Interview with Russell Cox
Name: Russell Cox
Songs: The Chrono Trigger
Russell Cox has one of the most lustered careers as a remixer of those involved with the group, and is quite accomplished.
1. When did you first play Chrono Trigger?
I don't remember exactly, but I was young. 12?
2. When did you first begin remixing?
I started roughly two years after graduating from high school. I had started working on original music sometime late in my senior year, and as a natural progression started to break apart game music to see why a composer chose X instrument/synth for Y part, and why Z range. Remixing just made sense since I was already breaking them apart and thinking of variations in my head.
3. You signed on early in the project; what grabbed your attention?
I signed on actually not because I saw it early, but because a fellow composer friend recommended it to me.
4. What do you use to remix?
Sibelius for the score writing, Gigastudio and various sound libraries for the sounds, Sonar for the sequencing, and Soundforge for the recording.
5. Are there any challenges you face in doing orchestral?
Orchestral is as unforgiving as live performances in a lot of ways. It takes a good knowledge of what sounds balance with other instruments, and to know when to break that union when you want a special effect. Plus, sound libraries are far, far inferior to the real thing whereas other genres like trance, techno, rock, piano recordings, etc. are more accurate to how the remixer wants it to go.
6. What was your inspiration for your song in the project?
I don't really have a sort of inspiration for remixes; if I feel like remixing I'll hit up soundtracks, NPCs, and midis and listen to a few of the ones I haven't touched until it just 'clicks' with me. For "Chrono Trigger" the dream sequence with Chrono's mother I wanted to show the tension in the script from where Chrono knows something isn't right; in the opening of Marle's Theme I choose a darker rendition of the theme to reflect the point in the game everyone knows -- the Trigger breaks, and Marle thinks it's failed.
7. Plan to work in another project?
We'll see.
8. How's it feel being part of a Chrono OCR site project now that it's complete?
It isn't really much of a feeling on my part, other than being proud of the other remixers that contributed their time and effort to make it a finished success, as well as Claado doing a remarkable job holding the project together.
9. Anything you'd like to say to Chrono fans?
I hope you enjoy the fruits of our labors :)
Author Comments on Tracks
The Chrono Trigger - The basic idea behind this song is that as Crono and Marle communicate across this void of time and space, their thoughts combining, Crono slowly comes to realize that he is a prisoner. The low brass over top of the haunting “At The Bottom of Night” theme portrays their conflicting thoughts – hers of hope, his of despair. But then the light shines from the Chrono Trigger, and Crono is released to her. They are rejoined…and just in time to fulfill their true destiny.