Author Archives: sara-garrard

Thundering Large Sea Snake

Posted by sara-garrard

I took part in the latest 2 hour album challenge on one of the hottest days of the year. I wasn’t going to do anything at all, but then I figured that while I couldn’t standing sitting with the heat of my computer filling the room and headphones, I might do something with a lot of live singing.

And, as it turns out, cardboard box percussion. I found this broadside ballad — a very big fish story indeed! — on the Bodleian’s website, as part of a huge project collecting ’em.

I’m a couple years late for the sea shanty trend (and not sure this really qualifies as a shanty), but here’s “Thundering Large Sea Snake” from the MONSTROUS album:

You can get the whole album here with 60 more tracks, pay what you want, and donate to rescuing cats.

Watch this song being made (when the camera wasn’t overheating)

A Tale for the Journey…

Posted by sara-garrard
Tracks 1-5
Tracks 6-10

It was my birthday at the end of June!

To celebrate that week, I worked on or finished up a little set of RPG tracks in my most favourite, most relaxed style. I mean I worked on all but 3-4 of them in a very relaxed, indulgent way, just playing back and back via Logic and adding things where I thought they should go. Honestly that’s something I do fairly often, but in usual circumstances I’d likely also start with a sketch or something a bit more intentional — often more efficient, but I definitely still ended up with some fun stuff!

Also I’ve been using and enjoying the Digital Sound Factory sounds — I got an upgrade to the Kontakt version of their Proteus 1-2-3/Orbit/Planet Phatt set and it really was worth it! …though I was happily loading up enough instruments that I did realise that also each of them is incredibly lightweight (kilobytes), multiple instances of Komplete Kontrol are not.

Anyway.

Above is the set to listen to on YouTube.

And here it is to get on itch.io to add to your game!

And here’s some of the cover/concept art that I generated with craiyon by asking it to mimic Amano’s style!

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Sephiroth x 2 (Crisis Core and Advent Children demakes)

Posted by sara-garrard

In my continuing FFVII demake project, two more — one of them one of the more complicated ones I’ve attempted! Someone suggested “The World’s Enemy”, Crisis Core’s arrangement of One-Winged Angel. Y’know, as you do. But, like happens so much with this, the more I thought about it, the more I…. yeah, why not.

The orchestral arrangements from Crisis Core are top-notch! (And I absolutely love the guitar sound and the string-quartet based ones too – it’s all good.)

And this is Black Water, from Advent Children. The fun part here was translating the band sound – all heavy guitars – into something more workable for FFVII instruments.

‘In My Heart’ FFVII x FFVI music arrangement

Posted by sara-garrard

An arrangement combining “Holding Thoughts in My Heart” and a bit of “Aria di Mezzo Carattere” (the opera scene from FFVI), both by Nobuo Uematsu.

I made a video combining footage of me on oboe, harp and music box together with shadow puppet theatre and a string orchestra….. that sadly is not actually playing this piece, I’m just using images their lovely Dvorak footage (Orchestral Ensemble Seoul OES conducted by Gyu-Seo Lee, licensed under Creative Commons).

You can listen to 63 other chill vgm covers on the SoundoleChillOut2022 playlist here.

Shiba drinking bubble tea in Vienna

Posted by sara-garrard
Shiba drinking bubble tea in Vienna

Somewhat inspired by Parry Gripp songs with the formulation [cute animal] [consuming food or drink] [in location]~

Shiba drinking bubble tea in Vienna! (he’s drinking bubble tea)
Shiba drinking bubble tea in Vienna! (he’s drinking bubble tea)

Shiba inu, shiba in Vienna, shiba inu, are you friends with all the tiny dogs?
Shiba inu, shiba in Vienna
Shiba inu
Shiba inu

FFVII Remake Demakes come to Spotify! (and elsewhere)

Posted by sara-garrard

Very pleased to announce and Original Soundtrack Plus-Minus Vol. 1, the first volume of my FFVII Remake covers in the style of the original 1997 game is up for listening on Spotify! also incidentally the first covers/arrangements of any kind I’ve officially released.

Avalanche’s Theme, Jessie’s Theme, Critical Shot, Run Run Run, together with an original composition.

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