OKAY OKAY Here's the full piece I wrote: ruclips.net/video/jMFW43d-PKI/видео.html It was extremely fun to write and put together, and right when I was starting to record it my wife found someone selling a 'Pianorgan' secondhand in my city. It's played like a keyboard but it sounds just like an accordion, with a fan inside replacing the bellows on a regular accordion. So I could actually record the accordion parts myself without having to rely on bad MIDI accordion sounds!
Now you've done both, it's time for 8-bit to listen to the Phoenix Wright vs Professor Layton soundtrack because it's an amazing perfect blend of both styles together with a slight sprinkle of "the timeframe" which is roughly the era of knights and magic.
"Do you know which game this if from? No, you don't, because I wrote it" is such a power-move, the fact you were able to compose a song so indistinguishably close to how the original artists REALLY drives home with how much love and attention to detail you approached this analysis!! thank you for providing such a helpful resource, i've learned so much from this channel 🖤
When you played the original composition at the beginning my first thought was that you somehow got an early copy of New World of Steam and this was some elaborate reveal video. Would have fooled me, nicely done!
You fool, I've listened to Professor Layton's themes too much not to have realized that the music at the beginning was totally original ! Otherwise, I'm so happy that you covered this subject ! :D Can't wait to listen to the New World of Steam theme !
I had heard a lot of these soundtracks, but I've never played the games. I didn't realize until this video how good the game's *visual* aesthetic is. It's beautiful, and it's dripping with character and charm.
I remember when i was a kid playing Dark Cloud 2 (Dark Chronicle in Europe i think), and i loved the music from the game. When my dad got himself the first Professor Layton game on a DS, i instantly recognized the main theme, it sounded so much like the music from Dark Cloud. Tomohito Nishiura has a wonderully distinct sound, and I LOVE the accordian use!
I appreciate that you made the same connection I did. The similarities in the music are easy to hear. I felt the original piece hit a sort of "Xenoblade-Chronicles"-by-way-of-"Dark-Cloud" sound: very much leaning into the accordion sound, but a more high-energy tension than it usually produces.
The cool thing about the part at 17:36 for the Last Specter theme is that’s the same motif as the one used for summoning the titular “specter” in the game.
As a Professor Layton connoisseur, I thoughorouly enjoyed this video. You give an excellent explanation to why Layton themes are so amazing and unique!
As someone who never played a professor Layton game, I hear this and think, “hey! Dark Cloud music!” (Specifically Dark Cloud 2). I was in a retro game store a few weeks back and they were playing Professor Layton sound tracks and I immediately like it and felt like I recognized it - thinking it was a Dark Cloud 2 song, (or some other Level-5 game song - Rogue Galaxy perhaps) but after a few seconds I was sure I’d never heard it before. I asked em what sound track it was, and that was my introduction to this series’ music.
This video is so good that it almost made me forget that the canon ending for the Professor and Luke (currently) is exclusively in the anime adaptation of 'Katrielle Layton's Mystery Detective Agency.' Yes, that show is canon, and it contains events that aren't in the game version
Level-5 composers are among the best in the industry. Not only Layton, but also Yokai Watch, Dark Cloud and Inazuma Eleven have incredibile soundtrack with ton of identity.
It's not brought up in this video, but Katrielle's theme also fits into this format! It's slightly harder to pick up on, especially because it's overall longer than the traditional Layton theme, but I think that that's appropriate for a character (and a game) that's at least slightly different from what we're used to.
Fantastic breakdown! I've studied a lot of Layton music over the years and have reached similar conclusions on how the main themes are structurally related, so I'm glad to finally hear your take on the music from this fantastic series. ^^ I've also noticed Nishiura uses that descending 5-#4-♮4 line in several other tracks throughout the OST to give that mysterious feel in all of the games, so I'm very happy you called that part out of the main theme.
The Azran Legacy theme breaks the trend of finishing on strong chords to instead eerily segue into the Azran theme ("Echoes of the Past") with those ominous low piano notes underneath...it feels like it says "this one isn't going to end like the other ones"...I remember hearing it in the Azran Legacy trailer and it had me SO hyped
THIS IS SUCH A GIFT OF A VIDEO your channel has been instrumental (lul) to my ability to grasp music theory concepts outside a formal academic setting. It tracks so hard that you play Layton
Layton's Mystery Journey (Katrielle Layton) main theme follows the same structure up until the breakdown section.. where it never really builds up until the very end of the piece, but it does so very gracefully with a heart wrenching resolution which I love so much. So no crazy solo section or anything.. no jabs. I still really love it and its refreshing to hear a change from status quo. Also just realised there is no "moody intro", the start of the piece immediately begins with melody and accompliment as an intro.
These games are my childhood, but their music have been a constant throughout my life. Really excited for the new game, basically cuz of the OST. Amazing original composition and video. Very well done!!
Okay okay I don't know if you'll read this, but you have no idea how overjoyed I was when this video popped up in my notifications! I've watched your videos for years and learnt SO much from them, that seeing the first video game series I ever became obsessed with (this one, Professor Layton) being broken down in such great detail by you is so joyous! Your videos were my number one resource when I was doing my music A-Level, looking for wider listening and trying to understand more about music theory, and even now I've been experimenting with transcribing Super Maio Galaxy music for the theatre organ thanks to your breakdown and transcription of Gusty Garden Galaxy. I can't thank you enough for being such a great source of learning I'm sure not just for me, but for so many other musicians and video game fans out there! Thank you thank you thank you!
Awesome video! Layton music always gave me generally continental European vibes with the heavy use of accordion and Grappellian violin, but it's cool to see the bones of it as more Jpop plus Latin. Thank you!
So I never comment but I realized something. The second theme you show from the miracle mask is the same kind of guitar line as chrono cross’s theme. Kind of wild. Same voicing and all
I've been watching you for years and this is my favourite game series (arguably the one that made me love music) and I never expected you to showcase it in your channel I swaer I've never been this excited.
You’re videos are so good, they constantly inspire me to improve my music skills. Not only did I make 3 songs in 3 days because of your videos, I’ve decided to pursue game composition as a possible career path.
this video is really cool! when i consider learning to compose my own music i think Layton is a great example of a sound i love and want to be able to make
Everyone should check out the incredible Layton-inspired original composition by Mouafeng here on RUclips, called "Puzzleman". It's the single best homage to Layton's soundtrack I have ever heard!
Damn, you hooked me right from the start with that plot twist! I love this series and the music is, as you mentioned, a huge part of its appeal. I'm so glad we're getting a new game soon!
I had the challenge once to compose a song a bit in a layton smile, and I'm glad to see that some element I put into actually theoretically fit with PL's original ambiences (the seconds in the melodies are the most flagrant example). Thank you dude, your work makes me so glad and eager to learn
Bad news for me is that I have discovered this channel a week ago, but good news is that I have a lot to watch prior videos. I love every bit of your content, mostly because I want to learn music theory you present here. Looking forward to the next video, will support on Patreon for sure 😊
Analysing and integrating stylistic features like this is a severely underrated compositional skill. These masterclasses of yours are always satisfyingly elucidating!
I've never played any of the main Layton games, but I am in LOVE with these themes. Two other games come to mind: * Hollow Knight: A lot of the violin melodies in Layton have a very melancholy feeling to them, very reminiscent to the melodies in Hollow Knight (ex: Dirtmouth theme) * Steambot Chronicles: Perhaps my favorite game of all time. All of the music has a very similar vibe, particularly in the instrumentation (also featuring lots of violin and accordion) and in the latin-meets-jpop feel of the tracks.
MY 👏 CHILDHOOD 👏 I love these games and their soundtracks, so much nostalgia and so great to have a detailed breakdown of their sound and what creates the atmosphere.
The video is VERY EYE OPENING WOW!! This explains why i keep melting when listening to the main theme on the title screen. Love seeing how much effort goes into the music in this series, and also in you dissecting it! Thank you for sharing!!
i just thought abt this game for the first time in Years the other day and i truthfully wasnt old enough to notice or appreciate the music. but now that u mention it, yeah it rules
I was hoping you would and am so happy you did get into the shreddings of unwound future and last spectre, they are the best pieces of music and I found myself just absolutely rocking out to those parts after all this time
waiting for new world of steam has also made me into a compulsive layton theme transcriber (oh the things my musescore has seen…) thanks 8 bit, been waiting on this video for a while :))
For anyone interested in music that makes you feel like a gentleman journeying the English countryside in very Layton-esque fashion, I highly recommend the band Big Big Train. Try the song "Summoned By Bells" for a start.
Omg, thank you so much! A bunch of the stuff I managed to figure out on my own (as these games are one of my biggest inspos), but you really helped me out in fully understanding! Thank you so so so much!
There are only a few games that captivated me as a child growing up with an original Nintendo DS when it came out in 2004. Pokémon, Professor Layton, Spectrobes, and Super Mario 64 DS. Don't know if you can cover Spectrobes because it was published by the 'Big Mouse Company' (previously Buena Vista Games).
I can't believe you did this whole video without once mentioning Eternal Diva, the Professor Layton film which is literally about music (And had the only themes in the series with vocals?)
I know its kind of niche but they way you broke down what it means to be a Layton song would work amazingly with the Dark Cloud soundtrack (or Dark Chronicle!)
OKAY OKAY Here's the full piece I wrote: ruclips.net/video/jMFW43d-PKI/видео.html
It was extremely fun to write and put together, and right when I was starting to record it my wife found someone selling a 'Pianorgan' secondhand in my city. It's played like a keyboard but it sounds just like an accordion, with a fan inside replacing the bellows on a regular accordion. So I could actually record the accordion parts myself without having to rely on bad MIDI accordion sounds!
I NEED a Pianorgan now
Bro began the video with his own Layton plot twist
A gentleman always knows how to pleasantly surprise others
THIS MADE ME CRACK UP
AND THAT COMPOSER IS ME!
Now you've done both, it's time for 8-bit to listen to the Phoenix Wright vs Professor Layton soundtrack because it's an amazing perfect blend of both styles together with a slight sprinkle of "the timeframe" which is roughly the era of knights and magic.
PLEASE
I love that OST so much, the blend is highly effective and sounds complex to my untrained ears in a fantastic way. Would love a video
The Layton x Ace Attorney puzzle theme is god-tier
And then afterwards, an analysis of Great Ace Attorney themes because the music was created with the PLvAA music in mind
PLvsAA is truly an amazing OST
I knew that wasn't an actual Layton song bc I've listened to the entire soundtrack obsessive compulsively lol
Release the full song now king :)
I thought it was from one of the later games or the crossover
I'm in the same boat lol, not that it doesn't sound like Layton music
this is what happens when there’s no new game in 10 years lmao
"Do you know which game this if from? No, you don't, because I wrote it" is such a power-move, the fact you were able to compose a song so indistinguishably close to how the original artists REALLY drives home with how much love and attention to detail you approached this analysis!! thank you for providing such a helpful resource, i've learned so much from this channel 🖤
When you played the original composition at the beginning my first thought was that you somehow got an early copy of New World of Steam and this was some elaborate reveal video. Would have fooled me, nicely done!
Now that you've covered both Ace Attorney and Professor Layton, it's time to cover the crossover game.
I almost screamed when Curious Village's theme played even though this is a Prof Layton video. That song is my childhood.
You fool, I've listened to Professor Layton's themes too much not to have realized that the music at the beginning was totally original ! Otherwise, I'm so happy that you covered this subject ! :D Can't wait to listen to the New World of Steam theme !
*Pulls off ridiculous mask and begins cackling*
I had heard a lot of these soundtracks, but I've never played the games. I didn't realize until this video how good the game's *visual* aesthetic is. It's beautiful, and it's dripping with character and charm.
I remember when i was a kid playing Dark Cloud 2 (Dark Chronicle in Europe i think), and i loved the music from the game. When my dad got himself the first Professor Layton game on a DS, i instantly recognized the main theme, it sounded so much like the music from Dark Cloud. Tomohito Nishiura has a wonderully distinct sound, and I LOVE the accordian use!
I appreciate that you made the same connection I did. The similarities in the music are easy to hear.
I felt the original piece hit a sort of "Xenoblade-Chronicles"-by-way-of-"Dark-Cloud" sound: very much leaning into the accordion sound, but a more high-energy tension than it usually produces.
Me now noticing all the mechanical sounds in the original Professor Layton game theme:
...dammit, well played, game. Well played.
The cool thing about the part at 17:36 for the Last Specter theme is that’s the same motif as the one used for summoning the titular “specter” in the game.
The violin in the beginning reminds me of the Dirtmouth melody from Hollow Knight! Sounds very nice!
So I _wasn't_ crazy, someone else did hear this too!
Got the same vibe too. If it was in the same key, it would have been unmistakable.
RELEASE THE FULL ORIGINAL LAYTON PIECE PLS
yes 8bit are you crazy, ypu have to release it
8-BIT, RELEASE TGE FULL LAYTON PIECE AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!
i recommend vanvoxy's chip tunes if you wanna hear 8 bit covers of layton tracks!
I can't unhear the fact that Layton main themes are Jpop songs played with accordions and violins after this video lol
As a Professor Layton connoisseur, I thoughorouly enjoyed this video. You give an excellent explanation to why Layton themes are so amazing and unique!
PLEASE also make a video about Professor Layton Puzzle Themes, they're amazing!
Fun fact:
Jack Layton was a professor.
But he was a Canadian (or a Québécois if we want to be pedantic) of English descent rather than a Briton.
As someone who never played a professor Layton game, I hear this and think, “hey! Dark Cloud music!” (Specifically Dark Cloud 2).
I was in a retro game store a few weeks back and they were playing Professor Layton sound tracks and I immediately like it and felt like I recognized it - thinking it was a Dark Cloud 2 song, (or some other Level-5 game song - Rogue Galaxy perhaps) but after a few seconds I was sure I’d never heard it before. I asked em what sound track it was, and that was my introduction to this series’ music.
I totally forgot how good the Layton main themes were. Definitley have to listen them on repeat for a while now. Thanks.
This video is so good that it almost made me forget that the canon ending for the Professor and Luke (currently) is exclusively in the anime adaptation of 'Katrielle Layton's Mystery Detective Agency.'
Yes, that show is canon, and it contains events that aren't in the game version
Level-5 composers are among the best in the industry. Not only Layton, but also Yokai Watch, Dark Cloud and Inazuma Eleven have incredibile soundtrack with ton of identity.
It's not brought up in this video, but Katrielle's theme also fits into this format! It's slightly harder to pick up on, especially because it's overall longer than the traditional Layton theme, but I think that that's appropriate for a character (and a game) that's at least slightly different from what we're used to.
OMGGG I've been waiting exactly 5 years for this video lol, I'm so happy to finally see Professor Layton's music in this channel 🌟
Fantastic breakdown! I've studied a lot of Layton music over the years and have reached similar conclusions on how the main themes are structurally related, so I'm glad to finally hear your take on the music from this fantastic series. ^^
I've also noticed Nishiura uses that descending 5-#4-♮4 line in several other tracks throughout the OST to give that mysterious feel in all of the games, so I'm very happy you called that part out of the main theme.
The Azran Legacy theme breaks the trend of finishing on strong chords to instead eerily segue into the Azran theme ("Echoes of the Past") with those ominous low piano notes underneath...it feels like it says "this one isn't going to end like the other ones"...I remember hearing it in the Azran Legacy trailer and it had me SO hyped
THIS IS SUCH A GIFT OF A VIDEO your channel has been instrumental (lul) to my ability to grasp music theory concepts outside a formal academic setting. It tracks so hard that you play Layton
After watching, imma head straight out and start playing lost future
Layton's Mystery Journey (Katrielle Layton) main theme follows the same structure up until the breakdown section.. where it never really builds up until the very end of the piece, but it does so very gracefully with a heart wrenching resolution which I love so much. So no crazy solo section or anything.. no jabs. I still really love it and its refreshing to hear a change from status quo. Also just realised there is no "moody intro", the start of the piece immediately begins with melody and accompliment as an intro.
I'm always in pure AWE by your transcribing skills.
These games are my childhood, but their music have been a constant throughout my life. Really excited for the new game, basically cuz of the OST. Amazing original composition and video. Very well done!!
Fastest click of my life, immediately knew it was Layton when I got the discord notification
A true gentleman is always accompanied by a banging theme song Luke
Actually squealed when this popped up in mu recommended, love these osts so much
oh my god i thought the day would never come... finally a layton video from this channel...
This was the first time I cried with a video of yours. Well done!
Congratulations for the very well made pastiche at the beginning, totally believable.
THIS IS ALL MY DDREAMS COME TO LIFE. IVE BEEN WAITING EVERY DAY FOR THIS
Okay okay I don't know if you'll read this, but you have no idea how overjoyed I was when this video popped up in my notifications! I've watched your videos for years and learnt SO much from them, that seeing the first video game series I ever became obsessed with (this one, Professor Layton) being broken down in such great detail by you is so joyous!
Your videos were my number one resource when I was doing my music A-Level, looking for wider listening and trying to understand more about music theory, and even now I've been experimenting with transcribing Super Maio Galaxy music for the theatre organ thanks to your breakdown and transcription of Gusty Garden Galaxy. I can't thank you enough for being such a great source of learning I'm sure not just for me, but for so many other musicians and video game fans out there! Thank you thank you thank you!
Awesome video! Layton music always gave me generally continental European vibes with the heavy use of accordion and Grappellian violin, but it's cool to see the bones of it as more Jpop plus Latin. Thank you!
So I never comment but I realized something. The second theme you show from the miracle mask is the same kind of guitar line as chrono cross’s theme. Kind of wild. Same voicing and all
That's crazy but I can hear it now too
@@Dominik-K Oh it's the exact same chords and notes just in a slightly different rhythm.
I've been watching you for years and this is my favourite game series (arguably the one that made me love music) and I never expected you to showcase it in your channel I swaer I've never been this excited.
You’re videos are so good, they constantly inspire me to improve my music skills. Not only did I make 3 songs in 3 days because of your videos, I’ve decided to pursue game composition as a possible career path.
this video is really cool! when i consider learning to compose my own music i think Layton is a great example of a sound i love and want to be able to make
Everyone should check out the incredible Layton-inspired original composition by Mouafeng here on RUclips, called "Puzzleman". It's the single best homage to Layton's soundtrack I have ever heard!
Tomohito Nishiura's style for me has been distinct since the Dark Cloud games.
I've been hoping for you to do a video like this for years! Putting together a composition with the techniques you talk about is awesome!
Damn, you hooked me right from the start with that plot twist! I love this series and the music is, as you mentioned, a huge part of its appeal. I'm so glad we're getting a new game soon!
Aaaaah a video looking Layton themes, heck yeah!
Also love the fact you made the song at the beginning!
I had the challenge once to compose a song a bit in a layton smile, and I'm glad to see that some element I put into actually theoretically fit with PL's original ambiences (the seconds in the melodies are the most flagrant example).
Thank you dude, your work makes me so glad and eager to learn
Bad news for me is that I have discovered this channel a week ago, but good news is that I have a lot to watch prior videos. I love every bit of your content, mostly because I want to learn music theory you present here. Looking forward to the next video, will support on Patreon for sure 😊
omg literally just listened for hours to prof laton after a long time while cooking. And you uploaded this! Thx ♥
thank you for covering my favourite video game franchise of all time
Analysing and integrating stylistic features like this is a severely underrated compositional skill. These masterclasses of yours are always satisfyingly elucidating!
I've never played any of the main Layton games, but I am in LOVE with these themes. Two other games come to mind:
* Hollow Knight: A lot of the violin melodies in Layton have a very melancholy feeling to them, very reminiscent to the melodies in Hollow Knight (ex: Dirtmouth theme)
* Steambot Chronicles: Perhaps my favorite game of all time. All of the music has a very similar vibe, particularly in the instrumentation (also featuring lots of violin and accordion) and in the latin-meets-jpop feel of the tracks.
MY 👏 CHILDHOOD 👏
I love these games and their soundtracks, so much nostalgia and so great to have a detailed breakdown of their sound and what creates the atmosphere.
So fun! Loved all the musical examples!
I could listen to this for hours
Love the bait & switch haha, great job!
Hahaha I love PL music so much and you almost gaslit me with your PL-esque composition at the beginning HAHAHA love this video breakdown so much
Thank you thank you!!! I loved layton so much! Listened to the themes a ton and so interesting how you explain this all!
The video is VERY EYE OPENING WOW!!
This explains why i keep melting when listening to the main theme on the title screen. Love seeing how much effort goes into the music in this series, and also in you dissecting it! Thank you for sharing!!
This music are incredible! Great video!
Im amazed at how many of these sound like they could be from Octopath Traveler
I love this series of games. Thank you for bringing its music to your channel!
i just thought abt this game for the first time in Years the other day and i truthfully wasnt old enough to notice or appreciate the music. but now that u mention it, yeah it rules
Absolutely terrific analysis and video, as always!
I was hoping you would and am so happy you did get into the shreddings of unwound future and last spectre, they are the best pieces of music and I found myself just absolutely rocking out to those parts after all this time
I had no idea that a puzzle game series that I had never played had such a cool sound
waiting for new world of steam has also made me into a compulsive layton theme transcriber (oh the things my musescore has seen…)
thanks 8 bit, been waiting on this video for a while :))
ah, my favorite musical analysis youtuber and my favorite game series... a delight to hear! and your tune was very well done!!
Great video, you've really captured the PL sound!
For anyone interested in music that makes you feel like a gentleman journeying the English countryside in very Layton-esque fashion, I highly recommend the band Big Big Train. Try the song "Summoned By Bells" for a start.
The Layton music reminds of some the dark cloud ost on the ps2. Not fully but there is enough that the atmosphere for some of the songs feel similar
holy shit the timing, i just finished playing through the original trilogy earlier this week
Never knew that this was the exact kind of music I vibed with until today. Apparently I need to start playing some Professor Layton games....
Omg, thank you so much!
A bunch of the stuff I managed to figure out on my own (as these games are one of my biggest inspos), but you really helped me out in fully understanding!
Thank you so so so much!
There are only a few games that captivated me as a child growing up with an original Nintendo DS when it came out in 2004. Pokémon, Professor Layton, Spectrobes, and Super Mario 64 DS. Don't know if you can cover Spectrobes because it was published by the 'Big Mouse Company' (previously Buena Vista Games).
love this video! very satisfying to see all of it laid out like that
Now I wonder what you’d do with analyzing the soundtrack to Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney.
I know next to nothing about professor Layton so that background footage was wild. Music is awesome though
Fantastic work!
DUDE THIS ORIGINAL PIECE IS SO GOOD, PLEASE GIVE US THE FULL PIECE, EVEN FOR MONEY NEED BE.
Thank you you the man
You are so awesome❤ Your channel is so unique!
The last spectre theme goes bizarrely hard.
God ive been waiting for you to pull this stunt for years, super talented man good job! and great video as always!
I can't believe you did this whole video without once mentioning Eternal Diva, the Professor Layton film which is literally about music
(And had the only themes in the series with vocals?)
Excluding curious village, all the layton games including katrielle's has a vocal end theme, they're just exclusive to the original Japanese versions
11:50 very important part of the video. I would love to see some videos about how to write jpop songs because I love them so much!
This is such a great video! Thank you
Would interesting to see if there is similar design consistency in the music playing when you solve puzzles.
Thank you! This video was so interesting
I wonder how well ikimonogakari songs could be layton-ified. It's kind of eery how jpop the hooks sound.
Your channel is excellent :)
dude i just stumbled upon pandoras box for ds last week when looking through old stuff...
I know its kind of niche but they way you broke down what it means to be a Layton song would work amazingly with the Dark Cloud soundtrack (or Dark Chronicle!)
Very Laytonian
I always experience a certain "Frenchness" in Layton music! I think it's the violin and accordion combination.