Nobuo Uematsu: Eternal Wind

For this one I went more for describing what was happening with the song rather than imagery. Not sure why but I felt it was appropriate.

Three listens this was written over.

Nobuo Uematsu’s (植松 伸夫) “Eternal” (“悠久の風”) is from Final Fantasy III Original Sound Version, the soundtrack for Final Fantasy III.

I hope you enjoy.

A quick, light flow, starting and stopping. Then the main melody comes in, riding the flow gently and gracefully, as though on a breeze. It looks forward and outward, suggesting adventure, though not without a slight tinge of the melancholic.

Suddenly it rises up and the light flow shifts more than it had previously, gaining a slight bit more space and drawing out some of its notes and floating upward with the main sound. Somewhere among it all lower notes play out carefully, underscoring and providing a bit more of a frame. It’s pretty in its flow of sound and emotion, capturing the journey ahead as well as the sense of movement, even as the song ends.

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Nobuo Uematsu: Another Nightmare

I thought this was going to be more difficult to write but I had an easy time.

Three listens and focused on describing the song. Sort of did alright. Could’ve done better, but it was a bit of a fight to get to this point so I’m happy with leaving this as it is.

Nobuo Uematsu’s (植松 伸夫) “Another Nightmare” (“悪霧ふたたび”) is also known as “Return of the Evil Mist”. It’s from the soundtrack for Final Fantays IX, Final Fantasy IX Original Soundtrack.

I hope you enjoy.

A quiet strike of piano and some sort of sound blinking in and out. A bit of percussion comes in, light and easy, then on the next loop strings find their way in creeping, which is followed by what could be harp and xylophone. More strings come in, enhancing the mood with their filling out the background.

Percussion becomes rolling and heaving whilst the strings draw out and flow with menace. At the end of this section they hold longer whilst woodwind comes in and emphasises whilst capping the section off.

The song becomes a bit more quiet and careful. Strings carefully take steps whilst sound underneath moves back and forth, looking for a path. The strings then draw out whilst another sound finds itself walking through the gloom, though it comes to a halt as the melody cycles back to its beginning and the song ends.

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Nobuo Uematsu: The North Cave

Alright, so this one was shorter than I thought it would be. Probably due to being tired. Maybe due to doing the writing over two listens. Possibly due to the way the song is designed.

There’s an interesting thing about this song that I’ll hold off talking about due to it being part of the thing that I’ll do once I finish this particular set of writings.

Nobuo Uematsu’s (植松 伸夫) “The North Cave” (“北の大空洞”) is from Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack, the soundtrack album for Final Fantasy VII.

I hope you enjoy.

A low rumble and a drone creates a stark rhythm. Soon another sound joins and begins to conjure up a sense of the ominous. This sound moves around, singular and almost thin. It is dreading.

The sound disappears and piano comes in, moving back and forth, stressed. Then all shifts and quick vocalisings come in, echoing and fading out. The sound that is almost thin returns and all seem to be approaching an inevitable, terrifying moment. Palpable is the dread and misery and woe. It stretches over and covers everything and all. Time is pressing and a great sense of urgency rises over. Woodwinds appear, almost in mourning, looking up, and all is bleak at the song’s end.

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Building in the Morning Glow

A photo I took a number of weeks ago.
It’s a bit blown out but I like the effect.

This building is in a rather urban area, but I like that the vegetation around it makes it feel more rural.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week.
I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

 

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Nobuo Uematsu: Another Moon

Six listens for this one.

I had a general idea of some of what I wanted to write here.
Ended up with something a little shorter than I thought I would, but at the same time, considering the song’s length and its simplicity in terms of instrumentation layering, it makes sense that the writing isn’t long.

Nobuo Uematsu’s (植松 伸夫) “Another Moon” (“もう一つの月”) is from Final Fantasy IV‘s soundtrack album, Final Fantasy IV Original Sound Version.

I hope you enjoy.

A low note rings out whilst brass shines and shimmers somewhere above. The low note rings out with a step and the brass continues its shining and shimmering in a deep darkness. Something above and distant moves past, distinct in the trail it leaves.

Strings call out into the solid, cratered expanse, slowly sinking with a sense of menace and mystery. It almost is oppressive, though it certainly is an alien landscape.

The rhythms formed earlier continue on whilst the strings gently glide across this new formation, taking in its shape and form and coming to realise that it holds a beauty in its supposed hostility.

A sense of the regal rises and comes forward, as though there is a presence of higher power within this alien landscape, and so in that realisation the sense of menace returns as the song ends.

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Stuff

Another day stretches away and another day of being unable to work due to The Internet not being a functional as required at the moment, which also means another day of earning no money. Fun times, but you do what you can and all of that other stuff.

I’m sitting here and it is evening and I find myself slipping into a state of not really feeling like doing much. I don’t feel much like writing; nor do I feel like doing anything related to this blog right now, or probably in the near future. Maybe it’ll improve, but there’s certainly a way that things are currently going and are likely to go in the future that are leaving me feeling that maybe it is time to stop doing this blog. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but sooner rather than later.

I’ve been doing Stupidity Hole for a while now and whilst I enjoy it sometimes, the thing is that it’s starting to take up far too much of my time. It’s getting to a point where it’s not doing much for me anymore. Of course that could change in the future, but right now I have to think about whether I should continue, or if my energies are better spent elsewhere.

Stupidity Hole is not exactly what one would describe as financially profitable. It never was started for money but rather due to my desire to keep throwing stuff into The Internet abyss after a few years of not doing much in the way of writing. I don’t want to run it for financial gain either, but it becomes more difficult to justify doing something that I’m finding too time consuming and decreasingly satisfying when I need to spend more time working on other things.

Admittedly some of those other things involve making money. There are things that I want and need to do that require having more, and I’m at a point where I’m exhausted from living with no safety net. I’ll admit that whilst I’ve been relatively poor for most of my life, my financial situation as it stands is, to an extent, my responsibility. Selling my photos isn’t helping to alleviate that as doing so, much like any other income outside of my job, generates very little, though that’s rather unsurprising.

There are other things that don’t involve money as much (if at all) that I keep on postponing that I really want to get back into doing. These things require more time than Stupidity Hole often allows.

I started this bit of writing off without any aim and this is what came forward. I’m not sure it’s what I wanted to write, but it’s what came forward, so I’m leaving it as is. I will keep doing Stupidity Hole for the time being, but I’m finding it increasingly difficult to remain driven to post anything here.

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Nobuo Uematsu: Land of Dwarves

This was written over three listens.

This was easy to write and I don’t know why, but at least that’s something.

Just mostly looked to describe the song itself and I think I did that.

Nobuo Uematsu’s (植松 伸夫) “Land of Dwarves” (“ドワーフの大地”) is from Final Fantasy IV Original Sound Version, the soundtrack for Final Fantasy IV.

I hope you enjoy.

A whimsical step and skip in the strings, then the other instruments come in. A familiar tune finds itself floating through a cavernous space, though different in some manner. Woodwind brings it forth into unfamiliar territory and so the melody seems more of a reflection than it does its own thing… at first.

The percussion strikes carefully and clearly as bass starts and stops. The strings rise and the woodwind seems to sink. Then the unfamiliar comes in and slowly, yet surely it seems as though the instruments descend. Strings still float on and are more prone to rising, though they sound as much a part of the motion that the music is commanding.

All the instruments continue on their path in the low space, creating something playful in feel and tone until they fade out at the song’s end.

 

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Bridging the Gap

I’m fairly certain I’ve taken a photo of The Sydney Harbour Bridge from roughly this point before. Not completely certain, but fairly certain.

This is one where I like the perspective as you only see one end of the bridge. The other end is assumed, but as its not visible it almost appears as though the bridge could go on forever.

I also like that the bridge almost appears as though it is bending in a way that it shouldn’t.

This is my submission into the one hundred-and-fifty-ninth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “Postcards“.

Whilst I remain not a fan of The Sydney Harbour Bridge, if I were to send a postcard of Sydney to someone I’d probably send one with an image of it.

Maybe I’d try to get a postcard with this photo used and send that instead of one I’d find in a shop.

The challenge is hosted by four people and cycles weekly:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

For July each challenge is guest-curated.
Ana Campo of Anvica’s Gallery is curating this one.

On July 3rd John Steiner of Journeys With Johnbo curated with the theme of “On the Water“.

On July 10th Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed curated with the theme of “Black and White“.

July 17th was curated by Rusha Sams of Oh The Places We See. The theme for Rusha’s was “Getting Away“.

July 24th was curated by of Beth Smith of Wandering Dawgs. The theme was “Along Back Country Roads“.

For the next challenge Patti is hosting. The theme is “Your inspiration”.

I recommend participating in the challenges. They’re enjoyable and allow room for interpretation of the theme without straying too far. If you don’t participate, then I recommend that you at least check out what others of the Lens-Artists community are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

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Nobuo Uematsu: Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV

This was written over six listens.

I found writing about this song to be a real challenge and I’m not entirely sure why. Probably was overthinking what I was doing.

Anyway, what ended up happening was I wrote this in a rather disconnected way which I feel is a little unfair to “Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV” as, whilst it’s a rather simple piece, it still has a bit going for it.

Nobuo Uematsu’s (植松 伸夫) “Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV” (“ファイナルファンタジーIV メインテーマ”) is from Final Fantasy IV‘s soundtrack, Final Fantasy Original Sound Version.

I hope you enjoy.

Quickly notes anchored by a bassy key rise up, then the remaining instruments come in. Percussion plays spaced and with impact in its loudest beats; the hi-hat triplet stays quiet and moves with ample deftness. Strings extend along and play low, calmly and smoothly. As the introductory sounds continue on and move through the rhythm flute gently floats as though on a breeze and leads the instrumentation through areas familiar, yet new.

There is a sense of purpose that carries forward, though it is framed within the context of a trying time. Mystery and and otherworldly feel weaves into the music, even as it seems to shift into looking upward. The instruments lift up, almost with all of them being carried by winds. The sense of the dramatic increases, and yet the song does not go too far; its inflections punctuate without going too far and a journey toward change carries on as the song ends.

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A Poem About Friendship and a Bushwalk

I wanted to write with a little more length this time around.
I’ve been meaning too for a while, but haven’t due to various reasons.
Also spent a bit more time writing this one than usual.

Not anything great.
I think it’s a little better than my usual stuff, but only a little bit better.
That said, I think it’s quite clear in expression.

I hope you enjoy.

I walked the path for a long time
Hoping to reach what we had before
And see views most enveloping
That, for some time, would be my own

As I walked this path through bush
My thoughts could not but turn to you
For we had walked many paths
And this one many times

Along the path of which I walked
I thought of how we did the same
And despite all that had happened
All of this had remained ours

With the bonds of friendship broken
After so many years of us
I thought about all we shared
And how much of it a new light showed

And so I walked through the bush
Through open fields by windswept cliffs
And found a view that was my own
Though it too remained as much yours

I stopped and stared out to the ocean
For despite the break giving relief
My thoughts remained on our friendship
As you should’ve been there too

 

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