priority so far, so near umbrella ~simply, the rain falls~ Puzzle (apple41) Letter Song (doriko) The Broken Music Box (Kowarekake no Orgel) Brilliant Road to Tomorrow (Asu e no Brilliant Road) Sleepless Night (Nemurenai Yoru Wa) Unyielding Wish (Magic Knight Rayearth OP) The Starry Sky (Angelic Layer ED) Wind of Beginning (Hajimari no Kaze) Mojipittan (C major version ft. Miku Hatsune) chance encounters (meguriai) the sidewalk in the cold wintry wind, the spring where flowers bloom (kogarashi no hodou o hana no saku haru o) Agapé (melocure) the world of the two of us (futari no sekai) ALL IN ALL (melocure) The World (from .hack//SIGN) Omoi wo Kanadete Itsuka Tokeru Namida Canvas (by COOLON) only your friend (from Uta~Kata) GO MY WAY!! Sparkling Sparkle (kiramekirari) i (from iDOLM@STER) CHANGE!!!! Promise (from iDOLM@STER) Sleeping Beauty (Nemuri Hime) (relations) (i like the piano version more than the actual song, which is okay) Inferno Little Match Girl (from iDOLM@STER) Beginner (???) (i'm not sure what song this is, actually...not sure why this got listed here. might be a misplaced copy of another entry.) First Pain Forever (savage genius) April (Shigatsu, savage genius) Anata no You Desu Mighty Body Just Tune Meteor (John Zeroness) Wishing (Ayumi Hamasaki) ANother song (Ayumi Hamasaki) The Clear Blue Sky Only My Railgun Level 5 -Judgelight- Heaven is a Place on Earth (fripSide) Shining Star (Futari wa Pretty Cure) HEART GOES ON To Your Future Self (Mirai no Kimi e) Tsubomi -Future Flower- Beginner Aitakatta Dreams Are Forever Reborn (Yume wa Nando mo Umarekawaru) Support (Sasae) Rainbow Train (Niji no Ressha) I Offer My Tears to You (Kono Namida wo Kimi ni Sasagu) Over the Limits Ring of Miracles (Kiseki no Ring) Shiawase no Ondo Goodbye Happiness TRY UNITE INFINITY (MUGEN, Nana Mizuki) Avalon Blue GO->Love & Peace Synchrogazer Meteor Light Backlit Wings (Gyakkou no Flügel) Fatal Blade: Heaven Wing Rend (Zettou Ame no Habakiri) Moon Splendor Sword (Gekkou no Ken) Planetes (Guilty Crown) From the World of the End (Owari no Sekai Kara) Endless Tears Steely Resistance (Hagane no Resistance) I'll Believe
from China: Summer Love (Ha Yut King Tsing) Bu De Bu Ai
from Europe: Farewell (Yanni) Dragostea Din Tei Moonlight Shadow If You Were Here Captain Jack Running in the 90s God is a Girl Ievan Polkka Only If Ready for Love Aquarius (Within Temptation)
from unknown geographic origin: Little Satellite Cheetah Girl (Cheetahmen remix) So Magical Waves I See Right Through To You Stay (by Tess)
from United States: Water World Diamond in the Rough (a children's song, from an album called "Character Building Songs") Share and Share Alike (also from that same album) Ugly Bug Ball Paint It Black Graduation Island in the Sun I Believe I Can Fly (As Long As You Love Me) (i only like the verse part) I Want It That Way Complicated You Gotta Be It's Raining Men The Final Countdown I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight Hotel California The Devil Went Down to Georgia (Follow Me) (the lyrics annoy me but the music is great) You're Still the One Suddenly I See I Could Be the One Livin' on a Prayer Gangster's Paradise Scatman's World I am the Wind (ending theme of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper / INOJ) You Are My Hiding Place My Immortal (the song, NOT the fanfic) Breathe (Michelle Branch) Behind These Hazel Eyes Hey Now! (This is What Dreams are Made of) Never Had a Dream Come True Save the Best for Last Enough To Go By Apologize Angel (Sarah McLachlan) Dancing in the Moonlight (King Harvest original version) Where Everybody Knows Your Name Code Monkey Baba Yetu Heaven is a Place on Earth (Belinda Carlisle)
any questions? ask me anything
also i should turn this into a spreadsheet so i can write down some associated data such as what key each of them is in, just out of curiosity
so earlier I forgot to add all the Ritsuko Okazaki music that I like to that list
so add these songs
For Fruits Basket Serenade Sora ni Mukou a prayer to the starry sky Melody fay Be Happy Please True Face A Happy Life Blue Point Koigokoro Hitori de wa Tsumaranai (Ohayou) Haru da Mono (Love Hina) Welcome to Ritzberry Fields 2001 Welcome to Ritzberry Fields Egao ni wa Kanawanai Fuyu no Hi
The article states: "The contours are different: they’re based not on the major or minor but on pentatonic scales, and there’s no blue note"
Actually, the problem with Jpop (for Anglo-Americans) is that the music is too major-minor (tonal). The music is NOT pentatonic at all -- otherwise it would sound like 1930s exotica, which it does not. Anglo-American pop and rock, on other other hand, is more blues-based. Hence, you're right about the blue notes (not singular), but woefully off about the pentatonic scale.
interesting comment
which actually DOES support my hypothesis that j-pop is more similar to classical music, in its use of harmony and tonality, than is a-pop.
Hmm. Where do I start? As an American who is a big fan of music in general and who has been listening to japanese music for over 10 years, I can see from all sides of the issue. To start off, I felt like this article was overly harsh and overgeneralized but at least the author tried to some restraint (unlike Charltzy above) I think the biggest thing is that you can't objectively say jpop is crap from an artistic standpoint. You can be as subjective as you want in your opinion but that does not support any tangiable conclusion or argument. Jpop is a huge genre comprised of many different types of artists as is any country's pop genre. Saying jpop sucks is the same as saying all of American pop sucks just because I hate Britney Spears.
Jpop has many types of music and dispite what has been said above, it's not all about ripping off western music. Western music has been globalized for over 100 years so of course its going to have an influence. Artists see things they think are cool and try to incorporate that into their music. That happens not only cross culturally but also within the same country, so what is the point of attacking Japan so relentlessly?
As far as the structure of Japanese music, I think this objectively varies from alot of western music styles. One can come up with many theories about this, but I tend to think it has a large part to do with language differences and how Japanese is structured vs. English. Unlike English, Japanese syllables can be nearly flawlessly matched with each note in a melody. This makes Japanese music much more clear cut and technical sounding in general. To a western ear which is used to roughness and rawness of modern western pop might be put off because the melodies seem too formulized and lacking some of the vocal stylizing that we here in the west. The second influence of Japanese on the lyrics is the difference in lyrical structure. This is almost completely different. Japanese lyrics on the whole tend to dirive from traditional eastern poetic styles. This is turn affects when and how words are stylized when the artist is singing a song. Especially when English is occassionally put in the lyrics this can sound unnatural to western ears.
On the cultural side, there are a few influences that are foreign to people who don't have a somewhat deep understanding of Japanese culture. One such concept is the Japanese idea of being norinori, which is the kind of feeling you have when everyone in a group is really excited and happy. In the west, we tend to be more individual in this aspect and to many people it's not an emotion we can well relate with (I know I for one am not a fan of this myself). Nonetheless, this has an influence of groups like AKB48 and other groups that have tons of members jumping around trying to show themselves having a good time. This goes back to the Japanese group mentality I think.
I could go on and on about the objective differences, but it would be a pretty try comment if I didn't inject my opinion in it as well, so here goes. I personally don't care for most Jpop as I don't for American pop these days. The reason being that the top 10 hits tend to be radio safe songs that are overproduced just to sell and hit the charts. I tend to like music that has more heart. There are plenty of Jpop acts that offer this and they do occassionally do well so Im critizing the WHOLE genre. Mainly just what I hear day to day here in Japan. Groups like Exile, Homemade Kazoku, and Monkey Magic, while not the type of music I tend to listen to are all in my opinion highly respectable musicians who arent simply ripping off the west as it were. I am personally most fond of the 90's when it comes to Japanese pop as I feel it was filled with the most heart and it many amazing melodies. These days alot of the manufactured musicians which plague the scene just sample or use other peoples melodies hardly showing any personal artistic creative.
Alas, in the end everyone is going to like different styles of music so its pointless to argue. The only thing that can be argued is that you can't objectively try to reach a conclusion that the music itself sucks only why (if there truly is) a tendancy for people from the west tend to think it sucks.
Thank you.
especially that bit i bolded
1. i did notice that English syllables generally contain more phonemes, including ending consonants, than do Japanese syllables (which are more similar to Spanish, apparently). assuming that people are writing music to fit words (rather than the other way around), it would make sense that:
1-a. you'd get longer notes, on average, in English
1-b. pitch variation on a single syllable would seem more fitting, in English, because of the longer / more complex syllables -- especially slides and improvised, arhythmic melisma
that last bit, in English-language pop songs, sometimes somewhat irritates me, as i seem to have more of a taste for what feels more like "precision" in melodies -- pitch-wise and rhythmically.
(this may have a little to do with me being primarily a pianist, and it may also have to do with my listening to videogame music and not a lot of pop music as a kid, which may got me more used to melodies without melisma than melodies with it. but this is all just speculation on my part. well, there's one piece of possible evidence: i have a bit of trouble "parsing" a slided note when i'm trying to think of how to notate it and play it on the piano.)
2. i wonder if the "roughness and rawness of western melodies" that the commenter writes about include features such as generous use of slides and other features such as the notes not quite lining up with the changes in pitch, or the notes not lining up with the rhythm.
(i think these are blues-derived features, incidentally. i do like me some good blues, but it is more of a niche thing than something that typically comes to mind for me.)
another speculative hunch i've gotten is that j-pop seems slightly closer to or more fond of rhythm-intensive styles of music like techno, while that sort of rhythmic intensity is less popular in the world of american pop
though this could just be a biased viewpoint based on the stuff that i've listened to and paid attention to.
If I ever go here, I'm gonna have F-sharp major stuck in my head all day. I actually thought that that birdsong was background music for a moment, at the beginning of the video.
0. Alucard Talks About Playstation Black Discs (Robert Belgrade warns not to play PS1 disc, then a dance track, G minor, neutral mood) 1. Metamorphosis I (dissonant D-centered orchestral piece, used for starting cutscene) 2. Prologue (symphonic metal piece, B minor, used for the mockup of the last level of Rondo of Blood) 3. Dance of Illusions (thickly orchestrated intense battle theme for Richter vs. Dracula, D dorian/minor) 4. Moonlight Nocturne (grand orchestral piece, post-prologue cutscene with text, D/G/C minor) 5. Prayer (a capella duet, used for save select and name entry screen, Ab minor) 6. Dracula's Castle (very melodic rock, used in Entrance, G minor) 7. Dance of Gold (stately and slightly melodramatic orchestral piece, used in Alchemy Lab, F minor) 8. Marble Gallery (synth instrumentation and dance-like beat with a hint of Latin flair, used in Marble Corridor, E minor, a remix of Tower of Mist) 9. Tower of Mist (stately orchestral work, used in Outer Wall, E minor, a remix of Marble Gallery) 10. Nocturne (insert song, sung by song fairy in JP version and DXC remake, C# minor but starts and ends in D minor) 11. Wood-Carving Partita (a Baroque-style piece for harpischord and strings, used in the Long Library, C minor) 12. Door of Holy Spirits (orchestral horror atmospherics theme, used in Reverce Colosseum, no tonal center) 13. Festival of Servants (first boss theme, rather metal, approximately G phrygian) 14. Benediction (game over "fanfare", very dissonant) 15. Requiem for the Gods (a serene piece featuring organ, voice, and strings, for the Royal Chapel, D minor) 16. Crystal Teardrops (a jazzy piece featuring piano, strings, organ, and a beat, for the Underground Caverns, A and C minors) 17. Abandoned Pit (slow and chilling theme featuring piano and synth effects, used in Abandoned Mine and the Cave, dissonantly in Ab minor) 18. Rainbow Cemetery (synth instruments over a gentle techno-style beat, used in Catacombs, in C and E minors) 19. Silence (unused track, C phrygian) 20. Lost Painting (synth/orchestral track with slow beat and comforting but melancholy melody, used extensively in Inverted Castle, F# minor) 21. Dance of Pales (waltz for orchestra and piano, used in Olrox's Quarters, C minor) 22. Curse Zone (modern orchestra with unsettling, texture-heavy piece with no real tonal center, used in the Floating Catacombs) 23. Enchanted Banquet (boss theme #2, features female voice over modern orchestra, B-centered) 24. Wandering Ghosts (a slightly jazzy and disco-like theme, used in the Colosseum, F minor) 25. The Tragic Prince (symphonic metal piece, used in Clock Tower, G minor) 26. The Door to the Abyss (another atmospheric-unsettling track, with mainly sparse texture and unusual instrumentation, used in the castle center mini-area, C-centered, and goes on longer than most people will hear in-game) 27. Heavenly Doorway (also unsettling, but with more of an insistent beat underlying an orchestra, used in the Castle Keep, C-centered (with some E-centered)) 28. Death Ballad (boss theme #3, very thick texture and irregular rhythm, B-centered) 29. Blood Relations a.k.a. Strange Bloodlines (fast and insistent five-beat rhythm with strings flying over to provide a melody from stage 1 of Rondo, used for a climactic battle G-centered and G minor) 30. Metamorphosis II (second video cutscene, when the second half of the game is revealed, D-centered and sounds almost like the chant to produce said second half's structure) 31. Final Toccata (long-loop track in five time primarily featuring organ, building texture slowly to intense effect, used extensively in Inverted Castle, B minor (and other modes)) 32. Black Banquet (final battle theme, modern orchestral piece, E-centered) 33. Metamorphosis III (third video cutscene, end of game, transitional piece with no clear tonal center) 34. I Am the Wind (credits theme, a calming song in easy-listening style with long tail, Eb major)
i wonder if anyone else relates Owl City's "Fireflies" and Hilary Duff's "Hey Now"
i mean, they are both in the same key and they both have this cool subtle beepy high-pitched thing as an accompaniment instrument and they both have Ab to Bb chord progression
The article states: "The contours are different: they’re based not on the major or minor but on pentatonic scales, and there’s no blue note"
Actually, the problem with Jpop (for Anglo-Americans) is that the music is too major-minor (tonal). The music is NOT pentatonic at all -- otherwise it would sound like 1930s exotica, which it does not. Anglo-American pop and rock, on other other hand, is more blues-based. Hence, you're right about the blue notes (not singular), but woefully off about the pentatonic scale.
interesting comment
which actually DOES support my hypothesis that j-pop is more similar to classical music, in its use of harmony and tonality, than is a-pop.
Traditional Japanese folk and classical music is heavily modal, and while strange bends and microtonal shadings do exist in things like balladry, the whole system is much more formalised. Dorian mode is particularly common. Furthermore, the kinds of Western popular music that became popular in Japan earliest were French chanson and American big band music, both of which while very expressive are much less tonally flexible than, say, early rock 'n' roll or swing. They are also very theatrical, which I think appeals to Japanese popular culture's fondness for artifice.
On the other hand, American popular music is heavily rooted in black American music of various stripes as infused with elements of European classical and folk tradition and the various immigrant musical traditions that have come into the fold over the centuries. Our strongest traditional musics in terms of repertoire are the Scotch-Irish balladry of the Appalachians and the blues and gospel traditions of the rural South, with Shaker vocal music as a runner-up. While the biwa-and-voice music of Japan bears a strong resemblance to the first two at its heart (and an even greater resemblance to their parent traditions in places like Ireland and Nigeria), that's more a storytelling tradition than a pop tradition.
that's the sole V chord that shows up in the entire song (well, technically it shows up twice, but in functionally the same place -- right before the refrain)
it, rightfully, has the strongest dramatic effect in the entire song
Burned a CD for the first time in forever. That is, wrote data to a CD-R such that it is now a music CD (not "set a CD on fire").
The CD contains the OST of Dysfunctional Systems, episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos, composed by CombatPlayer.
It also contains the OST of Tower of Heaven, composed by flashygoodness. There's a twist here -- the track "Indignant Divinity" has been looped about 20 times. Because I really like it. I accomplished this by getting the OGG file from the game, which loops perfectly, placing it about 18 times before the Indignant Divinity mp3 OST track, and setting the CD to be burned with no gaps.
(In case you're wondering, a single loop of that track is less than a minute long.)
It seems to me that a lot of pop songs basically make a single point. The most common form is that they state contentions and arguments (the phrases of the verse), and from it draw conclusions (the refrain). Frequently, they give an overview of counterarguments (the bridge), and some of them even helpfully tell you the conclusion before introducing the arguments.
A few songs, however, as well as most classical pieces, don't just have a single point as their message -- they contain an entire narrative, which is often unified by their point. They may go through various means of presenting their contentions and arguments and conclusions and counterarguments, as well as introducing related content, sometimes even culminating in unifying multiple content features into a single greater conclusion. But along with presenting these things, they generally also present a more complex narrative -- not just simply making one point, but leading the listener through a sequence of emotions and thereby telling a story, using thematic and motivic similarity and dissimilarity as storytelling tools.
Szymanowski - Variations in B minor (on a Polish Folk Song) Busoni - Variations on Chopin's Prelude in C minor Kosenko - Passacaglia in G minor Stanchinsky - Sonata in Eb minor
I should add Chopin's 1st and 3rd sonatas to that list. The third at least, if not also the 1st. The 1st has a pretty interesting and pretty first movement, and it really sucks that people tend to overlook that sonata. (The other three movements haven't yet caught my fancy...)
As well as Busoni's transcription of Bach's Toccata in D minor.
Maybe Barber's Sonata in E-flat minor? I dunno. It's a cool piece, but it's also kinda sprawling and not as much a personal favorite. Also a bit more difficult to keep fresh on my hands...
Comments
Doesn't explain why I think the keys have different qualities to them though. Maybe it is just pitch?
otherwise (statistically) noisy data is filtered and interpreted in a common, simple, and reliable scheme
why does U.S. (and more broadly, western) pop music not like V to I
alternatively, why does it like IV to I and ii to I so much more than V to I
IV to I and ii to I sound (to me) so...going-nowhere
(I am pretty much already certain that western pop generally has less V chords -- and far less V to I sequences -- than east Asian pop, and that this distinction is why I gravitate toward the latter, despite not having run statistical analyses on either hypothesis (except maybe like once, and only as a very light trial run).)
(btw if you or anyone wants to reply to an earlier post, feel free, and please don't feel put-off by my posting things in between. i late-reply to other people's posts all the time, because there's something to be said, and you should do the same too.)
If you would like to use this, feel free. I can supply the source too. You are free to use, abuse, copy, poop, remix, embed, whatever; just attribute.
The only drawback with this recording is that the bass isn't very clear. Other than that this is absolutely beautiful.
REPOST IN A BIT
Edit: properly formatted version of the next two posts can be found here: http://itjustbugsme.com/forums/discussion/comment/336787#Comment_336787
One of the interesting things about Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is how
the good tracks (in my opinion) are heavily weighted toward the end of the
game.
The early-game tracks are mostly nothing to write home about. They're
decent, though not all that fitting. Sapphire Elegy (a
cutscene track but basically an area theme since you hear it half the time
you're there) sounds a bit at-ease-jazzy (albeit with some unsettling bits), so
I'm not sure how applicable it is to the baroquely-ornate Ecclesia
headquarters. A
Prologue is kinda a nice typical Yamane track but again, I'm not sure how well
it fits the Ecclesia HQ. I think it's more of a level theme than a base
theme.
Of the early game areas, Chapel
Hidden in Smoke feels a bit too "shiny" (high-pitched) for an
area that's supposed to be the ruins of a church. (Maybe in a dreamy
sense?) A Clashing of the Waves feels a bit generic, as does Emerald Mist.
Wandering
the Crystal Blue is a bit better for a water area theme but still feels a
bit generic. Unholy Vespers is unsettling tonally but otherwise feels a
bit too rhythmic and (again) "shiny" for the catacombs-like area it's
set in -- maybe if it were filled with more technicolor black magic... In
any case, they're not really bad tracks, but just kinda un-notable.
The one exception in my opinion is Jaws of a
Scorched Earth, which feels like you're passing by scenery but at the same
time suggests a feeling of curiosity.
Also, not exactly an action area, but there's also Serenade of
the Hearth -- for a town theme, it's a bit unsettling but it's also kinda
comforting, fitting to the warm but nevertheless troubled feeling of the
town. It's turned out to be a track I like a lot, surprisingly.
The earliest boss themes is also kinda meh, I think -- Symphony of
Battle feels a bit too organized for the chaotic feel its tonality
suggests. It gets good some time into the battle, but nevertheless feels
a bit too slow, like it tried to be epic but just didn't quite get there.
Mid-game themes start to suggest more unease, such as Edge of the
Sky. Tragedy's Pulse is a bit more "weird" (read:
musically unsettling) and interesting, though the regular beat still makes it feel
a bit light. Hard Won Nobility has a very prominent melody in that
typical Yamane fashion, and it is a bit "shiny" in the middle of the
track, but oddly, it kinda works without being too cheesy -- I think it's
because it's complemented by that lower bass and the fact that it's in 3 time
rather than 4.
Dissonant
Courage is also a more intense and enjoyable boss theme.
Then you get what's basically the climax of the game. Both the boss
themes -- Sorrow's
Distortion and Lament to the Master are high-intensity tracks, with the
first expressing a straightforwardness in the midst of driving harmonies and
the latter exhibiting quick changes in rhythm and tonality (one might say "crafty", as the beat subdivisions remain the same while the beats change), respectively
consistent with the characterization of the opponents you are fighting.
Then, the game goes emotionally and musically silent for a moment while you
pause to collect your thoughts.
And the start of the endgame greets you
with An
Empty Tome -- while an upbeat action track like this might not
always work well, it -- the theme of the game, actually -- worked as
a refreshing wind of confidence after the events that just
transpired.
The last major area of the game also contains Malak's
Labyrinth, whose subdued (and slightly dreamy) sound and twisty
tonality correspond well to a mysterious (and slightly maze-like)
area; Ebony
Wings, which I think is the weakest track in this part of the
game -- it's flashy but the area isn't exactly very flashy, and the
harmonies could be a little less repetitive; Tower
of Dolls, a remix of an older Castlevania theme, and whose
rhythmic intensity works decently well with the clock-tower features
of the area (though I wouldn't say perfectly); and The
Colossus, which -- while it works -- I think is a bit too bright
for the very final sub-area of the final area (I feel it's trying to
imitate Demon
Castle Pinnacle from Dawn of Sorrow and Gaze
Up at the Darkness from Portrait of Ruin[/url]).
The last non-final boss theme, Chamber
of Ruin, is among my favorite boss themes, with its mixture of
arrogant showmanship in the first half (in 7 time!) and a totally
demented but extremely catchy beat in the second half, all coming
with a deliciously chromatic top line. It so perfectly fits the
final area's first two bosses!...but it doesn't exactly fit the other
two well, sadly, though I guess it works for them. (For what
it's worth, this track is a bit reminiscent of the similarly grand
and showy Great
Gate of Darkness from Dawn of Sorrow (which made a cameo
appearance in Portrait of Ruin).)
The final boss theme, Order
of the Demon isn't as deliciously twisted and evil and Chamber of
Ruin, but it works well and is a pretty grand and intimidating track
with rhythmic and tonal instability. (If anything, the final
battle arena isn't ornate enough!)
Finally, an apology to the cutscene tracks. I kinda forgot
about them, I guess? They're definitely nice -- tracks like
Oncoming
Dread and Heroic
Dawning. The map theme Destiny's
Stage is also decent. The Cantus
Motetten and Trace
of Rage tracks are nice and melodic, though not particularly
notable themselves -- however, they do serve to provide melodic
motifs that return in dramatic fashion in the boss theme Lament
to the Master. Some of the cutscene themes are a little bit
unexpectedly "electronic"-y, given the setting of the game --
Stones
Hold a Grudge is an example. The second map theme, Passing
into the Night, was a nice touch, though not particularly notable
otherwise, especially since you wouldn't be listening to it for very
long, though it's a nice track anyway. Probably the most
memorable cutscene tune is the gently sorrowful and tuneful Rituals,
which is definitely nice and fits its purpose well. The game
over theme, Consummation,
also works well (and you'll probably hear it a lot when using the
Death Ring to perfect bosses).
As for extra-stage stuff, Lone
Challenger, the extra mode stage music, is kinda meh -- that horn
instrument for the melody kinda feels odd. Though the remix of
RIDDLE
is pretty nice (albeit thanks in part to the strength of the original
track).
Fun fact: the boss themes are named after Castlevania games:
Symphony of the Night, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria/Dawn of Sorrow,
Lament of Innocence, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia.
And the
start of the endgame greets you with An Empty Tome -- while an upbeat action track
like this might not always work well, it -- the theme of the game, actually --
worked as a refreshing wind of confidence after the events that just
transpired.
most of these things can be found on youtube
i have inserted disambiguation notes for some of the songs
from Japan:
Life is like a Boat
Afternoon Repose
Another Grey Day in a Big Blue World
Tune the Rainbow
Eternal Snow
Time After Time (Mai Kuraki)
I Look Up At The Sky Because You Are There
as time goes by ~Never Forget Me~
Love^2 Sugar (a.k.a. Love Love Sugar)
Cruel Angel's Thesis
Future (Kiddy Grade)
Starry Heavens
Infinity (Lost Universe)
Marisa Stole the Precious Thing
Cirno's Perfect Math Class
Canta Per Me
Take a Shot
SECRET AMBITION
Shining Days (Mai-HiME)
When the Small Star Descends (Chiisana Hoshi ga Oriru Toki)
Goodnight (Little Viking)
1st Priority
so far, so near
umbrella ~simply, the rain falls~
Puzzle (apple41)
Letter Song (doriko)
The Broken Music Box (Kowarekake no Orgel)
Brilliant Road to Tomorrow (Asu e no Brilliant Road)
Sleepless Night (Nemurenai Yoru Wa)
Unyielding Wish (Magic Knight Rayearth OP)
The Starry Sky (Angelic Layer ED)
Wind of Beginning (Hajimari no Kaze)
Mojipittan (C major version ft. Miku Hatsune)
chance encounters (meguriai)
the sidewalk in the cold wintry wind, the spring where flowers bloom (kogarashi no hodou o hana no saku haru o)
Agapé (melocure)
the world of the two of us (futari no sekai)
ALL IN ALL (melocure)
The World (from .hack//SIGN)
Omoi wo Kanadete
Itsuka Tokeru Namida
Canvas (by COOLON)
only your friend (from Uta~Kata)
GO MY WAY!!
Sparkling Sparkle (kiramekirari)
i (from iDOLM@STER)
CHANGE!!!!
Promise (from iDOLM@STER)
Sleeping Beauty (Nemuri Hime)
(relations) (i like the piano version more than the actual song, which is okay)
Inferno
Little Match Girl (from iDOLM@STER)
Beginner (???) (i'm not sure what song this is, actually...not sure why this got listed here. might be a misplaced copy of another entry.)
First Pain
Forever (savage genius)
April (Shigatsu, savage genius)
Anata no You Desu
Mighty Body
Just Tune
Meteor (John Zeroness)
Wishing (Ayumi Hamasaki)
ANother song (Ayumi Hamasaki)
The Clear Blue Sky
Only My Railgun
Level 5 -Judgelight-
Heaven is a Place on Earth (fripSide)
Shining Star (Futari wa Pretty Cure)
HEART GOES ON
To Your Future Self (Mirai no Kimi e)
Tsubomi -Future Flower-
Beginner
Aitakatta
Dreams Are Forever Reborn (Yume wa Nando mo Umarekawaru)
Support (Sasae)
Rainbow Train (Niji no Ressha)
I Offer My Tears to You (Kono Namida wo Kimi ni Sasagu)
Over the Limits
Ring of Miracles (Kiseki no Ring)
Shiawase no Ondo
Goodbye Happiness
TRY UNITE
INFINITY (MUGEN, Nana Mizuki)
Avalon Blue
GO->Love & Peace
Synchrogazer
Meteor Light
Backlit Wings (Gyakkou no Flügel)
Fatal Blade: Heaven Wing Rend (Zettou Ame no Habakiri)
Moon Splendor Sword (Gekkou no Ken)
Planetes (Guilty Crown)
From the World of the End (Owari no Sekai Kara)
Endless Tears
Steely Resistance (Hagane no Resistance)
I'll Believe
from China:
Summer Love (Ha Yut King Tsing)
Bu De Bu Ai
from Europe:
Farewell (Yanni)
Dragostea Din Tei
Moonlight Shadow
If You Were Here
Captain Jack
Running in the 90s
God is a Girl
Ievan Polkka
Only If
Ready for Love
Aquarius (Within Temptation)
from unknown geographic origin:
Little Satellite
Cheetah Girl (Cheetahmen remix)
So Magical
Waves
I See Right Through To You
Stay (by Tess)
from United States:
Water World
Diamond in the Rough (a children's song, from an album called "Character Building Songs")
Share and Share Alike (also from that same album)
Ugly Bug Ball
Paint It Black
Graduation
Island in the Sun
I Believe I Can Fly
(As Long As You Love Me) (i only like the verse part)
I Want It That Way
Complicated
You Gotta Be
It's Raining Men
The Final Countdown
I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
Hotel California
The Devil Went Down to Georgia
(Follow Me) (the lyrics annoy me but the music is great)
You're Still the One
Suddenly I See
I Could Be the One
Livin' on a Prayer
Gangster's Paradise
Scatman's World
I am the Wind (ending theme of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper / INOJ)
You Are My Hiding Place
My Immortal (the song, NOT the fanfic)
Breathe (Michelle Branch)
Behind These Hazel Eyes
Hey Now! (This is What Dreams are Made of)
Never Had a Dream Come True
Save the Best for Last
Enough To Go By
Apologize
Angel (Sarah McLachlan)
Dancing in the Moonlight (King Harvest original version)
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Code Monkey
Baba Yetu
Heaven is a Place on Earth (Belinda Carlisle)
any questions? ask me anything
also i should turn this into a spreadsheet so i can write down some associated data such as what key each of them is in, just out of curiosity
Por más que intenté escapar, me alcanzó
llevándose mi ilusión
Me es imposible olvidar lo que ocurrió
resuena en mi mente su voz, pero yo
no me atreví a confesar, el amor que me hizo sentir
y así pude continuar
sabiendo que en su hora final su perdón no pedí
R
Hoy que en el cielo estás
ni por todas mis lágrimas podrías regresar
Ni al gritar mi emoción
podré calmar este dolor ...
2
Al pasado no volveré, lo sé muy bien
como te voy a extrañar
Recuerdos vagos de un Abril me hacen pensar
que tal vez te vuelva a ver un después
Parecía tan irreal tu pálido rostro aquella vez
¿Por qué nada hice por tí?
Mis sueños no tienen fe ni un poco de amor
R
Si pudiera tocar tus manos solo una vez más
no te suelto jamás
Cruel es la realidad
y yo no encuentro ya que hacer ...
R
Hoy que en el cielo estás
ni por todas mis lágrimas podrías regresar
Ni al gritar mi emoción
podré calmar este dolor
Si pudiera tocar tus manos solo una vez más
no te suelto jamás
Cruel es la realidad
y yo no te puedo olvidar ...
Spanish lyrics translated (presumably) by Emmanuel from the original Japanese by savage genius
the song is April (a.k.a. Shigatsu)
you can hear this version here:
2. takes the first-half repeat
i approve
so add these songs
For Fruits Basket
Serenade
Sora ni Mukou
a prayer to the starry sky
Melody
fay
Be Happy Please
True Face
A Happy Life
Blue Point
Koigokoro
Hitori de wa Tsumaranai (Ohayou)
Haru da Mono (Love Hina)
Welcome to Ritzberry Fields 2001
Welcome to Ritzberry Fields
Egao ni wa Kanawanai
Fuyu no Hi
yes, i really like her music
But for some other people, the lyrics of a song are an excuse for the music to be presented.
Hoping to take more classes on it. Feel like I've only scratched the surface of it.
If I ever go here, I'm gonna have F-sharp major stuck in my head all day. I actually thought that that birdsong was background music for a moment, at the beginning of the video.
1. Metamorphosis I (dissonant D-centered orchestral piece, used for starting cutscene)
2. Prologue (symphonic metal piece, B minor, used for the mockup of the last level of Rondo of Blood)
3. Dance of Illusions (thickly orchestrated intense battle theme for Richter vs. Dracula, D dorian/minor)
4. Moonlight Nocturne (grand orchestral piece, post-prologue cutscene with text, D/G/C minor)
5. Prayer (a capella duet, used for save select and name entry screen, Ab minor)
6. Dracula's Castle (very melodic rock, used in Entrance, G minor)
7. Dance of Gold (stately and slightly melodramatic orchestral piece, used in Alchemy Lab, F minor)
8. Marble Gallery (synth instrumentation and dance-like beat with a hint of Latin flair, used in Marble Corridor, E minor, a remix of Tower of Mist)
9. Tower of Mist (stately orchestral work, used in Outer Wall, E minor, a remix of Marble Gallery)
10. Nocturne (insert song, sung by song fairy in JP version and DXC remake, C# minor but starts and ends in D minor)
11. Wood-Carving Partita (a Baroque-style piece for harpischord and strings, used in the Long Library, C minor)
12. Door of Holy Spirits (orchestral horror atmospherics theme, used in Reverce Colosseum, no tonal center)
13. Festival of Servants (first boss theme, rather metal, approximately G phrygian)
14. Benediction (game over "fanfare", very dissonant)
15. Requiem for the Gods (a serene piece featuring organ, voice, and strings, for the Royal Chapel, D minor)
16. Crystal Teardrops (a jazzy piece featuring piano, strings, organ, and a beat, for the Underground Caverns, A and C minors)
17. Abandoned Pit (slow and chilling theme featuring piano and synth effects, used in Abandoned Mine and the Cave, dissonantly in Ab minor)
18. Rainbow Cemetery (synth instruments over a gentle techno-style beat, used in Catacombs, in C and E minors)
19. Silence (unused track, C phrygian)
20. Lost Painting (synth/orchestral track with slow beat and comforting but melancholy melody, used extensively in Inverted Castle, F# minor)
21. Dance of Pales (waltz for orchestra and piano, used in Olrox's Quarters, C minor)
22. Curse Zone (modern orchestra with unsettling, texture-heavy piece with no real tonal center, used in the Floating Catacombs)
23. Enchanted Banquet (boss theme #2, features female voice over modern orchestra, B-centered)
24. Wandering Ghosts (a slightly jazzy and disco-like theme, used in the Colosseum, F minor)
25. The Tragic Prince (symphonic metal piece, used in Clock Tower, G minor)
26. The Door to the Abyss (another atmospheric-unsettling track, with mainly sparse texture and unusual instrumentation, used in the castle center mini-area, C-centered, and goes on longer than most people will hear in-game)
27. Heavenly Doorway (also unsettling, but with more of an insistent beat underlying an orchestra, used in the Castle Keep,
C-centered (with some E-centered))
28. Death Ballad (boss theme #3, very thick texture and irregular rhythm, B-centered)
29. Blood Relations a.k.a. Strange Bloodlines (fast and insistent five-beat
rhythm with strings flying over to provide a melody from stage 1 of Rondo, used for a climactic battle G-centered and G minor)
30. Metamorphosis II (second video cutscene, when the second half of the
game is revealed, D-centered and sounds almost like the chant to produce said second half's structure)
31. Final Toccata (long-loop track in five time primarily featuring organ, building texture slowly to intense effect, used extensively in Inverted Castle, B minor (and other modes))
32. Black Banquet (final battle theme, modern orchestral piece, E-centered)
33. Metamorphosis III (third video cutscene, end of game, transitional piece with no clear tonal center)
34. I Am the Wind (credits theme, a calming song in easy-listening style with long tail, Eb major)
i mean, they are both in the same key and they both have this cool subtle beepy high-pitched thing as an accompaniment instrument and they both have Ab to Bb chord progression
I can hear it now, I guess, but I never would've made the connection if it weren't pointed out for me
Traditional Japanese folk and classical music is heavily modal, and while strange bends and microtonal shadings do exist in things like balladry, the whole system is much more formalised. Dorian mode is particularly common. Furthermore, the kinds of Western popular music that became popular in Japan earliest were French chanson and American big band music, both of which while very expressive are much less tonally flexible than, say, early rock 'n' roll or swing. They are also very theatrical, which I think appeals to Japanese popular culture's fondness for artifice.
0:42
that's the sole V chord that shows up in the entire song (well, technically it shows up twice, but in functionally the same place -- right before the refrain)
it, rightfully, has the strongest dramatic effect in the entire song
(at least, it does to me)
(and yeah technically it is a i64-to-V)
composer: MY FIRST STORY
performer: nano ft. MY FIRST STORY
title: SAVIOR OF SONG
context: OP for Arpeggio of Blue Steel
composer: Chiaki Ishikawa, Masara Nishida
performer: Chiaki Ishikawa
title: First Pain
context: OP for Element Hunters
composer: Isaac Schankler
performer: Senah Kim
title: It's Not Ero!
context: theme song for Hate Plus
composer: Takumi
performer: savage genius
title: Just Tune
note: composer entries may be inaccurate
note: i am aware of the pun on "note" but it was not intended
The CD contains the OST of Dysfunctional Systems, episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos, composed by CombatPlayer.
It also contains the OST of Tower of Heaven, composed by flashygoodness. There's a twist here -- the track "Indignant Divinity" has been looped about 20 times. Because I really like it. I accomplished this by getting the OGG file from the game, which loops perfectly, placing it about 18 times before the Indignant Divinity mp3 OST track, and setting the CD to be burned with no gaps.
(In case you're wondering, a single loop of that track is less than a minute long.)
A few songs, however, as well as most classical pieces, don't just have a single point as their message -- they contain an entire narrative, which is often unified by their point. They may go through various means of presenting their contentions and arguments and conclusions and counterarguments, as well as introducing related content, sometimes even culminating in unifying multiple content features into a single greater conclusion. But along with presenting these things, they generally also present a more complex narrative -- not just simply making one point, but leading the listener through a sequence of emotions and thereby telling a story, using thematic and motivic similarity and dissimilarity as storytelling tools.
as does All In All
E major
Szymanowski - Variations in B minor (on a Polish Folk Song)
Busoni - Variations on Chopin's Prelude in C minor
Kosenko - Passacaglia in G minor
Stanchinsky - Sonata in Eb minor
As well as Busoni's transcription of Bach's Toccata in D minor.
Maybe Barber's Sonata in E-flat minor? I dunno. It's a cool piece, but it's also kinda sprawling and not as much a personal favorite. Also a bit more difficult to keep fresh on my hands...
I I6 I
IV, ii
ii ii6 ii
V, V
I iiiØ43 VI
ii iiØ42 V6
I ii6 V7
I
Stanchinsky - Sonata in Eb minor
Chopin - Barcarolle in F# major