i dont know jack shit about music theory but my brain is trying to gaslight me into thinking i understand any of this. you're like "this d major chord is tonicized" "then the next measure tonicizes a slightly warmer--" and im like wow! that sure sounds like music! when i hear the clip. love vids like this it feels like exploring a totally untouched land or something
Tonicising basically means making a chord into the "tonic" chord, which is the chord where the music will sound most at rest. You do this (most of the time) by going to the dominant chord, which is 5 steps up from the tonic on the scale, and then resolving the tonic. I hope this helped and didn't just confuse you more lol.
@@SoftBreadSoftThe tonic is the 1st note of the key/scale, so actually the "bottom" (but you can always keep going up/down in further octaves) Any note in the tonic _chord_ would feel similarly restful though (...along with said chord being played) In a C major scale/key, the tonic (note) is C and the tonic chord is C major, made up of C-E-G
@@SoftBreadSoft As said, it is where the music feels most at rest, and so usually the "middle" of the scale would be the farthest away from the rest point if we're oversimplifying.
I feel the best example of this style of season-based music in video games is almost definitely Stardew Valley. Every seasonal song in the game absolutely captures the essence of the experience of the season. Winter feels cold, spring feels like an energetic new beginning, summer feels upbeat and joyous and autumn (fall) feels slower and more relaxed, easing the player into slowing down for the winter. Its such a perfect soundtrack for the relaxing farm somulator. I'd love to see a video on it at some point!
I thought the same thing! That's why I wrote my master's thesis on it! I have a whole chapter on seasonal music in cozy games. I also have a video on my channel of a conference presentation where I talked about seasons in Stardew valley
When I wrote the music "Arid Athenaeum", basically a frozen library, for the game Revita, I was trying to avoid leaning too heavily into stereotypes as well. The harmony focuses on upper chord extensions, especially the 9th and #11. Regarding the instrumentation, the main focus are hollow sounding synths, vibraphone, a high register piano (guess you got me there) and a warm and bouncy bass which is meant to symbolize the player. It definitely does give off icy vibes! :D Either way, great video as always! :)
I haven't played the game but I just went and listened to it. I really think you pulled off what you're describing here really well. The bass really does feel like someone trekking through an icy landscape or cave. A single beating heart shuffling through snow in the middle of a blizzard. I really like it.😊
By far some of my favorite snow level music would be "Freezing Temple" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and "Blue Blizzard Remix" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (The latter of which is one of my favorite songs ever) Freezing Temple, composed by Jun Ishikawa, goes with the "isolating cold" approach through very satisfying usage of a theremin, building up a surprisingly alien-like feeling Blue Blizzard Remix, arranged by Hirokazu Ando, is a medley that features a very unique take on Freezing Temple; it has an insanely active bassline and some very fun comping with a guitar(?), both of which were done with the mindset of "disregarding human playability" (Paraphrased from the 2018 Forbes article "The Music Of Kirby: Still Tickling Gamers Pink".) This song's second half somehow manages to pick up in energy even more, though it's not an arrangement of a snow theme in specific (It arranges a water theme named "A Stroll on the Ocean Floor"), so I'll hold off on gushing over this song even more
@@CadenceHiraI know!!! Blue Blizzard Remix is so densely packed all the way throughout, it's impressive This kind of extravagantly packed style is pretty common for Modern Kirby music, I'd be happy to compile a selection of songs for you if you're interested
@@joshuahughes8336 I'd love to, but YT is EXTREMELY picky with what I can say without my words being deleted If you look up the exact song titles, you should hopefully be able to find the songs easily If it helps, the exact uploads I use as a reference are uploaded by "Eternal" (for Freezing Temple) and "segafan13" (for Blue Blizzard Remix)
I spent many days to learn about cold progression. Glad I found this channel which mean very important to analysis. I suggest to check " Riot " BGM from Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes game. I think it will be category Abstract Winter. Or maybe different thing like Really Heavy Snowfall with Wind category. Love your vids
Cozy Cabin from Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a super warm, Christmas-y song that still sticks with me despite not having played the game in years. As for more recent examples I’d say Snowfall from Undertale Yellow does an excellent job of remixing and recontextualizing Snowdin into something even more peaceful and beautiful than the original.
Speaking of Kirby's Epic Yarn, Snowy Fields is the polar (hah) opposite of that, being bombastic and energetic but still incredibly Christmas-y and I love it.
This video essay could not be more perfect. The transcriptions, terminology, and analyses are on point. Thank you for putting out consistently high quality analysis of these (academically) underrepresented works of art hidden in our favorite childhood games. Love your work
Literally yelled “YES!” when you used the Ice Caverns theme from Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I’m playing it right now and it’s my first Zelda game! Some other ice themes I like: Snow Forest- A Single Flower Blossoms from OMORI SNOWFLAKES from Persona 4 Golden So Happy World- Persona 5 Royal Everwinter from Blinx the Timesweeper
15:07 🤨 My personal favorite winter theme is Snowman from the Mother series. Earthbound takes a darker approach to the melody, closer to level 2 (though still with sleigh bells,) that pushes the feeling of sneaking out of school. Mother 3, however, ups the tempo a little bit and brightens the instrumentation to bring it to Level 1. Since you have your whole party with you by that point in 3, the isolated feel of Earthbound’s rendition isn’t necessary, and is thus replaced by a theme that is the embodiment of cozying up to the fire on a snowy day.
You should check out composer Keiichi Suzuki's recording of Snowman from 2021 Mother Revisited album. He brings it a slow, meditative air that's really incredible
One of my favorite cold themes is Frozen Rito Village from Zelda TOTK, due to how it took the original and changed the vibe COMPLETELY. The original theme sounds warm and welcoming, but even though the totk version uses the original motifs and instruments, but it just sounds... hollow. It sounds like what you described in level 3, where the music is extremely minimal and instead of a warm rich accompaniment it's replaced with a deep windy atmosphere that only provides the bare minimum harmony, oftentimes omitting parts of the chord. The implied key of the melody provides the majority of information about the progression, with only a skeleton of an accompaniment providing the rest of the details. I didn't go into a really deep analysis but it uses pedal tones and chromatic movement to create a sense of unease and loneliness. During the phrase that plays the dragon roost theme, there's a G pedal and a lot of the harmonies move chromatically to flat 9ths & 13ths. Near the end the DR theme that originally had a Dbma7 C7 Bbmi7 Abma7 progression gets a Db pedal in the bass, and the progression becomes Dbma7 Gø7/Db Db°7 Dbma9, Dbma7 Gø7/Db Gb7#11/Db Dbma7. The use of windy pads and long reverb tails gives it a very desolate sound, and the higher pitched instruments and sparse low end gives it a very cold & icy feel.
"Hollow" was a good description of it. Considering most all of the Rito adults were gone foraging for food leaving only the children in the villiage... it set the mood so well
The way I went looking for a comment like this before I even started the video. BotW/TotK nailed the “c o l d” concept musically, especially with the Rito and rising island chain.
great analysis as always, i love your distinction between "christmassy" "wintery" and "COLD". it's really helpful as a composer because i never really thought about the difference between them and when writing music it now has me thinking about what exactly im trying to emulate and make the audience feel. GREAT STUFF AS ALWAYS, huge fan keep up the great work :D
"Ice Ruins" from Zelda A Link Between Worlds, while technically "just" another variation on the Lorule dungeon leitmotif, is probably my favourite snow/ice theme. It really makes you feel the isolation and how intensely cold these ruins must be. On the other end of the snow/ice theme "spectrum", I particularly like the very peaceful and serene song "Mt. Vinter" from Pokémon Shuffle.
It's an easy answer, but the three winter themes in Stardew Valley perfectly fit their season as all the Stardew season themes do. Nocturne of Ice and Ancient fall very much in category 2, while The Wind Can Be Still has a much lonelier and inhuman sound to it that really makes it an exemplar of category 3 I think.
Some of my favorite "Winter"/Snowy themes in video games is the Valak Mountain themes in Xenoblade Chronicles 1. There's a day and night version, and it's very interesting how they evoke VERY different emotions despite being the same place. The daytime theme has a heavy usage of oboe and woodwind instruments, while the night focuses basically entirely on the piano. Daytime's theme feels more hostile and... well "chilling", while nighttime is generally more "lively"
I think almost all of the non-combat tracks that play in Genshin Impact's snow zone, Dragonspine, fall in these category and I love that I can now finally pinpoint what it is about them! Since you mentioned loneliness and stillness, I'd put forward to check out the tracks that play in two other zones of the game, Enkanomiya and Tsurumi Island, all of which are so completely filled with a cold, melanchic loneliness that I'd love to see a music theory dive on how that comes to be.
I was gonna suggest Dragonspine's tracks as well! The etherealness of their composition really made Dragonspine stand out on first impression compared to the other regions.
YES that’s one of my favorite ice themed tracks. It really embodies the warm feeling that can come along with winter. It sounds very Christmas-y to me as well
I like the wistful isolation of "A Wish," which plays over Ice Country in Secret of Mana. The "always winter but never Christmas" vibe of it works well in the context of the story (Santa has been turned into an enemy) and is a disruptive contrast to the playful feel of most of the music up to that point in the game, while still being oddly peaceful.
You do a great job of analyzing and explaining music, nice video!! I like to hear how each winter feeling music slowly gets more isolated and melancholic, and what parts of those tracks help build that feel.
I really love "Ice Dungeon" from Skies of Arcadia. I have trouble telling the time of it, but the brush kit, whispers, acoustic bass, electric piano, and vibraphone ostinato are so good as a whole. I think it falls under category 2, but you'd have to judge that for yourself
Those were beautiful and effective examples, well done! I'd like to add that the synth drone uses a "filter" sweep, not really an EQ. EQ is mostly used for subtle changes in mixing, while filters are used for more dramatic changes in sound quality, often muting large sections of frequencies completely.
Amazing analysis! One piece of music that I think bridges the gap between all four levels you've covered here extremely well is the frostlands' music in Octopath Traveler, which starts sparsely and in the high register in a way very akin to Breath of the Wild's cold temperature theme. While the piano and bells do venture into a lower register and a diatonic progression, the initial instrumentation (bells, reversed piano, and a synth sound with a very present high end that sort of mimics how bells can feel "icy" in that regard) remains in the background throughout, conforming to the progression in some places and not doing so in others, keeping those sort of sparse, desolate undertones present. To me, it ends up feeling like it's comprised of equal parts of the entire spectrum, and executes this in a way that keeps them all present in the listener's mind.
Coincidentally, I just compiled my own winter-y game music playlist last night, so I have suggestions at the ready! Here's some I haven't already seen other people mention in the comments yet: - Crystal Ice from Kirby's Return to Dream Land - My Happy☆Sweet Time♪ from Kirby Planet Robobot (less winter and more giant ice cream factory, but still cold!) - Snowbelle City from Pokémon X and Y - Freezington from Pokémon Sword and Shield - Alabaster Icelands 2 from Pokémon Legends: Arceus
When Phendrana Drifts started playing, the beauty hit me in a way it hadn't before, and I began to cry. I'm not sure what was different, but I'm blessed to have that experience of the gift of tears with a beloved video game song.
Lovely and informative video! I think there's a fifth type you could add to the list: intense, fast-paced music evocative of escaping from an avalanche or charging through a blizzard. You hear this a lot in action-oriented platformers and racing games - think something like Ice Ice Outpost from Mario Kart 8, Cool Edge Day from Sonic Unleashed, or Blizzard Man from Mega Man 6. Very synthy, very percussive, and often accompanied by an electric guitar for some of that glacial grittiness.
I love the theme for Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga’s ice area: Joke’s End. The music sets the perfect setting for the giant ice castle the theme appears in. Also “Don’t Preheat your Oven Because if you do the Somg Won’t Play” one of the themes for Pizza tower’s ice level, Refrigerator-Refrigerator-Freezerator, sounds nice too; with the song sounding like your typical ice level song, while still having the sound and uniqueness of the Pizza Tower soundtrack.
Two of my favourite tracks from FFXIV are "Black and White" and "Against the Wind" which are night/day themes for a frosted war-torn field of ruins and it feels so fitting for the abstract winter concept. You can get a sense of trying to stay warm in the snowstorms but also that feeling of clarity when the sun does show up now and again.
I don't play that many games but I used to play Skylanders a lot and the Glacier Gully theme from Giants is one of my favorites. Great video, very informative but fun !
This is the first video of yours I've seen, and its really well researched! I was starting on a video game project with a winter theme, and this is really helpful One ice theme I think of is Arcterra #1 from Metroid Prime Hunters. I think its the best I've ever heard at capturing the sound of isolation in an unbelievably cold alien landscape, it feels like that kind of cold that's too cold even for snow, the cold that gets through all your layers and hurts your bare skin.
Great video! I love the perspective of breaking wintery music into different categories based on how approachable it sounds, for lack of a better word. I've always thought it was cool how music alone can invoke this kind of atmosphere. Touhou 7: Perfect Cherry Blossom has a central winter theme, and a great soundtrack in general, but the most wintery-sounding to me have to be The Doll Maker of Bucuresti, and Doll Judgment, which play during Stage 3 and the boss you fight at the end. Very crisp, airy sounds are the best way I can describe it.
I personally really enjoy the stardew valley winter songs (The wind can be still, nocturne of Ice, ancient) for their strong nostalgic winter feeling. Glade from omori is also cool as it gives of the feeling of being lost in the snowy wilderness
When I think of ice music, I’m always reminded of the Eternia City theme from Bravely Default. Sure it’s got sleigh bells throughout, but it gets so much more powerful with its minor scale melody to remind you that you’re deep in enemy territory. I love it so much! On a similar note: I’d love to see an analysis video on why desert levels in video games “sound” hot.
the 9 in the undertale snow theme makes the whole piece. the Bm9 is a nice touch but that starting chord sets the tone perfectly. i think that's my favorite that i can think of
my favourite is definitely ttyd's fahr outpost (the old, 2004 soundtrack, the new one sucks). sound design definitely has a huge impact there. high FM synths, and that bass sound where a filter moves up and down and the resonance is cranked up... acsolutely chilling
The Sector 5 (ARC) theme from Metroid Fusion is one of my favourite songs that represents the coldest feeling. Also shoutouts to the Blizzard Castle themes from Billy Hatcher
this is a great video but in my mind any description of cold music (even though we're limited to games here) should mention the sibelius violin concerto, which contains all three of the non-christmas feelings (and a fourth one, which is more like the feeling of being warm and cozy inside while it's cold outside). other than that this is a great job thanks for the video (:
Stardew Valley also did a great job with their winter soundtracks. "The Wind Can Be Still" is such a soothing but also melancholic piece of music. The bells in "Nocturne of Ice" remind you of iciles and crisp air. It's beautiful, just like the game itself. :)
my favorite “cold area” music in a game is North (Twin Spires bgm) from Ender Lilies. It’s one of those that portrays the more physical characteristics of winter (howling wind, cold, snowfall) but it also carries a feeling of tragedy and loneliness
Excellent video! I was captivated all the way through. I’ve noticed in my own work that there is something special about sus chords. They seem to have this hollow, futuristic sound. Perfect fourths can evoke this type of sound. Sometimes in my music I will stack fourths. Another element I feel lends itself to ice levels music is metallic sounds. I feel like they can evoke the sound of ice resonating and the cold.
Frosted Peak from Bugsnax is such a good one. it has such a feeling fo melancholic loneliness, up on that summit near the end of the game. It feels almost like a climax, but at what cost? its super dramatic sounding especially for a game like that and an amazing example of snow music.
This was such a nice video to have recommended to me while composing an ice level theme. May or may not have stolen the Sleigh Ride chord progression but Alfred Reed will never find me.
Snowy Valak Mountain from the original Xenoblade has to be my favorite snow level music. Both the day and night themes are amazing. The day theme is your more typical "physical winter" theme, but the night theme gives you more "abstract winter" or even "desolation" at times.
In my opinion Snowy barely sounds "bright" at all but completely desolate and isolative. It almost makes me shiver. Not from the feeling of coldness but from the feeling of loneliness and emptiness. It reminds me of a quote from Nietzsche, "[...] if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
I think a good example for Level 3 (or atleast my opinion) is Ghontu Waste Stage from Miitopia. It’s trying its hardest to sound happy and major but it has an unsettling and minor undertone to it cause as the name implies it’s “Gone to Waste”
one of my favourite videogame tracks is Arctic from Super Monkey Ball and i've always loved how they managed to make it sound like ice was music. great video! EDIT: HOW COULD I FORGET "HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN" FROM CELESTE?! the way that it manages to simultaneously capture ice and sweltering heat in the same song is incredible!!!
I read a paper on this exact thing at around this time last year while researching for my highschool senior capstone project. I'll have to dig around a little more to find the citation and link itself.
My favorite snow level music isn't actually from a video game. It's "Stranglehold II: Letting Go," a chiptune from 1997 by Jeroen Tel. It has a perfect balance of icy, melancholic, jazzy, and dreamlike, and I'd say it falls under the abstract winter category. The only instruments in it are sine waves and half-sine waves, which adds to the icy feeling, as those have a very sparkly sound.
One of my favorite "Winter" tunes is Ripple Field 2 - the water level from Kirby's Dream Land 3. Weird, right? How does an underwater song work so well in blizzard level?! I guess what I'm saying is, I'd love to see a part 2 to this. 😂🎉
Every point made in this video was spot on, and I especialy love the different catagories you made to show the traits of each one. Interesting that you are making a playlist of various cold invoking songs so I would like to add some of Rain World's music to the ring and all the songs are from it's currently only DLC: Downpour. The song I feel the best songs that represent the cold in both its physical and narative implications from that soundtrack are: Garden, Fragile, Chilblane Grace, Vast Unlife, Eyes of Iron, Fading Light, and New Else VII. There is also Frost Reaper, Frosted Festival, and Sheer Ice Torrent but I'll let you be the judge on that.
I’m glad you touched on snowy, it’s my favourite track from undertale for these exact specific reasons. Toby did not have to go into that much detail regarding the music but he did. As someone who likes game music I’m sure you know that undertale has 2 soundtracks depending on the route you choose to take. The pacifist/neutral run will give you the normal soundtrack whereas if you choose genocide you get a more dark and unsettling theme. Snowy perfectly captures the theme of winter and idk about you when I listen to snowy all I wanna do is go hide in a house because it’s so eerie. Yes it captures winter but still manages to convey a sense of unease. something isn’t right and when compared to the FF7 theme the use of timing makes all the difference. The swing plays into that upbeat theme of cheerful winter but snowy juxtaposes that with a more fixed tempo, the use of 4s makes things set along side the dissonance of C and B as well as the fact it doesn’t branch out, it’s a 1 and 7 going back and forth longing for that resolution that will never come. Such a simple theme but yet one that perfectly creates the atmosphere that can’t be replaced.
Another thing to note is that lots of these themes will place notes in bursts of tight rhythms with empty spaces in between, which is evocative of the tightness and disjointed feeling of being cold. As for a great winter theme, I have to shout out world 1 from Super Marisa World. It abuses the heck out of tambre to get its icy theme but man is it a banger.
Great video, one of my favorite snow area themes that always come to mind is Route 216 from Pokemon diamond & pearl. Maybe its because of the association with the area, but its also one of my favorite tunes from those games.
for me the coldest ice level will always be criminal girls' illusion labyrinth (i think to find it on youtube you have to use the japanese name, 幻惑の迷宮) not only its cold, but it also really carries the feeling of walking into a fairy ring and being tricked every turn, unforgettable dungeon for me
Great video! I haven't played many video games, but I really liked the metroid games, and I immediately thought of the Phenendra drifts when I saw this title. So I was happy to see that in here 🥶
Elden RIng's Consecrated Snowfield (both the overworld + its associated combat variant) is one of my favourite examples of a snow theme that really captures the absolute frigid unwelcoming vibes of cold snow (the "desolation" categoary). A piece that really evokes that sense of being alone with maybe not a lot of visibility due to snowstorms or whatnot. It just feels so... cold. It's not meant to be music to put in a playlist but it fits the area it's scoring so perfectly. The night time version is worth checking out too and the battle theme version is probably the one with most actual harmony. I know you'd probably not feature more ambient sounding music since your channel tends to feature more melody-driven music seen in Nintendo games but it's definitely worth checking out.
The Snowbelle City theme from Pokémon XY is one of my favorite winter tracks, it fits well into the second category, not Christmas-themed, but still whimsical
7:30 Oh my god I knew I heard it somewhere. I played Undertale first and FF7 a couple of years later, and I thought the snow settlement's theme sounded familiar. For some reason I even wondered to myself if you would talk about FF7 winter themes when I opened this video, what a coincidence. It sounds so melancholic and empty yet somehow warm and cozy.
I’m glad you mentioned the ‘cold temperatures’ theme from BOTW because that’s immediately what I thought of when thinking about cold but not christmas-y music! It just *sounds* cold. Ice Cavern is also good but it relies on actual howling wind noises and is very ‘cristal-ly’. Cold Temperatures is very unusual imo for not having any environmental wind/snow/ice/jingle bell noises and not needing them to feel cold. Ice Cavern is very beautiful though! It feels like a level that’s beautiful and exciting to explore, whereas Cold Temperatures is not friendly and more warning you that you could freeze to death haha
8:06 even cooler 🤣❄️🥶 Crash Bandicoot 2 has a pretty cool theme for the snow levels, using the obligatory sleigh bells but also opting for electric guitars and marimba, it's very unique I feel.
One of my favorite winter themes in the context of its larger game is Frozen Breath from Scarlet Nexus. In a soundtrack full of dense electronic beats, the Hieno Mountain theme instead goes much sparser and less synthetic, featuring tongue drums, piano, guitar, and some strings/choir, all backed up by what sounds like djembes and dunduns. The echoing on the opening tongue drum part really sells the vast wintery space, and it keeps coming back and getting expanded throughout the song. Then there’s the combat variation, which has the drum parts ramp up the intensity, and often has the tongue drum sort of merge in with the dundun bells to create this layer of metallic sounds in the higher register. Both versions have aspects that keep it grounded as a wintery theme, and the instrumentation really makes it stand out among the rest of the soundtrack.
I love the Tantal theme from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The day theme definitely has that incoming storm vibe, while the night theme is a lot cozier, while still very dark.
Ohhh I am so happy this video found me. Snow areas are usually my favorite in video games, especially if done right and so goes for the music. There are many snow level themes I love, but honestly I am not even sure if I can pick my favorite, but the first one that comes to mind is Escape Through the Snow from Pokemon Mystery Dugenon Blue/Red Rescue team and it works so well with the narative as well. There is always something magical about those high notes and those rythmns snow levels.
I am not familiar with video game music, but it always has fascinated me how composers make music sound cold! This is a very interesting video; thank you!
My favorite chilly video game track is Reclimation from Journey, which sounds to me like gazing up into a sky of softly falling snow and gathering one's resolve. It also makes me think of the last lines of Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening- "But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."
I'm late to the discussion, but one of my all time favourite ice themes would be from Tales of Vesperia, with Diamond Dust (for the Blade Drifts of Zopheir) it probably fits somewhere between the 3rd and 4th themes, but I adore it for how utterly oppressive and hostile it sounds compared to anything else in this video
The categorization of snow level music is pretty genius and a great way to break them up, so major props to this finding lol. I've had a fascination with snow levels that have an unconventional EDM/dance inspiration behind it, so I'd recommend "Cool Edge: Night" from Sonic Unleashed and "Winterbliss" from Castle Crashers. In a similar vein, I'd also recommend listening to the town tracks from the DS version of the 2010 Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, titled "Frostown", "Sparkleton", "Polastraits", "Cubyrnth", and "Icepeak". They're also very much a Level 1 type Snow Level music, but they're so enjoyable.
"Snow, lots of snow" from A Short hike is an awesome snowy track that I guess fits in level 2 or 3, you should check it out, this game's soundtrack is very underrated.
When I was younger and it snowed, I used to listen to Snowpoint City from Pokémon D/P. I like how it sounds like a few snowflakes falling at first, then builds up to a heavy snowfall, but still feels cozy.
Very interesting! I immediately recalled the Queen Vanessa's Manor theme from A Hat In Time. If I'm correct, it should be a quite good example of the coldest cold tone
my favorite snow level theme by far has got to be Snowball Scuffle from Kirby's Return To Dreamland for the Wii. I love how fun it is and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
Love your videos, as always! I like your categories of winter themed music a lot! One of my favourites is the winter theme "The Wind Can Be Still" from Stardew Valley. The first time you hear it, it's quite sad and sleepy and almost depressing (maybe I'm projecting some things I need to work out on my own lol). It communicates a bit of the spacious desolate feeling like the Ice Cavern and Phendrana themes do, and it's definitely minor like many of those themes, but there's a bittersweetness that juuuust peeks through as if saying "welcome to the fallow season, rest (mine), go visit your friends, and stay warm; Spring will return soon enough". It's exactly what the homesteading experience would be like, especially "back in the day". Feed the fire, eat what you've stored up, make sure the livestock are warm enough to survive, and hope you don't get buried inside your home. The fact that a piece of music can actually get across all those senses is pretty magical.
My favourite cold themed Soundtrack is the theme of Mt. Gagazet in Final Fantasy X (Servants of the Mountain). It doesnt feature a minimal structure but uses kinda tribal sounding instrumentation and progresses from harsh and bitter sounding in the beginning to a cozy melancholic feel in the middle part.
I loved the video and how in-depth you went into everything's. I think my favorite snow theme in any game is Valak Mountain (Night) from xenoblade. Every time I hear it, it feels like I'm in a dark, icy landscape illuminated by nothing but the orange snowy sky. It makes sense because that's the look of the area it plays on.
dragonspine soundtrack from genshin impact 😩😩😩 i think it envokes all of the winter vibes you talked about except maybe christmas winter and for reasons I’m too tired to describe i love it so much
15:07 Hey, that's illegal 🤣😭 Also, around that section you called the decent whole steps. I thought that would be called semitones. Lastly, an example I'd recommend that captures the four levels of winter music perfectly in it's own way would be the Vortex of Legends album from Genshin Impact. The music paces with the player's journey through the snowy mountain of origin, and reflects the day and night cycle while doing so. I don't want to spill the hot of hearing it for the first time, but i will say each piece will make you envision a scenario that tells you: yeah, this is winter, alright. :0
not video game music but, winter from vivaldi's four seasons to me is the essence of wintery sounding music, you can feel the cold and see the snow falling
to me Flake in particular feels bright and playful like excitedly playing in the cold winter day while Kyoto feels tired and cold, yet cozy and warm too, like relaxing cuddled up watching the heavy snowfall outside your window in the quiet dead of night
i dont know jack shit about music theory but my brain is trying to gaslight me into thinking i understand any of this. you're like "this d major chord is tonicized" "then the next measure tonicizes a slightly warmer--" and im like wow! that sure sounds like music! when i hear the clip. love vids like this it feels like exploring a totally untouched land or something
as someone who knows a little, "it almost gives the feel of the phrygian scale"--yeah, it's quite phrygid after all.......
Tonicising basically means making a chord into the "tonic" chord, which is the chord where the music will sound most at rest. You do this (most of the time) by going to the dominant chord, which is 5 steps up from the tonic on the scale, and then resolving the tonic.
I hope this helped and didn't just confuse you more lol.
@@thepotatoportal69so the rest point/tonic is somewhere in the middle of the scale of the melody?
@@SoftBreadSoftThe tonic is the 1st note of the key/scale, so actually the "bottom" (but you can always keep going up/down in further octaves)
Any note in the tonic _chord_ would feel similarly restful though (...along with said chord being played)
In a C major scale/key, the tonic (note) is C and the tonic chord is C major, made up of C-E-G
@@SoftBreadSoft As said, it is where the music feels most at rest, and so usually the "middle" of the scale would be the farthest away from the rest point if we're oversimplifying.
As an ice eater, I wanna eat the music
Ok Baatar Jr.
ice eater coz you love ice or ice eater coz you're paid biweekly?
Ice cubes are like glass that is edible
I feel the best example of this style of season-based music in video games is almost definitely Stardew Valley. Every seasonal song in the game absolutely captures the essence of the experience of the season. Winter feels cold, spring feels like an energetic new beginning, summer feels upbeat and joyous and autumn (fall) feels slower and more relaxed, easing the player into slowing down for the winter. Its such a perfect soundtrack for the relaxing farm somulator. I'd love to see a video on it at some point!
watch this video: "How I wrote 200+ songs for my game" by youtuber Once Upon A Synth.
I thought the same thing! That's why I wrote my master's thesis on it! I have a whole chapter on seasonal music in cozy games. I also have a video on my channel of a conference presentation where I talked about seasons in Stardew valley
i love the soundtrack of stardew valley and that is a great idea, i'll add it to my list. thanks!
When I wrote the music "Arid Athenaeum", basically a frozen library, for the game Revita, I was trying to avoid leaning too heavily into stereotypes as well. The harmony focuses on upper chord extensions, especially the 9th and #11. Regarding the instrumentation, the main focus are hollow sounding synths, vibraphone, a high register piano (guess you got me there) and a warm and bouncy bass which is meant to symbolize the player. It definitely does give off icy vibes! :D
Either way, great video as always! :)
oh shoot i've seen that game on steam before
haven't played the game but it worked really well in a celeste level inspired by the area. good song
🔥 so dope
I haven't played the game but I just went and listened to it. I really think you pulled off what you're describing here really well. The bass really does feel like someone trekking through an icy landscape or cave. A single beating heart shuffling through snow in the middle of a blizzard. I really like it.😊
@@joepollockbass Thanks! That's pretty much exactly what I was going for with with that tune :D
By far some of my favorite snow level music would be "Freezing Temple" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and "Blue Blizzard Remix" from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (The latter of which is one of my favorite songs ever)
Freezing Temple, composed by Jun Ishikawa, goes with the "isolating cold" approach through very satisfying usage of a theremin, building up a surprisingly alien-like feeling
Blue Blizzard Remix, arranged by Hirokazu Ando, is a medley that features a very unique take on Freezing Temple; it has an insanely active bassline and some very fun comping with a guitar(?), both of which were done with the mindset of "disregarding human playability" (Paraphrased from the 2018 Forbes article "The Music Of Kirby: Still Tickling Gamers Pink".) This song's second half somehow manages to pick up in energy even more, though it's not an arrangement of a snow theme in specific (It arranges a water theme named "A Stroll on the Ocean Floor"), so I'll hold off on gushing over this song even more
the sound design on that intro theremin in freezing temple is so cool!! so howling
also the remix is INSANE wtf
@@CadenceHiraI know!!! Blue Blizzard Remix is so densely packed all the way throughout, it's impressive
This kind of extravagantly packed style is pretty common for Modern Kirby music, I'd be happy to compile a selection of songs for you if you're interested
@@ChristopherMoom YOU AGAIN!!! dude i see you everywhere
Sorry for the trouble but could you provide links to the songs?
@@joshuahughes8336 I'd love to, but YT is EXTREMELY picky with what I can say without my words being deleted
If you look up the exact song titles, you should hopefully be able to find the songs easily
If it helps, the exact uploads I use as a reference are uploaded by "Eternal" (for Freezing Temple) and "segafan13" (for Blue Blizzard Remix)
Snowman from the Mother series is one of my favorites, especially the slower rendition in Earthbound
I spent many days to learn about cold progression. Glad I found this channel which mean very important to analysis. I suggest to check " Riot " BGM from Sengoku Basara 2 Heroes game. I think it will be category Abstract Winter. Or maybe different thing like
Really Heavy Snowfall with Wind category. Love your vids
15:07
Your tongue'll get stuck if you do that!
*your
I went to the comments as fast as I could when I heard the lick
@@moonl1314frrrr
LMAO nice
@@fishguylmfao holy shit how did i miss that lol
Cozy Cabin from Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a super warm, Christmas-y song that still sticks with me despite not having played the game in years. As for more recent examples I’d say Snowfall from Undertale Yellow does an excellent job of remixing and recontextualizing Snowdin into something even more peaceful and beautiful than the original.
Yes and Cool Cave! That whole soundtrack was top tier
is that a mother fucking gd reference
Speaking of Kirby's Epic Yarn, Snowy Fields is the polar (hah) opposite of that, being bombastic and energetic but still incredibly Christmas-y and I love it.
This entire comment is so based
This video essay could not be more perfect. The transcriptions, terminology, and analyses are on point. Thank you for putting out consistently high quality analysis of these (academically) underrepresented works of art hidden in our favorite childhood games. Love your work
Literally yelled “YES!” when you used the Ice Caverns theme from Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I’m playing it right now and it’s my first Zelda game!
Some other ice themes I like:
Snow Forest- A Single Flower Blossoms from OMORI
SNOWFLAKES from Persona 4 Golden
So Happy World- Persona 5 Royal
Everwinter from Blinx the Timesweeper
Ocarina of time is a great game, after you beat it, if you have a Switch, I recommend you play Breath of the Wild. It’s one of my favorite games ever
15:07 🤨
My personal favorite winter theme is Snowman from the Mother series. Earthbound takes a darker approach to the melody, closer to level 2 (though still with sleigh bells,) that pushes the feeling of sneaking out of school. Mother 3, however, ups the tempo a little bit and brightens the instrumentation to bring it to Level 1. Since you have your whole party with you by that point in 3, the isolated feel of Earthbound’s rendition isn’t necessary, and is thus replaced by a theme that is the embodiment of cozying up to the fire on a snowy day.
Mother 4's snowman is peake
Yeah EPIC
You should check out composer Keiichi Suzuki's recording of Snowman from 2021 Mother Revisited album. He brings it a slow, meditative air that's really incredible
One of my favorite cold themes is Frozen Rito Village from Zelda TOTK, due to how it took the original and changed the vibe COMPLETELY.
The original theme sounds warm and welcoming, but even though the totk version uses the original motifs and instruments, but it just sounds... hollow. It sounds like what you described in level 3, where the music is extremely minimal and instead of a warm rich accompaniment it's replaced with a deep windy atmosphere that only provides the bare minimum harmony, oftentimes omitting parts of the chord. The implied key of the melody provides the majority of information about the progression, with only a skeleton of an accompaniment providing the rest of the details.
I didn't go into a really deep analysis but it uses pedal tones and chromatic movement to create a sense of unease and loneliness. During the phrase that plays the dragon roost theme, there's a G pedal and a lot of the harmonies move chromatically to flat 9ths & 13ths. Near the end the DR theme that originally had a Dbma7 C7 Bbmi7 Abma7 progression gets a Db pedal in the bass, and the progression becomes Dbma7 Gø7/Db Db°7 Dbma9, Dbma7 Gø7/Db Gb7#11/Db Dbma7. The use of windy pads and long reverb tails gives it a very desolate sound, and the higher pitched instruments and sparse low end gives it a very cold & icy feel.
YES!!!
"Hollow" was a good description of it. Considering most all of the Rito adults were gone foraging for food leaving only the children in the villiage... it set the mood so well
The way I went looking for a comment like this before I even started the video. BotW/TotK nailed the “c o l d” concept musically, especially with the Rito and rising island chain.
great analysis as always, i love your distinction between "christmassy" "wintery" and "COLD". it's really helpful as a composer because i never really thought about the difference between them and when writing music it now has me thinking about what exactly im trying to emulate and make the audience feel. GREAT STUFF AS ALWAYS, huge fan keep up the great work :D
She thought she could get away with 15:07
I thought I was going insane
It sounds EPIC!
It sounds like the lick, but I’m not too sure…
@@retsam6264 IT IS!!! I KNEW SOMEONE WOULD SAY SOMETHING
was bout to comment this
"Ice Ruins" from Zelda A Link Between Worlds, while technically "just" another variation on the Lorule dungeon leitmotif, is probably my favourite snow/ice theme. It really makes you feel the isolation and how intensely cold these ruins must be. On the other end of the snow/ice theme "spectrum", I particularly like the very peaceful and serene song "Mt. Vinter" from Pokémon Shuffle.
The best part is the glitchy gameplay while the ice theme is playing 15:41. Really takes me back to my childhood!
It's an easy answer, but the three winter themes in Stardew Valley perfectly fit their season as all the Stardew season themes do. Nocturne of Ice and Ancient fall very much in category 2, while The Wind Can Be Still has a much lonelier and inhuman sound to it that really makes it an exemplar of category 3 I think.
0:41 Yapdollar caught me so off guard
XIAO HONG SHUUUUUUU
Why are you like the only person who noticed
Some of my favorite "Winter"/Snowy themes in video games is the Valak Mountain themes in Xenoblade Chronicles 1. There's a day and night version, and it's very interesting how they evoke VERY different emotions despite being the same place. The daytime theme has a heavy usage of oboe and woodwind instruments, while the night focuses basically entirely on the piano. Daytime's theme feels more hostile and... well "chilling", while nighttime is generally more "lively"
I think almost all of the non-combat tracks that play in Genshin Impact's snow zone, Dragonspine, fall in these category and I love that I can now finally pinpoint what it is about them! Since you mentioned loneliness and stillness, I'd put forward to check out the tracks that play in two other zones of the game, Enkanomiya and Tsurumi Island, all of which are so completely filled with a cold, melanchic loneliness that I'd love to see a music theory dive on how that comes to be.
I was gonna suggest Dragonspine's tracks as well! The etherealness of their composition really made Dragonspine stand out on first impression compared to the other regions.
I love Genshin's music so much, there literally isn't a song in the entire soundtrack that I dislike
I think DKC has some pretty great ice themed music. Specially DKC2’s In a Snow-bound-land.
But yeah, OOT’s ice cave is really great!
YES that’s one of my favorite ice themed tracks. It really embodies the warm feeling that can come along with winter. It sounds very Christmas-y to me as well
I like the wistful isolation of "A Wish," which plays over Ice Country in Secret of Mana. The "always winter but never Christmas" vibe of it works well in the context of the story (Santa has been turned into an enemy) and is a disruptive contrast to the playful feel of most of the music up to that point in the game, while still being oddly peaceful.
I was really hoping this one was gonna show up.
Level 5 World Map 6: Ice Land Theme from Super Mario Bros 3
You do a great job of analyzing and explaining music, nice video!! I like to hear how each winter feeling music slowly gets more isolated and melancholic, and what parts of those tracks help build that feel.
final Fantasy 14 also has VERY good wintery music, Footsteps in the Snow, the Ishgard theme, the Garlemald theme.
I really love "Ice Dungeon" from Skies of Arcadia. I have trouble telling the time of it, but the brush kit, whispers, acoustic bass, electric piano, and vibraphone ostinato are so good as a whole. I think it falls under category 2, but you'd have to judge that for yourself
A song that's unbelievably wintery in its odd sound and vibe is Pikmin 2's Valley of Repose theme, really colorful and unique tune
Those were beautiful and effective examples, well done! I'd like to add that the synth drone uses a "filter" sweep, not really an EQ. EQ is mostly used for subtle changes in mixing, while filters are used for more dramatic changes in sound quality, often muting large sections of frequencies completely.
Amazing analysis! One piece of music that I think bridges the gap between all four levels you've covered here extremely well is the frostlands' music in Octopath Traveler, which starts sparsely and in the high register in a way very akin to Breath of the Wild's cold temperature theme. While the piano and bells do venture into a lower register and a diatonic progression, the initial instrumentation (bells, reversed piano, and a synth sound with a very present high end that sort of mimics how bells can feel "icy" in that regard) remains in the background throughout, conforming to the progression in some places and not doing so in others, keeping those sort of sparse, desolate undertones present. To me, it ends up feeling like it's comprised of equal parts of the entire spectrum, and executes this in a way that keeps them all present in the listener's mind.
i've always gravitated to snow level music for some reason :3 this was a lovely video
Coincidentally, I just compiled my own winter-y game music playlist last night, so I have suggestions at the ready! Here's some I haven't already seen other people mention in the comments yet:
- Crystal Ice from Kirby's Return to Dream Land
- My Happy☆Sweet Time♪ from Kirby Planet Robobot (less winter and more giant ice cream factory, but still cold!)
- Snowbelle City from Pokémon X and Y
- Freezington from Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Alabaster Icelands 2 from Pokémon Legends: Arceus
POKÉMON LEGENDS ARCEUS OST MENTIONED RAGGGGHHH
When Phendrana Drifts started playing, the beauty hit me in a way it hadn't before, and I began to cry. I'm not sure what was different, but I'm blessed to have that experience of the gift of tears with a beloved video game song.
I love the Northeast Frost Street theme from Kirby TFL. The strings in that theme are just perfect
i love that song.... also, the metro on ice!
Lovely and informative video! I think there's a fifth type you could add to the list: intense, fast-paced music evocative of escaping from an avalanche or charging through a blizzard. You hear this a lot in action-oriented platformers and racing games - think something like Ice Ice Outpost from Mario Kart 8, Cool Edge Day from Sonic Unleashed, or Blizzard Man from Mega Man 6. Very synthy, very percussive, and often accompanied by an electric guitar for some of that glacial grittiness.
I love the theme for Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga’s ice area: Joke’s End. The music sets the perfect setting for the giant ice castle the theme appears in.
Also “Don’t Preheat your Oven Because if you do the Somg Won’t Play” one of the themes for Pizza tower’s ice level, Refrigerator-Refrigerator-Freezerator, sounds nice too; with the song sounding like your typical ice level song, while still having the sound and uniqueness of the Pizza Tower soundtrack.
Two of my favourite tracks from FFXIV are "Black and White" and "Against the Wind" which are night/day themes for a frosted war-torn field of ruins and it feels so fitting for the abstract winter concept. You can get a sense of trying to stay warm in the snowstorms but also that feeling of clarity when the sun does show up now and again.
I don't play that many games but I used to play Skylanders a lot and the Glacier Gully theme from Giants is one of my favorites. Great video, very informative but fun !
This is the first video of yours I've seen, and its really well researched! I was starting on a video game project with a winter theme, and this is really helpful
One ice theme I think of is Arcterra #1 from Metroid Prime Hunters. I think its the best I've ever heard at capturing the sound of isolation in an unbelievably cold alien landscape, it feels like that kind of cold that's too cold even for snow, the cold that gets through all your layers and hurts your bare skin.
Great video! I love the perspective of breaking wintery music into different categories based on how approachable it sounds, for lack of a better word. I've always thought it was cool how music alone can invoke this kind of atmosphere.
Touhou 7: Perfect Cherry Blossom has a central winter theme, and a great soundtrack in general, but the most wintery-sounding to me have to be The Doll Maker of Bucuresti, and Doll Judgment, which play during Stage 3 and the boss you fight at the end. Very crisp, airy sounds are the best way I can describe it.
My favorite winter/ice theme is from The Minish Cap. The Temple Of Droplets has a dark sound to it that I absolutely love!
I personally really enjoy the stardew valley winter songs (The wind can be still, nocturne of Ice, ancient) for their strong nostalgic winter feeling.
Glade from omori is also cool as it gives of the feeling of being lost in the snowy wilderness
When I think of ice music, I’m always reminded of the Eternia City theme from Bravely Default. Sure it’s got sleigh bells throughout, but it gets so much more powerful with its minor scale melody to remind you that you’re deep in enemy territory. I love it so much!
On a similar note: I’d love to see an analysis video on why desert levels in video games “sound” hot.
I'll check it out!
also look for the hot music video in like 6 months lol
vouch, i love this theme
the 9 in the undertale snow theme makes the whole piece. the Bm9 is a nice touch but that starting chord sets the tone perfectly. i think that's my favorite that i can think of
my favourite is definitely ttyd's fahr outpost (the old, 2004 soundtrack, the new one sucks). sound design definitely has a huge impact there. high FM synths, and that bass sound where a filter moves up and down and the resonance is cranked up... acsolutely chilling
The Sector 5 (ARC) theme from Metroid Fusion is one of my favourite songs that represents the coldest feeling. Also shoutouts to the Blizzard Castle themes from Billy Hatcher
this is a great video but in my mind any description of cold music (even though we're limited to games here) should mention the sibelius violin concerto, which contains all three of the non-christmas feelings (and a fourth one, which is more like the feeling of being warm and cozy inside while it's cold outside). other than that this is a great job thanks for the video (:
Stardew Valley also did a great job with their winter soundtracks. "The Wind Can Be Still" is such a soothing but also melancholic piece of music. The bells in "Nocturne of Ice" remind you of iciles and crisp air. It's beautiful, just like the game itself. :)
my favorite “cold area” music in a game is North (Twin Spires bgm) from Ender Lilies. It’s one of those that portrays the more physical characteristics of winter (howling wind, cold, snowfall) but it also carries a feeling of tragedy and loneliness
SNOWFLAKES from Persona 4 G just feels so heartwarming and Christmassy yet completely fits the nostalgia and the thematics of the game.
Excellent video! I was captivated all the way through. I’ve noticed in my own work that there is something special about sus chords. They seem to have this hollow, futuristic sound. Perfect fourths can evoke this type of sound. Sometimes in my music I will stack fourths. Another element I feel lends itself to ice levels music is metallic sounds. I feel like they can evoke the sound of ice resonating and the cold.
Frosted Peak from Bugsnax is such a good one. it has such a feeling fo melancholic loneliness, up on that summit near the end of the game. It feels almost like a climax, but at what cost? its super dramatic sounding especially for a game like that and an amazing example of snow music.
This was such a nice video to have recommended to me while composing an ice level theme. May or may not have stolen the Sleigh Ride chord progression but Alfred Reed will never find me.
Snowy Valak Mountain from the original Xenoblade has to be my favorite snow level music. Both the day and night themes are amazing. The day theme is your more typical "physical winter" theme, but the night theme gives you more "abstract winter" or even "desolation" at times.
In my opinion Snowy barely sounds "bright" at all but completely desolate and isolative. It almost makes me shiver. Not from the feeling of coldness but from the feeling of loneliness and emptiness. It reminds me of a quote from Nietzsche, "[...] if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
I think a good example for Level 3 (or atleast my opinion) is Ghontu Waste Stage from Miitopia. It’s trying its hardest to sound happy and major but it has an unsettling and minor undertone to it cause as the name implies it’s “Gone to Waste”
one of my favourite videogame tracks is Arctic from Super Monkey Ball and i've always loved how they managed to make it sound like ice was music. great video!
EDIT: HOW COULD I FORGET "HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN" FROM CELESTE?! the way that it manages to simultaneously capture ice and sweltering heat in the same song is incredible!!!
I read a paper on this exact thing at around this time last year while researching for my highschool senior capstone project. I'll have to dig around a little more to find the citation and link itself.
My favorite snow level music isn't actually from a video game. It's "Stranglehold II: Letting Go," a chiptune from 1997 by Jeroen Tel. It has a perfect balance of icy, melancholic, jazzy, and dreamlike, and I'd say it falls under the abstract winter category. The only instruments in it are sine waves and half-sine waves, which adds to the icy feeling, as those have a very sparkly sound.
I think throwing Chopin's Winter Wind or some Vivaldi would've been nice. Great video nonetheless!
One of my favorite "Winter" tunes is Ripple Field 2 - the water level from Kirby's Dream Land 3. Weird, right? How does an underwater song work so well in blizzard level?! I guess what I'm saying is, I'd love to see a part 2 to this. 😂🎉
the ice caves music from terraria is an indescribable vibe that i absolutely love
Every point made in this video was spot on, and I especialy love the different catagories you made to show the traits of each one.
Interesting that you are making a playlist of various cold invoking songs so I would like to add some of Rain World's music to the ring and all the songs are from it's currently only DLC: Downpour.
The song I feel the best songs that represent the cold in both its physical and narative implications from that soundtrack are: Garden, Fragile, Chilblane Grace, Vast Unlife, Eyes of Iron, Fading Light, and New Else VII. There is also Frost Reaper, Frosted Festival, and Sheer Ice Torrent but I'll let you be the judge on that.
I’m glad you touched on snowy, it’s my favourite track from undertale for these exact specific reasons. Toby did not have to go into that much detail regarding the music but he did. As someone who likes game music I’m sure you know that undertale has 2 soundtracks depending on the route you choose to take. The pacifist/neutral run will give you the normal soundtrack whereas if you choose genocide you get a more dark and unsettling theme. Snowy perfectly captures the theme of winter and idk about you when I listen to snowy all I wanna do is go hide in a house because it’s so eerie. Yes it captures winter but still manages to convey a sense of unease. something isn’t right and when compared to the FF7 theme the use of timing makes all the difference. The swing plays into that upbeat theme of cheerful winter but snowy juxtaposes that with a more fixed tempo, the use of 4s makes things set along side the dissonance of C and B as well as the fact it doesn’t branch out, it’s a 1 and 7 going back and forth longing for that resolution that will never come. Such a simple theme but yet one that perfectly creates the atmosphere that can’t be replaced.
Another thing to note is that lots of these themes will place notes in bursts of tight rhythms with empty spaces in between, which is evocative of the tightness and disjointed feeling of being cold.
As for a great winter theme, I have to shout out world 1 from Super Marisa World. It abuses the heck out of tambre to get its icy theme but man is it a banger.
Great video, one of my favorite snow area themes that always come to mind is Route 216 from Pokemon diamond & pearl. Maybe its because of the association with the area, but its also one of my favorite tunes from those games.
for me the coldest ice level will always be criminal girls' illusion labyrinth (i think to find it on youtube you have to use the japanese name, 幻惑の迷宮)
not only its cold, but it also really carries the feeling of walking into a fairy ring and being tricked every turn, unforgettable dungeon for me
Great video! I haven't played many video games, but I really liked the metroid games, and I immediately thought of the Phenendra drifts when I saw this title. So I was happy to see that in here 🥶
Elden RIng's Consecrated Snowfield (both the overworld + its associated combat variant) is one of my favourite examples of a snow theme that really captures the absolute frigid unwelcoming vibes of cold snow (the "desolation" categoary). A piece that really evokes that sense of being alone with maybe not a lot of visibility due to snowstorms or whatnot. It just feels so... cold. It's not meant to be music to put in a playlist but it fits the area it's scoring so perfectly. The night time version is worth checking out too and the battle theme version is probably the one with most actual harmony.
I know you'd probably not feature more ambient sounding music since your channel tends to feature more melody-driven music seen in Nintendo games but it's definitely worth checking out.
The Snowbelle City theme from Pokémon XY is one of my favorite winter tracks, it fits well into the second category, not Christmas-themed, but still whimsical
The music throughout the rito quest in totk is perfect winter vibes
7:30 Oh my god I knew I heard it somewhere. I played Undertale first and FF7 a couple of years later, and I thought the snow settlement's theme sounded familiar.
For some reason I even wondered to myself if you would talk about FF7 winter themes when I opened this video, what a coincidence. It sounds so melancholic and empty yet somehow warm and cozy.
I’m glad you mentioned the ‘cold temperatures’ theme from BOTW because that’s immediately what I thought of when thinking about cold but not christmas-y music! It just *sounds* cold. Ice Cavern is also good but it relies on actual howling wind noises and is very ‘cristal-ly’. Cold Temperatures is very unusual imo for not having any environmental wind/snow/ice/jingle bell noises and not needing them to feel cold. Ice Cavern is very beautiful though! It feels like a level that’s beautiful and exciting to explore, whereas Cold Temperatures is not friendly and more warning you that you could freeze to death haha
Route 216 and Snowpoint City from Pokemon are great, and for a WAY more obscure one, check out Arctic and The Berg’s Royal Rumble from Lego Racers 2
3:20 sounds like one part of "The Thin Ice" by Pink Floyd.
8:06 even cooler 🤣❄️🥶
Crash Bandicoot 2 has a pretty cool theme for the snow levels, using the obligatory sleigh bells but also opting for electric guitars and marimba, it's very unique I feel.
One of my favorite winter themes in the context of its larger game is Frozen Breath from Scarlet Nexus. In a soundtrack full of dense electronic beats, the Hieno Mountain theme instead goes much sparser and less synthetic, featuring tongue drums, piano, guitar, and some strings/choir, all backed up by what sounds like djembes and dunduns. The echoing on the opening tongue drum part really sells the vast wintery space, and it keeps coming back and getting expanded throughout the song.
Then there’s the combat variation, which has the drum parts ramp up the intensity, and often has the tongue drum sort of merge in with the dundun bells to create this layer of metallic sounds in the higher register. Both versions have aspects that keep it grounded as a wintery theme, and the instrumentation really makes it stand out among the rest of the soundtrack.
I love the Tantal theme from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. The day theme definitely has that incoming storm vibe, while the night theme is a lot cozier, while still very dark.
Ohhh I am so happy this video found me. Snow areas are usually my favorite in video games, especially if done right and so goes for the music. There are many snow level themes I love, but honestly I am not even sure if I can pick my favorite, but the first one that comes to mind is Escape Through the Snow from Pokemon Mystery Dugenon Blue/Red Rescue team and it works so well with the narative as well. There is always something magical about those high notes and those rythmns snow levels.
I am not familiar with video game music, but it always has fascinated me how composers make music sound cold! This is a very interesting video; thank you!
My favorite chilly video game track is Reclimation from Journey, which sounds to me like gazing up into a sky of softly falling snow and gathering one's resolve. It also makes me think of the last lines of Stopping By the Woods on a Snowy Evening-
"But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
This got me thinking of the winter section in the videogame Proteus !
I'm late to the discussion, but one of my all time favourite ice themes would be from Tales of Vesperia, with Diamond Dust (for the Blade Drifts of Zopheir)
it probably fits somewhere between the 3rd and 4th themes, but I adore it for how utterly oppressive and hostile it sounds compared to anything else in this video
The categorization of snow level music is pretty genius and a great way to break them up, so major props to this finding lol. I've had a fascination with snow levels that have an unconventional EDM/dance inspiration behind it, so I'd recommend "Cool Edge: Night" from Sonic Unleashed and "Winterbliss" from Castle Crashers.
In a similar vein, I'd also recommend listening to the town tracks from the DS version of the 2010 Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, titled "Frostown", "Sparkleton", "Polastraits", "Cubyrnth", and "Icepeak". They're also very much a Level 1 type Snow Level music, but they're so enjoyable.
"Snow, lots of snow" from A Short hike is an awesome snowy track that I guess fits in level 2 or 3, you should check it out, this game's soundtrack is very underrated.
When I was younger and it snowed, I used to listen to Snowpoint City from Pokémon D/P. I like how it sounds like a few snowflakes falling at first, then builds up to a heavy snowfall, but still feels cozy.
So happy to see the music of metroid prime in an academic-style musical analysis. The sound design in the prime series is an absolute beast
Very interesting! I immediately recalled the Queen Vanessa's Manor theme from A Hat In Time. If I'm correct, it should be a quite good example of the coldest cold tone
OH MY GOD A FEW MONTHS BACK I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS EXACT VIDEO LIKE A LUNATIC, someone finally made it!
my favorite snow level theme by far has got to be Snowball Scuffle from Kirby's Return To Dreamland for the Wii. I love how fun it is and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
Love your videos, as always! I like your categories of winter themed music a lot!
One of my favourites is the winter theme "The Wind Can Be Still" from Stardew Valley. The first time you hear it, it's quite sad and sleepy and almost depressing (maybe I'm projecting some things I need to work out on my own lol). It communicates a bit of the spacious desolate feeling like the Ice Cavern and Phendrana themes do, and it's definitely minor like many of those themes, but there's a bittersweetness that juuuust peeks through as if saying "welcome to the fallow season, rest (mine), go visit your friends, and stay warm; Spring will return soon enough".
It's exactly what the homesteading experience would be like, especially "back in the day". Feed the fire, eat what you've stored up, make sure the livestock are warm enough to survive, and hope you don't get buried inside your home. The fact that a piece of music can actually get across all those senses is pretty magical.
seem like i found a new amazing youtube channel, time to spend 10 hours watchign everything on it
My favourite cold themed Soundtrack is the theme of Mt. Gagazet in Final Fantasy X (Servants of the Mountain). It doesnt feature a minimal structure but uses kinda tribal sounding instrumentation and progresses from harsh and bitter sounding in the beginning to a cozy melancholic feel in the middle part.
I loved the video and how in-depth you went into everything's. I think my favorite snow theme in any game is Valak Mountain (Night) from xenoblade. Every time I hear it, it feels like I'm in a dark, icy landscape illuminated by nothing but the orange snowy sky. It makes sense because that's the look of the area it plays on.
your intro theme makes me wanna stop drop and roll in tears from how beautiful it is
dragonspine soundtrack from genshin impact 😩😩😩 i think it envokes all of the winter vibes you talked about except maybe christmas winter and for reasons I’m too tired to describe i love it so much
15:07
Hey, that's illegal 🤣😭
Also, around that section you called the decent whole steps. I thought that would be called semitones.
Lastly, an example I'd recommend that captures the four levels of winter music perfectly in it's own way would be the Vortex of Legends album from Genshin Impact. The music paces with the player's journey through the snowy mountain of origin, and reflects the day and night cycle while doing so. I don't want to spill the hot of hearing it for the first time, but i will say each piece will make you envision a scenario that tells you: yeah, this is winter, alright. :0
not video game music but, winter from vivaldi's four seasons to me is the essence of wintery sounding music, you can feel the cold and see the snow falling
And chopin's winter wind too
I was waiting for someone to analyze snowball park. It’s one of my favorites because it reminds me so much of sleigh ride
my favorite wintery game music is Flake and Kyoto from Minecraft console Edition Festive Mash-Up, i'd genuinely love to see someone analyze those two
to me Flake in particular feels bright and playful like excitedly playing in the cold winter day
while Kyoto feels tired and cold, yet cozy and warm too, like relaxing cuddled up watching the heavy snowfall outside your window in the quiet dead of night