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Over OCRemix's 13+ year history, quite a few special arrangement albums have been released, but nothing can compare with the recent release of Balance and Ruin, a 5-disc tribute to the music of Final Fanstasy VI. In lieu of OCR Spotlight, I'd like to take the next several weeks to highlight the music of this incredible album. Final Fantasy VI is my favorite game soundtrack and I couldn't be more excited for what these remixers have put together.

Check out the official site here for links to download all the tracks and to see more background info on the project. Not all the songs are not on Youtube yet, so I can't provide you video of them all but I'll give you an idea of what they're like, at least, and hopefully pique your interest. Make sure to check them out yourself. You never know what you might like. Now on to the music!

Prologue (Source: Opening Theme; remixed by: bustatunez) -- This epic orchestral remix is the perfect way to start the album. Final Fantasy VI had a darkly dramatic opening and the remixer here captures all the emotions of those first few scenes. I don't know if this is live orchestra or not but dang, it sounds good.

Now Is the Winter (The Mines of Narshe; Mustin) -- This low key, sax-infused jazz remix is a natural progression from the orignal track.

Remember (Awakening; Joshua Morse) -- This remix steps away from Morse's usual nightclub jazz and channels a little bit of Yanni instead. By turns mysterious and chill, it still manages to stay true to the spirit its source.

Smoke and Clouds (Locke's Theme; Jeff Ball feat. Laura Intravia) -- This remix is a noticeable departure from the original, building an electronic dreamscape from Locke's theme and featuring some surprisingly tasteful Japanese lyrics.

Polemos (Battle Theme; Snapple Man, norg, Captain Finbeard) -- This epic rock take on the Battle Theme isn't messing around. Featuring big riffs and epic solos, it's also surprisingly long. If you pay attention you can hear bits of battle themes from other FF games, like IV and IX.

Tastes Like Victory (Fanfare; Leitbur) -- I was skeptical how they'd make the victory fanfare into an entire remix but remixer Leitbur managed. An ethereal electronic soundscape peppered with some cheesy lyrics, this remixed would not have been out of place in one of the early Monkey Ball games.

Castles in the Sand (Edgar and Sabin; Nutritious) -- An exciting remix of Edgar and Sabin's themes is sure to please fans of orchestral music. Nutritious always provides top-notch work and this is no exception.

Ascension of a Madman (Kefka's Theme; Steffan Andrews) -- Kefka's theme gets orchestral treatment, though more akin to film music than classical, and the remixer manages to capture the essence of the mad character throughout.

La Montaña de los Caballos Jóvenes (Mt. Koltz; XPRTNovice feat. Ray Webb) -- Who can forget climbing Mt. Koltz? Did you know it's in Spain? No? Then listen to this acoustic guitar-driven flamenco remix. Most impressive.

On the Run (The Returners; Leitbur) -- This airy electronic remix of The Returners is a little hard to recognize at first. The lyrics are a little heady too but hey, excellent production values.

A Fistful of Nickles (Shadow's Theme; zircon, XPRTNovice, Jillian Aversa, Jeff Ball) -- Imagine the coolest western you can think of, whether it's a movie, book, comic, or whatever, and multiply its awesomeness by 100 and you'll get this remix. A true standout among excellent tracks, this reimagining of Shadow's theme has everything you could ask for, including epic whistling. Yep, it's that awesome.

Camp Kefka (Troops on the March; Joshua Morse) -- Going even further from this remixer's norm, this orchestral/rock/electronic hybrid paints a picture of the callous army of the Empire. Don't cross these guys!

Stone Drum (Cyan's Theme; Radiowar) -- This remix makes some interesting arrangement choices, from its instrumentation to the applied audio filters and sound effects. Not bad, certainly, but unexpected.

Toxic (The Unforgiven; Beatdrop) -- This electronica remix does its best to get its title across in the music. You can almost feel the poison.

De Nuit (Phantom Forest; mv feat. Jeff Ball) -- The mystery of the original gives way to some urgent electronic jazz before sobering up at the end. Seems to me more like a phantom beach than a forest.

Gobble, Snarf, Snap (Phantom Train; XPRTNovice) -- For me this track was the surprise delight of the first CD. I never expected to find swing music in the bunch but here it is and what a remix too! If this clarinet-driven train can't take you back to the early parts of the twentieth century, then there's something wrong with your imagination. Exellent piece of music right here.

Savage Triumph (Wild West; Flexstyle, OA, Nutritious) -- We end this first disc with epic electronic rock. Want some grungy synths with your guitars? Gotcha covered. Some orchestral underpinnings and neat sound effects round out a package that is not to be missed.

 

Be sure to head over to the website for Balance and Ruin and download the album in its entirety (it's free!). And check back next week as we take a look and listen at disc 2!