Track #3-39: Phazonsynthesis
NOTE: No YouTube upload available.
Artist: Simon Palmblad
Original: Flaahgra by Kenji Yamamoto and Kouichi Kyuma
Length: 3:57
Flaahgra, the overgrown, phazon-corrupted flowering root poisoning the waters of the Chozo Ruins in Metroid Prime, has an eerie boss theme that starts out minimalist and slowly grows louder and louder as different electronic noises and synth lines creep into the song; fitting, for the boss that firts demonstrates the wide-ranging effects phazon has had on Tallon IV's biosphere. In the original release of Prime, the song had an unusual problem - a mistake in the game's programming looped the song prematurely, so that only the dark, airy first thirty or so seconds of the song ever played in game. This was fixed for future releases, but results in the boss battle having a different atmosphere in different releases of the game.
Simon Palmblad's remix is, in many ways, similar to the original piece, as it is a synth piece for the most part. The remix opens on rain sounds and environmental ambience and a short synth melody to introduce the song. The song centers on mechanical percussion and quiet, detuned synths for the first half of its runtime, covering the intro of the original song. In the second half, the remix covers the remainder of the song, growing more overtly melodic and using fuller instrumentation. The title is a mix of 'phazon' and 'photosynthesis' due to Flaahgra being a phazon-mutated plant.
This is an excellent remix. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the best parts of the Rain World soundtrack, which is also minimal, menacing, and mechanical. There's a lot of variety in the synths, from the faint tinkling to the smoother melodic to the growly bass synths. The panning on this track keeps it nice and disorienting. I really like the choice to extend the intro for the first half of the song; not only does it provide a proper buildup of tension, but it also homages the original release's short loop. There's a lot to like here, and I'm glad one of the weirdest bosses in Prime got such a dire remix.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Track #3-38: The Battle for Tallon IV Track #3-40: Melting Point