For many years, I’ve been an avid fan of video game music (or VGM). To be precise, my love started with Square’s Final Fantasy VI, back when it first came out. During my experiences as a young boy, wandering through the enchanted forest, interrupting a live performance and saving the world from a psychopath. I steadily grew to appreciate the various synthesized sounds; how well they matched the classical music I’d been learning, as a musician in middle school. I loved it so much, that I recorded it and using a Playschool audio recorder. (C’mon, I was 11 years old and on a budget!!)

But I didn’t record any old songs. I recorded “Dancing Mad” and “Balance is Resored” which I recorded for a 32-minute track on a cassette tape. What’s that?! Look it up, in the dictionary! What’s THAT?!?! Oh FML! Google it!!

Regardless, I was so excited, that I took the cassette to my music teacher. Whom at the time, was very influential on my expansion into bolder and lesser known music. Eventually, he did listen to it and gave the music compliments, despite it being from a video game. Which was considered mostly laughable by adults and parents. At that time, I thought he really liked it; but now that I look back he may have been doing it to be nice to me. Who knows. Despite that, I continue to be a fan of video game music.

So guess what?!

I’m going to share with you!

Here is Nobuo Uematsu‘s Dancing Mad and Balance is Restored. Both redone in a full symphony orchestra! From me, you’re only going to get the best! ENJOY!

From Distant Worlds II

From Distant Worlds III

Title image – by Yoshitaka Amano (A nice gallery of his works)

More of Mr Uematsu’s works are HERE