arrangers:
- link: artist/11774
  names:
    en: Jeff Ball
- link: artist/61142
  names:
    en: Dr. Manhattan
- link: artist/7192
  names:
    en: Brandon Strader
- link: artist/12350
  names:
    en: BONKERS
- link: artist/61141
  names:
    en: Kidd Cabbage
- link: artist/56706
  names:
    en: Darkmoocher
- link: artist/1433
  names:
    en: mellogear
- link: artist/5483
  names:
    en: PrototypeRaptor
- link: artist/56707
  names:
    en: W!SE the all.E
- link: artist/11801
  names:
    en: Chernabogue
- link: artist/16410
  names:
    en: PacificPoem
- link: artist/1216
  names:
    en: zykO
- link: artist/14618
  names:
    en: XPRTNovice
- link: artist/59089
  names:
    en: Tuberz McGee
- link: artist/59426
  names:
    en: Sixto Sounds
- link: artist/49325
  names:
    en: Viking Guitar
- link: artist/73923
  names:
    en: Sir Jordanius
- link: artist/16411
  names:
    en: IanFitC
- link: artist/59699
  names:
    en: Hat
catalog: OCRA-0051
categories:
- Game
category: Game
classification: Arrangement
composers:
- link: artist/77
  names:
    en: Nobuo Uematsu
    ja: 植松伸夫
- link: artist/224
  names:
    en: Tsuyoshi Sekito
    ja: 関戸剛
covers:
- full: https://media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688667.png
  medium: https://medium-media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688667.png
  name: Front
  thumb: https://thumb-media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688667.png
- full: https://media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688671.png
  medium: https://medium-media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688671.png
  name: Back
  thumb: https://thumb-media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688671.png
discs:
- disc_length: '44:30'
  name: Disc 1
  tracks:
  - names:
      English: Preluematsude (Prelude)
    track_length: '4:09'
  - names:
      English: The Last March (The Imperial Army)
    track_length: '4:33'
  - names:
      English: Rebirth (Revival)
    track_length: '3:16'
  - names:
      English: Rebel Dream [Main Theme (FF1), The Rebel Army, Find Your Way (FF8),
        Main Theme]
    track_length: '6:07'
  - names:
      English: Leon Is a Fucking Dick (Battle Theme 1)
    track_length: '4:05'
  - names:
      English: garLACTUS Win [Victory, Fanfare (FF7)]
    track_length: '2:19'
  - names:
      English: Deuces (Ancient Castle)
    track_length: '2:50'
  - names:
      English: Firion N Maria (Will Take You to the Rebels) [The Rebel Army]
    track_length: '5:13'
  - names:
      English: Analog Freedom (Town, The Rebel Army)
    track_length: '3:27'
  - names:
      English: the final WON (Battle Theme A, Victory)
    track_length: '4:00'
  - names:
      English: Rebellion (Dead Music, The Rebel Army)
    track_length: '4:31'
- disc_length: '47:41'
  name: Disc 2
  tracks:
  - names:
      English: Heroes of Dawn [Chaos Temple (FF1), Reunion, The Rebel Army, Deep Under
        the Water (FF3), Dead Music (FF1)]
    track_length: '6:48'
  - names:
      English: Snakeyes (Battle Theme B)
    track_length: '6:35'
  - names:
      English: Grind My Crank (Tower of the Magi)
    track_length: '4:03'
  - names:
      English: Personification of Evil (The Emperor's Rebirth, Escape!)
    track_length: '3:53'
  - names:
      English: A Kingdom Fallen (Main Theme)
    track_length: '6:27'
  - names:
      English: Torchlit (Dungeon)
    track_length: '5:38'
  - names:
      English: GG but ___ Solos Win [Victory, The Winner (FF8)]
    track_length: '2:46'
  - names:
      English: Castellum Infernum (Castle Pandemonium)
    track_length: '3:49'
  - names:
      English: Imperial Rapture (Battle Theme 2)
    track_length: '6:14'
  - names:
      English: Finally (Finale)
    track_length: '1:28'
link: album/53236
lyricists:
- link: artist/56706
  names:
    en: Darkmoocher
- link: artist/5483
  names:
    en: PrototypeRaptor
- link: artist/56707
  names:
    en: W!SE the all.E
- link: artist/11801
  names:
    en: Chernabogue
- link: artist/1216
  names:
    en: zykO
- link: artist/14618
  names:
    en: XPRTNovice
- link: artist/73923
  names:
    en: Sir Jordanius
media_format: 2 Digital
meta:
  added_date: 2015-06-07T06:42
  edited_date: 2022-09-15T05:28
  fetched_date: 2026-01-06T23:07
  ttl: 86400
  visitors: 6000
name: 'Rebellion: Inspired by the Music of Final Fantasy II'
names:
  en: 'Rebellion: Inspired by the Music of Final Fantasy II'
  ja: 'Rebellion: Inspired by the Music of Final Fantasy II'
  ja-latn: 'Rebellion: Inspired by the Music of Final Fantasy II'
notes: 'Final Fantasy II: Rebellion

  Comments from album director Brandon Strader and ReMixers

  Album freely available at http://rebellion.ocremix.org

  A great album is the sum of its parts as much as any social movement or revolution
  is the culmination of efforts from brave individuals. The sheer amount of dedication
  that went into creating Rebellion will be difficult to properly appreciate; many
  of the involved artists worked on their music for months. Some of them worked on
  particular songs for over a year. At the end of this journey, it was the combined
  vision, talents, and dedication of each artist that created an album with its own
  personality. A smooth experience that seemingly has its own narrative, from one
  song to the next.

  I''m eternally grateful to the artists that returned to work on Rebellion after
  the completion of the first album, Random Encounter. I am equally grateful to those
  who are making their first appearance, and those who have chosen to be on the final
  album covering Final Fantasy 3. Without your hard work and sacrifice, this album
  would not have been possible. To the fans -- I hope that listening to this album
  fills you with as much joy as it has given me these past several years.

  Thank you for the rebellion, and may our random encounter continue to bring us liberation.

  - Brandon Strader

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  1-01. Jeff Ball - "Preluematsude"

  Source: "Prelude"

  Brandon Strader: Jeff, like the other artists involved, is top class both as a musician/composer
  and as a person. He went above and beyond with this interpretation of the classic
  "Prelude," providing a nice warm, electronic sound, with some soaring violin melodies
  later in the song. A true delight and great introduction to an album saturated with
  more diverse and dynamic compositions.

  Jeff Ball: The "Prelude" itself is literally just an arpeggiated chord progression,
  since this was before Uematsu had put any melody with it. So, in this case, all
  you have to work with is a string of notes, which meant I had to use some creativity.
  I ended up taking the original arpeggio and mixing up the chords a bit, along with
  glitching the hell out of it. To this, I added some surrounding melodic material
  over some beats. Throw in some chord extensions, some live violins, then cook in
  the oven at 375° for 15 minutes, and you''ll get something that sounds like an underwater
  cityscape. I kinda wanted the remix to be a gradual unfolding into the original
  chord progression, so you don''t actually hear the full string of chords until the
  violins come in at 2:21, then the real heart of the piece happens at 3:00.

  1-02. Dr. Manhattan - "The Last March"

  Source: "The Imperial Army"

  Brandon Strader: Dr. Manhattan is neither a doctor nor a city, but his methodical
  riffs apply metropolitan levels of creativity that may leave you needing medical
  attention. If he did have a medical degree, he''d have a Ph. Drop D. Alright, sorry.
  I honestly didn''t expect this result when I asked him to cover the song. He went
  so far beyond anything I could have imagined, and produced a song that, in my mind,
  stands among the shredding greats of our time. Between the structure, the solos,
  and the attention to detail with the effects, you just have to hear this remix.
  Stop reading this and listen.

  1-03. Brandon Strader - "Rebirth"

  Source: "Revival"

  Brandon Strader: "Rebirth" is pretty close to the kind of music I have been working
  towards making for a long time. It''s kinda undefinable, IT''S NOT DUBSTEP STFU,
  with a lot of elements that are not dubstep. It''s the kind of hybridization between
  electronic and organic instrumentation that I''ve been trying to achieve since the
  original version of "Celestial Entrance." It''s possibly the brutalest metal I''ve
  ever forged and it shall be upon the Final Fantasy 2 album. The basilisk in FF2
  is lizard-like, so it almost has Argonians, which is cool. It hadn''t occurred to
  me until just now, but this might be a hipster remix.

  1-04. BONKERS - "Rebel Dream"

  Sources: "Main Theme" (FF1), "The Rebel Army," "Find Your Way" (FF8), "Main Theme"

  Brandon Strader: Named after my mental state upon hearing his new remixes, BONKERS
  continues to amaze. I would take up begging as a full-time gig if it meant we could
  get new BONKERS remixes for FF3 -- but for now, I hope you feel as entitled and
  honored as I do to be able to experience the magnificence of "Rebel Dream" and "Analog
  Freedom." As for "Rebel Dream," it''s a truly artistic take on the overworld theme
  that mingles in with "Find Your Way" from FF8. BONKERS'' artistic choices and overall
  ability leave me in a depressed state of inadequacy.

  BONKERS: I''ll be shorter about this one. I have mixed feelings, to be completely
  honest. This song will probably be hit or miss for most people and you''ll probably
  not be able to tell when listening to it that I worked harder on this than I have
  on anything else in my entire life. Through the worst depression of my life, trying
  to bring creativity from the depths of my body where it seemed there was none at
  all. (Seems pathetic to the idle observer maybe. I don''t know...)

  If you read my "Town" writeup, a lot of what happened there applies to this as well.
  But the vision was different from the beginning, from all the way back to 2011.
  Originally, I wanted to create something with epic four-part harmony choral vocals
  from section C (added section from PSX version) onward. And I wanted to use the
  same sound palette for consistency for the listeners who had heard Random Encounter.
  But as some time went on, I listened to Random Encounter and I was not impressed
  with myself due to some production choices (and performance) and that fuggin AWFUL
  lead Sync synth. But Random Encounter was a big breakthrough in general and I struggled
  with those as a huge learning process as well. So it''s natural I wouldn''t have
  thought of the things I do now, back then. And through this project, the struggle
  would multiple tenfold.

  I struggled just finding ideas to start the song off. But then I had a moment of
  creative genius (IMO) when fiddling on the piano one day. I was creating my own
  harmonies for a piano/keyboard interpretation of FF1 main theme and something in
  my mind clicked. "HEY, this can be bridged to Rebel Army theme, I think!" And that
  ended up being the intro, a keyboard (mostly. The counter melody on the harp near
  the end is still playing FF1 parts ;) ) arranged seamless transition from FF1 to
  FF2. To the layman, maybe this intro will be awkward and not make any sense. But
  I still wanted some semblance of consistency from my FF1 songs to FF2. And I guess
  this was one way to do it.

  But after that, another brick wall. Until I was talking to Brandon one day and he
  suggested something along the lines of mixing up "Find Your Way" from FF8 in there.
  And I had considered something like that before but dismissed it. But something
  made sense here and another click came. And that paved the way for the basic first
  section that would interweave "Find Your Way" with the world map theme from FF2J,
  and what would ultimately become something the song plays and relies on HEAVILY.

  From that point, doing barebones work was fairly straightforward but a lengthy drawn-out
  process with many do-overs for probably 6+ months. But during this time, I knocked
  out a LOT of my sound design ideas for the song and my intention on the production.
  To be mixed and sound as if listened to from listener perspective in the audience
  of a concert hall while still having a middle ground between sounding good and entirely
  muffled. Please refer to my mixing diagram here for an easy picture of what I intended.
  (https://i.minus.com/iXfnPiUouTZl7.png) This rather than, say, from drummer perspective
  (where drums are full stereo width), whereas from listener perspective they are
  fairly narrow and go about 30% width, maybe.

  As time went on and my ideas became more complex, this turned into a mixing nightmare.
  I struggled with this as much as I did on the songwriting. And I don''t think it
  turned out quite the way I had envisioned. But alas, I suppose that''s part of the
  process. You don''t magically stop sucking. You suck a little less each successive
  time you try. So I''d imagine one or a few or even all of you probably will have
  major issue with my mix/master. So please feel free to criticize the CRAP out of
  me!

  From a recording perspective, this was unbelievably terrible. I basically had to
  record every line one or two bars at a time and then stop to retune my bass or my
  guitar because I couldn''t get the intonation very good for shit on a stick, or
  I''d have to change the open note tuning of a string to get a certain note a certain
  way because it sounded abysmal otherwise. Basically, this whole song is nothing
  but damn punch-in''s. I spent months upon months upon months recording, re-recording,
  trying to get the best I could out of what I had. The only thing that wasn''t punch-ins
  was the solo probably. Fortunately, I could get those all in one take basically.

  Well, that''s about all I can muster about this song at the time being (June 26th,
  2013, age 22). I really just am lost about this song. I don''t even know... sorry,
  guys, if I''m coming off all angsty and whatnot. I just can''t stand not to do my
  absolute best, pushing myself as hard as I can to create something unique without
  disturbing much of the originals.

  The song structure is definitely really fuckin'' odd. Probably every section is
  unique in some way. Even if it repeats a previous section, it''s redone in a different
  way. And I think this will probably and ultimately backfire and create an unpleasant
  listening experience. I don''t think you could even classify this song as prog,
  or metal, or whatever. I really am just that damn clueless about this song. And
  I think it will have to be the last time I ever do something this stupid that goes
  against everything ingrained in modern culture about repetition in music. Or music
  at all in any period of history. I will try to do better in the future... if I can
  get my creative mojo back once I get my life on track where it needs to be if I
  want to have any future in audio or a future at all. *sigh* (Sorry again. :| )

  Anywho, I better stop while I can. I hope someone can enjoy this song in some way.
  I don''t expect it to be popular or liked by many. But what can I say... guess I
  march to the beat of my own drummer sometimes.

  (July 21st, 2013) I made some revisions to this song that I feel are a vast improvement
  (after having a few weeks break after finishing it initially) that comes closer
  to my vision described my original submission comments. (Despite the depressed tone
  of said comments. It''s been a long road.)

  1-05. Kidd Cabbage - "Leon Is a Fucking Dick"

  Source: "Battle Theme 1"

  Kidd Cabbage: Hi. My name is Jon. I like heavy metal, making heavy metal, and swear
  words. Sometimes, I mix all three of these. Sometimes, I tune my guitar down to
  drop X and chug around. Other times, I make weedlies and put them on top of the
  chugs. Usually, there are more chugs than weedlies, though. The guitar''s all gug-gug-gug
  and the drums are like wham pam pa pow! And then the guitar is like a lot!

  Strader was all "You want to make a track for this FF2 project," and I''m all "lol
  ya." Then I plugged in my guitar, tuned it down to the sound of my fart, and slapped
  around on it for a while. Don''t share my production secrets.

  I''m fairly certain this song has a bass guitar, too.

  1-06. Darkmoocher - "garLACTUS Win"

  Sources: "Victory," "Fanfare" (FF7)

  1-07. mellogear - "Deuces"

  Source: "Ancient Castle"

  1-08. PrototypeRaptor - "Firion N Maria (Will Take You to the Rebels)"

  Source: "The Rebel Army"

  1-09. BONKERS - "Analog Freedom"

  Sources: "Town," "The Rebel Army"

  BONKERS: I honestly have to say it''s been a journey working on the FF2 project.
  The last year and a half of my life has solely depended basically upon nothing else
  but working on these two songs.

  It''s been so long that I don''t even remember when I decided to take on the beautiful
  town theme. It''s just THAT blurred together. All I can remember from back then
  was thinking "What the hell am I going to do with this song?" I had an initial idea
  to approach it a la "Roaming... Please Wait" with the intro, but change the song
  into 3/4. This was back when my initial approach to FF2 was to have consistency
  with the sound set I crafted for Random Encounter so people would recognize that
  certain sound of my Random Encounter tracks. I had to get a little creative with
  the melody to make it feel right in 3/4.

  So a little time goes by and I realize that the soundset I made for FF1 SUCKED.
  HARD. The lead synth choice alone was enough to just say "You know what, screw this
  crap. My ears want to die. Why, WHY did I choose to use a sync''d Prophet V-type
  lead?!"

  Further time passes, and I ponder, and I ponder. "What can I do that will do the
  town theme justice? That doesn''t destroy the feeling of the original too much?"
  Straight rock wouldn''t work, it''d be too contrasting. Metal is entirely out of
  the question. 3/4 original concept is outlandish. Eventually, I have an eye-opener.
  Analog warmth. This one phrase caused an explosion of ideas. I wanted to do this
  sounding analog, and warm with many retro elements from eras all across the last
  50 years, including almost a full NES channel set in there. (Pulse 1 & 2, triangle
  -- though triangle is processed a lot for other reasons.)

  So I had my spark. I started creating new effects chains, researched synthesizers,
  effects (gated plate verb kick/toms, for example), tape saturation, noise, and sounds
  of all kinds to try and recreate within my limited digital domain. I created new
  instrument combinations. New instruments. One effect in particular of the 80''s
  that I just absolutely adore and had to find a way to recreate it was what I call
  "80''s Shimmer Guitar." And it''s exactly as it sounds. The best example of this
  effect that I can think of is the 2nd OP to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. My creation
  isn''t entirely faithful or the same (it''s missing some parts to it), but it was
  good enough and it was the best I could do.

  Song structure-wise, around that time I recalled I had done some analysis on the
  90''s synth rock ballad version of "Requiem of a Nameless Soul" on the Dracula Battle
  albums a few years prior. And I thought that that was a brilliant place to start
  structurally and almost exactly fit a lot of the ideas I had for "Town." And I thought
  that the intro would mesh well with my intentions. Instead of the song being silent
  for a measure before the melody kicks in, that measure is used as a pick-up measure
  for "Town''s" melody. And so that''s where I started. (Although the actual melodies
  for "Analog Freedom" would actually be the VERY last part of the music to be recorded.
  But I''m getting to that.)

  Continuing on song structure, the last few years have been a real hard battle and
  lesson with repetition and perspective in relation to both the listener and creator.
  I spend so many countless hours both working on songs and even just thinking about
  them and brainstorming hoping for inspiration, that I lose perspective on the overall
  song and it makes me want to make every section completely different. I lose perspective.
  Not only for me, but for the listener. The listener only hears the finished product.
  I hear the same single section a hundred times or more probably by the time I''m
  done arranging just that one section. So I''m already repetitive''d out. And I''ve
  never stopped to think about it and song flow in relation.

  This is the first step in reaching my middle ground between creativity and repetition.
  (Unlike "Rebel Dream," which is completely the opposite and my swan song to progressive
  rock style''d song structure.) From now on, I hope to make most of my songs this
  way. Though exceptions will be had depending on what the source calls for.

  Time went along and I had more and more ideas, and I refined my instrumental palette
  more and more. And music started flowing out and out. For the first half of the
  song, I wrote 100% completely original accompanying lines and counter-melodies of
  music and did not use any of the original from either Tsuyoshi Sekito''s version
  or Uematsu''s Famicom original. But at the same time, I created intentional similarities
  in rhythm and used similar harmonies in order to retain the feeling of the source.
  Though that''s not to say I completely ignored them. By the time the solo comes
  around, both Uematsu''s original NES pulse wave counter-melody and Sekito''s acoustic
  guitar lines are played at the same time (even though, IIRC, some of the chord tones
  are not 100% the same). Uematsu''s on a NES pulse wave + honky-tonk heavy-chorused
  piano and organ. And Sekito''s on pulse wave + 80''s shimmer guitar + heavily-chorused
  and tremolo''d warm electric guitar.

  When those are all going on, this is one of the few times the two NES pulse waves
  and the triangle are all playing together at the same time. The song builds and
  builds, and then it takes a small break (and this is where the original counter-melodies/accompanying
  lines end) to a soft Mellotron both referencing and inspired by "Strawberry Fields"
  to gain a moment''s rest before blasting into the ending.

  Happily and solemnly connecting to that moment to remind you that you are in the
  town of the Rebel Army. And that these two songs are forever linked in your experiences
  in the game. As you first hear the two together at the start of the game, you end
  up at the Rebel Army headquarters and then venture out into the solemn yet upbeat
  town.

  I did not do any analysis or research on the "Rebel Army" theme''s original counter-melody
  or chord structure/progression. Instead, I took the melody and I created my own
  counter-melody and progression to it to give the feeling I desired. I am SUPER happy
  with the result. In fact, this small clip is my favorite part of the song! XD

  OK, so it''s mid-last year. And I''m exactly up to the point arrangement-wise thus
  told. But there is still no melody. This is where things come to a standstill. I
  was at a loss. Nothing I did seemed to fit or would work well with my intentions.
  So I stopped and went back to working on "Rebel Dream" for a while. Months go by,
  and every moment of every day I am constantly thinking of both of these songs and
  what is missing and what I need to do to keep on refining them and perfecting them
  as much as I can. And then it takes a turn for the worse. Depression. I was jobless
  and was feeling immense pressure (from myself) to do these songs as perfect as I
  could. To try and reach my vision in my mind''s eye that would do the source justice.
  I lost all motivation, all desire. Yet perish the thought my mind could not. For
  about 4 months, from Sept. to the end of January, my day consisted of getting up,
  doing my Dailies (daily household tasks), eating breakfast, watching The Young and
  the Restless/other daily shows, and then spending ~12 hours sitting in front of
  my computer doing basically nothing but trying to come up with ideas and the motivation
  to complete these songs right. I did not even play games. At this point (May 22nd,
  2013), I haven''t played a single-player game since August of last year. No, I didn''t
  deserve fun (depression talking). I didn''t deserve anything until I could finish
  these songs. This was nothing but months of pure mental anguish and torture. And
  until recently (as many of my friends and acquaintances will tell you), I still
  haven''t been in a good place mentally.

  But somehow, in February, I managed to find that last spark of inspiration for "Analog
  Freedom" that I needed (while still depressed, basically). I thought it''d be a
  GREAT idea to use the 80''s shimmer guitar again for the 1st section of "Town''s"
  melody. And it turned out to be just BEAUTIFUL. Amazingly beautiful. From there,
  I figured that I might as well experiment with some distorted leads for the rest
  of the song after the drums kick in. And, amazingly enough, I crafted something
  that fit in with the other warm instruments and guitars in those sections. A few
  weeks later and 100% of the music was officially in.

  I stopped to give my ears a rest and worked on "Rebel Dream" some more. Then I came
  back and spent more weeks refining the mix more and more. Trying to perfect it as
  much as I could.

  The bass is a bit rounded and not super-heavy in the low end (but is in the sub
  range). This is intentional to try and be somewhat in line with a lot of music prior
  to the 90''s. I had to concede and open up the high end a bit more than I originally
  intended to in order to create definition and not muddy up the imaging/instrumentation
  of the song.

  For mastering, I decided to learn Mid/Side mixing, decoding and recording information.
  And this is where I probably made the most concessions... I had no idea whether
  M/S mastering was prevalent in the 90''s and prior. And I made the song somewhat
  loud, so it wouldn''t be an inconsistency within the album and not a discrepancy
  within modern music. (My copy of "Don''t Stop Believin''" by Journey is quite quiet
  by modern standards). But I did use analog modeled effects processors on the Mid
  and Side channels in trying to maintain my vision.

  I think the song turned out really well for what limitations I had to work in. And,
  for once, I am truly proud of what I accomplished. Being able to accomplish 90%
  of what my vision was. Brandon and everyone on the team, as well as my friends and
  family, have been very supportive the whole time. And I''m incredibly thankful for
  that. It feels so good to finally feel like this weight is lifted off my figurative
  shoulders.

  I sincerely hope from the bottom of my heart that many people (joojs included) can
  hopefully enjoy this song and perhaps feel the intention of my vision when listening.

  I probably missed some stuff here and there... it''s been a long year and a half.
  But if I go on any longer, you guys will probably roll your eyes and think "When
  will he shut up?!"

  1-10. W!SE the all.E - "the final WON"

  Sources: "Battle Theme A" (Dawn of Souls), "Victory"

  Brandon Strader: The man, the myth, the one-who-cannot-be-named, I''ll just call
  him Jordan. He truly is the Voldemort of music, but he''s also the Harry Potter;
  two halfs of the same soul that produce some truly amazing remix-based horcruxes.
  That is to say, he puts a small portion of his soul into every remix, and you can
  tell. Give this one two listens, three, keep going until you can finally understand
  the complexity of this mix. Then do what I did and weep at your own inadequacy.
  Then weep some more from the beauty of this song.

  W!SE the all.E: Hey, Sir J here. AKA W!SE the all.E, AKA The Realest Green Lantern,
  AKA Heir to the Bill Gates Dynasty, AKA a bunch of other names.

  This track is admittedly a Katamari-clusterfuck-flavored jambalaya mixing of many
  ideas. To explain it as simply as possible without going into my usual long-winded
  novels, on Brandon Strader''s FF1 album, Random Encounter, I made an arrangement
  of the "Victory" fanfare entitled "Epic Win" in which I did some kind of barbershop
  dubstep quartet/wannabe-Tim Exile kind of thing thinking it was revolutionary and
  innovative and hot shit and all that jazz. I know I''m usually my harshest critic,
  but, truthfully speaking, after the album went live I realized I had made a terrible
  mistake because that remix just sounded... embarrassingly cheesy and lame and anything
  but "Epic." XD

  So, I PM''d Professor Strader asking him to let me hold on to the "Victory" fanfare
  source tune for the rest of the album series in order for me to avenge myself and
  make amends for that lackluster remix, so to speak. The "Victory" fanfare is a notably
  simple source with only a few variations with each FF title, but Brandon gave me
  ample wiggle room and creative freedom to run the train off the rails and into any
  dimensions that I wanted.

  Therefore, I essentially cranked out "Victory" ReMix after ReMix, seeing how far
  I could take the source. I love the final order that the album is in, but ideally
  for anyone interested in trying to make sense from my perspective, I''ve deliberately
  arranged the different "WINs" to kind of go in some kind of "Sir J canon" order
  with the hopes that *this* particular arrangement would be the conclusion (hence
  the title, "the final WON.")

  ((**Spoiler Alert: I ended up recording a few more arrangements after this one which
  may or may not appear on a future FF album. ;P))

  So "the final WON" is obviously grandiose and incredibly over-the-top because it
  is a nod to the previous genre variations I traversed through. Something along these
  lines is what my head-canon producer process was like:

  1. "Epic Win" (what started it all)

  2. "garLACTUS Win"

  3. "GG but ____ Solos Win"

  4. **SPOILER possible-future track**

  5. **SPOILER possible-future track**

  6. "the final WON"

  Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I do like how Brandon chose to use these particular WINs for this
  album and save the others possibly for the future one since they''re kind of like
  an "epilogue" to my WIN series, so WIN #4 and #5 can be enjoyed as a babies-ever-after
  kind of thing, I guess.

  TL;DR

  -Suffered creator backlash/old shame from my first "Victory" fanfare arrangement,
  "Epic WIN"

  -Decided to make several more new versions in an attempt to "avenge/redeem" myself

  -Imagined and created this version, "the final WON," as a closer for the whole shebang

  1-11. Brandon Strader, Chernabogue, Detective Tuesday - "Rebellion"

  Sources: "Dead Music," "The Rebel Army"

  Brandon Strader: Since Chernabogue originally made 2 attempts at the structure for
  this, I shall open up with his comments first: "This mix was first started a long
  time ago, when the FF2 project started recruiting in 2012. My first attempt to remix
  this track was a brutal metal mix. But later, Brandon suggested to change it, as
  it wouldn''t fit the theme. So I wrote another arrangement, more acoustic/dramatic-oriented
  in a very short amount of time. Brandon decided to take ideas from both arrangements
  to create the final mix.

  I contributed by writing a short prayer in Latin and doing some background vocals.
  In the end, I really love the final mix, and am proud to be part of such a cool
  album. See you all in FF3...!"

  I am very appreciative to Chernabogue and the lot of work he put in. And I apologize
  to him for asking for more and more, and then ultimately changing the song completely.
  :P It was much more of a change than "Requiem for a Dying World," which was basically
  me slowing it down by 50% and switching between Mellotrons and orchestral strings
  like a crazy person. Ultimately, I am hoping that this mix will strike you as much
  less divisive, as it is quite enjoyable.

  That''s not to discredit the lot of work Chernabogue put into this of course, as
  the final structure is very much inspired by Chernabogue''s structure of his second
  attempt. He originally wanted to end with FF1''s "Dead Music," but for this mix
  I chose to go with the Rebel Army theme because it felt much more natural, and contextually
  it was PERFECT. And I like the fact that the album features "Rebel Army" as: solo
  piano, electronica, acoustic, metal, and... that thing BONKERS did... :P Very important
  motif.

  Chernabogue said his choir vocals were sort of church-styled(?), so I tried to expand
  on that with a little reverb to really bring out the cathedral sound to them. :P
  I love it. I love that this is also the first overtly Christian mix I was able to
  make for the site with his help.

  I am calling this "Rebellion" because this song really expresses my feelings of
  what the album and the concept of "Rebellion" means to me. That''s why it starts
  with "Dead Music" and ends with "Rebel Army." Though we may lose loved ones and
  randomly encounter many unfortunate events, in the end we must remain strong and
  have the resolve to carry on. Chernabogue''s Latin prayer is the ribbon that ties
  up the mix perfectly.

  Tuesday, a.k.a. Detective Tuesday, a.k.a. Anton, brought a really incredible sax
  solo for the song. It''s so much more complex and jazzy than I could have imagined,
  but I knew what the man was capable of after hearing him jam at MAGFest 12. When
  pressed for a statement, this is all he had to say: "Brandon made me do it."

  I picked this to be the final album post, and named it after the album, because
  in my mind it represents the message I wanted to put across with this album. The
  structure follows a conceptual rise and fall that many people today can relate to.
  It begins with the theme when the party is incapacitated, and ends with the Rebel
  Army theme such as to imply that, despite some loss or defeat, the rebellion will
  not be swayed. The world today is in turmoil just like that world of Final Fantasy
  2. Chernabogue and Detective Tuesday did incredible work on this song arranging
  and writing their respective parts (lyrics, vocals, sax solo) and made the song
  what it is. They gave it the spark of identity that made it a true song rather than
  just an idea, just as all the artists brought that spark of life to this album.
  Thank you, all.

  2-01. PacificPoem - "Heroes of Dawn"

  Sources: "Chaos Temple" (FF1), "Reunion," "The Rebel Army," "Deep Under the Water"
  (FF3), "Dead Music" (FF1)

  Brandon Strader: PacificPoem is a kind gentleman I found on YouTube who had done
  a live performance on the piano of various Final Fantasy themes. I contacted him
  with a similar request and didn''t ask him to limit himself to FF2 only. I wanted
  something that felt inclusive to all THREE (yes, 3) albums, and felt like somewhat
  of a summarization of what all 3 of them represent. PacificPoem knocked it out of
  the park, bringing this intimate piano performance. It is dynamic, and played passionately
  and expertly; each note fits into the performance. Nothing juts out or seems unnatural.
  This is just a very refined and skillfully performed piece, and I am very thankful
  to PacificPoem for escaping YouTube momentarily to take a chance on OCR and this
  album!

  PacificPoem: Here''s a piano medley. I actually like these arrangements quite a
  lot and, for once, I''ve done proper transitions between the songs.

  2-02. zykO - "Snakeyes"

  Source: "Battle Theme B" (Dawn of Souls)

  2-03. XPRTNovice - "Grind My Crank"

  Source: "Tower of the Magi"

  XPRTNovice: You seriously don''t want to hear the first time I tried to mix this.
  Brandon wanted me to do this, and I thought, "Cool, I''ll try my hand at something
  prog-metal-ish."

  It was ass. I spent 8 months creating an utter failure, then promptly threw it away
  and accomplished this mix in less than 24 hours. Many thanks to Brandon for mastering.

  Warning: Guitar, clarinet, and drunken yelling are live recorded in my basement,
  where both of these things go together.

  2-04. Tuberz McGee - "Personification of Evil"

  Sources: "The Emperor''s Rebirth," "Escape!"

  2-05. Sixto Sounds - "A Kingdom Fallen"

  Source: "Main Theme"

  Sixto Sounds: this is just a last minute addition to the ff2 project. i had the
  idea for this remix a few years ago and then i kind of forgot about it. found it
  recently and shared it with a few people when brandon asked me to finish it for
  his project. this really isn''t the kind of remix i typically make, but i have some
  really fun new sounds courtesy of the chipsounds vst and the refx nexus 2 sid expansion
  as well as the electronic library for superior 2. i plan on learning these tools
  and using them more often to change things up a little. you are witnesses at the
  new birth of sixto sounds mk ii. hope you enjoy my new direction.

  2-06. Viking Guitar - "Torchlit"

  Source: "Dungeon"

  2-07. Sir Jordanius feat. Brandon Strader - "GG but ___ Solos Win"

  Sources: "Victory," "The Winner (FF8)"

  2-08. Brandon Strader - "Castellum Infernum"

  Source: "Castle Pandemonium"

  Brandon Strader: It''s my first submission of the year 2012 and starting strong,
  I think. Even after sitting for a few months like it has, and many more months if
  it passes, the song has had its production tweaked often and to a very fine state
  that I''m very satisfied with! The intro is loosely inspired both by Knight of the
  Round and M-H''s songs for the Final Fantasy 1 album, Random Encounter. The rest
  are various forms of gratuitous metal, ending with a cool Celtic bit in 6/4. I would
  map out the source usage, but I think it can be heard clearly throughout. Even when
  the rhythm is completely original, such as the metalcore breakdown at 1:40, the
  source is still totally apparent in the lead guitars and orchestra. The solo section
  at 2:07 even works in the source a little bit. I would say it stays in a fairly
  conservative area, but with adequate amounts of personalization. Oh, wait, did I
  say the metalcore breakdown was completely original? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA... Sorry.

  So, the guitars were re-amped with the mic aiming pretty close to the center of
  the cup, which gave the guitars a brootal crispy tone. I had plenty of chances to
  redo the re-amping to give the tone more of a low-end type of sound, but ultimately
  decided against doing that. I think the crispier bite of the guitar tone is awesome
  and it might even leave some apparent space for the orchestration the way it is.
  The song is what pure fun sounds like, when you just let loose and make something
  the way you want it and envision it, and it comes out better than expected... I''m
  very happy with this mix and I hope you enjoy it as well! Oh, and THE ALBUM! YES,
  THE FINAL FANTASY 2 ALBUM! It is amazing, go download it. :P

  2-09. IanFitC - "Imperial Rapture"

  Source: "Battle Theme 2"

  IanFitC: Source Log (22/8/12)

  0:00-0:17 - Intro: Drum intro, pattern from section A

  0:17-0:47 - Section A: Main theme on lead guitar (bell + bowl accompaniment). Variation
  on source theme A (0:13-0:35). Rhythm guitars: Reduction on main theme, focusing
  on the D/Eb relationship in the first notes of the theme.

  0:47-1:33 - Section A2: Secondary variation on source theme A (0:13-0:35)

  1:33-1:40 - Interlude A: Chords and structure taken from the second half of the
  intro in the source (0:07-0:13)

  1:40-2:06 - Section A3: More faithful rendition of source theme A (0:13-0:35)

  2:06-2:21 - Section B: Chords and melody from source theme B (0:35-0:48)

  2:21-2:36 - Interlude B: Variation on interlude B from source (0:49-1:01). The chromatic
  melodies are split between warped strings (descending), xylophone (descending),
  and harpsichord (ascending).

  2:36-2:44 - Section C: Relatively faithful representation of source theme C (1:01-1:08)

  2:44-2:59 - Interlude B2: Second variation on interlude B from source (0:49-1:01),
  now reduced to strings only

  2:59-3:34 - Section D: This section is a heavily altered variation of the intro
  of the source (0:00-0:13)

  Rhythm guitars: Playing a reduced version of the chromatically ascending chords
  from 0:00 to 0:07 in the source

  Horns and strings: Variation of the ascending (0:00-0:07) and descending (0:07-0:13)
  chromatic themes, rhythmically altered to suit the 9/4 time signature

  Piano (1st half), choir/celesta (2nd half): Focusing solely on the descending melody
  (0:07-0:13), including the rhythmic augmentation from the original

  Synth arpeggios: Using the same chords from the original string arpeggios, but tailored
  for the arrangement''s time signature

  3:34-4:08 - Section A4: As with the other section A''s in the arrangement, this
  focuses on source theme A (0:13-0:35), again emphasising the D/Eb relationship in
  the chords

  4:08-5:08 - Section A: Reprise of section A, now with the inclusion of more melody
  lines. These melody lines are taken from source theme A''s chromatic ascending/descending
  section, notably 0:16-0:17, however extended to allow it to become a melody. These
  are heard in the Mellotron strings.

  5:08-6:08 - Section A5: Essentially a musical reprise of section A, however, the
  rhythms have been changed to raise the tension towards the anti-climax at the end
  of this arrangement. The secondary melody has now been joined by a lead guitar.
  A further guitar is playing a variation on the descending motif from the end of
  the intro of the source (0:07-0:13), however, it is extended to fall further down
  the scale.

  This track is a culmination of a huge melting pot of influences. Because it appears
  on a predominantly metal album, I wanted a sludgy and powerful vibe akin to Alice
  in Chains and Gojira, but with the production sensibilities of someone like Dimmu
  Borgir or Devin Townsend and a little of Finntroll/Moonsorrow''s arranging flair.

  I also wanted to explore and develop the source to see if I could take it to some
  weird places, initially notating themes and chord patterns to look at the relationships
  and arcs within melodies. This is almost a response to the verbatim metal mixes
  that crop up all over the place. As such, I''ve treated the themes in a similar
  context as to which a classical arranger might, but fitting it into a heavy metal
  context. To this extent, I have focused on a theme in the source moreso than others,
  purely because of the relationship between the first few notes really opened up
  loads of possibilities for me in this mix, with regards to brewing a stormy disposition
  and creating almost a mantric tension. I also wanted to explore using some different
  time signatures in this piece to see if I could create a constant flow that didn''t
  present itself as disjointed or fractured.

  I realise that I might have taken too many liberties with my developments of the
  source material, and I made a point to add some more recognisable parts to combat
  this, allowing each theme and section in the source to make an appearance in the
  piece. I often doubled important themes and gestures with synths and orchestral
  instruments in an attempt to bring them to prominence.

  I really enjoyed working on this mix. It allowed me to work in some areas I don''t
  normally get the chance to in my band, and to try out some things I would normally
  discount. With help from Brandon and BONKERS, I managed to clear up a lot of gloop
  that was really holding this mix back initially, and ultimately learned a lot about
  EQ balances between instruments.

  At the very least, I hope you enjoy it!

  2-10. Hat - "Finally"

  Source: "Finale"'
organizations:
- &id001
  link: org/47
  names:
    en: OverClocked ReMix
    ja: OverClocked ReMix
    ja-latn: OverClocked ReMix
  role: publisher
performers:
- link: artist/11774
  names:
    en: Jeff Ball
- link: artist/61142
  names:
    en: Dr. Manhattan
- link: artist/7192
  names:
    en: Brandon Strader
- link: artist/12350
  names:
    en: BONKERS
- link: artist/61141
  names:
    en: Kidd Cabbage
- link: artist/56706
  names:
    en: Darkmoocher
- link: artist/1433
  names:
    en: mellogear
- link: artist/56707
  names:
    en: W!SE the all.E
- link: artist/60032
  names:
    en: Detective Tuesday
- link: artist/11801
  names:
    en: Chernabogue
- link: artist/16410
  names:
    en: PacificPoem
- link: artist/1216
  names:
    en: zykO
- link: artist/14618
  names:
    en: XPRTNovice
- link: artist/59089
  names:
    en: Tuberz McGee
- link: artist/59426
  names:
    en: Sixto Sounds
- link: artist/49325
  names:
    en: Viking Guitar
- link: artist/73923
  names:
    en: Sir Jordanius
- link: artist/16411
  names:
    en: IanFitC
- link: artist/59699
  names:
    en: Hat
picture_full: https://media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688667.png
picture_small: https://medium-media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688667.png
picture_thumb: https://thumb-media.vgm.io/albums/63/53236/53236-1433688667.png
platforms:
- NES (Famicom)
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Sony PlayStation
products:
- link: product/168
  names:
    en: FINAL FANTASY II
    ja: ファイナルファンタジーII
    ja-latn: FINAL FANTASY II
- link: product/163
  names:
    en: FINAL FANTASY
    ja: ファイナルファンタジー
    ja-latn: FINAL FANTASY
- link: product/189
  names:
    en: FINAL FANTASY VIII
    ja: ファイナルファンタジーVIII
    ja-latn: FINAL FANTASY VIII
- link: product/188
  names:
    en: FINAL FANTASY VII
    ja: ファイナルファンタジーVII
    ja-latn: FINAL FANTASY VII
- link: product/1701
  names:
    en: 'FINAL FANTASY I & II: DAWN OF SOULS'
    ja: ファイナルファンタジーI・IIアドバンス
    ja-latn: FINAL FANTASY I・II ADVANCE
- link: product/173
  names:
    en: FINAL FANTASY III
    ja: ファイナルファンタジーIII
    ja-latn: FINAL FANTASY III
publish_format: Doujin/Indie
publisher: *id001
related: []
release_date: '2015-06-08'
release_events: []
release_price:
  price: Free
reprints: []
stores:
- link: http://rebellion.ocremix.org
  name: rebellion.ocremix.org
vgmdb_link: https://vgmdb.net/album/53236?perpage=99999
votes: 0
websites:
  Official:
  - link: http://rebellion.ocremix.org
    name: 'Final Fantasy II: Rebellion | OC ReMix'
