Sorry this took so long. It's been out for over two months. But at the time this came out, I got a new job. And well....yeah. You're here for the review. Well here it is.
http://chronology.ocremix.org/
Yasunori Mitsuda did things in the games he composed for that not a lot
of composers could do. He was certainly ahead of his time when he composed
for his first game, Chrono Trigger. So how do you rearrange the music of Chrono
Trigger in a way that exemplifies, and honors the unique composing style that
Yasunori Mitsuda brought to the game? Make a full-on jazz album.
Wiesty notes in the comments that this seemed like an impossible task. But in
all honestly, the jazz genre perfectly blends with the audio asthetics of Chrono
Trigger. So the only impossible tasks were time (no pun intended), and motivation.
And all the artists apart of this managed to bring jazz to the forefront of one
of the greatest soundtracks of all time.
1. Wiesty, The OC Jazz Collective - "Way Before the Day Before Yesterday"
Era: Prehistoric (65,000,000 B.C.)
Sources: "Burn! Bobonga! Burn!"; "Lavos's Theme," "Rhythm of Earth, Wind, and Sky" (cameo)
An excellent opener for Chronology. It sounds like an excellent warm-up session,
quickly transitioning into the opening number of a fine jazz concert. Right away,
you know what to expect. The Lavos touch was quite remarkable. As a jazz piece,
it adds more of an introductory "OMPH" than any other piece composed for the
prehistoric era.
2. Triplepoint Trio (Doug Perry, Sam Suggs, Jonny Allen) - "Triggernometry"
Source: "Chrono Trigger"
I don't know if this was intentional or not, but the transition between track
1 and track 2 is one of, if not, the best I have ever heard on an OCR album. It
is so seamless, almost as if both tracks were one in the same. As for the track
itself, it is a great interpretation of the main Chrono Trigger theme. It's just
as exciting as the original source material. The vibraphone, and violin work here
is especially phoenomenal.
3. Nostalvania, The OC Jazz Collective - "Time's Seal"
Era: Dark Ages (12,000 B.C.)
Source: "Sealed Door"
What makes this track interesting is how they turned a slow, haunting track into
something very reminiscant of a night stroll through New Orelans. It makes opening
that sealed door a lot more exciting and interesting than kind of depressed and
lonely.
4. Wiesty, The OC Jazz Collective - "Neuga, Ziena, Zieber, Zom..."
Era: Middle Ages (600 A.D.)
Source: "Magus Confronted"
In comparison to the last piece, this one feels like a night club lounge jazz
track. Pretty appropriate considering the source material, the battle theme of
someone who at first is viewed as a dark, foreboding individual. The flute is
a nice touch. A fine way to honor the original, while turning a dramatic battle
theme into something more subdued, and chilling (the relaxing kind, not the creepy
kind).
5. Wiesty, The OC Jazz Collective - "Dream of Green"
Era: Present (1000 A.D.)
Sources: "Secret of the Forest"; "Chrono Trigger" (cameo)
Both this arrangement, and the original source material give off a sense of
mystery and intrigue. Right off the bat, this arrangement does the forest portions
of the game justice. It doesn't sound like just an arrangement, it sounds like
something that would fit right in with the actual game.
6. Nostalvania, The OC Jazz Collective - "Fight or Flight"
Era: Apocalypse (1999 A.D.)
Source: "The Epoch - Wings of Time"
The Epoch theme was already jazz inspired to begin with, so I can imagine this
being a difficult piece to arrange for a jazz album. The time signature changes
really helped make this arrangement stand out from the original source material in
a way that honors the game, and Yasunori Mitsuda's work.
7. Wiesty, The OC Jazz Collective - "When Hell Freezes Over"
Era: Future (2300 A.D.)
Sources: "A Desolate World," "Yearnings of the Wind"
Very mysterious, and very intriguing. The original source material was more
ominous, and reflective of a defeated mood. This sounds like something you'd
hear in a noir film when the main protagonist is at a loss on what to do next.
It kind of makes me think of what Casablanca would sound like if it were
made in this day and age (HOLLYWOOD DO NOT REMAKE CASABLANCA).
8. Fratto, Wiesty, The OC Jazz Collective - "Driftwood"
Era: End of Time (∞)
Source: "At the End of Time"
And here we reach the end. The end of time that is. At first, you think this piece
will serve as something of a "wind down" sort of track. But no, it wants to go out
with the excitement and flair that helps define this album.
From beginning to end, this album is nothing but pure fun. Other albums serve to
wow and excite you with how classics can be arranged into different genres, and how
many different feelings you can get throughout the album. That is why I appreciate
the pure fun that this album brings. I am still in awe over how tracks one and two
sound back to back. But each track can still be listened to on its own, and appreciated
at the same time. If you don't like jazz, this album may not be for you, as this
is 100% jazz all around.
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