Check Out This Ambient and Synthy “Outset Island” Remix
Posted on January 13 2020 by Sean Gadus
What does home sound like? It is a question that musicians and video game / film composers tried to answer for decades. Link’s hometown has played a key role in many Zelda games, including The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The game’s Outset Island serves as the home of Link’s family and the launching point for his wondrous adventure. Both Outset Island’s scenery and music exude a sense of joy, comfort, and warmth.
This ambient cover of “Outset Island” by Amie Waters is an intriguing and exciting rendition of the iconic theme. The clear and lingering synthetic sounds create a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere that is quite different from the uptempo original. The remix uses many long notes that slowly fade into the backdrop as new sounds are layered on. At times, the rhythm/melody of “Outset Island” feels somewhat obscured by the change in instrumentation, but there are amazing moments when the main melody rises beautifully out of the background, instantly recognizable to the listener.
Overall, besides being a cover of “Outset Island”, the instrumentation and tempo of this rearrangement remind me of “Eleven” from Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein’s score for Stranger Things as well as the iconic “Tears in the Rain” from Vangelis’s groundbreaking score for the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner. All three songs demonstrate beautiful uses of synthetic instrumentation.
What do you think of this ambient “Outset Island” remix? Let us know in the comments below!
Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world. You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.
