@@pete5423 he reffered to WCS which makes ppl who makes contact with it to become red eye legion or pile/statue of "salt", so basically the "snow" is a maso particle that spreading because Japan & US nuke the legions contained in the city lol
Snow in summer reduces me to tears every time. Kaine Salvation fills me with hope for Kaine. The whole NieR soundtrack is absolutely amazing. The duet that Devola and Popola sing is superb
I WILL namedrop. I believe the main composer for both replicant/gestalt and automata is Keiichi Okabe and most of the vocals done was by Emi Evans. I cant tell you how many times ive listened to the entire franchises' OST.
The fact that Backstreets Back and Snow in Summer are written in the same key hit me like a FRIGHT TRAIN I can’t believe I haven’t noticed that before.
Soon to be 40 years old and I've never heard anything like that song, classical or otherwise. The level of soul crushing despair at play in it cannot be described. It WILL reduce you into nothingness every time you listen to it... It's.. it's just absurd.
Holy SHIT this blew me away. I've been obsessing over Nier's respective soundtracks for YEARS and am so happy to see such thorough and thoughtful coverage of this song! It's arguably one of the game's backbone tracks but kind of gets slept on a lot. I especially appreciate the effort that you put into connecting this analysis to the lore. Don't get me wrong, the "musician reacts to X OST!" format is fun, but it always leaves me wishing for a meatier deep-dive into the song's actual construction. My background is in classical ballet rather than playing any particular instrument, but it's definitely taught me to listen to this kind of music with a lot of intention. There are many ways in which OSTs like Nier's remind me of how music functions in ballets as a storytelling element, especially when it reacts or changes according to what's happening on the screen or stage. Thanks so much for sharing this!
9:17 As one of those "really into NieR lore" people who just got their english copy of Grimoire NieR: Page 205 "August 3, 2053 (Weather: cloudy) ... It's cold. Salt is falling, and it looks just like snow." It's not clear if this is the exact same day depicted in game, but it matches what we see.
Pretty much this. After you dive deep into the lore it's clear that it's the WCS, autor of the video strengthens his belief that it's snow, but it's not.
Nice analysis! I particularly am a sucker for songs like this that add tracks in while you progress through certain gameplay elements. It’s one of those uniquely video game feelings you can’t replicate since there is no gameplay cue while listening to an OST on its own. Having a little music background helped me, but your explanations behind the theory felt easy to understand from a pure feelings standpoint if I hadn’t!
I will forever say NieR is and always will be The Definitive example of a series that feels like it's games were built around it's soundtrack, without that actually being the case. You don't even have to hear any of the tracks to know just how much tlc went into this series' ost, from the way they layer the different song versions to create Dynamic Tracks, to using an 8-bit filter for the seamless transitions into Hacking Versions of every song, and of course creating your own language so tracks with lyrics could be played during Cutscenes without confusing listeners but still getting across what you should be feeling during said Cutscenes... 👌 Absolute Master Class Conceptualizing!
"Snow in Summer" strikes me as a sort of "Winter" song. Not like one of those "winter wonderland, sleigh bells, Corporate Holi-CHRISTMAS" songs typically associated with the season, but more like "I am litterally freezing to death in -20° F weather and struggling to survive in the worst blizzard in a century. Please help me." That's what "Snow in Summer" makes me think of.
@@hussyweissshutup1275 Same reason why nuclear winters happen: particulate in the air has blocked out the sun, causing local temperatures to drop. IIRC at some point they even dropped tactical nukes is Tokyo, although I don't know if that happens prior to the Nier prologue.
Keiichi Okabe is just a musical genius and no one can convince me otherwise. His work has the ability to give anyone goosebumps within the first note. His attention to detail is unmatched. The masterpieces he’s created for this franchise is insane
As someonr without a single rhythmic bone in their body, and no understanding of music theory, I think this might be the first time someone's gotten me to actually "get" it, even if I'm probably still missing a lot of nuance. I also really liked the putting it back together bit, really helps you see everything in motion.
I have a very limited musical background, mainly in singing. So the contextualization of how many pieces in such an important song come to bring about the emotions many have felt is something that's largely missing and undermined in video games was refreshing. The visualization was especially helpful. Coming across this actual musical analysis was very insightful and enjoyable! Okabe/MONACA's music deserves this kind of attention. Thank you and I hope you create more!
Snow in Summer is a hauntingly beautiful track and yes Nier went from "Kicks magic book away and tells sister not to touch it" to "give me power magic book" in two minutes flat
Well of course. He wouldn't want this fate for his sister, & would gladly accept this fate in order to save his sister. This is the natural behavior of humans.
finally someone can point out the advanced soundtrack adjust from the original, they really take this serious when call this an upgrade rather than an remaster,remake
Yeah, the only song I somewhat prefer the original of is "The Wretched Automatons", and that's only because they softened the percussions. I felt the original with the heavy upfront percussion throughout fit the area better.
Well, it could not be snow. A certain substance does indeed decrease the freezing point of water, so maybe the air is just really cold, because the water vapor in the air is cold, because of that certain substance being everywhere. The nier/drakengard series has turned white from a symbol of light and purity to a haunting, sickening color for me.
The air is probably very cold, Nier and Yonah are shown freezing even with winter cloth. And lorewise they nuked shinjuku so it's probably a nuclear winter
@@lusaminable Well actualy ... i read a lot into the NieR Lore since i played the Original NieR Replicant ... and as far as i remember .... it isnt Snow , it is something else , to explain what it is i would need to Spoiler something from a only Japenese Book called Grimorie Nier that explained a lot of Story before the Games Start of Story
When you mentioned the bells somehow corrupting the choir part, that actually ties into some deep lore. You see, bells were the main instrument associated with the Watcher/The White Giant, the being that fell from the sky and caused White Chlorination Syndrome. You hear this in "The Final Song" in Drakenguard 3 and more recently, "Her Inflorescence" in the Nier raid in Final Fantasy 14.
By the way, the v1.22 Snow in Summer is actually composed by Ryuichi Takada of the MONACA team. From my memory there are only 2 tracks in which Keiichi Okabe have a role in: he composed "Fleeting Words - Family" (which is great) and co-composed "Analogous Memories". I think this is an important point because most of my favorite tracks in this epic work are from Ryuichi Takada.
Great video man, I love the "mostly serious video with a sprinkling of well executed jokes" style and you did just that. And just for curiosity's sake, can I ask what a couple of your other favorite songs are from Keiichi Okabe?
Thanks for the kind words! I'm very into "The Ultimate Weapon," and "Alien Manifestation" from Automata. I will probably do videos on them eventually too. I haven't checked out Drakengard yet!
@@JonathanBarouch Glad to see you too have a love for those tracks. They truly are great and I look forward to seeing your take on them some time in the future!
@@JonathanBarouch The Ultimate Weapon is one of my absolute favorites in Nier Replicant because of how much it just _drips_ atmosphere and I would love to hear you break it down.
When i played Replicant 1.22 for the first time, or rather when the new version of Snow in Summer was released by SE on youtube "Snow in Summer" quickly became one of my favorite musical pieces ever and well not being a musician i had no idea why. I genuinely believe you helped me understand why i love this track.
I feel like your commentary on how the core choral tune leaves us wanting resolution but only getting a troubled one could encapsulate the game in its entirety. All 5 endings later, and we’re still left with a weighty, distant, “And everybody died. The end.” Not that I would change that. It’s perfect like that. Thank you for the wonderful work, I’m in awe of the technical wizardry you’re able to map out.
Thank you, that's so nice! Yeah, it's true, the whole story is basically "some people dared to dream, so humanity ended." Nice, comforting bedtime story.
This was a really fantastic watch, I would absolutely adore it if you made more videos like this! If I were to pick any other tracks I'd like to hear you cover, it would absolutely be the Shadowlord's theme, as 1) its a beautiful song by itself and 2) Its the resolution to all the themes the game has been putting together to completely oppress you with the weight of what you've done and become. Either way, wonderful to hear an analysis of my favourite OST!
Thank you for your kind words! Yeah my goal is to make more like this as often as I can. I want to hit a lot of games, so it'll be a while before I do NieR again but I do like the idea of talking about the shadowlord and his music. Big spoiler warning on that one for sure!
I've always loved the start of replicant, and snow in summer is definitely a part of that. The tension in the song itself already lends to storytelling, but seeing the snow before we're clued in that its summer just adds even more tension. You dont know why this feels off yet, you just know it does. But as soon as we're clued in that its summer, suddenly the whole mood changes. We're thrown for a loop within the first few minutes and its beautiful
the OSTs from Replicant/Automata, they have the power to fiddle with your heart's strings, and will do, that's why they have remained in my mind ever since i played those games. Gotta thank Okabe-san for making me interested in music theory, specially when it's about dissecting the aforementioned pieces. Superb Analysis!
Such an underrated video!! I've been a huge fan of the nier soundtracks for years now, but having had no musical education I was never able to pinpoint exactly why Okabe's works make me feel certain ways, let alone trying to understand technically how powerful they are. Your analysis is precise and especially clear and easy to understand, even for me with no specific knowledge! Thank you very much, I hope to see more of your works!!
I'm so happy to hear this! The main reason I made this video was to help people with less technical music knowledge deepen their enjoyment of the NieR soundtracks. I plan on making many more videos like this, it's just a matter of finding the time! Thank you.
Actually, it's not snow, that's remains from White Chlorination disease which happens from the Drakengard ending E when Angelus and Cain come to earth. It might be cold, but it's discussed in a few different areas about that this disease is what is wiping out humanity and Neir and Yonah have been given Grimoir Noir to help survive. Anyways, thank you for breaking this down and I've been watching your dissections of this soundtrack and have been enjoying learning a bit about the theory about why the soundtrack is so great.
I think my favorite part of the Replicant ver 1.22etc ver of this composition is the added staggering choir voice distortion towards the end of the track. It adds something of a feel of a fragmented memory
Excellent musical analysis! This video helped me gain a new appreciation for the remake version of this track, as well as the musical genius of Nier's composers. I would like to add something that I saw in a comment on another video of this song; the violin ostinato in Phrase D (20:02) resembles the really crazy part of the Queen Beast's song from Drakengard 1.
I love Nier so much and as a piano and clarinet player, this contexualizes so much music theory and concepts that I can apply to band and piano arrangements. I always somewhat overlooked Snow in Summer, in favor of Song of the Ancients, but this made me love the piece. Great video.
@@JonathanBarouch my musical knowledge extends as far as knowing whether or not I like it lol. I never understood it but it's nice to be able to appreciate how much effort went into something, even if the actually details sail over your head
I could see this song applying to Kaine gaining her power too. Tynan mocking her as she tries to see the humanity in the shades and even as they attack her she refuses to fight back...Then when the song really kicks in is when shes forced to finally defend herself and kills one and Tynan just egging her on to keep the bloodshed going.
Awesome video! It's really cool seeing why songs sound as good as they do, especially because I've loved Snow in Summer ever since I first played Nier but never really been able to explain why other than 'idk it sounds good to me'. I'll have to show some of my friends this
The intro to NieR is so perfect, lightning in a bottle. It’s jarring, emotional, and immediately puts you in a place of discomfort. And then suddenly the rest of the game feels totally disjointed and disconnected from it for hours on end. But because it’s such a harsh and stark contrast, it stays in the back of your mind for the entirety of the game. “Haunting” is the perfect word, it feels like you just know at some point the game will reveal that connection and the significance of those starting moments, and break you. And then suddenly, the song plays once more, it delivers, and does just that.
@@daitsukishiro1505 ahahahah spot on!! I too noticed that the Nier OST goes amazingly with HnK. 2 more suggestions: -The sound of the end when phos attacks earth for the last time, -Widespread Illness while reading the last pages of chapter 97
Yes! Bravo!! Loved the visualization of all the selected elements and the explanation of composition leading to narrative. Would love to see you tackle something like the pop style of Persona 5.
I’ve been playing through this game this week and it’s been an absolute blast. The music theory was broken down and explained wonderfully. Amazing video man
This was a super engaging video. I do not know much about music technically, but I know I cannot live without it. Video game soundtracks are such a huge, huge part of storytelling and immersion and it is a shame that it occasionally goes unrecognized.
@@JonathanBarouch I am very glad TH-cam tossed it into my recommended, I love this sort of look into music. I've subscribed and look forward to future content!
Man am I glad youtube recommended this to me, never have i been this enamoured by a games' soundtrack and to have the theory to break it down is just awesome.
i think the lvl 5 swell of the violins adds to a sense of desperation that is pervasive in the narrative of the game. it's tragedy and adventure, and the sense of *running*.
One thing to add about it snowing in summer is the fact that it could be nuclear winter as in 2009 in Nier japan was nuked to try and stop the spread of wcs which allowed it to spread into china
i don't know why I feel like I need to watch this. I don't know the song, the game or music theory, but I've been in this mood since March and it gets worse and rose. if I don't, I would regret. not a very constructive comment. but these music theories are interesting. by the way, there is a gender involving music theory, and it might of existed for thousands of years.
That ain't snow. Spoilers below When the queen beast died in Tokyo at the end of Drakengard, the flakes of it drifted off and spread around. Anyone who came in contact was offered a contract with the red eyed god. If they accepted, they became red eyed beasts (the shadows of the game) and those who refused became salt. That salt has basically spread around all of Japan. The "humans" in game aren't humans. They're puppets that were vessels for humanity to return to, who became sentient. That's the really rough gist of it.
I knew there was something more deep in this ost, the violins are just in another level. Thanks for bringing us this video made with a lot of love and attention to detail.
You literally sound just like Brother nier's English dub. I'm not even joking the near 1:1 similarities feels as if Nier himself is talking about his universe's soundtrack.
i KNEW there was something so SO SPECIAL about how Snow In Summer gave me so much GOOSEBUMPS!!!!!! i love your video and it helped me a bit more to understand and appreciate the thought, care and passion Musicians create to ignite/ stir unexplainable emotions (especially for those who cannot musically analyze such pieces in the more technical aspect) 😊💖 thank you!! and keep up the good work! i am looking forward to more Nier Soundtrack analysis!
9:09 My two cents on the snow lore. The snow *isn't snow.* The reason Nier and Yonah are wearing winter clothes and everything's cold is because there's *so much* not-snow that it's blocking out the sun. And there's so much not-snow because of... story reasons.
I haven't heard this explanation for the cold before! But yes, since this upload, I have seen Yoko Taro confirm that it is not snow. I was thrown off because the not-snow falls like snow, not like not-snow. But he's the boss!
idk if anyone has mentioned this, but I think it's implied that the earth is no longer rotating by 2053 in nier lore. half of the earth is forever day and the other is forever night, and seasons no longer change (though the exact reason for this is unknown). this is why it is snowing in summer, because summer isn't a thing anymore, at least where these characters live.
Lmao many have told me so, and yeah a lot of it is and I failed to mention that, but no one can convince me salt falls from the sky and makes you see your breath in Tokyo in summer. That said, people have told me there are lore reasons for that as well. TL;DR you're right I'm wrong
I'm so grateful for content creators like you! I don't have a musical background but you helped me understand the why and how and I appreciate it even more. I love it when a soundtrack is what gets you to play the game for the first time, Nier was one of those games for me. Please make this a series :D
A very good chance! Still at least a few months away though. Woefully short answer: it flows back and forth between sublime, melancholy harmonic minor and tense chromatic progression. Combine that with the intensity in the choir's voices and you've got a nice limbo where everything is beautiful and also makes you want to hurl. I LOVE that track.
I love to understand the music theory breakdowns that explain all the emotional narratives of songs, especially such a hard-hitting piece such as this. It's great to get confirmation that the feelings it provokes are composed with such purpose. As much as Yoko Taro gets salty about people hyping the soundtrack, Keiichi Okabe just really knows what he's doing to our hearts.
How the heck do you only have 2k subscribers? This is quality content right here. I'm subscribing for more Nier content, it's one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. This is the level of detail in analyzing music that I need. Thank you.
I know some folks aren't as big of fans of the new arrangements. But I saw an interview with Okabe-san that said essentially that NieR didn't have a huge budget. And that he had to cut a lot of corners. If he'd known that the music was going to blow up like it did, he wouldn't have left some things as they were. And that some things are actually embarrassing to him. So when he was approached but ver 1.22, Yosuke Saito said to him "now you can finally set things right with the OST." And this is the reason behind all changes in arrangements, instrumentation etc. So, let's all have love for both versions!
God, I want you to play Shadow of the Colossus so badly. And I really hope you play the original version (PS2 or PS3) version first. The OST is untainted there.
Absolutely amazing analysis man even tho I’m watching it with bad speakers (ip7+ lol) It’s so nice to see many people get into such “quaility” content and easy to get the points. Btw I love the “Crumbling lies” track, I was stunned for the introduction by literally playing half of the game lmaoo hopefully you will analise that track, I had enjoyed that intro a hundred times and never got bored, but the feelings for the first time experienced would never be coming back :(
*the red dragon fell from the heavens* Also it's not snow.... *THE GODDESS THE WATCHERS THR GODDESS THE WATCHERS* If ya know ya know. *drakengard ending E*
I haven’t stopped binging the Nier OST since I played this game and finding this video was like a dream come true. It’s so insightful and educational and entertaining and makes me miss playing in an orchestra. I hope that you’ll continue to do these kinds of analyses, since you have a huge talent for it!! Thank you so much!!!
I saw the NieR concert end of data a few months ago. The tears started when Snow in Summer started. EMIL was my favorite tho since they played every version nonstop for like 15 min, as well as A Beautiful Song, Ashes of Dreams. Song of the Ancients made me cry so hard. I listen to the NieR soundtracks almost everyday… It comforts me. Knowing humanity will die out and life is insignificant so I have to make the most of every day, it makes the suicidal thoughts go away. When I want to die I listen to Weight of the World and I feel better. It’s a heavy messed up thing to type on the internet but it’s the truth. Okabe showed up and said a few things in English which the translator said he was proud of, he was so happy to say it. So wholesome. Yoko Taro showed up and said hi, too, my throat hurt from screaming. Fvck I love this game series.
9:57 It's not gibberish, they have actually meaning, just translated into a fictional language called Chaos. These are the lyrics of Snow In Summer: Alezhipo yeh - Weaving our spells; Alasara vu to tasa - Finding our deeper veils; Epri nemo sakeshipo - Struggling to stave off Lot’s embrace, Ne iika sa vye - Lest the ash envelop us as it falls.
This analysis was so good! This piece was my favorite even from the original one. It feels nice knowing that people are still talking about nier replicant. Anyways, good job on explaining this musical piece ( even if i dont understand it that much XD). Im hoping that you can make another video about the "Shadowlord" piece I hope you're having a great day and goodluck man👍🔥🔥
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, I'm sorry about the parts that didn't make sense! Feel free to tell me what tripped you up and I'll try to fit deeper explanations into future videos. I've had multiple requests for Shadowlord, so it will be my fourth release, probably next month! Unfortunately, that piece has really complex theory, so it might be harder to understand than this one. But I'm doing my best in the planning stages to make the script accessible to as many people as possible!
Snow in the Summer is a song that I often think back to almost 3 years after I already beat the entire game. I was already anticipating a rather dark piece to introduce us to the opening, but I was severely caught off guard by how bleak, off, and haunting it is. I get goosebumps every single time that I hear the track... >.>
sooo i don't know if i just missed this, or if you actually haven't noticed this (i know you've mentioned the two songs were supposed to be swapped at one point during development), but "snow in summer" is actually composed as a counterpoint to "grandma", if you bpm match them (because snow in summer is slightly slower than grandma) and then play the two at the same time, it actually sounds like they're two halves of the same song. The drums in the two songs also start at the exact same time in the song, and are different in such a way that they complement eachother, and the eerie dream-like section of snow in summer begins exactly when grandma finishes. Though, of course, since each song is composed/mixed to be "well-rounded" on it's own, simple combining the two songs gets rather crowded and muddled.
You're doing an amazing job, I love each and everyone of your NieR analysis videos. It's one of my favorite game series of all time and the music is really on another level.
It's official, this is your thing. Wonderful deep dive into the musical theory and providing an easy to understand data visualization to break everything down. Very high level work, I dare say I would love to see the rest of the main themes from Nier Replicant 1.22 now, if possible! Thanks for sharing! Subbed and looking forward to seeing more!
Wow that is... incredibly kind, thank you. If I can start supporting myself on TH-cam I'll be doing many more soundtracks, including more of NieR! We'll soon see what happens.
Amazing video, made me remember the first time I heard the song while playing the PS3 version of Nier, if I may make a request to you, I would love to hear your input for "Grandma - Destruction" from Automata, it is one of my favorite pieces from that game. Waiting for the next video! from a new subscriber =)
This video is very well done. I appreciate the deep analysis and addition of good editing, explanation/narration and video structure/planning. I know it must have taken a lot of time and effort to create a video of this caliber. The composer of Nier, Keiichi Okabe, has so many outstanding works out there. Sometimes I feel Nier’s soundtrack isn’t truly appreciated since we often just say, “It sounds good” but, as this video showed there are so many complex things taking place. It’s a masterpiece that deserves more recognition. Personally, even when knowing how to play the piano, I don’t have a great understanding of music theory so I really appreciate videos like this and yours was outstanding. Luckily, what I know is editing, and the one in the video was great. Specially when explaining and pointing out the notes and sections in the sheet music. The scenes chosen where placed at the right times and your voice blended perfectly with the background music. Loved that there were no overwhelming or useless transitions and it all was all beautifully put together. I look forward to more videos alike and hope your channel blows up! Side note: Ashes of Dreams and Emil-Sacrifice are my favorite tracks.
This was so wonderful to read, thank you so much! Yes these definitely take a long time to make but it's some of the most fun I've ever had. My next video will be on Shadowlord, and I plan to do more NieR beyond that. I'll add your favorites to my prompt ideas!
I've loved this song for years now and i the remake version in 2021 blew my mind with the added parts, especially the violin that you analyzed in this video. Really great analysis that was easy to follow yet insightful, I hope to see more!
Love your music analysis videos, but honestly from the little snippets you do here I'd also love to see a plot analysis from you! You've got the right humour to keep it interesting.
This just happened to pop up in my feed after looking up so many NieR songs and videos recently and I enjoyed it a lot! Gives me even more appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the soundtrack
Because it's NOT SNOW. It's salt. It's called "Snow in summer" because a lot of salt can resemble snow. This is moment, when people found out how to make Gerstalts and Replicants and so they could defeat Legion. This is where Drakengard blends in NieR. All in ONE SONG, in one sequence. I knew there was some sort of dissonance. But now I understand what made that dissonance and why it hit like real shocker. I heard that something is pleasantly wrong with that song. Now I know at least what it is. Thanks for explaining
Thing is : Snow in summer actually MEANS something. It's not winter, it's white chlorination (SPOILERS) it's salt, made from humans turning into salt because of a wild spread disease and magical particles. That's white it's snow... in summer. And I remember knowing nothing about the game, and hearing this song. And disliking it. Because it felt .. smooth, yet had an eery feeling to it. I felt uncomfortable hearing it. Without. Knowing. Anything. That's so cool !
Thanks for explaining the difference between Gestalt and Replicant's soundtracks. I couldn't put my finger on an overarchign theme, just that I preferred the original. (They screwed up the narrative to Grandma oh my godddddddd) Outside of this, the technical prowess on display in Snow in Summer is crazy!
Back in 2011, it was the first time I played a PS3 that I bought with my own savings, I pop the game and was shock with Kaine's opening monologue. And I thought "we're in for a ride". Then the prologue chapter starts. The haunting choir starts playing. The time was a summer in near future Tokyo. The city is covered in snow. "What the eff is going on in this world!?!?!" is what crosses my mind. And then I sat up, straighten my back "better buckle up, this journey is going to rough".
Don't want to beat an 1y.o. dead horse, but I'm guessing you listened to the original soundtrack, then went straight into 1.22? You did bring up WCS for a brief moment, so I guess people assumed you did some research. But when I 1st watched this, you had me turned around for a bit at the end of the 'Tension & Resolution' segment, when you suddenly u-turn'd and leaned into hypothesis that the snow was the result of an environmental catastrophe. Even now it kinda trips the flow a bit for anyone vaguely aware of the lore. I mean, yeah, salt doesn't actually fall down like snow at all, but in games with both realism and fantasy infused into them, realism must compromise with fantasy, since representation, metaphor, and execution come more into play to serve the greater narrative, becoming 'magical realism' in the process. Take Elden Ring for example; Godrick the Grafted should have died right from his 1st graft, since they don't consider blood types and graft rejection at all. Another more acute example would be the recent apology teaser that announced Pragmata's indefinite delay from 2023 to ???, where some people were moaning about the physics of paper floating down to the ground. So, if we were realistic about it, we wouldn't even be fighting Godrick as a boss. And come on, is the physics of paper more important than the message on it? Personally, I've not even played NieR yet, but I love the music so much, I felt compelled to research the lore and story. I mean, it's not hard to skim over and get a gist of why there's Snow in Summer. I still need to replay Automata though. Also, good luck with the move! Be safe!
If I remember well, that's not snow in the prologue.. (Spoiler alert for nier and drakengard 1) ..That's salt ! Ok, here's why : NieR replicant/gestalt is the sequel to a secret ending in drakengard 1 where the main protagonist and his dragon fall though the sky of Tokyo. As a result a plague start in the city and no one know how to act against it. The plague transform the body in salt. So, yes, in the prologue it is "snowing" salt of diseased humans body. To go a bit further : The government, when he understood he couldn't contain the plague made the project Gestalt. It is a project where you separate the soul and the body of a human and after making an empty vessel, protected against the plague, would be put inside. Problem, the vessels, named replicants, gained consciousness which mean the souls of the human couldn't enter. Which created the shades, who are humans. Grimoire noir and Weiss are the main instrument of this project where one separate and the other fuse. I'm sure I missed something because somewhere along the way a flower is involved (drakengard 3) but that's the gist of it. Furthermore, I recommend you to listen to Drakengard 3 ost who came out around the same time as the original Nier. Especially the music "the final song" and "this silence is mine" Thanks for reading all of this and have a pleasant listening of those awesome soundtracks.
Can we also appreciate that title? “Snow in summer”. It’s such a good title that encapsulates so much.
it's one of the most haunting sentences to me
@Purple Shade dont be salty
@@bloodwoot ?
@@pete5423 :) if you know, you know, mr. venti :)
@@pete5423 he reffered to WCS which makes ppl who makes contact with it to become red eye legion or pile/statue of "salt", so basically the "snow" is a maso particle that spreading because Japan & US nuke the legions contained in the city lol
Snow in summer reduces me to tears every time. Kaine Salvation fills me with hope for Kaine. The whole NieR soundtrack is absolutely amazing. The duet that Devola and Popola sing is superb
I WILL namedrop.
I believe the main composer for both replicant/gestalt and automata is Keiichi Okabe and most of the vocals done was by Emi Evans. I cant tell you how many times ive listened to the entire franchises' OST.
The fact that Backstreets Back and Snow in Summer are written in the same key hit me like a FRIGHT TRAIN I can’t believe I haven’t noticed that before.
I didn't know until I made this video! Key has very little to do with a piece's "personality." It can only offer very broad strokes.
@@JonathanBarouch that’s true! I guess I’m just a huge fan of Surprise Minor Keys haha. Very interesting fact, super great analysis.
Soon to be 40 years old and I've never heard anything like that song, classical or otherwise. The level of soul crushing despair at play in it cannot be described. It WILL reduce you into nothingness every time you listen to it... It's.. it's just absurd.
Holy SHIT this blew me away. I've been obsessing over Nier's respective soundtracks for YEARS and am so happy to see such thorough and thoughtful coverage of this song! It's arguably one of the game's backbone tracks but kind of gets slept on a lot. I especially appreciate the effort that you put into connecting this analysis to the lore. Don't get me wrong, the "musician reacts to X OST!" format is fun, but it always leaves me wishing for a meatier deep-dive into the song's actual construction. My background is in classical ballet rather than playing any particular instrument, but it's definitely taught me to listen to this kind of music with a lot of intention. There are many ways in which OSTs like Nier's remind me of how music functions in ballets as a storytelling element, especially when it reacts or changes according to what's happening on the screen or stage. Thanks so much for sharing this!
This is so cool! I never thought of the parallels in how dance and gaming both relate to music. I'm thrilled you enjoyed it
9:17 As one of those "really into NieR lore" people who just got their english copy of Grimoire NieR:
Page 205
"August 3, 2053 (Weather: cloudy)
...
It's cold. Salt is falling, and it looks just like snow."
It's not clear if this is the exact same day depicted in game, but it matches what we see.
Pretty much this. After you dive deep into the lore it's clear that it's the WCS, autor of the video strengthens his belief that it's snow, but it's not.
Nice analysis! I particularly am a sucker for songs like this that add tracks in while you progress through certain gameplay elements. It’s one of those uniquely video game feelings you can’t replicate since there is no gameplay cue while listening to an OST on its own. Having a little music background helped me, but your explanations behind the theory felt easy to understand from a pure feelings standpoint if I hadn’t!
I also LOVE dynamic tracks that respond to gameplay events. Definitely my favorite thing a soundtrack can do :)
I will forever say NieR is and always will be The Definitive example of a series that feels like it's games were built around it's soundtrack, without that actually being the case.
You don't even have to hear any of the tracks to know just how much tlc went into this series' ost, from the way they layer the different song versions to create Dynamic Tracks, to using an 8-bit filter for the seamless transitions into Hacking Versions of every song, and of course creating your own language so tracks with lyrics could be played during Cutscenes without confusing listeners but still getting across what you should be feeling during said Cutscenes... 👌 Absolute Master Class Conceptualizing!
"Snow in Summer" strikes me as a sort of "Winter" song. Not like one of those "winter wonderland, sleigh bells, Corporate Holi-CHRISTMAS" songs typically associated with the season, but more like "I am litterally freezing to death in -20° F weather and struggling to survive in the worst blizzard in a century. Please help me." That's what "Snow in Summer" makes me think of.
but. it's not snow
@@savathunthejudge914shh don't tell him
@@savathunthejudge914 I never understood why its visibly cold then.
@@hussyweissshutup1275 the particles blocked out the sun
@@hussyweissshutup1275 Same reason why nuclear winters happen: particulate in the air has blocked out the sun, causing local temperatures to drop. IIRC at some point they even dropped tactical nukes is Tokyo, although I don't know if that happens prior to the Nier prologue.
Keiichi Okabe is just a musical genius and no one can convince me otherwise. His work has the ability to give anyone goosebumps within the first note. His attention to detail is unmatched. The masterpieces he’s created for this franchise is insane
The best way for me to describe Drakengard/nier is a horror game pretending to be a fantasy game.
absolutely true for drakengard, particularly dod1
As someonr without a single rhythmic bone in their body, and no understanding of music theory, I think this might be the first time someone's gotten me to actually "get" it, even if I'm probably still missing a lot of nuance.
I also really liked the putting it back together bit, really helps you see everything in motion.
That is so gratifying to hear, that's exactly what I wanted when I made this!!
I have a very limited musical background, mainly in singing. So the contextualization of how many pieces in such an important song come to bring about the emotions many have felt is something that's largely missing and undermined in video games was refreshing. The visualization was especially helpful. Coming across this actual musical analysis was very insightful and enjoyable! Okabe/MONACA's music deserves this kind of attention. Thank you and I hope you create more!
You and me both! Thank you so much, this is exactly the kind of experience I'm hoping to give people.
Snow in Summer is a hauntingly beautiful track and yes Nier went from "Kicks magic book away and tells sister not to touch it" to "give me power magic book" in two minutes flat
Well of course. He wouldn't want this fate for his sister, & would gladly accept this fate in order to save his sister.
This is the natural behavior of humans.
finally someone can point out the advanced soundtrack adjust from the original, they really take this serious when call this an upgrade rather than an remaster,remake
I know there are many people who prefer the old soundtrack, and I think that's great, but yeah I REALLY prefer the new versions of most tracks :)
Yeah, the only song I somewhat prefer the original of is "The Wretched Automatons", and that's only because they softened the percussions. I felt the original with the heavy upfront percussion throughout fit the area better.
i wish they did the same for demon souls remake music
Only "upgrade" that I didn't liked in this game is new version of song of the ancients/fate
I for one prefer the whole original soundtrack but I did only like 3 remastered tracks. I really wish they had the original soundtrack as an option.
Well, it could not be snow. A certain substance does indeed decrease the freezing point of water, so maybe the air is just really cold, because the water vapor in the air is cold, because of that certain substance being everywhere.
The nier/drakengard series has turned white from a symbol of light and purity to a haunting, sickening color for me.
Dang, I'm not equipped to turn this into a chemistry discussion but I believe it.
The air is probably very cold, Nier and Yonah are shown freezing even with winter cloth. And lorewise they nuked shinjuku so it's probably a nuclear winter
@@JonathanBarouch i always thinking it's not snow but salt
@@lusaminable Well actualy ... i read a lot into the NieR Lore since i played the Original NieR Replicant ... and as far as i remember .... it isnt Snow , it is something else , to explain what it is i would need to Spoiler something from a only Japenese Book called Grimorie Nier that explained a lot of Story before the Games Start of Story
@@mrriku2438 you can spoil to me, I already did the game 4 times
When you mentioned the bells somehow corrupting the choir part, that actually ties into some deep lore. You see, bells were the main instrument associated with the Watcher/The White Giant, the being that fell from the sky and caused White Chlorination Syndrome. You hear this in "The Final Song" in Drakenguard 3 and more recently, "Her Inflorescence" in the Nier raid in Final Fantasy 14.
By the way, the v1.22 Snow in Summer is actually composed by Ryuichi Takada of the MONACA team. From my memory there are only 2 tracks in which Keiichi Okabe have a role in: he composed "Fleeting Words - Family" (which is great) and co-composed "Analogous Memories". I think this is an important point because most of my favorite tracks in this epic work are from Ryuichi Takada.
Absolutely an important point, I couldn't find individual credits, thank you!
Great video man, I love the "mostly serious video with a sprinkling of well executed jokes" style and you did just that. And just for curiosity's sake, can I ask what a couple of your other favorite songs are from Keiichi Okabe?
Thanks for the kind words! I'm very into "The Ultimate Weapon," and "Alien Manifestation" from Automata. I will probably do videos on them eventually too. I haven't checked out Drakengard yet!
@@JonathanBarouch the ultimate weapon is my favorite out of replicant's and automata's ost it's nice to see some more love for it 😎
@@JonathanBarouch Glad to see you too have a love for those tracks. They truly are great and I look forward to seeing your take on them some time in the future!
@@JonathanBarouch The Ultimate Weapon is one of my absolute favorites in Nier Replicant because of how much it just _drips_ atmosphere and I would love to hear you break it down.
@@theshadowherself I will absolutely make that video, I just don't yet know when I'll have the chance!
When i played Replicant 1.22 for the first time, or rather when the new version of Snow in Summer was released by SE on youtube "Snow in Summer" quickly became one of my favorite musical pieces ever and well not being a musician i had no idea why. I genuinely believe you helped me understand why i love this track.
I'm extremely happy to hear that. Thanks so much for saying so!
this whole OST lives in my head rent free
I feel like your commentary on how the core choral tune leaves us wanting resolution but only getting a troubled one could encapsulate the game in its entirety. All 5 endings later, and we’re still left with a weighty, distant, “And everybody died. The end.” Not that I would change that. It’s perfect like that. Thank you for the wonderful work, I’m in awe of the technical wizardry you’re able to map out.
Thank you, that's so nice! Yeah, it's true, the whole story is basically "some people dared to dream, so humanity ended." Nice, comforting bedtime story.
This was a really fantastic watch, I would absolutely adore it if you made more videos like this! If I were to pick any other tracks I'd like to hear you cover, it would absolutely be the Shadowlord's theme, as 1) its a beautiful song by itself and 2) Its the resolution to all the themes the game has been putting together to completely oppress you with the weight of what you've done and become. Either way, wonderful to hear an analysis of my favourite OST!
Thank you for your kind words! Yeah my goal is to make more like this as often as I can. I want to hit a lot of games, so it'll be a while before I do NieR again but I do like the idea of talking about the shadowlord and his music. Big spoiler warning on that one for sure!
Yesss, Shadowlord or the Tower from Automata
@@JonathanBarouch you should also do grandma!!!
I can't believe you compared NieR's OST to the Backstreet Boys in a way that actually makes sense.
I've always loved the start of replicant, and snow in summer is definitely a part of that. The tension in the song itself already lends to storytelling, but seeing the snow before we're clued in that its summer just adds even more tension. You dont know why this feels off yet, you just know it does. But as soon as we're clued in that its summer, suddenly the whole mood changes. We're thrown for a loop within the first few minutes and its beautiful
the OSTs from Replicant/Automata, they have the power to fiddle with your heart's strings, and will do, that's why they have remained in my mind ever since i played those games. Gotta thank Okabe-san for making me interested in music theory, specially when it's about dissecting the aforementioned pieces. Superb Analysis!
Such an underrated video!! I've been a huge fan of the nier soundtracks for years now, but having had no musical education I was never able to pinpoint exactly why Okabe's works make me feel certain ways, let alone trying to understand technically how powerful they are. Your analysis is precise and especially clear and easy to understand, even for me with no specific knowledge! Thank you very much, I hope to see more of your works!!
I'm so happy to hear this! The main reason I made this video was to help people with less technical music knowledge deepen their enjoyment of the NieR soundtracks. I plan on making many more videos like this, it's just a matter of finding the time! Thank you.
Ah, the infamous Elena comment.
I love the 2021 version of this OST and it is a shame, a _crying shame,_ that they're not on spotify where I live 😭
SAME
I'm listening to the soundtracks on Amazon Music (don't have Spotify). Is it available there for you?
Actually, it's not snow, that's remains from White Chlorination disease which happens from the Drakengard ending E when Angelus and Cain come to earth. It might be cold, but it's discussed in a few different areas about that this disease is what is wiping out humanity and Neir and Yonah have been given Grimoir Noir to help survive.
Anyways, thank you for breaking this down and I've been watching your dissections of this soundtrack and have been enjoying learning a bit about the theory about why the soundtrack is so great.
I think my favorite part of the Replicant ver 1.22etc ver of this composition is the added staggering choir voice distortion towards the end of the track. It adds something of a feel of a fragmented memory
Absolutely brilliant breakdown of what makes the NieR soundtrack so hauntingly beautiful.
Excellent musical analysis! This video helped me gain a new appreciation for the remake version of this track, as well as the musical genius of Nier's composers. I would like to add something that I saw in a comment on another video of this song; the violin ostinato in Phrase D (20:02) resembles the really crazy part of the Queen Beast's song from Drakengard 1.
I love Nier so much and as a piano and clarinet player, this contexualizes so much music theory and concepts that I can apply to band and piano arrangements. I always somewhat overlooked Snow in Summer, in favor of Song of the Ancients, but this made me love the piece. Great video.
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about but you sound pretty confident so I assume that you are correct
Haha I hope it made at least a little sense!
@@JonathanBarouch my musical knowledge extends as far as knowing whether or not I like it lol. I never understood it but it's nice to be able to appreciate how much effort went into something, even if the actually details sail over your head
Snow in Summer has always been one of my favs Nier songs and i'm happy more people are appreciating it
My favorite Nier Automata track Mourning reminds me a lot of this track also Yes I agree Yonah is a plot device. Er I mean his sister whoops
I could see this song applying to Kaine gaining her power too. Tynan mocking her as she tries to see the humanity in the shades and even as they attack her she refuses to fight back...Then when the song really kicks in is when shes forced to finally defend herself and kills one and Tynan just egging her on to keep the bloodshed going.
Awesome video! It's really cool seeing why songs sound as good as they do, especially because I've loved Snow in Summer ever since I first played Nier but never really been able to explain why other than 'idk it sounds good to me'. I'll have to show some of my friends this
Thank you for sharing that!! That's exactly what I was hoping to give people with this.
My favorite thing with this track is that it comes back as you make your way through the Lost Shrine before you enter the Shadow Lord’s Castle
The intro to NieR is so perfect, lightning in a bottle.
It’s jarring, emotional, and immediately puts you in a place of discomfort. And then suddenly the rest of the game feels totally disjointed and disconnected from it for hours on end.
But because it’s such a harsh and stark contrast, it stays in the back of your mind for the entirety of the game. “Haunting” is the perfect word, it feels like you just know at some point the game will reveal that connection and the significance of those starting moments, and break you.
And then suddenly, the song plays once more, it delivers, and does just that.
Wow, this analysis must have taken you ages to complete, well thought and detailed. 10/10!! Keep going champ!! 🏆
It took much longer than I expected it to, but I have no regrets! More to come. Thank you :)
trying playing snow in summer when phos goes to the moon
or The tower from automata same atmosphere
@@daitsukishiro1505 ahahahah spot on!! I too noticed that the Nier OST goes amazingly with HnK.
2 more suggestions:
-The sound of the end when phos attacks earth for the last time,
-Widespread Illness while reading the last pages of chapter 97
@@daitsukishiro1505 oh yeah and of course Analogous Memories from Replicanti when Phos goes crazy and looks scary
@@Lord_Randyona oh damn that shit would have slapped hard I was playing sound of the end
Yes! Bravo!!
Loved the visualization of all the selected elements and the explanation of composition leading to narrative. Would love to see you tackle something like the pop style of Persona 5.
Ooohh, tempting tempting....
I’ve been playing through this game this week and it’s been an absolute blast. The music theory was broken down and explained wonderfully. Amazing video man
This was a super engaging video. I do not know much about music technically, but I know I cannot live without it. Video game soundtracks are such a huge, huge part of storytelling and immersion and it is a shame that it occasionally goes unrecognized.
Then you, friend, are exactly the sort of person I'm so glad I get to reach this way!
@@JonathanBarouch I am very glad TH-cam tossed it into my recommended, I love this sort of look into music. I've subscribed and look forward to future content!
Snow in Summer is an apt title because every time I hear it, and especially every time I watch the opening sequence, I get goddamn chills.
Subscribed ❤️
It is a music you listen with your soul, not just ears, and I adore it. But mr Okabe any songs is just amazing like that!
Man am I glad youtube recommended this to me, never have i been this enamoured by a games' soundtrack and to have the theory to break it down is just awesome.
i think the lvl 5 swell of the violins adds to a sense of desperation that is pervasive in the narrative of the game. it's tragedy and adventure, and the sense of *running*.
One thing to add about it snowing in summer is the fact that it could be nuclear winter as in 2009 in Nier japan was nuked to try and stop the spread of wcs which allowed it to spread into china
Since this upload, I've seen an interview where Yoko Taro states that it's salt, but I agree that the nuclear winter is likely why it's so cold
I think the snow actually is salt in the lore. It might be cold because of the sunlight being reflected away though.
for any1 who wants to know why there is "snow" look up dragengard lore :) since dragengard is pre nier, also yoko taro is a troll :)
I also added it as a correction info card, but TH-cam doesn't make those very easy to see :(
i don't know why I feel like I need to watch this. I don't know the song, the game or music theory, but I've been in this mood since March and it gets worse and rose. if I don't, I would regret.
not a very constructive comment. but these music theories are interesting.
by the way, there is a gender involving music theory, and it might of existed for thousands of years.
That ain't snow. Spoilers below
When the queen beast died in Tokyo at the end of Drakengard, the flakes of it drifted off and spread around. Anyone who came in contact was offered a contract with the red eyed god. If they accepted, they became red eyed beasts (the shadows of the game) and those who refused became salt. That salt has basically spread around all of Japan. The "humans" in game aren't humans. They're puppets that were vessels for humanity to return to, who became sentient.
That's the really rough gist of it.
I knew there was something more deep in this ost, the violins are just in another level. Thanks for bringing us this video made with a lot of love and attention to detail.
9:40
> *adds some fun existential dread to the title*
My Brother in Christ you have no idea
Another hint that snow in summer is related to the book(s) is that it plays when devola and popola tell the (false) story of song of the ancients
it could be snow AND not-snow, due to the nuclear winter
This is Nier. He's doing his best :)
You literally sound just like Brother nier's English dub. I'm not even joking the near 1:1 similarities feels as if Nier himself is talking about his universe's soundtrack.
I'm here for it
i KNEW there was something so SO SPECIAL about how Snow In Summer gave me so much GOOSEBUMPS!!!!!! i love your video and it helped me a bit more to understand and appreciate the thought, care and passion Musicians create to ignite/ stir unexplainable emotions (especially for those who cannot musically analyze such pieces in the more technical aspect) 😊💖
thank you!! and keep up the good work! i am looking forward to more Nier Soundtrack analysis!
TH-cam is on a roll today with suggesting top quality videos.
Keep up the great work, Jonathan! I look forward to future videos ~
9:09
My two cents on the snow lore.
The snow *isn't snow.* The reason Nier and Yonah are wearing winter clothes and everything's cold is because there's *so much* not-snow that it's blocking out the sun.
And there's so much not-snow because of... story reasons.
I haven't heard this explanation for the cold before! But yes, since this upload, I have seen Yoko Taro confirm that it is not snow. I was thrown off because the not-snow falls like snow, not like not-snow. But he's the boss!
idk if anyone has mentioned this, but I think it's implied that the earth is no longer rotating by 2053 in nier lore. half of the earth is forever day and the other is forever night, and seasons no longer change (though the exact reason for this is unknown). this is why it is snowing in summer, because summer isn't a thing anymore, at least where these characters live.
Yes! Someone did mention that to me, thank you. I missed that in my research.
Climate change? or rather Drakengard 9:37
My brother in Christ... that is no snow!
It's the bodies of people who were turned into salt.
Lmao many have told me so, and yeah a lot of it is and I failed to mention that, but no one can convince me salt falls from the sky and makes you see your breath in Tokyo in summer. That said, people have told me there are lore reasons for that as well. TL;DR you're right I'm wrong
when I first played NieR Gestalt and heard this, I knew I was in for an unforgettable ride.
I'm so grateful for content creators like you! I don't have a musical background but you helped me understand the why and how and I appreciate it even more. I love it when a soundtrack is what gets you to play the game for the first time, Nier was one of those games for me.
Please make this a series :D
There will be more to come! I won't just be doing NieR, but I'll return to it several times in the future. Thank you!
Any chance you could explain why the Aery is so...itself?
A very good chance! Still at least a few months away though. Woefully short answer: it flows back and forth between sublime, melancholy harmonic minor and tense chromatic progression. Combine that with the intensity in the choir's voices and you've got a nice limbo where everything is beautiful and also makes you want to hurl. I LOVE that track.
I love to understand the music theory breakdowns that explain all the emotional narratives of songs, especially such a hard-hitting piece such as this. It's great to get confirmation that the feelings it provokes are composed with such purpose. As much as Yoko Taro gets salty about people hyping the soundtrack, Keiichi Okabe just really knows what he's doing to our hearts.
I didn't know that about Yoko Taro! That's kind of funny, since the soundtracks are so deeply tied to the identity of his games.
I would love to see more musical analysis and breakdowns like this!
It would be great to see some of the tracks in Nier automata dissected like this !
It's just a matter of time! Probably this summer
How the heck do you only have 2k subscribers? This is quality content right here. I'm subscribing for more Nier content, it's one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. This is the level of detail in analyzing music that I need. Thank you.
Thank you so much! "Grandma" video coming out in a few weeks 😀
I know some folks aren't as big of fans of the new arrangements. But I saw an interview with Okabe-san that said essentially that NieR didn't have a huge budget. And that he had to cut a lot of corners. If he'd known that the music was going to blow up like it did, he wouldn't have left some things as they were. And that some things are actually embarrassing to him. So when he was approached but ver 1.22, Yosuke Saito said to him "now you can finally set things right with the OST." And this is the reason behind all changes in arrangements, instrumentation etc.
So, let's all have love for both versions!
Do you have a link to that interview? That's super interesting and I'd love to talk about it in a future video if you have it on hand.
@@JonathanBarouch th-cam.com/video/OZhloNcCZyo/w-d-xo.html
God, I want you to play Shadow of the Colossus so badly.
And I really hope you play the original version (PS2 or PS3) version first. The OST is untainted there.
I have good news for you, I have played it, and the PS2 version. It's showed up on a few Patreon video polls and is sure to resurface!
@@JonathanBarouch bless you, kind sir. Would love to hear your insights on it
Absolutely amazing analysis man even tho I’m watching it with bad speakers (ip7+ lol) It’s so nice to see many people get into such “quaility” content and easy to get the points. Btw I love the “Crumbling lies” track, I was stunned for the introduction by literally playing half of the game lmaoo hopefully you will analise that track, I had enjoyed that intro a hundred times and never got bored, but the feelings for the first time experienced would never be coming back :(
I LOVE that track, I'll have to talk about it for sure. It'll be a while though.
*the red dragon fell from the heavens*
Also it's not snow....
*THE GODDESS THE WATCHERS THR GODDESS THE WATCHERS*
If ya know ya know.
*drakengard ending E*
Wow that earned a sub from me. I was swelling with emotion by the climax. I love your visualizations and the raspy and calm sound of your voice.
I haven’t stopped binging the Nier OST since I played this game and finding this video was like a dream come true. It’s so insightful and educational and entertaining and makes me miss playing in an orchestra. I hope that you’ll continue to do these kinds of analyses, since you have a huge talent for it!! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you!! Yes I plan to make a lot more!
I saw the NieR concert end of data a few months ago. The tears started when Snow in Summer started. EMIL was my favorite tho since they played every version nonstop for like 15 min, as well as A Beautiful Song, Ashes of Dreams. Song of the Ancients made me cry so hard. I listen to the NieR soundtracks almost everyday… It comforts me. Knowing humanity will die out and life is insignificant so I have to make the most of every day, it makes the suicidal thoughts go away. When I want to die I listen to Weight of the World and I feel better. It’s a heavy messed up thing to type on the internet but it’s the truth.
Okabe showed up and said a few things in English which the translator said he was proud of, he was so happy to say it. So wholesome. Yoko Taro showed up and said hi, too, my throat hurt from screaming. Fvck I love this game series.
9:57 It's not gibberish, they have actually meaning, just translated into a fictional language called Chaos.
These are the lyrics of Snow In Summer:
Alezhipo yeh - Weaving our spells;
Alasara vu to tasa - Finding our deeper veils;
Epri nemo sakeshipo - Struggling to stave off Lot’s embrace,
Ne iika sa vye - Lest the ash envelop us as it falls.
This analysis was so good!
This piece was my favorite even from the original one. It feels nice knowing that people are still talking about nier replicant. Anyways, good job on explaining this musical piece ( even if i dont understand it that much XD).
Im hoping that you can make another video about the "Shadowlord" piece
I hope you're having a great day and goodluck man👍🔥🔥
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, I'm sorry about the parts that didn't make sense! Feel free to tell me what tripped you up and I'll try to fit deeper explanations into future videos. I've had multiple requests for Shadowlord, so it will be my fourth release, probably next month! Unfortunately, that piece has really complex theory, so it might be harder to understand than this one. But I'm doing my best in the planning stages to make the script accessible to as many people as possible!
Snow in the Summer is a song that I often think back to almost 3 years after I already beat the entire game. I was already anticipating a rather dark piece to introduce us to the opening, but I was severely caught off guard by how bleak, off, and haunting it is. I get goosebumps every single time that I hear the track... >.>
sooo i don't know if i just missed this, or if you actually haven't noticed this (i know you've mentioned the two songs were supposed to be swapped at one point during development), but "snow in summer" is actually composed as a counterpoint to "grandma", if you bpm match them (because snow in summer is slightly slower than grandma) and then play the two at the same time, it actually sounds like they're two halves of the same song. The drums in the two songs also start at the exact same time in the song, and are different in such a way that they complement eachother, and the eerie dream-like section of snow in summer begins exactly when grandma finishes.
Though, of course, since each song is composed/mixed to be "well-rounded" on it's own, simple combining the two songs gets rather crowded and muddled.
You're doing an amazing job, I love each and everyone of your NieR analysis videos. It's one of my favorite game series of all time and the music is really on another level.
It's official, this is your thing. Wonderful deep dive into the musical theory and providing an easy to understand data visualization to break everything down. Very high level work, I dare say I would love to see the rest of the main themes from Nier Replicant 1.22 now, if possible! Thanks for sharing! Subbed and looking forward to seeing more!
Wow that is... incredibly kind, thank you. If I can start supporting myself on TH-cam I'll be doing many more soundtracks, including more of NieR! We'll soon see what happens.
Day 2 of requesting Jonathan to break down “The Ultimate Weapon” soundtrack
Amazing video, made me remember the first time I heard the song while playing the PS3 version of Nier, if I may make a request to you, I would love to hear your input for "Grandma - Destruction" from Automata, it is one of my favorite pieces from that game. Waiting for the next video! from a new subscriber =)
I'll very likely be talking about both versions of Grandma in a future video! Welcome, welcome.
This video is very well done. I appreciate the deep analysis and addition of good editing, explanation/narration and video structure/planning. I know it must have taken a lot of time and effort to create a video of this caliber.
The composer of Nier, Keiichi Okabe, has so many outstanding works out there. Sometimes I feel Nier’s soundtrack isn’t truly appreciated since we often just say, “It sounds good” but, as this video showed there are so many complex things taking place. It’s a masterpiece that deserves more recognition.
Personally, even when knowing how to play the piano, I don’t have a great understanding of music theory so I really appreciate videos like this and yours was outstanding. Luckily, what I know is editing, and the one in the video was great. Specially when explaining and pointing out the notes and sections in the sheet music. The scenes chosen where placed at the right times and your voice blended perfectly with the background music. Loved that there were no overwhelming or useless transitions and it all was all beautifully put together. I look forward to more videos alike and hope your channel blows up!
Side note: Ashes of Dreams and Emil-Sacrifice are my favorite tracks.
This was so wonderful to read, thank you so much! Yes these definitely take a long time to make but it's some of the most fun I've ever had. My next video will be on Shadowlord, and I plan to do more NieR beyond that. I'll add your favorites to my prompt ideas!
my favorite game universes are dark souls, nier/drakengard, hollow knight and outerwild.
Yep i love dying universes
I've loved this song for years now and i the remake version in 2021 blew my mind with the added parts, especially the violin that you analyzed in this video. Really great analysis that was easy to follow yet insightful, I hope to see more!
Love your music analysis videos, but honestly from the little snippets you do here I'd also love to see a plot analysis from you! You've got the right humour to keep it interesting.
@6:44 "no B flat major chords were invited" same B flat major chords... same
This just happened to pop up in my feed after looking up so many NieR songs and videos recently and I enjoyed it a lot! Gives me even more appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the soundtrack
Just noticed that on 8:10, 3rd voice, 2nd measure, 2nd beat is C, but sounds D-flat. Wanted to put that off my chest :)
Because it's NOT SNOW. It's salt. It's called "Snow in summer" because a lot of salt can resemble snow. This is moment, when people found out how to make Gerstalts and Replicants and so they could defeat Legion. This is where Drakengard blends in NieR. All in ONE SONG, in one sequence.
I knew there was some sort of dissonance. But now I understand what made that dissonance and why it hit like real shocker. I heard that something is pleasantly wrong with that song. Now I know at least what it is. Thanks for explaining
Thing is : Snow in summer actually MEANS something. It's not winter, it's white chlorination (SPOILERS) it's salt, made from humans turning into salt because of a wild spread disease and magical particles. That's white it's snow... in summer.
And I remember knowing nothing about the game, and hearing this song. And disliking it. Because it felt .. smooth, yet had an eery feeling to it. I felt uncomfortable hearing it. Without. Knowing. Anything. That's so cool !
Thanks for explaining the difference between Gestalt and Replicant's soundtracks. I couldn't put my finger on an overarchign theme, just that I preferred the original. (They screwed up the narrative to Grandma oh my godddddddd)
Outside of this, the technical prowess on display in Snow in Summer is crazy!
Back in 2011, it was the first time I played a PS3 that I bought with my own savings, I pop the game and was shock with Kaine's opening monologue. And I thought "we're in for a ride". Then the prologue chapter starts. The haunting choir starts playing. The time was a summer in near future Tokyo. The city is covered in snow. "What the eff is going on in this world!?!?!" is what crosses my mind. And then I sat up, straighten my back "better buckle up, this journey is going to rough".
Don't want to beat an 1y.o. dead horse, but I'm guessing you listened to the original soundtrack, then went straight into 1.22? You did bring up WCS for a brief moment, so I guess people assumed you did some research. But when I 1st watched this, you had me turned around for a bit at the end of the 'Tension & Resolution' segment, when you suddenly u-turn'd and leaned into hypothesis that the snow was the result of an environmental catastrophe. Even now it kinda trips the flow a bit for anyone vaguely aware of the lore.
I mean, yeah, salt doesn't actually fall down like snow at all, but in games with both realism and fantasy infused into them, realism must compromise with fantasy, since representation, metaphor, and execution come more into play to serve the greater narrative, becoming 'magical realism' in the process. Take Elden Ring for example; Godrick the Grafted should have died right from his 1st graft, since they don't consider blood types and graft rejection at all. Another more acute example would be the recent apology teaser that announced Pragmata's indefinite delay from 2023 to ???, where some people were moaning about the physics of paper floating down to the ground. So, if we were realistic about it, we wouldn't even be fighting Godrick as a boss. And come on, is the physics of paper more important than the message on it?
Personally, I've not even played NieR yet, but I love the music so much, I felt compelled to research the lore and story. I mean, it's not hard to skim over and get a gist of why there's Snow in Summer. I still need to replay Automata though.
Also, good luck with the move! Be safe!
If I remember well, that's not snow in the prologue..
(Spoiler alert for nier and drakengard 1)
..That's salt !
Ok, here's why :
NieR replicant/gestalt is the sequel to a secret ending in drakengard 1 where the main protagonist and his dragon fall though the sky of Tokyo. As a result a plague start in the city and no one know how to act against it. The plague transform the body in salt. So, yes, in the prologue it is "snowing" salt of diseased humans body.
To go a bit further :
The government, when he understood he couldn't contain the plague made the project Gestalt. It is a project where you separate the soul and the body of a human and after making an empty vessel, protected against the plague, would be put inside. Problem, the vessels, named replicants, gained consciousness which mean the souls of the human couldn't enter. Which created the shades, who are humans.
Grimoire noir and Weiss are the main instrument of this project where one separate and the other fuse.
I'm sure I missed something because somewhere along the way a flower is involved (drakengard 3) but that's the gist of it.
Furthermore, I recommend you to listen to Drakengard 3 ost who came out around the same time as the original Nier. Especially the music "the final song" and "this silence is mine"
Thanks for reading all of this and have a pleasant listening of those awesome soundtracks.