réalta

rel-ta. he/him — team asano & bravely series fan. also very into fromsoftware (including pre-Souls). i do music theory analysis sometimes!

[stratecheez]

Green.

[mmariesr]

[hoshizoralone]

sharline evergrace :)

[diaemusrealta]

I don't know if you're still around but I thought the Sound Horizon's music analysis posts were interesting!!

Thank you very much! I have been wanting to get back to making them eventually. Been feeling a bit drained of energy in recent times but I do still analyze stuff in my free time just need to actually make the video haha. I appreciate that people have found them interesting c:

[oka-ja]

I love dark souls 2

[pk4n]

just a lil morgott sketch

[diaemusrealta]

I forgot to share this with tumblr, I drew Seth in the Kaiser asterisk outfit from Bravely Second for fun!

[diaemusrealta]

Saw someone say Nightreign should have all versions of the Mooonlight Greatsword and I agree but only if you're also including some of the wacky incarnations from a few of FromSoft's pre-Souls games too.

[dailyskeletonreminders]

yeah sorry boss i can't come into work today, yes, ye- yeah. it's the pursuer again, yeah he appeared outside the front gate an- yeah, in a mass of black fog. and he tried to use cursed impale on me so i got back in my car and left

[menaslg]

[OC] Meness, Warrior of the Moon

[diaemusrealta]

Revo music analysis #3!

Spooky halloween days ahead and we're back in the music lab. For a bit of a change from chord progressions this time we'll be talking about Revo's use of baroque pedal point! A common organ and harpsichord technique from the baroque period many people subconsciously recognise is the pedal point. Most famously seen in Bach's popular Toccata and Fugue in D minor piece (BWV 565) and also seen in various Revo works here and there...

While it has various forms in this example we see an ostinato where a consistent note is constantly played between others as the "pedal point" while the rest of the notes form a melodic motion, giving this sense of jumping back and forth and making it feel less static. The pedal note normally being the 5th in the scale.

In Revo's music it's mostly heard in isolation as a type of hook with some exceptions like Mother. It's cool to see modern composers like Revo or Michiru Yamane still keep this old baroque tradition alive today in contemporary music scenarios!

[diaemusrealta]

I really appreciate your breakdowns of Revo's music! The chord progression post in particular was really easy for me to understand (no background in music theory besides 101 courses) What spurred you to make these analysis vids? Please keep 'em coming!!

Thank you! I'm glad it was easy to parse. I initially started learning music theory because I wanted to understand why I liked certain elements of composers I like so much while gaining the tools along the way to play music in such styles or just appreciate it more. I then figured there are a lot of artists out there that don't get these type of analysis so it'd be fun to share my knowledge with everyone else, it's fun to learn about the stuff we like, it's kinda like lore but for music haha. I'm always fascinated with Revo's music storytelling, this is kind of my way of showing my appreciation for it (plus it may help others along the way!)

[diaemusrealta]

Back with more Revo music analysis!

This time I'm showcasing what I consider a quintessential Revo chord progression. An extremely classical sounding passage he uses in many of his Bravely Default and Sound Horizon music. I'm sure many of you recognise tracks of his that feature the vibes produced from this.

Video showcases the base idea in C minor + examples from his music! Most notable example being BDFF's "That Person's Name Is".

The core idea behind this chord progression is an ascending I-III-IV-V sequence that's being bridged together by inverted secondary dominant chords for extra movement giving it that classical flair. Alternating between the V of the current chord and the next one in the progression. Fantastic back and forth motion!

Bonus: While not exactly 1 to 1 to this progression I'm sure many Sound Horizon fans recognise a similar movement at the beginning of The Glory Kingdom, SH's anthem song :) Another reason it feels so important to his music in my opinion.

[diaemusrealta]

Some quick tips for Bravely Default sounding music! #1 One of the key elements in Revo's music is the heavy use of classical theory like strong V/I resolutions and circle of fifth progressions. He also particularly likes i-VII-VI-V or slightly similar chord progressions. Though if I had to choose one it'd be how much he loves to use secondary dominants, especially if they're diminished. I know this is mumbo jumbo to people who don't know theory but I'll try to show recordings on screen as I do this. For now here's something quick (doesnt feature all what I'm talking about I'll get there in a future post!)

I'll go more into detail later when I have the time! Planning to drop lil' tidbits of what I learn when transcribing music, just need to remind myself to share it more.

[beevean]

🌻 for Castlevania?

Did you know about the leitmotif Michiru Yamane has included in many tracks?

The video doesn't include other examples like Dracula Appears (right at the moment where Mathias reveals he has abandoned humanity) and Requiem of Star-Crossed Nights, which is very interesting considering the intro theme references Vampire Killer.

It seems very deliberate. I accept this theory that it's meant to relate to vampires!

And I really like this comment that explains how Aiolon Ruins ties to it:

Maybe Aolin Ruins was a site where vampirism or rituals pertaining to vampirism occured? It's the second most unnerving area in Curse of Darkness with the basement of Garibaldi Temple being the creepiest. Garibaldi felt like a church or a place of godly worship that eventually got corrupted (via Dracula and his curse) into a place of sacrifice and bloodletting. I mean what with Legion making a cozy home in the basement and the iconography throughout the temple (stained glass windows and the breakable torches) displaying demonic entities instead of angels and saints, etc. Maybe Aolin Ruins was some sort ancient city/mines that eventually became sinister locale for vampire cults/etc? This got me thinking about Curse of Darkness' locations. Each one seems to showcase different aspects of life breaking down, decaying, and corrupting into never ending chaos (until a Belmont, or in Curse of Darkness Belmont and Hector puts a stop to it).

It's compounded by Yamane's comment on the theme: "Has a slightly Asian feel. Perhaps some kind of secret ritual is taking place here..."

It's all so cool and well thought out I love it <3

(I could also gush about the state of decay most locations in CoD are, especially Garibaldi Temple and Cordova Town!)

[diaemusrealta]

I always thought this motif was just in Lament of Innocence but this post opened my eyes to it being in more other games than I imagined. I love the subtlety of it. It feels like a strong emotional motif but always feels like its serene in how its presented, blending in with its beautiful surroundings. I think both the implementation of it by Yamane and the fan theories are so well thought out. As a composer/arranger that loves this type of stuff thank you so much for sharing the insight! (Also speaking of Cordova Town i love its use of motifs from CV3's Beginning aside from the more obvious Reincarnated Soul one)

[diaemusrealta]

Updates from Tomoya Asano on Bravely news this year! Previously it was stated during the Bravely Default II anniversary earlier this year that we'd be seeing news this year but it seems that will no longer be the case. Whatever is behind the scenes I hope the team is well and Square Enix are giving them the time they need!

[houseofbelmont]

a couple of my favourite belmonts

richter and honourary belmont hector (idk man maybe its a fave protagonist list) are on my list too but i havent drawn any nice art of them lately!!! i have so many headcanons for all of them, one day ill share