Duration: 12:36

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I know next to nothing about NieR, but I do like a lot of the music I’ve heard from the games. It all has this air of mystery to it. This was challenging to make with the medley rules of never using the same exact instrument twice. This not only meant finding different instruments for accompaniment, but also four different vocal synthesizers I liked. This was a nice change of pace for me, this isn’t like the music I normally cover.
Link to image: https://www.vigamusmagazine.com/230859/nier-replicant-ver-1-22474487139-ora-disponibile/
Song 1: Copied City
Based on Copied City from NieR: Automata by Keigo Hoashi
Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnUPKPM9I4U
Score used for reference: https://musescore.com/user/8920281/scores/8355606
Primary key: F minor
Instruments used: Electric Piano, Alto (Solo Vox), Warm Synthesizer, Saw Synthesizer (Detuned Saw), Soundtrack Synthesizer
This was the track I chose to sound fully synthesized, using no real instruments. The vibe of this when there are drums is very “epic trailer” but when it’s stripped down it’s quite somber. NieR is a post-apocalyptic series, and with the name “Copied City” I can easily imagine this song playing while walking alone through an empty city.
Song 2: Lost Shrine
Based on Lost Shrine from NieR Replicant by Keiichi Okabe
Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJm3RsAbksw
Score used for reference: https://musescore.com/user/8920281/scores/11360968
Primary key: C minor
Instruments used: Marimba, Alto, Tenor, Baritone (all Choir Aahs), Violins, Violas, Cellos, Concert Toms, Bongos, Hi-Hat
This song has a tribal quality to it due to its instrumentation. Overall it reminds me a lot of Searching the Lost Woods from Age of Calamity, with its ostinato and heavy use of the fourth interval. I find that harmonizing in fourths and using plenty of add4 chords in a minor key has a very mysterious sound to it. It also uses the raised 7, but the effect is softened by using the raised 6 about as much, sounding more melodic minor than harmonic minor.
Song 3: Amusement Park
Based on Amusement Park from NieR: Automata by Keiichi Okabe
Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jpJM6nc6fE
Score used for reference: https://musescore.com/user/8920281/scores/8869044
Primary key: G minor
Instruments used: Alto (Synth Voice), Glockenspiel, Flute, Sine Synthesizer, Accordion, Bandoneon, Classical Guitar (Nylon String Guitar), Contrabasses, Electric Bass
More than any of the other songs, this just sounds sad in the first half. Part of this effect is holding on a 2nd over a minor chord, which is a dissonant, heartbreaking sound. It also uses the flat 2nd a fair amount. This invokes the Phrygian mode, which makes it sound a little edgy. Like all the NieR songs, Amusement Park uses both the soft minor and the strong minor sound to control its mood.
Song 4: Snow in Summer
Based on Snow in Summer (Another Edit Version) from NieR Replicant by Keiichi Okabe
Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0iCbTaWfpc
Score used for reference: https://musescore.com/user/8920281/scores/8521049
Primary key: Bb minor
Instruments used: Soprano, Alto (both Space Voice), Bb Clarinet, Horn in F, Piano, Acoustic Guitar (Steel String Guitar), Acoustic Bass, Timpani, Concert Snare Drum, Cymbal
This is my favorite of these four songs. Earlier I mentioned how the tracks use the soft minor and the strong minor sounds, and this one heavily leans towards strong minor, which often has a mischievous or even evil sound to it. Snow in Summer also loves minor 2nds, an interval that can be absolutely menacing. In particular, the 1/7, 2/b3, and 5/b6 minor 2nds, the crunch between notes that make the harmonic minor sound the way it does, is all over the melody. I generally prefer the soft minor sound, but Snow in Summer is a notable exception.