New Wave Bossa Nova (Vocal Version) - The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Soundtrack

Music: New Wave Bossa Nova (Vocal Version)
Composers: Koji Kondo
Platform: Nintendo 64 / Nintendo 3DS

Music theory analysis and piano cover visualization project made with the actual audio tracks from the original Nintendo 64 game. Extracted with a specialized audio software, we can now dig inside the score for the first time; offering us a glimpse for how each instrument contributes to the whole.

♫ Media files and support for future interactive tools:

Musical Analysis:

Introduction to the concepts and influences of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask:

Structure: Section 1 / Section 2
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 70
Melodic and Harmonic Profiles: F Lydian; C Ionian/Major; C Chromatic

Unlike the other dungeon opening ocarina songs, the New Wave Bossa Nova plays in its orchestrated version also when Link plays it at the entrance of the temple; this is in order to showcase the vocals of Lulu, the zora diva from Great Bay, who has a passionate following, stalkers included and all. She has been in distress due to the loss of her children and as a result also lost her beautiful voice. Mikau, the zora hero, is hinted to be the father of the zora eggs and what is certain is that he ultimately died trying to save them.

The resulting song after they hatch is a message to their mother, a maternal connection through music. A bond that permits her singing voice to come back in order to bring to life the island, which turns out to be a giant turtle and protector of the ocean. This turtle will carry Link on his back to the temple, just like on the Japanese legend of Urashima Tarō, who is carried on the back of a turtle to the dragon palace beneath the sea. The turtle was probably inspired on the legends of the bixi, a hslf turtle Chinese creature whose statues are placed at the entrances to temples. A myth claims that one still lives and resides in the Bohai Sea, where he carries three islands upon his back.

In similar fashion to Lon Lon Ranch, which also has two versions, this bossa nova arrangement is made by replacing a lead instrument for the vocals; in this case the saxophone is replaced with Lulu’s vocals, that turn out to be none other than the exact same sound sample of the voice for Melon, the songstress from the ranch; we already got a singing voice, why spend more precious system memory recording additional clips? The Malon voice will come to be known as a placeholder for any female vocals, going as far as to appear on the soundtrack for the more modern Twilight Princess (2006). In Majora’s Masks it is used in different contexts to represent three different girls, the zora idol is one of them.

The vocals are used once again with frenetic pitch wheel movements, trying to mimic how a human voice slides from one note to another; the most realistic you could get with just one small vocal sample and the technology of the time. In Ocarina of Time, the voice of Malon was used mostly for long sustained notes that tried to hide more its sample nature, however, here it is used in a more rapid melody, doubled by Mikau’s guitar.

The strange interplay between bass, electric piano and palm muted guitar can be decoded with the harmony:

F maj7 sus 2 - Em7 throughout Section 1

Eb maj7 / 13 - Dm 7/9/13 - [Db 6/9-Db ] - [C-C add9[ to cap off the piece

Yep, this is definitively jazz, just a bunch of cryptic chords stitched together by barely comprehensible music theory that takes years of college to master (or alternatively, you can just feel the vibe and save some money "I'll play it first and tell you what it is later." as a famous jazz musician used to say) It wouldn’t be jazz without the little dissonances, where else would be the flavor?

Now onto the mechanical techno-powered water treatment plant where Nintendo shows that they are still not hand holding their water levels just because some poor souls couldn’t handle the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time; they never learn their lesson, do they? At least zora Link doesn’t need the annoying iron boots and his swimming is formidable. Just remember, hint movies are still not a thing and guides are not allowed!



#majorasmask #majorasmaskost #zeldamusic

[officialmusictracks]

Musical Analysis:

Introduction to the concepts and influences of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask:

Structure: Section 1 / Section 2
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 70
Melodic and Harmonic Profiles: F Lydian; C Ionian/Major; C Chromatic

Unlike the other dungeon opening ocarina songs, the New Wave Bossa Nova plays in its orchestrated version also when Link plays it at the entrance of the temple; this is in order to showcase the vocals of Lulu, the zora diva from Great Bay, who has a passionate following, stalkers included and all. She has been in distress due to the loss of her children and as a result also lost her beautiful voice. Mikau, the zora hero, is hinted to be the father of the zora eggs and what is certain is that he ultimately died trying to save them.

The resulting song after they hatch is a message to their mother, a maternal connection through music. A bond that permits her singing voice to come back in order to bring to life the island, which turns out to be a giant turtle and protector of the ocean. This turtle will carry Link on his back to the temple, just like on the Japanese legend of Urashima Tarō, who is carried on the back of a turtle to the dragon palace beneath the sea. The turtle was probably inspired on the legends of the bixi, a hslf turtle Chinese creature whose statues are placed at the entrances to temples. A myth claims that one still lives and resides in the Bohai Sea, where he carries three islands upon his back.

In similar fashion to Lon Lon Ranch, which also has two versions, this bossa nova arrangement is made by replacing a lead instrument for the vocals; in this case the saxophone is replaced with Lulu’s vocals, that turn out to be none other than the exact same sound sample of the voice for Melon, the songstress from the ranch; we already got a singing voice, why spend more precious system memory recording additional clips? The Malon voice will come to be known as a placeholder for any female vocals, going as far as to appear on the soundtrack for the more modern Twilight Princess (2006). In Majora’s Masks it is used in different contexts to represent three different girls, the zora idol is one of them.

The vocals are used once again with frenetic pitch wheel movements, trying to mimic how a human voice slides from one note to another; the most realistic you could get with just one small vocal sample and the technology of the time. In Ocarina of Time, the voice of Malon was used mostly for long sustained notes that tried to hide more its sample nature, however, here it is used in a more rapid melody, doubled by Mikau’s guitar.

The strange interplay between bass, electric piano and palm muted guitar can be decoded with the harmony:

F maj7 sus 2 - Em7 throughout Section 1

Eb maj7 / 13 - Dm 7/9/13 - [Db 6/9-Db ] - [C-C add9[ to cap off the piece

Yep, this is definitively jazz, just a bunch of cryptic chords stitched together by barely comprehensible music theory that takes years of college to master (or alternatively, you can just feel the vibe and save some money "I'll play it first and tell you what it is later." as a famous jazz musician used to say) It wouldn’t be jazz without the little dissonances, where else would be the flavor?


Now onto the mechanical techno-powered water treatment plant where Nintendo shows that they are still not hand holding their water levels just because some poor souls couldn’t handle the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time; they never learn their lesson, do they? At least zora Link doesn’t need the annoying iron boots and his swimming is formidable. Just remember, hint movies are still not a thing and guides are not allowed!

[e-mananimates]

I like how Malon is blue in the image! Imagine if she dresses as a Zora!