I love the little detail he let slip by: Don't just be critical of what you don't like, be critical of what you do, and why you like it. And I love that he respects the songs were they exist in the context of the game. And I'll fully admit I have explored other music, both classical and not, because I want to dig deeper into where the music in my games evolved from.
I think he said as much last time, and while I disagree with some of his takes, I ABSOLUTELY agree with that sentiment... And especially if you're someone who is neurodivergent (like me), because 9/10 times you're already thinking about the things you like and dislike in that way.
@@shelbyherring92yeah the only thing that I disagree with when it comes to his method and idea of critique in both videos is that he always views a piece in a vacuum instead of how game music should be critiqued, which is in the context of how it’s meant to be used, what it’s supposed to accomplish etc. when viewed through that lense (which it should be) a piece that is “boring or uninteresting” will become genius and phenomenal because of what it accomplishes that transcends music in a vacuum
@@DeebusI partially agree, as I feel the same way. It goes back to Marco's video about is context necessary for understanding or enjoying VGM? On that video I commented something to the effect that "It's not necessary, but it can heighten the experience of the track when played in context." But I also feel I need to point out that Garth is a man who has spent his whole life around music, particularly classical music, and probably has heard basically every trick in a composer's and arranger's playbook... Like a film critic whose seen the same story played out in different movies, the same character motivations, the same plot beats, the same cues. He's seen it, it's not fresh to him. And honestly, I see nothing wrong with his approach of wanting to dissect music in a vacuum. Again, given his experience and his exposure to music, that's just where he's at now. It's uninteresting because he's heard it before, whether in an opera or a suite, and he can dial in what the intent was without seeing the music in context. I mean, the man even says on some of them "they served their purpose" in the context of their overarching narrative or tone. Like, he gets it, he understands why the composer used those voices and rhythms, that melodic phrase, that hook, that dynamic shift - he's just heard it so much already that he's not surprised by it. I dunno, Garth could also be one of those old school critical types who prescribe heavily to the whole "Death of the Artist/Author" way of reviewing media. Strip out the meta, the context, and what's left is the core of the piece. I dunno, like I said: I agree with your stance on how listening to a score without context seems like a lack of due diligence and hinders the emotional or technical impact of the music... But I also can understand how Garth got to this point in his way of thinking about music. At the end of the day, what does it matter? Art is subjective, there is no objective way to experience it: be it in a vacuum by itself, or in context of a much greater narrative or whole. I just agree with his sentiment that one should be just as critical and thorough in understanding why they love something as much as they do when they don't.
I like how this guy'll say "that was weak" to some of the beloved stuff, it shows how not only how his taste is shaped, but how differently he listens compared to a gamer who plays and goes "oh that sounds cool" while fighting some sort of god, varied eyes
I love Garth's presence on the show. I don't intend to draw comparisons, but he takes these listening hangouts very seriously and approaches them mindfully. He's so nimble at switching between the mindsets of student and teacher, which is a mark of a great teacher.
Yeah musically the track is pretty bland, but there's a droning and constant melancholy in it that really drives the feeling of the fight home. Context really is everything.
It's probably a Kitamura thing. The way Twin Princes' shares from Maria's is telling of this (I still like Twin Princes' more though). And in ER's DLC trailer, we hear an even closer approximation to Gael's. Wanna bet that's Kitamura again? Sure sounds like it. Malenia's theme is kinda subdued, so not in the same gripping vein as Godskin's, Mohg's or even Godfrey's. That might be intentional, but it doesn't make it de facto impressive. Malenia's is still immensity superior to Radahn's in setting a discretely identifiable mood though. Radahn has no musical soul in the game, it's pretty odd to me.
@@kimlee6643 No musical soul? Radahn? We must have fought two very different bosses and heard two very different themes dawg, because I don't think I've ever disagreed with something more.
Voices like Garth really help me flesh out my musical tastes, because if he says "I didn't really like that" or "that was weak" to a track I otherwise like, it forces me to ask myself why do I like that track in the first place, and it helps me put to words ideas and concepts I otherwise only intuitively understand. I'm not trained in any music theory, I really only have vibes to go off of, but I'm slowly getting better at what makes me tick. Garth may be a tough listener, but it doesn't come from malice or prejudice
I liked Garth's comment early on about how being critical isn't inherently a bad thing. I agree completely that it's good to analyze things you like or don't like and try to identify why you feel that way. I think a lot of people treat criticism as inherently negative, like you're just picking something apart to find reasons to insult it or belittle people who like it, but ideally it should be more about identifying where your feelings towards a song or other piece of media are coming from, whether those feelings are negative or positive. I also think it's completely fine to like something but still be able to acknowledge that it has room for improvement, or to like something that you think is "bad". Just like you can have a refined palate and still enjoy a Goopy Cheeseblaster Beanbomb Burrito from Taco Bell from time to time. I would go so far as to argue that people who can appreciate both ends of the spectrum are more down-to-earth and well-rounded than someone who pretentiously looks down their nose at anything they don't deem to be "high art".
At some point we started conflating criticism with cynicism - some popular critics _became_ cynics, which didn't help - and now people find the idea of criticism offensive. The important distinction is this: critics are useful.
Both the owner and his son that run the restaurant I work at have gone through culinary school and make badass food. The owner also LOVES Chuck e cheese pizza and I catch his son putting ketchup on just about everything.
I don't know why, but you showing video game music to professional music experts always brings a smile to my face. Even if the person you're showing has more criticism than praise, I'm just enjoying seeing people who've spent their lives in this area experiencing the less obvious areas of music.
Some recommendations for this Amazing teacher, great video btw: -Fires Of Rubicon (purely eletronic and artificial track) -Dark Reality (very mystical) -Astel (very cosmic horror sounding with influence from the classic music "The Planets - Saturn") -Lichdragon (very alternative sounding) -God Devouring Serpent (lots of intense and grabbing chorus especially in the climax of the second phase) based on his taste.
In Raphael's Final Act the important thing is that it's sung by the voice actor whose character you are fighting when the song plays in the game. I think that's why people really like it.
The 40k Mechanicus game soundtrack I would recommend for Garth for a very different kind of music. Children of the Omnissiah, Noosphere, Dance of the Cryptek, Caestus Metalican. Any of those would be brilliant.
It's always a pleasure to see Garth on here! I already can't wait to see his next appearance on the channel, seriously. I love that he's not afraid to say exactly what he thinks. He has an almost surgical precision in his critique of music that is incredibly insightful.
21:35 - The first thing that came to my mind was the Rain World Soundtrack. *Not sure if this is called a "development"* , but I like the way that "Sundown" (the main theme) goes to "Moondown" and gets to its peak when "Random Gods" plays. Context matter here a bit, since all these track are tied to specific moments/characters. There's also another pair of pieces that are tied to each other, but I'm not gonna say that for spoilers sake.
@@qwertzuwu Me too, my friend.... I think he did listen to one track (bio engineering, I guess?) in an old livestream, but yeah, it would be really great if he listened to the main theme
A sampler platter of more game music for your consideration: - In Other Waters: Into the Bloom, Symbiosis - Citizen Sleeper: Density, Signal Haze, Coalesce, Ember's Wake, Prismatic Lens, The Machinist - NES Pictionary Theme - NES Solstice Theme - Age of Mythology: Chocolate Outline, Flavor Cats, Adult Swim, Behold the Great Science Fi, Have You Met Her Thunder, If You Can Use a Doorknob - Star Wars KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic): The Old Republic Theme, Darth Malak's Theme - Neverwinter Nights 2: Crossroads Keep Seige, King of Shadows Battle, West Harbor Theme - Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal: National Park (Both the Original AND Braxton Burks' orchestral version) - Pokémon Snap: Valley - The Legend of Zelda Windwaker: Dragon Roost Island - The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess: Orchestral Piece 2, Hyrule Field Main Theme - Streets of Rage 2: Go Straight
"Layered stress" is a job well done for Doom OST lol. I love hearing this man discuss game OSTs with you. It's great to hear from someone outside of our echo chamber.
It mighf be interesting to have Garth listen to some of the earlier music in games. NES/SNES era. He strikes me as someone intelligent and informed enough in the field of music that the idea of crafting emotional music with the limitations of the technology from that era could spark some interest in the challenge. I know that has always been what imoressed me about the music from back then
BFG Division reminded me that I used to sleep through my alarms a lot. Then I swapped my alarm to BFG Division. I don't sleep through my alarm anymore. And it really speaks to how good the song is that I don't hate it yet. I've tried lesser songs and I lose the ability to like them after a while. Not BFG Division.
You know what? Garth has explained in words I couldn't find why I prefer Divinity Original Sin's 2 soundtrack more than Baldur's gate 3. Not that BG3 music was bad, I loved it. But I think DOS2 was more original. Now the question is it, was it newer to me, or was it truly inventive? I suppose it doesn't matter for me. I loved his honesty and how direct he is. Maybe some piece from Divinity Original Sin2 I'd recommend? I wouldn't know which to suggest, because the theme of DOS2 is brought again and again in different tracks. Maybe just the main theme.
I feel like Garth would love Undertale's music, especially Bergentrückung / Asgore's theme. With the demi-tones and such, I doubt he would be able to go "I'd have produced that" ^.^' (and please, the original. No remixes or re-renditions. The half steps are important)
I think the hardest thing with video game music is that context contributes a great deal to the music and what they're going for. And often songs just on their own don't necessarily translate. Perfect exmaple. FF7 Remake boss music just have their transitions and they go through them, but actually during the bossfight, the individual sections loop and fade into the transitions when the boss does. One of my favorite boss tracks is the "Ghoul" but the song in Spotify hits so much less cause it loops once on the second portion then just ends. Some suggestions (sorry if you already did send him any these): FFXIV - Answers - but the actual cinematic video, not just the lyrics version. The sounds of war and bahamut REALLY contribute to the presentation Dark Souls - Ludwig, the Holy Blade - I don't even LIKE the DS series, but that track is insane. I think it stands alone Literally any song from MGS Revengeance - Every one of the boss tracks is a banger in its own way. Especially with the context of the boss, their motivation, and reason for being there. LoL - Jhin's Theme - Highlighting Jhin's obsession with the number 4
I really appreciate Garth's openness to both appreciate and critique something, I aspire to be that in tune with my own understanding of art. Now if I might be permitted to offer a suggestion for him, I recall he sought a more visceral connection to music? I would suggest the music of the Salmon Run mode from the Splatoon games. Truly bizzare stuff, but it hits you where it needs to, and few things to my knowledge resemble the soundscape it goes for. In my experience, at least, it's as visceral as it gets.
Part of me wants to see his response to Soken’s Flow, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be impressed with it, which would kind be crushing cause even though he’s a stranger to me, the idea of a very experienced musical academic roasting one of my favorite game pieces that made me cry is too much to comprehend.
Honestly i'm with him on malenia being weak. It suits her backstory and is absolutely fine, good maybe great even, for what its trying to accomplish, but honestly it doesnt vary much and never stuck out as specifically musically interesting like ludwigs theme.
Suggestions for different types of songs: Rule of Rose- "A Love Suicide" sort of French Jazz inspired Inscryption- Any of the first three boss themes "Angler, Prospector, Trapper" for mixed media aspects in a song. "The Trapper" might be unnerving if you aren't ready for the meat scraping sounds so watch out for that Silent Hill 1- title track "Silent Hill". Interesting mix of instruments, record player distortion, generally just a good song. Honestly, almost every Silent Hill has great music. COD Black Ops Zombies- "Abracadavre" bit of a roller coaster thematically. Surprisingly, the songs for an offshoot from the main COD franchise are far and away the best things they've made.
I would love to see people react to early 2000's ost like that of Halo and Halo 2, Final fantasy 8, 9 and 10. There's also Bravely Default which is a feast to the ears for music.
I'd love to recommend Reverse 1999 soundtracks-from events to the main story. Even the character EPs are worth it to listen to and critique! While I'm not personally sure it does anything new, it does, however, play with older styles and themes. I adore the game's music because it understands how certain sounds can envoke certain feelings, and it isn't afraid to reuse a track if it does its job particularly well in accompaniment with the story. My personal favorite track from it so far is the final boss for the Uluru Games event. It has such an uncanny feeling it's absolutely worth a listen.
Hearing the final thoughts made me feel like I don't listen to music properly ;-; which I feel like I can't change cos I don't know pretty much anything about music apart from how it makes ME feel or what emotions does it evoke in ME. Other than that I can always look for how the music fits the context it's put in. Love the video tho thank you for your content! ^^
So, for Garth. Maybe Sugaan Essena by the Hu would peak that interest. It's a mix of rock and Mongolian folk music, with some lovely throat-singing mixed in for good measure.
My boy Marco came out swinging with the one song that I hadn't heard in 20 years, but as soon as I heard the first 3 seconds, I was almost in tears. This song right here, is how you tell an incredibly gripping story in just a couple of minutes... without saying a single word.
Semi opera related question Marco. I'm curious of your opinion on the Diva Dance opera from the Fifth Element movie of if it could be done how it was in the movie without the vocal effects or if those effects are what make it as seamless as it sounds in that movie. This was wonderful to watch and I enjoy seeing the opinions of professionals in the music fields on modern day video game music. I hope you have a great day!
I wouldn't really know how intriguing it is but, Noodle's interview with Marty made mention that his father found the usage of piano interesting for the time (Halo 3 Era) because it was an instrument usually used in the creation of composition not usually something very prominent. I wouldn't really call myself a musician let alone a sophisticated listener, but maybe something in there would be good.
Love how this guest talks about music. Even if he is utterly non impressed, he does really does not come across as he is looking down on anything. If the music does the job it is intended for, that is fine even if it is not groundbreaking.
When Garth mentioned trumpets, I had to think of the Touhou Soundtracks and the famous Zunpets. Hard to say which track would be best there, but a classic is either Flandre's theme or Koishi's theme.
I can't believe this guy exists. All of his thoughts and even his speech patterns sound like something you'd get from asking Chat GPT to create a smug British man.
Some songs I thought of from the last part. Just picked stuff I thought were most unlike what was shown here! - Tartarus from Persona 3 - Twilight Party Cruise (Normal and Climax) from Tekken 8 - Artificial Sky IV from Armored Core 3 - Fall from Armored Core 4 - Cut Off the Fate!! from Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 - You're Mine from Furi - Krenel, Downwell, Somatosensor from Disco Elysium - Tenebre Rosso Sangue from Ultrakill (i honestly think this should be in every video where you introduce someone to video game music) it was honestly hard narrowing down suggestions but, here lol
I think the greatness of Raphael's final act is definitely only realized in context. He's a Devil, and its apparent as you lead up to his confrontation that he's full of himself. So the fact that he sings the battle track (and its kind of out of left field it being a mini musical) that when the fight started for me I waited for a few minutes just to enjoy the track. Plus the lyrics (despite being simple) are a good summary of both his character and the situation you are in when you have the fight. Definitely a great song that really needs some context to be enjoyed fully in my opinion. But I think that is always going to be where the disconnect for professional musicians will be. Most of them didn't grow up playing video games, they practiced music. Where some of the greatest video game music isn't super complicated, but the context will take anyone who spent formative years playing those games, back to their childhood. I'll never forget the first time I heard Time's Scar. It instantly cemented itself in my head and I still regularly listen to it to this day. It was just so different that anything I'd heard at that point, and it felt so right for the game. But hearing it with the opening cinematic nearly drowns me in nostalgia.
I wonder what Garth's perspective would be on DM Dokuro's work. More specifically the DoG tracks or Stained Brutal Calamity. Regardless, great video, amazing music choices as always.
In terms different music, my votes are for: Life Will Change - Persona 5 Weight of the World - Nier: Automata Jungle Hijinx - Donkey Kong Country Returns We All Become - Transistor Megalovania - Undertale Sanarkin Tango - Control Still Alive - Portal Metal-Brute Justice Mode - Final Fantasy XIV
Already excited for the next video. My recommendation/Recommended song for the next video would be: "And Ever we Fight on" - killzone 3 and "Ethan Mars" - Heavy Rain
It is, there are some decent themes like Mohg, the main menu theme obviously, the dragon god whatever the name. But most of the stuff is subpar, and the lyrics of the choir in all the music in-game are actually meaningless as far as I know, which is a huge step back after Bloodborne.
@@crossrhodes14 A lot of the ambient field tracks are forgettable, yeah, but the main boss themes are absolutely not a step down from bloodborne or ds3. The remembrance bosses have some of the most interesting and memorable tracks in the series. Rykard and Godrick are utter bloodborne-style insanity, radahn is a perfect death march for a great warrior, Renalla and regal ancestor perfectly encapsulate the alien, awe inspiring feels of the fights, Mogh, Godfrey, Maliketh, radagon are all fantastic. Not to mention that bloodborne is the only game in the series to feature Latin lyrics. Dark souls, demons souls, sekiro, and er are all nonsense lyrics, and that’s intentional.
Yeah, the main theme, Lichdragon Fortissax and Godskin Apostles were the only tracks that I even particularly _noticed,_ and I wouldn't put any of them above even DS3's boss tracks. This is especially disappointing when you consider that one of those three (the main theme, no less) is just the Demon's Souls theme again.
@@TehCakeIzALie1 that’s just a completely insane, invalid take. Not a single elden ring track above any ds3 tracks?? If you didn’t notice Godrick, Radahn, rykard, ancestor, Mogh, etc that’s not the fault of the game. That’s a result of you having spent years listening to tracks from previous souls games, then giving up on ER’s tracks when they don’t immediately hit you the same way as tracks from bb you’ve heard a thousand times. Listen to the Elden ring soundtrack. I’ve listened to bb and ds3 for years, so I did the same with er. Elden Ring’s tracks are just as memorable as any other fromsoft music if you actually bother listening to them instead of spouting nonsense online
I might have chosen different tracks, but at least you got honest feedback. No pandering or generic predictable positive reactionary feedback as with 99 percent of all other channels as they try not to upset any fanbase, although orchestras play other works within Final Fantasy, Zelda, Shenmue and plenty of other franchises for good reason
Hello, maestro. You must listen to the works of Kevin Penkin and his soundtrack to the anime "Made in Abyss". I really want to know what emotions you will get when listening and whether you will be able to capture the essence of the plot. I will say one -- this is a unique experience, both when listening to the tracks and when watching this anime (if you want to watch it in the future). Below is a list of the most important tracks, if you are interested)) --Season 1 (or Film 1 and 2, better watch season) Made in Abyss *Hanezeve Caradhina Underground River Pathway Tomorrow New world --Film 3 *Transcendance and Hanezeve The Rumble of Scientific Triumph Prushka Sequence Tozo Hanoline --Season 2 (after film 3) *Old stories Juroimo mutation VOH Gravity * -- the most important tracks of anime
He has already listened to Transcendance and Hanezeve to my understanding on one of his Patreon streams (might be backups on there cause he deleted it on TH-cam) Think he liked it, but he doesn't really do anime stuff on TH-cam sadly. (Also Tomorrow and Gravity totally deserves a * smh)
He already listen to Transcendance and Hanezeve on one stream some time ago, i think you may found the vod in his patreon but i fail to remember the date of that stream
Thank you for writing this post, so I don't have to. Kevin Penkin immediately came to mind when the topic about a unique soundstage came up but I also know that anime OSTs are a nightmare to deal with on TH-cam. Sadly I'm not very versed in terms of video game composers which is why I hope others can recommend interesting things for the next time Garth is "here".
In my opinion. While I do not disagree with this man, and nor am I going to deny his taste. He's very well aware of his experience, and his personal taste, and is clearly coming at this professionally and keeping it so. I want to point how the majority of guests though who macromeatball has brought on seem unwilling drop the stoicism. Which is a criticism I am going to through at this man too. I respect keeping things professional, but this facade stoicism seems to be imparing guest to speak. With those who break this facade being very well received because they remain professional, and are still expressing themselves. I'm not even asking for relatability, I'm asking for these people to not look bothered for joining you on these videos. I say this because most of your guests look like they are in the end bored, or are expecting to talked to like they are expert reviews, when in reality they are reactors and the content is being driven on their gut reaction. This affects positive criticism too. Even if they have something good to say, this stoicism just hurts their delivery. And some just sound like they don't want to be there. I understand I can be miss reading these people. But there is one person who was brought on twice. I forgot her name but is a VP of an opera house I believe. She is a wonderful example of what dropping this stoicism allows, and allows people to speak and say. This is my personal opinion, and I would like to see more guests with more expanded opinions. Maybe bring these guests back again and get further opinions.
I love listening to Garth and how constructively critical he is. I don't know if it would be possible, but I would love if you would be able to get a couple musical recommendations that Garth has.
It’s so interesting to see how music has changed so much in terms of cinema or gaming - it used to be specific melody centered, themes and etc. nowadays it follows the “wall of sound,” (look at chrono cross vs Malenias Theme).
Don't know if we are talking about the same thing, but I've heard of it as "the spectacle". that's not just specifically music or games or even just entertainment,but where the intensity is played up, many different things are happening at once, and it goes on for a prolonged period that you almost feel worn out afterwards. Maybe I picked it up from David Harvey? IDK. Personally I think both has its place just as simplicity and complexity do, but if one gets overused you get used to it and it loses it's magic.
Off the top of my head, would the transition from "Echoes in the Distance" to "Close in the Distance" in Ultima Thule be similar to the last example that he gave?
Given what Garth was suggesting at the end, my immediate suggestion is Mechanized Memories from ACVD, or perhaps Steel Haze (Rusted Pride) from AC6's Special Disk 3
Based on what they've mentioned here and before, I might have a few thoughts to run by you. Outer Wilds - Travelers (All Instruments Join) Very repetitive, but builds. I noticed them talking about repetition or even repetition of devices you've already heard. I'm curious what they think about songs that are mechanically simple but layered. FFXIV - The Edge You've listened to it before but they did request something very new to them, such as a synth heavy track. Metroid Dread - Red Soil Metroid is one of those formative games for me growing up, and because I have so much to unpack from this recurring song it made me instantly emotional to hear the Dread version of it, but it also enhanced the context of the scene and gave entirely new associations to the track where it was formerly a very lonely song but now it is still lonely but more hopeful, or maybe wistful is a better word. Show them something from Nier / Automata. Anything really, the weirder the better though. Something like A Beautiful Song or Weight of the World or something. And you gotta show them something from Manami Matsumae. They need to experience the iconic sounds that a lot of gamers grew up with and still hear today in order to understand the kinds of things we've "heard before" and keep coming back to, just like a classical piece. Something like the opening theme to Megaman 2 or High Above the Land from Shovel Knight. But lastly, a personal request of mine: Now that they've heard "Time's Scar" from Chrono Cross , I really want them to hear "To Far Away Times" from Chrono Trigger and see if they can pick out the leitmotif as something that they've "heard before"!
The go-to recommendation for weird VG music that shakes things up but immediately viscerally grabs you is Ultrakill's Tenebre Rosso Sangue (though my favorite song by the artist is Ladikerfos from the KEYGEN CHURCH album). Answers from FF14, which is both an apocalypse theme and a salvation theme depending on the context of its use. I'd never heard anything like that before. Also try Dancing Mad from FF6. BIG SHOT and Your Best Nightmare from Deltarune and Undertale (not unrelated games, note the anagram) are wild and couldn't easily exist outside of a VGM context. If Garth is open to non-VGM, especially since there was a discussion about melody and story, try VOH by Kevin Penkin from the show Made in Abyss. That is just pure soundscape and an absolute masterpiece, though I'm not certain how much story will be conveyed without watching the show.
The real shame of game music is that it is all wrapped up in copyright. Not that copyright is wrong, but that I wish that this could be played in more places like in a local orchestra or such.
As Garth talked about an ost that evolved with the character during the movie Poor Things, perhaps he will be interested in the ost of the video game "Journey" by Austin Wintory. During all the game and the ost, new instruments are added until the last track with the complete orchestration. It's a really slow reveal but just perfect with the progression of the game. :)
I wonder what Garth would think of some of the more interesting Masashi Hamauzu pieces from the FFX and FFXIII soundtracks-- his piano pieces in FFX like Beyond the Darkness and Final Battle really stick out to me!
Garth may be interested in something like the Ikenfell soundtrack which is sorta a blend between chiptune and live instruments that's fairly jazz inspired (under the banner of the Digital Fusion genre).
Well if Garth is looking for some song recommendations, the only 3 songs I could think of in my mind to meet the sort of criteria he laid out would be: -Moebius Battle Theme from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would I think be an interesting one for a vocal track, mind you it's not all vocals but I think the vocal group Barzz did a great job. (by the way Barzz is a Japanese vocal group that I did not know were the vocalists for that song, until I watched someone else's video) -End of the Unknown from NieR: Automata was the the best I could think of for electronic music, honestly maybe my weakest pick. -The Town Inside Me from Guilty Gear: Strive was the first song I thought of when he brought up that movie with Emma Stone in it because the way I interpret this character theme from Guilty Gear is, as the song gets more upbeat and bubbly it feels as though the character is more comfortable and by the end of the song they are just being themself.
A few times now you've had someone who isn't into the classically inspired themes and prefers the more out there ones. I don't know too much about his tastes or what he considers the "weirder" music, but perhaps he might be interested in the Bastion or Team Fortress 2 soundtracks. Both are rustic and unusual, but excellent. Any of the vocal tracks from Bastion are standouts, and my favorite from TF2 is The Calm, and they also happen to be the least "backgroundy" of the tracks. Still, both soundtracks are high enough quality you can select just about anything and still have an interesting tune on your hands. Though if he wants something extra out there, there is always Pizza Tower....
LOVE these more critical views from your guests! Sometimes I try to think hard on what songs from past OST's would be great to show to your musical guests. One thing that comes to mind, since I never see it shared anywhere; the OST for No Straight Roads! The game's music CHANGES based on if you fight the 'boss' plain [Regular Song], with Traditional [Rock version of same song!] and Techno [EDM version of that SAME song!] It's absolutely brilliant and I adore the soundtrack and funky visuals.
Huh, really interesting, you can really tell he has a different taste and experiences from you. About finding different music that he might like... It's rought not gonna lie, you showed him an assortment of really nice songs with different degrees of success, so... What about "The Butterfly's Temptation" from God Eater 2 Rage Burst or "Hephaestus" from Remnant 2?
Would be interesting to see Garth's opinion on the music from Whispers In The Wall. I've not really heard much music like that before, so I'd be intrigued to see if he has, especially for the Fragmented boss theme and the Laboratories soundtrack.
@MarcoMeatball @GarthBardsley The Legend of Heroes games have a rich variety of songs and one that stuck with me the most was the Haly Saint/Holy Spirit Aria, it's the super arrange version from Sen no Kiseki. It's a very beautiful Opera piece and i wonder what people like you, your friends and the people your are working with, what you all think about that. For everyone who reads this comment and doesn't know the games or this song, check it out, it really is beautiful.
If Garth ever comes back for another video, I really want Marco the get WEIRD with the playlist. Garth even requested it himself, and I feel like he could share some good insights on more experimental stuff or just something more indie, not just "good but not great" orchestrations.
I love his comments about being derivative or imitative. I think that's right on the money for so much of what we fall head over heels for. We are comparing this music to TV shows and even film scores, but that stuff at its best is firmly within the bounds of now-traditional orchestral music. The best video game composers are better than the best pop composers, maybe as good as Berlioz or somebody, but that's nothing compared to what is out there. It's like comparing bardcore to actual medieval compositions. There's creativity and art there, but it's all in service to something strictly commercial and imitation.
I mean you could always show him WH40k: Mechanicum or Vermintide Skaven stuff, maybe the Viego/Gwen themes for League (big fan of those), anything from Journey (*Apotheosis or C'est Pour Cela Que Je Suis Ne), perhaps even Frostpunk. Oh, music from Pathless is also excellent! I know there are at least a few games where the music changes with the character progression, but I'm just not able to recall some at the moment.
So, has he listened to any Genshin music yet? I'd love to see his reactions to those. And Scars of Time is also one of my favorite pieces of video game music ever and I'm glad you included it here.
I really like these kinds of videos while I love all the pieces you presented I can't really be critical and judgmental so hearing those criticisms is very good to understand what made the piece resonate or not with one person
I want for sure want more reactions by Garth. It is a great point of view Some Recommendations: Cyberpunk: Phantom Liberty and The Rebel Path (cello version) Witcher 3 Sword of Destiny, cannot let you leave, You're... Immortal? and Steel for Humans DOS2 soundtrack Nier Automata A Beautiful Song and Birth of a Wish/Become a God Disco Elysium: Boat Ride and Red Rock Riviera
I definitely can relate to what he means by saying Malenia's theme was "weak". A lot of the time music as such is played in the background and has an almost "droning" effect in terms of repetition. Listening to the track on its own has a very impressionable opening but then it takes a backseat to the context of the game; ie, you as the player fighting the boss. As much as I like Fromsoft's games, I've always felt that a lot of the music is a backdrop to the gameplay (save for very rare standouts like Ludwig the Accursed) and so listening to the music on its own is almost akin to taking your 5-star meal in a to-go box and eating it at home. Certainly it's still good but you're not getting the full experience. I don't think this is the case for all video game music but it is a notion I definitely feel when it comes to Souls games and their music.
How have you not shown this man " Flow " from Final Fantasy, ooohhh I hope to see that song used a lot more often when showing video game music to people who've worked in the music industry and know nothing of video game music.
Garth mentioned that you should send him stuff that stands out, I think he might appreciate some stuff from Hades. Darren really went out there with some tracks.
As far as suggestions for music that's different, the soundtracks for The Neverhood and Skullmonkeys by Terry S Taylor stands out to me as pretty unique as far as videogame music goes. Those songs have been burned into my brain since I was a kid, probably because they're so wacky and I haven't really heard anything like them since.
You should try to get his reaction to the original version of Dancing Mad, the final boss music of Final Fantasy 6 (or 3 for the US release). It ties in the main villain's sort of iconic (to him) theme into orchestral music that completely changes in feeling as the fight progresses through each stage, ascending from hell to heaven and finally to the final boss, who lies above heaven. Really amazing boss song imo, especially where his laugh cuts into the song, would love to hear a reaction.
My vote for something unusual and experimental for the next one (which I look forward to) would be Drakengard 1 Compared to nier which is much more comfortable to play, or even drakenard 3, yoko taro's early work was a bit more meta, and he was trying to show how futile and pointless war was. And so parts of the game itself are deliberately made to feel like a slog, not meant to be 'fun' in a way. The music is also experimental, it has these really bizarre halts and skips which just cause tension and show how reality is falling apart, and playing with violins that swirl around you (wear headphones). Wish I had the vocab to better describe it, but yeah 'Drakengard OST - Twelfth Chapter - In the Sky' or 'Inuart Battle' are certainly unique.
Garth is such a fantastic guest in these videos. Because of his segment about music reflecting character progression/shift in stakes and also how much he enjoyed the last genshin one, it feels like something like scaramouche boss theme might be perfect. Azdaha could be interesting too with the menacing sound of phase 1 and the more heroic phase 2. The tracks might be pretty long for the video, though, since the impact will definitely be less if you just show him the phase 2 tracks.
I'd be interested to hear his take on some Hoyo-mix songs, like Phantylia's theme (all phases, but if I had to pick, Phase 2) or some of the Genshin tracks that are more east-meets-west. I feel like Celeste OST would also be something that might be interesting to him, because I'm kinda with him and I to me a lot of the Soulsborne OST feels very well written but generic in that there's nothing wrong with it, but nothing that really captures me. I'm not sure he'd be as impressed with Nier Automata but I'd love to hear his thoughts on it, since a lot of it is very deeply layered but each layer in itself isn't very complex, I could see him go either way on it. Then throw him a curveball like Katamari Damacy :p
Here is the FULL "lightly" edited video: th-cam.com/video/6ivSiKsIQHI/w-d-xo.html
Garth should listen to tracks done for Fable and Bravely Default. The overarching melodies would be fun for his opinion.
Hey csn you PLEASE react to some more jojos ost again? Im begging you man please
HE WAS ON THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF ONE WINGED ANGEL!?
I doubt he has any idea how iconic and legendary that theme has become, huh...
they listened to the Distant Worlds version but put the og over it cuz of copyright
@@nim4464 ohhhh that's almost just as awesome because that's the best version!
(Outside of remake but that one is very different)
Well I'll be several different Ed, Edd, n' Eddy slapstick sound-effects!
@@ShikiRyougi05 Still a simp for the Advent version.
saying the og OWA hasnt aged well is indeed a take my man 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I love the little detail he let slip by: Don't just be critical of what you don't like, be critical of what you do, and why you like it.
And I love that he respects the songs were they exist in the context of the game. And I'll fully admit I have explored other music, both classical and not, because I want to dig deeper into where the music in my games evolved from.
☝☝
I think he said as much last time, and while I disagree with some of his takes, I ABSOLUTELY agree with that sentiment...
And especially if you're someone who is neurodivergent (like me), because 9/10 times you're already thinking about the things you like and dislike in that way.
@@shelbyherring92yeah the only thing that I disagree with when it comes to his method and idea of critique in both videos is that he always views a piece in a vacuum instead of how game music should be critiqued, which is in the context of how it’s meant to be used, what it’s supposed to accomplish etc. when viewed through that lense (which it should be) a piece that is “boring or uninteresting” will become genius and phenomenal because of what it accomplishes that transcends music in a vacuum
@@DeebusI partially agree, as I feel the same way. It goes back to Marco's video about is context necessary for understanding or enjoying VGM? On that video I commented something to the effect that "It's not necessary, but it can heighten the experience of the track when played in context."
But I also feel I need to point out that Garth is a man who has spent his whole life around music, particularly classical music, and probably has heard basically every trick in a composer's and arranger's playbook... Like a film critic whose seen the same story played out in different movies, the same character motivations, the same plot beats, the same cues. He's seen it, it's not fresh to him.
And honestly, I see nothing wrong with his approach of wanting to dissect music in a vacuum. Again, given his experience and his exposure to music, that's just where he's at now. It's uninteresting because he's heard it before, whether in an opera or a suite, and he can dial in what the intent was without seeing the music in context.
I mean, the man even says on some of them "they served their purpose" in the context of their overarching narrative or tone. Like, he gets it, he understands why the composer used those voices and rhythms, that melodic phrase, that hook, that dynamic shift - he's just heard it so much already that he's not surprised by it.
I dunno, Garth could also be one of those old school critical types who prescribe heavily to the whole "Death of the Artist/Author" way of reviewing media. Strip out the meta, the context, and what's left is the core of the piece.
I dunno, like I said: I agree with your stance on how listening to a score without context seems like a lack of due diligence and hinders the emotional or technical impact of the music... But I also can understand how Garth got to this point in his way of thinking about music.
At the end of the day, what does it matter? Art is subjective, there is no objective way to experience it: be it in a vacuum by itself, or in context of a much greater narrative or whole. I just agree with his sentiment that one should be just as critical and thorough in understanding why they love something as much as they do when they don't.
I like how this guy'll say "that was weak" to some of the beloved stuff, it shows how not only how his taste is shaped, but how differently he listens compared to a gamer who plays and goes "oh that sounds cool" while fighting some sort of god, varied eyes
He admits that he's seeing the songs as a teacher, a "critic", so he's looking for the things that don't fit in a purely professional sense.
@@beo3828 And by all means I'm glad, he does better than "it was good" or "it was bad" he's doing what I'd expect of an outsider who's a professional
He is a composer or a musician. Usually they know how music works and what makes it good or in ER case, not good.
@@beo3828even as a non professional, elder ring music is piss poor compared to what cane before.
@@kamitorings honestly the biggest banger in that entire game was Godskin Apostles.
I love Garth's presence on the show. I don't intend to draw comparisons, but he takes these listening hangouts very seriously and approaches them mindfully. He's so nimble at switching between the mindsets of student and teacher, which is a mark of a great teacher.
I agree ❤️
Dude calling the Malenia fight weak is a power move. The song does kinda sound like an anemic version of the Slave Knight Gael theme.
Malenia?
@@gbtygfvyg yeah that. Too many names in elden ring sound the same
Yeah musically the track is pretty bland, but there's a droning and constant melancholy in it that really drives the feeling of the fight home. Context really is everything.
It's probably a Kitamura thing. The way Twin Princes' shares from Maria's is telling of this (I still like Twin Princes' more though). And in ER's DLC trailer, we hear an even closer approximation to Gael's. Wanna bet that's Kitamura again? Sure sounds like it.
Malenia's theme is kinda subdued, so not in the same gripping vein as Godskin's, Mohg's or even Godfrey's. That might be intentional, but it doesn't make it de facto impressive. Malenia's is still immensity superior to Radahn's in setting a discretely identifiable mood though. Radahn has no musical soul in the game, it's pretty odd to me.
@@kimlee6643 No musical soul? Radahn? We must have fought two very different bosses and heard two very different themes dawg, because I don't think I've ever disagreed with something more.
I love this guy not being afraid to speak his mind.
Voices like Garth really help me flesh out my musical tastes, because if he says "I didn't really like that" or "that was weak" to a track I otherwise like, it forces me to ask myself why do I like that track in the first place, and it helps me put to words ideas and concepts I otherwise only intuitively understand. I'm not trained in any music theory, I really only have vibes to go off of, but I'm slowly getting better at what makes me tick. Garth may be a tough listener, but it doesn't come from malice or prejudice
If the goal of anyone's criticism is to change your tastes, then don't listen to them.
@@Boc_theSeamster Then that's not criticism, its persuasion.
@@anusaukko6792 exactly, and don't listen to them.
Or just, y'know, different people like different things.
I liked Garth's comment early on about how being critical isn't inherently a bad thing. I agree completely that it's good to analyze things you like or don't like and try to identify why you feel that way. I think a lot of people treat criticism as inherently negative, like you're just picking something apart to find reasons to insult it or belittle people who like it, but ideally it should be more about identifying where your feelings towards a song or other piece of media are coming from, whether those feelings are negative or positive.
I also think it's completely fine to like something but still be able to acknowledge that it has room for improvement, or to like something that you think is "bad". Just like you can have a refined palate and still enjoy a Goopy Cheeseblaster Beanbomb Burrito from Taco Bell from time to time. I would go so far as to argue that people who can appreciate both ends of the spectrum are more down-to-earth and well-rounded than someone who pretentiously looks down their nose at anything they don't deem to be "high art".
At some point we started conflating criticism with cynicism - some popular critics _became_ cynics, which didn't help - and now people find the idea of criticism offensive.
The important distinction is this: critics are useful.
@@TehCakeIzALie1 GOOD critics are useful. Unbiased ones. Constructive ones.
Both the owner and his son that run the restaurant I work at have gone through culinary school and make badass food. The owner also LOVES Chuck e cheese pizza and I catch his son putting ketchup on just about everything.
Perfectly said
I don't know why, but you showing video game music to professional music experts always brings a smile to my face. Even if the person you're showing has more criticism than praise, I'm just enjoying seeing people who've spent their lives in this area experiencing the less obvious areas of music.
Some recommendations for this Amazing teacher, great video btw:
-Fires Of Rubicon (purely eletronic and artificial track)
-Dark Reality (very mystical)
-Astel (very cosmic horror sounding with influence from the classic music "The Planets - Saturn")
-Lichdragon (very alternative sounding)
-God Devouring Serpent (lots of intense and grabbing chorus especially in the climax of the second phase)
based on his taste.
I highly encourage you guys to watch the full version of this, as Garth brought some interesting points in there!
In Raphael's Final Act the important thing is that it's sung by the voice actor whose character you are fighting when the song plays in the game. I think that's why people really like it.
The 40k Mechanicus game soundtrack I would recommend for Garth for a very different kind of music. Children of the Omnissiah, Noosphere, Dance of the Cryptek, Caestus Metalican. Any of those would be brilliant.
It's always a pleasure to see Garth on here! I already can't wait to see his next appearance on the channel, seriously. I love that he's not afraid to say exactly what he thinks. He has an almost surgical precision in his critique of music that is incredibly insightful.
21:35 - The first thing that came to my mind was the Rain World Soundtrack. *Not sure if this is called a "development"* , but I like the way that "Sundown" (the main theme) goes to "Moondown" and gets to its peak when "Random Gods" plays. Context matter here a bit, since all these track are tied to specific moments/characters.
There's also another pair of pieces that are tied to each other, but I'm not gonna say that for spoilers sake.
if marco listened to the rain world soundtrack my life would be complete
@@qwertzuwu Me too, my friend....
I think he did listen to one track (bio engineering, I guess?) in an old livestream, but yeah, it would be really great if he listened to the main theme
rain world!!! Do rain world Marco please!!!
A sampler platter of more game music for your consideration:
- In Other Waters: Into the Bloom, Symbiosis
- Citizen Sleeper: Density, Signal Haze, Coalesce, Ember's Wake, Prismatic Lens, The Machinist
- NES Pictionary Theme
- NES Solstice Theme
- Age of Mythology: Chocolate Outline, Flavor Cats, Adult Swim, Behold the Great Science Fi, Have You Met Her Thunder, If You Can Use a Doorknob
- Star Wars KOTOR (Knights of the Old Republic): The Old Republic Theme, Darth Malak's Theme
- Neverwinter Nights 2: Crossroads Keep Seige, King of Shadows Battle, West Harbor Theme
- Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal: National Park (Both the Original AND Braxton Burks' orchestral version)
- Pokémon Snap: Valley
- The Legend of Zelda Windwaker: Dragon Roost Island
- The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess: Orchestral Piece 2, Hyrule Field Main Theme
- Streets of Rage 2: Go Straight
"Layered stress" is a job well done for Doom OST lol. I love hearing this man discuss game OSTs with you. It's great to hear from someone outside of our echo chamber.
"I am indeed on that recording" casually dropped after one of the most iconic tracks in gaming history. What a champion
It mighf be interesting to have Garth listen to some of the earlier music in games. NES/SNES era. He strikes me as someone intelligent and informed enough in the field of music that the idea of crafting emotional music with the limitations of the technology from that era could spark some interest in the challenge. I know that has always been what imoressed me about the music from back then
BFG Division reminded me that I used to sleep through my alarms a lot. Then I swapped my alarm to BFG Division. I don't sleep through my alarm anymore.
And it really speaks to how good the song is that I don't hate it yet. I've tried lesser songs and I lose the ability to like them after a while. Not BFG Division.
One winged angel; betcha ya never heard of that one, huh?
Him: I am indeed on that recording
*surprised Pikachu face ( :o )
You know what? Garth has explained in words I couldn't find why I prefer Divinity Original Sin's 2 soundtrack more than Baldur's gate 3. Not that BG3 music was bad, I loved it. But I think DOS2 was more original. Now the question is it, was it newer to me, or was it truly inventive? I suppose it doesn't matter for me. I loved his honesty and how direct he is.
Maybe some piece from Divinity Original Sin2 I'd recommend? I wouldn't know which to suggest, because the theme of DOS2 is brought again and again in different tracks. Maybe just the main theme.
P.S. he is a demanding listeners, and there's nothing wrong with it.
I feel like Garth would love Undertale's music, especially Bergentrückung / Asgore's theme. With the demi-tones and such, I doubt he would be able to go "I'd have produced that" ^.^'
(and please, the original. No remixes or re-renditions. The half steps are important)
I think the hardest thing with video game music is that context contributes a great deal to the music and what they're going for. And often songs just on their own don't necessarily translate. Perfect exmaple. FF7 Remake boss music just have their transitions and they go through them, but actually during the bossfight, the individual sections loop and fade into the transitions when the boss does. One of my favorite boss tracks is the "Ghoul" but the song in Spotify hits so much less cause it loops once on the second portion then just ends.
Some suggestions (sorry if you already did send him any these):
FFXIV - Answers - but the actual cinematic video, not just the lyrics version. The sounds of war and bahamut REALLY contribute to the presentation
Dark Souls - Ludwig, the Holy Blade - I don't even LIKE the DS series, but that track is insane. I think it stands alone
Literally any song from MGS Revengeance - Every one of the boss tracks is a banger in its own way. Especially with the context of the boss, their motivation, and reason for being there.
LoL - Jhin's Theme - Highlighting Jhin's obsession with the number 4
well ludwig is not a dark souls track, it's bloodborne.
@@Boc_theSeamster Well I guess I meant that genre of game in general, but you are correct. my bad
I really appreciate Garth's openness to both appreciate and critique something, I aspire to be that in tune with my own understanding of art. Now if I might be permitted to offer a suggestion for him, I recall he sought a more visceral connection to music? I would suggest the music of the Salmon Run mode from the Splatoon games. Truly bizzare stuff, but it hits you where it needs to, and few things to my knowledge resemble the soundscape it goes for. In my experience, at least, it's as visceral as it gets.
Part of me wants to see his response to Soken’s Flow, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be impressed with it, which would kind be crushing cause even though he’s a stranger to me, the idea of a very experienced musical academic roasting one of my favorite game pieces that made me cry is too much to comprehend.
Honestly i'm with him on malenia being weak. It suits her backstory and is absolutely fine, good maybe great even, for what its trying to accomplish, but honestly it doesnt vary much and never stuck out as specifically musically interesting like ludwigs theme.
Suggestions for different types of songs:
Rule of Rose- "A Love Suicide" sort of French Jazz inspired
Inscryption- Any of the first three boss themes "Angler, Prospector, Trapper" for mixed media aspects in a song. "The Trapper" might be unnerving if you aren't ready for the meat scraping sounds so watch out for that
Silent Hill 1- title track "Silent Hill". Interesting mix of instruments, record player distortion, generally just a good song.
Honestly, almost every Silent Hill has great music.
COD Black Ops Zombies- "Abracadavre" bit of a roller coaster thematically. Surprisingly, the songs for an offshoot from the main COD franchise are far and away the best things they've made.
I would love to see people react to early 2000's ost like that of Halo and Halo 2, Final fantasy 8, 9 and 10. There's also Bravely Default which is a feast to the ears for music.
Love this guy and his critical but fair way of looking at the music. I would enjoy seeing him again as a guest. Mayby play 14.3 billion years for him?
8:03 Looking down... thinking about the Emperor of man-kind! Relatable.
21:38 I envy you Marco, it must be so much fun to put that playlist together.
I'd love to recommend Reverse 1999 soundtracks-from events to the main story. Even the character EPs are worth it to listen to and critique! While I'm not personally sure it does anything new, it does, however, play with older styles and themes. I adore the game's music because it understands how certain sounds can envoke certain feelings, and it isn't afraid to reuse a track if it does its job particularly well in accompaniment with the story. My personal favorite track from it so far is the final boss for the Uluru Games event. It has such an uncanny feeling it's absolutely worth a listen.
Thank you for returning, Garth! It was great to have your insight again!
Really hope you get to Lies of P and Octopath traveler one day. I cannot recommend Ophilia's theme from Octopath enough, it's beautiful
Add in Bravely Default to the Octopath traveler because Revo and linked horizons needs more recognition.
Hearing the final thoughts made me feel like I don't listen to music properly ;-; which I feel like I can't change cos I don't know pretty much anything about music apart from how it makes ME feel or what emotions does it evoke in ME. Other than that I can always look for how the music fits the context it's put in.
Love the video tho thank you for your content! ^^
So, for Garth.
Maybe Sugaan Essena by the Hu would peak that interest.
It's a mix of rock and Mongolian folk music, with some lovely throat-singing mixed in for good measure.
2:50 Garth looks like, "Why did I agree to do this?" lol JK
My boy Marco came out swinging with the one song that I hadn't heard in 20 years, but as soon as I heard the first 3 seconds, I was almost in tears. This song right here, is how you tell an incredibly gripping story in just a couple of minutes... without saying a single word.
Semi opera related question Marco. I'm curious of your opinion on the Diva Dance opera from the Fifth Element movie of if it could be done how it was in the movie without the vocal effects or if those effects are what make it as seamless as it sounds in that movie. This was wonderful to watch and I enjoy seeing the opinions of professionals in the music fields on modern day video game music. I hope you have a great day!
I wouldn't really know how intriguing it is but, Noodle's interview with Marty made mention that his father found the usage of piano interesting for the time (Halo 3 Era) because it was an instrument usually used in the creation of composition not usually something very prominent. I wouldn't really call myself a musician let alone a sophisticated listener, but maybe something in there would be good.
Love how this guest talks about music. Even if he is utterly non impressed, he does really does not come across as he is looking down on anything. If the music does the job it is intended for, that is fine even if it is not groundbreaking.
When Garth mentioned trumpets, I had to think of the Touhou Soundtracks and the famous Zunpets. Hard to say which track would be best there, but a classic is either Flandre's theme or Koishi's theme.
I can't believe this guy exists. All of his thoughts and even his speech patterns sound like something you'd get from asking Chat GPT to create a smug British man.
Some songs I thought of from the last part. Just picked stuff I thought were most unlike what was shown here!
- Tartarus from Persona 3
- Twilight Party Cruise (Normal and Climax) from Tekken 8
- Artificial Sky IV from Armored Core 3
- Fall from Armored Core 4
- Cut Off the Fate!! from Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2
- You're Mine from Furi
- Krenel, Downwell, Somatosensor from Disco Elysium
- Tenebre Rosso Sangue from Ultrakill (i honestly think this should be in every video where you introduce someone to video game music)
it was honestly hard narrowing down suggestions but, here lol
I think the greatness of Raphael's final act is definitely only realized in context. He's a Devil, and its apparent as you lead up to his confrontation that he's full of himself. So the fact that he sings the battle track (and its kind of out of left field it being a mini musical) that when the fight started for me I waited for a few minutes just to enjoy the track. Plus the lyrics (despite being simple) are a good summary of both his character and the situation you are in when you have the fight. Definitely a great song that really needs some context to be enjoyed fully in my opinion. But I think that is always going to be where the disconnect for professional musicians will be. Most of them didn't grow up playing video games, they practiced music. Where some of the greatest video game music isn't super complicated, but the context will take anyone who spent formative years playing those games, back to their childhood. I'll never forget the first time I heard Time's Scar. It instantly cemented itself in my head and I still regularly listen to it to this day. It was just so different that anything I'd heard at that point, and it felt so right for the game. But hearing it with the opening cinematic nearly drowns me in nostalgia.
I wonder what Garth's perspective would be on DM Dokuro's work. More specifically the DoG tracks or Stained Brutal Calamity. Regardless, great video, amazing music choices as always.
Absolutely hyped to see this! Thanks for being an amazing musical analysist and entertainer
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Loved hearing his thoughts as an artist and writer it has inspired me in fact the way he addressed Raphael's final act lyrics
In terms different music, my votes are for:
Life Will Change - Persona 5
Weight of the World - Nier: Automata
Jungle Hijinx - Donkey Kong Country Returns
We All Become - Transistor
Megalovania - Undertale
Sanarkin Tango - Control
Still Alive - Portal
Metal-Brute Justice Mode - Final Fantasy XIV
still alive is portal 1
I would add any BioShock ost theme, like welcome to rapture or Choehn's masterpiece
Already excited for the next video. My recommendation/Recommended song for the next video would be: "And Ever we Fight on" - killzone 3 and "Ethan Mars" - Heavy Rain
20:11 sounds like he needs some Guilty Gear Strive songs hehe
Honestly? Always felt Elden Ring was the most generic sounding of the FromSoft soundtracks, so I feel somewhat validated now LOL
It is, there are some decent themes like Mohg, the main menu theme obviously, the dragon god whatever the name. But most of the stuff is subpar, and the lyrics of the choir in all the music in-game are actually meaningless as far as I know, which is a huge step back after Bloodborne.
@@crossrhodes14 A lot of the ambient field tracks are forgettable, yeah, but the main boss themes are absolutely not a step down from bloodborne or ds3. The remembrance bosses have some of the most interesting and memorable tracks in the series. Rykard and Godrick are utter bloodborne-style insanity, radahn is a perfect death march for a great warrior, Renalla and regal ancestor perfectly encapsulate the alien, awe inspiring feels of the fights, Mogh, Godfrey, Maliketh, radagon are all fantastic.
Not to mention that bloodborne is the only game in the series to feature Latin lyrics. Dark souls, demons souls, sekiro, and er are all nonsense lyrics, and that’s intentional.
The most generic?? Are you kidding. DS3 my dude, great soundtrack but all the songs sound very similar.
Yeah, the main theme, Lichdragon Fortissax and Godskin Apostles were the only tracks that I even particularly _noticed,_ and I wouldn't put any of them above even DS3's boss tracks.
This is especially disappointing when you consider that one of those three (the main theme, no less) is just the Demon's Souls theme again.
@@TehCakeIzALie1 that’s just a completely insane, invalid take. Not a single elden ring track above any ds3 tracks?? If you didn’t notice Godrick, Radahn, rykard, ancestor, Mogh, etc that’s not the fault of the game. That’s a result of you having spent years listening to tracks from previous souls games, then giving up on ER’s tracks when they don’t immediately hit you the same way as tracks from bb you’ve heard a thousand times.
Listen to the Elden ring soundtrack. I’ve listened to bb and ds3 for years, so I did the same with er. Elden Ring’s tracks are just as memorable as any other fromsoft music if you actually bother listening to them instead of spouting nonsense online
I love his honesty. Honesty is better than being pretentious
I might have chosen different tracks, but at least you got honest feedback. No pandering or generic predictable positive reactionary feedback as with 99 percent of all other channels as they try not to upset any fanbase, although orchestras play other works within Final Fantasy, Zelda, Shenmue and plenty of other franchises for good reason
I'm surprised Marco hasn't covered any Tim Follin music.
Hello, maestro. You must listen to the works of Kevin Penkin and his soundtrack to the anime "Made in Abyss". I really want to know what emotions you will get when listening and whether you will be able to capture the essence of the plot. I will say one -- this is a unique experience, both when listening to the tracks and when watching this anime (if you want to watch it in the future). Below is a list of the most important tracks, if you are interested))
--Season 1 (or Film 1 and 2, better watch season)
Made in Abyss
*Hanezeve Caradhina
Underground River
Pathway
Tomorrow
New world
--Film 3
*Transcendance and Hanezeve
The Rumble of Scientific Triumph
Prushka Sequence
Tozo Hanoline
--Season 2 (after film 3)
*Old stories
Juroimo mutation
VOH
Gravity
* -- the most important tracks of anime
Holy yapping
He has already listened to Transcendance and Hanezeve to my understanding on one of his Patreon streams (might be backups on there cause he deleted it on TH-cam)
Think he liked it, but he doesn't really do anime stuff on TH-cam sadly.
(Also Tomorrow and Gravity totally deserves a * smh)
He already listen to Transcendance and Hanezeve on one stream some time ago, i think you may found the vod in his patreon but i fail to remember the date of that stream
Thank you for writing this post, so I don't have to. Kevin Penkin immediately came to mind when the topic about a unique soundstage came up but I also know that anime OSTs are a nightmare to deal with on TH-cam.
Sadly I'm not very versed in terms of video game composers which is why I hope others can recommend interesting things for the next time Garth is "here".
In my opinion. While I do not disagree with this man, and nor am I going to deny his taste. He's very well aware of his experience, and his personal taste, and is clearly coming at this professionally and keeping it so.
I want to point how the majority of guests though who macromeatball has brought on seem unwilling drop the stoicism. Which is a criticism I am going to through at this man too. I respect keeping things professional, but this facade stoicism seems to be imparing guest to speak. With those who break this facade being very well received because they remain professional, and are still expressing themselves. I'm not even asking for relatability, I'm asking for these people to not look bothered for joining you on these videos. I say this because most of your guests look like they are in the end bored, or are expecting to talked to like they are expert reviews, when in reality they are reactors and the content is being driven on their gut reaction. This affects positive criticism too. Even if they have something good to say, this stoicism just hurts their delivery. And some just sound like they don't want to be there.
I understand I can be miss reading these people. But there is one person who was brought on twice. I forgot her name but is a VP of an opera house I believe. She is a wonderful example of what dropping this stoicism allows, and allows people to speak and say.
This is my personal opinion, and I would like to see more guests with more expanded opinions. Maybe bring these guests back again and get further opinions.
I love listening to Garth and how constructively critical he is.
I don't know if it would be possible, but I would love if you would be able to get a couple musical recommendations that Garth has.
the thing about bfg division is that is changes in tempo and tone based on what kind of action is going on during the sections fight
It’s so interesting to see how music has changed so much in terms of cinema or gaming - it used to be specific melody centered, themes and etc. nowadays it follows the “wall of sound,” (look at chrono cross vs Malenias Theme).
Don't know if we are talking about the same thing, but I've heard of it as "the spectacle". that's not just specifically music or games or even just entertainment,but where the intensity is played up, many different things are happening at once, and it goes on for a prolonged period that you almost feel worn out afterwards. Maybe I picked it up from David Harvey? IDK. Personally I think both has its place just as simplicity and complexity do, but if one gets overused you get used to it and it loses it's magic.
Guy’s awesome. I love hearing his thoughts
Off the top of my head, would the transition from "Echoes in the Distance" to "Close in the Distance" in Ultima Thule be similar to the last example that he gave?
Given what Garth was suggesting at the end, my immediate suggestion is Mechanized Memories from ACVD, or perhaps Steel Haze (Rusted Pride) from AC6's Special Disk 3
Based on what they've mentioned here and before, I might have a few thoughts to run by you.
Outer Wilds - Travelers (All Instruments Join)
Very repetitive, but builds. I noticed them talking about repetition or even repetition of devices you've already heard. I'm curious what they think about songs that are mechanically simple but layered.
FFXIV - The Edge
You've listened to it before but they did request something very new to them, such as a synth heavy track.
Metroid Dread - Red Soil
Metroid is one of those formative games for me growing up, and because I have so much to unpack from this recurring song it made me instantly emotional to hear the Dread version of it, but it also enhanced the context of the scene and gave entirely new associations to the track where it was formerly a very lonely song but now it is still lonely but more hopeful, or maybe wistful is a better word.
Show them something from Nier / Automata. Anything really, the weirder the better though. Something like A Beautiful Song or Weight of the World or something.
And you gotta show them something from Manami Matsumae. They need to experience the iconic sounds that a lot of gamers grew up with and still hear today in order to understand the kinds of things we've "heard before" and keep coming back to, just like a classical piece. Something like the opening theme to Megaman 2 or High Above the Land from Shovel Knight.
But lastly, a personal request of mine: Now that they've heard "Time's Scar" from Chrono Cross , I really want them to hear "To Far Away Times" from Chrono Trigger and see if they can pick out the leitmotif as something that they've "heard before"!
Answers from FF14 is always one I hope you show people, it's got so much emotion in it, Flow as well.
The go-to recommendation for weird VG music that shakes things up but immediately viscerally grabs you is Ultrakill's Tenebre Rosso Sangue (though my favorite song by the artist is Ladikerfos from the KEYGEN CHURCH album).
Answers from FF14, which is both an apocalypse theme and a salvation theme depending on the context of its use. I'd never heard anything like that before. Also try Dancing Mad from FF6.
BIG SHOT and Your Best Nightmare from Deltarune and Undertale (not unrelated games, note the anagram) are wild and couldn't easily exist outside of a VGM context.
If Garth is open to non-VGM, especially since there was a discussion about melody and story, try VOH by Kevin Penkin from the show Made in Abyss. That is just pure soundscape and an absolute masterpiece, though I'm not certain how much story will be conveyed without watching the show.
The real shame of game music is that it is all wrapped up in copyright. Not that copyright is wrong, but that I wish that this could be played in more places like in a local orchestra or such.
As Garth talked about an ost that evolved with the character during the movie Poor Things, perhaps he will be interested in the ost of the video game "Journey" by Austin Wintory. During all the game and the ost, new instruments are added until the last track with the complete orchestration. It's a really slow reveal but just perfect with the progression of the game. :)
I wonder what Garth would think of some of the more interesting Masashi Hamauzu pieces from the FFX and FFXIII soundtracks-- his piano pieces in FFX like Beyond the Darkness and Final Battle really stick out to me!
Garth may be interested in something like the Ikenfell soundtrack which is sorta a blend between chiptune and live instruments that's fairly jazz inspired (under the banner of the Digital Fusion genre).
Well if Garth is looking for some song recommendations, the only 3 songs I could think of in my mind to meet the sort of criteria he laid out would be:
-Moebius Battle Theme from Xenoblade Chronicles 3 would I think be an interesting one for a vocal track, mind you it's not all vocals but I think the vocal group Barzz did a great job. (by the way Barzz is a Japanese vocal group that I did not know were the vocalists for that song, until I watched someone else's video)
-End of the Unknown from NieR: Automata was the the best I could think of for electronic music, honestly maybe my weakest pick.
-The Town Inside Me from Guilty Gear: Strive was the first song I thought of when he brought up that movie with Emma Stone in it because the way I interpret this character theme from Guilty Gear is, as the song gets more upbeat and bubbly it feels as though the character is more comfortable and by the end of the song they are just being themself.
A few times now you've had someone who isn't into the classically inspired themes and prefers the more out there ones. I don't know too much about his tastes or what he considers the "weirder" music, but perhaps he might be interested in the Bastion or Team Fortress 2 soundtracks. Both are rustic and unusual, but excellent. Any of the vocal tracks from Bastion are standouts, and my favorite from TF2 is The Calm, and they also happen to be the least "backgroundy" of the tracks. Still, both soundtracks are high enough quality you can select just about anything and still have an interesting tune on your hands. Though if he wants something extra out there, there is always Pizza Tower....
9:21 "The Machine is speaking" OMNISSIAH BE PRAISED
LOVE these more critical views from your guests!
Sometimes I try to think hard on what songs from past OST's would be great to show to your musical guests.
One thing that comes to mind, since I never see it shared anywhere; the OST for No Straight Roads!
The game's music CHANGES based on if you fight the 'boss' plain [Regular Song], with Traditional [Rock version of same song!] and Techno [EDM version of that SAME song!]
It's absolutely brilliant and I adore the soundtrack and funky visuals.
Huh, really interesting, you can really tell he has a different taste and experiences from you.
About finding different music that he might like... It's rought not gonna lie, you showed him an assortment of really nice songs with different degrees of success, so... What about "The Butterfly's Temptation" from God Eater 2 Rage Burst or "Hephaestus" from Remnant 2?
Would be interesting to see Garth's opinion on the music from Whispers In The Wall. I've not really heard much music like that before, so I'd be intrigued to see if he has, especially for the Fragmented boss theme and the Laboratories soundtrack.
@MarcoMeatball @GarthBardsley The Legend of Heroes games have a rich variety of songs and one that stuck with me the most was the Haly Saint/Holy Spirit Aria, it's the super arrange version from Sen no Kiseki. It's a very beautiful Opera piece and i wonder what people like you, your friends and the people your are working with, what you all think about that. For everyone who reads this comment and doesn't know the games or this song, check it out, it really is beautiful.
If Garth ever comes back for another video, I really want Marco the get WEIRD with the playlist. Garth even requested it himself, and I feel like he could share some good insights on more experimental stuff or just something more indie, not just "good but not great" orchestrations.
I think he would have liked some of the Genshin boss themes since he was focused on the western eastern fusion
I love his comments about being derivative or imitative. I think that's right on the money for so much of what we fall head over heels for. We are comparing this music to TV shows and even film scores, but that stuff at its best is firmly within the bounds of now-traditional orchestral music. The best video game composers are better than the best pop composers, maybe as good as Berlioz or somebody, but that's nothing compared to what is out there. It's like comparing bardcore to actual medieval compositions. There's creativity and art there, but it's all in service to something strictly commercial and imitation.
I mean you could always show him WH40k: Mechanicum or Vermintide Skaven stuff, maybe the Viego/Gwen themes for League (big fan of those), anything from Journey (*Apotheosis or C'est Pour Cela Que Je Suis Ne), perhaps even Frostpunk. Oh, music from Pathless is also excellent! I know there are at least a few games where the music changes with the character progression, but I'm just not able to recall some at the moment.
So, has he listened to any Genshin music yet? I'd love to see his reactions to those. And Scars of Time is also one of my favorite pieces of video game music ever and I'm glad you included it here.
He listened to fischl's domain theme in the first video and absolutely loved it.
I really like these kinds of videos while I love all the pieces you presented I can't really be critical and judgmental so hearing those criticisms is very good to understand what made the piece resonate or not with one person
The Furi soundtrack is a banger, i'm sure Marco would love it, the whole album. But i doubt Garth would ^^.
I want for sure want more reactions by Garth. It is a great point of view
Some Recommendations:
Cyberpunk: Phantom Liberty and The Rebel Path (cello version)
Witcher 3 Sword of Destiny, cannot let you leave, You're... Immortal? and Steel for Humans
DOS2 soundtrack
Nier Automata A Beautiful Song and Birth of a Wish/Become a God
Disco Elysium: Boat Ride and Red Rock Riviera
I definitely can relate to what he means by saying Malenia's theme was "weak". A lot of the time music as such is played in the background and has an almost "droning" effect in terms of repetition. Listening to the track on its own has a very impressionable opening but then it takes a backseat to the context of the game; ie, you as the player fighting the boss. As much as I like Fromsoft's games, I've always felt that a lot of the music is a backdrop to the gameplay (save for very rare standouts like Ludwig the Accursed) and so listening to the music on its own is almost akin to taking your 5-star meal in a to-go box and eating it at home. Certainly it's still good but you're not getting the full experience. I don't think this is the case for all video game music but it is a notion I definitely feel when it comes to Souls games and their music.
Curious to hear what he thinks of some tracks from Sumeru's soundscape, from Genshin. His insight into it would be fantastic to hear.
Close your eyes. That guy sounds like JARVIS/Vision. (I'm not about to look up the actor's name.)
How have you not shown this man " Flow " from Final Fantasy, ooohhh I hope to see that song used a lot more often when showing video game music to people who've worked in the music industry and know nothing of video game music.
Garth mentioned that you should send him stuff that stands out, I think he might appreciate some stuff from Hades. Darren really went out there with some tracks.
As far as suggestions for music that's different, the soundtracks for The Neverhood and Skullmonkeys by Terry S Taylor stands out to me as pretty unique as far as videogame music goes. Those songs have been burned into my brain since I was a kid, probably because they're so wacky and I haven't really heard anything like them since.
You should try to get his reaction to the original version of Dancing Mad, the final boss music of Final Fantasy 6 (or 3 for the US release). It ties in the main villain's sort of iconic (to him) theme into orchestral music that completely changes in feeling as the fight progresses through each stage, ascending from hell to heaven and finally to the final boss, who lies above heaven. Really amazing boss song imo, especially where his laugh cuts into the song, would love to hear a reaction.
My vote for something unusual and experimental for the next one (which I look forward to) would be Drakengard 1
Compared to nier which is much more comfortable to play, or even drakenard 3, yoko taro's early work was a bit more meta, and he was trying to show how futile and pointless war was. And so parts of the game itself are deliberately made to feel like a slog, not meant to be 'fun' in a way. The music is also experimental, it has these really bizarre halts and skips which just cause tension and show how reality is falling apart, and playing with violins that swirl around you (wear headphones). Wish I had the vocab to better describe it, but yeah 'Drakengard OST - Twelfth Chapter - In the Sky' or 'Inuart Battle' are certainly unique.
Garth is such a fantastic guest in these videos. Because of his segment about music reflecting character progression/shift in stakes and also how much he enjoyed the last genshin one, it feels like something like scaramouche boss theme might be perfect. Azdaha could be interesting too with the menacing sound of phase 1 and the more heroic phase 2. The tracks might be pretty long for the video, though, since the impact will definitely be less if you just show him the phase 2 tracks.
Garth looks like the music expert version of Hugh Grant.
I'd be interested to hear his take on some Hoyo-mix songs, like Phantylia's theme (all phases, but if I had to pick, Phase 2) or some of the Genshin tracks that are more east-meets-west.
I feel like Celeste OST would also be something that might be interesting to him, because I'm kinda with him and I to me a lot of the Soulsborne OST feels very well written but generic in that there's nothing wrong with it, but nothing that really captures me.
I'm not sure he'd be as impressed with Nier Automata but I'd love to hear his thoughts on it, since a lot of it is very deeply layered but each layer in itself isn't very complex, I could see him go either way on it.
Then throw him a curveball like Katamari Damacy :p
He thought phyntalia was boring I played it for him last time
@@MarcoMeatball Ah, bummer, I forgot!
I THOUGHT THE ONE WINGED ANGEL THING WAS A JOKE?! BEST VIDEO GAME TRACK EVER!
Would love to see he comes part 2