14:28 "What the hell is happening?" Your entire party's health has been slashed to 1 HP across the board.

@JamesTheTurnbull

3 жыл бұрын

*H E A R T L E S S A N G E L*

@Kent_D_Nur

3 жыл бұрын

THE FALLEN ONE

@tremor230

3 жыл бұрын

I still have PTSD from that! 🤣

@gigaslave

3 жыл бұрын

Quick, cast Cure 3 before it's too late, lol

@unlimited971

3 жыл бұрын

AHAHAHAHAH

"For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like an artist using Crayola crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel."

@clFer777

3 жыл бұрын

usually people in business hide behind technic.. in this case the art is enslaved by technical limitations.. It's actually an sistine chapel 🖖

@geofff.3343

3 жыл бұрын

Limitation breeds creativity.

@jowston100

3 жыл бұрын

@@clydearrownyvi I did not. Read it on....RPGfan?

@hambartha

3 жыл бұрын

Could have not said that better. It's absolutely amazing!

@Muramasa1794

3 жыл бұрын

Copied this comment so unoriginal

I've always said that One Winged Angel might be Uematsu's most popular piece, but Dancing Mad is his Magnum Opus.

@sarafontanini7051

3 жыл бұрын

both are amazing songs but Dancing Mad is just SPECIAL

@FF-tp7qs

3 жыл бұрын

Theme of Love is taught in Japanese schools for music

@danballe

3 жыл бұрын

@@FF-tp7qs Which Theme of Love? From FFIV ??

@FF-tp7qs

3 жыл бұрын

@@danballe yes, the song that is titled "Theme of Love"

@bredincaptivity4692

3 жыл бұрын

I have no problem calling it the greatest piece of music ever composed for a video game. The pinnacle of a magnificent career.

the reaosn the song is so long with each aprt so distinct is that they're all part of a long, long battle, and reflects the mindset of it's main villain, Kefka Palazo, exploring his rage, sorrow, despair and, of course, his homicidal madness as he laughs at the world and at the heroes' hopes, finding no point in anything and deciding to destroy everything just to have one last bit of fun to amuse himself. Each distinct portion of the song covers a segment of the battle, as you climb a tower and battle Kefka's many forms that reflect his mindset.

@TenderViddlez

3 жыл бұрын

Yea, he should watch the final battle to see how the song was implemented.

@TenebrisGladius

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, Dancing Mad is this complex cause it ilustrate Kefka's distorted and warped sense of "evolutional scale" - having demons and beasts in the lower sections, humans and science in the middle, saints and holy figures at the top and the angelical/divine tier in the summit...and to think he made that monument only to have some fun destroying the world while making fun of the human beliefs and creeds.

@solgaleooflight8703

3 жыл бұрын

It's amazing that his backstory comes from an missable npc dialogue with a few sentences and we can come to this conclusion. I kinda wished the game explored more of his character because he seems like a one dimensional character at surface level

@RagnarokB

3 жыл бұрын

And then on top of that, you got the visual of the three bosses leading up to the Kefka fight being representations of the three parts of Dante's Divine Comedy - Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven respectively, with the battle with Kefka himself essentially representing Dante getting through Heaven and meeting God. All the more reason why I'd love to see a reaction to video footage of the boss fight.

@henke37

2 жыл бұрын

In short, four parts. the first three either loop or continue to the next as they end (except the third one, which only loops), while the last one begins immediately when the final stage of the battle begins and loops on its own.

In 1994, I couldn't believe that this was coming out of my SNES. Decades later, I still can't believe it. Final Fantasy VI's finale was something truly glorious.

@Thulgore

Жыл бұрын

The amount of time it takes to play the game through is also amazing..........so much fucking content..........on a cartridge.

Nobuo is self taught... it's crazy to think that someone without formal music education can be so well studied and having such a control over their craft. Nobuo is one of the great composers for the ages.

@i.o4766

3 жыл бұрын

Music is essentially self taught. People are impressed when this happens, but there is no reason to be so. After all, someone in the beginning of time had to discover music this way also. Education just helps to bridge the gap of knowledge quickly.

@fernandoalvarez9613

3 жыл бұрын

He is a big fan of progressive rock and you can here the Pink Floyd, Rush, and King Crimson influence in his work.

@PaulGuy

3 жыл бұрын

Danny Elfman is basically the same way, he never had any formal education, just crazy amounts of exposure and experience. He's turned it into brilliant madness that isn't restrained by genres, much like Nobuo Uematsu. Education can give someone the tools in a more organized fashion, but it's still up to the artist to figure out how to use them.

@Rageouz

3 жыл бұрын

@@fernandoalvarez9613 iS tHaT a jOjO rEfrEnCe?!?!

@furydeath

3 жыл бұрын

and then he had to cut corners cause the sound of the NES and SNES could only do so much at the time

"This part looks like... the ending" - The track continues.. "But not yet!" - Kefka laughs in the song.

@MrRyonnsan

2 жыл бұрын

The timing is mad

@Cybersomnia

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrRyonnsan so mad I'm dancing

@asf5428

Жыл бұрын

@@Cybersomnia yes,we are Dancing Madly

@lewis9s

11 ай бұрын

**Kefka Laugh**

@genericnamehere7602

6 ай бұрын

And it's absolutely blood-chilling. This is all a game to him, simple amusement.

26:08 "it's almost like a theatre play or something" Exactly! The whole game is an opera. The game's most iconic scene is the opera house and the whole game carrys stage play motifs all the way through, even to the end credits which are structured like playbill

@grouchgaming1033

Жыл бұрын

Beat me to it!

"Playful" and "insane"...Uematsu knew how to personify a villain with his music.

To think that Nobuo Uematsu created this for a game that was mainly played by children who were generally too young and naive to truly appreciate this masterpiece. We weren't worthy, but he gave it to us anyway.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Plot twist: He knew you would grow up and cherish it even more as a more mature person

@bryanfrye8770

3 жыл бұрын

I would argue that if you played through FF6 as a young kid, you were an intellectual anyways

@pedrobriceno926

3 жыл бұрын

We appreciated it as kids. It’s the reason we got into movie soundtracks and not the ones with the pop songs.

@devilusadvocatias

3 жыл бұрын

@@bryanfrye8770 My thought exactly. Those that played FFVI were the worthy ones.

@TenderViddlez

3 жыл бұрын

FFVI wasn't mainly for children... In fact many games back then weren't exclusively for children. They had alot of mature themes and references that children wouldn't even understand. Even tho I did play it for the first time when I was around 8 years old. Even tho it was rated K-A (kids to adults) back in 1993, its now rated T (for teens).

This song, as I'm sure you already learned, is the final boss track used for FFVI. But what is interesting is how the actual boss battle works, and how it uses the song and its different movements. Most JRPG final bosses have two, sometimes three forms before you fully beat them. Kefka's fight does things a little differently. Once the fight starts, and the track begins, you are faced with what I can only describe as this tower of bodies and beings all twisted together. The song starts with a battle against the lowest tier of this tower. I have heard that this tower of beings before the final boss itself is inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. As you defeat each of the three levels of this tower, the movements of the song will begin changing along with it. Each level of this tower of beings twisted together all seem to have different forms and representations of the final boss, Kefka, on it. Perhaps it is all the different ways he sees himself. Now, that part towards the end where the song fades out and a completely new build up starts... that is when the player reaches the very top of the tower, then begins to ascend high into the sky with a very pretty SNES quality backdrop of a brilliant yellow sky full of god rays through the clouds. The build up you hear happens as you are rising into the sky and Kefka himself descends from above to begin the real final battle. It's all extremely memorable, and like nothing else I had never played in any game before.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, also maybe the phases of the boss are somehow inspired by dante's inferno circles

@inkninjelani-akin4745

3 жыл бұрын

The way they bring back the chords from the opening sequence / title screen to introduce Kefka at the top of the tower... *chef's kiss*

@sh4d0wfl4re

3 жыл бұрын

Each section of the fight is paired with a dark reprisal of linked songs from earlier in the game, there are many layers of meaning to this fight. I personally consider this as four different songs/acts that together tell the story of Kefka, leading him to his final moments in life as he accepts death from the closest he has to "friends"

@jeremyjoyner9796

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted It was quite likely inspired by Dante’s “Divine Comedy” as the boss phases seem to represent Hell, then Purgatory, and finally Heaven as you fight Kefka having transformed himself into an angelic figure. He becomes a god. The music along with the fight and it’s different phase transitions is genius.

@jeremyjoyner9796

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted i just realized somebody had already commented saying almost the exact same thing I said whoops

14:41 "it's insane" *Kefka has entered the chat*

@Zraknul

3 жыл бұрын

*Kefka laugh track*

@DeathxXXxJoker

3 жыл бұрын

“Roo Roo Roo Roo”

@TheAurgelmir

3 жыл бұрын

"There is sand in my boots"

@heritagekebek3029

3 жыл бұрын

" Your Hopes, your Dreams, your Loves, forget them all... I will destroy them *ALL! MWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!* "

@raccoonstarsmember

3 жыл бұрын

Love telling people "it's called, Dancing Mad for a reason"

02:14 - 1st Movement - Visage/Arms 06:45 - 2nd Movement - Tiger/Machine/Magic/Power 10:26 - 3rd Movement - Lady/Rest 13:47 - 4th Movement - Kefka

@L0rdDeLtA

2 жыл бұрын

And it also portrays the Divine Comedy. 02:14 Hell 06:45 Purgatory 10:26 Heaven 13:47 God

@ShaDHP23

10 ай бұрын

​@@L0rdDeLtAand portraying Kefka Movement 1) Wrath Movement 2) Insanity Movement 3) Vanity Movement 4) Pride Movement 5) Nihilism

16:54 that was actually the boss, whose fight this music is composed for, laughing at the player.

@00F

3 жыл бұрын

It’s around that part of the song that he will say something like “The end is near”. And then the screen shakes for a little while, and then after he laughs, if timed correctly, he lets out a really powerful attack that can do a heavy amount of damage to your party

@TenebrisGladius

3 жыл бұрын

@@00F That attack is called "Goner" - y'all should take a look at the Final Fantasy XIV version of Kefka battle, it is pure goosebumps and chills.

@sephirothrhal1930

3 жыл бұрын

@@TenebrisGladius 100%!

I don't know if it was already said but this track is also the very first track to use choir in a video game ever. The console's sound chips weren't able to process them until they were converted into MIDI file format for this track. The Dancing Mad is not only a masterpiece of music, but also a huge moment for game music in general for being the first to use choir.

"And it fades out and starts something else. That's an interesting choice..." Get this man to play the game

@dr.velious5411

3 жыл бұрын

He needs to hear the opera.

@nannaogashawarmabrendan

3 жыл бұрын

@@dr.velious5411 If I had a choice I'd have him hear the GBA version. It improved on the SNES one

@dr.velious5411

3 жыл бұрын

@@nannaogashawarmabrendan I can practically hear the SNES fans coming for you already lol, people absolutely despise the quality of the GBA soundtrack, that said, I haven't listened to both side by side, so you could very well be right for all I know.

@nannaogashawarmabrendan

3 жыл бұрын

@@dr.velious5411 the snes version has cleaner sounding music the gba version however did the music justice by giving it more oomph and hype and that's something the (offended) snes fans (if there are any anyway) is gonna have to deal with lol

@gary4934

3 жыл бұрын

The Smartphone version is fine

A few notes about Uematsu: dude loves his prog rock and metal.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah! So I've been told!

@geofff.3343

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted In his own words he said One Winged Angel is a mix of Tchaikovsky and Jimmi Hendrix.

I'm so glad you mentioned how he works metal and rock riffs into his songs, because it's really one of the things that I feel helped define the music in Final Fantasy as a whole, being a mashup of Metal and Classical. I love every song this man has made.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! Well yeah, although I would have to say I'm biased in that regard, but more often than not you can hear some people that went to music school say that metal has a lot or some classical music elements in it so there you go!

@justinbremer2281

Жыл бұрын

More than a few people have called heavy metal "baroque, with distorted guitars"

“This song has so many layers” So does the boss fight itself!

@leonardorossi1543

3 жыл бұрын

Literally...

@brackmadar3195

Жыл бұрын

yeah, just like ogres

I always felt this track was a wonderful baby of Toccata & Fugue and ELP's Tarkus. Organ and Prog Rock.

@soundscape3065

3 жыл бұрын

Nobuo Uematsu LOVES prog rock. Kuja's theme in FFIX too sounds like it came straight out of a King Crimson record.

@smiteey

3 жыл бұрын

hard agree. look forward to the next kenshi video. have a good day bro

@brysontoby3706

2 жыл бұрын

Instablaster

@DagothUr2002

2 жыл бұрын

Lets hear this at the imperial prison with Sean Bean and SS Boy my sempai

@zeebooboo9663

2 ай бұрын

@@DagothUr2002 we technically heard it during autism cat's battle with Jyggalag. Which was insanely fitting considering that DLC is about madness

10:48 I'm glad you said that about the layers. The fight - and song - are supposed to represent hell, purgatory, heaven and finally, a final fight with God himself, which Kefka becomes. Nihilism is the core theme for this piece as Kefka basically wants to destroy everything. "Everything eventually ends. Life is so, meaningless..." He is the perfect definition of an extremely intelligent mad man with unlimited power, who essentially became a God. Also, for anyone who'd like to hear a modern take on this masterpiece, I highly suggest GaMetal's own 2019 remix. Search for Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI) - GaMetal Remix (2019). You won't regret it.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Oh Nihilism, oooh so I knew thee 🤓

@thebruteforce125

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Yeah, this song is a favorite and with the Gametal 2019 remix, it's even better! This will never be forgotten.

@RandemNJ

3 жыл бұрын

@Kayiah S did you know there's a hip hop version of this track which I found exhilarating and fascinating. Pumps me up while I play dffoo. 😎

@RunePlaysGames

3 жыл бұрын

I also suggest GaMetal's arrangement on it, however I do think his 2014 version still comes out on top compared to his 2019. I'd say theres too much percussion added to the remix in the 2nd and 3rd movement, whereas the 2014 feels more faithful to the original

@Rellik165

3 жыл бұрын

Yep. Dante's Inferno in musical form. On the Super Nintendo.

People don't talk enough about the fact that Uematsu is a big Progressive Rock fan, and there are elements in many of his songs that strongly mirror songs by Emerson, Lake, & Palmer.

@AtlasBenighted

Жыл бұрын

100%

@Randolorian230

9 ай бұрын

Can’t forget One Winged Angel’s riff from Jimi Hendrix

@RakeRock1994

7 ай бұрын

Absolutely agree, i said the same thing when I first heard that part

@alexmullen4180

6 ай бұрын

Yeah that prog rock section always reminds me of Tarkus

You can tell Nobuo was a big fan of Bach (Toccata and Fugue specifically in this song).

So, if you look up "Kefka's theme", listen to that, then go back and listen to this, you'll notice that the parts of that song are placed within parts of Dancing Mad, especially in the final movement. Its really cool that Kefka's motif can be heard throughout this song as well. Also, in the final movement, when the slower part is transitioning to the fast part again, the "wup wup wup" sound is Kefka's laugh. It really shows how the song connects to the character, which I love about these songs

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome!

@ZZTRaider

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. I think the part that always gets me the most is in the super Classical section in the middle. It's extremely reminiscent of songs written to glorify God, which is exactly what Kefka has fashioned himself to be at this point. And yet, the purity of it is tainted and pulled down a bit by his theme, letting you know that beneath the image he's shown you, he's still the madman he's always been. @@AtlasBenighted If you're interested, Destructoid has a great critical analysis of the piece, which goes into a lot of the themes of the game that are being expressed in this piece, as well as noting callbacks to other parts of the soundtrack. As amazing as this piece is by itself, the context makes it even more amazing.

@TenderViddlez

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah here's a spot you can hear kefka's theme: 10:53

@noeditbookreviews

3 жыл бұрын

I love when composers do that well. It gives the game it's own kind of developed personality.

@geofff.3343

3 жыл бұрын

That's not surprising. Uematsu is a master of lietmotif and theming. You can hear bits of One Winged Angel in the opening song of FF VII (Bombing Missions) as well as a sinister-ish reprise of Aerith's theme in the start. In Final Fantasy VIII as the romance is the main thrust of the song there are tons of variations on Eyes on Me. And since in Final Fantasy IX is all about not only the lives of its characters but of whole planets and the universe "Melodies of Life" is EVERYWHRE!

I'm sure someone has brought this up already, but it's been said that, given the limitations of the hardware Uematsu was working with, coming up with Dancing Mad is like if the Cistene chapel were painted with crayons.

@jk4675

3 жыл бұрын

Lol u got that from Jeremy Jahns review of FF6 😂 very true though

@DarkKnight6six6

3 жыл бұрын

@@jk4675 Aha! I couldn't remember where I'd heard it, thanks for reminding me

@Alamyst2011

3 жыл бұрын

Accurate

@Riftimmortal

3 жыл бұрын

That is such an apt description to what these masters did with that limited hardware. If I were to borrow that metaphor with the crayons - I feel like it's more Nobuo managed to sculpt the statue of David with crayons with how hamstrung he must have been with that tech.

@cursedcancersurvivor

3 жыл бұрын

*Sistine*

Almost 30 years later and parts of this song still give me chills hearing it.. I remember the first time hitting phase 4 of this boss battle and being blown away. Just as soon as you think you beat the tower.. down comes this godly/angel figure.. the music was so perfect.. even my parents came from another room to figure out what was going on and they just sat and watched teenage me beat this boss after some 60 hours playing the game.

25:00 "this sounds very familiar" *plays leitmotif of Kefka's theme* *pulls out gangsta's paradise* well that went in an unexpected direction.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

😆😆 kefka is gangsta! thug life!

@DetectiveThursday

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted there's a lot of leitmotifs in that piece that point back to other parts of the the game. Admittedly that one is one of the harder ones to pick out. 8 bit music theory did a good video on it you should check out.

@chrishutchinson3827

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Wasn't this released in 1994 and Gangsta in 1995 though? But, that was just a sample from Stevie wonder so it all coming from some where.

This really makes my old man brain want to go replay FFVI. Again.

@Moco64

3 жыл бұрын

I'm actually doing this now, I'm playing it on my iPad so I can play in spurts. I love just going back and grinding for a bit. I suggest playing it!

@Devo_gx

3 жыл бұрын

You and me both

@yukarihideki3805

3 жыл бұрын

you better play it again before shitty remake happened

It is amazing how you, someone who never played the game, was able to put into words and express the themes that Dancing Mad evokes during the final battle against Kefka. I love watching a good analysis of this!

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you mate!

This is an intense battle that goes on forever, you start on the ground and fight your way up the boss into the clouds to defeat a living god. Best rpg battle of all time. Kefka's laugh still haunts my dreams,

"It's like many tracks built into one" glad he mentioned this, since that's all it really is (four boss phases which can each loop indefinitely depending how long each takes you). Also glad that in the fourth movement he laughed both times the kefka synth laugh happened.

“I think the song - you could interpret as a theater play, or something like that.” Dude, that’s hitting the nail on the head right there! The character this theme was created for is EXACTLY that kind of person - everything he did was basically theatre.

This song is an absolute must to hear from a real orchestra. I highly suggest checking out "Distant Worlds - Dancing Mad", even if you don't do a reaction video for it and just listen to it on your own time.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Kelven, it is getting traction!

@SaHaRaSquad

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted I second this recommendation. The original version is great but limited by the technology back then. The Distant Worlds recording sounds much more like it was envisioned, and is just incredible.

@TheArchDandy

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Or the FFXIV version of it- it has more of the spirit of the original while being updated.

@dfurda18

3 жыл бұрын

@@SaHaRaSquad also you have to consider the format. It was made for a 4 stage battle, so it repeats infinitely until the battle is over. In orchestrated or black mage version, transitions are smoothly placed having a nice and complete ending.

@d3ly746

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Sangnoksu's Arranged version is definitively the best one.

Flashback to hearing how Uematsu-san fitting this monstrosity into a cartridge was like making a one-for-one rendition of the Mona Lisa with budget brand crayola crayons lmao.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

😆

@erikstensaas1202

3 жыл бұрын

Hearing that makes me think that he made it using Mario Paint

Imagine his reactions if he knew about the motifs used within the song

@alexaleman16

3 жыл бұрын

Right, what he doesnt realize is nubuos ability to have running character motifs through the entire game and pull them flawlessly together into the ending fight as well as the ending theme freaking genius how he managed to put it all together of all the ffs the music in this was the best just how he was able to keep all those character themes flow like that. There hasnt been a game since that even comes close..

@bensonratch8401

3 жыл бұрын

@@alexaleman16 ought to check out revos work on bravely default. Does the same stuff as nubuo and hes pretty good with it

@Verbose_Mode

3 жыл бұрын

Even the beginning... that's the _title screen_ theme and the _opening crawl_ theme. It's so good at building you to understand that this is the culmination.

@lachlank.8270

Жыл бұрын

Movement 3 is almost all just Kefkas theme

I’m glad you listened to this, the piece Uematsu considers his best and most favorite work. You can feel the passion in this song

11:50 "I feel like I'm listening to Bach" Yes, Bach's Little Fugue makes cameos all over that section!

@diogenes3300

3 жыл бұрын

I just commented the same thing. Long sections sound like copying, to be honest.

@balthezaar100

3 жыл бұрын

The most beautiful part is how Kefka's theme is woven into it, corrupting the holy melody at its core.

@balthezaar100

3 жыл бұрын

8 Bit Music Theory also did a very good break down of this song complete with sheet music to help visualize the explanation.

I would recommend listening to the "No loop" version if you don't enjoy the backtracking as much, it brings the piece to about 10 minutes as opposed to 18.

This song gives me chills every damn time. Watching someone appreciate it for the first time was great

Nobuo Uematsu is a genius. No other way to describe it.

I'm crying listening to this after so long. Hearing the song and imagining the ending of this story with all the motifs and characters just opened me up and I can't even explain why.

@shinmalestat9272

3 жыл бұрын

Aeris' Theme used to destroy me every time. Eyes on Me could make me so sad.

So in the game, the part where this song plays, you're traveling up a mountain of destruction. Almost the entire world has been destroyed by Kefka and he built the tower out of the destroyed remains as a tribute to himself perhaps as a reference to the tower of babel. This section is somewhat a parody of the story of Dante's Inferno where Dante has to travel through the different circles of hell to reach heaven. Each circle of hell is represented by religious imagery parodied to look similar to Kefka with each symbol having a meaning that would take longer to explain than I have time for here, but basically, Kefka is a narcissist with a tortured and tragic past. The characters make their way up through these challenges, defeating each form of Kefka as they go, and like in Dante's Inferno where Dante reaches heaven and meets god, the characters reach the top and meet the real Kefka who has himself transformed into a god form with purple skin, 4 angel style wings, and 2 demon style wings. Instead of welcoming the protagonists into heaven, he questions why they fight when they know death and destruction is inevitable even if it isn't by his hands. Asking "Life... Dreams... Hope... Where do they come from? Where do they go?" as a sort of depression and self reflection, but being a narcissist, since he can't have those things, he must destroy them for everyone else. So instead of welcoming them to heaven, he welcomes them to their destruction as the last traces of sanity and humanity leave him.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Are we relatives Mr. Greg?

@GregAtlas

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Perhaps very distant.

Dancing Mad is definitely in my top 5 favourite final boss song from the Final Fantasy series. This something amazing he made using the snes sound chip, and I still get chills when the fourth movement starts.

@adriannebee2056

3 жыл бұрын

Also modern version to try: Masayoshi Soken's version from the Final Fantasy XIV Kefka savage fight (usually abbreviated as O8S). The normal mode ends at the third movement, but the savage has the last movement.

@michaeljames6737

3 жыл бұрын

what are your other favorites one winged angel for me

@adriannebee2056

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaeljames6737 Who Brings Shadow (ffxiv, The Dying Gasp, the final battle of 5.0), Revenge of the Horde (ffxiv, Final Steps of Faith, final battle of 3.5, though all three songs in Final Steps of Faith are amazing), The Final Battle (ffiv, Zeromus's theme)

@michaeljames6737

3 жыл бұрын

@@adriannebee2056 ff7 ( one winged angel) ff9 (dark messenger) ff8 (the extreme) i only have top 3

Wish you checked out the Distant Worlds version.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Give ChaosLegionaire a like!

@ChaosLegionaire

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Thanks! Sorry if my initial comment came off ungrateful. I just really like the Distant Worlds version. It's like seeing the vision come to life. (at least for me). ^^

@dfurda18

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChaosLegionaire that one and the black mage version.

@Zraknul

3 жыл бұрын

I think there's a lot to appreciate in the original. The technical limitations of the SNES system was a significant set of constraints to make this song. Quite literally the next game and you have CD type sound files and out of the boxed in environment. I'm glad the video got into that part. The unleashed versions mentioned are worth listening too as well.

@ChaosLegionaire

3 жыл бұрын

@@Zraknul That is very true. And probably something I'd change about my initial comment. While I love the LIVE version. I think it's even better knowing the original.

I highly, HIGHLY, recommend listening, or even reacting to the Distant World's orchestration of this song. I was a latecomer to FF and was listening to some of the tracks on Distant Worlds when Dancing Mad started playing and it was heavenly! It immediately became one of my favorite video game songs of all time and I must scream its praises from rooftops whenever I can. Really enjoyed the video! Keep it up!

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Levi! More FF will come. I'm a latecomer too and I've a looong way to go 😆

1 thing that I don't expect you to know about this, is that this song tells the path that the final boss Kefka took. Each movement (4 movements) tell how Kefka rises from the ground to become a god (movement 1), through deception and trickery (movement 2), then achieves it but a mere human can never be a god as noticed by the change of the parody of Toccata & Fugue from major to minor, and then the breakdown that he really is just a human that can't get to that status, as noted by the change of the organ type from a church organ to synthetic organ. Kefka's theme also plays during the 3rd and 4th movement to show that it corrupted this ascension to godhood. Its a beautifully made track and to me is the best Final boss theme of all Final Fantasy games, a song telling the story.

When it comes to Square Enix's music, they either go hard, or go home and they never go home.

@chrishutchinson3827

3 жыл бұрын

squareSOFT

@kulitmed

3 жыл бұрын

FF13 has entered the chat

@regensyscronos347

2 жыл бұрын

@@kulitmed joke on you FF13 still have bangers

@RohanSpartin

2 жыл бұрын

@@kulitmed *Fighting Fate has entered the chat*

@kulitmed

2 жыл бұрын

@@regensyscronos347 i dont understand. So FF13 should have left chat?

Its also incredible to think that this game's music is being played back by a sample based music chip with only 8 channels, and the entirety of the all the game's samples its probably less than 500kb

@matthewcote9905

3 жыл бұрын

I've always been amazed at how much they did with so little ... Some of my favorite chiptunes are from the NES with like probably four channels but amazing music

@MaxwelThuThu

3 жыл бұрын

SNES's memory for audio is 64kb, most of the space is used for the audio program, reverb effects and composition, the rest is used for samples.

@themadmallard

3 жыл бұрын

@@MaxwelThuThu I don't think that means that each game can only have 64k of audio information. That's just its work memory for audio.

@MaxwelThuThu

3 жыл бұрын

@@themadmallard Yeah, I was talking about that

I LOVE that you compared this song to a theater play, because the entire game has heavy inspirations from opera (the atmosphere and drama)! There is even an opera scene!! Makes me happy to think that core pieces of the game can stand out just in a single track all by itself!!

The beauty of well composed music, is that it can tell the story on it's own. Uematsu consistently did that in Final Fantasy. It's fantastic.

The limitations of hardware were a blessing for the 16bit generation, this is probably the best piece of music in a videogame, probably in the top5.

It's cool how he feeds the Title screen music, battle intro music, and Kefka's theme all into section 3 of this piece.

@FlamingZelda3

3 жыл бұрын

it's also cool how the third section harkens back to the opera sequence from earlier in the game, where Celes had been acting in a 19th century style tragedy, this game is a 20th century tragedy with all the additional themes and purposelessness which comes with that.

@VerkingKerng

3 жыл бұрын

And the main boss battle theme used throughout the game

@misterturkturkle

3 жыл бұрын

It has other elements too, like the tribal drums of the Veldt in the last movement

imagine fighting a man who is mostly manic, can slip into melancholy or depression suddenly but can just as easily fly into blind fits of rage, complete with the incoherent ramblings of a mad man, and also happens to wield unlimited cosmic power.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

No need to imagine, I see him everyday in the mirror 😆

@windhelmguard5295

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted you and me both.

@That1PissedOffBoomer

3 жыл бұрын

Shit I fantasize about being like Kefka almost every day.

@balthezaar100

3 жыл бұрын

I actually cosplay him at conventions. It is a hoot. The reaction people give when you unleash the laugh is always great. Bonus touch, I have a small speaker hidden on me to play his music. Have introduced many people to FF6 and its music through this.

I feel like I could write a several chapter story about how this entire game was really the the grand tragedy and exquisite agony of Kefka. Imagine being in such pure pain that you scream until your voice evaporates. Now imagine a pain so eternal that your very soul starts to decay and you hold onto sanity by the ripping fingertips of madness. That is kefka through the whole game leading to his final searing fire of blind dancing mad. Cid used him as a testing subject. Kefkas force of will to live kept him alive, but the errors of the test were in such a way that such a torture that that worlds universe could barely contain was saturated, magnified and razor focused onto a singular being that wanted to die but could not. Every note of the music is testament to his pure pain and his only hope - void.

@dri_him

3 жыл бұрын

Very poetic tragedy indeed for Kefka, just like in life: instead of reflecting on your own injustice that the world is thus nihilistic, we should instead understand where it all comes from. Living life without meaning is like suffering for the sake of it and that makes no sense except for the mad who wishes for us all to dance along to the tunes of destruction. This life was never meant to be perfect, those who live for the sake of living will have a harder time to grow old and leave it all behind. Many will have what you don't but time in death is longer than living in envy, acceptance becomes your peace. We are one together, where one succeeds another may fail but we as one have always won. The Beginning will remember me and the End will come to find me no matter where I'm lost. Even as I'm floating in the void of death, this too shall come to pass.

@kulitmed

3 жыл бұрын

I'm convinced that the game was originally all about Kefka's descent to madness, Godhood, fall and some form of redemption. But it was too epic and they couldn't find a way to make it a good game, so they decided to split everything into different parts and perspectives from other "non-heroes" turning heroes that try to tame the madness of it all. Still turned out an epic game, regardless.

@ju1c31ng0t

2 жыл бұрын

I'd like to read that story

Could you react to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon dialga's fight to the finish?

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

It could happen! give Richie a like please!

@WhenTheNincadasCry

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted i recommend temporal tower and temporal spire too for context. The soundtrack uses leitmotifs really well

This entire video game was a phenomenal masterpiece of how much data could be compressed or stored on a cartridge. Your comments about some of the instrumentation being solo is spot on with storage, but I also take it to represent the solitude of thought Kefka experienced as an insane person who rises to godhood with the singular desire to destroy the world. As a percussionist and pianist, I enjoy the original and various full orchestrations of this piece across different eras.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

You are percussionist and a pianist, that's awesome!

@BlakeAustin2011

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted I’ve clocked nearly 30 years now on piano and 27 on percussion. My wife did percussion as well, and my oldest son is learning classical guitar. All of this is a hobby, but music is the language of the soul that can bring unity to a fractured world.

I expected him to nut his pants halfway lmao. Dancing Mad is THAT good...

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

I expected him to nut his pants' 😆 I thought november was no nut november 😂 (screw that!)

@jellyspook9548

3 жыл бұрын

He did. 6:45

@AkilaeAK

3 жыл бұрын

@@jellyspook9548 Hahaha I was literally RIGHT at that part when I read your comment. The timing was perfect. 😆

This piece of music is the equivalent of painting a work on the level of the Mona Lisa with crayons.

@morriganrenfield8240

3 жыл бұрын

Took me a hot minute to get what you meant.,.I'd agree on the midi for sure hehe

Kefka Pallazo.... one of my favorites villans until now... and his theme... God!... how powerfull and menacing!!!

@MrRyonnsan

2 жыл бұрын

The only FF villain that wins

@SgtHeroi

2 жыл бұрын

@@MrRyonnsan He proved his point, and got what he wanted, eternal rest

An important thing to remember about this song is that it was designed for an RPG boss battle, which could go on for a long time if the player is struggling. So each movement is intended to be able to loop for as long as necessary. For the OST version, I believe it just goes through two loops of each movement.

11:45 You actually are listening to bach, the toccata section is inspired by the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by bach, you got good ears, no surprise coming from a composer

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Noice!

@traviswall1982

3 жыл бұрын

With a mixture of Prog Rock at the final phase. Very Emerson Lake and Palmer when Kefka's time to fight begins.

@That1PissedOffBoomer

3 жыл бұрын

This is not fucking Bach, it's Final Fantasy

@samuelnakai1804

3 жыл бұрын

@@That1PissedOffBoomer I don't remember where, but I do remember hearing Uematsu say that the Toccata and Fugue was a major influence on this song.

The quality of music composers were able to produce on the SNES is incredible. Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Donkey Kong Country 2, Final Fantasy 6, and Mother 2 (Earthbound) are probably the all time greats.

@williamkoscielniak820

3 жыл бұрын

And Zelda AlttP, Castlevania IV, Super Metroid, and on and on.

@zeebooboo9663

2 ай бұрын

Mega Man X 1-3 also.

"I wonder what happens in the game when this is playing " OMG, bless your heart. It's only one of the greatest fights in history.

@Gay_Priest

3 жыл бұрын

And to think it was pulled off with stationary sprites

@tremor230

3 жыл бұрын

@@Gay_Priest the videogame equivalent of sock puppets 🤣

@SimuLord

3 жыл бұрын

@@tremor230 Maybe if the heroes had Precious Roy's Pirate Cripplers from the Sifl&Olly show, they could one-shot Kefka. Never underestimate the power of sock puppets.

Uematsu is the man who has influenced me the most growing up. So many timeless classics made by a man with a great heart.

Final Fantasy 6 is one of my favorite games growing up. It helped me learn to read and having ADHD it was able to keep my attention. Love the whole soundtrack to the is game and "Dancing Mad" so works. "Dancing Mad" is set as the main villain Kefka's personal theme and also the song played when going up the "Tower of Kefka" when heading to he final boss battle.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

And people say gaming is bad! Witness this story!

The transitions are even more amazing in game. This IS the final boss fight, and each movement plays for each phase of the fight, and they transition perfectly. For some reason, each phase was looping twice on whatever version you listened to, but the way it plays out in game is fantastic. You're going through hell, purgatory, and eventually heaven during the fight, so to speak, and that one fadeout before the final part in particular is... something else. And if it helps you understand the chaos in this song a bit, you're fighting a clown. An actual fucking clown. This is easily the best final boss theme yet in all of Final Fantasy. Yes, over One Winged Angel, by a long shot.

@DW-fl3ee

10 ай бұрын

They do on the SNES, every other version of the game hard cuts the movement for each transition. Kinda ruins it imo. SNES version is definitive.

My favorite video game tune of all time. Your reaction and breakdown as a composer is very interesting and appreciated. Going to have to watch more of your videos. Thanks!

You're definitely right with the progressive rock influences in Dancing Mad. The whole Final Fantasy VI Soundtrack in general reminds me of various Albums from bands like 'Emerson, Lake and Palmer' or 'Yes'. Which is why Uematsu remains to be my favorite composer in the VGM industry.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I can see that being the case

I’m sure you know this but the reason it fades between movements is because it’s used during a fight and is vamped until you reach a certain threshold. Listen to the arranged version as it’s more a coherent piece that flows better!

"What the hell's happening?" Kefka just entered the ring and delivered one of the best speeches in videogame history. :)

One recommendation I have is God Shattering Star from Fire Emblem Three Houses

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Give Mattias a like please!

@chunkitng7187

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted YES PLEASE

Interesting about the parallel to Coolio’s music; this game came out the year before “Gangster’s Paradise”.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

We busted Coolio Erika! Usurper! 😆

@wizardlevy

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Gangsters paradise is actually based off of a Stevie track called Pastime Paradise from the 76' album Songs in the Key of Life, so it's actually possible Uematsu quoted the original track here

@ChristopherViola

3 жыл бұрын

@@wizardlevy Very likely, There's a lot of Boston's Foreplay/Long Time in Dancing Madly as well. The 2 minute intro at least.

@shooting6lasers

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChristopherViola That’s interesting. I can’t quite hear the resemblance to that song in “Dancing Mad,” but whenever I hear the boss theme for FF7, I can’t help but think of “Foreplay.”

14:30 “What the hell is happening?!” 14:42 “It’s insane!” Nobuo managed to completely encapsulate the character of Kefka to someone who’s NEVER played the game…..in just 20ish seconds.

Nobuo fan! Listened to the whole thing with you. Great reaction. I met the guy. Nobuo is a Rockstar! Every unexpected moment of this piece is actually DANCING MAD!

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

That's awesome!

this is one music that gets so much better when you understand the context. like at 11:00 you hear this church music playing symbolizing his ascent to godhood, but his theme peeking in at the back showing that he is still the same crazy person.

thank you for these awesome reviews!

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

😁

This guy also has his own band, The Black Mages. They played this and a bunch of his other stuff too. Pink Floyd had some influence on him.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, so I've been told!

@yuyaricachimuel555

2 жыл бұрын

And the Earthbound Papas

Great analysis! The reason the track fades out and then goes into something else near the end is because this music is during a battle and the battle is played out in several sections, respective to each section of the music you heard. When it fades out is when the final section of the battle is about to start. Some players might take longer than others to complete a section so the track loops over and over again until they complete it, then moves on to the next portion.

this is a very fun song, loved the reaction as always!

The one thing I love about Dancing mad is I can imagine a Conductor litterally dancing mad while trying to conduct this song.

This is the final boss theme.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

So I've been told

@jadenwagener3259

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted This a multi-phase boss fight, in which the different sections of the music change based on the phases of the battle you're in. The fade out at 13:45 just before the next section is the transition to Kefka himself. The hectic nature of the music that follows seems to play on the fact that Kefka has fallen completely to madness.

Been binge watching your "Composer reacts" and this video finally made me hit the sub button. Having played most of the games you've covered, it was awesome seeing you enjoy the tracks and nailing the analysis despite not having played the game yourself. Keep doing what you do!

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot mate 👍🏻

The transition back into the A section of the final movement is the most beautiful transistion I have heard in music

I am nearly certain he was listening to a lot of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer while composing the final movement.

@AtlasBenighted

Жыл бұрын

I hear it

bro deadass i kept thinking my mom was honking outside lmao

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

😆😆

@BiologicalClock

3 жыл бұрын

Same, I kept looking outside like "WHO IS HONKING THE DAMN HORN? THERE'S A FOOT OF SNOW OUTSIDE, GET OFF THE ROAD!" before taking off my headphones and realizing that it was from the video. 😂

@sectorzisnumbuhone

3 жыл бұрын

@@BiologicalClock ROFL

It's interesting seeing / hearing your reactions listening to this out of context (in a good way!). But man... in context? Whew lawd. I'm super biased since this was one of my first JRPGs growing up lol, but considering the limitations, the way the battle transitions, how the final part slips Kefka's theme in so naturally, just... man I love this game's music and how well it ties into everything, especially for a game in the early 90s.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

I get it mate, I feel the same way about other osts 😄

@inkninjelani-akin4745

3 жыл бұрын

@@AtlasBenighted Indeed indeed. Respect, love the channel so far!

A lot of the music uses a motif so you hear a lot of familiar parts and songs that are in Dancing Mad throughout the game. It being the final battle of the game it becomes a culmination of everything you've experienced through the game. You can almost feel the descent into madness that the antagonist Kefka goes through in the game being the crazy mad clown he is. it's something you feel when you go through the game and it might only apply to people who have that nostalgia who play that game back in 94 like me. I'm sure people out there know what I'm talking about.

That sound at 16:56 is Kefka's laugh, as was made with the Super NES sounds. That context is important. He was a buffoon turned mad. I really love him as villain!

I can hardly even describe this piece. It really does tell of the madness and cruelty, but also of the sheer sadness, that would lead to a man like Kefka becoming what he became - and the fear and threat of facing him, too, once he became what he did. Even the piece itself randomly stops making sense at points, on purpose. It really is the anthem of a sad, nihilistic god Dancing Mad.

I do arrangements from MIDI, but ironically enough, most of my top tier work usually comes from Final Fantasy tracks, though if not for Nobuo, those tracks wouldn't have existed, so my respect for those original tracks is always going to be infinite

This song was used for the final boss of the game. The final boss was structured as climbing a tower and fighting parts of the final boss. The fade out part that builds into the last portion comes in when you get to the top and fight the last part of the boss. They weave the final boss's laugh into the song

Great video as always. Real interesting. He not only was in a rock/metal band but he loves that type of music and a lot of his songs have a tinge of it. The band he was in was called "The Black Mages". They also did a version of "Dancing Mad" that you should give a listen to. Hearing it with actual instruments and not midi will "fill out the track" a bit and I think you would enjoy it. Nobuo Uematsu is a legend for a reason lol. This is the track that plays during the final area and boss of the game. The start ups and fade away are caused by it being a video game and having transitions (between areas/fights) (though it is all considered one song) and the song is kind of perfect for the character its representing. Maniacal chaos. Its quite brilliant actually. You should check out his very long catalogue of amazing tracks because while he does like rock he is a versatile composer. "A place called home" (ff9), "Lifestream" (ff7), "Your not alone" (ff9), "terra's theme" (ff6), Auron's theme (ff10), "drifting" (ff8), "Iifa, the tree of life" (ff9) are some good variety of songs at least in my opinion. Great video again.

@Zephhi

3 жыл бұрын

Good requests. All great themes.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! More FF will come for sure!

Song gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

One of my favorite masterpieces of Nobuo Uemastu. Tier 2 is my favorite out of the four.

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Alrighty then 😃

Love this series of videos, it’s great to see video game music the respect it deserves

great analysis man!

@AtlasBenighted

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you mate!

Should also be noted that Nabou Uematsu was a lover of both Classical and Heavy Metal Music.

Each part of this applies to the 4 part battle at the end of the game. It's keyed to change when you beat each part. It's my favorite FF song, followed closely by battle on the big bridge from FF5

This song still gives me goosebumps 10 years after my first time hearing it

My favorite part of this was the fact that even without context, Kefka's laugh made you laugh. Amazing that this game is almost 30 years old but this is still one of the greatest video game compsitions ever. From still one of the best games ever. This era of gaming was truly special.