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Ripple Star (theme)
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- This article is about the track that plays inRipple Star - Stage 3, and should not be confused withRipple Star: Stage Select.
"Ripple Star"[derived from Japanese] is a theme fromKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, playing in the third stage of Ripple Star. It was composed byJun Ishikawa.
Composition[edit]
"Ripple Star" is an intense and sinister jazzy track mostly set at the key of F-sharp minor, at 144 beats per minute in 4/4 time. Its four bar intro establishes a pattern of percussion and bass that is used for the first half of the track. The initial melody kicks in with strings playing long notes forming dissonant chords, eventually ending with an accentuated response from a brass section. This is repeated at a higher pitch, the strings move up chromatically, and the brass remarks become more frequent while a repetitive bell counterpoint with a sense of urgency plays in the background; the bass and percussion become even more irregular as they accompany the melody. After a short transition, the percussion and bass change again, while an unnaturally high-pitched saxophone plays a rapid improvisational passage revolving around G sharp, followed by a trumpet and then a flute. This is followed up by a frenetic drum solo, which is then joined by the brass section playing short spread out notes similar to those from the first section. The flute solo continues where it left off and gradually goes back to its original register, all the while backed by the tense string melody from the first section. The percussion and the strings are left alone for a short transition segment, as the track comes to an end and loops.
Jun Ishikawa, the theme's composer, chose to make this song a jazz piece because he felt it would surprise players who were used to the series' typical electronic musical influences. After composing most of the stage themes and determining the general sound direction of the game, he thought that a song in a style from before the days of electronic music would be unique. Along with "0² Battle", he believes that the music for the final areas of the game "formed the image of the unexpected".[1]
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[edit]
The track first originated in this game. It plays for the entirety of the third stage ofRipple Star, which consists mostly of enemy ambushes. It can also be found as music 018 in the game'sSound Check.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]
InKirby: Triple Deluxe, a pretty faithful remix of this theme plays in theTower of Mid-Bosses stage of this game,Endless Explosions - Stage 5, reflecting its original role inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It is named"Ripple Red" in theKirby: Triple Deluxe Soundtrack and is arranged by the song's original composer, Jun Ishikawa. It can also be found in the game'sJukebox as track 033.
Trivia[edit]
- This theme later inspiredHirokazu Ando'scomposition forThe Battle of Blizzard Bridge, which is also a stage consisting mostly of enemy ambushes.[2]
Names in other languages[edit]
Ripple Star[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | リップルスター[3] rippuru sutā | Ripple Star |
Ripple Red[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Ripple Red | - |
References
- ↑2017 Keyboard Magazine Interview with Jun Ishikawa and Hirokazu Ando
- ↑Kirby and the Forgotten Land: The Complete Soundtrack booklet, staff interview. 【安藤】私が思う中ボスが次々と出てくステージの曲って、石川さんが作った『星のカービィ６４』のリップルスターのステージ曲なんです。すごくジャズっぽくて、混沌としたメロディーが流れるんですけど、私はこのステージの印象がすごく残っていてね。それを今回、私が作ってみたかったんです。 Translation: (Ando) When I think of a stage theme for mid-bosses coming out one after another, I think of Ishikawa-san's Ripple Star theme fromKirby 64. It's very jazzy with a chaotic melody playing through it, and that stage left such an impression on me. This time I wanted to make something like that.
- ↑Kirby 64 Original Soundtrack
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