I did not post any new songs last year. It was because I thought I should select a set of songs I like and have different tastes, tune them as best as I can and make up an album out of them all, rather than creating new songs. Thus I have created the album "Sincerely Yours" containing new remixed and best tuned versions of 12 songs of mine. (This part is extracted from my previous post.)

This is the first song of the album. It is the most brilliant song in it. It was remixed based on “Far Beyond The Clouds (remixed)” .

https://soundcloud.com/hirokata1121/far-beyond-the-clouds-remixed

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=429054#Post429054

I think this remix is one of the most successful ones I made in creating the album. I believe the quality level of the base version is high, but the remix could enhance its quality to much higher level.

https://soundcloud.com/hirokata1121/far-beyond-the-clouds-album

Major changes I made for the remix:

1. Tempo: faster (60 ==> 70)

2. Intro: 2 bars, chord sequence generated by BIAB ==> 4 bars, my original chord sequence

3. Styles: =AWAKEGF.STY ==> KLADRMAN.STY w/some manual changes

4. Instruments for the guitar tracks:
Acoustic guitars (Real Tracks) ==> Synth sounds (Bright Tip and DX Times in D-Pro)

The order (from high to low) of the effects brought by each change might be as follows.
4 > 2 > 1 > 3

I hope you enjoy this song. As always, your feedback would be most welcome.

Hiroshi

P.S.

I am afraid that I am too much positive about my songs. I think I should be able to value them as fairly as possible, but frankly, it is not easy for me. Only your feedback can correct me. It is why I am eager to have your feedback.

Thank you.

I like the tempo.
There's lot going on in the centre of the stereo image until about 2 mins in when the Death of Ase type of string theme enters on the left.
Lovely.

WOW Yet another stunning piece from you Hiro. Simply gorgeous right throughout, and the strings coming in really gives it an extra lift

Beautiful piece.

Thank you for your comment. It reminded me of something.
As I wrote in the description of the album, I used the wind instruments (flute, clarinet and oboe) heavily for the melodies because I love their tones so much and most of the songs are the orchestral or classical-style pops. So was this song. Once I had replaced the guitar with synth tones, there were no reasons to stick to the orchestral instruments. So, I looked for any other instruments that fit more to the melodies, but I could find none. Maybe my ears are too much accustomed to them.
As for the panning, as far as I heard it by headphone, I could notice reasonable spread of the sounds caused by the echoes of the synth tones. I think there is certainly some room for improvement here.
As you kindly pointed out, the strings part is the most dramatic though I hope it is not sorrowful :-)

Thank you again,

Hiroshi

Hi Graham,

Thank you for your comment. I am glad you like this song. Yes, the strings part is the highlight of the song.

Hiroshi

Hi Scott,

Thank you.

Hiroshi

Hi, Hiroshi !


One of your absolute best
at least of those I´ve heard
so far !

I love those mysterious
chord changes - just beautiful !

Thank you, Hiroshi !

Cheers
Dani

Hi Dani,

Thank you for your comment. I am very much encouraged by it.

Yes, I also think it is certainly one of my best songs.

I am happy to know you like the chord progression as well.

Thank you again,

Hiroshi

Wow - you really did an outstanding job on this The groove is phenomenal, and the string parts took it over the top for me. Nicely catchy as well, and the mix job here is right on point.

Thanks for sharing!

Man, that flute really took me away --then right to the oboe. Such a beautiful melody to lose oneself in. Amazing work, Hiroshi. Now I gotta get back to the rest of the album. Thanks!

Hi Deryk,

Thank you for your comment. I am glad you like my song.
I hope you will like other 11 songs of the album as well.

Hiroshi

Hi Marty,

Thank you for your comment. I am extremely happy to find another wind instruments lover here.

I am grateful for you to have interests in the rest of the album.
I hope you will enjoy them.

Hiroshi

A beautiful instrumental Hiroshi, and an excellent mix!! Superb!! Take care. Greg

'HiroshiK'...

I think the music of Far Beyond the Clouds is blissful and soothingly contemplative. However, at the same time, it has a somewhat yearning sound to it, as though you were describing something that you were searching for.

Your orchestration of your arrangement is colorful in a muted, autumnal way, and quietly emotional. The flute and oboe? clarinet? solos are expressive, with a melancholy flavor. The chord that is played at approximately 3:00 is so divine and lush to my ears that I closed my eyes, so that my sight would not distract me from savoring the pleasure of listening to it.

Was I hearing the sound of your musical soul?

Sincerely,

LOREN (a.k.a. 'bluage')

Hi Greg,

Thank you for your comment. I am glad you like my song.

Hiroshi

Hi Hiroshi it takes you away really great work on this very well mixed thanks for sharing eric

Hi LOREN,

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I was quite impressed by you. You must be the person who can see the imaginary scenes with your eyes closed changing with the progress of the music, and describe them properly. I must confess I am not such a person. It might make it possible for me to vaguely see them by following your description though. So, my answer to your question might be yes and no.

Incidentally, I am afraid you listened to the base version (Remixed version), not the Album version. The play time of the Album version is 3:13 while that of the base version is 3:32. Most probably, my description of the song is not clear and make you confused. I am sorry for that. I believe you would see somewhat different scenes by listening to the Album version.

Thank you again,

Hiroshi

Hello, again, 'HiroshiK'...

Your description of your song was absolutely, perfectly clear !!! What's more obvious to me is that I did not pay correct attention to what I read, and therefore missed the opportunity to listen to the album version, which I will do.

Actually, when I wrote that I closed my eyes to listen to the darkly lovely chord that was played at the 3:00 mark, it was to allow me to absorb the sound and feeling of it, not to visualize scenes, though it would have been quite easy to do so, because your music was so emotive and musically colorful .

I will be glad to 'get back to you' after I listen to the album version of Far Beyond the Clouds.

Sincerely,

LOREN

Hi Hiroshi ...

I always smile when I notice you have posted a new song. You are one of my very favorite composers. The depth and color of your compositions give the listener a soft, full, and pleasing experience. The listener can almost become part of the musical ride. This is simply gorgeous ... one of my very favorites from the many you have posted here!

Wishing you the very best ...

Alan

Hi Eric,

Thank you for your comment. I am glad you like my song.

Hiroshi

Hello Loren,

Thank you for your kind reply. It is really valuable for me to have a chance to hear the listeners'
imagery or feelings they had while listening to my songs. I am looking forward to your next feedback.

Best regards,

Hiroshi

Hi Alan,

Thank you for your very kind comment. It is a great joy and honor to me to have such a pleasant message from you. I hope I will be able to continue creating the musical works that you like so much.

Thank you again.

Hiroshi

You are a wonderful composer and this is a
wonderful composition. We produce very
simple music and are always amazed at the
complexity and the time and thought it takes
to produce a song like this.

It is sublime!

J&B

Beautiful piece. You are one of the premier musical stylists here on the forum and it's always a pure joy to listen to your wonderful posts.

Hi J&B,

Thank you for your kind comment. It is a great joy and honor to have it from the
leading musicians like you.

I think the songs with nice vocals well match simpler melodies and accompaniments because they support the vocals firmly and never spoil them. In my album "Sincerely Yours", there are two songs with vocals; Visiting Beautiful Kyoto and First Love. Both of them has much simpler melodies and accompaniments compared with the other instrumental songs.

Hiroshi

Hi Charlie,

Thank you for your kind comment. I am very happy to have such an encouraging comment like this.

Hiroshi

Hello, again, 'HiroshiK'...

Ahhh, yes! To begin, I could hear a difference in the quality of the recording. I felt the 'soundfield' was wider, and the instrumental sections more clarified and distinct, more closely approximating the sound of a 'live' orchestra.

The second thing I noticed, was your rueful, wintry melody, particularly when it was performed on the flute and the oboe. You achieved a wistful, achingly soulful sound in your performances on those instruments. It very much reminded me of the work of the late, French composer of film scores and concert music, George Delerue. Are you familiar with him? He composed notable film scores for movies such as The Day of the Dolphin, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, Shoot the Piano Player, Jules & Jim, The Pumpkin Eater, and many, many more.

Concerning Far Beyond the Clouds, you seem to share Mr. Delerue's affinity for composing music with a baroque, or mediveal flavor.

Regardless of the similarities in instrumentation and compositional style, Far Beyond the Clouds retains it tone poem quality with a strongly emotive and memorable theme, accompanied by your spare, autumnal writing for strings and guitar.

Most sincerely & respectfully,

LOREN

P.S. 'HiroshiK', would you mind informing me what all of the instruments were that you used in the composition?

Classy as usual Hirochi. Loved it.

Mike B.

Hello again, LOREN,

Thank you for listening to the album version and getting back to me with the renewed and more in-depth comment. I am very glad (and relieved) to know you like the album version as well.



I am impressed by your comment here. It beautifully expresses the effects I aimed at.



This paragraph is a kind of highlight to me. You kindly spotlighted the melodies of my song and analyzed them very well from the listeners' emotional point of view. It was very informative to me but, at the same time, it was a sort of shock to me. I will try to explain what I mean here. I love the classical music, and Mozart is my most favorite composer. He created a number of sorrowful works of course. My belief is that in those works, the sorrow never becomes serious nor it goes deeper. It just run through swiftly. I understand Henri Gheon called it "tristesse allante" (about String Quintet No.4 G minor K.516 - 1st Movement). I am hoping that the sorrow in my works to be like this.



No, I am not familiar with George Delerue. I am writing this reply while playing his music. As soon as my speakers had started to play "Camille", I could understand what you meant. Thank you for introducing me to his wonderful world.



Yes, I think so too.



Thank you for saying this. I am very glad and greatly honored.


No, I do not. I will list them up.

DX Tines: Backing for the flute, oboe and strings parts
Twelve String Guitar (with pad): Backing for the strings part
RGC Flute In The Venue: for the flute itself
RGC Clarinet In The Venue: for the clarinet itself
Velo Strings: for the strings itself
FG Bright Tip: for the harmony in the strings part
Basses Legato: for the bass throughout
Cellos Legato f: ditto
Violas Legato f: ditto

With many thanks and respect,

Hiroshi

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your comment. I am glad you like this song.

Hiroshi