Leon Scott Kennedy
06-22-2009, 03:27 PM
Well, it's been a while since my last contribution to the board, so I'd like to present...

Cellythm - Those Who Distorted



Tracklist
01 Those Who Fight Further (THE BLACK MAGES / from FINAL FANTASY VII) 3:47
02 Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin / Jimmy Page, Robert Plant) 2:21
03 Battle Theme (THE BLACK MAGES / from FINAL FANTASY VI) 3:01
04 Clash on the Big Bridge (THE BLACK MAGES / from FINAL FANTASY V) 3:23
05 Eleanor Rigby (The Beatles / Lennon-McCartney) 4:26
06 Land of Hope and Glory (Edward William Elgar) 2:48

Disc length 19:46

Download
@Mirrorcreator (http://j.mp/169Jf7c)

EDIT:
Having received today my 18th request for a lossless rip of this album, I guess it's time I speak clearly:

I am the sharer of this, don't you think that if I wanted to share the lossless encode, I would have done it in the first place? I'm perfectly capable of doing such thing, shall I want to. Seriously, stop requesting it... and be grateful you're at least getting something. Do I sound like a prick for saying this? News #1: I don't care. | News #2: Little ol' me, as well as everyone else around here, doesn't owe you anything. We're free to share, or not share.

Tigel
06-22-2009, 06:59 PM
Ok, I just finished my first listen and this album is so fucking awesome.

Thanks alot for this!

Leon Scott Kennedy
06-22-2009, 07:18 PM
Glad you liked it.

Here's a review from Chris (Square Enix Music Online):

Overview

Since its inception, Nobuo Uematsu's record label Dog Ear Records has become known for its off-the-wall ideas. In addition to diversifying Nobuo Uematsu's career with surprising jazz, rock, and anime scores, they have pioneered experimental productions like Keita Egusa's Turkish piano mini-album Kalaycilar, Ian Hartley's breakbeat album Monkey Breaks, and, most controversially, the trippy arranged album Final Fantasy Remix. Cellythm - Those Who Distorted might possibly be the most bizarre of all their productions. It is a mini-album featuring an unusual ensemble, a 'cello quartet, performing unlikely source material, namely a crazy mixture of Final Fantasy battle themes, Elgar's marches, and classic rock songs. Nobody would have believed me had I conceived this album as an April Fool's joke mocking Final Fantasy's discography, but in fact this album is very real. The album hasn't been a commercial success so far, as anyone would have predicted, though there are still a minority out there waiting for a review on whether it might just be worthwhile in spite of the concept. So here it is...!

Body

The album features three arrangements of Final Fantasy battle themes previously performed at The Black Mages' third concert. Final Fantasy VII's "Those Who Fight Further" opens the album on a somewhat worrisome note. So much of the arrangement seems to focus on low-pitched marcato strings that try to recreate the aggression and briskness of the original, but end up sounding elephantine. The sections where the lead 'cello is performing in the alto register are generally enjoyable given Kazumi Ando emphasises just what beautiful tones the instrument can make. However, the overall arrangement seems misguided with some parts sounding too abruptly sectioned and others without a clear focus at all. It's all too clear that 'cello quartets were never intended to perform Final Fantasy rock pieces here. Final Fantasy VI's "Battle Theme" suits the ensemble a little better given the ensemble can assert the perplexing nature of some of its Arabian-inspired chord progressions. However, it once again seems to be the lead 'cello that is producing stomachable tones and the development lacks many intricacies or elaborations.

Of all the entries on the album, Cellythm seems to capture the abstract tone of Led Zepellin's "Immigrant Song" the best. The lead 'cello captures much of the emotion of the original singer and offers some mesmerising glissandi and pitch bends. The staccato chords from the supporting 'celli recreate much of the grit of the original bass riff, though can sometimes feel too static or overly prominent. However, I was confused by the electric guitar solo in the second half of this brief rendition that seems totally out-of-place given the rest of the album. Although this is probably better than most string quartet versions of the over-arranged song, it still has nothing on the original. Although a predictable choice, the rendition of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" is also acceptable. The resonant tones of the lead 'celli seems better suited for interpreting the sorrowful melody than the overly whiny vocals of the original. There are also refreshing deviations from the original material in the introduction and improvisation passages that keeps things from being formulaic.

The arrangement of Final Fantasy V's "Clash on the Big Bridge" saves the best Final Fantasy rendition to last. This arrangement maintains most of the direction and energy of the original while portraying it in a different colour. The lead cellist once again impresses with his firm performance of the melody and expressive solos. The interesting introduction, chromatic shifts, and sweeping countermelodies ensure the pace is maintained and a dramatic arch is established. The closing arrangement of the British nationalistic composition "Land of Hope and Glory" is less convincing. While the renditions of the main melody have a suitably proud tone, the jagged accompaniment is a disruptive influence rather than a support. The jazz improvisation is well done on this arrangement, but feels out of place and left me wishing that Cellythm instead created their own dedicated jazz composition instead. There are sometimes elegant renditions of the classically-oriented passagework from the original, but the arrangement never quite achieves the direction or emotion needed for it to feel like a grand finale.

Summary

Cellythm - Those Who Distorted is evidently a flawed album. This was almost inevitable given the abstract concept of the album and that the chosen material is largely incompatible with 'cello quartet. For the most part, Cellythm prove competent and versatile performers with the lead cellist being particularly expressive and technically competent. However, the arrangements are often quite weak, featuring too much emphasis on marcato strings, rambling or inappropriate development sections, and unpleasant timbres. Some of the arrangements, such as "Clash on the Big Bridge", "Immigrant Song", and "Eleanor Rigby", capture much of what was good about the originals and present them in an interesting new context. However, no arrangements are more enjoyable than their originals and most only offer novelty rather than musical value. Even excusing these flaws, this album isn't likely to attract many fans given the divergent choices of original material and the obscureness of the 'cello quartet as an ensemble. Furthermore, there are just three Final Fantasy arrangements and, while only somewhat overpriced, the mini-album is hardly a wholesome experience. This album is for hardcore or oddball collectors only.

Overall Score: 5/10

Source: http://www.squareenixmusic.com/reviews/chris/cellythm.shtml

Tigel
06-22-2009, 10:35 PM
Meh seems they didn't really like it... I may be biaised, cause I love cello :P

FLAVA J
06-22-2009, 11:28 PM
Interesting.......I think I'll check this out.

Thanks ileferru.

ZeroCool51
06-25-2009, 12:53 AM
Thanks a bunch :)

Sirusjr
06-25-2009, 12:55 AM
Thanks! Been waiting for this :3

Puyo
06-25-2009, 01:27 AM
Thanks so much for the upload!!!!!!

Dharma
06-25-2009, 01:36 AM
However, no arrangements are more enjoyable than their originals and most only offer novelty rather than musical value.

What an idiot. As if one would look to Final Fantasy music for musical value in the first place. There are numerous arrangements that are way better than the original piece.

Aero
07-01-2009, 05:08 PM
Thank you ileferru !

Kazu
09-25-2009, 11:25 PM
Thankyou!!!

LordBlackudder
11-27-2009, 09:34 PM
An all-cello quartet: I didn't even know such things existed. The group "cellythm" is comprised of four female cellists from Japan, and they're no amateurs. This album, published by Nobuo Uematsu's "Dog Ear Records," features music that the group apparently thinks were really good at rockin' out, complete with the power of DISTORTION!!!

And, by the way, it seems Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu is in the same league as Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. React to this statement however you see fit.

The three songs chosen from the Final Fantasy series were all battle themes, and are based on arrangements from "The Black Mages." We get the boss battle music from FFVII, the regular battle theme from FFVI, and the Gilgamesh battle music from FFV. These arrangements are of supreme interest to me, primarily because I didn't know such a thing was possible. Being named "cellythm," an obvious mixture of the words "cello" and "rhythm," it's clear that being a member of this group requires having a precise sense of rhythm, as well as the ability to add percussion when needed. And I'm not talking about pizzicato work, strangely enough. The vast majority of the performance is bowed; but sometimes, they'll also tap the wood of the cello to produce a rhythm, and there's always someone keeping time by pounding out what would be the work of a drummer or rhythm guitarist.

To get this out of the way, the non-FF tracks are decent. Particularly, the cover of "Eleanor Rigby" is nearly perfect. Not only is it the longest track on the album, it's the one with the most varied performance styles. The other non-VGM cover songs are good, too. But Eleanor Rigby just became epic.

What makes the arrangements for the FF tracks stand out are the "solo" sections. About halfway through each song, the transcribed melody is tossed aside in favor of some newly-arranged melody that feels ad-lib, even though it's obviously not (considering the group dynamic). The solo in "Those Who Fight Further" made me smile; the fast-paced triplets make for incredibly fun performance, and the back-up rhythm that sounds like a horse's gallop helps to build the intensity of the music.

"Clash on the Big Bridge" is awesome, no matter what instruments you put to the task of recreating the tune. It should come as no surprise that this version is quite enjoyable.

An interesting case study that I'd love to see done: have someone with no prior exposure to Uematsu or the classic rock artists covered on this album listen to it from start to finish, and then have them describe the album. First of all, did it feel cohesive, or can you pick out different styles/genres? Also, what tracks from the album did said person tend to prefer? Of course, I wish you luck in finding someone who has no prior knowledge of The Beatles, but if you search hard enough, you might find someone. And if you do, I'd certainly be interested in the results of the study. My suspicion is that most people would never guess the varied sources to the music. And, of course, this add's to Uematsu's credibility as a composer. There's no question that he possesses a great talent, and has brought a lot of credibility to game music.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann

stxotaku8403
05-30-2010, 08:36 PM
Hey Leon, is there any way u could re-up this? The link seems to be dead now, and I'd love to get a listen to this great CD. Thanks! ^.^

Leon Scott Kennedy
05-30-2010, 08:51 PM
Hey Leon, is there any way u could re-up this? The link seems to be dead now, and I'd love to get a listen to this great CD. Thanks! ^.^
http://anonym.to/?http://filesmelt.com/dl/C-TWD.rar

lncln
08-04-2010, 06:12 AM
Hi,

I am trying to download this album, but the RAR file has a password... how do I unlock it?

Thank you...

Chocolate Misu
08-04-2010, 06:24 AM
^ The password is in the first post.

lncln
08-04-2010, 02:08 PM
Thank you. Sorry for the stupidity!!

tipmang
09-26-2010, 09:59 AM
Registered here just to check this album out, can't find it anywhere for paid download or otherwise. But both links in here are dead. Sorry to make this my first post, but any chance of a re-up?

Leon Scott Kennedy
09-26-2010, 10:51 AM
Registered here just to check this album out, can't find it anywhere for paid download or otherwise. But both links in here are dead. Sorry to make this my first post, but any chance of a re-up?
Reuploaded.

tipmang
09-26-2010, 11:25 AM
You sir, are my savior.

tofu
09-26-2010, 12:25 PM
thanks a lot!!

Namorbia
04-28-2011, 02:26 PM
Thanks! Uematsu also listened to Apocalyptica while producing this, I believe.

LordBlackudder
01-04-2012, 04:17 PM
japanese prerfer clash on the ig bridhge to one winged angel.

DrWho2009
10-20-2012, 03:50 AM
any chance for another re-up please? thanks very much.

Leon Scott Kennedy
10-20-2012, 12:13 PM
any chance for another re-up please? thanks very much.
Reuploaded (http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/0RPFSDWS/C-TWD.rar_links).

DrWho2009
10-20-2012, 08:50 PM
Thanks!

paperfan
11-28-2012, 03:12 PM
Oh this was an interesting one! I love one instrument arrangements. Thanks for sharing~~

noiseordinance
06-16-2013, 05:22 PM
Reuploaded (http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/0RPFSDWS/C-TWD.rar_links).

Any chance for yet another re-upload? I can't find this anywhere and the links provided aren't working. :/

Leon Scott Kennedy
06-16-2013, 10:24 PM
Any chance for yet another re-upload? I can't find this anywhere and the links provided aren't working. :/
Here you go. (http://j.mp/169Jf7c)

noiseordinance
06-16-2013, 11:05 PM
Here you go. (http://j.mp/169Jf7c)

Wow... you are awesome. Thank you so much!