OST of the Day #21: Rayman Legends - When the Wind Blows 🍃

Hey Steemit!

I know it's been a loooooong time, what with Steempress being down for a week, and me going on a trip to Japan for another week... I didn't want to post 2 updates in a row so, oh well.
Anyway, if you're unfamiliar with this series, basically I share a soundtrack and my thoughts about it, and I highly recommend listening to the song while reading! 😊

I bought Rayman Legends during the Steam Autumn Sale and I've played up to World 3 or so, and it's been awesome so far! If you're into platformers like me, I'd highly recommend it. 👍 If you've never heard of it before, Rayman Legends is a platform video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft, and was launched in 2013 for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, in 2014 for Xbox One and PS4, and in 2017 for Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth main title in the Rayman series and the direct sequel to the 2011 game Rayman Origins.

I have played Rayman Origins previously on the Xbox 360 and I must say Rayman Legends is far superior. The controls and movements are smoother, the button inputs are more solid, and the design and art are phenomenal! 😍 What I really love about the Steam version is the Online Challenges. So if you have a Uplay account (which you need to have to play the game through Steam anyway), there are Daily, Weekly, and Daily Extreme Challenges you can participate in, and it will help increase your level of Awesomeness. Of course, it's also a good way to challenge your platforming skills and add a little competition to the game (especially for those playing solo like me).

Anyway, on to the song of the day!

This song is called When The Wind Blows, and it reminds me of the lullaby we always sing to babies: when the wind blows, the cradle will fall~

But anyway, this song can be heard in the first level of World 2, Toad Story! I actually first heard this song while browsing VGM playlists on YouTube and when I heard it again in the Switch Demo, I knew I had to get this game immediately. Even now, it's still one of my favourite songs in the game.

 
 

I just love it when string and woodwind instruments pair up; it's probably one of my favourite section pairings. This song definitely demonstrates the beauty of both types of instruments and how well they complement each other.
I like that the harp and guzheng work together to setup the melody for the woodwind, with light violins in the background. The violins later stand out during the bridge with a slight tempo up, in what is probably my favourite part of the song. You can tell there are actually quite a few instruments in this piece, including the subtle cellos, but all of them manage to retain the calming and soothing feel of the song, even with a slight tempo change in the middle.

I had quite some difficulty deciphering the instrument used for the melody, but I believe it's called a duduk, which is an ancient double reed woodwind instrument indigenous to Armenia. Variations of the Armenian Duduk are also found in other regions of the Caucasus and the Middle East including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Turkey.

 
 
Initially when I listened to the song, I could've sworn the melody was played by a zhonghu, which is a Chinese string instrument, but upon listening again I can definitely tell it's a woodwind instrument. It's funny how they can sound so similar despite being totally different!

Anyway, the composers for Rayman Legends, Christophe Héral and Billy Martin did a fantastic job with this piece, and the OST as a whole! If you've seen Rayman Legends you know there are plenty of musical stages that also feature great (and goofy) songs. Do check them out here as well!

Thanks for reading!

To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://tacocat.vornix.blog/2018/12/23/ost-of-the-day-21-rayman-legends-when-the-wind-blows-%f0%9f%8d%83/

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Check out my previous post in this series!
OST of the Day #20: Breath of the Wild - Main Theme