Piano Cover: Jade Empire Main Theme

Whoa, first non-anime-related post in months. O_o I tend to get a wee bit obsessive about new things I discover, and anime was certainly that way for me; I'd been especially thrilled at discovering a new source of such great music. Still, it's nice to revisit my other loves every once in a while, so here's a return to the world of video games.

A turning point in my video-gaming life must have been when I played my first BioWare game. I almost instantly fell in love with Knights of the Old Republic, and I've been an avid BioWare fan ever since. I'm still incredibly impressed with the consistently great quality of the games BioWare puts out, a sharp contrast to many other game-development teams who often grow complacent after a few successes. My second BioWare experience, Jade Empire, is one of my fondest gaming memories. Very few games have captivated me to the degree that Jade Empire has, and I can still vividly remember the countless hours spent totally absorbed in the game, and the unbearable waits between gaming sessions filled with endless speculation.

The music in Jade Empire is great. Major kudos to composer Jack Wall for being able to so masterfully combine Western RPG-style music with traditional Chinese elements. The blend of East and West in this soundtrack makes for quite a unique sound, and it's obvious that Mr. Wall did his homework -- the more traditional-sounding tracks are spot-on. I tackled the main theme in my arrangement; check out the (much more beautiful) original here. (Also, did I mention that I had a chance to meet Jack Wall? He's a great guy.)

Jade Empire Main Theme: Piano Cover



Composer: Jack Wall
Date Completed: 2011-11-19
Software: Audacity, Movie Maker
Number of Takes: ~8
Instrumentation: Piano

I tried to follow the basic structure of the original main theme in this arrangement, though the actual notes are a fairly liberal interpretation of the work. The Chinese drums and flute countermelodies hold a large presence in the original work, and I was unable to quite work them into my arrangement. Still, I think I was able to convey the original idea. Also, boo for arpeggios. >.<

More updates and cool projects (including one NON-PIANO COVER OMGWTF) coming at'cha soon! Stay tuned.

'Til next time,

xds