Why This ICONIC Mario Music Just SOUNDS Like Water
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- čas přidán 7. 04. 2024
- I spent HOURS floating around in Mario64 listening to this soundtrack.
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I did NOT know real sonar sounded like THAT. Apparently, the Navy has sonar capable of 235dB... So like, bye bye organs. Yikes. Anyways, what's YOUR favorite water level soundtrack??
Blub Blub Ocean and Deep See Diving from Kirby's Epic Yarn!
I'd love to reply, but I never see you in the comments, bro ! 🥲
The various mario underwaters are great, but *world of illusion* is on another level: czcams.com/video/fo-dCl1fa0I/video.html
ALL of the Ecco the Dolphin and Ecco:Tides of Time for Sega CD (Mega Drive/Genesis is also good). The genius Spencer Nilsen! Lots of Pink Floyd inspiration.
Beach Bowl Galaxy
Actually to sound underwater you just have to be below C level. Major or Minor. Either works.
LMAO
You should've stopped at C level
@@zgSH4DOW I have a sinking feeling you’re correct…..
r/angryupvote
@@iLeetjeeh you honor me! ❤️
As a sound designer, I think about this stuff all of the time. Honestly, what we do in the movies is put a low pass filter on normal sounds and that accomplishes the goal perfectly. What I did on the underwater moments in the Super Mario Bros movie was that technique and then I filled up their movement with low passed body movements. It all sounds underwater but it can get muddy so to get things to stand out from the muck, I put in underwater bubbles that have high mids accentuating movement.
Welp. That's just the coolest CZcams comment ever. Pack it up everybody you can all go home.
Amazing insight! Are you hiring by chance? 😅
Ive been sound design for only a couple of years now and this is pretty much all i do, so glad to hear that the same thing is done by the pros a lot of the time 😅
Shout out to Walter Murch for pioneering the art of filmic sound design. ❤️
Really fascinating stuff! Any other tips for underwater music? You seem to have some real in depth industry experience
The Zora’s domain music from Ocarina of Time is another aquatic masterpiece
This!!!
The water temple from OoT and TP as well.
Yesssss!!!!
Came here to say this and water temple!
Yar, I was surprised it wasn't brought up
This is an extremely well-made video.
I love seeing CZcamsrs I watch and enjoy commenting on other videos I come across. It makes me realize how connected the community can be at times.
@@TheAqualegendIt's quite fun, for sure.
Only 2 comments and 7 likes?
@@TheAqualegendLooks like a throttle house shirt as well
Kyle hill
Want to point out about the Mario 64 water track how the percussion kicks in when Mario emerges from the water and starts walking on dry ground. There's a simple snare beat that is eerily reminiscent of water dripping onto the floor like when you climb out of a swimming pool or turn off the shower. Just another great little illustrative element put in there by Kondo that was probably very much informed by the game design itself. I'd also add that, at least regarding this particular track, it's that distinction between the music on dry ground versus under water that helps further define the perception of being either submerged or surfaced. Simple touch, but pretty clever, imo.
Just like Super Mario World for SNES. Hopping onto Yoshi added new percussion to the already playing music. Brilliant.
Also well worth mentioning that in Jolly Roger Bay, the string/pad doesn't start until after you enter the water. A beautifully underrated touch.
There are actually two over-water variants. The simplest (Jolly Roger Bay's starting point) and the one with percussion and strings (in the cave with the falling pillars)
A similar thing to that is in a Gen 5 Pokemon track. The percussion is added in only when you start walking.
czcams.com/users/shorts_X6ZcMMQrck
Thanks for undertaking the "Aquatic Ambience" from DK. That song has stayed with me and I always considered it great music that goes beyond gaming. A real masterpiece.
As I don’t play the games, my introduction to the music is usually the brilliant jazz covers by The Consouls. I then go to the OST to marvel at the ingenuity of both. Aquatic Ambience is SO good!
I got through one of those 10 hour loops of aquatic ambience during 2 work days once. IMO It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever made.
This and Stickerbush Symphony are transcendent masterpieces
@@cooldebtI’m going to check on that, sounds very interesting. Thanks 😊
@@audunskilbrei8279geez, man. It’s amazing how music can change your mood. This piece can really take your mind off 👍
I love that this video breaking down a Mario track spends more than half its timing gushing over Donkey Kong country.
Aquatic ambience is 11/10
Underwater levels in all video games - always the most frustrating but always the best soundtrack.
Facts
It’s because the controls are different than the normal levels. Worse are only ice or „drunk“ (think Yoshi’s Island) gameplay scenarios
Really liking the new editing cut ins adding further trivia and information that you either forgot or thought about later since you normally speak off the cuff.
Agreed. Great editing.
Yes, I like the Candid Charles Cam™️
It’s very Sesame Street and I love it
When he was talking about the mystery of the ocean at 4:42 I was almost certain that it was a segue into "You can learn more about the mysteries of the ocean from today's sponsor Curiosity Stream," haha
Yeah. Really good stuff.
The tempo also plays a big part. Rivers, lakes, oceans are slow moving, peaceful environments. So having slow tempo with soft/long release instruments matches that perfectly and the characters in the game are moving slowly underwater too.
Yes. That first tune in the video with two chords at that tempo suggests waves coming in and falling back again
Rivers and oceans definitely can be pretty violent too, think of tsunami or a river flowing over or something
@@leob4403 Missing the point.
@@leob4403 well that would obviously be much different than this music, would be cool if there was a underwater level where its normal, its peaceful, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT GETS SERIOUS. Thats what came to mind after seeing ur comment.
@@leob4403Then the music wouldalso be different. But usualy waterlevels are rather peacefull
There's another component worth considering - the depth at which the exploration is taking place in these environments, and the way that the chord progression and rhythms describe how the water behaves at those depths. Aquatic Ambience describes a deep open-ocean environment with a rhythm that has a quality reminiscent of the way the sunbeams or bubbles waver as they pass through the water. Dire Dire Docks has a chord progression that, throughout its cycle, behaves like shallower water, going in and out in waves, with a rhythm to each phrase that mirrors the formation, crest and crash of a wave with the final note in each part. The use of a snare also mimics the sound of the rushing seafoam on sand. I feel like the rhythm and shape of the phrasing is even more important here than just the instrumentation and effects, but it's also easy to miss because those more visible elements are done so well.
Dire Dire Docks is one of the greatest pieces of music ever. 👌
The soundtrack from the water levels/places from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are also quite the masterpiece. The Water Temple music is ethereal, mysterious and echoey. Zora's Domain is its own vibe, too.
Zora's domain in OOT is still one of the GOATs of water level songs.
was here to say this! thank youuuu
Yeesss, I second that
Don't forget Great Bay Temple and Lakebed Temple too.
I'm not that familiar with the Zelda or Mario soundtracks, but I recognized the Water Temple theme because it's sampled in a song by Blank Banshee called "Eco Zones". Check it out! czcams.com/video/7sGT3tmZJ5s/video.html
I love how Aquatic Ambience is effective across so many different types of underwater environments, whether they be tranquil, treacherous, mysterious, or corrupted.
The 2-2 underwater theme would sound really goofy in a polluted body of water.
Thank you for mentioning David Wise! Donkey Kong music is my childhood and is what inspired me to get into music.
I didn't know David Wise also worked on the Donkey Kong music (or, in reality, I probably did but I just keep forgetting). I actually know and really enjoy David Wise's music from the... NES "game", "Taboo: The Sixth Sense". A very, very odd choice of subject matter to translate into a game for the NES, but it's held up by the astonishingly hype and mysterious soundtrack.
David Wise is my favorite video game compiser specifically for the Star Fox Adventures and DKC soundtracks.
I'd say Dinosaur Planet, but honestly I think the SFA soundtrack is better and more fleshed out.
Another awesome feeling of Dire Dire Docks is that if you listen to the chorus, the smooth transition between high and low notes sounds like waves gently lapping the shoreline, or crashing heavily against rocks. It gives you the feeling of being inside those currents.
I've heard many, MANY covers of Dire Dire docks, and depending on what instrument and combination is used, it could feel tranquil and calm, or majestic and treacherous. You could have the feeling of swimming over a coral reef, or sailing a ship though a storm.
Kondo was a genius when it came to making awesome soundtracks for Mario.
Glad for this channel breaking down why iconic pieces of music work. An old friend of mine has been turning a story he's been working on into a video game for nearly a decade and he asked me to make the soundtrack for him. Man's completely tone deaf. I can't read music, haven't played piano since I was 10, and have no idea where to start. I know what music sounds good, I know how to play chords and notes, but the challenge of making something that's actually good has been a gargantuan task. Channels like this have made it possible for someone like me who's musically minded but never taken a music class to break down music in an understandable way.
hire someone on fiver like a modern man
As someone who's taken plenty music classes, it is a gargantuan task for me as well.
Why is this comment so relatable lol? Literally making a soundtrack for a video game right now that my brother in law and my wife and I have been working on and I’m in the same boat lol
Check out the yt shorts by Open Studio for some awesome piano/composing tips!!
Loved this breakdown! Fun factoid my audio engineering teacher shared with me: irl underwater sounds aren’t actually muffled, but rather the opposite! It is the sounds from above water which seem muffled when heard underwater. Sounds that originate underwater tend to be very bright. Water, being incompressible, transfers high frequencies very efficiently. But it also reflects them for the same reason. Next time you’re in a pool, stick your head underwater near a water jet, and you’ll notice it sounds very thin/bright. But voices of people above water will be super dark and muffled. Blew my mind because we always think of water as sounding muffled!
We can really feel how much you worked on this video with the explanation parts, your work keeps on getting better and we love it ! Keep up the good work !!!
Off the top of my head:
Final Fantasy V - Deep Blue Sea
Final Fantasy VI - Serpent Trench
Metroid Prime - Chrashed Frigate Orpheon
Chrono Cross - Jellyfish Sea
Final Fantasy X - Underwater Ruins
All different feeling, but still evoke a sense of water.
You're exactly right. I looked all of these up just now. Uses a lot of the tropes that CC talked about here.
Castlevania Symphony of the night: Crystal Teardrop
Metroid Prime 2 - Torvus Bog Subterranean
Dire dire docks will always be the first thing that comes to my mind when i think water and music
I always find slight similarity between underwater and space-themed music. Your analysis about it being “mysterious but calming” really explains it.
It's interesting the way composers try to transcribe the vibe of water. Or space even
Let's also not forget Zoras Domain and Water Temple: OoT
Zoras Domain is so amazing, goosebumps just thinking about it
dont remind me of the temple i took 6 hours on
@@myarmhurts-eeeeee I remember my cousin asking me what point I was at in the game and said "you'll need this" and he handed me a guide lol
@@manoz6194 nice
They say the music at the water temple was originally for an ice temple, if you listen to it again it does sound like it!
I task Charles to do "Stickerbrush Symphony" next - the absolute quint essential SNES track there is.
Originally intended to be a water level track, too.
Hope he reads this lol because I second that. There is no good reason every version of that song has so much passion. I like the smash Bros brawl version the most
That song deserves its own video for sure. The whole DKC2 soundtrack is incredible: Hot-Head Hop, Forest Interlude, Bayou Boogie, Krook's March, Crocodile Cacophony, and In a Snow-bound Land just to name a few.
Sometimes I listen 1 hour version music on CZcams during my work!
*Checkpoint*
This video is just so cool and shows how far you've come not only in breaking down in bit all kinds of videogame music in an awesome way, but also on how you build context, edit and play around with filming to do these explanations. These discussions about water were especially cool! Cheers and thanks for the video!
Your video production has gone up a notch and it doesn’t go unnoticed! I love watching/listening to your videos because I always learn something
Aquatic Ambience is literally my all-time favorite video game music track in history. It had absolutely NO business being so sexy for a Super Nintendo game! I didn't even know that the console was even capable of playing music that complex-sounding. I heard that David Wise did a LOT of creative engineering to massage the console into playing those exquisite tracks in Donkey Kong. Hats off to his ingenuity and creativity! It gave birth to a song that still brings tears to my eyes, and lulls me into serenity.
Ocean Force Point is my favorite so I raise my glass to you, fellow David Wise appreciator
Aquatic Ambience is one of my favorite pieces of vgm hands down
That can be a loaded statement to VGM nerds. It’s beautiful and technically amazing yes, but does it break your heart?
Tracks such as “Nobuo Uematsu - Searching for Friends” hit at a very personal level. How music makes you feel and the order and method the composer used to create it is most important. That extends beyond technical theory.
@@excrono "People don't like when others have opinions and like stuff" is what you're saying - such an unnecessary comment. 😮💨
Agree. It's an absolute masterpiece of music.
@@lynxthewise7233 The feeling is mutual, I express a direct, personal opinion about music and others invalidate me, they feel my comment is unnecessary and don’t understand my intent, turning it against me.
I am ready to die on my hill, are you?
I value music over nostalgia. If you can't see past that... wake up.
I respect your opinion, though I don't understand how it can be a loaded comment that something was OP's favorite. Even then, I don't think OP should really care if it is.
I think personally, the ocean has very similar mixes of mystery, exploration, and discovery as space, and that when creating music to be played underwater, hints of the mysterious aspects of music designed in movies and shows that depict space were subconsciously used to tie the similarities of atmosphere.
"Underwater" from Croc is perhaps my favourite piece of underwater video game music. I have huge nostalgia for that game and its soundtrack. It's deeply unsettling, which, due to my fear of deep water, definitely helps me feel immersed lol
I’m loving all the little side tangents about science, old game limitations, and so on! Really helps give context
Your videos make me very happy. The joy you have breaking down and talking about the music is the most sincere form of why these games and songs made me so happy
Dire Dire Docks is my favorite piece of music from any videogame.
You cooked up a banger of a video. The editing cuts and just how much awe and appreciation you have for music hit so well in this one. Keep it up!!
I was literally playing this on my piano as I got the post notification...
i was watching another youtube video about it
U sure google aint bugged ur home 😮
Same… forgot about the telescreen I guess.
Some of the best video game music for real 😮💨
"the instruments" or type of sound chosen, for the aquatic music of Mario 64:
always reminded me of the movie “Free Willy”
Love the Throttle House t-shirt! Great video.
I thought I might have been the only one who noticed! I was so excited to have seen it! 😂
Quick note on the artistic sonar, that's a weapon sonar i.e. a torpedo using sonar, they have a simpler ping as target ID is less important than "there is a big metal thing nearby for me to whack"
Finally another video of yours talking about videogame music. I love how gleeful you are during this entire thing. I'm marveled by the theme of the video itself, and also second hand marveled for your sheer joy of talking about music.
You, sir, enforce my pleasure of listening to music just by hear you talking about it.
Appreciate the added production and editing with varied shot setups. Keeps things way more interesting and more polished effort feels.
0:29 By being an inspired musician with the intent to create a piece of music that matches up with the visuals it was intended for... 🧠
Bro really went from video game music to a lesson on physics 💀
Me as both, a physics and music enthousiast, I can't complain
Dire, Dire Docks was the very first video game tune I ever learned how to play on the piano, and is still one of my favorites.
The Super Mario Bros 1 underwater theme is definitely harder to play, but I have a weakness for waltzy tunes like that, so I also love playing that one.
Switching to Sonic for a moment... Tidal Tempest Present, Japanese version. You'll thank me later.
THE most beautiful underwater music in video game history. Yes, above even Aquatic Ambience.
"Switching to Sonic for a moment... Tidal Tempest Present, Japanese version. You'll thank me later.
THE most beautiful underwater music in video game history. Yes, above even Aquatic Ambience."
Based, I completely agree with you, the original Japanese version of Tidal Tempest Present from Sonic CD is transcendentally good and the GOAT of water level music. In my opinion, the Holy Trinity of water level music is the original Japanese version of Tidal Tempest Present at Number 1 and then Dire, Dire Docks at Number 2, then Aquatic Ambience at Number 3.
Thank you so much for content like this Charles! I started playing guitar at 10 years old (almost 30 now) and have learned some piano and drums as well over the years. Out of high school I took all my theory classes and songwriting and played in a band for years, although now we've all moved on. Watching this content scratches an itch I have that I can't exactly do with my friends. You always talk about things I know about but also teach me new things and I miss that feeling of learning. A most humble thank you from the bottom of my heart! I hope you can continue to dive into soundtracks like you've been doing.
You should do a breakdown of some of the Persona 3 Reload tracks. Specifically "It's Going Down Now" which is a brand new battle track, and "Color Your Night" which is their new nighttime city music. The whole soundtrack is great but definitely check that out if you haven't already!
Charles never ceases to amaze me with his musical theory and playing skills. Also as a fellow car guy, seeing Charles wearing Throttle House merch makes my heart happy
Dude I just want to say: I love how much you just love music. I love that you have a passion for every song you reference, and that you have something to say about all of them. I know it's the gig for your channel, but its so genuine and endearing, thank you for sharing your passion ❤
this is the first song i ever learned on piano and im so glad to see it pop up rn, great video
"Think of delay as being between two mirrors and reverb is the two mirrors being broken"...heard that years ago and it summed up echo and reverb perfectly.
I love watching your videos because of how excited you get over the awesome chord changes, it makes me excited too!
This episode was AWESOME! I've always loved the underwater soundtracks in every game.
Also love the Throttle House hoodie - Charles a car guy!?
Dude, he sim-races as a hobby off camera. No shocker there.
@@Mr_Bedlam215 No way, I had no idea! Good to see another enthusiast. Thanks for telling me
@@milesm3419 No problemo. He's mentioned it in at least one video before lol
There’s a beautiful arrangement of Dire Dire Docks by Kyle Landry and it’s one of my favorite pieces to play. Even my local youth drum line group did a version of this when we did a video game themed show one year.
Edit: I’m dumb, we didn’t play DDD it was the Mario Bros underwater theme.
Literally been watching these videos for years now and it’s crazy how much the style and quality have changed over time 🙌🏼
Charles is not only teaching us about music but also about how sounds travel through water 😂 and giving us multiple angles/different areas of interest during his info edits.
I also gotta love the added piano graphic that shows what he is playing, it’s perfect to follow along with.
Love the deep explanation and diferent cameras and break points. Your vídeos are amazing, thank you:)
Underwater music from The Goonies II on NES has the same vibe. Waltz, bubbly sounds, augmented dominant chords and echo. It’s a killer soundtrack through-and-through, with nothing but bangers. Ice cave and cavern in particular.
Oh, the nostalgia !
3:30 that string backing chords without the piano lead also works in space environments. It feels really like you are lost in fast emptyness. The piano chords you play over it feel like the life in the ocean at the front. Yet you feel the endless emptyness of the ocean behind it.
Love how it baits you from Mario into the the DKC series that has one of the greatest soundtracks in video gaming history.
You should look up Masashi Hamauzu's arrangement of Aquatic Ambience from the German concert Symphonic Legends. It makes this track even more beautiful.
8:05 I WILL NOT BEHAVE SIR.
Nah Aquatic Ambience is one of my favorite songs ever, so the video flipping to that out of nowhere is incredible.
Also… I laughed out loud at this part lol. These videos make me want to learn to play piano 😅
The soundtrack of the movie 'le grand bleu' especially 'my lady blue' is a great music that gives the feeling of the underwater and the world of scuba diving❤❤❤❤❤
Sea of mare from mario sunshine, and Sunken frigate from metroid prime are also masterpieces
Underwater music from Metroid Prime is gorgeous, and it has all the qualities of proper water level
100% Drowned Frigate was my first thought when he asked for other iconic ones
Finally a new Charles Cornell vid!
Your videos are always so validating and nostalgic for me. I spent hours as a kid loving a lot of the stuff you cover, and this Donkey Kong song is no exception. I used to swim around in those water levels and actively avoid moving past them, just to listen to the music. I love your analysis of the theory, composition, timbre and tonal qualities of so many things I've always loved, in many cases without ever stopping to ask myself why the source resonated with me so much.
Charles, I really appreciate your in-depth look at this particular score, but also the additional insight and research and analysis in the nature of the ocean and its influence for these Melodies, including things like echo, reverb, etc! Keep up the good work. It’s all about quality and you don’t fail to deliver. Thank you! - Kyle 😊
The real question is can a gorilla breathe underwater for so long
So does the italian
Finally! This is one of the most beautiful pieces ever! Thanks for reviewing it!
Absolutely amazing video! Something so meditative and peaceful about these tracks.
such a good video! great information, great structure, superb editing - had so much fun watching this one :)
That 007 sound is in Perfect Dark too.
I have no idea why I hadn't subscribed already, but now I have.
I love your work analyzing video game music in particular -- great stuff!
One thing that makes the SM64 music sound like water to me is the low notes of those arpeggios (and even the arpeggios themselves) remind me of bubbles floating up to the surface!
Shouted out YES as soon as you mentioned Aquatic Ambiance. Glad I’m not the only one who noticed the perfection and connection between these songs.
OMG... That Donkey Kong Country underwater theme is one of my favorite songs from that entire game! It brings me back to early childhood. The Super Mario 64 underwater theme brings me back to my pre-teen days. Ahhh, so much nostalgia!
Your videos are so good, like, everytime. Thanks for the content!
One of the very best immersive “water level music” tracks in my opinion is the Crashed Frigate Orpheon track from Metroid Prime. Criminally underrated track, on par with the ones mentioned in this video in my opinion, incredibly immersive
I'm glad someone is finally bringing this up. I always loved the Dire Dire Docks level just because of the soundtrack. It gave me that exact feeling you are talking about.
I have to say this is your best video. All the explanations/edits add a ton to the video. I don’t even play the piano, but your videos are really inspiring me to begin. Greetings from Brazil!
I've loved your videos and as a music student I find the analysis of all of these different genres of music interesting to be able to apply what I'm learning to real-world examples. Could you look into Helldivers 2 and the music there? Also I like the Throttle House hoodie! Keep up the great work!
As someone who’s making an exclusively underwater platformer, this video couldn’t come at a better time. Ima have to shoot this over to my composer, thank you for making this.
Thank you, Charles, for those little cuts with extra-info, I really like that :)
One of my favorite VGM pieces to play. I actually play this to warm my hands up before I practice or play. It’s so good!!!
I like the effort put into this video :). enjoyed how you explained the "science" behind it
Read the title and instantly knew what song this was going to be about! Love it.
Dude I had forgotten the TMNT water level!
I'll add that the long holds on the notes help convey the vast openness of the ocean. The music of Subnautica isn't quite as iconic as Dire Dire Docks or Aquatic Ambiance, but it really hightens the beautiful amd frightening aspect of being in the deep.
I love your insightful and passionate analyses of video game soundtracks that we enjoy but otherwise take for granted! It's very interesting to learn what goes into creating a vibe in a composition. Keep up the amazing work 🫶
6:40
That rising high-pitched note reminds me a lot of the rising high-pitched notes you hear in the Save Room theme in the original Resident Evil. Interestingly enough, that song could probably be an underwater theme pretty easily as it has a very similar quality to this. Perhaps that's part of what makes it feel like a "safe room."
Deep Blooper Sea (Mario Party 3)
Staying on the track of Donkey Kong, the Water World theme from DKC3 is also fantastic, and really doubles down on the mystery aspect. It's a beautiful and somewhat haunting take on an underwater theme.
"The Ocean" from EVO: Search for Eden is also one I would highly recommend checking out, as it not only captures the underwater theme, but also beautifully contends with the greater context of being set in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic era.
I swear your videos make me remember why I love music so much, thank you!
What a fantastic video! So much interesting topics being covered! Science, awesome chords, retro games and cool sound design. Thanks for sharing :)
*LOVE THE CAMERA WORK**
And the in depth explanations!
👏👏👏👏👏
i admire your recognition of musicall structure and the motions chords and provide
I love the editing and formatting in this video
I loved that you talked about sound design, effects and frequencies; not just music theory (which I love too, don't get me wrong!). I hope that you keep this approach for future videos!! 😊
Charles! I absolutely love all your analysis! I’d love to hear you cover more electronic music and EDM artists like Virtual Riot.
Another great analysis of just how clever a lot of vgm is. So much creative effort goes into the composition when you consider it is ‘just for a game’ so it is great when we acknowledge the creativity and musicianship.