Talking about remixes: Mystic Ark, "Your Fighting Eyes Are Always Beautiful"

Akihiko Mori's career in game composing was over before it really began. His resume reveals lots of work for 16-bit titles but little major until the RPG Mystic Ark in 1995. He passed away of cancer not three years later, no older than 32.

The best way to appreciate what in the West is his best-known work is to listen to the arranged tracks from the OST - oddly, the soundtrack in great part (at least to my ears) doesn't work in-game. Part of it is simple luck of the draw, as the game's least-listenable compositions are the ones most frequently heard in a playthrough (the suffocating "Your Mother Is the Next God", which plays in the hub; the lazy, vaguely-sleazy town tune "Gunboss Theme"); part of it is, well, Mystic Ark is an uninspiring game to watch and play, and there's little onscreen with which the music can combine to grow into something more. But I think it's also that Mori's compositions in-game are undone for me by unfortunate synth choices, which the arrangements go a long way in remedying.

Take "Your Fighting Eyes Are Always Beautiful," one of the game's battle themes, which is greatly improved in the remix by one key choice: an electric guitar taking the main line instead of the unidentifiable synth in the original. It's kind of odd for electric guitar to be the solution, as it's such an overused instrument in VGM remixing; it works here, though, since it adds elements to the main line sorely lacking in the original - drive and identity. The original synth is very muffled and muddy; the bridge mimics the sound effects a kindergartner makes when playing with Tonka trucks. There's a degree of energy to the composition, but it's counteracted by the mushy sound and back-and-forth trudging rhythm that make battle seem like a slog. The sizzle and fluid sound of the electric guitar let the main melody shine through instead of getting mired; the composition flows instead of stutters and sounds dangerous and dynamic - as a battle track should. Furthermore, the presence of distinguishable synth instruments in the arrangement allows for some variety, as when the guitar fades back a bit to let some high horns take the lead, or the playfully kickass shredding at 1:20, or the slightly Miami Vice-ish drums & keyboard that tinker with pace and rhythm just before the loop. With the higher-fidelity instruments, there's more to catch the ear, and the individual elements of the piece both stand out and come together more effectively.

I should note here that my viewpoint, while heartfelt, is an anomaly; Mystic Ark's soundtrack is generally well-regarded. I wish that Mori had lived to work in the full ascendance of the CD era, though, as the higher quality of instrumentation it afforded would have served his compositions better and widened his renown. Now, we can only appreciate the good stuff we got.
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