The VIBES of Final Fantasy IX, Part 2: Kuja's Theme
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 14 июл 2024
- Last time, we took a look at how different instrumental textures can affect the vibe of a piece of music. In part 2 of this 2 part series, we'll be looking at all of the other elements that go into creating a musical Vibe. Using the various iterations throughout the soundtrack of Kuja's theme, the antagonist of Final Fantasy IX, let's pick a part all the different ways you can change the vibe of a theme without touching the actual harmony or melody.
PATREON: / 8bitmusictheory
NOTEBOOK: www.themusiciansnotebook.com/...
DISCORD: / discord
TWITTER: / 8bitmusictheory
#FinalFantasyIX #videogamemusic #musictheory 
Игры
The moment you played Kuja's theme I started reciting "This world is imperfect..."
Uematsu's machinations lay undetected for years...
@@jigglykirby King Sakaguchi sends his regards.
Oh my word! Bless you for making me realize that's what that song was!
That phrase gives me Team Galactic vibes plus reminds me of Kefka
@@zephaku its from a series of ProZD skits
the ost of 9 is on a whole different level, theres so much soul in this whole game
Which is ironic, considering the plot
Uematsu-San rehashed a desert melody from FFV for Kuja’s theme and Kuja resides in the Desert Palace ❤️
I think Kuja's Theme starts out as lowkey sinister and somewhat whimsical because you're not supposed to know who he is. The introductory scene has him as a bad guy and you know he's bad, but by the time of second piece you know exactly how bad Kuja is and so the motif takes on a much more deliberate and overtly oppressive display of power.
My brain: that’s We Will Rock You… ugh, why am I so basic?
8BMT ten seconds later: “aka the We Will Rock You drumbeat”
My brain: okay phew
Oh I was waiting for “We Will Rock You” to be mentioned. It’s SO blatant though I was afraid it would be a “no duh” situation.
When I was a kid my brother played that game and when I heard the theme I thought exactly the same. Years later and I still can't get that out goddamn! XD
Uematsu is a huge classic rock nerd after all.
Isn't it super similar to the Shinra Theme from FF7?
Uematsu is a fan of classic rock. According to him, the opening to One Winged Angel was an orchestral version of the opening notes of Purple Haze.
"Kuja's theme is a reuse/callback to FFV's Intention of the Earth"
...you just blew my mind
Also Tyrano's Lair in Chrono Trigger, just in a rock setting.
@@aeonicbutterfly9662 that theme sounds metal af
@@Kyoju252 A few of Uematsu's songs from the CT soundtrack have that FFVII vibe to them. Listen to Bike Chase or Sealed Door. :)
@@WoobertAIO It's one of my favorite songs from the SNES era ngl
@@aeonicbutterfly9662 I prefer "Last Battle". That theme is pure, unadulterated insanity made music, which fits the moment perfectly.
Reminder that Nobuo Uematsu never got any formal musical training. He is just that good.
Maybe that worked to his benefit. Being an autodidact, while leaving obvious "educational holes" also opens up a way of thinking that is "unburdoned" by established knowledge. And sometimes, something great arises from this.
Heck yes. When Uematsu rocks, you feel the _weight._ Uematsu offers so frickin' much material to dissect; we could be here for years!
Yes please
I had such a crush on Kuja when I first played this game as a preteen, his theme definitely a contributing factor
The word I'd use to describe the vibe of Wicked Melody is "Shinra". That percussion is so unmistakably FF7, it makes me giggle. 😂
That's probably because of the drums, which are really similar.
It's incredible how clearly Uematsu's signature appears in every snigle piece yet they are all so different. "Vibes" indeed
Finally some appreciation for the brilliance of this composition.
Move over, One Winged Angel.
Only 2 parts?! I need a musical analysis of every song!
I'm a simple man: I see Nobuo Uematsu, I click. I think I like him better than Final Fantasy itself.
Big ol same friendo
King Dragon sends his regards
Going to be that nerd, but the melody also ended up in Chrono Trigger's Tyrano's Lair, where it ended up in an absolutely rockin' rock setting. It's a great melody and he had fun with it!
It's not the same melody, though. Starts the same way, but doesn't continue the same way.
@@velcro4836 Starting the same way doesn't make it the same theme, the same way this sentence is not the same as the one in your comment. I'd say a full musical line would have to be the same before you can really consider the music the same (the way the pyramid and Kuja's theme are).
@@velcro4836 not that my qualifications are actually relevant, but I did just graduate a music bachelor's.
In fact, sequences (musical figures that are repeated, but transposed) aren't even relevant here. We're talking about a section of a melody that's used in two different pieces of music. I'm just saying that there's not enough shared to claim it's the same melody.
@@velcro4836 If you copy one bar (that's four notes) but nothing else, it's at most a shared motif. Which this probably is, to be fair. But it's not the same melody, because the vast majority of melodies (including Kuja's theme) are not made up of a single unrepeated motif.
Claiming it's the same melody is roughly equivalent to claiming that the Carol of the Bells is using the Dies Irae melody. Which it isn't.
@@velcro4836 I have indeed (I've played both CT and FF9 twice, and listened through both OSTs multiple times).
All I can say is similar development of material does not mean they're the same tune either. I won't deny that the tunes do some similar things (and I believe that was one of the tracks Uematsu wrote for CT, so it'd make sense), but the point is, when you're comparing two melodies, the only relevant thing is the melody itself, not what a composer decides to do with it.
I would describe the vibe of Wicked Melody, when the violin melody hits, more as "beauty twisted into purest evil, unfathomable demented narcissism". The elegance of the violin (with its almost sensual chromaticism) combined with the dissonant accompaniment, when I first heard it playing the game "blind" in 2014, made me fall on my knees in utter shock and horror. I had heard plenty of villain themes but this took vileness onto a level I had never imagined.
Well said! Would love to hear your thoughts on “Dancing Mad”
I was hoping for a breakdown of Beatrix related pieces; her sentimental theme "Roses of May", the fanfare version of it ("Something to Protect"), and her boss theme ("Sword of Doubt"). Talk about vibes!! Now to convince you to make this series go from a two-part to a three-part..
I'll take Kuja's theme, though! I feel like the smooth voice leading gave the piece a more dramatic flair (just like Kuja) without making the piece too heavy, and I never knew that it was a callback to FFV. Whaaaaaat! I've played this game at least ten times, and it's so great to see how even more intricate the soundtrack is than I already thought. I appreciate the work that you've done! Thank you!
1:07 "Let's take a listen and see what words come to mind that you'd use to describe the tune's vibe." **Kuja's theme plays**
Me: *This world is imperfect...*
Yes it was I! My machinations lay undetected for years as I am a master of deception!
Thank you for calling it the "we will rock you" drums. That's all I could think of the whole game.
I fucking loved this soundtrack. I listen to it all the time when I’m at working cooking on the line. Really chills me out and makes the day go by fast.
Heavy spoilers for the plot ahead:
My favorite use of Kuja's theme plays during a scene where he isn't even present. When Zidane is confronted with his true nature, at his lowest point in the game, the music changes. You Are Not Alone is a gigantic departure from the rest of the score, and a powerful piece in its own right, but I want to focus on the first couple bars. The introduction to You Are Not Alone is Kuja's theme played backwards, reinforcing the parallels and distinctions between Kuja and Zidane. It's such a short acknowledgement that the villain he's been working so hard to defeat is, in a sense, Zidane's brother. They share an origin, but their paths diverged. And so, in Zidane's iteration of this motif, the melody takes a sharp turn to the major, and is quickly overwhelmed by the hopeful chorus of Zidane's friends shaking him out of his funk. But Kuja's backwards theme is part of the loop; it keeps coming back, reminding both Zidane and the player of the source of his inner conflict.
It's a fantastic scene, and one that could easily have been melodramatic without the incredible attention to detail Uematsu gives the music.
Wait what? It plays backwards there? Never noticed
i was literally just revisiting part 1, lmfao
impeccable timing
love this lad's theme songs, only adds to the old adage: "the villains have the best music"
I saw “the vibes” and thought “wait there are songs in ff with vibraphone? Wow i love that instrument” lol
Are you aware of the marble music machine by Wintergatan? If not, in summary his channel is an ongoing series on his quest to create a beast of a music machine powered by marbles. Instruments featured include snare drums, vibraphones and a glockenspiel if I'm not mistaken.
@@moneym0ney i don’t think I’ve heard of that, i think I’ll look it up.
you gave off the vibe "Educational"
Omg I was so caught off guard when he played Lysanderoths theme! I mean yes it’s technically Kuja’s theme but it will always be Lysanderoths theme to me 😂
This theme was evil AF muhahaha
Muhahahaha 666
smth else i really appreciate about the various uses of this theme is he keeps putting it into keys that end up hitting some of the same chords. like i keep hearing C#m, Bbm, Fm and F#m, so it keeps this sort of continuity as far as what vibes the harmony ends up creating which i really appreciate. uematsu is easily my favorite video game composer and stuff like this is a big reason why
I'm curious to see an analysis on the music of Mother 3
This. This this this.
Never let a good chord go to waste.
That FFV desert reference...
Mind = blown
8BMT: "First let's take a listen and see what words come to mind that you'd use to describe the tune's vibe."
*Music starts*
Me: "This world is imperfect..."
When Kuja takes the stage, you be on the edge of your seat till the curtains draw. His themes feel calculating, whimsical, sinister and dramatic which I feel really highlights his personality as someone grandiose but broken.
more more ff9 more
I understoon absolutely nothing, but I love the game and video. Thanks for this one! :)
I know the feeling. Music theory is just utterly beyond me. There's plenty of stuff I can pick up pretty quick-I knew nothing of game design before I watched my first episode of Extra Credits a decade ago but now feel fully conversant in the basic and even some of the more advanced language of it, for example, and my hobbyist NBA blog shows (or at least I hope it shows) my understanding of how statistical analysis has changed the sport...but music theory is just "nod head and try not to look dumb."
I'm hoping that watching more of these videos will make me less dumb about music because I like to understand the things I enjoy.
@@SimuLord Haha I feel exactly the same! Always trying to learn stuff, especially if it's out of our "specialty" :)
If mad organ shredding is what you want, uematsu got you covered. In his band The Black Mages, they play a metal version of Matoya's Cave. The organ solo is blues incarnate.
I am an absolute noob in regards to music theory, but I think you explained it very well. Especially the party around minute 5:00 blew my mind. I never recognized that.
Not musically educated enough to actually understand most of the video, but I love and encourange analyses like this!! And on the most fabulous villain too? Oh joy!!! Encore please!
chromatic movement is a big part of ff villain themes. sephiroth is another shining example, as are the sorceresses of ff8, golbez to a lesser extent.
Uematsu loves that fifth, flat fifth, flat sixth, fifth for his villains. Ex death, kefka, those chosen by the planet, kuja, tyrannos.
The way the theme plays around the 5th of the chord is a technique used is Sephiroth's theme as well!
Having played FFV before IX; I always loved this callback detail in Kuja's theme.
God; the OST of FFIX is so good.
I literally JUST beat this game for the first time like a week ago. You're a wizard. Loved it btw, fantastic story and music.
I just made the shocking connection that Kuja's hideout is in a desert, and his theme is based on a desert theme.
I think 8BMT was implying that already but yeah it's craaazy
Excellent work on both videos. Thank you for the good work!
All of your videos are so well made and thought out and a can’t stop watching. Keep it up man
Your videos are my favorite new discovery on RUclips. Thanks for what you do.
Loved it man. Your work is always top notch. Final Fantasy music is always so fun to dive into and you make it so much easier to digest. Thank you!
Amazing videos, you keep putting out pure gold. I only get about half the music theory but it's making me want to learn more! Thank you
Just loved the first video, didn't expected a part 2 😍😍😍
Your analysis is phenomenal. Bloody well done
I never recognized that the Pyramid theme from FFV was the same as Kuja's Theme!
Man, your channel is so good. You make music theory very interesting and you really bring to light the genius that is behind these amazing soundtracks. You make me notice stuff that I couldn't have seen by myself, I always learn something. You show things so well that I always catch the vibes and get emotional. Because of you, I started learning music theory and I love it. Thanks man, keep making videos, this is my favourite channel
These are the exact tunes that taught me how motifs *really* work. I was too young to know they werent in the same key, but I *knew* they were closely related enough that I figured out transposing by accident (played them in the same key).
Man, I miss doing this by ear. I feel like with wisdom and knowledge you lose a little of the youthful spark of "knowing" without knowing lol
I ranted sorry
These videos are excellent. Thank you very much for your analysis.
I mustve seen this video and the about Memories of Life around 3 times already just to really piece apart what makes each arrangement great! It’s amazing how I’ve heard these songs hundreds of times but I’m seeing them in a new light now. Thanks 8bit!
Such an epic video/videos. Video editing skills are through the roof on these as well
Fantastic video! I said everything in my request but I've been studying the whole FFIX soundtrack for years, particularly this piece and really appreciate your expert analysis
Bro, you knocked it out of the park, amazing vid
Thanks a lot, this is one of my favorite transforming themes and it fits super well to a villain that undergoes his own journey
This is by far my favorite channel on the youtubes
Really loved this video, considering this game is my favorite Final Fantasy game, and I learned some new things in the ost. I would like for you to go analyze Chrono Cross’ music, because it’s vibes are some of my favorites in gaming.
As a fellow music/harmony/gaming nerd, I have to tell you that I appreciate the hell out of your videos!
It took me a great many years before I felt that I was any good at harmonizing. But, even though I enjoy my own work these days, I could never explain what you do as well as you do! I also happen to love FFIX's music way too much, so this series is just wonderful!
Also, as an organist, I can confirm that they are indeed spoopy!
Great video! Kuja's Theme song also sounds very similar to the Tyrano Lair theme from Chrono Trigger, which I think Uematsu also composed.
Thanks for these videos -- so good!
Learning this was a rearrangement was super cool. I love how you highlighted that.
Love it! Best Channel for videogamemusic lovers!
This is my absolute favorite boss battle theme ever, so I'm glad to see it analyzed on this channel!
In my own personal interests I've studied the various themes of Kuja for years, out of just a weird obsession. I feel so validated and learned even more here than I thought I knew! Appreciate ya!
I think his greatest strength is his ability to know when to meet expectations and when to subvert them.
When he says his melodies are very simple, he’s not entirely wrong. What makes his music catchy is the simplicity. But he always knows how and when to create interest by doing the unexpected while making it fit in place. I imagine his melodies come to him very quickly ( like as he’s walking his dog :) ) …But he spends hours contemplating how he can change one or two notes here and there so it’s not boring.
Uematsu is the only person I would be starstruck to meet in person. So don’t take this the wrong way!… but his genius reminds me of the creative genius of a good, thrifty, lazy home cook. “Well I cooked chicken and potatoes last night, and it was good, but I don’t want to go to the store again, so I’m gonna throw leftovers in a soup and add two spices, then I’m gonna bake it in a pie, and then I’m gonna make a sandwich with a different dressing tomorrow.” He can change one or two things in a dish, serve it to you, and you wouldn’t know that he keeps serving you the same chicken and potatoes.
That’s the real genius in his repetition of themes, vibes, and motifs. He feeds you the same things, changes one or two things and gets you to say, “thank you mmmm that was totally different than what you cooked last time.”
You're a genius for disecting these game themes. Mad respect
This video is so great. I love Uematsu so much. Everything he does feels so instant and memorable.
great, great content
Your videos are almost as well made and thought-out as Uematsu's compositions!
The music I play is very far removed from Uematsu's (well, as far removed as it can be given how incredibly eclectic and diverse his scores are) but the man has been one of my musical heroes since I was a child. I cannot believe that I've never actually properly analyzed any of his scores - I kinda feel like it's a dissecting the frog situation - but I'm glad you did and now I can't resist delving into the rest of his insanely large back catalogue.
Bravo for these two videos, they are excellent - I never would've thought that resources like this would eventually be available to me.
Ahhhh don’t make me replay this!!!! Great video.
You know what would be incredibly interesting? The music of Wario Ware. It has such weird melodies and progressions.
Legend of Mana is re-releasing on Switch in about a week. If you haven't played it, I highly recommend at least checking out the soundtrack. It's a lesser-known game, but Yoko Shimomura composed an absolutely outstanding soundtrack for it. Wanderer's Path, Earth Painting, Complicated Destiny, Those Who Are Shining. Tons of great tracks. Those last two, especially, have a lot of motifs that turn up in/from other tracks. And apparently, the music is being re-arranged for the re-release, too. Super excited for that.
I thought this was gonna be a three part series with The Place I'll Return to Someday and its variations. But this is great too!
It's funny you describe the Hungarian Minor as "deserty". There's this Noisey interview with Queens of The Stone Age's Josh Homme (who is obviously the most "deserty" of all our rock stars) where he talks about the Hungarian MAJOR being kind of his shtick. It's that raised 4th, I guess. Great video!
Nobuo uses the same idea on the intro of "Tyrano Castle" from Chrono Trigger. And this line from bass on the last boss fight is recorrent from manny others last bosses like un FF VIII and VII. Its nice to see the composer signature. Thanks for the video.
I already loved your channel since I discovered it through a castlevania video but when you did Pepsiman and now these videos on my favorite FF I like you even more. I can learn so much cool stuff in your videos.
thanks for breaking down the amazing music in my fav FF game!
I'm so happy you mentioned ff5!!!
best music theory channel on youtube honestly
very good video.
I heard the music for FF9 long before I ever played it. Kuja's various themes were a large part of my interest, they were fantastic songs all of them, thanks for unpicking them
I'm currently in the Desert Pyramid in FF5 and I never would have noticed the themes were the same.
Why haven't I run across this channel sooner?!
Video games and their music really shaped me as a person. I don't even care how weird that sounds. It's totally true. And to see someone analyzing it is... Well it cheered me right up! :D
I love all the different the textures in Kuja's themes. I feel like you see so many sides of him throughout the game. We see him calm and collected, we see him forceful and malicious, we see him playful and somewhat merciful, and we see him apocalyptically furious. He's my favorite FF villain and I'm glad his themes reflect his complexity.
Great video
I found myself humming this theme every so often without remembering where it was from. Only just recently I replayed it to realize it was this theme. It really gets in your head
So excited for the anime!!!!!!
Nice. Very nice.
Great video, thanks for doing the analysis on this - just a heads up, the final Kuja boss theme is called Dark Messenger on the OST!
The title list has 2 different 'official' translations. I think nowadays with the one they use on streaming services etc its called "The Darkness of Eternity" (a.k.a. the tracklist that is closer to the Japanese, that also has 'Star Crossed Lovers' instead of 'Bittersweet Romance' etc.
Certainly takes some getting used to)
"They offend my senses" is all I heard from his first theme LMAO.
The second one sounds like "We will we will follow you" by Black Mages, and Zidane's party to retrieve the Gulug Stone.
I love this
What an amazing video! I hope sometime you do some metal slug music analysis, there isn't any in all of RUclips.
Metal slug is so badass, loved 3 for years finally got to play the rest a few months ago. Are you hyped for metal slug tactics?
4:33 - Very well said🗣️👏🏼🙂
Oh, I'm so happy you mentioned Kuja's theme being the child of Slumber of Ancient Earth. Thank you dearly.
One thing missing was talk about how different the introduction on Dark Messenger is compared to Immoral Melody.
...When did the music names change...?
Ok, how "The Darkness of Eternity" is different than "Wicked Melody".
Thanks for elucidation on the FF5 tie in! Very cool