Man, Uematsu is such a legend. I have other videos on Uematsu and other FF music legends btw. You can watch them here: th-cam.com/video/y_95w3emjlQ/w-d-xo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB
Couldn't agree more! Please take it seriously to one day do the whole ost of ff6. Its in my opinion the most important of the whole series, even more so when it comes to music genius and creativity. Its mind boggling that this was made with snes limitations in hardware as well. Just crazy. In my humble opinion the guy or rather the Legend, absolutely peaked with dancing mad. Indeed a song that will never be forgotten or lost.
Loved your review and your passion for this song! I don't know if you'd like to consider a side by side comparison, but Dancing Mad was modernized for an homage raid fight in Final Fantasy 14: th-cam.com/video/KFRhYuB93qk/w-d-xo.html
@@agent-sz2qj In case you didn't realize dancing mad was in the 1994 SNES console game, while whole naruto manga was started like 5 years later than that and the series even later. So even if you find parts of it in such shows or other mediums, well you know the truth of it all. Nobuo compositions are legendary and their value was eternal way before we even got the internet or cellphones to appear in our lives interestingly enough. Of course many will try to copy or get inspiration from such a legend, this always happens with great composers. It is what it is.
I forget who originally said it (Jeremy Jahns I think), but I feel like it's obligatory to put this critique of Dancing Mad here: "For a musician, using the Super Nintendo sound chip is like an artist using Crayola crayons. Uematsu used those Crayola crayons to draw the Sistine Chapel."
For as much as I dislike him and that quote, it does describe the difficulty of making music for and mastery over the sound chip of the SNES. Uematsu didn't program the song into the game, but he definitely knew and worked around them, and knew the song would be used in the future in a grander context.
To be fair, the SNES sound chip was actually fairly advanced for the time it was made, and was designed by Ken Kutaragi, the same guy who designed the PS1, PS2, and PS3 consoles. If they had doubled the RAM on it, it would have been a powerhouse, but it was designed to be extremely cheap. Prior to this, sound was very simple even on computers with the Adlib card, PC speaker, square and sine wave noise generators, or extremely expensive $400+ synthesizers being the only real options. You also have to remember that the 90s was a WILD time of computer advancement, two years after the SNES released, electronics for sound cards and chips went through huge advancements, and by 1994 you could stream redbook audio off a CD.
This is why I feel this song is his best work. This is an amazingly complex and done on such a primitive method. Like sure one winged angel is really damn good, but he made that when he had better options. Dancing Mad is what earns him his rep as composer and musical genius.
@@CassidyShadewing It's funny too cause there is an interview with him and Soken on the Official SE Music Channel where he says he's so embarrassed by his music from this era that he can't listen to them. Though to his fans they are some of his best works.
Damn, I spent so much time listening the distant world version I almost forgot that Uematsu wrote this masterpiece with only a super nintendo audio processor. He had only 8 audio channels to build that crazy track. What a performance!
In practice, more like 6 because (1) you generally don't have notes playing on all channels simultaneously, and (2) it was good practice to leave one or two channels open for the game's sound FX. Because there was no separation of music vs. sound FX, audio is audio. (Case in point: if there were too many overlapping sound FX at once in SNES _Secret of Mana,_ the sound FX would cut off the music because they were playing on the same channels)
@@Clover298 Depends on the individual game's design (again, Secret of Mana was NOTORIOUS for this). It's a very straightforward tradeoff -- the more channels your music plays simultaneously, the less room you have for spontaneous overlapping sound FX.
Your reverence for this track is so deserved. What an absolute masterpiece. My in-laws adore classical music of all types but didn't understand the beauty of this piece. It makes me quite sad they are losing the chance to appreciate the musical geniuses living alongside us. Nobuo is one of the most talented composers who has ever lived. Also thank you to everyone on the Patreon who voted in this track on my birthday, it was a nice present! 😂
What I find absolutely unbelievable is, if you listen to each part individually in the final prog rock part, you'll notice the melody is doing a theme in 8/8 -> 7/8 -> 8/8 -> 7/8 while simultaneously the drums and the bass are doing 7/8 -> 8/8 -> 7/8 -> 8/8, so there's 7/8 overlapping 8/8 and it creates and absurd madness of cross rythm. I have never heard anything like that.
I always get a Dante's Inferno vibe from this one. The character of each segment changes. Starting in hell, moving up through purgatory and heaven before facing Kefka, the self-styled god of magic. It fits the operatic themeing of the whole game, a great finale.
Dante's works have always been a HEAVY influence in most Final Fantasy titles. I mean, what are the names of the four elemental fiends in FF4? Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia and Rubicante. Remember those dolls? Calcabrina? Same. That superboss in the DS version, Geryon? Straight from the Malebranche.
10:20 I think there's a degree of... say, Divine Comedy to this too? Moving from the base of the tower upward, the music reflects the metaphorical (and somewhat literal) ascent out of hell toward holiness and becomes more rapturous. The action on the low end, I think, clearly perverts that whole idea, leading to the sense of unsettling dissonance. (And then you breach into heaven and it's crazy prog nonsense that rocks.)
Loved FF 7 as most, & yes Sephiroth was just badass but for me, 6 is THE one. Kefka was so-I mean he’s the only villain that actually “wins” (not in the end but, no-the hero’s did not prevent the end, entirely) Brutal, mad, absolutely chaotic & best of all; completely out of nowhere, unexpected & what a blindsided hit to the gut Kefka was 1st FF to get pretty heavy into the bleak. Will never forget it
Im SO happy to see this song get some apprication!!! Id love to see you cover more songs from final fantasy 6, it has such a solid track overall, you can really feel who each character is by their themes alone, it's wonderful
dancing mad is probably one of my all time favorites for final boss themes, its got 4 movements, its super dynamic, and the feats nobuo reached with the snes sound chip is incredible
This was my favorite final fantasy song growing up! Glad to see it's getting the recognition it deserves Also, PLEASE do Risk of Rain 2! It fits in really well with the game itself and the songs are sci-fi perfection!
What an iconic piece, its hard to believe that this is even game music, let alone that its on the GBA with how crisp those organs are. The theme is a perfect encapsulation of Kefka: his destructive nature, his lunacy, his pride in achieving divinity, his frustration at your challenge and the lament at the end of it all. I didn't even know that Nobuo Uematsu was self taught until this video, he's such an icon in the music and gaming sphere with pieces that can stand against some of musics' tallest giants. He serves as an inspiration that anyone can produce truly amazing masterpieces with enough hard work, creativity and passion.
This is bar none, the greatest boss theme ever created. I don't know how you can even ARGUE that anything tops this. This is my favorite boss theme of all time, and I use it as my case in point when arguing that Nobuo Uematsu is the greatest video game music composer to ever live. Also, NEVER apologize for nerding out about Uematsu or Final Fantasy music. Music is one of the selling points of the classic Final Fantasy series. It's one of the things that makes classic Final Fantasy as great as it is. I also love how each movement is very distinct from the other musically, as you fight a distinctly different tier of Kefka's final boss. It adds to the gravity and the ambiance of the fight in such a masterful way. Also when you played the letmotif of the 3rd movement, I realized what the melody is. It's Kefka's letmotif in general that's played whenever he's on screen!! I NEVER EVEN REALIZED THAT. That's insane. The fourth movement is also my favorite movement. Something about the intensity of that movement just gives you the "okay, shit's getting REAL now. This is the ultimate part of the fight." Plus, including the Kefka laugh is just amusing and such a "chef's kiss" moment in making this theme really signature "Kefka". This is such a video game musical masterpiece. Hell, who am I even kidding? It's just a musical masterpiece in general! It's like JeremyJahns once said in a very overused but accurate quote: "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like an artist using Crayola crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." Very true.
The 3rd movement is my absolute favorite. The baroque style gives the battle a total different vibe, the counter melodies and the arpegio playing is just magnificent. I can't stand how beautiful that movement alone. And the way it also includes the leitmotifs. Also the last organ part in the 4th movement has such a cool harmony composition. Nobuo it's a genius.
The third movement is Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor, as scored by Bach, remixed with Kefka's leitmotif. It plays up how Kefka's become the literal god of magic, but he's still *Kefka*. A deranged, sociopathic jester, just with a nicer suit on.
That bass thing you said "I think I've heard it before" that's Kefka's motif, very fun and fitting that it is merely the deep, bassy undercurrent to the chaos on the surface, it shows off in an even more fragmented form during the actual "battle" portion at the end of the song
Incredible review. Dancing Mad will always be one of the best songs in a game ever, as it does everything it needs to so right and correct. If I had to recommend one song, it would be Star Conquering Traveller from Kirby, with Astral Birth Void. It’s a final boss song of multiple phases, similar to this one, with astral birth being the final phase. I think you’ll love it.
After listening to you, I was able to connect a few dots in my head. It's all theorycrafting, though, but it makes sense to me. The first movement is based on Kefka's early life. To me it sounds very serious and very dark, fitting to the Empire that he served before his transformation into a magitek knight. The second movement represents his descent into madness after the magitek infusion made him go nuts. This would explain the more playful of the nature song, as Kefka's personality has been completely warped into the mad jester that we meet. The third movement is the moment that he actually succeeds in his goals of destroying the world. He achieves his dreams and becomes a god like figure who rules over his handiwork, and the music's happy type of tone is a representation of this. The final movement is the culmination of all of the previous movements. The beginning of the song creates dread and awe at the true birth of Kefka as a godlike figure. The music is violent and powerful, representing the figure that he has become. The sadness that he potentially feels is his realization that once he destroys everyone and everything, there will be nothing left for him to unleash chaos on. Kefka is hands down the greatest villain in Final Fantasy history. He actually accomplishes his goals, something very few villains can claim. His lack of concern for life, his iconic look, his laugh, and his absolute insanity create the perfect monster. We all love to hate him.
Went there from the funny Touhou video. It's fun to see you try to imagine the character only based on the music. Well, as fans it makes us happy to see someone else enjoy our nerdy song and be able to guess mostly correct stuff about the game only from the melody. This one was different, you obviously knew the melody before and the music is so long you stopped less to explain chords stuff, you even get a little emotional at the end ! I tend to downplay a lot the stuff that i actually love so i'm not sure Dancing mad will get as much recognition in, say, 200 hundred years from now on but as someone who listen to those music and more every day it's a fun way to listen to them ! We learn stuff in what you do ! I'm still not really sure if Uematsu is "aware" of what he is using ( the "self-taught part" ) or if if he is just imitating the works he actually love since i'm quite sure i heard some of those melody parts in classical / baroque music but he is incredible nevertheless. It's interesting to see how Uematsu is influenced by stuff like progressive rock and classical music ( i wonder how much of the "opera" thematic in FFVI is due to him ) and someone like ZUN takes more note on those repetitive electronic music like Yellow Magic Orchestra. Different generations i suppose. So yeah, it ended up being a comment more about your channel rather than this specific videos. Thanks for what you do !
Simply an amazing game and soundtrack, blew my mind as a kid and made me appreciate video game music more as something serious and not just bleeps and bloops. Would love to see your reaction to the Theme of Episode Ignis from Final Fantasy XV, since it was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, almost every song on that DLC was composed by him and it's by far some of my favorite FF music.
Wow, this is really good timing since Pixel Remaster just came out! I love this piece. It's such a banger that always takes me to another dimension! This video is really great. It feels like it's full of your passion for VGM. It's nice to see your eyes light up when you talk about Nobuo Uematsu and his works! Dancing Mad, Pain the Universe, and Serpent Eating the Horizon are in my top three JRPG boss battle themes of all time. Thank you Davi!!!
When the 4th sets come on I get goose bumps every time! One of my favorite top 3 FF game of all time! Brings me back to my early teenage years. So much nastolgia. Thank you for commenting on the musical masterpiece!
Every time I see one of the music composers I follow listen to Dancing Mad, I always have to appear to comment that, in my opinion, the best version of Dancing Mad is the one Uematsu did with his previous rock band, The Black Mages.
@@CassidyShadewing I have. That's a seriously good version, too, but I think without the rest of the instruments, it suffers a little. Like, an 8/10 instead.
Underrated fact: In current editions of FF6 (including the Pixel Remaster) this music "switches" to its next movement immediately with each phase of battle BUT in FF6's *original editions* (SNES, PSX port) the track just continued playing seamlessly until its natural loop/transition point except _this time_ it plays through instead of looping, making the transition between movements seamless. The 3DS game _Bravely Default_ used something similar with its own final-boss theme, where each phase of battle "unlocked" progressively more of the track without having to actually switch/interrupt the track while it's playing. (e.g. in phase 1 it is looping movement 1 by itself, but by final phase it is looping _all movements in order)_
@@AkaiAzul Yup, there's a LOT to be said in having moments with seamless music (such as during the Battle of Narshe, or FF5's Battle on the Big Bridge) and it's a shame that this wasn't preserved. (Which may be related to players grinding out levels/skills and completing each phase with ruthless efficiency)
I feel you would enjoy Little Nightmares 1 and 2’s music. It’s haunting and lonely like hollow knight but less energetic and more environmental and mellow. Not sure if you take requests in comments but that’s my suggestion for a new game soundtrack to react to
The melody at 8:55 is the Kefka theme. Whenever there is a scene with Kefka in it (in the first half of the game), it starts with this melody. Usually when he is up to something mischievous.
That transition from delusionally joyous major to minor with the Kefka theme in the back, going baroque prog rock wild into the distance and repeating. Aww it's perfection.
This music reminds me of the battle sound effects especially the battle window sound which fits perfectly to the music and even add extra tension on it. The battle against the warring triad was so intense and all the memory comes back when I hear this.
14:29 you see that sorrow... THAT is Kefka deep down, a true nihilist... and how does a nihilist greet their own end? With a Bitter cackling laugh. He's my favorite villain from ANYTHING. Someone said it best, "Even as a god, Kefka is deep down still the broken clown hell bent on destruction, and that is TERRIFYING." Also that synth lead there is to mimic a choir, lotta 16 bit era games do that. This game is a literal Opera. Edit: Spelling. Words are hard XD
Amazing video and amazing song. I got to see this played live on the distant worlds concert in London. They play the organ bits with the huge organ in the royal Albert hall. It's slightly different to the cd version of Distant Worlds that uses a synth for the organ bits and electric guitars. It was magical to see everything go dark and see just the organ illuminated playing the solo bits
I just watched an awesome story analysis for Resonant Arc and one of their hosts was saying he viewed this boss design as being kefka’s journey of ascension to godhood. It made me look at the artwork more closely. It also matches with the idea of hell-purgatory-heaven-god. Kefka is experimented on in his time in “hell” he then ascends into the Gestahlian empire along with other generals and is “purged” and purified in the fires of war. Finally he ascends to heaven where he meets the “Mary” figure (the warring triad) who revive him from near-death (Celes stabbing him) and finally allow him to ascend past the Gestahlian empire (represented by the metallic steel horns that slowly disappear the higher up you get). The warring triad gives him a new body in the final form where you face his idea of god (himself). The music matches this so well. It may be the most well thought out last boss ever… or they got really lucky and there’s tons of symbolism to draw from something that isn’t there lol. In the music the ever increasing chaos as a figure is trapped from the waist up just fits that idea of increasing experimentation on him in the first form. The second form mimicking the empires weird desire to conquer, and kefka enjoys it now that his mind is warped. He see how ridiculous it all is, both from the perspective of why the empire is fighting and how people can have hopes and dreams and then they’re just gone. He begins to recognize his true desire. There’s no reason for anything to exist. The music takes on strange dance. It’s a dance of meaninglessness and triviality. The melody is almost a slog if it weren’t for the drums. In the third form, the warring triad blesses him multiple times by protecting him from death on the floating continent. Holding him in their arms. Apparently this form was inspired by “La Pieta” by Michelangelo. Now the music becomes a joyful melody as the saviour is revived and protected by the godesses. But the undertone shows that this is still kefka. He’s elevated himself. He’s not a god just a clown telling you a glorious story of his ascension. Finally he allows you to approach and see the face of god (himself). The music starts to reflect his panic as he fights. You’re not dead yet. You should be. He begins to remember that he’s not god and he has to fight for his survival. The sad part of the music may either be your party’s struggle to continue on, or his realization that he’s lost. He’ll soon be reduced to the nothingness he desired for the world and he laughs as he realizes that his goals were as meaningless as anything else he’s seen in the world. My favourite track from Uematsu 😊
Nobuo Uematsu is easily the greatest composer of my lifetime, and i wouldn't take issue with putting him in the top 5 of all time. Yasunori Mitsuda can also compete, but Uematsu is always in a steady lead position. If you've played an RPG in the last 40 years, and REALLY loved thr amazing music, there's a decent chance that they were involved. My favorite of this game is probably Terras Theme, because it can evoke serious nostalgia. The whole soundtrack is great. Thanks for the breakdown video.
Yeah, this track is wicked awesome! Not sure if you know or if anyone ever told you, but Final Fantasy XIV has a Kefka fight, and they did a version of Dancing Mad! Give it a listen if you haven't!
have you ever listened to the soundtrack to Lost Odessey? it was also composed by Nobuo Uematsu though very few people seem to know about this game in general and I absolutely love it.
is no secret that nobuo uematsu is a big fan of ELP, and is really hard not to notice when you hear the 3rd movement of dancing mad the parallels between that and the song the three fates, from elp debut album, the main difference being some instrumental configuration and that elp uses mussorgsky as motif base for that song while uematsu uses the kefka theme as the motif but the way is arranged is extremelly similar at comparison. however the case, is a great theme with lots of mastery in composition and setting the tone
Knowing you’re a fan of Chrono Trigger, I knew you’d review Dancing Mad someday. I can feel your excitement and appreciation for Uematsu’s work! Thank you for the insights as always!
I really love this music, it really inspire me. And if i might suggest another ff music, it would be the theme of Ultimecia's castle in ff8. The one that helped me a lot to create one of my characters. Anyway, keep on doing such excellent videos. ^^
I always saw the first three movements of Dancing Mad as Kefka posturing his godliness to the party. He doesn't take them seriously, so he might as well have some fun while he toys with them. The fourth movement is him giving the party his full, undivided attention as he tries to murder them, all while the realization that they CAN kill him begins to dawn on him before he tries to laugh it off.
This is the single most epic and amazing boss theme of all time. So many worthy contenders out there, but this has to take the crown. The entire theme is an epic in and of itself, with the finale featuring perfect Kefka leitmotif (and his laughter), and in total personifies Kefka's ascent into terrible, insane, narcissistic godhood. He's a villain who won and he knows it. You are both his honored guests in experiencing his divine visage, his newfound place above the whole of the world, as well as his play things whose only purpose is to bring him joy in your feeble attempts to defeat him. Orchestral Fantasy channel has a live instrument cover of this complete with choir it's friggen amazing.
Yeah I agree nobuo uematsu is one of my favorite composer's and dancing and is one of my favorite final boss themes ever. Only second to yoko shimumoras darkness of the unknown from kingdom hearts 2 from my favorite final boss Xemnas. Though I need to still play ff 6 and fight kefka I have heard he's one of the best. Anyways thanks for doing what you do I'm a huge fan of boss themes and I love you go into deep talk about them.
That is still such an amazing piece of video game music. This song alone has made me look for the story in music. Before, music was just that, sounds, but this song. This showed me music was different. I was probably about 9 playing this game, I think, and this frantic song made me feel so many emotions as it played on. The insanity, desperation, hopelessness, and acceptance of the battles outcome. It was the first time I actually thought about the boss and their motives for once. Understanding, they feel what they are doing is right at first, but maybe not soo much as they see the determination of the heroes trying to stop them. Maybe what they were doing was bad, and he realized the heroes were going to stop at nothing. He was going to loose, and accepted that outcome, then continued to put on his show..., because what else would a maniacal clown do...
Its funny. How you mentioned the organ is used in this piece. When the organ solo comes in, it reminds me of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor! I'm sure Uematsu was influenced by it in some way! This is definitely the best track in the game!
This theme is why I purchased the OST CDs from Japan back in 1998. While there has been plenty of masterpieces since this was written, none have matched its complexity.
8:51 mind blown! Never realized it is there, but it is the Kefka's theme! Yes! My most favourite FF game and it has such epic soundtrack, also the Pixel Remaster improved some songs. But not most for me, just some. For example Searching For Friends or Aria Di Mezzo Carattere. Anyway, this game is so great and I liked the video earlier when it had 666 likes so I kinda broke that number, but that number fits this endgame well.
And all of this in 16bits. If people understood how limited that is, and how difficult it is to work with, would be even more impressed. Nobuo Uematsu is truly a Maestro and will be remembered as such for as long as we keep reccords of his compositions.
I have always thought of this song as kefka threw you into hell and you are clawing your way back up to him. 1st Movement (Hell) - Despairing, slow and sad 2nd Movement (Purgatory) - Lots of uncertainty and struggle also the section with the most enemies 3rd Movement (Heaven) - You've made to the gates of Heaven and the angels have come to meet you to defend their god. very cheerful and light-hearted 4th Movement (Judgment) - You've made it back to Kefka, time to finish this once and for all!
Uematsu had the SNES sound board SCREEEEAMING! Lol young me even knew he pushed it to its limit for its time. BTW what headsets do you use? Im in need of a new pair and would like recommendations.
I'd love to see you checking out music from XIV! There are some crazy bangers in there, and Masayoshi Soken is basically Uematsu's successor/protégé. Torn From The Heavens and Seat of Sacrifice are great for specific examples, but there are too many good songs to list!
No, he's not. Uematsu has no successor, fans made their own fancanon about that. Nobody does prog like him in the industry, the closest would be Motoi Sakuraba.
@8:52 "I don't remember where I heard this." That my good sir, is Kefka's Theme for the whole game actually. The SNES was amazing at storing sound samples. This piece of work here is more or less just a conglomeration of every other piece created for this game. All wrapped up in a nice pretty bow.
I recognize 11:50 - 12:20 and 13:55 - 15:00 from when Aphmau used those parts in her roleplay. I think she also used part of the theme inbetween those timestamps as well, but not 100% certain.
It also makes a lot of sense, when you realize the final battle is also a direct reference to The Divine Comedy to an extent. The enemy tiers are structured as follows, and I'm using the actual names instead of "Statue of the Gods A-I": Hell: Visage, Short Arm, Long Arm Purgatory: Tiger/Beast, Magick, Tools/Machinery, Strength Heaven: Lady and Rest God: Kefka The song also depicts signore Palazzo's fall into madness and ascension to godhood. Magitek warping his mind, acquiring more power and arcane power, while using machinery and all manners of beast to obtain his goals, taking the power of the Warring Triad and using it to become the God of All Magic, and finally his fall into hopeless nihilism. That last part gets very clear in his pre-battle talk (talking about it supposedly being pointless to build when all gets destroyed, living when we shall eventually die), and in his battle quote: "Life, Dreams, Hope.. Where do they come from, and where do they go? Such meaningless things, I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL!". Lastly, when you take him down, there's no end-of-battle comeback line, or anything said after before fading to nothing. He just silently dies, knowing he's finally free from a cycle he couldn't escape on his own.
I only know this theme because of the theatrhythm games. Now that the pixel remasters have released on consoles I can play it without paying an arm and a leg. It is truly amazing what Uematsu (I spell that right?) does despite the limitations of the early consoles. Truly a master of his craft.
That movement that you’re hearing that you couldn’t quite put your finger on that’s Kafka‘s theme that little piano piece there that you played was definitely Kafka’s theme.
The total awesomeness, the sheer power, the absolute... insane magnificence of Dancing Mad has been with me from the very first day, somewhere around 1997-98. For a game that had already been one of the wildest rides in any sort of fantasy story I had read until that point, or ever after, the culmination of the game, this battle against a nihilistic, psychopathic jester with god-like powers at the tune of the one true piece of chiptune music to push the limits of the SNES sound and memory chips with its pure orchestral flair... it was beyond amazing. The first move with its ominous menace. The second move with its deranged playfulness. The third move with its near religious megalomania (Uematsu went so far as to make it sound as something J.S. Bach would insert in his famous Fuge in D minor). It's fourth movement that goes completely nuts with such style. And at the end... Kefka's iconic laughter. The great Nobuo Uematsu and his amazing disciple, Yasunori Mitsuda. Two flat out geniuses who made me love RPGs and their music. I'm right there with you, Davi, when you say you are glad and thankful for being alive an able to listen to this piece of aural glory. PD: Since you did Uematsu's iconic Dancing Mad, can you do a Mitsuda track? The Chrono Trigger theme, Knight of Fire, U-TIC, Awakening... Corridors of Time... definitely Corridors of Time. You know, as a commemoration of the channel. I mean, your own rendition of Corridors was divine, I want to hear your thoughts on its structural beauty.
You can just telll Uematsu is a massive progressive rock-fan, the final movement is him wearing his influences on his sleeve *cough*EMERSONLAKEANDPALMER*cough*
Movement 1: Fight is gonna kick yo' ass. Movement 2: Madness exposed. Movement 3: Madness behind the veil of holiness Movement 4: We done fucking around, we in finding out territory now.
8:52 This movement is supposed to sound on the surface very divine, very reverential, very holy. But the infection of the toccata by Kefka’s theme shows that for all its divine posturing, there is a hidden joker deep within.
Hm, say, have you heard of Asura’s Wrath? ‘Cause I would like to see you cover In Your Belief at some point. I would also like to see you cover Sakura’s Good Fight from Ultimate Ninja Storm 2.
If you were to listen to this piece without knowing the story and gameplay around it, you’ll get half the gist. But you’re totally right in that the parts you think sound like a more uplifting piece is nothing more than a delusion giving the context of who we are up against. Totally unsettling. It is like watching an opera unfolding and you as the audience know better. Couldn’t have said it better myself mister. I wanna revisit this fame in the pixel remaster version. Seeing the gameplay clips and how the graphics look more updated in color especially the magic spell, Ultima, ooh la la! Terra / Celes / Relm and Edgar
Man, Uematsu is such a legend. I have other videos on Uematsu and other FF music legends btw. You can watch them here: th-cam.com/video/y_95w3emjlQ/w-d-xo.html&pp=gAQBiAQB
Couldn't agree more! Please take it seriously to one day do the whole ost of ff6. Its in my opinion the most important of the whole series, even more so when it comes to music genius and creativity. Its mind boggling that this was made with snes limitations in hardware as well. Just crazy. In my humble opinion the guy or rather the Legend, absolutely peaked with dancing mad. Indeed a song that will never be forgotten or lost.
Loved your review and your passion for this song! I don't know if you'd like to consider a side by side comparison, but Dancing Mad was modernized for an homage raid fight in Final Fantasy 14: th-cam.com/video/KFRhYuB93qk/w-d-xo.html
Sorry i'm late but, 8:44 isn't that a part of Orochimaru's Theme (if you have listened to it, it's in the naruto anime) or am i delusional?
@@agent-sz2qj In case you didn't realize dancing mad was in the 1994 SNES console game, while whole naruto manga was started like 5 years later than that and the series even later. So even if you find parts of it in such shows or other mediums, well you know the truth of it all.
Nobuo compositions are legendary and their value was eternal way before we even got the internet or cellphones to appear in our lives interestingly enough. Of course many will try to copy or get inspiration from such a legend, this always happens with great composers. It is what it is.
@@kobarsos82 thank's, I totally missed that lol
I forget who originally said it (Jeremy Jahns I think), but I feel like it's obligatory to put this critique of Dancing Mad here:
"For a musician, using the Super Nintendo sound chip is like an artist using Crayola crayons. Uematsu used those Crayola crayons to draw the Sistine Chapel."
I love this
This is such a GOOD quote, because it's absolutely accurate.
Yeah, I remember that comment as well
For as much as I dislike him and that quote, it does describe the difficulty of making music for and mastery over the sound chip of the SNES. Uematsu didn't program the song into the game, but he definitely knew and worked around them, and knew the song would be used in the future in a grander context.
To be fair, the SNES sound chip was actually fairly advanced for the time it was made, and was designed by Ken Kutaragi, the same guy who designed the PS1, PS2, and PS3 consoles.
If they had doubled the RAM on it, it would have been a powerhouse, but it was designed to be extremely cheap.
Prior to this, sound was very simple even on computers with the Adlib card, PC speaker, square and sine wave noise generators, or extremely expensive $400+ synthesizers being the only real options.
You also have to remember that the 90s was a WILD time of computer advancement, two years after the SNES released, electronics for sound cards and chips went through huge advancements, and by 1994 you could stream redbook audio off a CD.
Its amazing that Uematsu managed to get this out of the SNES's sound system. He pushed that poor little chip to its absolute limit.
This is why I feel this song is his best work. This is an amazingly complex and done on such a primitive method. Like sure one winged angel is really damn good, but he made that when he had better options. Dancing Mad is what earns him his rep as composer and musical genius.
@@CassidyShadewing It's funny too cause there is an interview with him and Soken on the Official SE Music Channel where he says he's so embarrassed by his music from this era that he can't listen to them. Though to his fans they are some of his best works.
Wait till you listen to Tim Follin's stuff lol
@@XGP15A2 it's probably why so many from this era got remade by The Black Mages.
@@suezuccati304
Dancing Mad and Beach from Plok! are most likely the best examples we can use on how good the SNES can sound.
The leitmotif you play at 8:52 is Kefka’s main theme. The 4th part of Dancing mad is also a restatement of Kefka’s theme.
I knew I recognized it!
@@DaviVasc You could say that part of Dancing Mad is "bassed" on Kefka's theme
@@DaviVasc th-cam.com/video/Sxe71i8Hegg/w-d-xo.html
I think of the theme mixing in with this bright sound is like Kefka's madness poisoning this sort of angelic being
I feel like part of that was used in FF9 as well but I can't recall the song name
Damn, I spent so much time listening the distant world version I almost forgot that Uematsu wrote this masterpiece with only a super nintendo audio processor. He had only 8 audio channels to build that crazy track. What a performance!
In practice, more like 6 because (1) you generally don't have notes playing on all channels simultaneously, and (2) it was good practice to leave one or two channels open for the game's sound FX. Because there was no separation of music vs. sound FX, audio is audio.
(Case in point: if there were too many overlapping sound FX at once in SNES _Secret of Mana,_ the sound FX would cut off the music because they were playing on the same channels)
@@Stratelier i thought the cutting out was only on the NES? did they still have that problem on the SNES?
@@Clover298 Depends on the individual game's design (again, Secret of Mana was NOTORIOUS for this). It's a very straightforward tradeoff -- the more channels your music plays simultaneously, the less room you have for spontaneous overlapping sound FX.
@@Stratelier ah ok, i guess since the games i played didn’t have that issue that i just assumed it wasn’t a problem on the SNES, but that makes sense
8:52 IT'S KEFKA'S THEME!!
oh my god, years of me listening to this and i just realized it after you pointed that out! Literally mind blown.
Your reverence for this track is so deserved. What an absolute masterpiece. My in-laws adore classical music of all types but didn't understand the beauty of this piece. It makes me quite sad they are losing the chance to appreciate the musical geniuses living alongside us. Nobuo is one of the most talented composers who has ever lived.
Also thank you to everyone on the Patreon who voted in this track on my birthday, it was a nice present! 😂
What I find absolutely unbelievable is, if you listen to each part individually in the final prog rock part, you'll notice the melody is doing a theme in 8/8 -> 7/8 -> 8/8 -> 7/8 while simultaneously the drums and the bass are doing 7/8 -> 8/8 -> 7/8 -> 8/8, so there's 7/8 overlapping 8/8 and it creates and absurd madness of cross rythm.
I have never heard anything like that.
I was wondering what time signature fuckery he was doing
@@lancerhades971 "dancing mad" For a reason :D
Oh my god, that's what it is! I've been baffled by the time signature of this section for years, man 😅
Sometimes, you just hear the prog background of Uematsu. Especially in FF8s OST, but this one right here, is also a major statement.
I always get a Dante's Inferno vibe from this one. The character of each segment changes. Starting in hell, moving up through purgatory and heaven before facing Kefka, the self-styled god of magic. It fits the operatic themeing of the whole game, a great finale.
It was indeed inspired by Dante's The Divine _Comedy_ , which is absolutely on point for the court jester Kefka.
Kefka considers himself above you mere mortals and your petty notions of heaven lol
That was intentional
Dante's works have always been a HEAVY influence in most Final Fantasy titles. I mean, what are the names of the four elemental fiends in FF4? Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia and Rubicante. Remember those dolls? Calcabrina? Same. That superboss in the DS version, Geryon? Straight from the Malebranche.
10:20 I think there's a degree of... say, Divine Comedy to this too? Moving from the base of the tower upward, the music reflects the metaphorical (and somewhat literal) ascent out of hell toward holiness and becomes more rapturous. The action on the low end, I think, clearly perverts that whole idea, leading to the sense of unsettling dissonance. (And then you breach into heaven and it's crazy prog nonsense that rocks.)
Loved FF 7 as most, & yes Sephiroth was just badass
but for me, 6 is THE one. Kefka was so-I mean he’s the only villain that actually “wins” (not in the end but, no-the hero’s did not prevent the end, entirely)
Brutal, mad, absolutely chaotic & best of all; completely out of nowhere, unexpected & what a blindsided hit to the gut Kefka was
1st FF to get pretty heavy into the bleak. Will never forget it
Im SO happy to see this song get some apprication!!! Id love to see you cover more songs from final fantasy 6, it has such a solid track overall, you can really feel who each character is by their themes alone, it's wonderful
dancing mad is probably one of my all time favorites for final boss themes, its got 4 movements, its super dynamic, and the feats nobuo reached with the snes sound chip is incredible
Although i never have gotten to play the Game. This theme makes me want to play it sooooo much. Another amazing video as always!
Thank you, my friend!
You should play it… You too can suplex a train!
… Do it…
Suplex that train… o_O;;
@@KitsyX hell yes. I'm convinced now! lol
This was my favorite final fantasy song growing up! Glad to see it's getting the recognition it deserves
Also, PLEASE do Risk of Rain 2! It fits in really well with the game itself and the songs are sci-fi perfection!
Personal recommendation: Once in a Lullaby
@@DeadlockDrago You're gonna need a bigger Ukulele, A Placid Island of Ignorance, or The Rain Formerly Known as Purple is good too
he’s GOTTA do con lentitude poderosa i need to see his reaction to the drop
@@nolanboucher4912 he did listen to ...con lentitud poderosa on stream! In the live stream two weeks ago
@@yourweirdplant omg thanks for letting me know i’m never able to catch the streams
such a good final boss music, it just screams finality and holiness
What an iconic piece, its hard to believe that this is even game music, let alone that its on the GBA with how crisp those organs are. The theme is a perfect encapsulation of Kefka: his destructive nature, his lunacy, his pride in achieving divinity, his frustration at your challenge and the lament at the end of it all.
I didn't even know that Nobuo Uematsu was self taught until this video, he's such an icon in the music and gaming sphere with pieces that can stand against some of musics' tallest giants. He serves as an inspiration that anyone can produce truly amazing masterpieces with enough hard work, creativity and passion.
This is bar none, the greatest boss theme ever created. I don't know how you can even ARGUE that anything tops this. This is my favorite boss theme of all time, and I use it as my case in point when arguing that Nobuo Uematsu is the greatest video game music composer to ever live.
Also, NEVER apologize for nerding out about Uematsu or Final Fantasy music. Music is one of the selling points of the classic Final Fantasy series. It's one of the things that makes classic Final Fantasy as great as it is.
I also love how each movement is very distinct from the other musically, as you fight a distinctly different tier of Kefka's final boss. It adds to the gravity and the ambiance of the fight in such a masterful way.
Also when you played the letmotif of the 3rd movement, I realized what the melody is. It's Kefka's letmotif in general that's played whenever he's on screen!! I NEVER EVEN REALIZED THAT. That's insane.
The fourth movement is also my favorite movement. Something about the intensity of that movement just gives you the "okay, shit's getting REAL now. This is the ultimate part of the fight." Plus, including the Kefka laugh is just amusing and such a "chef's kiss" moment in making this theme really signature "Kefka".
This is such a video game musical masterpiece. Hell, who am I even kidding? It's just a musical masterpiece in general! It's like JeremyJahns once said in a very overused but accurate quote: "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like an artist using Crayola crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." Very true.
The 3rd movement is my absolute favorite. The baroque style gives the battle a total different vibe, the counter melodies and the arpegio playing is just magnificent. I can't stand how beautiful that movement alone. And the way it also includes the leitmotifs.
Also the last organ part in the 4th movement has such a cool harmony composition.
Nobuo it's a genius.
The third movement is Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor, as scored by Bach, remixed with Kefka's leitmotif. It plays up how Kefka's become the literal god of magic, but he's still *Kefka*. A deranged, sociopathic jester, just with a nicer suit on.
That bass thing you said "I think I've heard it before" that's Kefka's motif, very fun and fitting that it is merely the deep, bassy undercurrent to the chaos on the surface, it shows off in an even more fragmented form during the actual "battle" portion at the end of the song
This theme and your passion are absolutely amazing. Also I love Uematsu!!!
8:52 that's Kefka's theme. It plays whenever he's onscreen. Also it's present in other parts of "Dancing Mad".
Incredible review. Dancing Mad will always be one of the best songs in a game ever, as it does everything it needs to so right and correct.
If I had to recommend one song, it would be Star Conquering Traveller from Kirby, with Astral Birth Void. It’s a final boss song of multiple phases, similar to this one, with astral birth being the final phase. I think you’ll love it.
After listening to you, I was able to connect a few dots in my head. It's all theorycrafting, though, but it makes sense to me.
The first movement is based on Kefka's early life. To me it sounds very serious and very dark, fitting to the Empire that he served before his transformation into a magitek knight. The second movement represents his descent into madness after the magitek infusion made him go nuts. This would explain the more playful of the nature song, as Kefka's personality has been completely warped into the mad jester that we meet. The third movement is the moment that he actually succeeds in his goals of destroying the world. He achieves his dreams and becomes a god like figure who rules over his handiwork, and the music's happy type of tone is a representation of this. The final movement is the culmination of all of the previous movements. The beginning of the song creates dread and awe at the true birth of Kefka as a godlike figure. The music is violent and powerful, representing the figure that he has become. The sadness that he potentially feels is his realization that once he destroys everyone and everything, there will be nothing left for him to unleash chaos on.
Kefka is hands down the greatest villain in Final Fantasy history. He actually accomplishes his goals, something very few villains can claim. His lack of concern for life, his iconic look, his laugh, and his absolute insanity create the perfect monster. We all love to hate him.
Man i LOVE your breakdowns especially me being of limited musical talent lol. You explain what i could never but that i do feel!
Went there from the funny Touhou video. It's fun to see you try to imagine the character only based on the music. Well, as fans it makes us happy to see someone else enjoy our nerdy song and be able to guess mostly correct stuff about the game only from the melody.
This one was different, you obviously knew the melody before and the music is so long you stopped less to explain chords stuff, you even get a little emotional at the end ! I tend to downplay a lot the stuff that i actually love so i'm not sure Dancing mad will get as much recognition in, say, 200 hundred years from now on but as someone who listen to those music and more every day it's a fun way to listen to them ! We learn stuff in what you do ! I'm still not really sure if Uematsu is "aware" of what he is using ( the "self-taught part" ) or if if he is just imitating the works he actually love since i'm quite sure i heard some of those melody parts in classical / baroque music but he is incredible nevertheless.
It's interesting to see how Uematsu is influenced by stuff like progressive rock and classical music ( i wonder how much of the "opera" thematic in FFVI is due to him ) and someone like ZUN takes more note on those repetitive electronic music like Yellow Magic Orchestra. Different generations i suppose.
So yeah, it ended up being a comment more about your channel rather than this specific videos. Thanks for what you do !
Simply an amazing game and soundtrack, blew my mind as a kid and made me appreciate video game music more as something serious and not just bleeps and bloops.
Would love to see your reaction to the Theme of Episode Ignis from Final Fantasy XV, since it was composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, almost every song on that DLC was composed by him and it's by far some of my favorite FF music.
Wow, this is really good timing since Pixel Remaster just came out! I love this piece. It's such a banger that always takes me to another dimension!
This video is really great. It feels like it's full of your passion for VGM. It's nice to see your eyes light up when you talk about Nobuo Uematsu and his works! Dancing Mad, Pain the Universe, and Serpent Eating the Horizon are in my top three JRPG boss battle themes of all time. Thank you Davi!!!
I feel extremely lucky to say that I got to see Uematsu perform this live with his band The Black Mages!
When the 4th sets come on I get goose bumps every time! One of my favorite top 3 FF game of all time! Brings me back to my early teenage years. So much nastolgia. Thank you for commenting on the musical masterpiece!
Every time I see one of the music composers I follow listen to Dancing Mad, I always have to appear to comment that, in my opinion, the best version of Dancing Mad is the one Uematsu did with his previous rock band, The Black Mages.
@@suburbanindie I have, and it still doesn't hit as hard as The Black Mages' version.
Have you heard Grissoni Project version, played on an actual church organ? Because, damn.
@@CassidyShadewing I have. That's a seriously good version, too, but I think without the rest of the instruments, it suffers a little. Like, an 8/10 instead.
@@Xanatrix
The solo guitar at the end of that version is just so... heartwrenching.
Underrated fact: In current editions of FF6 (including the Pixel Remaster) this music "switches" to its next movement immediately with each phase of battle BUT in FF6's *original editions* (SNES, PSX port) the track just continued playing seamlessly until its natural loop/transition point except _this time_ it plays through instead of looping, making the transition between movements seamless.
The 3DS game _Bravely Default_ used something similar with its own final-boss theme, where each phase of battle "unlocked" progressively more of the track without having to actually switch/interrupt the track while it's playing. (e.g. in phase 1 it is looping movement 1 by itself, but by final phase it is looping _all movements in order)_
It's crazy to me how only the very original version is _still_ the only one to retain this feature. Like, the cutaway takes away so much.
@@AkaiAzul Yup, there's a LOT to be said in having moments with seamless music (such as during the Battle of Narshe, or FF5's Battle on the Big Bridge) and it's a shame that this wasn't preserved. (Which may be related to players grinding out levels/skills and completing each phase with ruthless efficiency)
I feel you would enjoy Little Nightmares 1 and 2’s music. It’s haunting and lonely like hollow knight but less energetic and more environmental and mellow. Not sure if you take requests in comments but that’s my suggestion for a new game soundtrack to react to
Ohhhhh you did kefka's theme!! Sweet!!!
The grissini's project did this track on a church organ. You should see that too. Brilliant!
The melody at 8:55 is the Kefka theme. Whenever there is a scene with Kefka in it (in the first half of the game), it starts with this melody. Usually when he is up to something mischievous.
That transition from delusionally joyous major to minor with the Kefka theme in the back, going baroque prog rock wild into the distance and repeating. Aww it's perfection.
This music reminds me of the battle sound effects especially the battle window sound which fits perfectly to the music and even add extra tension on it. The battle against the warring triad was so intense and all the memory comes back when I hear this.
14:29 you see that sorrow... THAT is Kefka deep down, a true nihilist... and how does a nihilist greet their own end? With a Bitter cackling laugh. He's my favorite villain from ANYTHING. Someone said it best, "Even as a god, Kefka is deep down still the broken clown hell bent on destruction, and that is TERRIFYING." Also that synth lead there is to mimic a choir, lotta 16 bit era games do that. This game is a literal Opera.
Edit: Spelling. Words are hard XD
Amazing video and amazing song. I got to see this played live on the distant worlds concert in London. They play the organ bits with the huge organ in the royal Albert hall. It's slightly different to the cd version of Distant Worlds that uses a synth for the organ bits and electric guitars. It was magical to see everything go dark and see just the organ illuminated playing the solo bits
watching reaction videos to that song never gets old. I can't believe FF6 released so long ago and how many times I must have listened to dancing mad.
I just watched an awesome story analysis for Resonant Arc and one of their hosts was saying he viewed this boss design as being kefka’s journey of ascension to godhood. It made me look at the artwork more closely.
It also matches with the idea of hell-purgatory-heaven-god. Kefka is experimented on in his time in “hell” he then ascends into the Gestahlian empire along with other generals and is “purged” and purified in the fires of war. Finally he ascends to heaven where he meets the “Mary” figure (the warring triad) who revive him from near-death (Celes stabbing him) and finally allow him to ascend past the Gestahlian empire (represented by the metallic steel horns that slowly disappear the higher up you get). The warring triad gives him a new body in the final form where you face his idea of god (himself).
The music matches this so well. It may be the most well thought out last boss ever… or they got really lucky and there’s tons of symbolism to draw from something that isn’t there lol.
In the music the ever increasing chaos as a figure is trapped from the waist up just fits that idea of increasing experimentation on him in the first form. The second form mimicking the empires weird desire to conquer, and kefka enjoys it now that his mind is warped. He see how ridiculous it all is, both from the perspective of why the empire is fighting and how people can have hopes and dreams and then they’re just gone. He begins to recognize his true desire. There’s no reason for anything to exist. The music takes on strange dance. It’s a dance of meaninglessness and triviality. The melody is almost a slog if it weren’t for the drums. In the third form, the warring triad blesses him multiple times by protecting him from death on the floating continent. Holding him in their arms. Apparently this form was inspired by “La Pieta” by Michelangelo. Now the music becomes a joyful melody as the saviour is revived and protected by the godesses. But the undertone shows that this is still kefka. He’s elevated himself. He’s not a god just a clown telling you a glorious story of his ascension. Finally he allows you to approach and see the face of god (himself). The music starts to reflect his panic as he fights. You’re not dead yet. You should be. He begins to remember that he’s not god and he has to fight for his survival. The sad part of the music may either be your party’s struggle to continue on, or his realization that he’s lost. He’ll soon be reduced to the nothingness he desired for the world and he laughs as he realizes that his goals were as meaningless as anything else he’s seen in the world.
My favourite track from Uematsu 😊
Nobuo Uematsu is easily the greatest composer of my lifetime, and i wouldn't take issue with putting him in the top 5 of all time.
Yasunori Mitsuda can also compete, but Uematsu is always in a steady lead position.
If you've played an RPG in the last 40 years, and REALLY loved thr amazing music, there's a decent chance that they were involved.
My favorite of this game is probably Terras Theme, because it can evoke serious nostalgia. The whole soundtrack is great.
Thanks for the breakdown video.
Was waiting for this review. Of all the games I wanted this one remade.
I feel like there is a new era of HD2D remakes coming from square. Maybe this one will get a shot at it!
One of my favorite video game tracks ever. So excited you covered this one!
Yeah, this track is wicked awesome! Not sure if you know or if anyone ever told you, but Final Fantasy XIV has a Kefka fight, and they did a version of Dancing Mad! Give it a listen if you haven't!
have you ever listened to the soundtrack to Lost Odessey? it was also composed by Nobuo Uematsu though very few people seem to know about this game in general and I absolutely love it.
is no secret that nobuo uematsu is a big fan of ELP, and is really hard not to notice when you hear the 3rd movement of dancing mad the parallels between that and the song the three fates, from elp debut album, the main difference being some instrumental configuration and that elp uses mussorgsky as motif base for that song while uematsu uses the kefka theme as the motif but the way is arranged is extremelly similar at comparison.
however the case, is a great theme with lots of mastery in composition and setting the tone
Knowing you’re a fan of Chrono Trigger, I knew you’d review Dancing Mad someday. I can feel your excitement and appreciation for Uematsu’s work! Thank you for the insights as always!
Oh my god, you're finally covering one of my all-time favorite FF tracks. HYPED.
9:02 its kefkas character theme !!! holy shit !! i never noticed this detail
I really love this music, it really inspire me. And if i might suggest another ff music, it would be the theme of Ultimecia's castle in ff8. The one that helped me a lot to create one of my characters.
Anyway, keep on doing such excellent videos. ^^
I always saw the first three movements of Dancing Mad as Kefka posturing his godliness to the party. He doesn't take them seriously, so he might as well have some fun while he toys with them. The fourth movement is him giving the party his full, undivided attention as he tries to murder them, all while the realization that they CAN kill him begins to dawn on him before he tries to laugh it off.
So beautiful. Makes me tear.
This is the single most epic and amazing boss theme of all time. So many worthy contenders out there, but this has to take the crown. The entire theme is an epic in and of itself, with the finale featuring perfect Kefka leitmotif (and his laughter), and in total personifies Kefka's ascent into terrible, insane, narcissistic godhood. He's a villain who won and he knows it. You are both his honored guests in experiencing his divine visage, his newfound place above the whole of the world, as well as his play things whose only purpose is to bring him joy in your feeble attempts to defeat him.
Orchestral Fantasy channel has a live instrument cover of this complete with choir it's friggen amazing.
That melody in the bass you recognized but couldn't place from the "happy" part reminded me of an important melody from Final Fantasy Tactics.
This is one of the best games IMO. Absolutely love FF6
Absolutely. The opera scene in this is one of the most impressive and mindblowing things I've ever seen in a video game.
@@DaviVasc 100% Agreed.
Yeah I agree nobuo uematsu is one of my favorite composer's and dancing and is one of my favorite final boss themes ever. Only second to yoko shimumoras darkness of the unknown from kingdom hearts 2 from my favorite final boss Xemnas. Though I need to still play ff 6 and fight kefka I have heard he's one of the best. Anyways thanks for doing what you do I'm a huge fan of boss themes and I love you go into deep talk about them.
dancing mad is the nobuo's interpretation of the divine comedy of dante alighieri ( hell , purgatory and paradise ) the masterpiece of the videogame.
Ohhh damn! I can't explain how much I was hoping to see your react on this!
Love this song.
Thanks for the update.
A true masterpiece of a song, it hits me every time how good it is when i listen to it.
The fact that Uematsu was able to create something like this on the shitty SNES sound chip is nothing short of miraculous.
That is still such an amazing piece of video game music. This song alone has made me look for the story in music. Before, music was just that, sounds, but this song. This showed me music was different. I was probably about 9 playing this game, I think, and this frantic song made me feel so many emotions as it played on. The insanity, desperation, hopelessness, and acceptance of the battles outcome. It was the first time I actually thought about the boss and their motives for once. Understanding, they feel what they are doing is right at first, but maybe not soo much as they see the determination of the heroes trying to stop them. Maybe what they were doing was bad, and he realized the heroes were going to stop at nothing. He was going to loose, and accepted that outcome, then continued to put on his show..., because what else would a maniacal clown do...
Its funny. How you mentioned the organ is used in this piece. When the organ solo comes in, it reminds me of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor! I'm sure Uematsu was influenced by it in some way! This is definitely the best track in the game!
This theme is why I purchased the OST CDs from Japan back in 1998. While there has been plenty of masterpieces since this was written, none have matched its complexity.
Same. I was a high school student and online orders were brand new to me and it was a wild time. Then I spent two weeks straight listening to it.
Can we admire the guy fighting Kefka in the corner? He absolutely kicked that boss's teeth in.
Kefka isn't hard unfortunately.
@@knox7945 Oh, very sad.
It looks hard from how much damage it looks like they need to do to go up a level
Goner, and after is my favourite segment of dancing mad
@DaviVasc The first 3 movements are a reference to Dante's inferno. Hell, purgatory and heaven.
8:51 mind blown! Never realized it is there, but it is the Kefka's theme!
Yes! My most favourite FF game and it has such epic soundtrack, also the Pixel Remaster improved some songs. But not most for me, just some. For example Searching For Friends or Aria Di Mezzo Carattere.
Anyway, this game is so great and I liked the video earlier when it had 666 likes so I kinda broke that number, but that number fits this endgame well.
The person playing can't Sabin. Just epic track. Fantastic breakdown for us musically uninclined.
And all of this in 16bits. If people understood how limited that is, and how difficult it is to work with, would be even more impressed. Nobuo Uematsu is truly a Maestro and will be remembered as such for as long as we keep reccords of his compositions.
I have always thought of this song as kefka threw you into hell and you are clawing your way back up to him.
1st Movement (Hell) - Despairing, slow and sad
2nd Movement (Purgatory) - Lots of uncertainty and struggle also the section with the most enemies
3rd Movement (Heaven) - You've made to the gates of Heaven and the angels have come to meet you to defend their god. very cheerful and light-hearted
4th Movement (Judgment) - You've made it back to Kefka, time to finish this once and for all!
Uematsu had the SNES sound board SCREEEEAMING! Lol young me even knew he pushed it to its limit for its time. BTW what headsets do you use? Im in need of a new pair and would like recommendations.
I'd love to see you checking out music from XIV! There are some crazy bangers in there, and Masayoshi Soken is basically Uematsu's successor/protégé. Torn From The Heavens and Seat of Sacrifice are great for specific examples, but there are too many good songs to list!
No, he's not. Uematsu has no successor, fans made their own fancanon about that. Nobody does prog like him in the industry, the closest would be Motoi Sakuraba.
You really have to check out old Dragon Quest soundtrack by Koichi Sugiyama.
@8:52 "I don't remember where I heard this." That my good sir, is Kefka's Theme for the whole game actually. The SNES was amazing at storing sound samples. This piece of work here is more or less just a conglomeration of every other piece created for this game. All wrapped up in a nice pretty bow.
Congrats sir 👏 love the music, love the music theory and breakdown, love the passion 🤌 that's worth subscribing 😅
Davi, PLEASE do Bury the Light from Devil May Cry 5 next. It's one of my favorite songs, not just in gaming, in general too.
man, I've got to do that one. I've gotten so many requests for it
I recognize 11:50 - 12:20 and 13:55 - 15:00 from when Aphmau used those parts in her roleplay. I think she also used part of the theme inbetween those timestamps as well, but not 100% certain.
1:29 love how they setup the opera style earlier in the game
If you ever do another Final Fantasy song Id recommend Born Anew or Nascent Requiem from Final Fantasy 13
This theme and the battle itself is the definition of "Do what you must, because i already won"
It also makes a lot of sense, when you realize the final battle is also a direct reference to The Divine Comedy to an extent. The enemy tiers are structured as follows, and I'm using the actual names instead of "Statue of the Gods A-I":
Hell: Visage, Short Arm, Long Arm
Purgatory: Tiger/Beast, Magick, Tools/Machinery, Strength
Heaven: Lady and Rest
God: Kefka
The song also depicts signore Palazzo's fall into madness and ascension to godhood. Magitek warping his mind, acquiring more power and arcane power, while using machinery and all manners of beast to obtain his goals, taking the power of the Warring Triad and using it to become the God of All Magic, and finally his fall into hopeless nihilism. That last part gets very clear in his pre-battle talk (talking about it supposedly being pointless to build when all gets destroyed, living when we shall eventually die), and in his battle quote: "Life, Dreams, Hope.. Where do they come from, and where do they go? Such meaningless things, I'LL DESTROY THEM ALL!". Lastly, when you take him down, there's no end-of-battle comeback line, or anything said after before fading to nothing. He just silently dies, knowing he's finally free from a cycle he couldn't escape on his own.
Prog rock organ and all that Nobuo Uematsu sauce makes it seven levels of epic higher than anything.
この曲名、妖星乱舞(Yousei Ranbu)は別の方がorchestra風にアレンジしています。そちらはさらに壮大さが極まっています。是非聴いてみて。
素晴らしいレビュー
子供のころにFF6を含めた素晴らしいゲームを数えきれないほどプレイできたのは本当に幸せに思います
俺は日本に生まれてほんとによかったよ
It's so beautiful that it was the most inspiring boss music I dont feel has been replicated in almost any way since.
Best final fantasy song period.
I only know this theme because of the theatrhythm games. Now that the pixel remasters have released on consoles I can play it without paying an arm and a leg. It is truly amazing what Uematsu (I spell that right?) does despite the limitations of the early consoles. Truly a master of his craft.
That movement that you’re hearing that you couldn’t quite put your finger on that’s Kafka‘s theme that little piano piece there that you played was definitely Kafka’s theme.
Sephiroth and One Winged Angel may be the poster child of Final Fantasy, but in my heart, nothing can top this monolith of a piece by Uematsu
The total awesomeness, the sheer power, the absolute... insane magnificence of Dancing Mad has been with me from the very first day, somewhere around 1997-98.
For a game that had already been one of the wildest rides in any sort of fantasy story I had read until that point, or ever after, the culmination of the game, this battle against a nihilistic, psychopathic jester with god-like powers at the tune of the one true piece of chiptune music to push the limits of the SNES sound and memory chips with its pure orchestral flair... it was beyond amazing.
The first move with its ominous menace.
The second move with its deranged playfulness.
The third move with its near religious megalomania (Uematsu went so far as to make it sound as something J.S. Bach would insert in his famous Fuge in D minor).
It's fourth movement that goes completely nuts with such style.
And at the end... Kefka's iconic laughter.
The great Nobuo Uematsu and his amazing disciple, Yasunori Mitsuda. Two flat out geniuses who made me love RPGs and their music.
I'm right there with you, Davi, when you say you are glad and thankful for being alive an able to listen to this piece of aural glory.
PD: Since you did Uematsu's iconic Dancing Mad, can you do a Mitsuda track? The Chrono Trigger theme, Knight of Fire, U-TIC, Awakening... Corridors of Time... definitely Corridors of Time. You know, as a commemoration of the channel. I mean, your own rendition of Corridors was divine, I want to hear your thoughts on its structural beauty.
To me this is Uematsu's greatest piece. I love the soundtracks of all the games, but Dancing Mad just captured so much of what Kafka was.
You can just telll Uematsu is a massive progressive rock-fan, the final movement is him wearing his influences on his sleeve *cough*EMERSONLAKEANDPALMER*cough*
The 3rd movement is heavily inspired by Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor and Phantom of the Opera.
Definitely a complex piece, damn unique among final boss themes.
Movement 1: Fight is gonna kick yo' ass.
Movement 2: Madness exposed.
Movement 3: Madness behind the veil of holiness
Movement 4: We done fucking around, we in finding out territory now.
8:52 This movement is supposed to sound on the surface very divine, very reverential, very holy. But the infection of the toccata by Kefka’s theme shows that for all its divine posturing, there is a hidden joker deep within.
Hm, say, have you heard of Asura’s Wrath? ‘Cause I would like to see you cover In Your Belief at some point.
I would also like to see you cover Sakura’s Good Fight from Ultimate Ninja Storm 2.
If you were to listen to this piece without knowing the story and gameplay around it, you’ll get half the gist. But you’re totally right in that the parts you think sound like a more uplifting piece is nothing more than a delusion giving the context of who we are up against. Totally unsettling. It is like watching an opera unfolding and you as the audience know better. Couldn’t have said it better myself mister. I wanna revisit this fame in the pixel remaster version. Seeing the gameplay clips and how the graphics look more updated in color especially the magic spell, Ultima, ooh la la! Terra / Celes / Relm and Edgar