Music Theory: Sonic CD's Quartz Quadrant

A look inside the music theory of Sonic CD's Quartz Quadrant.

Special Thanks:
ChilliusVGM & Collision Chaos Radio
Andres Giraldo
Professor Trick Room 3777
Andrei Vazhnov

Clips

2:17
Piano
by Steinway & Sons

2:18
Trumpet
by Yamaha Corporation

3:40
Acoustic Guitar
By eurok

3:47
Classical Guitar
By Jonathan Richter

3:49
Nylon
By Claudia Zimmer

4:34
Ice Skating Sonic
By YouTube user PetaGaming
Mario & Sonic - Figure Skating Singles

6:07
Tumbleweed
By Rob Lee

10:42
Salsa Dancing
By Salsa Y Control Pro Team
Video by YouTube user Doctor Dolittle

12:32
Rave Scene
from The Matrix Reloaded
By Village Roadshow / Warner Bros.

13:04
Naofumi Hataya
Photo by Podddo

13:30
Tweet by ThatLilFox

13:42
Zone Map by Sonic Zone 0

18:22
Fracking Demonstration
By BBC Earth Lab
What Is Fracking? | Bang Goes The Theory

Audio

0:01 & 4:29
Quartz Quadrant, Present
Composer: Naofumi Hataya

4:11
Zora’s Domain, Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Composer: Koji Kondo

5:46 & 6:54
Quartz Quadrant, Bad Future
Composer: Naofumi Hataya

6:31
“Adrenalin” by N-Joi
Deconstruction / RCA Records

6:43
“Hotter than Hell (Live)” by KISS
From “Alive!” (1975)
Casablanca Records

7:43
Quartz Quadrant, Good Future
Composer: Naofumi Hataya

9:24
Quartz Quadrant, Past
Composer: Naofumi Hataya

14:46
Quartz Quadrant, Present (USA OST)
Composer: Spencer Nilsen

17:01 & 17:38
Quartz Quadrant, Bad Future (USA OST)
Composer: Spencer Nilsen

17:14 & 17:58
Quartz Quadrant, Good Future (USA OST)
Composer: Spencer Nilsen

[VideoGameAnimationStudy]

_"There's a call, but no response"_
That gave me chills.

[colemak]

Drums fanboy here to state that this is objectively the best song in Sonic CD.

No I have never touched a drumset in my life.

[BraviaGames]

2:42 I remember in an interview with SEGAbits, Tee Lopes said that CD was a big inspiration for Mania. People call them Tee Lopes style trumpets but it was really Hatya's style all along. Amazing work, you've outdone yourself once again Alex!

[zebitus]

I always thought this level was the most Sonic CD outta CD, it also has those pianos that were in the Bad Future of Palmtree Panic and other zones for hope and drive. Its the epitome of CD and ties it all together

[GodOfThings]

I appreciate you giving the US soundtrack its time in the sun when you do Sonic CD music theory videos. The fact that the game got two different soundtracks and both of them still sound amazing today is nothing short of miraculous.

[HoboTron]

I barely have a grasp on music theory but these videos show sonic cd’s music never missed

[Emezie]

My favorite set of songs from the entire Sonic CD soundtrack. Once again, excellent analysis! Can't even imagine the planning, time, and execution required to make all these, but I love watching them all!

[tomyrobinson]

It’s crazy how in touch the Japanese composer was with American music.

[-the_lumberjack-]

Quartz Quadrant GF has to be my top track of any Sonic game. It’s happiness is borderline infectious with how it manages to put a smile on my face. Thank you for doing it justice.

[JustJohn]

I love the ways we can see your video editing evolve. Especially the seemingly handcrafted parallax replication you did for Sonic skating along the rails

[BaneMinistry]

Discovered your channel 3 days ago. Absolutely astounded by the quality and devotion you give to these music theories.
Personally, sonic 2 ost would be something I'd love for you to cover at some point.
Thank you for doing these!

[nadjav]

"Major scale behavior" is my new favorite phrase now

[WaffleKingler]

Just getting home from another overnight shift, smoke a bowl, have two beers, respond to a few messages, take a shower, get comfy in bed, smoke another bowl, open YouTube, see one one of my favorite tracks being dissected by one of my favorite YouTubers, yeah, this is heaven ❤️ I hope you all enjoy your day; Alex, thank you for being awesome!

[zepaie]

This is the one track I would look at and say, this is what represents Sonic the Hedgehog. Genuinely beautiful in every variation of the song.

[dilldall]

Like someone once said before, "A rock is a hedgehog's best friend"

I've been waiting on this upload since Quartz Quadrant is the best Present and overall song in CD. You did not disappoint.

[inkywright]

Been waiting eagerly for quite some time to hear this, so I'm thankful that it turned out out good. Quartz Quadrant JP is honestly my pick for the best piece of Sonic music, considering its catchy beats, lovingly crafted high notes, and passionate call & response manner. It's been quite an inspiration as I started to try my hand at experimenting with VGM. Thanks so much, Alex!

[nateault]

"What do you watch on youtube?" "Sonic music theory"

[victorlgcarvalho]

As a kid I only had contact with the US version of this soundtrack (that was the only sold in Brazil at the time).

Now I really want to replay this game with the Japanese/EU soundtrack!

[Astro_Crunch]

It's nice to hear some recognition for CD's environmental storytelling. Too many people discount the game's art direction as just "random shapes and colors" when there's a much deeper sense of place that's being created than the game is given credit for. In addition to all sorts of background details, the music intertwines with the environments to breathe life into a relatively minimalist story. Just because the art direction is more abstract doesn't mean it's meaningless.

[immortalHK]

6:52 I ALWAYS thought the sample was “look at this place!” Like, “look at how bad it’s gotten here!” And I never questioned it cause it seemed to fit with the theme of a Bad Future™️