Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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Nearly at the end of our quest, we begin to understand the motivation of our villains as we venture to their homeland of Prox, from Golden Sun.
--------------------
➤ Analysis:
Although we first hear this theme as Sheba and Felix fall from atop Venus Lighthouse, the most familiar association is with the cold village of Prox to the north, just south of the final lighthouse, Mars.
The lore here is that Weyard (the world of Golden Sun) is slowly crumbling into a dark abyss due to alchemy being sealed away in the lighthouses. Prox, being towards the edge of Weyard, is on the brink of vanishing into this vast chasm. It can only be saved if the 4 lighthouses are lit, thus bringing alchemy back into the world. But Mars Lighthouse itself is even closer to the edge than Prox, ready to collapse into the dark at any moment, sealing Prox's (and the world's) fate forever.
The desperation is incredibly profound and defines this track.
We open in a tragic A minor (A-C-E); very slow, very simple and empty with some lonely strings as if the other instruments had abandoned hope and fled the village. The strings drop down dolefully to the dominant - E major (0:08; E-G♯-B) in 1st inversion (G♯ in the bass). This resolves via a perfect cadence back to Am (0:13).
We then commence a chromatic descent from A-G♯-G, as if we are slowly falling into the depths of nothingness. Harmonically, we have progressed from Am to E to C (the relative major of Am). This sudden appearance of the relative major (C-E-G) gives us a sliver of hope in this otherwise despairing atmosphere.
From here, we climb back to E, and then progress via an interrupted cadence into F (0:22; F-A-C). Then we can drop back down to E so we can have our perfect cadence back to the tonic of Am (0:31). Then we get another partial chromatic descent of A-G-F♯-F-E - again, more falling off of the edge of the world - as we finally conclude with a crushing diminished 7th chord (0:44; G♯-B-D-F).
Generally, this opening section has remained identical to Sakuraba's, outside of some filling in of the harmonies that were previously absent. The next section (0:46 - 1:29) is essentially a repeat of the opening (0:00 - 0:45), now with an oboe introducing a new melody to complement the strings.
After this (1:29), Sakuraba originally looped the track here. But I decided to offer one more statement of this phrase with some larger, more dramatically yearning instrumentation as if everyone is coming together for one last attempt to prevent their doomed fate.
And for the first time, I've given this track a definitive ending (4:19). I'd like to start adding some optional definitive endings to these arrangements now that some video game orchestras are starting to play them and (like me) don't know how to end it!
--------------------
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Golden Sun
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Prox
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#Prox
🎵 Sheet Music & Parts ➤ [Removed by Nintendo JP]
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Nearly at the end of our quest, we begin to understand the motivation of our villains as we venture to their homeland of Prox, from Golden Sun.
--------------------
➤ Analysis:
Although we first hear this theme as Sheba and Felix fall from atop Venus Lighthouse, the most familiar association is with the cold village of Prox to the north, just south of the final lighthouse, Mars.
The lore here is that Weyard (the world of Golden Sun) is slowly crumbling into a dark abyss due to alchemy being sealed away in the lighthouses. Prox, being towards the edge of Weyard, is on the brink of vanishing into this vast chasm. It can only be saved if the 4 lighthouses are lit, thus bringing alchemy back into the world. But Mars Lighthouse itself is even closer to the edge than Prox, ready to collapse into the dark at any moment, sealing Prox's (and the world's) fate forever.
The desperation is incredibly profound and defines this track.
We open in a tragic A minor (A-C-E); very slow, very simple and empty with some lonely strings as if the other instruments had abandoned hope and fled the village. The strings drop down dolefully to the dominant - E major (0:08; E-G♯-B) in 1st inversion (G♯ in the bass). This resolves via a perfect cadence back to Am (0:13).
We then commence a chromatic descent from A-G♯-G, as if we are slowly falling into the depths of nothingness. Harmonically, we have progressed from Am to E to C (the relative major of Am). This sudden appearance of the relative major (C-E-G) gives us a sliver of hope in this otherwise despairing atmosphere.
From here, we climb back to E, and then progress via an interrupted cadence into F (0:22; F-A-C). Then we can drop back down to E so we can have our perfect cadence back to the tonic of Am (0:31). Then we get another partial chromatic descent of A-G-F♯-F-E - again, more falling off of the edge of the world - as we finally conclude with a crushing diminished 7th chord (0:44; G♯-B-D-F).
Generally, this opening section has remained identical to Sakuraba's, outside of some filling in of the harmonies that were previously absent. The next section (0:46 - 1:29) is essentially a repeat of the opening (0:00 - 0:45), now with an oboe introducing a new melody to complement the strings.
After this (1:29), Sakuraba originally looped the track here. But I decided to offer one more statement of this phrase with some larger, more dramatically yearning instrumentation as if everyone is coming together for one last attempt to prevent their doomed fate.
And for the first time, I've given this track a definitive ending (4:19). I'd like to start adding some optional definitive endings to these arrangements now that some video game orchestras are starting to play them and (like me) don't know how to end it!
--------------------
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Golden Sun
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Prox
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#Prox
![Sea of Time (Extended) | Golden Sun Orchestral Cover
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An extended version of Golden Suns Sea of Time, now for orchestra.
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Golden Sun: The Lost Age
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Sea of Time, Poseidon
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#SeaOfTime Sea of Time (Extended) | Golden Sun Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/52os4YcMZxE/mqdefault.jpg)
![Satorl Marsh (Night) | Orchestral Cover
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Im really feeling it now that Xenoblade Definitive Edition is finally upon us, so here is a full sheet music score transcription the classic, Satorl Marsh (Night).
Featuring the vocal talents of Psamathes - check out her awesome work:
➤ https://www.youtube.com/psamathes
➤ https://twitter.com/Psamathes
➤ https://psamathes.bandcamp.com
➤ https://psamathes.com
Many thanks to KibaLight for their 4K Xenoblade footage:
https://youtu.be/SKON7Rc46Zw
➤ Analysis:
This track is one that canonically follows after the grand and adventurous Gaur Plain. As such, it is more introspective and serene in nature, portraying the glimmering nights of the more linear Satorl Marsh.
The track opens with a vast Gb major 7th chord (Gb-Bb-Db-F; 0:03), with a deep contrabass pitted against a twinkling piano ostinato. This is quickly accompanied by female vocals, and a cohort of pulsating strings.
Although opening in Gb major (or potentially F minor/Db major), the true tonal center is actually Bb minor (Bb-Db-F). This can be deduced due to the oboe phrase concluding with a perfect cadence in - you guessed it - Bb minor (0:33), as well as later passages emphasizing Bb minor (e.g. 1:54).
The opening material (0:03 - 0:14) is repeated and extended twice more (0:15 - 0:39, 0:40 - 1:04), now with an additional lyrical oboe floating above in place of the vocals. I hope this opening minute was your least favourite part of the track since it never appears again! D:
At 1:04, we progress to the main section of the track, now travelling through a circle of 5ths to reach the relative major - Db (Db-F-Ab; 1:10). Here, the strings and piano take on the melodic focus with material constructed out of the earlier oboe passage, with the oboe now providing counter-melodic support (1:12).
These 4 bars (1:04 - 1:17) are nearly repeated again (1:17 - 1:25), but concluding the phrase with a surprise tertiary shift up to F major (F-A-C; 1:26) rather than Db. We would expect this to modulate via a perfect cadence back to the tonic of Bb minor, but instead we are treated to a remarkable interrupted cadence into Gb (Gb-Bb-Db; 1:29).
We have reached the climax: the dynamics increase; the vocals have returned fleshing out major 7th chords; and the oboe doubles the melody with the piano and strings. From here, the harmony quickly reaches the tonic (Bb minor; Bb-Db-F; 1:39) before floating up a beautiful ascending sequence decorated with added note chords (Ab major 9th; Ab-C-Eb-Gb-Bb; 1:51 - a very scrumptious chord!), concluding in the tonic, Bb minor (1:54).
At 2:06, the track moves into a new section with a long-debated discussion about whether hes still a tuna ... 🐟
Okay, memes aside, this new section introduces text into the track. The official text is unknown, but fans have identified potential Latin transcriptions:
Iste Natura (This nature)
Iste Terra (This Land)
Iste Mare (This Sea)
Eso (Eaten)
This transcription was later re-translated by WorthlessKoridian on Reddit to become:
Iste Natura (That [man] with the nature)
Iste Terra (That [man] with the land)
Iste Mare (That [man] with the sea)
Eso (About to be eaten)
Now I wont explain the text further since it would contain spoilers, but if youve finished the game and want to read their analysis further, check it out - its an interesting read:
(SPOILER WARNING IN LINK)
https://bit.ly/2Ap9Nf6
In other news, this section (2:06) closely resembles the opening material (0:15), with the alternating Gb-F ultimately resolving to Bb minor, and a near full repeat (2:31), concluding the track.
Trivia: This track has an identical tempo marking to Valak Mountain (Night) (*Cue conspiracies*)
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Xenoblade Chronicles
★Developer: Monolith Soft
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Manami Kiyota
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, Satorl Marsh Night, Satorl Marsh (Night), Xenoblade Chronicles, Sheet Music, Score, Satorl Marsh Sheet Music
#XenobladeChronicles
#SheetMusic
#SatorlMarsh Satorl Marsh (Night) | Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5BYZRP8Jags/mqdefault.jpg)
![Ready for a Challenge | Orchestral Cover
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Heres an orchestral arrangement Ive created of Sakurabas aggressive Ready for a Challenge from Golden Sun.
➤ Analysis:
Another of the Colosso themes, this one plays while you are racing through the puzzles.
It is (surprisingly) one of the most dissonant of Golden Suns themes, notably between 0:45 - 1:01, with an abundance of semitonal false relations and chromatic movements combined with an unresolved suspended 4th chord in a stabbing syncopated ostinato (horns, trumpets, strings).
However, it does still contain many of Sakurabas classic techniques; echoing semiquaver passages (oboes and trumpets at 1:07) and the use of the Lydian 4th (again, oboes and trumpets at 1:02).
Generally, the piece appears to be in E Dorian/Aeolian, with the unusual (yet effective!) D-natural starting the melody in the strings at 0:02 before moving to C-sharp, suggesting A major (the subdominant key of E Dorian), but quickly moving back to C-naturals (suggesting E Aeolian).
Also, Im now uploading in 1440p, so clearer videos - yay!
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using the brilliant EastWest sample libraries.
★Game: Golden Sun
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries
★Tags: Golden Sun, Golden, Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun The Lost Age, TLA, GS, Golden Sun Orchestra, Golden Sun Cover, Golden Sun Remix, Golden Sun Arrangement, Colosso, Golden Sun Colosso, Ready For A Challenge
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#TheLostAge Ready for a Challenge | Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5wHe2t20nT0/mqdefault.jpg)




![Crossbone Isle (Extended) | Golden Sun Orchestral Cover
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A 30-minute extended orchestral cover of Crossbone Isle from Golden Sun!
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest, Vienna Symphonic and Sampleism.
★Game: Golden Sun
★Developer: Camelot Software Planning
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Motoi Sakuraba
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library, Sampleism
★Tags: Golden, Sun, Golden Sun, The Lost Age, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Orchestra, Orchestral, Orchestration, Arrangement, Remix, Cover, Crossbone Isle
#GoldenSun
#Orchestra
#CrossboneIsle Crossbone Isle (Extended) | Golden Sun Orchestral Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7Xc5rEFfeuk/mqdefault.jpg)

![Main Theme (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) | Full Cover
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Its time to sit back, relax, and forget about your mortgage payments - here is a full sheet music transcription and recreation of the upcoming main title theme from Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
➤ Analysis:
For a soundtrack that accompanies a relaxing and casual simulation game, it is no surprise that it is similarly calming and laid-back.
The main theme here opens with a thin texture of instruments rarely found in orchestras - a ukulele and flugelhorn, later joined with bongos, shakers and upright bass - suggesting a departure from the more serious concert aesthetic. This mirrors the games departure from being a strict simulation genre, and instead following a casual care-free focus.
Harmonically, there is quite a bit going on: we begin by descending from F major (F-A-C) into Bb major (Bb-D-F; 0:03), followed quickly by a major-minor shift into Bb minor (Bb-Db-F) with an added 6th (G) to allow smooth voice leading back down to the tonic of F, now in 2nd inversion (with the C at the root of the chord; 0:07). Then we jump from the tonic of F into G (G-B-D; 0:08), functioning as a secondary dominant progression into C major (here as a suspended 4th dominant chord; C-F-G-Bb), allowing for a perfect cadence back into the tonic once more.
The melody here has what at first appears to be a surprising amount of rhythmic syncopation for such a casual game. Though this rhythmic feature is a commonplace staple of previous Animal Crossing soundtracks, and so it becomes no surprise that it makes an appearance here.
This opening 4-bar phrase repeats with additional instruments (0:12), but is cut short by an interrupted cadence into the flattened-6th degree of Db (Db-F-Ab; 0:19) - a tritone away from the previous chord of G7 (G-B-D-F). But Db is not the true new key. Instead, it functions as a subdominant pivot into Eb (Eb-G-Bb) - the dominant chord of the new key which is instead, Ab major (Ab-C-Eb).
How do we get from the new key of Ab and back to the tonic of F? Simple: a tertiary modulation. Here (0:27), we pivot from Ab major up a 3rd (the tertiary modulation) to C major (C-E-G) - the dominant chord of our tonic, F. But this is not a straight forward dominant chord; we have several added notes of the 7th (Bb) and 9th (D). This forms what can be colloquially known as a Gospel Chord (C-G-Bb-D; 0:28), often found in... well... Gospel music.
It is possible that Totakas use of a Gospel Chord here is to elicit a sense of community as Gospel choirs have a remarkably strong communal aspect. And since a primary goal of the Animal Crossing series is to build your own communities, this would be a sensible connection.
Similarly, the reason for there being so many modulations and key changes in the opening 30s could be an allusion to the theme of travelling in the Animal Crossing series as we travel across multiple locations.
Continuing through the track, we have now returned to the tonic of F (0:34) as we follow a simple common progression of I - IV - V (F-Bb-C) which repeats twice. Afterwards (0:45), we abruptly travel once more to a new key of A major (A-C#-E) - another tertiary shift - and repeat the same I - IV - V progression (A-D-E). However, this time it is extended to progress from E to F# minor (F#-A-C#) via a C# major tertiary pivot (C#-E#-G#).
But we are not done yet. We ascend upwards once again from F# minor to the more familiar G major (G-B-D; 0:50) as we begin to prepare for our flight back home to F major... Or maybe not! As we move upwards once again to A major (A-C#-E; 0:52) and an interrupted cadence into Bb, allowing one final ascension to our old friend, C major - the dominant chord of our original tonic - once again appearing as a Gospel Chord.
The smooth voice leading in the bassline allows such dramatic modulations to appear natural, as it slips effortlessly up throughout this passage (0:45 - 0:58) - a great technique for seamless modulations.
★Game: Animal Crossing: New Horizons
★Developer: Nintendo
★Publisher: Nintendo
★Composer(s): Kazumi Totaka (et al.)
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library, 8Dio, Massive, AmpleBass
★Tags: Animal Crossing, New Horizons, Main Theme, Sheet Music, Transcription, Score, Title Music, Title Theme, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Cover, Trumpet
#AnimalCrossing
#NewHorizons
#MainTheme Main Theme (Animal Crossing: New Horizons) | Full Cover](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7hpKrvZCcpw/mqdefault.jpg)
