Anyway, the soundtrack to KH2 is probably my favorite score for any piece of media ever made, and I hope this analysis here shows some of the reasons why I think it's just so incredible. If you noticed any new connections in the soundtrack to KH2 that I didn't pick up on, I'd _love_ to learn about them! Please let me know in the comments section here or on any of the social media links in the description. Also: there are 5 small Puzzle Piece crowns hidden throughout the video--good luck finding them, and thanks for watching!
Ansem the Wise Hey I don’t know if you mentioned this or if I’m correct at all. I know very little about music theory, and I can’t recall if you mentioned it, so forgive me if I’m wrong It seems to me like at 30:35 through 30:43 the piano seems to be referencing dearly beloved. You may have pointed that out already, or in another video, but I thought I’d mention it just in case. Great video!
@@yeetusvanitas9800 It's a good thought! The horn there holds a high C while piano just plays octave G and F. When all three are taken together, it *is* a fragment of the DB melody before the piano steps down with the triplet. To me, though, it comes across more like just a part of the texture rather than an explicit nod to DB (by which Shimomura always completes the phrase), but it's super subjective and if you think it's an intentional reference, that's cool! I think that I'd be convinced it was referential to Dearly Beloved if there were a D played anywhere in that section of the song
I didn't know a snippet of Destati played in the final part of Darkness of the Unknown that's cool. That makes every Xehanort final fight theme include Destati. Even though it's barely there with Xemnas since he doesn't have a heart
This is just... an exquisite deep dive. The first video essays were impressive to say the least, but this one is just so lovingly crafted. It's such a joy to hear you take apart the soundscape like this and explain exactly how each piece fits together to create one of my favorite OSTs of all time.
God, YEARS of Sacred Moon being one of my favorite field themes in KH and I NEVER knew that it was built off the choir section of The 13th Struggle! As someone who does not have a strong ear for this sort of thing, I LOVE these videos for deepening my appreciation of these soundtracks! I also love how you played the “secret” reference in Darkness of the Unknown while you talked about it. Can’t wait to see the video that’ll come up in!
Both of them aren’t crazy. Yoko weaves her music together like nobody I’ve ever seen. Tell me what other game composer is able to understand tones, emotions, and the music they embody like this, let alone combine them. Nomura, despite making a weird plot, can setup and payoff emotion quite beautifully. That’s why most of us play these games. The characters actions are perfectly sensible, that’s why these games are sad; it’s just how the rules they’re allowed to use are implemented that makes it crazy.
@@neveroddoreven6597 exactly, the plot's... questionable... but the emotion hits pretty hard about 70-80% of the time; as bizarre as the plot is, there's no doubt that Nomura's putting his heart into it
Ok currently binging the videos in this analysis series and I must thank you for doing this. It helps me with my own understanding of how to compose music, which I hope will reflect in my future composition.
Awesome video! The runtime absolutely flew by-great job on the editing and flow. I love this OST so much. KH2 really shows Yoko’s talent (genius) for melodic writing. I had the privilege to attend a Q&A with her, and when asked about her compositional process she responded by saying “I just take the notes where they want to go.” It reminded me of Picasso’s comment about “taking a line for a walk.” I get a similar feeling from Yoko that I get from Mozart-the music flows so naturally at times it seems effortless. Although it saddens me that the series’ music never quite reached these heights again, in a way it is a tribute to the creative momentum Shimomura must have been experiencing coming off KH1 and CoM. I’m curious about the motif that “Disappeared,” “Forze de Male” and “Darkness of the Unknown” all share. You name it “Ansem’s theme,” but I’m very curious to know if this motif actually has a connection to a certain other, older and balder villain’s theme in BBS. The way it rises and falls seems familiar. Also-I don’t remember if you mentioned this-but is there a connection between “Lazy Afternoons” and “Roxas?” Or “Roxas” and “Sora?” Looking forward to the next video! It’s so cool that you analyze the music in depth like this. Those of us who have been with KH since Day One are so lucky have grown up with Yoko’s music, and it’s truly amazing to watch her evolve as a musician. Sometimes I think she is even evolving beyond what games can offer her, and deserves more mainstream exposure. But until that day comes, I’ll always be excited for more KH music ;)
Thanks a ton! I think I agree with you--since KH2, the music hasn't really reached the same level of interconnectedness and depth in this OST, probably because of the soundtrack responsibilities being shared between 3 people from BBS and onward. I think this is one of the many reasons why a lotta folks might consider the [KH1-CoM-KH2] section of the series to be a conclusive arc in itself. Re: Ansem motif, for sure! So, the Ansem/Xemnas musical pattern there started with Forze del Male, then was incorporated into KH1FM with Disappeared. In CoM, the track "The Force In You" also references the motif--and then finally here in KH2, DotU referenced it again. I haven't noticed anything particularly noteworthy with Xehanort's theme in particular, but I haven't really thought very deeply about BBS's music haha--other than to say that it moves mostly non-diatonically. I would flip over the moon if I find a ref to Ansem/Xemnas in any of Xehanort's themes when I explore that OST though. Re: the Afternoon tracks--I actually had a paragraph or two dedicated to talking about "The Afternoon Streets" and "Lazy Afternoons" in the first draft of the script! But surprisingly, they don't seem to share any musical material. I didn't notice any specific quotes among any of the Roxas/Sora/Lazy/Streets tracks, even after transcribing all 4, which was a bummer. But me having cut out those sections also didn't let me talk about how cool it is that Sora seemingly pulled from Roxas' memories in CoM due to "Lazy Afternoons" playing for the Twilight Town in that game. Another fun thing to note was how the battle music changed between the two characters--Sora's TT battle is "Working Together" and Roxas's is "Sinister Sundown"--another pair of totally unconnected melodies....kinda similar to how Traverse Town's battle theme changed from "Night of Fate" to "Hand in Hand" in KH1. It made me wonder if we ever revisit TT as Kairi or another character, what they would "hear" for their TT field!
I absolutely LOVE these videos. I wouldn't call myself musically gifted, or even musically savvy, however I've always been a sucker for storytelling through musical motifs and small references to catch your ear and clue you into something. I'm really excited for the Birth By Sleep installment of this series. Terra's theme has always intrigued me and had me listening through so many other tracks in the series to see if there are any connections. Lol. Keep up the great work! I look forward to the next one!
I just found this series, and as someone who loves Kingdom Hearts but knows nothing about music, I love seeing someone who knows what they're talking about go deep into the connections and references in the tracks! Keep up the good work!
Small observation as it's already a medley piece, but part of "Fantasia alla marcia" (from 1:05 to 1:55 in the song) is actually a combination of quotes from "The Afternoon Streets" and "Lazy Afternoons" in a part that you marked as simply original material. It starts with "The Afternoon Streets" melody followed by a similar downward contour from "Lazy Afternoons," then repeats. Also, I noticed you fixed on the spreadsheet that Working Together quotes Dearly Beloved, I was about to call that out. Love this video series! Would have made it myself if it didn't already exist.
Just discovered your videos and I absolutely love them! I don’t know if you were planning to cover this at a later time, but one thing I wanted to mention in regards to Dearly Beloved is that there is one recurring element to it that was introduced at the end of this game. I don’t know the terminology but there’s a point in Fantasia Alla Marcia where Dearly Beloved comes in, reaches a crescendo and lands on a resolved major chord, (the part that shows Ariel and Prince Eric’s wedding). This section is present in BBS’ Dearly Beloved during the middle-section before the ‘loop’ and again at the end, and can recently be heard in Melody of Memory’s version of Dearly Beloved. Anyways, just wanted to say you’re videos are awesome! Really appreciate all the work you put into these deep dives. Keep up the great work!
I'm late to the party, but David, this is such a good video!! I've been so excited to watch this since I woke up on my birthday to find that you'd uploaded this overnight, but I was really struggling to find time for it until I realized this is the perfect content to watch while fishing in AC! You really did a good job on the video and I especially appreciate the visual clarity all your diagrams bring. As someone who's a huge noob to KH I'm so happy I'm able to follow your analysis so easily! Thank you so much for making this video series, it's super interesting to be able to see all these connections between the tracks! I really can't even begin to imagine all the thought and effort you've put into this over the years! I'm looking forward to your analysis on 358/2 Days, I'm already predicting that I'm going to cry, lol
Cavern of Remembrance and Deep Anxiety is a version of Kairis theme but in a different rhythm and key. FF13's fanfare and the music from Horon Village from Zelda being Zeldas lullaby do the same thing this is doing.
I couldnt wait for this one! And it didnt disappoint! One little thing you didnt mention, I dont have much knowlege on the topic so I may be talking out of my ass here, but the starting parts of all 3 "13th" tracks seem to follow a leitmotiv don't they? Again, I dont have much knowlege on this stuff so I may be using the wrong term here or straight up being wrong, but I think you'll understand what Im referencing here, those beggining parts of all 3 tracks seem to follow a theme intentionally! Anyways nice job man, I love these videos, I'll be waiting eagerly for the next one!
Awesome video! Love the editing and illustrations. I have 2 musical similarities, I'd love to hear your thoughts on: 1. Floating in Bliss and Isn't It Lovely? These tracks have very similar melodies and chords at (ruclips.net/video/_XdgTCLSc9w/видео.html) and (ruclips.net/video/U8RPJf8t7ag/видео.html) respectively, albeit in different keys. Especially 0:53-1:03 in Floating in Bliss and 1:05-1:20 in Isn't It Lovely?. Considering Floating in Bliss plays on the gummi route to Atlantica (but also Port Royal), is this a meaningful reference? 2. The 13th Reflection and The Encounter The piano ostinato in the 13th reflection is almost identical to the bassline in The Encounter. Both basslines consist of two similar melodies that repeat for most of their track. The second melody of the bassline in The 13th Reflection is identical to the first melody in The Encounter but in different keys, although The Encounter shifts down to the exact key during parts of its chorus. It can be heard best at 0:04-0:05 in The 13th Reflection (ruclips.net/video/5PL1MUSgqaY/видео.html) and at 0:00-0:01 in The Encounter (ruclips.net/video/VjSOx_gEGrg/видео.html). Unlike my first example, these tracks have nothing in common contextually (Bonus Organization boss theme vs Heartless boss theme). I'm chalking it up to coincidence, but is there a musical reason these are similar? For example you mention that while Hesitation/Disquieting share similar contexts, chromaticism can represent instability.
What an incredible find! Nice ear for both of these connections!! I'd love if that "Floating in Bliss"/"Isn't It Lovely" fragment were anywhere in Port Royal's "Night of the Cursed" to further ground the field themes to the gummi track as sort of foreshadowing material. And wowow, I didn't even pick up on Reflection and Encounter sharing that bassline!! I transcribed both just now, and although they're not melodically identical, the contour is so similar that it doesn't seem likely that it's coincidence. So, "The Encounter" happens 6 times in KH2: [vs. Oogie Boogie, vs. heartless Scar, vs. Hades alongside Hercules and Auron (Underworld 2nd visit), vs. Genie Jafar (Agrabah 2nd visit), vs. MCP & Sark (phase 2), (Space Paranoids 2nd visit), vs. nobodies in front of The Old Mansion (Twilight Town 2nd visit) with Mickey] and I chalked it up to being one of the battle themes that played vs. (or allied with) Disney/FF characters. I think you're right that with what we know having experienced the game, there doesn't seem to be anything to link these pieces together. But now that you've connected these two, it makes it seem as though maybe the Organization members associated with the 13th Reflection tracks in the Garden of Assemblage & Absent Silhouettes may have been intended to appear in some form to these worlds, but they were replaced with Disney villain battles? (data-Vexen, Larxene, Lexaeus, Marluxia, Zexion) Anyway, great find! Thanks a ton for bringing these connections to light!
in my estimation, they are just similar-sounding; you can read a little more about the similarities in this Project Destati tweet: twitter.com/projectdestati/status/1246582677974724608
They're good! I think the original soundfonts make the battle tracks feel more urgent and punchy in a uniquely "KH" way, but the 2.5 orchestrations really add a lot of drama and life to the slower character and field themes. The original soundfont of KH2 is, weirdly, worse than even KH1--but I'm a person who cares more about arrangement structure and note choices than I do about soundsource playback hah
![BOLIVIA vs. COLOMBIA [1-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 9](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zg15uVWjuf4/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Music of Kingdom Hearts: 𝝌[chi] Saga](/img/1.gif)
Anyway, the soundtrack to KH2 is probably my favorite score for any piece of media ever made, and I hope this analysis here shows some of the reasons why I think it's just so incredible. If you noticed any new connections in the soundtrack to KH2 that I didn't pick up on, I'd _love_ to learn about them! Please let me know in the comments section here or on any of the social media links in the description. Also: there are 5 small Puzzle Piece crowns hidden throughout the video--good luck finding them, and thanks for watching!
Ansem the Wise Hey I don’t know if you mentioned this or if I’m correct at all. I know very little about music theory, and I can’t recall if you mentioned it, so forgive me if I’m wrong
It seems to me like at 30:35 through 30:43 the piano seems to be referencing dearly beloved. You may have pointed that out already, or in another video, but I thought I’d mention it just in case.
Great video!
Hey, jsyk, the linked spreadsheet is for KH1 not KH2!
@@yeetusvanitas9800 It's a good thought! The horn there holds a high C while piano just plays octave G and F. When all three are taken together, it *is* a fragment of the DB melody before the piano steps down with the triplet. To me, though, it comes across more like just a part of the texture rather than an explicit nod to DB (by which Shimomura always completes the phrase), but it's super subjective and if you think it's an intentional reference, that's cool! I think that I'd be convinced it was referential to Dearly Beloved if there were a D played anywhere in that section of the song
@@NajaSide (it's a universal spreadsheet with little tabs at the bottom for switching between the games!)
This was really interesting, and i can't wait for 358/2days. I wonder what connections xion's theme might have.
i LOVE that these videos are easy to understand and follow even without a background in music! these connections are fascinating!
As someone with no musical knowledge but who was always impressed by the similarities and callbacks I detected, this series is so fucking gratifying.
It's a travesty this doesn't have more views. Amazing video
I didn't know a snippet of Destati played in the final part of Darkness of the Unknown that's cool. That makes every Xehanort final fight theme include Destati. Even though it's barely there with Xemnas since he doesn't have a heart
This is just... an exquisite deep dive. The first video essays were impressive to say the least, but this one is just so lovingly crafted. It's such a joy to hear you take apart the soundscape like this and explain exactly how each piece fits together to create one of my favorite OSTs of all time.
The Darkness of the Unknown analysis is insane! Thank you so very much
God, YEARS of Sacred Moon being one of my favorite field themes in KH and I NEVER knew that it was built off the choir section of The 13th Struggle! As someone who does not have a strong ear for this sort of thing, I LOVE these videos for deepening my appreciation of these soundtracks! I also love how you played the “secret” reference in Darkness of the Unknown while you talked about it. Can’t wait to see the video that’ll come up in!
Shimomura's as crazy as Nomura lol
Both of them aren’t crazy. Yoko weaves her music together like nobody I’ve ever seen. Tell me what other game composer is able to understand tones, emotions, and the music they embody like this, let alone combine them.
Nomura, despite making a weird plot, can setup and payoff emotion quite beautifully. That’s why most of us play these games. The characters actions are perfectly sensible, that’s why these games are sad; it’s just how the rules they’re allowed to use are implemented that makes it crazy.
@@neveroddoreven6597 marty o'donnell
@@neveroddoreven6597 exactly, the plot's... questionable... but the emotion hits pretty hard about 70-80% of the time; as bizarre as the plot is, there's no doubt that Nomura's putting his heart into it
Been waiting for this for weeks, can’t wait to watch it!
These videos are really amazing, I hadn't picked up on the Ansem motif in DotU until you pointed it out. What an amazing soundtrack
Ok currently binging the videos in this analysis series and I must thank you for doing this. It helps me with my own understanding of how to compose music, which I hope will reflect in my future composition.
Happy to help! Usin motifs in many tracks is just one way of writing a score, but it can be very effective when done like Shimomura has^^
I am so glad to see my favorite track in the series getting so much attention. Darkness of the Unknown is absolutely amazing.
Awesome video! The runtime absolutely flew by-great job on the editing and flow.
I love this OST so much. KH2 really shows Yoko’s talent (genius) for melodic writing. I had the privilege to attend a Q&A with her, and when asked about her compositional process she responded by saying “I just take the notes where they want to go.” It reminded me of Picasso’s comment about “taking a line for a walk.” I get a similar feeling from Yoko that I get from Mozart-the music flows so naturally at times it seems effortless.
Although it saddens me that the series’ music never quite reached these heights again, in a way it is a tribute to the creative momentum Shimomura must have been experiencing coming off KH1 and CoM.
I’m curious about the motif that “Disappeared,” “Forze de Male” and “Darkness of the Unknown” all share. You name it “Ansem’s theme,” but I’m very curious to know if this motif actually has a connection to a certain other, older and balder villain’s theme in BBS. The way it rises and falls seems familiar.
Also-I don’t remember if you mentioned this-but is there a connection between “Lazy Afternoons” and “Roxas?” Or “Roxas” and “Sora?”
Looking forward to the next video! It’s so cool that you analyze the music in depth like this. Those of us who have been with KH since Day One are so lucky have grown up with Yoko’s music, and it’s truly amazing to watch her evolve as a musician. Sometimes I think she is even evolving beyond what games can offer her, and deserves more mainstream exposure. But until that day comes, I’ll always be excited for more KH music ;)
Thanks a ton! I think I agree with you--since KH2, the music hasn't really reached the same level of interconnectedness and depth in this OST, probably because of the soundtrack responsibilities being shared between 3 people from BBS and onward. I think this is one of the many reasons why a lotta folks might consider the [KH1-CoM-KH2] section of the series to be a conclusive arc in itself.
Re: Ansem motif, for sure! So, the Ansem/Xemnas musical pattern there started with Forze del Male, then was incorporated into KH1FM with Disappeared. In CoM, the track "The Force In You" also references the motif--and then finally here in KH2, DotU referenced it again. I haven't noticed anything particularly noteworthy with Xehanort's theme in particular, but I haven't really thought very deeply about BBS's music haha--other than to say that it moves mostly non-diatonically. I would flip over the moon if I find a ref to Ansem/Xemnas in any of Xehanort's themes when I explore that OST though.
Re: the Afternoon tracks--I actually had a paragraph or two dedicated to talking about "The Afternoon Streets" and "Lazy Afternoons" in the first draft of the script! But surprisingly, they don't seem to share any musical material. I didn't notice any specific quotes among any of the Roxas/Sora/Lazy/Streets tracks, even after transcribing all 4, which was a bummer. But me having cut out those sections also didn't let me talk about how cool it is that Sora seemingly pulled from Roxas' memories in CoM due to "Lazy Afternoons" playing for the Twilight Town in that game. Another fun thing to note was how the battle music changed between the two characters--Sora's TT battle is "Working Together" and Roxas's is "Sinister Sundown"--another pair of totally unconnected melodies....kinda similar to how Traverse Town's battle theme changed from "Night of Fate" to "Hand in Hand" in KH1. It made me wonder if we ever revisit TT as Kairi or another character, what they would "hear" for their TT field!
I absolutely LOVE these videos. I wouldn't call myself musically gifted, or even musically savvy, however I've always been a sucker for storytelling through musical motifs and small references to catch your ear and clue you into something.
I'm really excited for the Birth By Sleep installment of this series. Terra's theme has always intrigued me and had me listening through so many other tracks in the series to see if there are any connections. Lol. Keep up the great work! I look forward to the next one!
I just found this series, and as someone who loves Kingdom Hearts but knows nothing about music, I love seeing someone who knows what they're talking about go deep into the connections and references in the tracks! Keep up the good work!
this is my favorite video series in all of youtube, thank you so much for all the effort you put into them!! cannot wait for the next video
Thank you so much for these videos. They bring me life
Small observation as it's already a medley piece, but part of "Fantasia alla marcia" (from 1:05 to 1:55 in the song) is actually a combination of quotes from "The Afternoon Streets" and "Lazy Afternoons" in a part that you marked as simply original material.
It starts with "The Afternoon Streets" melody followed by a similar downward contour from "Lazy Afternoons," then repeats.
Also, I noticed you fixed on the spreadsheet that Working Together quotes Dearly Beloved, I was about to call that out.
Love this video series! Would have made it myself if it didn't already exist.
This is crazy, I never thought there were so many connections!
You deserve waaaaaay more subs
Amazing video man!! Can't wait for the 358/2 Days video!!
Just discovered your videos and I absolutely love them!
I don’t know if you were planning to cover this at a later time, but one thing I wanted to mention in regards to Dearly Beloved is that there is one recurring element to it that was introduced at the end of this game.
I don’t know the terminology but there’s a point in Fantasia Alla Marcia where Dearly Beloved comes in, reaches a crescendo and lands on a resolved major chord, (the part that shows Ariel and Prince Eric’s wedding). This section is present in BBS’ Dearly Beloved during the middle-section before the ‘loop’ and again at the end, and can recently be heard in Melody of Memory’s version of Dearly Beloved.
Anyways, just wanted to say you’re videos are awesome! Really appreciate all the work you put into these deep dives. Keep up the great work!
These videos are so well thought out and nicely explained! Nice work!! Can’t wait for the next!
The passing orchestrated version is still one of the greatest things I ever heard in gaming
These videos are food for my soul, mmmm
I'm late to the party, but David, this is such a good video!! I've been so excited to watch this since I woke up on my birthday to find that you'd uploaded this overnight, but I was really struggling to find time for it until I realized this is the perfect content to watch while fishing in AC! You really did a good job on the video and I especially appreciate the visual clarity all your diagrams bring. As someone who's a huge noob to KH I'm so happy I'm able to follow your analysis so easily! Thank you so much for making this video series, it's super interesting to be able to see all these connections between the tracks! I really can't even begin to imagine all the thought and effort you've put into this over the years! I'm looking forward to your analysis on 358/2 Days, I'm already predicting that I'm going to cry, lol
Great work, you earned a sub! Going to share this around, more people need to see it!
I 'ppreciate it!
At 31:33 the bit of deep drive playing in the background sounds like a variation on the choir in sacred moon
Loved the video! Although am I crazy to say that I feel like I can hear something like the rage awakened build up in a fight to the death?
These videos are so good, thank you
Can’t wait till kh melody of memory comes out, especially musically speaking
Cavern of Remembrance and Deep Anxiety is a version of Kairis theme but in a different rhythm and key. FF13's fanfare and the music from Horon Village from Zelda being Zeldas lullaby do the same thing this is doing.
Excellent video!
Incredible video, as always. I’m interested to see how you’ll handle Birth by Sleep and the games going forward with their 3 composers.
I couldnt wait for this one! And it didnt disappoint!
One little thing you didnt mention, I dont have much knowlege on the topic so I may be talking out of my ass here, but the starting parts of all 3 "13th" tracks seem to follow a leitmotiv don't they? Again, I dont have much knowlege on this stuff so I may be using the wrong term here or straight up being wrong, but I think you'll understand what Im referencing here, those beggining parts of all 3 tracks seem to follow a theme intentionally!
Anyways nice job man, I love these videos, I'll be waiting eagerly for the next one!
Awesome video! Love the editing and illustrations. I have 2 musical similarities, I'd love to hear your thoughts on:
1. Floating in Bliss and Isn't It Lovely?
These tracks have very similar melodies and chords at (ruclips.net/video/_XdgTCLSc9w/видео.html) and (ruclips.net/video/U8RPJf8t7ag/видео.html) respectively, albeit in different keys. Especially 0:53-1:03 in Floating in Bliss and 1:05-1:20 in Isn't It Lovely?. Considering Floating in Bliss plays on the gummi route to Atlantica (but also Port Royal), is this a meaningful reference?
2. The 13th Reflection and The Encounter
The piano ostinato in the 13th reflection is almost identical to the bassline in The Encounter. Both basslines consist of two similar melodies that repeat for most of their track. The second melody of the bassline in The 13th Reflection is identical to the first melody in The Encounter but in different keys, although The Encounter shifts down to the exact key during parts of its chorus. It can be heard best at 0:04-0:05 in The 13th Reflection (ruclips.net/video/5PL1MUSgqaY/видео.html) and at 0:00-0:01 in The Encounter (ruclips.net/video/VjSOx_gEGrg/видео.html).
Unlike my first example, these tracks have nothing in common contextually (Bonus Organization boss theme vs Heartless boss theme). I'm chalking it up to coincidence, but is there a musical reason these are similar? For example you mention that while Hesitation/Disquieting share similar contexts, chromaticism can represent instability.
What an incredible find! Nice ear for both of these connections!!
I'd love if that "Floating in Bliss"/"Isn't It Lovely" fragment were anywhere in Port Royal's "Night of the Cursed" to further ground the field themes to the gummi track as sort of foreshadowing material.
And wowow, I didn't even pick up on Reflection and Encounter sharing that bassline!! I transcribed both just now, and although they're not melodically identical, the contour is so similar that it doesn't seem likely that it's coincidence. So, "The Encounter" happens 6 times in KH2:
[vs. Oogie Boogie,
vs. heartless Scar,
vs. Hades alongside Hercules and Auron (Underworld 2nd visit),
vs. Genie Jafar (Agrabah 2nd visit),
vs. MCP & Sark (phase 2), (Space Paranoids 2nd visit),
vs. nobodies in front of The Old Mansion (Twilight Town 2nd visit) with Mickey]
and I chalked it up to being one of the battle themes that played vs. (or allied with) Disney/FF characters. I think you're right that with what we know having experienced the game, there doesn't seem to be anything to link these pieces together. But now that you've connected these two, it makes it seem as though maybe the Organization members associated with the 13th Reflection tracks in the Garden of Assemblage & Absent Silhouettes may have been intended to appear in some form to these worlds, but they were replaced with Disney villain battles? (data-Vexen, Larxene, Lexaeus, Marluxia, Zexion)
Anyway, great find! Thanks a ton for bringing these connections to light!
this 👏 that 👏 good 👏 shit 👏
Wait, doesn't The 13th Reflection have a motif from The Encounter too? Or are they just similar-sounding?
in my estimation, they are just similar-sounding; you can read a little more about the similarities in this Project Destati tweet:
twitter.com/projectdestati/status/1246582677974724608
What do you think of the 2.5 remix tracks compared to the original?
They're good! I think the original soundfonts make the battle tracks feel more urgent and punchy in a uniquely "KH" way, but the 2.5 orchestrations really add a lot of drama and life to the slower character and field themes. The original soundfont of KH2 is, weirdly, worse than even KH1--but I'm a person who cares more about arrangement structure and note choices than I do about soundsource playback hah
I prefer the KH2FM version of the Darkness of the Unknown. That shit slaps hard ad