Octopath Traveler - The Gate at Finis - "At Finis Gate" synthwave remix
46Released on the Pixel Mixers Octopath Traveler tribute album: "Echoes of Eight". Available for free from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QxOOCxiOTk
Arrangement, production, vocals, electric guitar: Jorito
Saxophone: Bobbie Jane Desforges
Saxophone recording engineer: Eleanor Hébert
Cello: Chromatic Apparatus
Wrote this track for the Pixel Mixers Octopath Traveler album. Originally I opted to do the main theme, but got stuck and wasn't feeling it, so I was glad that this particular track, "The Gate at Finis" became available again. Due to the arp that's one of the main motifs of the source track, I was instantly inspired to do some synthwave/chillwave style track.
Since it was a collaboration album, I also needed a minimum of two guests (something I initially almost forgot about). I already had a saxophone part written and was originally wanted to just stick with samples for it, but due to the collaborative nature of the album, I decided to reach out to find a saxophone. Help arrived in the form of Eleanor Hébert, who handled the sax recording and recruited Bobbie Jane Desforges to perform the part. I also needed another instrument, and decided to go for the cello for this track, an unconventional choice for this genre. I think it works very well in the more cinematic middle section of the track, and it also goes hand in hand nicely with my vague notion to create an EP in this style, with some less conventional instruments, similar to the Okami track I created earlier.
As is usual with my electronic/synthwave inspired tracks, there's lots of synth layering going on to create this particular sound, some effects and transitions to keep the flow and bounce in it, and in general a good amount of care to make the entire track flow nicely. I'm rather proud of how it all came out, especially since the past 2 years have been pretty unproductive musically, and it's good to get back into the swing of things. And of course a big thank you to Bobbie Jane, Eleanor and Chromatic Apparatus for their performances that brought the track to the next level.