Touhou/Other Works/Awesome Music: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 04:36, 9 March 2014

Return to music index here.

The supplementary material

To begin this section, enjoy Kid's Festival ~ Innocent Treasures, widely considered to be ZUN's own theme song.
- And, of course, WAVE cranks the awesomeness Up to Eleven once again and manages to make it even more awesome. And four years later Morrigan goes ahead and makes his seventh arrange of it, possibly the most epic yet.
- Try a rocking version. It takes about 45 seconds for the epic to arrive.
- And IOSYS turns this theme into quite possibly the most Hot-Blooded drinking song ever with B-E-E-R.
- A fantastic piano version.
- "TOUHOU BANZAI! TOUHOU BANZAI!"
From the same collection - Phantasm Machine ~ Phantom Factory.
Most of ZUN's work is classical\techno, but there are a few rock pieces here and there, try Good Days, Bad Days.
Greenwich in the Sky, from Magical Astronomy, an album devoted to Maribel and Renko, is something you have got to hear for yourself.
- FlanGoY does it justice; then, there's this jazzy number from the album Time Limit~Eternity~.** This is a wonderful remix.
- O-Life Japan delivers yet again, with a high-energy rendition.
- And here is a supremely energetic vocal version.
- How about a cello arrangement?
Also from Magical Astronomy, you have G Free. This piece is probably more known for it's rearrangement and usage as the rather dramatic Final Boss theme and the Final Spell Card theme of Concealed the Conclusion (with no small part of Eternal Shrine Maiden mixed in as well).
Yet another Magical Astronomy masterpiece, helpfully titled Celestial Wizardry ~ Magical Astronomy.
Youkai Space Travel, a FM-synth tune from the Silent Sinner in Blue bonus CD, is a well-hidden gem.
- =NeutraL='s incredible orchestral arrangement is worthy to be considered a theme song for SSiB as a whole.
- Don't forget Watatsuki's Spell Card ~ Lunatic Blue from the same disc, and NeutraL's remix of such.
- Japanese Saga, Child of Are and Fly Above Hatoyama at Night (Power Mix). These FM-synth styled songs appears in the CD included with Perfect Momento in Strict Sense, and they are awesome. By the way, did you know that IOSYS took the three songs before mentioned, and then used it for their arrange called Geneology of Memories ~ until the End of History? It's worthy a listen of that arrange.
Similarly, from the second Strange and Bright Nature Deity CD comes the beautiful The Refrain of the Lovely Great War.
And The Strange Everyday Life of the Flying Shrine Maiden from Dolls in Pseudo Paradise is just plain awesome.
Dolls in Pseudo Paradise isn't as liked as the other music collections, however it's version of Eternal Shrine Maiden is simply beautiful.
From Ghostly Field Club, the largely ignored and completely fantastic Mary, the Magician. The piano version is pretty good, too.
Another from Ghostly Field Club, Girls' Sealing Club.
Blue Sea of 53 Minutes needs little introduction. It was remixed for the Concealed the Conclusion fangame, where it used to heartbreaking effect. And of course once TAM gets his hands on it the song becomes one of the saddest, most tear-jerking things ever.
The Purest Sky and Sea is calming, but also tinged with melancholy. Again, Concealed the Conclusion used it well.
Ahem, Border Between Dream and Reality, please. Around 1:38, the piano can really blow you away.
Illusionary Eternal Festival, the last track of Ghostly Field Club.
From the Strange and Bright Nature Deity CD: Sunny Milk's Scarlet Mist Incident which could affectionately be referred to as "UN Owen Was Sunny Milk?".
Also from the Strange and Bright Nature Deity CD is Star Voyage 2008, an almost completely mesmerizing tune as if you are traveling amongst the stars.
Many songs from ZUN's new album, Ruins of Torifune ~ Trojan Green Asteroid counts, among them are Satellite Torifune, Ame-no-Torifune Shrine, Barrier of Ame-no-Torifune Shrine, a remix of Hartmann's Youkai Girl, and The Gensokyo That Floats in Outer Space. Unfortunately, ZUN's took down the videos since it's not derivative works. ^[1].
- The best i could provide right now is the piano ver. of The Gensokyo That Floats in Outer Space

The whole libraries of albums overflowing with fanworks

5150 are a supergroup of Touhou fan-musicians who deliberately try to invoke the style of JAM Project with their works. More often than not, they succeed.
- Case in point, their arrange of the IaMP and SWR staff roll themes.
- Or the one of Shou's theme.
A group behind several songs probably more well known than their actual circle name, Hatsunetsumiko is a lovely circle that provided the majority of the music used in Touhou Kinema Kan. As good as these songs are however, this circle has many other songs that are well worth a listen.
The Poltergeist Mansion, a site devoted to all of the best arranges and mixes. The full collection of their uploads can be found here. Chaos Angel's "Lunasa" playlist covers Metal/Progressive Rock arranges and mixes, Emiya's "Merlin" playlist covers Classical arranges and mixes, and Moomaria's "Lyrica" playlist covers Techno/Trance arranges and mixes.
This remix known as Hakurei Shrine Neighborhood Association Marching Song should be ranked among the top remixes in all of Touhou, along with these three remixes.
- This troper raises you Remilia@Full-moon, Sunshine, Catshine, Border of Death, Artificial Children, as well as the previously-mentioned Heartful Neko-romancer.
- Give Praise Unto Me, and Celebrate My Miracles is a truly rocking remix of Kanako's stage theme with her boss theme.
Anything covered by marasy8 is awesome. The guy's so good, he's probably no longer human and has most likely become a Pianist youkai!
- More awesome by marasy. Seriously, just amazing.
With other remix circles getting extended shoutouts, it saddens this troper to see so little of Yellow Zebra's vocal remix work. While not as well known as, say, IOSYS, they do remarkable, infectious, dare we say radio-ready takes on Touhou. Ayakaze (remix of Wind God Girl), Scarlet Moon (remix of UN Owen Was Her?), I Know (remix of Locked Girl), and Melody! (remix of Phantom Ensemble) are pretty good places to start for their work.
- And don't forget Star-Colored Night Sky.
It had to happen eventually... but someone had the genius idea of doing Touhou/Hip-Hop mashups. And somehow it WORKS. Between crossing Eminem with UN Owen, Outkast with Flowering Night, to Jay-Z AND Linkin Park with Withered Leaf amongst other things...well, it shows how versatile the songs can be.
- Linky for when the Youtube links go dead.
- There was a hip-hop version of Necro-Fantasy on Sound Sepher's "Cradle" album from waaaay back (pre-IN), so the idea isn't exactly new. The interesting thing is that the lyrics sound like they're partially borrowed from a Bemani track. Necro-Fantasy.
- There're also the RED ZONE mashups, Scarlet Zone and Youkai Zone, which combines Red Zone with the Scarlet Sisters's and Koishi's themes.
And if you think that Touhou music is good combined with other music, this combination of Meiling's theme and Suwako's theme shows it's even better when combined with itself.
- A second case in point is Are they U.N.Owens? a Touhou 6 boss rush of theme's mixed with U N Owen.
- Then there's this chiptune-style medley of 12 songs, including Native Faith, UN Owen was Her?, Septet for the Dead Princess, and Flowering Night.
- How about this classical remix of Kaguya's and Mokou's theme?? The Battle of Eternity indeed.
- This particular mix of songs is awesome in itself, and defies words.
- The title says it all: U.N. Hartmann was a Youkai girl?
- White Fall's Unknown Girls goes beyond the previous example and adds something Nue to the mix.
- This mix of Kanako's and Suwako's themes is amazing.
- Cirno and Suwako arguing in sync = epic
- Heian Crisis?! ~ Stellar Cross combines Yumemi's theme with Nue's.
- How about Zun's theme himself, combining with other top-tier Touhou theme, creating something epic beyond mortal words .
While we're at it, try some music from the Mystical Chain fangame: here, here, here, here and here. Refined Grandiose at its finest.
- Don't forget the Final Boss Themes...
Another notable Touhou fan-uploader is kkcwkoh.
- Here, have some wonderful piano medleys. They are simply mesmerising.
- While not as widely known as kkcwkoh, sedrife is quite good too. Here's a few samples
It would be wrong not to mention the entire soundtrack of the fangame Concealed The Conclusion.
While there have been more than enough 8-bit style remixes, Hobby Atelier Carrot Wine does one better by creating a whole album of Mega Man-inspired remixes of the the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil themes plus extra. It's no small feat to make Locked Girl, Doll Maker of Bucharest, and Centennial Festival Magical Girls sound more dynamic than the originals, by DOWNGRADING THEM (in a purely and literally technical sense).
Every EWI instrument theme made. Case in point - Reincarnation.
Indy rock circle Saitama Saishuu Heiki, or S.S.H. for short, has done a number of Touhou remixes. In addition to the examples mentioned above, they've got a remix of Kaguya's theme Flight of the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess, and a magnificent little piece called Detroit Marisa City.

YouTube comment: Marisa stole the precious metal.

Anything and everything by CROW'S CLAW. Then again, they have songs called Kick Your Ass and Parental Advisory Explicit Guitar, so this troper's pretty sure they can make any music awesome.
- CROW'S CLAW specializes in ridiculously badass metal covers of video game music; in addition to a full three albums worth of Touhou stuff, he has two Type Moon cover albums (the second version of "Emiya", in particular, has to be heard to be believed) and one devoted to Final Fantasy music. They are all awesome.
Here is a great compilation of damn near every windows boss theme.
On a more focused scale, this medley of the EoSD themes as made by hapi.
- Now with a sequel using the themes from PCB.
The Western Phantasm compilation by Otachiden is a great 18-minute mix of most of the Shuusou Gyoku and Kioh Gyoku themes, as well as some more obscure works by ZUN.
What if one combined Cirno's theme with one of the best musics of the Mother series? Touhou Mother did it: It's Cirno's Unfounded Revenge, for the boss fight against Future Badass Advent Cirno.
Speaking of Advent Cirno - a group of artists got together to make an "OST" for the doujin, and as is appropriate blended Touhou themes with tunes from Final Fantasy. For example...
So there's a Mega Man-style fangame starring Marisa (and Alice)...and the music is mind blowingly awesome. Seriously.
- As long as we're unapologetically gushing, the fortress stage 5 music is suitably epic for a final stage to cross.
On that note, what happens when you cross Touhou with Pokémon? Some thing like this.
The Japanese hardcore dance scene does quite a few remixes.
- By Minamotoya: Flower Stream -Trancecore Mix-
- By REDALiCE: Purple Storm, Six Nine, Feel of Feelings
- By Tsukasa: Drake
- By Thanatos: Rumble Iciclefall
The Castlevania-inspired fangame Koumajou Densetsu (Legend of the Scarlet Devil Castle), more colloquially called 'Touhouvania' (for obvious reasons) has some pretty good original music. And while it eschews remixes of existing Touhou songs, it DID get Chata to sing the opening theme, Kirisome no Amnesia (second version with natural violins). Which apparently has become a leitmotif in the second game.
- The second game ups the ante with two more: Reimu's boss theme and the true final boss theme vs. Remilia.
  - Here is also the instrumetal version of Rose Killing Carmilla.
- And the latest patch goes Up to Eleven with Yukari's Phantasm theme.
- Also worth a mention is the opening theme from the sequel, Afraid, also by Chata.
Dark A Liar may be a funny name, but the (old) final boss theme for Labyrinth of Touhou is extremely awesome.
- Why the "old?" Because this music showed up on a special disc to take its place, an orchestral piece that is simultaneously epic and heartbreaking.
- And then there's "Ikusa JAPAN," which may have been lifted from somewhere else, but will now forever be known as the theme music of MANnosuke.
- Celluloid might just be a normal battle theme for the second half of the game or so, but it's a masterful mix of upbeat and rocky elements, absolutely guaranteed to get you going!
A 26-minute mix of every final stage boss themes as of 12.3, including PC-98 ones.
- It took a damn while, but I did it. Now on Youtube. -Patcheresu
- Also, from the same authou, there's a 2-part medley with the extra boss themes up to FW, with some other songs included, like the fan-phantasm themes from Mountain of Faith and Subterranean Animism.
A-zure's techno remixes of many of the songs.
Apparently, Touhou music sounds good when parodying Iron Maiden. Yes.
Jesselejohn has a collection of PC-98 and Seihou remasters and remaster-like remixes, some of which are linked on the other pages.
The fangame Fantasy Explorer Nitroid by Desunoya includes awesome songs such as the World 4 Theme and an amazing Final Boss Theme.

Songs in the Style of ZUN

Things have gotten to the point where people have begun making songs in the vein of the ZUN style, some for fan games, some just for the hell of it. Choice examples:

The FamilyMart jingle (which reached meme status with Japanese fandom).
The Donkey Kong Hammer theme (which also reached meme status with Japanese Fandom with several mashups), done in typical Touhou style.
Rin Kagamine's signature theme, MELTDOWN, is given the ZUN treatment in spectacular fashion.
Various fanmade stage and boss themes for Damakufu, such as The Kappa Way as Said ~ One Way Accelerator, Mitori's theme in the fan-made Phantasm Stage of Subterranean Animism.
- Mitori's stage theme Leaf ponders the Flower, Flower ponders the Leaf.
- Awakening Wolf's Instinct, Momiji's boss theme from the fan-made Phantasm stage to Mountain Of Faith.
- The fanmade Phantasm for UFO features an unexpectedly badass Nazrin, and the song "Outskirts of the Battle".
  - And then another composer took another shot at it and managed to produce the musical equivalent of a ridiculously powerful mouse on crack backed by a carnival band who might also be on crack: "Crafty Tiny Gray".
- Tonight's Rainfall, an EX-Stage theme for Daiyousei from the creator of many of the other ZUN-Alikes already on this list.
- With a fanmade Phantasm for Ten Desires comes the rowdy theme of Ibara Kasen, Rumble Temple.
  - And the stage theme, for good measures: "Divine Spirit's Evening Bell Road". Somewhere between understated and solemn, and jazz groove.
Characters without stages also get their own themes: Hisoutensoku's fan-made final boss character Sasha Sashiromiya's The Fake History of Black and Shadow ~ The Fake with High Quality, and Rin Satsuki (the third player character cut from EoSD), has Cherry-Flavoured Justice ~ Descending Red both deserve a mention.
Stuffman42 on YouTube goes above and beyond the call of Danmakufu and hires a professional composer. The Stage 1 and Stage 2 bosses are sounding good so far!
Kimiko Muffin, maker of Touhou Nekokayou, has some wonderful pieces to complement to series. Aperture Girl (Meimu's pre-battle theme), Edge of Spacetime ~ Navy-Blue Generation (Meimu's main theme), and Subterranean God ~ Sunfire (Yasora Kojiwa's theme) stand out above the rest.
- Yasora's Theme and an Extension from my channel.
- Masha isn't much of a fighter so her theme, Mushroom Land ~ Little Red Mushroom, is used as a credits theme. Still awesome, though.
- Cottagesnagged, the eponymous main theme of the second CSA game.

↑ Along with Unknown Flower Mesmerizing Journey's too. Well, he IS selling an album there, so it can't be helped

[1] Along with Unknown Flower Mesmerizing Journey's too. Well, he IS selling an album there, so it can't be helped

[1]