What makes a “Christmas version” of a piece a Christmas version? Until I started looking up arrangements for this month, I had never given much thought about what gives the holiday genre of music its sound. There are certainly some specific tropes and conventions used for such pieces. Having said that, I think today’s Arrangement of the Week is an excellent example of the holiday music genre.
Last year Scarlet Moon Productions put out a Christmas themed game music album, Scarlet Moon Christmas EP, which included contributions from a number of artists. One of the tracks, by game composer Goomin Nam, is an arrangement of “Fisherman’s Horizon” from Final Fantasy VIII.
The original track is already well known by many Final Fantasy fans, and Nam doesn’t stray too far from the original tone of the source material. The arrangement captures the essence of many modern day holiday covers. A light electric piano, slowly building strings, and some light melodies on the acoustic guitar all help create a serene and relaxing cover.
Part of what I like about this track is that there’s nothing too complex about the arrangement. Different sets of instruments take turns with the melody, including the guitar, some woodwinds, and of course the piano. No improvising or flashy solo parts. Just a simple and straightforward arrangement. All in all, a great Christmas themed game music track.
Do you have any favorite Christmas themed videogame music covers? Let us know in the comments below. You can check out Goomin Nam’s “Fisherman’s Horizon (Christmas Ver.)” on OC ReMix and I’d highly recommend checking it out on the full Scarlet Moon Christmas EP at Loudr and iTunes.
Tags: Arrangement of the Week, Christmas, Final Fantasy VIII, Goomin Nam, Holidays, Nobuo Uematsu, VGM
