Secret of Mana: Resonance of the Pure Land / Secret of Mana: Resonance of the Pure Land / Secret of Mana: Resonance of the Pure Land

Secret of Mana: Resonance of the Pure Land
Comments from album directors Jorito (Jorrith Schaap), The Nikanoru (Mike Postans), visual artist Tabby (Tabitha Ramsey), and ReMixers
Album freely available at http://mana.ocremix.org

Jorito: Welcome to the Secret of Mana album, a project that was started way back in 2011. Kicking life back into a project that has lain dormant for so long normally isn't easy, but when you're talking about a game that is as beloved as Secret of Mana, magic definitely can happen!

Growing up, I never owned a Super Nintendo, but that didn't stop me from playing and enjoying a lot of SNES RPGs. Of course, I did play and beat Secret of Mana, and I still have "Fond Memories" of the game and its music. Especially the calm, sad songs and the whale sounds are still imprinted in my mind, and instantly bring back memories of good times and bouts of nostalgia.

Even though the album restart had its fair share of hiccups/problems, I can't help but be incredibly proud of how it all turned out. Big kudos to the artists who really stepped up their game and created these very diverse and creative but still very recognizable interpretations of the world and sounds of the Secret of Mana, and also to Tabby, who really caught the essence of Mana in her beautiful artwork. I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to it just as much as we enjoyed creating it!

- Jorrith Schaap (Jorito)

The Nikanoru: The Secret of Mana has always had a special place in my heart -- one of my favorite games of all time. This was one of the first RPGs I ever completed and I've played through this game many, many times since then. The soundtrack for this game has always made me think of the beauty and diversity of nature and the careful balance that maintains them. To me, each track conveys an aspect of this world of Mana and since the center of nature in this world is the Mana Tree, it only made sense that the theme of our album would revolve around the sounds you might hear in the forest surrounding this world-supporting tree -- the Resonance of the Pure Land.

All the remixers have brought their own resonance to this project, often taking their remixes in completely different directions than I expected -- I think this gives the album a distinctly unique flavor that still reflects the themes and values in the game itself. It has been an amazing experience to have worked with such talented and diverse musicians and with Jorrith on directing. I learned a heck of a lot from everyone, enjoyed watching this project grow, and I'm happy I was able to be part of it. I hope you will enjoy this album and hope it becomes as much as classic for you, the listener, as the Secret of Mana itself.

- Mike Postans (The Nikanoru)

Tabby: Alright, don't kill me but... I was a Sega girl growing up. I've never played Secret of Mana. Ahh! No! Put down the rocks!

Seriously though. This was a fun but hard challenge for me. I've never drawn art from something I wasn't at least somewhat familiar with. I went into this a blank slate. I did hours of research and digging up pictures, which weren't easy to find. Then, right as I finished up, Square announced the remake with all that new, pretty artwork. THANKS, SQUARE.

I hope you enjoy the artwork as much as I enjoyed making it. It's always a nice break to do something completely out of my comfort zone.

- Tabitha Ramsey (Tabby)

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1-01. Kylok feat. Trev Wignall, Bree - "Variations of Fear"
Source: "Fear of the Heavens"

1-02. Rexy - "Azure Your Cause"
Source: "The Color of The Summer Sky," Cameo: "I Closed My Eyes"

1-03. Jorito feat. JoyDreamer, JohnStacy - "Whispers"
Source: "Whisper and Mantra"

1-04. Hylian Lemon - "A Comet's Tale"
Source: "A Curious Tale"

1-05. RebeccaETripp - "Firedust"
Source: "Secrets of the Arid Sands"

1-06. Jorito feat. Smooth4Lyfe - "Masters of Mischief"
Source: "A Curious Happening"

1-07. Pablo Coma feat. Pichu's Dad - "Jema's Victory Groove"
Source: "Calm Before the Storm"

1-08. Guifrog - "Secret of Mozzarella"
Source: "It Happened Once"

1-09. DS - "Steel and Wubz"
Sources: "Steel and Snare," "In the Dead of Night"

1-10. Mikeaudio - "Home from Here"
Source: "Now Flightless Wings"

1-11. Sir Jordanius - "No Cab, Fan Pride: Boku No Infinite Thotty Gaiden"
Source: "The Second Truth from the Left"

2-01. djpretzel - "What the Ocean Taught the Forest"
Source: "What the Forest Taught Me"

2-02. Guifrog - "Kaleidoscope"
Source: "Dancing Animals"

2-03. Chernabogue feat. Furilas, Kylok - "A Sunday Afternoon in August"
Source: "A Bell Is Tolling"

2-04. Eino Keskitalo, Jorito - "Together We Will Stand"
Source: "Together Always"

2-05. Jorito feat. Sagnewshreds - "Beyond the Big Infinity"
Source: "Flight into the Unknown"

2-06. Lucas Guimaraes feat. Furilas, Marc Papeghin, VGCellomusic, Jorito - "Down the Rabite Hole"
Source: "Into the Thick of It"

2-07. Devastus - "The Ordeal"
Source: "The Legend"

2-08. Sagnewshreds - "Eight Magics"
Source: "Danger," "Morning Is Here"

2-09. Radiowar - "The Changing Pattern of Light"
Source: "Ceremony"

2-10. The Legendary Zoltan - "There's a Dark Lich Hiding in There!"
Source: "The Oracle"

3-01. RebeccaETripp - "The Still Night Stirs"
Source: "Still of the Night"

3-02. Rozovian - "Under Cover of Night"
Source: "In the Dead of Night," Cameo: "Fear of the Heavens"

3-03. Kylok feat. Bree - "Blue Wolves and Ice"
Source: "A Wish..."

3-04. halc - "Sunny with a Chance of Thunder"
Source: "Distant Thunder"

3-05. Guifrog feat. Chris | Amaterasu - "Footsteps to Destiny"
Source: "One of Them Is Hope"

3-06. Sbeast - "The Future Foretold"
Source: "Prophecy"

3-07. GaMetal - "Flying Fortress Foray"
Source: "Leave Time for Love"

3-08. Jorito feat. JohnStacy, Lauren the Flute - "A Wistful Heart"
Source: "Fond Memories," "The Dark Star"

3-09. Fishy - "Dragon Buster"
Source: "Meridian Dance," Cameo: "Fear of the Heavens"

3-10. Blake Inc. - "Shadows from the Past"
Source: "The Dark Star"

3-11. HeavyViper - "Reminiscence Beneath a Great Tree"
Source: "Spirit of the Night"