I recently graduated with my music degree. Throughout my entire experience, I never lost sight of the fact that Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were the catalysts for my musical journey. The idea of playing an instrument in-game and having the music you play be such a core mechanic hit me differently than anything I had experienced up to that point, and I never looked back. As a music educator, I can't thank you enough for this kind of video, especially because it's designed without music theory in mind. After attending several video game themed orchestral concerts, I know just how much video game music has impacted the people who play those games. So, getting to further understand WHY the music effects them the way it does is why I do what I do. So, thank you! I hope you'll be willing to explore this kind of video more.
@@LiamTriforce That's wonderful news!! Not that I think you need it, especially since there's no music theory involved, but if you would ever like to reach out to me as a consultant of sorts, I'd be happy to help. 👍
Speak of how this game made the Ocarina itself popular: I remember seeing an Ocarina in an elementary school book and being surprised. Before that I didn't know it was a real instrument.
Funnily enough, Ocarina appeared constantly on Japanese games, but the English localization of said games always called them "flutes", including A Link to the Past. Ocarina of Time changed that.
Doing some study of ancient Chinese texts I learned that one of the oldest collection of poems mentions the Ocarina as being representative of Heaven guiding the people with a gentle hand. So in South-East Asia the instrument has long had an almost sacred presence. Heaven's guiding the people is Like an ocarina, Like a zhang jade, like a gui jade; As if taking hold of them, leading them by the hand; As if leading them by the hand, and nothing more. Heaven guides the people with great ease. There's another great video on OoT's music in terms of the theory and how the repetition of the notes are a "question" and "Answer". Questions in ancient works are sometimes asked twice and the response is something given from on-high.
Until my teenage years I thought this game made up ocarinas, but then I saw a 50’s WWII prison movie called Stalag 17 where one of the characters had an ocarina, and I was pretty surprised.
His music really speaks to you, it reminds you of young days, the was it touches everyone’s heart. The quote that I love is when Shiek says: “The flow of time is always cruel... Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it... A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days..” This one really resonates with me, I’m not in the best place in my life and this reminds me to not take the best moments for granted. Can’t wait for more videos on the music for the rest of the series
It's one of the most powerful quotes ever written. The words bring forth deep, painful tears. Just plain, simple truth. Hang in there, stranger. May you find peace and purpose. 🤙
@CLSharpman5000 Dear @CLSharpman5000 and @_Guardian, I think because of its simplistic fashion, as you said @_Guardian, the Shiek quote, so powerful to read, I get goosebumps replaying OoT and seeing that, and reading now, and you @CLSharpman5000, "bring forth deep, painful tears. just plain simple truth", I thought of this: You, @_Guardian, myself and many thousands of others at similar age, once old at 70, will recall back to this very quote, the memory from our first play-through of OoT, the title theme's ocarina melody, and just burst in tears - overwhelmed in feeling of sad and joy, after passing through a lifetime, from the engrossing transcendence of the tune. Just know in that very moment, that there is another gamer that will be doing the VERY SAME at that age, looking back at life in reflection and memory - you wont be alone! In another thought worth imagining with me: How cool will it be when you are 70, brittle and sore back, and you come across someone that also played OoT, you spend 5 minutes trying to remember the song name, until it dawns on you both at the very same time, and say "Gerudo Valley!" You both tap synchronously to the same beats, laughing and smiling in the heartfelt of purest joy, your grandchildren catch to observe the rare deep captivation of your youth's past timeless expression! Don't give up hope @_Guardian, take a pause on where you are in time, and know you are just in a temporary spot, and things can get better, no matter what! a lot of Jordan Peterson's work have helped many, and when he was on tour, the advice he gives on life, thinking about thought patterns, ways of building purpose in your life - repeat to yourself DAILY that you have an absolute place of value to the world - you can offer so much to so many people you have no idea, and to start the "adventure of your life", right... now! Listen to his podcasts, they will have resonance with your struggles no matter what they are, push forward, "start with just cleaning up your room", and you will get through it! He makes much of his biblical discussion points very practical to understand - the stories of the trials, tribulations, and where the joy's of life must be in order to grow.
Kind of tragic that such introspective and profound writing didn't make it into the modern era of Zelda games. Here's to hoping the next Zelda can capture the philosophical magic that Ocarina of Time managed to deliver.
Back when I was a kid, I used to go back to lon lon ranch at night in between dungeons as adult link, just standing next to malon and chilling with her, and I used to show my dad epona and how I can summon her using those 6 jingles, to this day when my dad hears those jingles he immediately recognizes it and goes like "hey isn't that the epona's song?" This game is magic
This is a crazy coincidence because my wife does the same, but of course she knows where the song comes from as I am a Zelda super fan, also a lot of music we listen too incorporates samples from all kinds of games, including the lost woods.
This game's credits encapsulate its message. The sense of joy over having finished the journey, but also the sense of loss, knowing you won't be able to experience it again 😢. The soft piano, and the incorporation of Zelda's lullaby and Saria's song really pull it all together, with the church bell really bringing a sense of closure to it all.
"The dude basks in his own narcissism." This is by far the best description and analysis for the one-man show! I agree with you. This has been a great video.
The video hits different. You sit here as a grown ass man and while childhood memories creep in through the music that can trigger so many emotions. you notice how a tear creeps down your cheek from time to time. i repeat it again the video just hits different
26 years on and I still learn new things about OOT. The dynamic music from Hyrule Field is so well implemented that I never noticed. I always thought that it was just how it was.
This video is excellent. As someone who finally played OOT last year, it was great to hear an in-depth perspective on one of its most important aspects. Thanks for opportunity to edit it ❤
Gerudo Valley has been my ringtone for a few years now. I've played the 10 hours version several times. I don't know how else to describe it other than addictive to listen to
@@ColonelChicken my men! Much respect to you: that’s called appreciating the art. Honestly, I’ve learned about this channel from Liam’s half-life retrospective.
It might not be from OoT, but I was on a holiday with my family in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, and while I was walking down the street, I found a street performer playing Kass's Theme. I don't remember what instrument she was playing it on, I think it was a violin, but hearing one of my favourite Zelda songs be played like that was amazing!
Ganondorf's battle theme shows off Koji Kondo's love of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, something he has in common with Nobuo Uematsu. Check out ELP's "Tarkus" if you've never heard it before.
I truly believe this game and the music it had helped to shape my love for music and the beauty of the world. As a young kid I had never experienced something so immersive that truly made you feel like you were going on an adventure. I didn’t even know I was getting the game but it completely stole my attention. Even as a kid, the music of this game felt magical to me. I still remember entering the great fairy fountain and hearing that amazing theme. To this day, hearing music from this game instantly feels me with nostalgia, peace, and almost bittersweetness, because it takes me back to some of the best days of my life, just being a kid with no stresses, responsibilities, or worries. It will forever be my favorite OST with Destiny 1 behind it. This game made my childhood
I love how you made those insightful observations from Kakariko Village's theme. 28 years old and I'm still learning more about one of my most beloved games. Cheers.
Same! I love his work so much. The legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, and the Super Mario series as well as the Sonic the hedgehog series, and so many more. All of these games have touched my heart and soul in so many ways and I love sharing the games and Liam's content with my wife and children.
I played OoT so much as a kid and never used to think about the music too much, until I became a musician and realized how much it impacted me even without me knowing it. It's still incredible to me how Kondo was able to make 12 distinct tunes with only 4 (5 if you count the octave) notes of just a D minor 6 chord. I remember as a kid messing around with free playing the ocarina with the different control sticks changing the pitches by half and whole steps along with a vibrato. I didn't know what I was doing but now as an adult when I play it again I try to see how many songs I can play on the ocarina and to my surprise you can play every chromatic note from a low B to a high F. I loved seeing the music expanded in MM with each transformation having it's own instrument, being highlighted with the Circus Leader in the Milk Bar playing the (not) Ballad Of The Wind Fish. Seeing other youtubers playing songs like Africa by Toto and others using all the instruments in MM blew my mind but it was always there for us to play with and I'm forever grateful.
I think the more correct musical term for the fairy fountain theme is syncopation, rather than polyrhythm. The piece is in 4/4 and both the right and left hand (as arranged for keyboard) are playing 16th notes, albeit with different rhythms. But polyrhythm requires multiple time signatures to be present simultaneously. I could be tweaking, maybe in some of the Zelda games they do use polyrhythm, but I think the main iteration is straightforward. Great video, I am inspired by your passion for Zelda and music! I have a tattoo of the sheet music of Sheik’s theme on my arm. ❤
You're correct that there's syncopation, but I think the proper term that @LiamTriforce was looking for is polyphony. There's the constant 16th note melody on top, and on the bottom is a syncopated line to harmonize.
It will never stop amazing me how much this game and these songs mean to so many people. N64 was the last system I owned and played regularly. Ocarina of time was a perfect send off for the kids who grew up with the NES through N64
It's quite crazy how much of an impact Kondo had on the music of nintendo. As I grew up I played mostly through n64, then gamecube and wii, and when I finally looked at pc or playstation, I was quite surprised by just how much interplay of game and music there was in nintendo's games compared to many other franchises.
When you talked about the bells in the end theme and how you never will experience that again, you got me all teared up man. Love this game and the music is such a vital part of it that made it so memorable. Thanks for a good video
I will forever love the music from this game. So many pieces that never fail to make me smile. I've actually got a tattoo on my forearm that depicts the Master Sword, Ocarina, and the button inputs for Saria's Song & Zelda's Lullaby.
Same....I most of the time prefer MM thematically and based on "feel"....it's just an emotionally very satisfying game and if you know you know but it's powerful sometimes But the music in MM is sorta decent but nothing spectacular (Stone Tower, Song of Healing and Clock Town is the only real "great" song on the OST), OoT is def better there, it's hard to decide which I prefer but MM is better as an adult, I'll say that much
Hell yes, Liam. So excited to watch this. The music and how it is used in the actual gameplay is what hooked me as a kid, I think. I'm currently writing a musical deeply inspired by the world of Zelda (but original characters and all that) here in Chicago. Great job on all of these vids, you're one of my favorite creators. Your Wind Waker video is a testament to how powerful and meaningful these video games can be.
I’m playing an Ocarina randomizer, and it’s the most fun i’ve had in forever playing games. I’ve always had an appreciation for the soundtrack, especially Forest Temple, and “Inside the Deku Tree” both are a perfect mixture of serene, calming, eerie, sinister, and even melancholy, i think OoT (and Minecraft) really sparked my love for video game OSTs, and i always find myself coming back, to listen again.
One very cool thing I found out about only about a year or two ago is that Hyrule Field's Theme is comprised of multiple fifteen second long musical phrases which Kondo clearly composed so that, regardless of what time of day Link enters Hyrule Field (or Death Mountain Trail where the theme also plays), the theme can quickly dynamically shift after however long it takes to get to sundown (or an enemy approaching Link) to one of two alternate versions. One of course being the resting/sunset/twilight version that prepares to close the theme and end the musical accompaniment Link has for the quiet solitude of night (or if he is simply standing around and observing the world), the other to heighten the tension of Link engaging in mortal battle with monsters he has encountered. Also, the lead instrument for the Spirit Temple, because it is so heavily tweaked and compressed, kind of feels like it is a mashup of an Arabic Mizmar and a Sikh Dilruba (about three-fourths Dilruba, with just enough of the Mizmar as to make it sound more like a woodwind instrument than a bowed string instrument).
I'm sure you're aware being a LoZ fan but a youtuber by the name of Save Data has a playlist on his channel that goes through the intricacies and composition of various BGM used in OOT & MM. And in case you're not already aware a link to forementioned playlist. ua-cam.com/play/PL4rx7GrY_xH9QJiP7K4MwI3upgVkYkMuS.html
Being your friend and watching you grow from basically the beginning of your career has been one of the best experiences of my life, great video as always, I will always be there to watch the next one homie 😃❤
I love the note in your Link’s Awakening video about it being the first Zelda game to have different themes for each dungeon. I feel with the music in regards to that Link’s Awakening definitely walked so Ocarina of Time could run. Great video. I can’t wait to see what other games you tackle in this new series.
For me personally, I haven't enjoyed Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom as much as the older Zelda games, particularly Ocarina, Windwaker and a Link to the Past. A big part of that is the music, I like the new tracks in the latest games but they don't speak to me in the same way as the older games, especially the three I mentioned. Each area, dungeon and boss had a musical theme and they were soo distinctive and excellent. I also really enjoyed being able to use music in the puzzle solving process. For example, accessing Darunia's room using Zelda's Lullaby and then playing Saria's Song to build trust and get on his good side in Ocarina. Or using the Windwaker to control the wind. Music was such a big part of those games, it wasn't just something pretty to listen to, it was a game mechanic too. I miss that.
Liam, I love all of your content so much and have watched so much with my kids and added your videos to various playlists of mine, and you have just released a video on one of everyone's favorite games of all time and my personal number 1 franchise in gaming. Thank You!
They knew exactly what they were doing pairing each temple song with Sheik's monologues. It has been twenty years since I first played the game, yet the words and the notes have stayed with me since then, and will continue to do so forever.
41:10 my parents for whatever reason hate video game music, and simply don't understand that video game music can be good. To them, they think all video game music is just beeps and whistles like how it was when they were kids, and cannot comprehend that some games have won awards for soundtracks alone. It bothers the shit out of me because my step-dad prides himself on being a music connoisseur, but refuses to listen to songs if they come from games
YES YES! I AM SO READY FOR THIS VIDEO! I was just getting back into the OOT mood, almost subconsciously. And hear I get a perfect vid from a perfect creator. I am so ready.
This game and it's music has had one hell of an impact. When I was a kid my dad still used to play video games (he introduced me to metroid lol), but now he's "grown out of it." So now, some 20yrs later, I'm hanging out w/ my parents playing Hyrule Warriors DE and the loading screens have an ocarina you can play. I'm sitting there, clicking buttons, and trying to see if I can play any songs from memory. The moment I play Song of Time, my dad instantly looks up "Hey that's Zelda! Ocarina of Time!" He also recognized Epona's theme (as the horse song) and Zelda's lullaby. For someone who's "too grown up for video games" he was very happy to name those themes.
16:28 that is not the combat music. There is a specific song for combat, that is used for regular enemies. This is just part of the Hyrule theme and plays regularly. I'm not sure if you've played the game recently, but the Hyrule field theme, specifically, is not adaptative to link's situation. - It plays during the day, it stops during the night. That's it. Lonlon Ranch legit has adaptative music, or other instances where you can get close to Malon. Honestly, even i forgot about that.
@Rihcterwilker That is not true. The Hyrule Field theme has three groups of 8-measure segments it will randomly pull from: one for when Link is moving, one for when he's fighting, and one for when he's standing still. In the case of the last two groups, it will always play the first of those segments before randomly picking a different one, so there is effectively an "intro to fighting" and an "intro to standing still". Source: I reverse engineered part of the dynamic sequence format, and have maintained the tool for the past 10 years that the romhacking community uses for music import/export to OoT, SM64, and other first-party N64 games.
@@Rihcterwilker I mean, the technical aspect wasn't, but he went over the three categories and described that the music dynamically changes between them based on what you're doing.
This is the game that got me to love music, and pursue a career of being a video game composer. I don’t know how different my life would be without Koji Kondo and Ocarina of Time.
As always: Great video. Watching Liam x Zelda videos always feels like reading love letters you'll never get tired of reading. OoT has the best overall soundtrack of any Zelda game and the soundtrack certainly enhances the game in multiple ways. I desperately hope that Nintendo will do proper music again in the next Zelda title instead of ambient music. I'd also love to have some kind of instrument again (and maybe transformations masks - those were amazing too).
@@ShadowWizard224I have to disagree. I get why they did ambient music, but I certainly don't have to like it. It was actually kinda boring and I'm certainly not the only one who missed the musical highlights you usually have in Zelda games.
@@Khaos-Thanathan I agree that 90% of the time it’s mostly ambient and it can get kinda boring but the other 10% of the time when the game actually does show it’s actual music is absolute perfection. Some examples would be Hyrule Castle, Hateno Village, Vah Medoh, The Attack on Vah Naboris, Mipha’s Theme, Daruk’s Theme, Tarrey Town, Korok Forest, Rito Village, etc etc…. 🙏
The channel "Save Data" also made videos about the music in OoT as well as MM. Specifically the music in each of the dungeons. Koji Kondo made each area of the game so memorable with the music associated with them.
What a nice surprise!! This is one of the only UA-cam channels left that I genuinely love. Never stop, Liam. Never stop. I love how you word your impressions.
Beautifully put. This series and its music is more than just a video game. You probably already have this on your white board for future projects but in case you need encouragement; please cover Majora’s Mask and its music.
"A yearning nostalgic attachment to the simpler days of our youth. " The whole DKC2 OST brother. I love that music so much, but it's a knife that cuts all of me at once when I hear it.
This video sent shivers down my spine. I remember it like it was yesterday, hearing Hyrule Field's music for the first time. I was spellbound. Even as a 6 year old in 1998, I knew this was something special that I'd never forget.
Love your “understanding the music of” videos. Especially the Donkey Kong and Sonic ones (and now this Zelda one) Would love a Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie one, one day.
Most of the games' music STILL gives me chills to this day. I remember listening yo the lost woods theme for hours as a kid, opening the menu and just taking in the beautiful opening song into the cute plinging piano of the character select.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched this video lol I love videos like this. even more your wind waker retrospective (MY favorite Zelda game) glad my fellow Zelda nerd friend suggested your UA-cam channel
There is an artist named Hal Walker who has a musical piece called "Low Key Gliding." That music gives me the same feeling that many tracks in OOT and MM do. It's an incredible experience.
Forest temple is one of the coolest pieces of music ever made. As a kid it was genuinely terrifying but now it’s calming and beautiful. It’s so unique and I really can’t think of anything like it.
Comment for the algorithm because this is a beautiful video for a beautiful soundtrack in a beautiful game and I need to indicate how much I appreciate that.
I absolutely love that you use footage from the N64 original compared to the bigger Zelda UA-camrs who always use the 3D remake! A lot more authentic and I appreciate your take on the music of the game!
Interestingly, at 16:35 - Hyrule Field's theme is not actually 'dynamic' in the sense that it actively changes based on the player's activity. It is dynamic in the sense that it 'contains' a variety of sections that may (or may not) be appropriate at any given time, but Hyrule Field's theme does not respond per se to the player's actions. This is unlike Banjo's music, which does dynamically change depending on the activity i.e. whether the player is underwater.
Fantastic video. Disagree on the Fire Temple theme thoughts. I actually prefer the revised version. The 'shadow temple' inspired sounds in it always sounded like a disorienting fear of heights to me, which fit in the twin mountains you're ascending.
I know this wasn't the original intention of the developers but i usually play OOT and MM back to back whenever i do play them and the final church bells at the end of Ocarina of Time's credits feel insanely foreboding once you realize they're the same ones you hear in Termina when another day is ending, it makes me feel like the bells and clocks of Termina are calling upon Link for his last adventure as he walks out of the temple of time
The part for water temple when entering the temple, in my thoughts always were: "Its now time for the best battle, Dark link." Also for me that fight was a symbol of growing up and overcoming obstacles because since the battle seems the reflection of link which is battling with himself, its like battling with his inner thoughts, and one wins, either the inner thoughts overcome you, that's where link dies, or you overcome the thoughts, which in this case link eliminates dark link and moves on.
41:10 I don’t see the distain for game music. Generally, it’s seems that people really love it (almost always gamers, especially if they have a connection to the game), or that have no opinion on the matter, similarly to how most people wouldn’t have an opinion on obscure sea shanties or something. I’m guessing by your accent that you are from the US, me too. I wonder how regional the distaste is.
I was there that day malcura played that, i remember walking threw that mall and i herd it and was sorta jist humming it till i just went hang on that gerudo valley, and watch them play it, it was awesome
Yes another Understanding the Music video, I love this series. I hope one day you will do a Understanding the Music of Deep rock Galactic or Charlie Murder. They have a amazing video game soundtrack and really amazing feels/ emotions to the songs. My top picks for Deep Rock Galactic: Run! Dance With the Dreadnought Follow Molly Absolute Zero Charlie Muder: While the Living Warm their Bones Mnemonic Atomic Flashback Gun and Bass Consumerist Stomp Faces That I Understand
Liam, you have a real talent for taking the expressions and emotions conveyed in music and capturing them with words; the way you describe the different themes, not just describes the music itself but the feelings the music evokes, it's spot on. I feel exactly those kinda things when i hear those tracks! Your videos are very entertaining and thought provoking, you're very good at what you do, man!
I thought that the Hyrule theme in OOT, changed according to the time of the day, didn't know it was reacting to action before. I don't know if you noticed in TOTK, but I think that the horn sound effect you hear when you enter the depths from the chasm mid-flight, is a part of the shadow temple's theme.
Talking about music is great. But it's a fine balance between showing the music, and talking over it. There were so many instances where I wished you'd actually let us hear the songs, instead of just talking about them.
Please pleeeease tell me we're gonna get one of these videos for Majoras Mask 🙏 I love these videos and Liam's commentating is both mature and logical while retaining that sense of childlike bliss that we all feel/felt playing these games. Keep up the great work man! 🤘
Small correction: KK already had the overworld music for TLoZ when he found out Bolero wasn't in the public domain yet, he "just" needed to rearrange it into the opening scroll theme overnight (still stressful enough, I imagine). Anyway, Kondo is a freaking genius and OoT is his magnus opum. Idk if there's any other game so jam-packed with memorable melodies as this one. And the atmospheric stuff without hooks is just as amazing, like the Forest Temple Theme.
I recently graduated with my music degree. Throughout my entire experience, I never lost sight of the fact that Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were the catalysts for my musical journey.
The idea of playing an instrument in-game and having the music you play be such a core mechanic hit me differently than anything I had experienced up to that point, and I never looked back.
As a music educator, I can't thank you enough for this kind of video, especially because it's designed without music theory in mind. After attending several video game themed orchestral concerts, I know just how much video game music has impacted the people who play those games. So, getting to further understand WHY the music effects them the way it does is why I do what I do.
So, thank you! I hope you'll be willing to explore this kind of video more.
If you like this stuff you should check the channel Official Music Tracks which has essays and orchestration of every single track from the game
I aim to cover multiple Zelda games in this series, and *hopefully* other games as well, as long as I come up with something good!
@@LiamTriforce That's wonderful news!!
Not that I think you need it, especially since there's no music theory involved, but if you would ever like to reach out to me as a consultant of sorts, I'd be happy to help. 👍
@@LiamTriforce As I commented I think the Metroid series would be a good one to look at as well.
Speak of how this game made the Ocarina itself popular: I remember seeing an Ocarina in an elementary school book and being surprised. Before that I didn't know it was a real instrument.
Funnily enough, Ocarina appeared constantly on Japanese games, but the English localization of said games always called them "flutes", including A Link to the Past. Ocarina of Time changed that.
Doing some study of ancient Chinese texts I learned that one of the oldest collection of poems mentions the Ocarina as being representative of Heaven guiding the people with a gentle hand. So in South-East Asia the instrument has long had an almost sacred presence.
Heaven's guiding the people is Like an ocarina,
Like a zhang jade, like a gui jade;
As if taking hold of them, leading them by the hand;
As if leading them by the hand, and nothing more.
Heaven guides the people with great ease.
There's another great video on OoT's music in terms of the theory and how the repetition of the notes are a "question" and "Answer". Questions in ancient works are sometimes asked twice and the response is something given from on-high.
I asked my orchestra teacher about them and she didn't think they were real
Until my teenage years I thought this game made up ocarinas, but then I saw a 50’s WWII prison movie called Stalag 17 where one of the characters had an ocarina, and I was pretty surprised.
His music really speaks to you, it reminds you of young days, the was it touches everyone’s heart. The quote that I love is when Shiek says: “The flow of time is always cruel... Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it... A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days..”
This one really resonates with me, I’m not in the best place in my life and this reminds me to not take the best moments for granted.
Can’t wait for more videos on the music for the rest of the series
It's one of the most powerful quotes ever written. The words bring forth deep, painful tears. Just plain, simple truth.
Hang in there, stranger. May you find peace and purpose. 🤙
@CLSharpman5000 Dear @CLSharpman5000 and @_Guardian,
I think because of its simplistic fashion, as you said @_Guardian, the Shiek quote, so powerful to read, I get goosebumps replaying OoT and seeing that, and reading now, and you @CLSharpman5000, "bring forth deep, painful tears. just plain simple truth", I thought of this:
You, @_Guardian, myself and many thousands of others at similar age, once old at 70, will recall back to this very quote, the memory from our first play-through of OoT, the title theme's ocarina melody, and just burst in tears - overwhelmed in feeling of sad and joy, after passing through a lifetime, from the engrossing transcendence of the tune. Just know in that very moment, that there is another gamer that will be doing the VERY SAME at that age, looking back at life in reflection and memory - you wont be alone!
In another thought worth imagining with me: How cool will it be when you are 70, brittle and sore back, and you come across someone that also played OoT, you spend 5 minutes trying to remember the song name, until it dawns on you both at the very same time, and say "Gerudo Valley!" You both tap synchronously to the same beats, laughing and smiling in the heartfelt of purest joy, your grandchildren catch to observe the rare deep captivation of your youth's past timeless expression!
Don't give up hope @_Guardian, take a pause on where you are in time, and know you are just in a temporary spot, and things can get better, no matter what!
a lot of Jordan Peterson's work have helped many, and when he was on tour, the advice he gives on life, thinking about thought patterns, ways of building purpose in your life - repeat to yourself DAILY that you have an absolute place of value to the world - you can offer so much to so many people you have no idea, and to start the "adventure of your life", right... now!
Listen to his podcasts, they will have resonance with your struggles no matter what they are, push forward, "start with just cleaning up your room", and you will get through it! He makes much of his biblical discussion points very practical to understand - the stories of the trials, tribulations, and where the joy's of life must be in order to grow.
Kind of tragic that such introspective and profound writing didn't make it into the modern era of Zelda games. Here's to hoping the next Zelda can capture the philosophical magic that Ocarina of Time managed to deliver.
I liked the video but he didn't went over Zora Domain's theme. What happened ? I use to fall asleep to that song.
They knew they were talking directly to us kids back then and that we were going to carry this game in our memories forever
Back when I was a kid, I used to go back to lon lon ranch at night in between dungeons as adult link, just standing next to malon and chilling with her, and I used to show my dad epona and how I can summon her using those 6 jingles, to this day when my dad hears those jingles he immediately recognizes it and goes like "hey isn't that the epona's song?"
This game is magic
My wife has never played Zelda games but I find her very often whistling the theme of Lost Woods.
Start dancing like Darunia.
This is a crazy coincidence because my wife does the same, but of course she knows where the song comes from as I am a Zelda super fan, also a lot of music we listen too incorporates samples from all kinds of games, including the lost woods.
I'd be a bit concerned.
@@ThomasFogle Where are you guys finding Zelda-aware wives? 😭
@@bmonq This comment gave me a tear from laughing so hard.
This game's credits encapsulate its message. The sense of joy over having finished the journey, but also the sense of loss, knowing you won't be able to experience it again 😢.
The soft piano, and the incorporation of Zelda's lullaby and Saria's song really pull it all together, with the church bell really bringing a sense of closure to it all.
That thing Koji Kondo made during the N64. Using the entire sound font for the credits theme (he did the same with Mario 64) is so emotional.
Yes! Super Mario 64's Credits Theme does the same thing and pulls everything about the game all together.
"The dude basks in his own narcissism." This is by far the best description and analysis for the one-man show! I agree with you.
This has been a great video.
The video hits different. You sit here as a grown ass man and while childhood memories creep in through the music that can trigger so many emotions. you notice how a tear creeps down your cheek from time to time. i repeat it again the video just hits different
26 years on and I still learn new things about OOT.
The dynamic music from Hyrule Field is so well implemented that I never noticed. I always thought that it was just how it was.
I see Ocarina of Time - I click. Also, I love how you used a bottle to battle Ganondorf. 🤣
I see Liam video and I click. The OOT is indeed a delicious bonus desert of a nice extra though!
@@Hexsyn Hehe it is indeed!
If you like this stuff you should check the channel Official Music Tracks which has essays and the orchestration of every single track from the game
in LttP, use a bug-catching net to battle Agahnim :)
This video is excellent. As someone who finally played OOT last year, it was great to hear an in-depth perspective on one of its most important aspects.
Thanks for opportunity to edit it ❤
21:39 you have to go past deku scrubs to get the song initially? 😅
Gerudo Valley has been my ringtone for a few years now. I've played the 10 hours version several times. I don't know how else to describe it other than addictive to listen to
I’ve never clicked on a video faster in my life. Ocarina is the best game ever made.
+1 🎉
Alongside Half-Life 2 which also has a phenomenal soundtrack-and Liam has already dived into it properly👍👍
Agreed, just replayed it a week ago for the 5th time
@@ColonelChicken my men! Much respect to you: that’s called appreciating the art. Honestly, I’ve learned about this channel from Liam’s half-life retrospective.
No, it’s not. But it is one of my fondest gaming memories.
It might not be from OoT, but I was on a holiday with my family in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, and while I was walking down the street, I found a street performer playing Kass's Theme. I don't remember what instrument she was playing it on, I think it was a violin, but hearing one of my favourite Zelda songs be played like that was amazing!
Ganondorf's battle theme shows off Koji Kondo's love of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, something he has in common with Nobuo Uematsu. Check out ELP's "Tarkus" if you've never heard it before.
Gerudo’s valley theme is so good that its the sole reason im thrilled to reach that portion of the game, more than the temple itself
I truly believe this game and the music it had helped to shape my love for music and the beauty of the world. As a young kid I had never experienced something so immersive that truly made you feel like you were going on an adventure. I didn’t even know I was getting the game but it completely stole my attention. Even as a kid, the music of this game felt magical to me. I still remember entering the great fairy fountain and hearing that amazing theme. To this day, hearing music from this game instantly feels me with nostalgia, peace, and almost bittersweetness, because it takes me back to some of the best days of my life, just being a kid with no stresses, responsibilities, or worries. It will forever be my favorite OST with Destiny 1 behind it. This game made my childhood
I love how you made those insightful observations from Kakariko Village's theme. 28 years old and I'm still learning more about one of my most beloved games. Cheers.
I could listen to one of these videos for every mainline Zelda game, Mario game, donkey Kong country game, and so many others. Keep them coming Liam
Same! I love his work so much. The legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong Country, and the Super Mario series as well as the Sonic the hedgehog series, and so many more. All of these games have touched my heart and soul in so many ways and I love sharing the games and Liam's content with my wife and children.
I played OoT so much as a kid and never used to think about the music too much, until I became a musician and realized how much it impacted me even without me knowing it. It's still incredible to me how Kondo was able to make 12 distinct tunes with only 4 (5 if you count the octave) notes of just a D minor 6 chord.
I remember as a kid messing around with free playing the ocarina with the different control sticks changing the pitches by half and whole steps along with a vibrato. I didn't know what I was doing but now as an adult when I play it again I try to see how many songs I can play on the ocarina and to my surprise you can play every chromatic note from a low B to a high F.
I loved seeing the music expanded in MM with each transformation having it's own instrument, being highlighted with the Circus Leader in the Milk Bar playing the (not) Ballad Of The Wind Fish. Seeing other youtubers playing songs like Africa by Toto and others using all the instruments in MM blew my mind but it was always there for us to play with and I'm forever grateful.
I think the more correct musical term for the fairy fountain theme is syncopation, rather than polyrhythm. The piece is in 4/4 and both the right and left hand (as arranged for keyboard) are playing 16th notes, albeit with different rhythms. But polyrhythm requires multiple time signatures to be present simultaneously. I could be tweaking, maybe in some of the Zelda games they do use polyrhythm, but I think the main iteration is straightforward.
Great video, I am inspired by your passion for Zelda and music! I have a tattoo of the sheet music of Sheik’s theme on my arm. ❤
You're correct that there's syncopation, but I think the proper term that @LiamTriforce was looking for is polyphony. There's the constant 16th note melody on top, and on the bottom is a syncopated line to harmonize.
@@jimihendrix23456 great point
Ocarina of Time music is so instantly nostalgic, a few notes in and your instantly transported. Another banger video as always!
It will never stop amazing me how much this game and these songs mean to so many people. N64 was the last system I owned and played regularly. Ocarina of time was a perfect send off for the kids who grew up with the NES through N64
It's quite crazy how much of an impact Kondo had on the music of nintendo. As I grew up I played mostly through n64, then gamecube and wii, and when I finally looked at pc or playstation, I was quite surprised by just how much interplay of game and music there was in nintendo's games compared to many other franchises.
When you talked about the bells in the end theme and how you never will experience that again, you got me all teared up man. Love this game and the music is such a vital part of it that made it so memorable.
Thanks for a good video
I will forever love the music from this game. So many pieces that never fail to make me smile. I've actually got a tattoo on my forearm that depicts the Master Sword, Ocarina, and the button inputs for Saria's Song & Zelda's Lullaby.
Same....I most of the time prefer MM thematically and based on "feel"....it's just an emotionally very satisfying game and if you know you know but it's powerful sometimes
But the music in MM is sorta decent but nothing spectacular (Stone Tower, Song of Healing and Clock Town is the only real "great" song on the OST), OoT is def better there, it's hard to decide which I prefer but MM is better as an adult, I'll say that much
Hell yes, Liam. So excited to watch this. The music and how it is used in the actual gameplay is what hooked me as a kid, I think. I'm currently writing a musical deeply inspired by the world of Zelda (but original characters and all that) here in Chicago. Great job on all of these vids, you're one of my favorite creators. Your Wind Waker video is a testament to how powerful and meaningful these video games can be.
This video came out just a few hours before I finished Twilight Princess for the first time. Your timing genuinely could not have been better.
I’m playing an Ocarina randomizer, and it’s the most fun i’ve had in forever playing games. I’ve always had an appreciation for the soundtrack, especially Forest Temple, and “Inside the Deku Tree” both are a perfect mixture of serene, calming, eerie, sinister, and even melancholy, i think OoT (and Minecraft) really sparked my love for video game OSTs, and i always find myself coming back, to listen again.
One very cool thing I found out about only about a year or two ago is that Hyrule Field's Theme is comprised of multiple fifteen second long musical phrases which Kondo clearly composed so that, regardless of what time of day Link enters Hyrule Field (or Death Mountain Trail where the theme also plays), the theme can quickly dynamically shift after however long it takes to get to sundown (or an enemy approaching Link) to one of two alternate versions. One of course being the resting/sunset/twilight version that prepares to close the theme and end the musical accompaniment Link has for the quiet solitude of night (or if he is simply standing around and observing the world), the other to heighten the tension of Link engaging in mortal battle with monsters he has encountered.
Also, the lead instrument for the Spirit Temple, because it is so heavily tweaked and compressed, kind of feels like it is a mashup of an Arabic Mizmar and a Sikh Dilruba (about three-fourths Dilruba, with just enough of the Mizmar as to make it sound more like a woodwind instrument than a bowed string instrument).
I'm sure you're aware being a LoZ fan but a youtuber by the name of Save Data has a playlist on his channel that goes through the intricacies and composition of various BGM used in OOT & MM. And in case you're not already aware a link to forementioned playlist.
ua-cam.com/play/PL4rx7GrY_xH9QJiP7K4MwI3upgVkYkMuS.html
This is awesome Liam, thank you for putting this together. Looking forward to more soundtrack-focused videos in the future
Being your friend and watching you grow from basically the beginning of your career has been one of the best experiences of my life, great video as always, I will always be there to watch the next one homie 😃❤
I love these video's when you talk about soundtracks. The dkc one really was one of my favorite vids in a long long time. Tysm for these vids man!
I love the note in your Link’s Awakening video about it being the first Zelda game to have different themes for each dungeon. I feel with the music in regards to that Link’s Awakening definitely walked so Ocarina of Time could run. Great video. I can’t wait to see what other games you tackle in this new series.
For me personally, I haven't enjoyed Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom as much as the older Zelda games, particularly Ocarina, Windwaker and a Link to the Past. A big part of that is the music, I like the new tracks in the latest games but they don't speak to me in the same way as the older games, especially the three I mentioned.
Each area, dungeon and boss had a musical theme and they were soo distinctive and excellent. I also really enjoyed being able to use music in the puzzle solving process. For example, accessing Darunia's room using Zelda's Lullaby and then playing Saria's Song to build trust and get on his good side in Ocarina. Or using the Windwaker to control the wind.
Music was such a big part of those games, it wasn't just something pretty to listen to, it was a game mechanic too. I miss that.
Amazing as always
Liam, I love all of your content so much and have watched so much with my kids and added your videos to various playlists of mine, and you have just released a video on one of everyone's favorite games of all time and my personal number 1 franchise in gaming. Thank You!
awesome video as always , dude , thank you so much !! take care , Liam
They knew exactly what they were doing pairing each temple song with Sheik's monologues. It has been twenty years since I first played the game, yet the words and the notes have stayed with me since then, and will continue to do so forever.
So glad I found your channel. Loved this POV and exhaustive analysis!
Keep it coming brother!
Just finished the Mario Kart video and rewatched Zelda II. You are unstoppable!
41:10 my parents for whatever reason hate video game music, and simply don't understand that video game music can be good. To them, they think all video game music is just beeps and whistles like how it was when they were kids, and cannot comprehend that some games have won awards for soundtracks alone.
It bothers the shit out of me because my step-dad prides himself on being a music connoisseur, but refuses to listen to songs if they come from games
YES YES! I AM SO READY FOR THIS VIDEO! I was just getting back into the OOT mood, almost subconsciously. And hear I get a perfect vid from a perfect creator. I am so ready.
I’m so happy I missed these video types from you and I was just binging them again a few days ago
This game and it's music has had one hell of an impact. When I was a kid my dad still used to play video games (he introduced me to metroid lol), but now he's "grown out of it." So now, some 20yrs later, I'm hanging out w/ my parents playing Hyrule Warriors DE and the loading screens have an ocarina you can play. I'm sitting there, clicking buttons, and trying to see if I can play any songs from memory. The moment I play Song of Time, my dad instantly looks up "Hey that's Zelda! Ocarina of Time!" He also recognized Epona's theme (as the horse song) and Zelda's lullaby. For someone who's "too grown up for video games" he was very happy to name those themes.
16:28 that is not the combat music.
There is a specific song for combat, that is used for regular enemies. This is just part of the Hyrule theme and plays regularly.
I'm not sure if you've played the game recently, but the Hyrule field theme, specifically, is not adaptative to link's situation.
- It plays during the day, it stops during the night. That's it.
Lonlon Ranch legit has adaptative music, or other instances where you can get close to Malon. Honestly, even i forgot about that.
Yeah, and the calmer parts play even if you're walking around, not when you're idling.
The Hyrule field just plays random bits of the song.
@Rihcterwilker That is not true. The Hyrule Field theme has three groups of 8-measure segments it will randomly pull from: one for when Link is moving, one for when he's fighting, and one for when he's standing still. In the case of the last two groups, it will always play the first of those segments before randomly picking a different one, so there is effectively an "intro to fighting" and an "intro to standing still". Source: I reverse engineered part of the dynamic sequence format, and have maintained the tool for the past 10 years that the romhacking community uses for music import/export to OoT, SM64, and other first-party N64 games.
@@Sauraen i believe you. However, none of that was shown in the video.
@@Rihcterwilker I mean, the technical aspect wasn't, but he went over the three categories and described that the music dynamically changes between them based on what you're doing.
@@Sauraen I stand corrected then.
I put on your Ocarina of Time retrospective to fall asleep almost every night, if not the Majoras Mask one. So excited for this video!!
This is the game that got me to love music, and pursue a career of being a video game composer. I don’t know how different my life would be without Koji Kondo and Ocarina of Time.
As always: Great video. Watching Liam x Zelda videos always feels like reading love letters you'll never get tired of reading. OoT has the best overall soundtrack of any Zelda game and the soundtrack certainly enhances the game in multiple ways. I desperately hope that Nintendo will do proper music again in the next Zelda title instead of ambient music. I'd also love to have some kind of instrument again (and maybe transformations masks - those were amazing too).
Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild both had amazing soundtracks
@@ShadowWizard224I have to disagree. I get why they did ambient music, but I certainly don't have to like it. It was actually kinda boring and I'm certainly not the only one who missed the musical highlights you usually have in Zelda games.
@@Khaos-Thanathan I agree that 90% of the time it’s mostly ambient and it can get kinda boring but the other 10% of the time when the game actually does show it’s actual music is absolute perfection. Some examples would be Hyrule Castle, Hateno Village, Vah Medoh, The Attack on Vah Naboris, Mipha’s Theme, Daruk’s Theme, Tarrey Town, Korok Forest, Rito Village, etc etc…. 🙏
Minuet of forest is one of my All time favorite songs
While I wished you brought a few of the early references to the fore to enjoy, I liked this video, made me appreciate what Kondo did here. Good work!
"Why don't Gorons eat other rocks?" Has the same energy as "If you're starving, why don't you eat grass?"
Videos like this do help form a appreciation for the game even though I've never played it.
The channel "Save Data" also made videos about the music in OoT as well as MM.
Specifically the music in each of the dungeons.
Koji Kondo made each area of the game so memorable with the music associated with them.
This video was amazing! I know these take a lot of time and effort but a similar video breaking down Majora's Masks music would be super cool too
What a nice surprise!! This is one of the only UA-cam channels left that I genuinely love. Never stop, Liam. Never stop. I love how you word your impressions.
Beautifully put. This series and its music is more than just a video game. You probably already have this on your white board for future projects but in case you need encouragement; please cover Majora’s Mask and its music.
"A yearning nostalgic attachment to the simpler days of our youth. "
The whole DKC2 OST brother. I love that music so much, but it's a knife that cuts all of me at once when I hear it.
Just discovered this channel. These videos really makes WFH go by a lot faster. Thanks!
Sheesh! I sure appreciate the angles you look at Zeldas at! Other games too but it’s fun to be excited about some of the same stuff
This video sent shivers down my spine. I remember it like it was yesterday, hearing Hyrule Field's music for the first time. I was spellbound. Even as a 6 year old in 1998, I knew this was something special that I'd never forget.
Love your “understanding the music of” videos. Especially the Donkey Kong and Sonic ones (and now this Zelda one)
Would love a Banjo-Kazooie/Tooie one, one day.
Most of the games' music STILL gives me chills to this day. I remember listening yo the lost woods theme for hours as a kid, opening the menu and just taking in the beautiful opening song into the cute plinging piano of the character select.
I was absolutely blown away as a kid the first time I ventured into the Forest Temple and that haunting music played.
I can't tell you how many times I've watched this video lol I love videos like this. even more your wind waker retrospective (MY favorite Zelda game) glad my fellow Zelda nerd friend suggested your UA-cam channel
Amazing as always, Liam. Always look forward to these.
I will forever like the OG fire temple music and mirror shield, so much cooler than the knockoff shadow temple they replaced it with
There is an artist named Hal Walker who has a musical piece called "Low Key Gliding." That music gives me the same feeling that many tracks in OOT and MM do. It's an incredible experience.
Forest temple is one of the coolest pieces of music ever made. As a kid it was genuinely terrifying but now it’s calming and beautiful. It’s so unique and I really can’t think of anything like it.
Check out Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock (from the album Head Hunters). Very possible Kondo took inspiration from that song for the Forest Temple.
Comment for the algorithm because this is a beautiful video for a beautiful soundtrack in a beautiful game and I need to indicate how much I appreciate that.
I absolutely love that you use footage from the N64 original compared to the bigger Zelda UA-camrs who always use the 3D remake! A lot more authentic and I appreciate your take on the music of the game!
please keep going with this as a series, i’d love to see videos on the other zelda games !!!
Poetic as always, Liam. Well done.
My favorite channel by far!! Keep it up man .
Interestingly, at 16:35 - Hyrule Field's theme is not actually 'dynamic' in the sense that it actively changes based on the player's activity. It is dynamic in the sense that it 'contains' a variety of sections that may (or may not) be appropriate at any given time, but Hyrule Field's theme does not respond per se to the player's actions. This is unlike Banjo's music, which does dynamically change depending on the activity i.e. whether the player is underwater.
Fantastic video. Disagree on the Fire Temple theme thoughts. I actually prefer the revised version. The 'shadow temple' inspired sounds in it always sounded like a disorienting fear of heights to me, which fit in the twin mountains you're ascending.
The music from Link to the Past acts as a link to my past. When I hear it, I get transported every single time.
Man I need a whole series on this subject for Zelda! Way to go!
God damn it you’re gonna make me play this damn game again
I know this wasn't the original intention of the developers but i usually play OOT and MM back to back whenever i do play them and the final church bells at the end of Ocarina of Time's credits feel insanely foreboding once you realize they're the same ones you hear in Termina when another day is ending, it makes me feel like the bells and clocks of Termina are calling upon Link for his last adventure as he walks out of the temple of time
The part for water temple when entering the temple, in my thoughts always were: "Its now time for the best battle, Dark link." Also for me that fight was a symbol of growing up and overcoming obstacles because since the battle seems the reflection of link which is battling with himself, its like battling with his inner thoughts, and one wins, either the inner thoughts overcome you, that's where link dies, or you overcome the thoughts, which in this case link eliminates dark link and moves on.
Great video, the theme of Ganon and the Spirit Temple are similar, nice touch for the "lore" from Kondo
I loved this video!
It would be so lovely to see other music related videos with more Zelda games!
41:10
I don’t see the distain for game music. Generally, it’s seems that people really love it (almost always gamers, especially if they have a connection to the game), or that have no opinion on the matter, similarly to how most people wouldn’t have an opinion on obscure sea shanties or something.
I’m guessing by your accent that you are from the US, me too. I wonder how regional the distaste is.
It's usually people who grew up in the 80's or before. People who think video games are for nerds, and that nerds are there to be bullied
I already know this will be another banger
Oh bro this gonna be an amazing video can already tell
Gerudo Valley slaps so hard. I've always loved it, even back as a kid. Probably my favorite Zelda song.
I was there that day malcura played that, i remember walking threw that mall and i herd it and was sorta jist humming it till i just went hang on that gerudo valley, and watch them play it, it was awesome
It's interesting how the energy tennis match requires perfect tempo in a game all about music.
Amazing video. Very nostalgic. I will always hold Zelda music dear to my heart.
Yes another Understanding the Music video, I love this series. I hope one day you will do a Understanding the Music of Deep rock Galactic or Charlie Murder. They have a amazing video game soundtrack and really amazing feels/ emotions to the songs. My top picks for
Deep Rock Galactic:
Run!
Dance With the Dreadnought
Follow Molly
Absolute Zero
Charlie Muder:
While the Living Warm their Bones
Mnemonic Atomic Flashback
Gun and Bass
Consumerist Stomp
Faces That I Understand
Liam, you have a real talent for taking the expressions and emotions conveyed in music and capturing them with words; the way you describe the different themes, not just describes the music itself but the feelings the music evokes, it's spot on. I feel exactly those kinda things when i hear those tracks!
Your videos are very entertaining and thought provoking, you're very good at what you do, man!
I stopped and paused this as ALttP’s opening theme started simply to say how much I fucking love it.
I thought that the Hyrule theme in OOT, changed according to the time of the day, didn't know it was reacting to action before. I don't know if you noticed in TOTK, but I think that the horn sound effect you hear when you enter the depths from the chasm mid-flight, is a part of the shadow temple's theme.
This games music made me feel nostalgia yet it was my first playthrough and it was 2020
Talking about music is great. But it's a fine balance between showing the music, and talking over it. There were so many instances where I wished you'd actually let us hear the songs, instead of just talking about them.
Please pleeeease tell me we're gonna get one of these videos for Majoras Mask 🙏 I love these videos and Liam's commentating is both mature and logical while retaining that sense of childlike bliss that we all feel/felt playing these games. Keep up the great work man! 🤘
Small correction: KK already had the overworld music for TLoZ when he found out Bolero wasn't in the public domain yet, he "just" needed to rearrange it into the opening scroll theme overnight (still stressful enough, I imagine).
Anyway, Kondo is a freaking genius and OoT is his magnus opum. Idk if there's any other game so jam-packed with memorable melodies as this one. And the atmospheric stuff without hooks is just as amazing, like the Forest Temple Theme.
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The Spirit Temple theme is my favorite song in the game. It really touches something in me.