I still can't get over how hard Duel In The Mist goes. Anyways, GIVE ME MORE. What else should we look at? And then if you want to, grab 3 courses for the price of 1 and learn to MAKE STUFF UP cornellmusicacademy.com/improvessentials
Charles, if you were to make a three hour video just losing it to some of the other insane stuff in this ost like some of the polyrhythms in the scaramouche boss theme. I would watch all of it
Yu Peng-Chen, the composer, wrote "Gilded Runner" with the Fibonacci sequence in mind. The region in the game the track primarily plays at has themes and motifs revolving around life, flora, and wisdom/academics in general. And with the Golden Ratio being observed so frequently in nature, it just adds to the ludo-narrative experience. Edit for name correction.
true, even you could also divide the series itself to have mini-series like : character demo osts, region-themed osts, battle-themed osts, boss-battle osts, etc.
Genshin has THE most underrated game OST of all time. Yeah, millions of fans adore it and professional musicians explain to us why it is genius, however within the game/entertainment industry it's completely overlooked. The game's music receives no awards, not even ANY nominations for regularly pumping out these amazing OSTs for over two years now. I don't necessarily feel bad for Genshin/Hoyoverse, but for Yu-Peng Chen, the composer, and his incredible team. They deserve some recognition! Thank you for making this video. :)
@@utodbz also gaming industry promototes live service games with price tag of 70$ with mtx inside them anyway cough ea games and new game suicide squad kill the justice league
Fun fact: For each region the in the game, they use instruments from the actual region the fictional one is based upon! ex: Inazuma, taking inspiration from japan, uses instruments like the Koto, Taiko, Shakuhachi and Shamisen. Sumeru: Harps (egypt), sitar, etc.
Genshins music is unlike any other, truly so many great songs in this game that is FREE. Of course the game itself has some flaws but I will always be glad that I picked it up. Edit: Please make this a series, I'm sure many people would love to see your reactions to a lot of the music in this game. My personal request would be the port ormos theme but honestly anything from this game would be great.
Charles, you GOTTA check out some of the boss themes from Genshin Impact as well... Incredibly cinematic and diverse pieces (Namely Azhdaha, Tartaglia and la Signora).
'Amazing blending of cultures' is a really good way to describe Genshin's music. The different regions in the game each take music from various cultures and make them into something truly beautiful. I loved the video, and I hope to see more Genshin music here in the future!
It's not just cultural blend, it's also the blend between traditional and modern. Like that Digital Demonic Tenor voice Opera in Scaramouche theme or the Distorted Sakuhachi with Dubstep in Raiden's theme or classical drum and bass in La Signora theme and not to mention there's a lot more to come. We're getting Apep boss fight in 3.6
@@iisaucerjason2218 sure. I tend to mute these tracks or teleport when i hear them. Here are some. Edit: I feel the need to preface my comment that it is an opinion piece. You might like some of these tracks and that's ok. What is bad or good is subjective. But, I feel that making a blanket statement that YPC never makes bad tracks is hyperbole and surely not everyone finds all his pieces "bangers", as OP puts it. Fireside Rest. A Wicked Plot. Golden Dreams. Palace of Jadeite. Treasury from the Northland. Wandering Flight. Moss Covered Path. Bird Call from Afar. Distance Resonance. Where the Heart Settles. Miko's Night. Valor & Prowess. Caress of Spirit. Busy Silhouettes. Thoughts and Prayers. Return to Trueness.
@@Gabriel-l younger people tend to hyperbolize statements to highlight what it is theyre trying to say. yeah obviously, not every track is a hit to many people but thats not the point OP was trying to make. just clarifying cause lots of people (usually older people) tend to take these statements at face value
Yu-peng Chen and his team are incredible at how they handle the Genshin soundtrack. They clearly have a deep understanding of music that may even be outside of their comfort zone and the result is just amazing. One other great example is "Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie" which is basically Baroque gone modern. The theme builds up slowly and unassuming until suddenly they whip out a friggin guitar solo that throws you out of your chair and then it keeps building and building like it's the most epic fight ever, although you're just fighting a hilichurl. And that exact theme is battle music from a 6 week limited-time event that might never appear again. They didn't need to go that hard on that theme yet here we are. So good. I'd love to see your reaction on that theme! Other recommendations for another vid or just for listening if I had to choose some (aside form the boss themes) would probably be Hustle and Bustle of Ormos, Snow-Buried Tales, Before the Light Fades, Burst Into Flames (very underrated) and Inevitable Conflict. How about something that's chilling to the bone, like Enkanomiya's soundtrack? Hope or Nostalgia makes you just want to stop and listen, At Dawn and Dusk feels like you've gained enlightenment of a tragedy in the past. Thanks for doing this!
Not going to lie, "Hope or Nostalgia" is probably my favorite Genshin OST. Like you said, I was literally stunned and just stoped to listen when I first heard it. The music in Enkanomiya is so hauntingly beautiful and fits the mood of the whole area so perfectly, it's honestly breathtaking.
finally someone who talks about Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie, it is absolutely incredible how Yu-peng Chen paced the song to just make everyone go FERAL
I NEVER thought I'd see the day when a big music RUclipsr I particularly love analyzes this game's OST. It means so so so much to me. Genshin's art and music direction have influenced me as a creator.
@@joshuadavey650 Yeah I've seen Alex Moulaka's video among others, but I was more excited about seeing Charles break it down because to me he's a channel that's "closer to home." That kind of big, haha.
He should check out Yelan's demo theme since it's noir-jazz. Always a fun watch seeing musicians reacting to the game's music. Also helps us love and understand more the story behind the music, great video!
Starting the video with Gilded Runner huh? I see. You are a bold one. The time signature is basically the Fibonacci sequence. I am sure someone has definitely commented on that. Genshin's music is criminally underrated in the mainstream space. As a person who's involved in the music industry for almost three decades, its OST is arguably one of the deepest and most complex music in video game. Every musician can learn something from it. Some of the harmony is out of this world. EDIT: Oh it looks like you saw the video explaining the use of Fibonnaci sequence.
I don't know if it was intentional, but using Fibonacci sequence in Sumeru? ~chef's kiss~ Per Wikipedia: They also appear in biological settings, such as branching in trees, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the fruit sprouts of a pineapple, the flowering of an artichoke, an uncurling fern, and the arrangement of a pine cone's bracts. For the world of Dendro Archon, what a great nod. Edit: after reading down the list of amazing comments, it was intentional. I love the composer so much lol
There’s definitely so much more music from Genshin that will make you jump out of your chair like Duel in the Mist did! If you want more from Sumeru, the same region Gilded Runner was written for, Swirls of the Stream is a lot like it (both are for when you’re in a battle) and really hits its stride when it gets to the French Horn downward glissando/trill. There’s also The Hustle and Bustle of Ormos, definitely a community favorite, and Caprice of the Leaves, which isn’t actually in the game but was written exclusively for a character’s trailer when they were released. The boss music also is really cool and extremely creative. I’d recommend checking Wrath of Monoceros Caeli and/or Rage Beneath the Mountains, both of which have some… unique instrumentation. And for something really out there, Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie is a harpsichord piece that also features electric guitar. Make of that what you will.
Just a suggestion since I've loved every professional's reaction to it : the scaramouche battle theme. It goes into a loooooot of wild stuff especially with offbeats and the amazing tenor lead voice
Yo! Thanks for taking a look at this! Although I don't play Genshin myself anymore, I'm always so perplexed by its music and I keep coming back, just for the music. There's a couple of small things I'd like to say: first of all, I'm so glad that you included the bit about the Fibonacci sequence. I just recently learned about Gilded Runner and how the Fibonacci sequence was utilised, and I was absolutely blown away, the music just keeps on surprising me every time something new comes out. (This was particularly important for me as someone who's a musician but also a maths student). And also, the part where you talk about the very interesting timbre in the Gilded Runner, and called it an alto saxophone, I think it sounded more like a duduk. I'm no expert of course and I might very well be wrong, but I do think that even though it sounded close to what classical saxophone can sound like, I think it resembled the duduk much more. The texture was much more mellow, and almost soft string-like (having a similar timbre as some east-asian string instruments, also heavily involved in the scoring of Genshin by the way), which is very characteristic of the duduk. EDIT: I just pulled up the video about the making of Gilded Runner, and the very first shot is of a person playing this very section on the duduk, so I'm now fairly certain it was in fact a duduk
I think its something else, because it sounds bigger. Duduk is mostly used for Desert theme and you can hear it there, this battle theme is for rainforest part. Though I'm no musician, I am just using my audiophile hearing.
As a saxophone player, (specifically alto, but somewhat soprano), I was excited to hear my instrument used here! It's got such a great sound but is so frequently confined to jazz (where it shines). I love hearing it in other contexts like here!
Definitely think you should check out the varying themes from each region of the game. Everything is just so incredibly unique from each other and I think Yu-peng chen does a fantastic job incorporating cultural elements within western orchestration. Def my favorite game soundtrack
Genshin has such amazing music!!! When I first started playing, I loved Above the Sea of Clouds in Liyue. It doesn't go hard; It just nails home this beautiful sense of peace coupled with the gorgeous scenery at the Sea of Clouds. I used to go to the highest point in that area of the map and just sit and enjoy the atmosphere. Yu-Peng Chen went absolutely balls-to-the-wall insane with the music in the most recent region, though. Overall, I think Sumeru definitely has my favorite music out of all the regions by far. The ambient tracks, the battle tracks, the soft ones, THE CITY ONES!! OH MY GOD PORT ORMOS GOES SO HARD IT BLEW ME OUT OF MY CHAIR AT 2AM WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT IN GAME. I loved seeing you react to some of the Genshin music. Tbh, would love to see you react to more, especially some of the music from the character trailers! Those get absolutely bonkers. I loved seeing MarcoMeatball react to it, too, and the community and I guess the devs enjoyed it so much that he ended up getting featured in one of the recent events as a VA! That was hella cool. Anyway, rambling. Thanks for reacting to this game's music, Charles! Your videos are always a treat.
MarcoMeatball wasn't only in the lantern rite event, he was one of the Samurai in Ayaka's event and also Chandra in Alhaitham's story quest and a book seller in Faruzan's hangout event (just heard it yesterday, haven't seen a confirmation from him though) I don't think it's just because of his reaction videos though, I think he was just normally cast as a VA :)
As a Genshin player myself I’d love to seen more Genshin music vids like this. The music is one of its highlights and there so many good tracks for you to experience. ❤ it’s really cool to see how you break it down and the excitement you have in the video is a lot of fun to watch.
The world of Genshin Impact - Teyvat - is divided into seven nations, each with its own musical motif. These motifs play a very important part in the other soundtracks of the region. The two tracks you heard were from the region of Sumeru and Inazuma, respectively. Sumeru is based on a slightly middle-eastern/persia+indian culture, so there are a lot of instruments from those regions used in the soundtrack, like the santur, tabla, etc. Inazuma is based on Japan, so you have instruments like shakuhachi, zither, etc.
And to add to this, the other two nations that have been released are Mondstadt (based on Medieval Europe), and Liyue (based on China). Liyue has some fantastic music in it, but my favorite piece has to be Moon in One's Cup, one of the themes that plays while walking around the main city in the region. Mondstadt also has some fantastic music in it, but often gets overlooked because it's the first region you encounter in the game, so there's a lot being thrown at you. But Mondstadt really likes to use Lydian mode, which definitely adds to both the "medieval" feel and the "starting an adventure" feel. But there's one region that hasn't been released yet, but we still have a taste for its music through it's characters: Snezhnaya. This is the region based on Russia, and acts as the primary antagonists of the game thus far. A potentially-criminal organization called the Fatui (singular members are called fatuus) has been behind unrest in all four nations thus far, so in three of them, you fight a high-ranking member of the organization. So far, those bosses have been Childe, La Signora, and Scaramouche. Looking up any of those will automatically be some cool music. Looking up ALL of them will reveal their leitmotifs.
As Charles is a Jazz musician, I definitely recommend “Inevitable Conflict” as one of the next pieces he reacts to from Genshin. Probably the most incredible battle theme in the game, along with Scaramouche boss theme.
I beg beg BEG you make this a series or a stream or just in general listen to much more because the boss battles in particular are just ON ANOTHER LEVEL!!! So happy Genshin’s OST is getting more and more professional recognition because we players LOVE IT!!!
As a used to be genshin player, its music always blew me away. Glad you looked at it!!! My favorite areas of songs are in the Dragonspine area! Those who play will know
I've long fallen off the genshin train, up until Inazuma's full release, but I've always loved the soundtrack and learned several pieces on piano. Your enthusiasm and awe while reacting to these two tracks were so contagious, I couldn't help myself trying to figure out the rhythm along with you on Gilded Runner or bopping my head on the absolute banger that is Inazuma's battle theme. I haven't had this much fun just watching a video in a while, and it's always a joy in general to see you analyze and loving all these amazing soundtracks.
Oh my gosh. I was so excited to see this video pop up on my youtube homepage :') I love your detailed breakdowns; it's super exciting to see you react to things you find interesting or notable! You picked good tracks to listen/react to, sheesh. You make a good point about complexity. It doesn't feel like it's just used as a flashy exercise here, and the tracks feel intuitive to listen to despite their complexity. I didn't realize the scale notes at 1:13 would sound so dissonant played simultaneously. Like others, I want to suggest a few Genshin tracks I think you'd enjoy (even if it's just for your listening pleasure and not for future video purposes! Though I would be extremely excited to see you react to other OSTs if inspiration strikes): - Inazuma (to clarify, there is a region in the game called Inazuma, but there's also an OST called Inazuma. It's one of my favorite instrumental tracks of all time, not just from Genshin... orchestrally brilliant and so, so intense.) - Swirls of the Stream (another battle theme! Seeing as you liked Duel in the Mist. Check out Hustle and Bustle of Ornos while you're at it.) - Wrath of Monoceros Caeli (a boss fight theme - it's interesting to see how it builds in intensity throughout) - Inevitable Conflict (lovely and desolate) - Termination of Desires (also a little genre-subverting, like the point you make at 9:04 about combining more western-sounding beats with unexpected instruments) - Devastation and Redemption (a Chinese opera song, if you haven't had much exposure to it! Such a lovely pentatonic melody)
I have no knowledge in music theory but I always come back to your videos. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I love when you find interesting music in the content I enjoy.
My favorite versions of Genshin Impact songs are from their 2022 virtual concert (where a lot of the songs were remade into rock/metal pieces). If you check out songs from that, I’d say my favorite is “The Crane Cries” (performed by the band Arch Echo). All the songs they did go HARD!
Hello Charles! Sorry in advance for the long comment. Well, this mode (and others like it) is actually very common in the region of Eastern Mediterranean sea and the Middle East. I am from Greece, and we use those modes ("τρόποι" or "ήχοι" in Greek and Byzantine texts, "maqam" in Turkish) in our traditional cultures. Eastern mediterranean and Arab modes actually evolved into the modes we use in European/Western music and Jazz. The main difference is that in our cultures, music was non-tempered for much, much longer (and it actually is today in some genres). So there is the concept of "attraction", where some notes actually "attract" others towards them, making them slightly sharper or flatter (depending on the direction). This, roughly translated to the equal temperament, is what you're looking for. You can actually think of the mode as a Phrygian, whose Third and Seventh are actually "moving" notes. The seventh is sometimes sharpened, because it is attracted by the tonic (when the melody goes upwards), and sometimes normal (flat), because it is attracted by the fifth (when the melody goes down). Same thing applies to the third, going down=normal (flat), going up=sharpened, attracted to the tonic and the fifth. This phenomenon has to do with how the music evolved after the Schism (the division of the church to Catholic and Orthodox) in the 10th century. The Orthodox (Byzantine) church kept a more melismatic approach, which favored the non-tempered modes, and was afterwards also heavily influenced by arab and turcick cultures, before and after the occupation of Constantinopole in 1453. The Catholic (western) church went towards a more polyphonic approach, which favoured less and less the non-tempered systems, so there where various temperaments at first, and afterwards the equal temperament, which we all know (and love). An alternative name for this mode could be the "Spanish" phrygian, because it is heavily used in flamenco music (again, because of heavy cultural exchange between the spanish and arab populations in the Mediterranean). Again, sorry for the long analysis, great video, thanks!
This is so interesting! I can see Norwegian folk music possibly having some similarities, though lydian and mixolydian are the most common modes in our folk music. The fourths especially (lydian) lean toward the sharp side, and in some cases the seventh does too. It never occurred to me that this is tied to melodic movement in the way you describe though, so having that in mind, it is probably quite similar.
I LOVE your reaction to these! Very happy to hear your input on some of these tunes. Wouldn't mind seeing more by Genshin Impact from you, there are SO freaking many good songs!
Listen to Azdaha theme next. They have even crazier instrument changes there, like at one part, they transition a traditional Chinese woodwind into a sick ass guitar riffs
I feel if you tried to understand the first theme from a different perspective you will get it in the eastern side of the world that scale called nahwand scale or probably a mix between nahwand scale and hijaz scale they call them in arabic ajnas i guess that yu peng chen used it there
I loved this!! Genshin Impact has a TON of incredible music, I would love if you made more videos reacting and breaking down their osts! The boss themes are incredible (azhdaha, signora, tartaglia, etc.) But some of my all time favorite songs are Lovers' Oath, A Storm, A Spire, and A Sanctum (Dvalin's Nest), and Ruu's Melody :)
fun fact about that first track you listened to: the composer took inspiration from the fibonacci sequence (1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, etc etc)! if you add up the beats in each little phrase it lines up with this :) interestingly, this sequence can be found in the golden spiral, a logarithmic spiral what also occurs frequently in nature in the arrangements of flower petals, pine cones, leaves on a stem, and so on. very fitting for music from a fictional nation with heavy themes of nature and plant life. edit* just got to the part where he found The Video, this makes me so happy i genuinely love this games music so much
7:13 Exactly my reaction when first time hearing the chorus.. I was not really focused in-game but after hearing the music only, I'm like.. what the heck? This is Trap with traditional instrument 🤯
It makes me happy to know that It's not just me and the Genshin players that love this game and its music know why the music in this game is Top tier. Just like many other games that I love music on, Genshin music has this really unique effect, not just musically but emotionally. Yu-Peng Cheng in my opinion is one of the best composers out there.
I don’t think I will ever respect a musician more than I do you because my first impression of you is now you perfectly isolating and playing Sumeru’s entire leitmotif after 15 seconds of a song I didn’t even realize it was in.
Pleaseee make this a series Also Genhsin music to me is mainly so good because of the incorporation of so many different styles and cultures into one piece.
They typically have an orchestra stream and each region within the game has their own culturally themed soundtrack. The first song you listened to was from the newest 4th region Sumeru which is has a very large Egyptian/middle eastern influence. The second song you listened to was from the 3rd region Inazuma which is basically the Japanese region. The first region is Mondstadt which is mostly Germanic themed (even the name is German) and the 2nd region is Liyue which is basically Chinese themed. Each of the regions have a specific god (called Archon in game) that also have a specific element which also ties in to their motivations and in game cultural practices. In Mondstadt, the element is anemo (like the wind) with the god of freedom and the city’s theme is that of freedom and the music is very appropriate to that. In Liyue the element is Geo (not exactly earth but more so stone) and the theme is more of contracts and stability/resoluteness as with the God of Contracts (as immutable as stone so to speak) and the Chinese themed music tends to reflect that very well as it also highlights the weakness of stone over erosion from time. Inazuma has the element electro with the God of Eternity attempting to instill the idea of eternity very much like trying to capture the nation within the idea of lightning in a bottle by attempting to stop change/progress/etc through tyranny and domination, and the energy of the people fighting back like an inevitable storm. Also the music very much captures that energy, that darkness, and that light through Japanese styled music. Sumeru has the Dendro element which is the element theme of life and the god is the god of wisdom (you heard the music from the last 2). It feels vibrant and even the Fibonacci sequence is seen throughout all life. Which kind of hints to how intelligent the god is as well. In September 2024 we will likely get the next region and it’s music. The next region is called Fontaine with the element hydro (water) and the god is the god of justice and Fontaine is very French inspired and the culture (from the characters we have met) seem to be innovators (as mostly they show us technological marvels coming from them and most of the characters are some type of engineers except for the orchestra leader we met). We haven’t heard any of that music yet but as they tend to go hand in hand with the themes of the elements as well as the culture that they are based on, we can assume very French styled music with the theme of justice. Check out some of the orchestra livestreams they are pretty awesome for a mobile video game. Just don’t get the game because it’s a gacha game and you don’t want to lose all your money XD
It is indeed double harmonic minor, or gypsy scale, used in middle-eastern traditional music. the B flats and E flats are ornamental grace notes, also used a lot in middle-eastern music.
The composer specifically works with musicians from the regions that the in-game regions are inspired by, so it wouldn't surprise me if he composed Gilded Runner using Arabic Maqams, which would explain why it's hard to pin it down to one specific scale.
I've stopped playing Genshin for a year now (since I don't really have the time to keep up with it nowadays compared to the early pandemic years), but I ALWAYS keep up with the music. I love Yu-Peng Chen's music so much, all hits no misses with his music.
Genshin is amazing because it uses Western and Eastern instruments together in a beautiful way. They also have different soundscapes for different places in the game which are based off real life, including the music. 'Gilded Runner' is for a Middle Eastern reigon called Sumeru. There was also recently Natlan with 'Anthem of the Savannah' which is based off Africa, South America, and maybe a little bit of Australia. They also make videos called Live Symphonies for basically every reigon in the game. Edit: 'Duel in the Mist' is from Inazuma, a group of islands based of Japan in the Edo Period. I recommended you listen to 'Thunderings of the Merciless'. It's probably one of the best tracks in Inazuma and I could recommend wayy too many. Edit 2: 9:00 Said it before I could type it.
Love the game and the soundtrack adds so much. Super underrated soundtrack. Regardless of the negative connotation that Twitter gives the game, I think anyone could see that both the visual and audio characteristics of the game are incredible
Definitely need a part two with songs like "Rhythm of Vales" "Hustle and Bustle of Port Ormos" The battle theme for the Raiden Shogun (which has three phases to it), Rex Incognito too maybe! They're all just really good songs and I would love for a video like this for those!!!
fischl batthle theme also is gorgeous, many tracks in the game are insane, hope I can watch more genshin videos on you channel and watching you enjoy them as well
I have never played a game OST on repeat like Sumeru music. I'VE LISTENED TO IT SO MANY TIMES AND IT'S STILL INSANELY AMAZING 7:08 THE RUNNER-UP HAS ARRIVED INAZUMAAAAAAAAA When you overlapped the song with the piano it gave me _chills._ So much fun seeing how it was constructed!
To be honest, it would take forever to analyse all of the tracks in Genshin Impact. Each of the four regions released so far has their own unique blend of instrumentation, harmonic and rhythmic structures, which reflect the real world culture they are based on. Within each region, however, each track is uniquely special enough that it would take going through each one individually to understand each one. What I mean to say is Genshin’s music is so varied and unique. But Charles here did a very wonderful of capturing some of this essence from just a few tracks.
The sumeru song "Flickering Shadows of Trees" is just about the most calming song I've ever heard. I put it on a 30min loop when I'm working. It's incredible the quality of music this game has
I'm so happy you made this! A lot of people play the game, but even more mute the music or just don't pay attention to it, so it's nice to see someone doing a deeper dive into some of the music! Some of my favorite songs from this soundtrack (specifically the non-trailer stuff) is Ad Oblivione, One's Who Strive to Live, Gallant Challenge, and probably Chasing the Torrents. I would recommend checking out Kevin Penkin's music as well! He's maybe not a Hans Zimmer, but sure is close in my book.
Yeah the music contributes so much to the game it's incredible. I love the Liyue Theme so much. Not as technically entralling but just such a gorgeous theme.
i really like how he’s so mindblown and struggling to understand or describe interesting thing thats happening with gilded runner rhythm and scale. and has an impression that it is a math thingy. while in actuality, it is just a clear reference to Indian classical music. same thing with duel in the mist, where he is so impressed by the “delay” of the drop. though it is a common rhythm in traditional japanese music. I think this is the genius of hoyomix, genuine introduction of other cultures to westerners. not just a superficial or orientalist view of foreign cultures.
Ended here because this video popped in my YT home today. I'm a Genshin Impact player, and one of the things I enjoy more about this game is the music. I also love watching reacts, expecially from people that get bamboolzed and almost fell off chair like you... Also because I learn something new musically-wise from each react and this makes me realize just how talented the guys at Hoyo-mix are. If I may suggest, listen to "Die Mittsommernacht fantasie", that's my favorite OST from Genshin Impact, and that's basically what Back and Vivaldi would compose if they were alive today in my opinion.
I’ve been requesting this for ages! There are so many amazing tracks in this game that span across all the regions, and I hope you do a follow up video at some point :)
I have been hoping you would do a video on Genshin music for so long now and my wish finally come true!!! You should also check out L’Arrivo della Signora or Storm Befalls for the most epic beat drops, and Never-Ending Performance or A Noble Sacrifice for cool rhythms. It’s some of my favorite music of all time. Really like your videos!!!
Please please please make this a series there are so many extraordinary songs from this games OST I have literally listened to all of it multiple times and that’s saying something bc it literally goes on for hours - I especially adore the detail of each region on the game map relating to different cultures and the music doing the absolute most to reflect that, and there’s also the promo songs for each character which is are also incredibly different and unique but also reflect the regions they come from beautifully!!!
Please do more episodes, maybe check out the weekly bosses battle themes, which are more classical but they're mind blowing . If you liked those two types of music you listened to, I really recommend trying out some character trailers like Itto, Ayato, Kazuha, Cyno, Al-haitam, oh and yelan trailer music is really cool too. Great video, hope it to become a series
You should do part 2. Because so many more good song in genshin.. here my recomendation as well as my top song -- Event Ost-- (my best genshin song, because the song refreshed yearly) 1. Second Lantern Rite Theme 2. Third Lantern Rite Theme -- Area Theme -- 3. Cathedral theme -- Dragonspine Ost -- 4. Fragile Fantasy 5. Moonlight Smile (my second best) -- Liyue Ost -- 6. Good night, liyue 7. Moon's in one cup -- Character ost -- 8. Amber Theme / A sweet smile 9. Hutao Theme / Let the living beware 10. Eula theme / Flickering Candlelight 11. Yelan theme / Shadow in the rain (this theme is so jazzy, which suits perfect for you i think) -- Honorable Mention -- 12. Teyvat Chapter storyline Ost (my third best song)
I'm so glad you're now looking at the most insane soundtrack of all time - what you reviewed here was just two themes that are completely COMPLETELY individual tracks that only holds a small bit of the motifs in the game, of which there are SO MANY. I think you could literally make DOZENS of hours of content based on Genshin Impact's tracks. Here's some you should check out: - Fatui Boss themes: Scaramouche, Signora, Tartaglia - and hear the very subtle connection between these three themes - more from the nation of Sumeru: Hustle and Bustle of Port Ormos, Vimara Village themes - a few more random tracks: Inevitable Conflict, Bustling Afternoon in Mondstadt, Rapid as Wildfires, Moon in One's Cup, Any Last Words, Contemplation in Snow
I definitely agree with everyone saying there are many more themes in this game you should listen to! There is so much amazing music going on! As for other music (because I know you probably don't want to do the same stuff every time you upload) I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Outer Worlds soundtrack (the title theme especially feels really grand)
As a Traveler, I'm so happy that you featured Genshin Impact on your channel Please listen to Rex Incognito, Judgement of Euthymia, Crimson Knight, Let The Living Beware or any of the character demos of the heroes. Every one of them is so amazing, all have unique sounds that matches their persona 😁 They also have live orchestra concerts for the music in the game on their channel 😊
This made me so happy! i've been such a huge fan of this channel for more than a year now and I listen to Genshin Impact's soundtrack almost everyday. i hope you can review other of Genshin Impact's music!
Please take a look at the soundtracks to both Blade Runner movies! They’re really well composed and have some interesting combinations of electronic and organic sounds.
As a musician I can say that the music from this videogame made me fell in love since day one. It’s incredible just walking around the world collecting some random s**t or fighting with that quality of music😍👌🏼 Edit: btw you should watch the Sumeru Live Symphony Performance
When I was drawn back to Genshin it was because of the music. I'm a mostly F2P player in that game who loves the artifact grind so I tend to spend more time in fights which means more time listening to the music. Such a great OST.
HOWWW DID I MISS THIS?? Just a month or so ago I was listening to Chasing the Torrents, my favourite piece from the Genshin Impact soundtrack, and thinking “I wonder what Charles Cornell would think of this?” No joke it just brings me so much joy to watch people who understand and LOVE music talk about this stuff and get so animated about it. I hope you’ll make more videos about this soundtrack, it is expansive and rich and goodness there is so much of it hahaha
I still can't get over how hard Duel In The Mist goes. Anyways, GIVE ME MORE. What else should we look at? And then if you want to, grab 3 courses for the price of 1 and learn to MAKE STUFF UP cornellmusicacademy.com/improvessentials
Omori is rlly good
May I say it left an IMPACT on you...
Gotta do the Qingyun Peak Themes from Genshin.
I'd highly recommend the soundtrack to Hades
Charles, if you were to make a three hour video just losing it to some of the other insane stuff in this ost like some of the polyrhythms in the scaramouche boss theme. I would watch all of it
Yu Peng-Chen, the composer, wrote "Gilded Runner" with the Fibonacci sequence in mind. The region in the game the track primarily plays at has themes and motifs revolving around life, flora, and wisdom/academics in general. And with the Golden Ratio being observed so frequently in nature, it just adds to the ludo-narrative experience.
Edit for name correction.
yesss!!
errrrrrrrrrr.......
The track "A New Day with Hope" is my favorite Genshin Impact musical piece. Please listen to it too. Thank you :)
I remember the video showing the orchestra having trouble initially in keeping the weird Fibonacci rhythm because it is very rarely used in music.
@@KunoMochi I might be misremembering, but didn’t it end up being the one of the conductor’s favorite pieces?
Please make this a series. There are soooo many other godly OST in Genshin. Many different styles that is faithful to each region. Thanks Charles.
I personally love the chasm nail crystal cavern music it’s so emotional and captures the feeling that u are in an area from long ago
Dude looked at like one minute of a 12hr ost 😂
I want more music creators recognize how good genshin music is
@@kr0w1123 yeah 😔
true, even you could also divide the series itself to have mini-series like : character demo osts, region-themed osts, battle-themed osts, boss-battle osts, etc.
This music had an impact on me, just like how this game had an impact on my social life.
A _genshin_ impact perhaps?
And my wallet
Fellow maxor enjoyer?
s ame
Ok now I have to watch that video again...
Honestly the music in Genshin is one of the best parts. Happy to see you taking a listen to it ☕
The one time java isn’t complaining about Genshin 😂
Yo java
Do you have a favourite ost in genshin?
Hi dad
Hi cup
Genshin has THE most underrated game OST of all time. Yeah, millions of fans adore it and professional musicians explain to us why it is genius, however within the game/entertainment industry it's completely overlooked. The game's music receives no awards, not even ANY nominations for regularly pumping out these amazing OSTs for over two years now. I don't necessarily feel bad for Genshin/Hoyoverse, but for Yu-Peng Chen, the composer, and his incredible team. They deserve some recognition! Thank you for making this video. :)
Some of my absolute favorites from the game are so underrated and hidden it's criminal.
Gaming industry doesn't want to glorify mobile/gatcha games..
@@utodbz . _. This game is more than a mobile gacha. . .
@@utodbz if a game is worth glorifying why the fuck not
Genshin is great
@@utodbz also gaming industry promototes live service games with price tag of 70$ with mtx inside them anyway cough ea games and new game suicide squad kill the justice league
Fun fact: For each region the in the game, they use instruments from the actual region the fictional one is based upon!
ex: Inazuma, taking inspiration from japan, uses instruments like the Koto, Taiko, Shakuhachi and Shamisen.
Sumeru: Harps (egypt), sitar, etc.
Genshins music is unlike any other, truly so many great songs in this game that is FREE. Of course the game itself has some flaws but I will always be glad that I picked it up.
Edit: Please make this a series, I'm sure many people would love to see your reactions to a lot of the music in this game. My personal request would be the port ormos theme but honestly anything from this game would be great.
the port ormos theme fucking rules
Hey deelo
@@guy9197
God tier music. I love Port Ormos
Hi Deelo! I love your BowsOnly :D
Port Ormos man that is the one ultimate banger that made everyone's attention stray from poor Alhaitham
The Sumeru fight music is based on the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence, that’s pretty cool
Ayoo??? That's rad
Oh that's amazing I just got to that part in the vid
JoJo?
sumeru is the nation of knowledge after all
@@darkmatterhatter46thank God that jojo is teaching maths to 7th graders ❤
Charles, you GOTTA check out some of the boss themes from Genshin Impact as well... Incredibly cinematic and diverse pieces (Namely Azhdaha, Tartaglia and la Signora).
Yeah, i also like Sound of Euthymia (Raiden Shogun boss fight theme).
I mean “Judgement of Euthymia”.
SECONDING THIS
I accidentally let my whole team get wiped out because I was too busy listening to the sexy ass dubstep on Scara boss
YES PLEASE BOSS THEMES!
'Amazing blending of cultures' is a really good way to describe Genshin's music. The different regions in the game each take music from various cultures and make them into something truly beautiful. I loved the video, and I hope to see more Genshin music here in the future!
I have never thought traditional asian instruments could go so well with electric guitars before genshin
It's not just cultural blend, it's also the blend between traditional and modern.
Like that Digital Demonic Tenor voice Opera in Scaramouche theme or the Distorted Sakuhachi with Dubstep in Raiden's theme or classical drum and bass in La Signora theme and not to mention there's a lot more to come. We're getting Apep boss fight in 3.6
There's literally no bad songs in Genshin. Yu Peng-Chen only knows how to write BANGERS.
nah I can find a few bad tracks
@@Gabriel-l like what
@@iisaucerjason2218 sure. I tend to mute these tracks or teleport when i hear them. Here are some.
Edit: I feel the need to preface my comment that it is an opinion piece. You might like some of these tracks and that's ok. What is bad or good is subjective. But, I feel that making a blanket statement that YPC never makes bad tracks is hyperbole and surely not everyone finds all his pieces "bangers", as OP puts it.
Fireside Rest.
A Wicked Plot.
Golden Dreams.
Palace of Jadeite.
Treasury from the Northland.
Wandering Flight.
Moss Covered Path.
Bird Call from Afar.
Distance Resonance.
Where the Heart Settles.
Miko's Night.
Valor & Prowess.
Caress of Spirit.
Busy Silhouettes.
Thoughts and Prayers.
Return to Trueness.
True there's no bad tracks on genshin
@@Gabriel-l younger people tend to hyperbolize statements to highlight what it is theyre trying to say. yeah obviously, not every track is a hit to many people but thats not the point OP was trying to make. just clarifying cause lots of people (usually older people) tend to take these statements at face value
Yu-peng Chen and his team are incredible at how they handle the Genshin soundtrack. They clearly have a deep understanding of music that may even be outside of their comfort zone and the result is just amazing. One other great example is "Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie" which is basically Baroque gone modern. The theme builds up slowly and unassuming until suddenly they whip out a friggin guitar solo that throws you out of your chair and then it keeps building and building like it's the most epic fight ever, although you're just fighting a hilichurl.
And that exact theme is battle music from a 6 week limited-time event that might never appear again. They didn't need to go that hard on that theme yet here we are. So good. I'd love to see your reaction on that theme!
Other recommendations for another vid or just for listening if I had to choose some (aside form the boss themes) would probably be Hustle and Bustle of Ormos, Snow-Buried Tales, Before the Light Fades, Burst Into Flames (very underrated) and Inevitable Conflict. How about something that's chilling to the bone, like Enkanomiya's soundtrack? Hope or Nostalgia makes you just want to stop and listen, At Dawn and Dusk feels like you've gained enlightenment of a tragedy in the past.
Thanks for doing this!
Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie along with Traum durch die Dämmerung are my top two soundtracks from Golden Apple Archipelago 2.8
Not going to lie, "Hope or Nostalgia" is probably my favorite Genshin OST. Like you said, I was literally stunned and just stoped to listen when I first heard it. The music in Enkanomiya is so hauntingly beautiful and fits the mood of the whole area so perfectly, it's honestly breathtaking.
You've got phenomenal taste.
finally someone who talks about Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie, it is absolutely incredible how Yu-peng Chen paced the song to just make everyone go FERAL
I NEVER thought I'd see the day when a big music RUclipsr I particularly love analyzes this game's OST. It means so so so much to me. Genshin's art and music direction have influenced me as a creator.
Some other big youtubers musicians breakdown genshin music too
@@joshuadavey650 Yeah I've seen Alex Moulaka's video among others, but I was more excited about seeing Charles break it down because to me he's a channel that's "closer to home." That kind of big, haha.
@@Carsian Marco meatball is good too
@@joshuadavey650 nah he's not good anymore
@@spymadmax584 lol why?
He should check out Yelan's demo theme since it's noir-jazz. Always a fun watch seeing musicians reacting to the game's music. Also helps us love and understand more the story behind the music, great video!
Klee's theme is also influenced by jazz too right?
Try faruzan theme lol
and collei's !! not sure if its jazz but I love it
I love her theme! As well as Lynette & Lyney’s! Especially as a jazz musician and the ones listed above me too ❤
Starting the video with Gilded Runner huh? I see. You are a bold one. The time signature is basically the Fibonacci sequence. I am sure someone has definitely commented on that.
Genshin's music is criminally underrated in the mainstream space. As a person who's involved in the music industry for almost three decades, its OST is arguably one of the deepest and most complex music in video game. Every musician can learn something from it. Some of the harmony is out of this world.
EDIT: Oh it looks like you saw the video explaining the use of Fibonnaci sequence.
I don't know if it was intentional, but using Fibonacci sequence in Sumeru? ~chef's kiss~ Per Wikipedia: They also appear in biological settings, such as branching in trees, the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the fruit sprouts of a pineapple, the flowering of an artichoke, an uncurling fern, and the arrangement of a pine cone's bracts. For the world of Dendro Archon, what a great nod.
Edit: after reading down the list of amazing comments, it was intentional. I love the composer so much lol
Somebody in HYV music department: "So i've been listening to Tool"
The "drop" in Duel in the Mist always sends chills.
as a genshin impact victim i appreciate this analysis
Victim lol nice choice of a word
..I feel you, buddy.
AHABHAISDAIKHDHS VICTIM SAME
i am also a victim.
BAHAHAHAHHA VICTIM💀💀💀💀i must have Stockholms Syndrom then
Considering how much money ive spent cuz “oh it’s just 5 bucks” and “i don’t usually spend $30 in ine go its fiiiinee” 😭
Welcome to the wind world of genshin impact music
Oh hi Marco
There’s definitely so much more music from Genshin that will make you jump out of your chair like Duel in the Mist did! If you want more from Sumeru, the same region Gilded Runner was written for, Swirls of the Stream is a lot like it (both are for when you’re in a battle) and really hits its stride when it gets to the French Horn downward glissando/trill. There’s also The Hustle and Bustle of Ormos, definitely a community favorite, and Caprice of the Leaves, which isn’t actually in the game but was written exclusively for a character’s trailer when they were released. The boss music also is really cool and extremely creative. I’d recommend checking Wrath of Monoceros Caeli and/or Rage Beneath the Mountains, both of which have some… unique instrumentation. And for something really out there, Die Mittsommernacht-Fantasie is a harpsichord piece that also features electric guitar. Make of that what you will.
Just a suggestion since I've loved every professional's reaction to it : the scaramouche battle theme. It goes into a loooooot of wild stuff especially with offbeats and the amazing tenor lead voice
Yo! Thanks for taking a look at this! Although I don't play Genshin myself anymore, I'm always so perplexed by its music and I keep coming back, just for the music.
There's a couple of small things I'd like to say: first of all, I'm so glad that you included the bit about the Fibonacci sequence. I just recently learned about Gilded Runner and how the Fibonacci sequence was utilised, and I was absolutely blown away, the music just keeps on surprising me every time something new comes out. (This was particularly important for me as someone who's a musician but also a maths student).
And also, the part where you talk about the very interesting timbre in the Gilded Runner, and called it an alto saxophone, I think it sounded more like a duduk. I'm no expert of course and I might very well be wrong, but I do think that even though it sounded close to what classical saxophone can sound like, I think it resembled the duduk much more. The texture was much more mellow, and almost soft string-like (having a similar timbre as some east-asian string instruments, also heavily involved in the scoring of Genshin by the way), which is very characteristic of the duduk.
EDIT: I just pulled up the video about the making of Gilded Runner, and the very first shot is of a person playing this very section on the duduk, so I'm now fairly certain it was in fact a duduk
I think its something else, because it sounds bigger. Duduk is mostly used for Desert theme and you can hear it there, this battle theme is for rainforest part.
Though I'm no musician, I am just using my audiophile hearing.
As a saxophone player, (specifically alto, but somewhat soprano), I was excited to hear my instrument used here! It's got such a great sound but is so frequently confined to jazz (where it shines). I love hearing it in other contexts like here!
Definitely think you should check out the varying themes from each region of the game. Everything is just so incredibly unique from each other and I think Yu-peng chen does a fantastic job incorporating cultural elements within western orchestration. Def my favorite game soundtrack
I love how musicians, singers, filmmakers, artists etc reacting to different aspects of the game and everyone find it amazing
Genshin has such amazing music!!! When I first started playing, I loved Above the Sea of Clouds in Liyue. It doesn't go hard; It just nails home this beautiful sense of peace coupled with the gorgeous scenery at the Sea of Clouds. I used to go to the highest point in that area of the map and just sit and enjoy the atmosphere.
Yu-Peng Chen went absolutely balls-to-the-wall insane with the music in the most recent region, though. Overall, I think Sumeru definitely has my favorite music out of all the regions by far. The ambient tracks, the battle tracks, the soft ones, THE CITY ONES!! OH MY GOD PORT ORMOS GOES SO HARD IT BLEW ME OUT OF MY CHAIR AT 2AM WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT IN GAME.
I loved seeing you react to some of the Genshin music. Tbh, would love to see you react to more, especially some of the music from the character trailers! Those get absolutely bonkers.
I loved seeing MarcoMeatball react to it, too, and the community and I guess the devs enjoyed it so much that he ended up getting featured in one of the recent events as a VA! That was hella cool. Anyway, rambling. Thanks for reacting to this game's music, Charles! Your videos are always a treat.
MarcoMeatball wasn't only in the lantern rite event, he was one of the Samurai in Ayaka's event and also Chandra in Alhaitham's story quest and a book seller in Faruzan's hangout event (just heard it yesterday, haven't seen a confirmation from him though)
I don't think it's just because of his reaction videos though, I think he was just normally cast as a VA :)
As a Genshin player myself I’d love to seen more Genshin music vids like this. The music is one of its highlights and there so many good tracks for you to experience. ❤ it’s really cool to see how you break it down and the excitement you have in the video is a lot of fun to watch.
The world of Genshin Impact - Teyvat - is divided into seven nations, each with its own musical motif. These motifs play a very important part in the other soundtracks of the region. The two tracks you heard were from the region of Sumeru and Inazuma, respectively.
Sumeru is based on a slightly middle-eastern/persia+indian culture, so there are a lot of instruments from those regions used in the soundtrack, like the santur, tabla, etc.
Inazuma is based on Japan, so you have instruments like shakuhachi, zither, etc.
And to add to this, the other two nations that have been released are Mondstadt (based on Medieval Europe), and Liyue (based on China).
Liyue has some fantastic music in it, but my favorite piece has to be Moon in One's Cup, one of the themes that plays while walking around the main city in the region.
Mondstadt also has some fantastic music in it, but often gets overlooked because it's the first region you encounter in the game, so there's a lot being thrown at you. But Mondstadt really likes to use Lydian mode, which definitely adds to both the "medieval" feel and the "starting an adventure" feel.
But there's one region that hasn't been released yet, but we still have a taste for its music through it's characters: Snezhnaya. This is the region based on Russia, and acts as the primary antagonists of the game thus far. A potentially-criminal organization called the Fatui (singular members are called fatuus) has been behind unrest in all four nations thus far, so in three of them, you fight a high-ranking member of the organization. So far, those bosses have been Childe, La Signora, and Scaramouche. Looking up any of those will automatically be some cool music. Looking up ALL of them will reveal their leitmotifs.
As an Indian the moment I stepped into sumeru I felt so nostalgic that I teared up. Loved the music and hats off to the team
As Charles is a Jazz musician, I definitely recommend “Inevitable Conflict” as one of the next pieces he reacts to from Genshin. Probably the most incredible battle theme in the game, along with Scaramouche boss theme.
I beg beg BEG you make this a series or a stream or just in general listen to much more because the boss battles in particular are just ON ANOTHER LEVEL!!! So happy Genshin’s OST is getting more and more professional recognition because we players LOVE IT!!!
As a used to be genshin player, its music always blew me away. Glad you looked at it!!! My favorite areas of songs are in the Dragonspine area! Those who play will know
But having to deal with freeze damage sucks so I hate that area lol
Sumeru's music is absolute fire
god caelestinum finale termini is one of my favourite orchestral pieces, and definitely my favourite irregular time signature song
@@TryingIGuess no fr i hated it but the music is the only reason why i still go there 😭😭
@@TheUnderscore_ facts
Seeing you figuring out how songs work is like watching reverse engineering, I'm so happy you chose Gilded Runner in particular.
I've long fallen off the genshin train, up until Inazuma's full release, but I've always loved the soundtrack and learned several pieces on piano. Your enthusiasm and awe while reacting to these two tracks were so contagious, I couldn't help myself trying to figure out the rhythm along with you on Gilded Runner or bopping my head on the absolute banger that is Inazuma's battle theme. I haven't had this much fun just watching a video in a while, and it's always a joy in general to see you analyze and loving all these amazing soundtracks.
Oh my gosh. I was so excited to see this video pop up on my youtube homepage :') I love your detailed breakdowns; it's super exciting to see you react to things you find interesting or notable! You picked good tracks to listen/react to, sheesh.
You make a good point about complexity. It doesn't feel like it's just used as a flashy exercise here, and the tracks feel intuitive to listen to despite their complexity. I didn't realize the scale notes at 1:13 would sound so dissonant played simultaneously.
Like others, I want to suggest a few Genshin tracks I think you'd enjoy (even if it's just for your listening pleasure and not for future video purposes! Though I would be extremely excited to see you react to other OSTs if inspiration strikes):
- Inazuma (to clarify, there is a region in the game called Inazuma, but there's also an OST called Inazuma. It's one of my favorite instrumental tracks of all time, not just from Genshin... orchestrally brilliant and so, so intense.)
- Swirls of the Stream (another battle theme! Seeing as you liked Duel in the Mist. Check out Hustle and Bustle of Ornos while you're at it.)
- Wrath of Monoceros Caeli (a boss fight theme - it's interesting to see how it builds in intensity throughout)
- Inevitable Conflict (lovely and desolate)
- Termination of Desires (also a little genre-subverting, like the point you make at 9:04 about combining more western-sounding beats with unexpected instruments)
- Devastation and Redemption (a Chinese opera song, if you haven't had much exposure to it! Such a lovely pentatonic melody)
I have no knowledge in music theory but I always come back to your videos. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I love when you find interesting music in the content I enjoy.
The opening menu theme is just amazing, draws me in every time
I haven't played since the first expansion, but I still have a couple versions of the main theme in my playlist.
@@EmberCitrine Then start playing again haha
My favorite versions of Genshin Impact songs are from their 2022 virtual concert (where a lot of the songs were remade into rock/metal pieces).
If you check out songs from that, I’d say my favorite is “The Crane Cries” (performed by the band Arch Echo). All the songs they did go HARD!
How did I miss Arch Echo playing Genshin music? D:
@@Hellion421 I don’t know, but you should definitely check it out!😄
Hello Charles! Sorry in advance for the long comment.
Well, this mode (and others like it) is actually very common in the region of Eastern Mediterranean sea and the Middle East. I am from Greece, and we use those modes ("τρόποι" or "ήχοι" in Greek and Byzantine texts, "maqam" in Turkish) in our traditional cultures.
Eastern mediterranean and Arab modes actually evolved into the modes we use in European/Western music and Jazz. The main difference is that in our cultures, music was non-tempered for much, much longer (and it actually is today in some genres). So there is the concept of "attraction", where some notes actually "attract" others towards them, making them slightly sharper or flatter (depending on the direction). This, roughly translated to the equal temperament, is what you're looking for. You can actually think of the mode as a Phrygian, whose Third and Seventh are actually "moving" notes. The seventh is sometimes sharpened, because it is attracted by the tonic (when the melody goes upwards), and sometimes normal (flat), because it is attracted by the fifth (when the melody goes down). Same thing applies to the third, going down=normal (flat), going up=sharpened, attracted to the tonic and the fifth.
This phenomenon has to do with how the music evolved after the Schism (the division of the church to Catholic and Orthodox) in the 10th century.
The Orthodox (Byzantine) church kept a more melismatic approach, which favored the non-tempered modes, and was afterwards also heavily influenced by arab and turcick cultures, before and after the occupation of Constantinopole in 1453.
The Catholic (western) church went towards a more polyphonic approach, which favoured less and less the non-tempered systems, so there where various temperaments at first, and afterwards the equal temperament, which we all know (and love).
An alternative name for this mode could be the "Spanish" phrygian, because it is heavily used in flamenco music (again, because of heavy cultural exchange between the spanish and arab populations in the Mediterranean).
Again, sorry for the long analysis, great video, thanks!
This is so interesting! I can see Norwegian folk music possibly having some similarities, though lydian and mixolydian are the most common modes in our folk music. The fourths especially (lydian) lean toward the sharp side, and in some cases the seventh does too. It never occurred to me that this is tied to melodic movement in the way you describe though, so having that in mind, it is probably quite similar.
Hello. Could you recommend me any musicians, bands or even songs, from this genre, please? Maybe some of your favourite artists?
@@Lalowa1 yes of course! I will compile a short list and post it in a new comment tomorrow!
@@dimitrisandroniadis Thank you for being so kind!!
This is incredibly interesting thank you for adding this comment
I LOVE your reaction to these! Very happy to hear your input on some of these tunes. Wouldn't mind seeing more by Genshin Impact from you, there are SO freaking many good songs!
The Shakuhachi going hard is just crazy to me. Utilizing a traditional instrument for such a blood rushing soundtrack is impressive
Listen to Azdaha theme next. They have even crazier instrument changes there, like at one part, they transition a traditional Chinese woodwind into a sick ass guitar riffs
Yep! Still my fav part of the entire theme
I feel if you tried to understand the first theme from a different perspective you will get it in the eastern side of the world that scale called nahwand scale or probably a mix between nahwand scale and hijaz scale they call them in arabic ajnas i guess that yu peng chen used it there
Just started playing and the music is just incredible. It’s why I started playing this game and it’s why I keep playing.
I loved this!! Genshin Impact has a TON of incredible music, I would love if you made more videos reacting and breaking down their osts! The boss themes are incredible (azhdaha, signora, tartaglia, etc.) But some of my all time favorite songs are Lovers' Oath, A Storm, A Spire, and A Sanctum (Dvalin's Nest), and Ruu's Melody :)
fun fact about that first track you listened to: the composer took inspiration from the fibonacci sequence (1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, etc etc)! if you add up the beats in each little phrase it lines up with this :) interestingly, this sequence can be found in the golden spiral, a logarithmic spiral what also occurs frequently in nature in the arrangements of flower petals, pine cones, leaves on a stem, and so on. very fitting for music from a fictional nation with heavy themes of nature and plant life.
edit* just got to the part where he found The Video, this makes me so happy i genuinely love this games music so much
Why don't wait to see the whole video?
AKA THE GOLDEN RATIO.
Gyro would be proud.
7:13 Exactly my reaction when first time hearing the chorus..
I was not really focused in-game but after hearing the music only, I'm like.. what the heck? This is Trap with traditional instrument 🤯
It makes me happy to know that It's not just me and the Genshin players that love this game and its music know why the music in this game is Top tier. Just like many other games that I love music on, Genshin music has this really unique effect, not just musically but emotionally. Yu-Peng Cheng in my opinion is one of the best composers out there.
Because it really is. Don't let the PGR, Honkai and Arknights fans tell you otherwise. They think that mUh gEnRe is all that matters in an OST.
@@azorailke6057 they don't really know the power of orchestratal, atmosphere soundtracks. They think metal and vocal soundtracks are the best bruh.
I don’t think I will ever respect a musician more than I do you because my first impression of you is now you perfectly isolating and playing Sumeru’s entire leitmotif after 15 seconds of a song I didn’t even realize it was in.
Pleaseee make this a series
Also Genhsin music to me is mainly so good because of the incorporation of so many different styles and cultures into one piece.
They typically have an orchestra stream and each region within the game has their own culturally themed soundtrack. The first song you listened to was from the newest 4th region Sumeru which is has a very large Egyptian/middle eastern influence. The second song you listened to was from the 3rd region Inazuma which is basically the Japanese region. The first region is Mondstadt which is mostly Germanic themed (even the name is German) and the 2nd region is Liyue which is basically Chinese themed. Each of the regions have a specific god (called Archon in game) that also have a specific element which also ties in to their motivations and in game cultural practices. In Mondstadt, the element is anemo (like the wind) with the god of freedom and the city’s theme is that of freedom and the music is very appropriate to that. In Liyue the element is Geo (not exactly earth but more so stone) and the theme is more of contracts and stability/resoluteness as with the God of Contracts (as immutable as stone so to speak) and the Chinese themed music tends to reflect that very well as it also highlights the weakness of stone over erosion from time. Inazuma has the element electro with the God of Eternity attempting to instill the idea of eternity very much like trying to capture the nation within the idea of lightning in a bottle by attempting to stop change/progress/etc through tyranny and domination, and the energy of the people fighting back like an inevitable storm. Also the music very much captures that energy, that darkness, and that light through Japanese styled music. Sumeru has the Dendro element which is the element theme of life and the god is the god of wisdom (you heard the music from the last 2). It feels vibrant and even the Fibonacci sequence is seen throughout all life. Which kind of hints to how intelligent the god is as well. In September 2024 we will likely get the next region and it’s music. The next region is called Fontaine with the element hydro (water) and the god is the god of justice and Fontaine is very French inspired and the culture (from the characters we have met) seem to be innovators (as mostly they show us technological marvels coming from them and most of the characters are some type of engineers except for the orchestra leader we met). We haven’t heard any of that music yet but as they tend to go hand in hand with the themes of the elements as well as the culture that they are based on, we can assume very French styled music with the theme of justice.
Check out some of the orchestra livestreams they are pretty awesome for a mobile video game. Just don’t get the game because it’s a gacha game and you don’t want to lose all your money XD
The great thing about the music is how it almost always fits the situation it's in. Amazing music for amazing landscapes is great
It is indeed double harmonic minor, or gypsy scale, used in middle-eastern traditional music. the B flats and E flats are ornamental grace notes, also used a lot in middle-eastern music.
i've never heard this before in my life and that first track gave me chills all over
7:16 here it looks like they also used the sound of a kendo stick! Its a cool addition :)
The composer specifically works with musicians from the regions that the in-game regions are inspired by, so it wouldn't surprise me if he composed Gilded Runner using Arabic Maqams, which would explain why it's hard to pin it down to one specific scale.
The double harmonic scale is one of the first scales or raga you learn in Carnatic music. Pretty cool
I've stopped playing Genshin for a year now (since I don't really have the time to keep up with it nowadays compared to the early pandemic years), but I ALWAYS keep up with the music. I love Yu-Peng Chen's music so much, all hits no misses with his music.
Genshin is amazing because it uses Western and Eastern instruments together in a beautiful way. They also have different soundscapes for different places in the game which are based off real life, including the music. 'Gilded Runner' is for a Middle Eastern reigon called Sumeru. There was also recently Natlan with 'Anthem of the Savannah' which is based off Africa, South America, and maybe a little bit of Australia. They also make videos called Live Symphonies for basically every reigon in the game.
Edit: 'Duel in the Mist' is from Inazuma, a group of islands based of Japan in the Edo Period. I recommended you listen to 'Thunderings of the Merciless'. It's probably one of the best tracks in Inazuma and I could recommend wayy too many.
Edit 2: 9:00 Said it before I could type it.
Love the game and the soundtrack adds so much. Super underrated soundtrack. Regardless of the negative connotation that Twitter gives the game, I think anyone could see that both the visual and audio characteristics of the game are incredible
More Genshin Impact music please!! The music in this game is so freaking good, I cry listening to it sometimes 🥰
Definitely need a part two with songs like "Rhythm of Vales" "Hustle and Bustle of Port Ormos" The battle theme for the Raiden Shogun (which has three phases to it), Rex Incognito too maybe! They're all just really good songs and I would love for a video like this for those!!!
Duel in the Mist is absolutely my favorite song from this entire game. I get chills everything I hear it. I'm glad Charles included it here 🙏🏻
fischl batthle theme also is gorgeous, many tracks in the game are insane, hope I can watch more genshin videos on you channel and watching you enjoy them as well
OMG yes fischl battle theme 🥰
I love how literally so many professionals who dont even play the game are getting blown away by its music
The music in Genshin Impact is just fantastic, it's great that you've gotten around to it now
I have never played a game OST on repeat like Sumeru music. I'VE LISTENED TO IT SO MANY TIMES AND IT'S STILL INSANELY AMAZING
7:08 THE RUNNER-UP HAS ARRIVED INAZUMAAAAAAAAA
When you overlapped the song with the piano it gave me _chills._ So much fun seeing how it was constructed!
To be honest, it would take forever to analyse all of the tracks in Genshin Impact.
Each of the four regions released so far has their own unique blend of instrumentation, harmonic and rhythmic structures, which reflect the real world culture they are based on.
Within each region, however, each track is uniquely special enough that it would take going through each one individually to understand each one.
What I mean to say is Genshin’s music is so varied and unique. But Charles here did a very wonderful of capturing some of this essence from just a few tracks.
The sumeru song "Flickering Shadows of Trees" is just about the most calming song I've ever heard.
I put it on a 30min loop when I'm working. It's incredible the quality of music this game has
I'm so happy you made this! A lot of people play the game, but even more mute the music or just don't pay attention to it, so it's nice to see someone doing a deeper dive into some of the music!
Some of my favorite songs from this soundtrack (specifically the non-trailer stuff) is Ad Oblivione, One's Who Strive to Live, Gallant Challenge, and probably Chasing the Torrents.
I would recommend checking out Kevin Penkin's music as well! He's maybe not a Hans Zimmer, but sure is close in my book.
Yeah the music contributes so much to the game it's incredible. I love the Liyue Theme so much. Not as technically entralling but just such a gorgeous theme.
i really like how he’s so mindblown and struggling to understand or describe interesting thing thats happening with gilded runner rhythm and scale. and has an impression that it is a math thingy. while in actuality, it is just a clear reference to Indian classical music.
same thing with duel in the mist, where he is so impressed by the “delay” of the drop. though it is a common rhythm in traditional japanese music.
I think this is the genius of hoyomix, genuine introduction of other cultures to westerners. not just a superficial or orientalist view of foreign cultures.
The music in this game is fantastic. I don't play much anymore, but the music still blows me away.
Ended here because this video popped in my YT home today. I'm a Genshin Impact player, and one of the things I enjoy more about this game is the music. I also love watching reacts, expecially from people that get bamboolzed and almost fell off chair like you... Also because I learn something new musically-wise from each react and this makes me realize just how talented the guys at Hoyo-mix are.
If I may suggest, listen to "Die Mittsommernacht fantasie", that's my favorite OST from Genshin Impact, and that's basically what Back and Vivaldi would compose if they were alive today in my opinion.
Yu Peng Chen casually dropping 60+ tracks per region’s soundtrack is seriously so insane to me. This man must never fucking sleep 😭
I’ve been requesting this for ages! There are so many amazing tracks in this game that span across all the regions, and I hope you do a follow up video at some point :)
Please For the love of god make a part 2 dedicated solely to ‘The Hustle And Bustle of Port Ormos’
Please do a follow up with “Hustle and Bustle of Ormos (Day)” and “Termination of Desires”
if your a jazz pianist you should definently listen to Yelans Demo Theme its so crazy
at 8:35 that's called a fakeout in the EDM space and it is a widely used technique among all subgenres of EDM
I have been hoping you would do a video on Genshin music for so long now and my wish finally come true!!! You should also check out L’Arrivo della Signora or Storm Befalls for the most epic beat drops, and Never-Ending Performance or A Noble Sacrifice for cool rhythms. It’s some of my favorite music of all time. Really like your videos!!!
Please please please make this a series there are so many extraordinary songs from this games OST I have literally listened to all of it multiple times and that’s saying something bc it literally goes on for hours - I especially adore the detail of each region on the game map relating to different cultures and the music doing the absolute most to reflect that, and there’s also the promo songs for each character which is are also incredibly different and unique but also reflect the regions they come from beautifully!!!
Please do more episodes, maybe check out the weekly bosses battle themes, which are more classical but they're mind blowing . If you liked those two types of music you listened to, I really recommend trying out some character trailers like Itto, Ayato, Kazuha, Cyno, Al-haitam, oh and yelan trailer music is really cool too.
Great video, hope it to become a series
9:50 THAT IS SO UNIQUE TO DO ON A FREAKING GAME SONG, THAT'S ABSOLUTE GENIUS WTF, THIS GUY IS CRAZY.
You should do part 2. Because so many more good song in genshin.. here my recomendation as well as my top song
-- Event Ost-- (my best genshin song, because the song refreshed yearly)
1. Second Lantern Rite Theme
2. Third Lantern Rite Theme
-- Area Theme --
3. Cathedral theme
-- Dragonspine Ost --
4. Fragile Fantasy
5. Moonlight Smile (my second best)
-- Liyue Ost --
6. Good night, liyue
7. Moon's in one cup
-- Character ost --
8. Amber Theme / A sweet smile
9. Hutao Theme / Let the living beware
10. Eula theme / Flickering Candlelight
11. Yelan theme / Shadow in the rain (this theme is so jazzy, which suits perfect for you i think)
-- Honorable Mention --
12. Teyvat Chapter storyline Ost (my third best song)
My fav is Peaceful Hike (Qingce Daytime). The song is so calming
Oh man, I loved your analysis, in my opinion you should absolutely make this a series cause you have sooo many tracks to react to
Need a part 2 of this
I'm so glad you're now looking at the most insane soundtrack of all time - what you reviewed here was just two themes that are completely COMPLETELY individual tracks that only holds a small bit of the motifs in the game, of which there are SO MANY. I think you could literally make DOZENS of hours of content based on Genshin Impact's tracks. Here's some you should check out:
- Fatui Boss themes: Scaramouche, Signora, Tartaglia - and hear the very subtle connection between these three themes
- more from the nation of Sumeru: Hustle and Bustle of Port Ormos, Vimara Village themes
- a few more random tracks: Inevitable Conflict, Bustling Afternoon in Mondstadt, Rapid as Wildfires, Moon in One's Cup, Any Last Words, Contemplation in Snow
I definitely agree with everyone saying there are many more themes in this game you should listen to! There is so much amazing music going on!
As for other music (because I know you probably don't want to do the same stuff every time you upload) I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Outer Worlds soundtrack (the title theme especially feels really grand)
As a Traveler, I'm so happy that you featured Genshin Impact on your channel Please listen to Rex Incognito, Judgement of Euthymia, Crimson Knight, Let The Living Beware or any of the character demos of the heroes. Every one of them is so amazing, all have unique sounds that matches their persona 😁
They also have live orchestra concerts for the music in the game on their channel 😊
I think the music is probably the best of this game. It's mindblowing to me how Hoyo-Mix comes up with all these versatile tracks.
This made me so happy! i've been such a huge fan of this channel for more than a year now and I listen to Genshin Impact's soundtrack almost everyday. i hope you can review other of Genshin Impact's music!
Genshin Impact is definitely one of my favorite game soundtracks! The music for the Sumeru area is a cut above the rest!
I loved your reactions! "Lantern Rite OST" still my favorite track from Genshin followed by "Port Ormo (day) Theme"
Please take a look at the soundtracks to both Blade Runner movies!
They’re really well composed and have some interesting combinations of electronic and organic sounds.
i never thought you can use the fibonacci sequence to create cool sounding time sequences 0_O mindblowing
As a musician I can say that the music from this videogame made me fell in love since day one. It’s incredible just walking around the world collecting some random s**t or fighting with that quality of music😍👌🏼
Edit: btw you should watch the Sumeru Live Symphony Performance
Seeing how much joy the music of Genshin brings you makes me so happy. I love your videos, but this has to be one of my favorites!
When I was drawn back to Genshin it was because of the music. I'm a mostly F2P player in that game who loves the artifact grind so I tend to spend more time in fights which means more time listening to the music. Such a great OST.
HOWWW DID I MISS THIS?? Just a month or so ago I was listening to Chasing the Torrents, my favourite piece from the Genshin Impact soundtrack, and thinking “I wonder what Charles Cornell would think of this?” No joke it just brings me so much joy to watch people who understand and LOVE music talk about this stuff and get so animated about it. I hope you’ll make more videos about this soundtrack, it is expansive and rich and goodness there is so much of it hahaha
0:24 me after making a mistake on piano