Coincidentally, I visited Santorini, Greece today, and jokingly my first thought when arriving on the island was, "Hey this is the place they based Windmill Isle/Apotos off of!" They actually based it off Mykonos, Greece, but the architecture and geography of the island was still very similar to the level! And then I had the Apotos theme stuck in my head all day. And of course I also had to get myself an ice cream cone just like Sonic and Chip did!
The original sketches and concept art look more like Mykonos, and it's labeled that way in the beta, but the actual level in the final product is a LOT closer to Santorini. It's likely something that changed during development, much like how some of the other, less specific internal names (like Africa, an entire continent) ended up getting more specific inspirations.
I gotta say, finishing my freshman year of college as a music major and watching this video made my gears going when I paused the video in figuring out F is the tonic of Windmill Isle and realizing that the D chord is a V of ii.
With my comments on misnomers in music thoery curriculua, I'm not opposed to the idea overall of going to college for music, and I say more power to anyone if you know what you want to get from it and do. But for some people it gets difficult to recommend that path, and it breaks my heart to hear from so many people who tried to take music classes but failed and quit, banging their head against the wall. Anyway, the wording in the video was provocative, but just wanted to mention that, and sincerely give you props for completing your first year of music major! Keep it up and I am thrilled you put together what was happening with the V of ii, I like to present things that way to promote those kinds of aha moments, which is why I withheld the Roman numerals except at Angel Island.
Yeah, many people appreciate music for it's good beats, but to those who hear a song and wonder "WHy does this particular song just HIT right to me while others like it don't?" despite never having heard it before, the way Alex Yard explains it kind of sums up why. Historically some chords and melodies just "evoke" certain emotions and beats and we just "feel it" when we hear it. Meaning there is a mathematic and psychological study on music and those who have that much control and understanding can write amazing compositions that hit the exact emotions they want people to feel. Like have you ever listened to a stage theme and feel like it's telling you a verbal story without words? There's a study on why that is the case. That's kind of what Alex Yard gets into. essentially translating the music and melody into words to explain why a song works so perfectly....and in some cases why songs "fail" as YES.... even though Alex is mostly positive about his analysis of Sonic music, he does point out and the same logic can apply to why some stage music actually sounds worse, bad, or generic by missing the original message or point of hte original composition. A lot of "Act 2s" (and Blazy mixes) suffer from that, sounding like a remix that plagarized the act 1 theme but didn't quite get why Act 1 is so crisp and act 2 just sounds....."fake". (Right there Ride on is a perfect example. Blaze's version sounds like you had a perfect cake and just put extra toppings on it no one asked for. while Sonic's version is just PERFECT... thus it'd have been better to define Blaze's version by a new style entirely than just failing to copy Hideki's style without understanding it. Like if they made Plant Kingdom Act 1 as Blaze's version, it'd have been PERFECT too. but alas... and yes I talked to Hideki about that...and he had the same feeling. The Act 2s were mostly just the same samples he wrote but adding some unnecessary toppings or rearranging the melody to make it sound "different" and aside from Back2Back and Deadline (and kind of Jeh Jeh Rocket), most of them sound worse.
The Generations Rooftop Run absolutely blew me away when I played it. I want that song to follow me around as I go about my day. It would make everyone around me happier.
I feel the reason Rooftop Run sounds so sure of itself in comparison to Windmill Hill, is because by the time you make it to Spagonia, Sonic already did several Day and Night stages in Apotos so he already got over the shock of being a Werehog and has a somewhat rough outline of what he has to do to get back to normal and mend the world. Its triumphant in the way that it seems to say "even with all of this going down, you still got it Sonic". Its sure of itself because Sonic is sure of himself and knows what he has to do.
Thanks for confirming Ohtani composed Hang Castle. It really does feel like a Werehog composition listening to it now, especially when the upside down version plays. Also... Planting call forwards huh?
The unleashed soundtrack is unreal, the jazz influence on the werehog tracks is amazing and the instrumentation in the arrangements is just beautiful. They really nailed the global sound
I love how you directly singled out that "violins" joke comment from that Sonic Generations Rooftop Run video. That's a classic little comment I've seen under that video multiple times, was not expecting someone to directly reference it in a video ever lol.
1:39 for anyone who cares about the nerdy history of that style of drum beat, it’s called a breakbeat. Comes from 60s funk drum breaks where the drummer would just play alone, and due to that was very easy to sample by hip hop, jungle and drum n bass artists, etc. The most famous breakbeat sample being the Amen break, sampled from the tune Amen, Brother by The Winstons. Edit: oh he mentions it later in the vid. Sick. I’m at ham 😅💀
Hehe believe me, a lot of music enthusiasts live for this kind of stuff! Knowing the name of some samples and beats, like I found out one of my favorite note progression is called the "Mixolydian 7th" because of how much it kind of gives this sense of resolution that carries on. Something about the feeling of diving into something new and unexpected, but still feeling confident. All songs that use it always feel that way, exotic but still resounding and keeping you going. Alas, they don't really use it very often in Sonic music as it only really appears in the beta Carnival Night, Beta Ice Cap, Beta Launch base (sort of), sort of Emerald Hill, Sonic 3 special stage, Angel Island (Sonic Advance, my favorite Sonic song of all time), Hot Crater Zone, Sky Canyon, the intro to the Sonic Advance 1 and 2 special stages as well as the time attack menu theme (I think), Chaos Angel (a rare minor scale variant), kind of Forest Falls, Starlight Carnival, Pinball Highway, kind of Golden Capital Act 3, and Frozen Base act 1. OH and the Dark Chao Race (the angellic sounding one Yes that's every instance where it's prominently featured in the main melody chords. Hehe just something I noticed but never knew what to call it. Kind of surprising it doesn't play more as it's one of the ways to make a very "get ready for a new adventure" sound to any song, but I guess it's just not very popular in Japan.
@@MarioMastar it’s just called Mixolydian. But yes the 7th being flat is what differentiates it from the regular major scale. And just gave Chaos Island a listen and sounds like it’s in dorian. If you flat the 3rd of mixo the name of that mode is dorian. Hah now you’re making me curious what’s the most commonly used mode in the Sonic series. God, that’d be a gargantuan undertaking to figure out 🤓😹
The music in this game is so cinematic and beautiful! What a great entry for the savior of the Sonic Franchise after 06, it was really their last chance and the dedication to get it right shows, and I also have nostalgia for the PS2/Wii version :D
You can also find the amen break beat in so many Sonic songs. Angel Island Zone Act 2, Crisis City, Chemical Flow, Ocean Base Act 1, the list goes on and on throughout every generation. Not to mention just the rhythm in general without even having the drum beat. Chemical Plant Zone fits perfectly with it for example.
this is really neat seeing these songs broken down from a mechanical standpoint! i tend to think of music more in term of genre... windmill isle's music is based on bossa nova, which is a jazzy genre that often uses ambiguous chords and avoids clear resolution. whereas rooftop run is a pure rock song so naturally it uses chords that are much clearer and more confident! to me the genres fit both the setting as well as the feeling you get within the game. bossa nova often gives off a relaxing and tropical vibe, since apotos is an island town, and adding in a breakbeat feels like you're speeding through what's otherwise a quiet and relaxing place. meanwhile the hard rock vibe of spagonia's music combined with a string ensemble makes me think of the kind of baroque pop and rock you'd hear coming out of the UK in the 60s and 70s! it's interesting to see that you could get similar vibes just by looking at how the notes and chords function purely by themselves
Great video. The analysis of the drums is top notch. Love that iii - vi (VI) - ii - V(7b9) chord progression when it loops and delays the I chord. I even used the Sonic 3 version in the 1st track of my 24th album... Anyway, keep it up. This is now a bit more than 2 years of me watching your videos actively, something most other UA-camrs don't get from me!
I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I understood half of the terms you used in this video but I was so entertained that stopped watching on the tv and pulled out my phone to comment. The way you explained things and helped me visualize things like the “reverse snare” 1:32 made it so me that who is barely familiar with these terms was able to to keep following which I think earns a subscriber alone not even mentioning how clever the editing is such as the satisfied fast after it makes it to that “part” in 6:40 which had me giggling for a whole minute (and I thought I was the only one that always went limp at that part.) as well as you giving credit for everything including the COMMENTS just leaves me in complete awe at this video. I’m bad at writing comments without them turning into pages worth of paragraphs so I’m just gonna try to end it here I absolutely loved this video and you made me appreciate Sonic Unleashed OST more than I already do.
Thanks so much, means a lot, it's a true honor and pleasure to create these videos and have them be appreciated, as further means of celebrating this incredible music.
Hehe frankly, hearing him explain all this is the best way to learn about the depths of music theory and the "WHYs" of music. I definitely learned a lot from watching his videos and I'm a massive music enthsiast. though it does make me wish I could study it properly. I feel like knowing these terms and having a masters level understanding will help. Sure I can write music no problem from working with my dad as a kid, but it's nice to know how some of these notations and ideas have names and is just a good back pocket thing to know exactly what sample you're going for when compositing, rather than just relying on improv and trial and error like I usually do.
such a good video. i compose for games and watch heaps of vids like this one, but your narration and presentation style always make these musical concepts feel accessible and cool-- the way you'll relate a piece of theory to game design takes it to the next level. good stuff man
One thing I really like about Rooftop Run's music in particular is as you said, it captures that sense of "Finale" and celebration. At about the time Sonic Unleashed came out, many who grew up with the genesis games were just about finishing highschool or in college, and the music seems to invoke a strong sense of reaching for a higher "education" or standard, given it's kind of "School bell" like sound with the way the melody dances on the higher notes. Plus given Spagonia particularly takes place at a university, that's roughly the theme of the level, kind of like Mezagoza City in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet also having that school bell chime to it with a very "open your mind" kind of sound to it. The Unleashed version seems to be akin to having JUST started college, where it's new and fresh and a whole new world is opening up, and as such sounds a little more grounded, compared to the Generations version, which by the time it came out, many would be just finishing up or just graduating, and the hot air balloons in the sky and the more energetic melody sounding more triumphant reinforce that. Plus given the whole nature of Generations, it really feels like that celebratory part of a party where as the party is about to end, the band shows up and plays that huge final party song that gets everyone super hyped up and has everyone dancing and singing and having a good time, that moment where the party reaches it's "Climax". Classic's version feels like the build up to that where everyone's still mingling around and talking about the rumors of the big band getting ready to play. Kind of like when the star of a concert has someone else doing the opening act to give people an appetizer before the main course. Getting people hyped up and ready to dance with simple beats that just get the body moving. and reinforced by Planet Wisp shortly after reflecting the point where everyone knows thebest part of the party is over and now it's time for everyone to clean up, and head home. Given Classic's version is kind of depressing and mechanical reflecting the "Yeah now back to reality" part, and Modern, while it plays a more energetic version of the song, it still ends on that sour note at the end that contains that final reminder that "yeah, the party's over.... back to work... but at least everyone had a good time right?" That's the thing Sega was ALWAYS good at.... telling the story through the music. All of these songs have a purpose, not only for the stage themes, but also the real life reflection so that every generation has something the music reminds them of. Just like when parents gush about how "Oh, I remember this song from high school, it was my FAVORITE and brings me back!" so too does Sega's music for Sonic always have that timelessness about it. Thus whether you're an eagle eyed kid being blown away by the visuals or an adult who remembers Sonic in the classic days and seeing how far he has gone and still is going, or a parent of said kids playing thier genesis who's glad that future generations have something to reminisce on, I bet my parents would recognize the "Amen Brother" beat and likely would appreciate celebrating a song from 100 years ago that's still appreciated to this day. Oh and speaking of Rooftop run... there IS also the Sonic Team Racing remixes of the stages, hehe, going through the city, celebrating in the balloon festival in the sky and....uh.....seeing the tower fall apart as ghosts take over. I'm sure a metaphor is there as well as by then, kids who grew up have worked already, have thier own kids or are finishing Grad school, and the real world really is rearing it's ugly, spooky head as we realize how short lived the celebration is as we now brave "the real world", the ghosts tearing up the tower really capture that metaphor strongly. Sonic REALLY does grow with us.
I just couldn’t wait that you cover this game. And 27 minutes! Alex I can’t thank you enough, I’ve learned so much complex music theory thanks to you! The way you explain it doesn’t overwhelm you by any means. It just feels natural. What a 17 minutes will I have!
i have been listening to this soundtrack since 2008 on youtube then later bought the entire soundtrack and to this day its been my go-to soundtrack to listen to daily. I just love Unleashed's soundtrack so much
A lot of the components in this song weren't composed for Sonic. I believe a lot os old samples from a Sega sound library. There is a track on Ollie King that implements the same ones, was a head trip when I first heard it
Am i the only person who feels so much raw FEELING from specific chord progressions and the way people explain them and break them down that i just want to cry? Aaaaaaa Good chord progressions do that to me I think its the nostalgia lmfao
Im kinda impulsively geeking out while i watch this video. My filter is going brrr right now. I love this vid! For a bit i didnt think u were going to talk about the amen break but I'm excited that you did!
This is so intressting! I wish I knew more about music composition to understand everything, but I am slowly learning through these videos. Thank you very much Alex!
Im only at 2:32 so I'm probably jumping the gun rn BUT the drum beat being used in this song, the most prominent one, is a breakbeat known as the "Amen break" if you hear it, you know it. Its very iconic. Ohtani-san seems to be very fond of it. He also used it in his compositions for Billy Hatcher! Albeit at a slower pace lol
This came totally out of left field. I wouldn't have guessed you would analyze unleashed if i got a dozen guesses, but here we are. I love these videos. They're informational, entertaining, and easy to understand thanks to the familiarity i have with the games. I only have one queston: what's a secondary dominant? I keep hearing that term and i've never heard it defined before.
This video was awesome and so much fun. I don't know that I agree with the key being F in Windmill, but I'm here for it. Lol It theoretically checks out, but it "feels" more like the I is just altered in order to set up the loop, which would then make sense, because IV is often tonicized in a lot of B sections or Bridges. This happens ALL THE TIME in pop music, or R&B, and this song "feels" like pop to me with all of the musical styles being combined into something you can bop and vibe to where all of the depth is there, but subverted by some familiar sounding top lines and interesting effects. I'd be interested to analyze the solo and see what scales they seemed to stick around. But either way, it's still so fun to listen to and talk about! Great vid!
16:16 - Some seemingly deliberate decision like this reminds me of how the Pokémon Scarlet/Violet battle music’s in 18/8 because of the 18 types. Creative music channels galore.!.!
@@AlexYardZone First 20 minutes was but I luckily got it with a B. Also one music vid recommendation from Unleashed would be either Jungle Joyride or Skyscraper Scamper. Keep up with the content.
I, uh, am not smart enough to understand anything you just said. But Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game/soundtrack in the series, so you just gave me an even greater appreciation for it.
I know you mostly do videos on sonic games, but id love to see you Do some music theory on henry hatsworth in the puzzling advemture. It mixes a few different genres of music pretty well, and even has a few uses of leitmotif throught the game as well. And honestly its just a really good soundtrack that id love to see you cover
i guess this means Windmill Isle does prove that it's not about the notes you hear but about the ones you don't.. and i guess Rooftop Run proves you don't need to be complex to be an instant banger..
Yeah, sorry lol, I held higher ed to the grill, But only because it needs to get its act together before I can genuinely recommend that academic plan to aspiring composers. I am all for a four year liberal arts education , including in music, but not if it means being indoctrinated with such inefficient contradictory vocabulary definitions.
@@AlexYardZone Yeahh that I can agree with. Music education in it's current state, especially the beginning classes, is really fast paced but also confusing to the point where meeting with the professor post-class is almost required and encouraged by the professors themselves. I barely started grasping Chromatic theory by the time I was taking Theory 3, and then spent the rest of theory 3 trying to get it down to a good anchored understanding, only for Theory 4 to pull the rug out from under me with entire new systems and conflicting vocab (Although oddly enough i found theory 4 less difficult than 3). It wasn't fun going into atonal theory and the prof trying to teach matricies using intervals when a couple days before he said to not think of atonal in traditional theory terms and to try to learn 12 tone. I understand matricies can flow very easily if you can just ring up the intervals in your head immediately but pushing intervals back in the brain after taking the time to not be so confused with 12 tone and the unique patterns atonal scales usually used was harsh for me haha. There was also times where my prof would say "i'm trying something different" or "I should've probably taught you all x before x to reduce confusion". It's a messed up mix of vocab that overlaps one another as you get higher in theory classes due to how rapidly composing evolved from classical and you'll sometimes even get teachers who despise what they're teaching and thus inefficiently teach all because they dislike one era or the other. From what I've heard, music education has been funded less and less which is really saddening, some elementary schools are even beginning to call it "not necessary" and discarding it altogether or barely funding it, which could cause a stark dropoff when it comes to interest in composing/playing in the next generation.
Wow, super interesting, and I appreciate you sharing this, sorry that you've been trudging through this firsthand. One has to wonder, what is the utility/payoff of something like atonal theory? is the eventual career payoff enough to justify several-year loans with interest? And that prof's comments about "I should've taught x first" really shatters my heart lol.
@@AlexYardZone Thank you for the kind words, while it is a slog time, i am very passionate so I manage to get by :) As for the other comments, Atonal theory feels like something they have to teach just cause music theory classes are general purpose rather than something that is taught due to relevancy. Atonal fizzled out quite some time ago from amy sort of popularity and is now considered niche in my eyes. It really isnt worth the insane amount of cash unless you're really passionate. And about the professor comment, yeahhh honestly how theory 3 was taught broke my heart even more than that comment that was made haha. An analysis unit where the whole class is disinterested due to him just saying what to mark the chords as, and when he doesnt, one kid calling them out before anyone has time to think, leading to no engagement. The professor also kept telling us to mark chords as roman numerals first based on the scale but then going back and changing it to the name of the chord which was extremely confusing and monotonous. And 70 percent of the class wasn't even analysis, instead being learning rhythm since the prof was a drummer and wanted to "try something new". It did strengthen my knowledge of rhythm and drum composition though so i actually found it pretty beneficial! The test that semester was literally just identifying different 7ths and their inversions along with augmented 6ths and building them, so mainly chromatic theory... which was theory 2, even though it was theory 3. We never really got an analysis test and they were all take home, which was nice but also made it a bit rough to have the info stick. I believe He mainly did this because there are 2 profs, lets call them prof 1 (music theory 3 and 4 one i had, and the one i've been talking about all this time) and prof 2 (music theory 1 and 2 one i had) Prof 2 never taught augmented sixths at all in chromatic theory... so when prof 1 learned this, he didn't know what to do since half the class came from prof 2, me included, so he had to improv a bunch since prof 2 and 1 taught theory 2 completely differently. just overall a very messy experience. They were both very receptive and kind though, encouraging students to meet with them when possible if they're confused, but with how little funding is going into professors and even less into music programs until recently here in missouri, it's really hard for professors to get the tools they need to teach. As an example, my audio engineering prof was refused ableton cause it was too expensive yet the college was willing to buy FL. Which the audio engineering teacher has no knowledge on and the class was basically teaching them half the time. Here's to hoping my years studying composition at uni will be less scattered than community college. But I know that wont be true. I must apologize for the paragraphs aswell, I find it quite nice to give insight on personal experiences and learn about others so I tend to ramble a bit haha, and I am writing this while i'm quite tired so I do hope it's not too incoherent. Regardless I hope I could give a good deal of insight into things and an entertaining read, my experience was def not the standard one haha :) (Edit: seperated text blocks more for easier to read paragraphs)
I feel the generations remix of rooftop run has way too much emphasis on the violin, where the original is perfectly balanced. It’s also clumsy to hear the violin only go down from A to E instead of up to C before hitting C#.
YESS An assignment that doesn't bore me to death! Seriously tho, making small tracks to experiment with specific music theory ideas is really fun and helps you expand your music kit conveniently.
Finally analyzing my favorite sonic soundtrack, video was awesome as always. Also does anyone know what those snairs at 2:13 could be called I have been trying to figure it out for like a year
Happy Independence Day, Alex Yard! What if you'd make your new videos? Could you make a video called "Music Theory: Sonic 2's Hill Top Zone and Sonic 2006's Crisis City"? Could you give it a part where the 0:08 to 0:17 part of the "Hill Top Zone" theme from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" sounds similar to the 0:38 to 0:50 part of the "Crisis City" theme from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006"?
The composers for the Sonic must have terrible scoliosis. Poor guys have been carrying the series on their backs for decades!
Shoutout to Tomoya Ohtani, been cooking heat since Sonic Adventure 2 🔥
Fr bro has never missed once🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯@@Genesis-XE
Unfortunately their backs are starting to crack. Source: Superstars and Frontiers Cyberspace
@ethanwayne6973 cyber space ost is fire tho? Superstars is mostly cause jun does not know how to make classic sonic tracks💀
@@ThatGuyBreak not all of them a fire, at least half of them are medium rare
Coincidentally, I visited Santorini, Greece today, and jokingly my first thought when arriving on the island was, "Hey this is the place they based Windmill Isle/Apotos off of!" They actually based it off Mykonos, Greece, but the architecture and geography of the island was still very similar to the level! And then I had the Apotos theme stuck in my head all day. And of course I also had to get myself an ice cream cone just like Sonic and Chip did!
The original sketches and concept art look more like Mykonos, and it's labeled that way in the beta, but the actual level in the final product is a LOT closer to Santorini. It's likely something that changed during development, much like how some of the other, less specific internal names (like Africa, an entire continent) ended up getting more specific inspirations.
they need to go back to basing sonic games off real places
Been to both Santorini and Mykonos and it honestly felt like I was in Sonic Unleashed haha.
I gotta say, finishing my freshman year of college as a music major and watching this video made my gears going when I paused the video in figuring out F is the tonic of Windmill Isle and realizing that the D chord is a V of ii.
A secondary dominant delight indeed!
With my comments on misnomers in music thoery curriculua, I'm not opposed to the idea overall of going to college for music, and I say more power to anyone if you know what you want to get from it and do. But for some people it gets difficult to recommend that path, and it breaks my heart to hear from so many people who tried to take music classes but failed and quit, banging their head against the wall. Anyway, the wording in the video was provocative, but just wanted to mention that, and sincerely give you props for completing your first year of music major! Keep it up and I am thrilled you put together what was happening with the V of ii, I like to present things that way to promote those kinds of aha moments, which is why I withheld the Roman numerals except at Angel Island.
8:12 That timing of the C rank with the C cord 👌
Aw hell yeah
This man sounds like a mechanic. Like this is the tone and cadence I would expect when hearing about my car. Not a dig, just an observation.
Oh my god somebody finally described it.
To be fair, it's the same idea, trying to explain something fairly technical to people you hope will understand you, but probably won't.
All art, music included, has plenty of underlying "mechanics", it's just not literally mechanical. The tone shouldn't surprise ya.
Yeah, many people appreciate music for it's good beats, but to those who hear a song and wonder "WHy does this particular song just HIT right to me while others like it don't?" despite never having heard it before, the way Alex Yard explains it kind of sums up why. Historically some chords and melodies just "evoke" certain emotions and beats and we just "feel it" when we hear it. Meaning there is a mathematic and psychological study on music and those who have that much control and understanding can write amazing compositions that hit the exact emotions they want people to feel. Like have you ever listened to a stage theme and feel like it's telling you a verbal story without words? There's a study on why that is the case. That's kind of what Alex Yard gets into. essentially translating the music and melody into words to explain why a song works so perfectly....and in some cases why songs "fail" as YES.... even though Alex is mostly positive about his analysis of Sonic music, he does point out and the same logic can apply to why some stage music actually sounds worse, bad, or generic by missing the original message or point of hte original composition. A lot of "Act 2s" (and Blazy mixes) suffer from that, sounding like a remix that plagarized the act 1 theme but didn't quite get why Act 1 is so crisp and act 2 just sounds....."fake". (Right there Ride on is a perfect example. Blaze's version sounds like you had a perfect cake and just put extra toppings on it no one asked for. while Sonic's version is just PERFECT... thus it'd have been better to define Blaze's version by a new style entirely than just failing to copy Hideki's style without understanding it. Like if they made Plant Kingdom Act 1 as Blaze's version, it'd have been PERFECT too. but alas... and yes I talked to Hideki about that...and he had the same feeling. The Act 2s were mostly just the same samples he wrote but adding some unnecessary toppings or rearranging the melody to make it sound "different" and aside from Back2Back and Deadline (and kind of Jeh Jeh Rocket), most of them sound worse.
rank C appearing at 8:13 when talk about the C cord is such a cherry on top ! GRAAAH i love your editing
The Generations Rooftop Run absolutely blew me away when I played it. I want that song to follow me around as I go about my day. It would make everyone around me happier.
Man I lost it when you said "more importantly the futurama theme song" as if NWA isn't one of the most influential rap groups ever 😂
But the Futurama theme song is another level of composition
The funny thing is that i aways see the music producers using futurama as a "surprising" example
I feel the reason Rooftop Run sounds so sure of itself in comparison to Windmill Hill, is because by the time you make it to Spagonia, Sonic already did several Day and Night stages in Apotos so he already got over the shock of being a Werehog and has a somewhat rough outline of what he has to do to get back to normal and mend the world.
Its triumphant in the way that it seems to say "even with all of this going down, you still got it Sonic". Its sure of itself because Sonic is sure of himself and knows what he has to do.
Thanks for confirming Ohtani composed Hang Castle. It really does feel like a Werehog composition listening to it now, especially when the upside down version plays.
Also...
Planting call forwards huh?
And it's an absolute massive banger
The unleashed soundtrack is unreal, the jazz influence on the werehog tracks is amazing and the instrumentation in the arrangements is just beautiful. They really nailed the global sound
I love how you directly singled out that "violins" joke comment from that Sonic Generations Rooftop Run video. That's a classic little comment I've seen under that video multiple times, was not expecting someone to directly reference it in a video ever lol.
LET’S GOOO! WE FINALLY GOT SONIC UNLEASHED MUSIC THEORY🔥🔥🔥🔥‼️‼️‼️🗣️
1:39 for anyone who cares about the nerdy history of that style of drum beat, it’s called a breakbeat. Comes from 60s funk drum breaks where the drummer would just play alone, and due to that was very easy to sample by hip hop, jungle and drum n bass artists, etc. The most famous breakbeat sample being the Amen break, sampled from the tune Amen, Brother by The Winstons.
Edit: oh he mentions it later in the vid. Sick. I’m at ham 😅💀
Hehe believe me, a lot of music enthusiasts live for this kind of stuff! Knowing the name of some samples and beats, like I found out one of my favorite note progression is called the "Mixolydian 7th" because of how much it kind of gives this sense of resolution that carries on. Something about the feeling of diving into something new and unexpected, but still feeling confident. All songs that use it always feel that way, exotic but still resounding and keeping you going. Alas, they don't really use it very often in Sonic music as it only really appears in the beta Carnival Night, Beta Ice Cap, Beta Launch base (sort of), sort of Emerald Hill, Sonic 3 special stage, Angel Island (Sonic Advance, my favorite Sonic song of all time), Hot Crater Zone, Sky Canyon, the intro to the Sonic Advance 1 and 2 special stages as well as the time attack menu theme (I think), Chaos Angel (a rare minor scale variant), kind of Forest Falls, Starlight Carnival, Pinball Highway, kind of Golden Capital Act 3, and Frozen Base act 1. OH and the Dark Chao Race (the angellic sounding one
Yes that's every instance where it's prominently featured in the main melody chords. Hehe just something I noticed but never knew what to call it. Kind of surprising it doesn't play more as it's one of the ways to make a very "get ready for a new adventure" sound to any song, but I guess it's just not very popular in Japan.
@@MarioMastar it’s just called Mixolydian. But yes the 7th being flat is what differentiates it from the regular major scale. And just gave Chaos Island a listen and sounds like it’s in dorian. If you flat the 3rd of mixo the name of that mode is dorian. Hah now you’re making me curious what’s the most commonly used mode in the Sonic series. God, that’d be a gargantuan undertaking to figure out 🤓😹
The music in this game is so cinematic and beautiful! What a great entry for the savior of the Sonic Franchise after 06, it was really their last chance and the dedication to get it right shows, and I also have nostalgia for the PS2/Wii version :D
Sonic unleashed music theory? WWWWW
You can also find the amen break beat in so many Sonic songs. Angel Island Zone Act 2, Crisis City, Chemical Flow, Ocean Base Act 1, the list goes on and on throughout every generation.
Not to mention just the rhythm in general without even having the drum beat. Chemical Plant Zone fits perfectly with it for example.
These videos help me understand my GCSEs
i know nothing about music theory. but i come here to watch anyway XD
I always knew there was a reason why sonic music was so good to drive on the highway too
I swear hearing rooftop run genreations both acts never failed to draw a smile on my face much love for all music composers❤❤
This is fast to the point it can even actually be used in rhythm games
Still waiting for Sonic 2 music breakdowns, like a breakdown of Chemical Plant Zone, or the Sonic 2 version of Metropolis Zone.
this is really neat seeing these songs broken down from a mechanical standpoint! i tend to think of music more in term of genre... windmill isle's music is based on bossa nova, which is a jazzy genre that often uses ambiguous chords and avoids clear resolution. whereas rooftop run is a pure rock song so naturally it uses chords that are much clearer and more confident!
to me the genres fit both the setting as well as the feeling you get within the game. bossa nova often gives off a relaxing and tropical vibe, since apotos is an island town, and adding in a breakbeat feels like you're speeding through what's otherwise a quiet and relaxing place. meanwhile the hard rock vibe of spagonia's music combined with a string ensemble makes me think of the kind of baroque pop and rock you'd hear coming out of the UK in the 60s and 70s! it's interesting to see that you could get similar vibes just by looking at how the notes and chords function purely by themselves
YES LET’S GO UNLEASHED ANALYSIS
I would love to see a sonic unleashed music series!
Some of the night stages especially deserve their own video for sure
I NEED a Jungle Joyride Night analysis man. @@phillyfanmatt
Great video. The analysis of the drums is top notch. Love that iii - vi (VI) - ii - V(7b9) chord progression when it loops and delays the I chord. I even used the Sonic 3 version in the 1st track of my 24th album... Anyway, keep it up. This is now a bit more than 2 years of me watching your videos actively, something most other UA-camrs don't get from me!
I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I understood half of the terms you used in this video but I was so entertained that stopped watching on the tv and pulled out my phone to comment. The way you explained things and helped me visualize things like the “reverse snare” 1:32 made it so me that who is barely familiar with these terms was able to to keep following which I think earns a subscriber alone not even mentioning how clever the editing is such as the satisfied fast after it makes it to that “part” in 6:40 which had me giggling for a whole minute (and I thought I was the only one that always went limp at that part.) as well as you giving credit for everything including the COMMENTS just leaves me in complete awe at this video. I’m bad at writing comments without them turning into pages worth of paragraphs so I’m just gonna try to end it here I absolutely loved this video and you made me appreciate Sonic Unleashed OST more than I already do.
Thanks so much, means a lot, it's a true honor and pleasure to create these videos and have them be appreciated, as further means of celebrating this incredible music.
Hehe frankly, hearing him explain all this is the best way to learn about the depths of music theory and the "WHYs" of music. I definitely learned a lot from watching his videos and I'm a massive music enthsiast. though it does make me wish I could study it properly. I feel like knowing these terms and having a masters level understanding will help. Sure I can write music no problem from working with my dad as a kid, but it's nice to know how some of these notations and ideas have names and is just a good back pocket thing to know exactly what sample you're going for when compositing, rather than just relying on improv and trial and error like I usually do.
such a good video. i compose for games and watch heaps of vids like this one, but your narration and presentation style always make these musical concepts feel accessible and cool-- the way you'll relate a piece of theory to game design takes it to the next level. good stuff man
One thing I really like about Rooftop Run's music in particular is as you said, it captures that sense of "Finale" and celebration. At about the time Sonic Unleashed came out, many who grew up with the genesis games were just about finishing highschool or in college, and the music seems to invoke a strong sense of reaching for a higher "education" or standard, given it's kind of "School bell" like sound with the way the melody dances on the higher notes. Plus given Spagonia particularly takes place at a university, that's roughly the theme of the level, kind of like Mezagoza City in Pokemon Scarlet/Violet also having that school bell chime to it with a very "open your mind" kind of sound to it. The Unleashed version seems to be akin to having JUST started college, where it's new and fresh and a whole new world is opening up, and as such sounds a little more grounded, compared to the Generations version, which by the time it came out, many would be just finishing up or just graduating, and the hot air balloons in the sky and the more energetic melody sounding more triumphant reinforce that. Plus given the whole nature of Generations, it really feels like that celebratory part of a party where as the party is about to end, the band shows up and plays that huge final party song that gets everyone super hyped up and has everyone dancing and singing and having a good time, that moment where the party reaches it's "Climax". Classic's version feels like the build up to that where everyone's still mingling around and talking about the rumors of the big band getting ready to play. Kind of like when the star of a concert has someone else doing the opening act to give people an appetizer before the main course. Getting people hyped up and ready to dance with simple beats that just get the body moving. and reinforced by Planet Wisp shortly after reflecting the point where everyone knows thebest part of the party is over and now it's time for everyone to clean up, and head home. Given Classic's version is kind of depressing and mechanical reflecting the "Yeah now back to reality" part, and Modern, while it plays a more energetic version of the song, it still ends on that sour note at the end that contains that final reminder that "yeah, the party's over.... back to work... but at least everyone had a good time right?"
That's the thing Sega was ALWAYS good at.... telling the story through the music. All of these songs have a purpose, not only for the stage themes, but also the real life reflection so that every generation has something the music reminds them of. Just like when parents gush about how "Oh, I remember this song from high school, it was my FAVORITE and brings me back!" so too does Sega's music for Sonic always have that timelessness about it. Thus whether you're an eagle eyed kid being blown away by the visuals or an adult who remembers Sonic in the classic days and seeing how far he has gone and still is going, or a parent of said kids playing thier genesis who's glad that future generations have something to reminisce on, I bet my parents would recognize the "Amen Brother" beat and likely would appreciate celebrating a song from 100 years ago that's still appreciated to this day.
Oh and speaking of Rooftop run... there IS also the Sonic Team Racing remixes of the stages, hehe, going through the city, celebrating in the balloon festival in the sky and....uh.....seeing the tower fall apart as ghosts take over. I'm sure a metaphor is there as well as by then, kids who grew up have worked already, have thier own kids or are finishing Grad school, and the real world really is rearing it's ugly, spooky head as we realize how short lived the celebration is as we now brave "the real world", the ghosts tearing up the tower really capture that metaphor strongly. Sonic REALLY does grow with us.
"acclimating this game's blistering speeds as the new normal" he says as sonic wall runs on air
I just couldn’t wait that you cover this game. And 27 minutes! Alex I can’t thank you enough, I’ve learned so much complex music theory thanks to you! The way you explain it doesn’t overwhelm you by any means. It just feels natural. What a 17 minutes will I have!
Look again
@@dazza2350well, that was… something
Thank you so much Alex, you video edit skill and passion about music is giving me a lot of interest. As big sonic fan I really appreciate this.
i have been listening to this soundtrack since 2008 on youtube then later bought the entire soundtrack and to this day its been my go-to soundtrack to listen to daily. I just love Unleashed's soundtrack so much
You always make me have a deeper appreciation for music and its inner workings
A lot of the components in this song weren't composed for Sonic. I believe a lot os old samples from a Sega sound library. There is a track on Ollie King that implements the same ones, was a head trip when I first heard it
As someone who doesn't know much about music composition, I really enjoyed learning about these songs from a franchise I love. Great video!
Just another incredible video, as usual. Still so glad someone is out here giving these soundtracks the praise they deserve.
Am i the only person who feels so much raw FEELING from specific chord progressions and the way people explain them and break them down that i just want to cry? Aaaaaaa
Good chord progressions do that to me
I think its the nostalgia lmfao
Im kinda impulsively geeking out while i watch this video. My filter is going brrr right now. I love this vid! For a bit i didnt think u were going to talk about the amen break but I'm excited that you did!
Legitimately excited about the generations rerelease, that game slaps and the soundtrack slaps harder
I can’t understand most of it, but at the same time this is one of the most beautiful videos I’ve ever seen
the format and script of the video as well as the editing and the topic in question, sonic, all spectacular
Alex Yard video on unleashed, more importantly Windmill Isle. This is the peak for me.
Keep these videos coming bro I love your way of explaining this and you have just made things make so much sense
This is so intressting! I wish I knew more about music composition to understand everything, but I am slowly learning through these videos. Thank you very much Alex!
New Alex Yard? And he covers Rooftop Run? Hang on, I'ma make popcorn.
My absolute favorite Sonic tracks. So happy they got covered. Looking forward to more
how can this game not be your favorite game of all time it’s not possible
Im only at 2:32 so I'm probably jumping the gun rn BUT
the drum beat being used in this song, the most prominent one, is a breakbeat known as the "Amen break" if you hear it, you know it. Its very iconic. Ohtani-san seems to be very fond of it. He also used it in his compositions for Billy Hatcher! Albeit at a slower pace lol
This came totally out of left field. I wouldn't have guessed you would analyze unleashed if i got a dozen guesses, but here we are.
I love these videos. They're informational, entertaining, and easy to understand thanks to the familiarity i have with the games.
I only have one queston: what's a secondary dominant? I keep hearing that term and i've never heard it defined before.
this whole soundtrack is outstanding. Apotos (Day) is one of my favorites but it's a slower one
Can you make a music theory of the unleashed boss fights? The music sounds like a final boss alot
This video was awesome and so much fun. I don't know that I agree with the key being F in Windmill, but I'm here for it. Lol
It theoretically checks out, but it "feels" more like the I is just altered in order to set up the loop, which would then make sense, because IV is often tonicized in a lot of B sections or Bridges. This happens ALL THE TIME in pop music, or R&B, and this song "feels" like pop to me with all of the musical styles being combined into something you can bop and vibe to where all of the depth is there, but subverted by some familiar sounding top lines and interesting effects.
I'd be interested to analyze the solo and see what scales they seemed to stick around.
But either way, it's still so fun to listen to and talk about!
Great vid!
@Braillionaire Do or do not, there is no "feel."
What's an example of the pop/ r and b examples you mentioned?
I love the unleashed ost, glad now with your music sheets i can try a few sections on the guitar
I have absolutely 0 knowledge of music theory and can barely read music sheets, but i really adore the production value here ❤
I will never talk bad about choir, and music classes ever again because I can actually understand everything this man is talking about.
Thanks so much! By the way, I definitely recommend *some* music classes, just not taking massive loans for a 4 year degree, at this time.
Lets goo Unleashed music theory!
00:20 But we've had Tails since Sonic 2!
Thanks for looking out for me Alex
13:40 I believe the drums and bass ONLY were used in Sonic Runners’ Continue theme
My favorite Sonic game because of the music and visuals being talked about by the best Sonic music theory youtuber? uh, yes please
I love watching these videos. I like how he explains it so well. Its very interesting.
Sonic unleashed OST Alex Yard video?! I can’t believe it
16:16 - Some seemingly deliberate decision like this reminds me of how the Pokémon Scarlet/Violet battle music’s in 18/8 because of the 18 types.
Creative music channels galore.!.!
“❤” (20 minutes ago)
How do I just happen to stumble upon another banger channel
Nice to see Sonic Unleashed Music Theory when I recently completed it.
Nice. Was Eggmanland brutal?
@@AlexYardZone First 20 minutes was but I luckily got it with a B. Also one music vid recommendation from Unleashed would be either Jungle Joyride or Skyscraper Scamper. Keep up with the content.
I, uh, am not smart enough to understand anything you just said. But Unleashed is my favorite Sonic game/soundtrack in the series, so you just gave me an even greater appreciation for it.
This soundtrack in general is instant awesomeness.
I know you mostly do videos on sonic games, but id love to see you Do some music theory on henry hatsworth in the puzzling advemture. It mixes a few different genres of music pretty well, and even has a few uses of leitmotif throught the game as well. And honestly its just a really good soundtrack that id love to see you cover
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS ALEX!!!!
i guess this means Windmill Isle does prove that it's not about the notes you hear but about the ones you don't..
and i guess Rooftop Run proves you don't need to be complex to be an instant banger..
i may be easy to impress but 1:18 had me visibly enjoying the beat
Love it, waiting for sonic 06 leitmotifs next 🌝
i feel called out with the tuition comment 😅
Great breakdown as always btw :)
Yeah, sorry lol, I held higher ed to the grill, But only because it needs to get its act together before I can genuinely recommend that academic plan to aspiring composers. I am all for a four year liberal arts education , including in music, but not if it means being indoctrinated with such inefficient contradictory vocabulary definitions.
@@AlexYardZone Yeahh that I can agree with. Music education in it's current state, especially the beginning classes, is really fast paced but also confusing to the point where meeting with the professor post-class is almost required and encouraged by the professors themselves. I barely started grasping Chromatic theory by the time I was taking Theory 3, and then spent the rest of theory 3 trying to get it down to a good anchored understanding, only for Theory 4 to pull the rug out from under me with entire new systems and conflicting vocab (Although oddly enough i found theory 4 less difficult than 3).
It wasn't fun going into atonal theory and the prof trying to teach matricies using intervals when a couple days before he said to not think of atonal in traditional theory terms and to try to learn 12 tone. I understand matricies can flow very easily if you can just ring up the intervals in your head immediately but pushing intervals back in the brain after taking the time to not be so confused with 12 tone and the unique patterns atonal scales usually used was harsh for me haha.
There was also times where my prof would say "i'm trying something different" or "I should've probably taught you all x before x to reduce confusion". It's a messed up mix of vocab that overlaps one another as you get higher in theory classes due to how rapidly composing evolved from classical and you'll sometimes even get teachers who despise what they're teaching and thus inefficiently teach all because they dislike one era or the other.
From what I've heard, music education has been funded less and less which is really saddening, some elementary schools are even beginning to call it "not necessary" and discarding it altogether or barely funding it, which could cause a stark dropoff when it comes to interest in composing/playing in the next generation.
Wow, super interesting, and I appreciate you sharing this, sorry that you've been trudging through this firsthand. One has to wonder, what is the utility/payoff of something like atonal theory? is the eventual career payoff enough to justify several-year loans with interest? And that prof's comments about "I should've taught x first" really shatters my heart lol.
@@AlexYardZone Thank you for the kind words, while it is a slog time, i am very passionate so I manage to get by :)
As for the other comments,
Atonal theory feels like something they have to teach just cause music theory classes are general purpose rather than something that is taught due to relevancy. Atonal fizzled out quite some time ago from amy sort of popularity and is now considered niche in my eyes. It really isnt worth the insane amount of cash unless you're really passionate.
And about the professor comment, yeahhh honestly how theory 3 was taught broke my heart even more than that comment that was made haha. An analysis unit where the whole class is disinterested due to him just saying what to mark the chords as, and when he doesnt, one kid calling them out before anyone has time to think, leading to no engagement.
The professor also kept telling us to mark chords as roman numerals first based on the scale but then going back and changing it to the name of the chord which was extremely confusing and monotonous.
And 70 percent of the class wasn't even analysis, instead being learning rhythm since the prof was a drummer and wanted to "try something new". It did strengthen my knowledge of rhythm and drum composition though so i actually found it pretty beneficial!
The test that semester was literally just identifying different 7ths and their inversions along with augmented 6ths and building them, so mainly chromatic theory... which was theory 2, even though it was theory 3.
We never really got an analysis test and they were all take home, which was nice but also made it a bit rough to have the info stick.
I believe He mainly did this because there are 2 profs, lets call them prof 1 (music theory 3 and 4 one i had, and the one i've been talking about all this time) and prof 2 (music theory 1 and 2 one i had)
Prof 2 never taught augmented sixths at all in chromatic theory... so when prof 1 learned this, he didn't know what to do since half the class came from prof 2, me included, so he had to improv a bunch since prof 2 and 1 taught theory 2 completely differently. just overall a very messy experience.
They were both very receptive and kind though, encouraging students to meet with them when possible if they're confused, but with how little funding is going into professors and even less into music programs until recently here in missouri, it's really hard for professors to get the tools they need to teach. As an example, my audio engineering prof was refused ableton cause it was too expensive yet the college was willing to buy FL. Which the audio engineering teacher has no knowledge on and the class was basically teaching them half the time.
Here's to hoping my years studying composition at uni will be less scattered than community college. But I know that wont be true.
I must apologize for the paragraphs aswell, I find it quite nice to give insight on personal experiences and learn about others so I tend to ramble a bit haha, and I am writing this while i'm quite tired so I do hope it's not too incoherent.
Regardless I hope I could give a good deal of insight into things and an entertaining read, my experience was def not the standard one haha :)
(Edit: seperated text blocks more for easier to read paragraphs)
Windmill isle is so good it almost hurts
Maria getting an E rank at the end is so funny
Yup lol and it turns out there's playable Maria already in Shadow the Hedgehog (gamecube)
8:28 This is the notation for the melody of the Generations version. In Unleashed, a B plays instead of an E. A B C# A rather than A E C# A.
No I refuse to believe that Windmill Isle isn't in the key of C!!!!!!! (great video as always)
Gotta get the headphones for this one
What a fantastic freakin' video.
windmill Isle is such a great standout sonic track
I feel the generations remix of rooftop run has way too much emphasis on the violin, where the original is perfectly balanced. It’s also clumsy to hear the violin only go down from A to E instead of up to C before hitting C#.
My favorite 3D Sonic soundtrack
I have no idea what any of this means, but Windmill Isle has amazing music.
Another awesome video!
This is nuts
15:06 i love that reference.
5:52 Bruh an assignment.
YESS An assignment that doesn't bore me to death!
Seriously tho, making small tracks to experiment with specific music theory ideas is really fun and helps you expand your music kit conveniently.
Read it and weep. Gold.
HE UPLOADED
If you like 6:47 congrats, you like Jazz. That's a very Jazz/Bebop inspired solo
Yooo a new Alex yard video
this guys vids are the best
Finally analyzing my favorite sonic soundtrack, video was awesome as always. Also does anyone know what those snairs at 2:13 could be called I have been trying to figure it out for like a year
Please do a music theory video on sonic advance series
@@the777th ooh, I'll be streaming advance 2 this wedsday!
@@AlexYardZone bro the melodies are insane
When will a theory about music of Metallic Madness or Palmtree Panic!!!
great video, but im still waiting for metallic madness ;)
Happy Independence Day, Alex Yard! What if you'd make your new videos? Could you make a video called "Music Theory: Sonic 2's Hill Top Zone and Sonic 2006's Crisis City"? Could you give it a part where the 0:08 to 0:17 part of the "Hill Top Zone" theme from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" sounds similar to the 0:38 to 0:50 part of the "Crisis City" theme from "Sonic the Hedgehog 2006"?
Well made and under viewed video.