The secret origin of Zelda's temple music

PATREON - / thomasgamedocs
MERCH - teespring.com/...
TWITTER - / thomasgdocs
SOURCES
- web.archive.or... [Interview 1]
- shmuplations.co... [Interview 2]
- zeldauniverse.... [Samples A]
- docs.google.co... [Samples B]
- sorry not gonna link that other sample website it was dodgy af
CREDITS
- • zelda 64 beta dungeon ... [Beta Zelda footage]
- • Dawn Of The Final Day ... - [Majora “dawn of” text]
- • The Legend of Zelda: M... - [Majora 3d moon crash footage]

[@ThomasGameDocs]

Hey! So, at the end of August I was burnt out and couldn't make videos anymore. In the 3 months since then, a few people really helped me pick up the pieces and get things going again, so I just wanted to thank them here :)) - Katie and Ellie (as always haha) - All of my patrons who stuck with me while no videos came out! - My amazing KZbinr friends xx - lawyerdads and AA twitter for keeping the narumitsu strong within me - no context tgd for making me laugh a bunch - And of course, everyone who's kept watching, commenting on and sharing my videos! Thanks SO MUCH to all of you

[@ghostxtbxtbitxtbite9497]

I replied

[@sewkrazy]

It would make me happy if you talked about the Sonic IDW comics. Or just talk about Sonic in general. Keep making great content!

[@parrotplays7]

Hey!

[@Gravastars1]

Think this is your best vid yet!

[@basicbird2467]

Don’t worry about it, I’d rather my favourite KZbinrs feel good about the work they produce and also having great content that is spread out is better than mediocre content that is frequent

[@vlanzingmanz]

I swear Thomas's favorite video clip is the one slowly zooming into Nintendo Headquarters

[@weirdsailorman4070]

or the zoom into a pixelated shitty face.... now I will have nightmares for another year

[@Sansibit]

Lmao I can approve

[@ShirubaGin]

Plot twist: He is Shigeru Miyamoto

[@denaze05]

I see why lol

[@shrimpcupnoodle2574]

I love that this clip LITERALLY happened exactly as I was reading this comment.

[@chrisbeach423]

Apparently this 💿 “distorted reality” has been used all across gaming from zelda to silent hill to crash and spyro, and even Tony Hawk.

[@enterzainment]

I believe it’s developed by Spectrasonics, and you can still use those samples today in their software synth Omnisphere. They have a huge legacy with being affiliated in the music media industry.

[@enterzainment]

Actually I’m pretty sure Nintendo uses Omnisphere for most, it not all of their modern game soundtracks. You can hear in the Tostarena Ruins song from Super Mario Odyssey an Omnisphere preset. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eomQnIKNft2Mq9k

[@kairinase]

It's a case of "Kouji, may I copy your homework?".

[@m.t-thoughts8919]

@@enterzainment Thanks for telling me the Plugin were the samples are stored. Now I can create the craziest atmospheric sounds with Fruity Convolver together with Omnisphere! 🥰🙏

[@bobbyvee6414]

I actually recognize that from my turntable days. Suddenly I have an urge to pull my 6 pound wallet chain and stovepipe jncos out of storage. Lol

[@majoraswrath9590]

Your extent of research of beyond anything else. You're something else man. Great work, keep it up!

[@anttheman2332]

True

[@Vitorio582]

He came out of nowhere and now he's one of the best gaming channels on KZbin

[@_deku_1361]

Yup

[@conmandouglas]

SO True!!

[@vohas2691]

It's called free-time.

[@jerotoro2021]

Miyamoto watching this thinking "that rotter told me it was all original"

[@erikagluck]

Ikr....I am pretty disappointed tbh ughhhh

[@Ferkeshu]

Still is

[@_Rhatsody]

@@erikagluck why? alot of music is sampling to make something new and unique sounding. its no different than reference work

[@ShotaroAsakura]

@@erikagluck It's still original, he just remixed some few samples into an entire game's OST.

[@Concon12316]

@@erikagluck i mean if you think about it every game has at least 1 sample in it. half-life is almost entirely made up of sampled sound effects, super mario 64 has many sampled sounds, doom has sampled sounds, even tv shows have sampled sound effects.

[@inujosha]

Makes me wonder if Sony found Distorted Reality when making the opening sounds when you start up the PS2.

[@mworld2611]

Seems entirely possible

[@MegaManNeo]

I find the PS1 boot sound more iconic to be honest. But since Sony too has an entire music division in house, I wouldn't be surprised.

[@tannerboyle6540]

No, their composer just fell on a synthesizer

[@rocsarchive]

heya! just to let you know, it was sampled because i have the bios sounds for the startup. exactly the same tempo and sound, too.

[@josephcastle3872]

@@MegaManNeo Agreed, PS1 boot kinda slaps.

[@calebschaaf1555]

I met Koji Kondo back in the '90s. He and his wife were super nice. His wife used to sit with the little kids and just listen to us talk to her. She taught me how to count to 5 in Japanese.

[@fireaza]

1:47 This might have been unintentional, but when you said "a small shop, nestled away amongst a hundred other similar shops" you showed a picture of a Japanese music store called "音楽の店", literally "music store". The generic-ness of the store's name is a perfect fit for this "small shop, nestled away amongst a hundred other similar shops" you described!

[@bettyunicorn6132]

Oh! So cool

[@emerald0052]

*visual storytelling*

[@cashwarior]

I'm actually surprised to see how far the sampling went in all the zelda music. It wasn't really something I really actively considered

[@mityfresh8875]

seems like music sampling happens a lot and sometimes weird places. Let Mom Sleep from Jet Set Radio sampled a small bit from a British show (I know that's not a music sample but just to point out :p) Double fun fact I believe that same Islamic called to prayer sample is used in a few other games. I think it was made for anyone to sample seeing it's sample music lol, so I guess it shows there's a genre called sample music people must use it.

[@LS95774]

@@mityfresh8875 also, I remember the same Fire Temple chat was used in the original Monster Hunter on PS2 (and MHGU in 2017, as that theme returned for the new game) It was the Jungle area specifically

[@weirdsailorman4070]

Sampling was the only way people actually created music back in day for games. With occasional actual synth melodic cues if needed or available. Because mostly keyboards were used more as samplers then actual instruments you play. Actual samplers were expensive and tech limited so in most cases two samplers plus a couple of keyboards and a PC that is it. Then rearange crap and call it a day. "I am a composer" no you're not you are a sampler... But try to explain this to the fanbase... Even tho actual creative and talented sampler people are rare. For example The Prodigy, Akira Yamaoka etc. They are fully creative with it while many just reuse shit and call it a day even go to the leghts of calling themselves composers or even given the title...

[@Superabound2]

@@mityfresh8875 it's actually used to subtly brainwash the West into Islam

[@Hito_Hito_Fruit_model_UncleSam]

@@Superabound2 i doubt that exspcialy since japan hates muslims

[@Michael-fm8xx]

At Nintendo, I imagine this stack of decades old cds must be like the holy grail to the zelda team. It's so cool seeing how it inspired so many iconic tracks. I applaud your detective work on this man, couldn't have been easy!

[@silentzorah]

"Wait... It's all sampled?" "Always has been."

[@namedrop721]

I mean.... yes? I was a child at the time but had been exposed to ‘ethnic’ music and also done my own foley for a puppet show I wrote so...I don’t know why this is mindblowing. It’s fun though.

[@stungunnotapplicable1953]

@@namedrop721 He was doing a meme...

[@ikana1de371]

He’s just explaining why it sorta doesnt make too much sense. Most people would understand this is a joke already.

[@12DAMDO]

that's not the shocking part! the shocking part is that Koji basically invented vaporwave

[@shadowpersonoftheunknown6245]

This is an example of using sampled music, yet making it completely their own rather than making it sound exactly the same like most seem to do

[@shaiky1681]

"so out of ideas and without a clue of where to go from here" ...Koji decided to book a trip to Japan?

[@stpidstuff]

Nick Robinson

[@maxeon0937]

Well he already lived there soooo...

[@maxeon0937]

@Calum.mp4 not a good one tbh

[@maxeon0937]

@Calum.mp4 not a good one tbh

[@masonsaccount]

Maxeon 09 comedy is subjective, murray no but for real it’s subjective

[@Geneolgia]

9:11 fun fact, Iceland was also used in Wind Waker as the sound effect of the wind warps that appear when you defeat a boss.

[@Fermin-hw5pd]

True, my mind was blown when I heard it xd

[@hyperbwabrzk3990]

Exactly that’s what I was just about to say

[@LuigiSantoriniXXX16]

That's what I thought too!

[@werdnayam]

Such a cool little detail! The glowing treasure lights on the Great See make that sound too. It always made me slightly unnerved to hear that in WW-amazing how some bleep-bloops can teach you when to be afraid (even though, post-MM, that sound wasn't associated with the apocalypse). Was that sound used in any other games? Or just WW?

[@LuigiSantoriniXXX16]

And in Spyro too.

[@rysea9855]

Being able to find those original samples.. God I love the internet And your dedication

[@braumishere4890]

So it sounds like that piece referencing a religious piece was actually referenced off of the actual thing. But I can at least see how it could have been done by accident now.

[@BlastTheBat]

Was that the one that was replaced in a later version of the cart?

[@929er13]

@@BlastTheBat yes

[@danieljensen2626]

Yeah, I'm sure he didn't realize what it was, probably wasn't labeled clearly.

[@Bhalforii]

If only Nintendo had been open about how the composer used samples from a CD and didnt know what the chanting said we couldve avoided alot of conspiracy bull. Instead they said: "We have no idea how that got there". When they actually did.

[@merendell]

Particularly in the pre internet or even early internet era ya. You here some singing in a different language and you have no idea if its religious, a food shop jingle, or someone reciting the phone book to a popular tune. Without an expert on that culture if it wasnt clearly labled there was no good way to look it up. Today theres an app for that, not so in the 90s.

[@noiselessfox7618]

Distorted Reality is a legend among Sampling-Librarys even available today as part of Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2. It was also used in Silent Hill 2 - 3 and in Spyro the Dragon!

[@samboi123]

"If you entered a dungeon, you could almost smell it!" So when you jump into a pool, do you get Water Temple PTSD from the smell of chlorine?

[@everthon2457]

No cholorine there. *NO CHOLORINE THERE BRO!*

[@lu_shulmu]

I've always been grateful that I couldn't actually smell it because I'm sure those Like Likes emit the odour of a rotting pile of garbage in addition to stealimg your shield.

[@samboi123]

@@everthon2457 Well, you might get PTSD from it if you jumped into a swamp or something. I’ve never played OOT myself but I’ve heard terrible things about that temple.

[@justcomments]

Ughhh I’d rather drown in the sea

[@treeman73272]

Water temple is in a lake, it smells like lake water

[@CasualSunGod42]

"But wait, Koji Kondo, is this legal?" "MIYAMOTO-SAN WILL MAKE IT LEGAL."

[@retromario6130]

9:50 sounds like PS2 starting up

[@kpdelaney6460]

i thought the same thing

[@MegaManNeo]

More like that sound from the company whose logo appears before the intro of International Superstar Soccer 64 starts. Yes, I'm a nerd but check it out.

[@teamsharpened7661]

Then I am skipping it

[@Fermin-hw5pd]

@@teamsharpened7661 Bruh

[@Nevir202]

Surprised that just purchasing a CD allowed such a broad commercial use 😳

[@TheJunky228]

same

[@envy7522]

Sample cds are basically cds that you have full rights to the use of as long as you bought them. Kinda like stock footage

[@Nevir202]

@@envy7522 Ya, I get that’s the purpose, but commercial licenses aren’t always unlimited.

[@Harie0]

It is a bit surprising, but I believe CDs that carry sound samples are a bit more than the regular music CD. I know some volumes of sound samples can cost a few hundred, but I think they are a few CDs at least. I never ventured to far into that realm.

[@_sparrowhawk]

This whole video is confusing....

[@Kidgib5]

I love Zelda music. What a hella cool history lesson.

[@GG256_]

Sampling is an art form in it's self. Koji stumbled upon a future skill to get ahead of the curve.

[@The8BitBigBand]

Incredible video… THIS is why ocarina if time will always be my number one favorite OST of all time!! So many nuggets of composition and producing to unpack in each track!

[@Brass319]

And best of all, one of the albums has the best album name ever "A poke in the ear with a sharp stick" is still maing me laugh

[@bouncyclouds276]

as someone who has never played Zelda, these songs are so creepy xD

[@sheepaleepz]

as someone who had played, you’re absolutely correct haha. the forest temple feels so unsettling when you’re walking through it haha

[@justcomments]

Then they are doing exactly what they’re designed for :3 Hope you get a chance to play one of the games someday, they are a journey

[@bouncyclouds276]

@@justcomments they're not really the types of games i like playing :) btw I remembered i did play the switch one ! i can't believe i forgot

[@AuroraSilverFox]

That's what makes them so enchating. uwu

[@Lhama666]

these specifics tracks are actually some of the darker ones because of the dark theme of their respective dungeons/moments but the full OSTs from Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask aren't made of darkness only!! really recommend that you check them out even without playing the games

[@DinosaurBytes]

Since you have Distorted Reality now, it might be worth looking into Spyro's soundtracks too, as they lean on it's samples quite heavily too!

[@edgewatersbestguitarist1524]

The Spyro games were all fun to play through. ...jeeze, we're on PS5 now?

[@coolgamekh2307]

I also have both Distorted Reality 1 and 2.

[@horrisnorris6478]

This is my favourite TGD video yet! I'm a massive fan of 90s electronic music, a lot of which makes heavy use of sampling. I'd noticed that certain OOT tracks had that sampled feel to them, so it's amazing to hear the original samples and learn how Koji Kondo processed them. OOT and MM have some of my favourite game music ever, and it's great to get some insight into how the tracks were made, and to see how similar techniques were used to some of the 90s ambient music I love. Thanks Thomas!

[@Lovix13]

7:36 my parents are Muslim and we sometimes go to mosques during religious holidays, or just sometimes for fun. So, yeah, to me this just sounds like a familiar noise

[@EmberedPaws]

Fun fact: The "Iceland" sample was also used in Wind Waker's portal ambiance after defeating a boss. Or at least it sounds the same, don't know if it's a coincidence.

[@Radien]

“IMMERSE LISTENERS INSTANTLY WITH THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK”

[@MAR1N4M1]

The call to prayer is such a pretty sound.

[@RGSTR]

When I hear him shout "Allaa-aaa-aah" I kinda wanna become Muslim.

[@zawarudo4459]

@@RGSTR Me who is Muslim: “I am four parallel universes ahead of you”

[@zawarudo4459]

@Aiden-Bella-Babi y k thanks I guess

[@boxloid]

@@RGSTR Thats great to hear as I am a Muslim as well

[@boxloid]

@@zawarudo4459 Assalam-u-Alikum

[@KorriTimigan]

Whoa! That last sample you mentioned was used in a toy I had as a kid, it was wizard's cauldren that lit up if I remember right. As soon as the raw sample played I was sent right back about fifteen years! Who knew it was also used a Zelda game from the same period.

[@sohaybm.3216]

Okay so, I'm muslim and the "call to prayer" sample is NOT a call to prayer. It's actually the first part of one of the last surats : al-ikhlas. It looks like it would be taken straight from quran recitations, they circulated a lot over time. Who knows, maybe it's from a famous coranic recitation ?

[@wiredcoati]

Cool. Thanks for your perspective on this particular element. Knowledge is power.

[@iceman00behave]

Thanks for the info, as I have wondered about this ever since it was removed from later versions of the game. Can you specify which lines exactly from Al-Ikhlas are used? I found the full translation, but noted that you said it was only the first part. EDIT: After trying my best to decipher the words of the in-game sample (probably due to audio compression), the snippet used in this video appears to be 2 lines, with the first being repeated multiple times. This comes from the last 2 lines of Al-Ikhlas... _Lam yalid walami yū lad_ _Wala mia yaku l-lahū kufu’an aḥad_ This (according to the webpage I found), translates to: _He begets not, nor he was begotten_ _There is no one like him. And there is none co-equal or comparable to Him._ It seems that the sample straight from the CD at 7:38 is the full 4 verses.

[@silmiha5239]

In the sample CD, they recite just the first 2 lines from surah al-Ikhlas, then segue into a takbeer call(?) commonly used in Eid days: Allaahu akbar, wa Lillaahi’l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, and all praise be to Allah)

[@davestrides]

i love your zelda-centric videos! i cant imagine how difficult/clunky it must've been to go through the samples with such obsolete software lmao. thank you for comparing the samples, really. hearing these gave me such nostalgia

[@Hunterseggs]

Stewart Copeland also used samples from Distorted Reality while composing Spyro 2. Looks like it really got around.

[@jonnihard1090]

Whooah the drummer for the police workwd on that game???

[@MrAlinLupu]

@@jonnihard1090 yupp! Thats right. You can even search on youtube the makeing of spyro music stewart copeland

[@ainsbass]

@@jonnihard1090 Yeah he composed the soundtrack for the original PS1 trilogy, and the first game on PS2 (but we don't talk about that...)

[@wyrmster4886]

This channel is heavily underrated

[@Daniel_Coffman]

That New World Order sample at about 10:02 definitely sounds like it was the inspiration for F-Zero GX's ZEN track, as well; played on Aeropolis.

[@Nehji_Hann]

Is it just me or does the cover of "Distorted Reality" look like it features Midna? Just blur your vision and I'm sure you'll see it. 3:38

[@Fermin-hw5pd]

You mean her face?

[@frankthediesel102p6]

From Playerinside

[@HumanoidMachine]

Those exact CDs were very common in the industry at that time. You can hear those same samples in a variety of games from Spyro to the entire Silent Hill series.

[@buttercupkat]

4:54 The fact that "undecu-like" is in the subtitles vocabulary makes me happy.

[@justcomments]

Top englishing happening right now

[@brotherbored8770]

So I was listening to this random 1976 synth album "Plantasia" this past summer and thought to myself "there's no way in the world Koji Kondo didn't hear this album prior to composing for Ocarina of time." This video makes me convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, since it seems like exactly the kind of album that would have been in that little shop in Kyoto. Skip to the 13-minute mark and start listening. It's Zelda's Lullaby: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYvOg2aGrq2HqZI

[@counterinfluencer5684]

Excellent find, you may be right! THOMAS in fact lied about Koji Kondo magically wandering into a random music store and discovering these CDs for the first time. In fact Kondo had used these exact same CDs on earlier music for Starfox 64 and Mario 64 and was very familiar with sampling even back in the SNES days. Kondo was not someone who was lacking ideas or inspiration and was well-versed in all sorts of eclectic music from around the world. I wouldn't be surprised if Kondo had heard "Plantasia" at some point in his life and it stuck in his mind. Though that's speculation. One other thing though is THOMAS didn't actually do any research for this at all, he merely ripped off content from existing youtubers without crediting them: GAME TRAILERS Ocarina Of Time Episode (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2SXfnmZf8l6edE PYTHON BLUE archive of Distorted Reality samples (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/omnIaXeYjbSUbac&ab_channel=PythonBlue WANNATRADEPLANTS Ocarina of Time Library Samples (2017) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaHTaIhjm5p9epo&ab_channel=WannaTradePants SAVE DATA Music of Ocarina Of Time (May 2, 2020) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ7EhYtraJKhi68&ab_channel=SaveData

[@anttheman2332]

KZbin HAS NOT BEEN GIVING ME NOTIFICATIONS EVEN THO I AM SUBBED WITH THE BELL

[@gooolixx]

angery mode activate

[@flflflflflfl]

THAT SOUNDS HORRIBLE HOW ARE YOU COPING SO FAR?

[@Bryan-es2tl]

Unsub the bell and redo it @Ansel

[@jhovanielperez4763]

This really show how if you want to create anything using Inspiration wouldn't hurt. Almost nothing its 100% Original these days. Koji Kondo is a living legend and I hope I can see him, shake his hands and thank him for such good ost. 🤝

[@I-OMusic]

"If you don't want to hear the Islamic call to prayer" What a nice thing to do, going out of your way for our muslim neighbours like that.

[@pyr3x849]

I also had a rather weird feeling about that comment...

[@talhakayar]

Acutally it’s not a problem nor offensive imo, especially muslims are very sensitive about call to prayers and music being played together (I’ve even seen people turn their tv down) and actually they might be the ones who wants to skip it. Nonetheless being safe better than sorry right?

[@sabo-vf3xj]

4:48 I have the same CD. If anybody's interested, the tracks name is "ENIGMATIC.wav" from the "Drones" section. Pretty good stuff, btw.

[@WillSellari]

I think you might be selling these compositions a bit short when it comes to using samples. Prior to samples, people used synthesis and emulation to get at sounds and it wasn’t frowned upon or described as “this is going to change the way you hear the Neptunes once you find out what this Korg sounds like!”. I think the meaningful thing about a composers job is to sew together different elements and influences to inform the scene, or in this case stage, in which they’re writing for. The other thing I think people often forget is that this wasn’t some purest passion project, this was a job. And not only was it a job but an AAA title for a giant corporation, even if it’s an amazing an lovable corporation.

[@LocalManMakesMusic]

You make it seem like he stumbled into a magical shop and found a Mogwai. Those kinds of sample CDs were well known and widely used by professional media composers of the time. I find it hard to believe Koji Kondo wasn’t already familiar with them. That said, nice work tracking down and matching the source material. I’m sure those are as rare today as they were common place at the time.

[@counterinfluencer5684]

You are right on the money @Local Man. THOMAS completely fabricated that part of the story, because Koji Kondo had already used these exact same CDs to make the Starfox 64 and Mario 64 music. THOMAS didn't do the sample research either, he ripped off all of these other KZbinrs who already did the work: GAME TRAILERS Ocarina Of Time Episode (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2SXfnmZf8l6edE PYTHON BLUE archive of Distorted Reality samples (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/omnIaXeYjbSUbac&ab_channel=PythonBlue WANNATRADEPLANTS Ocarina of Time Library Samples (2017) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaHTaIhjm5p9epo&ab_channel=WannaTradePants SAVE DATA Music of Ocarina Of Time (May 2, 2020) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ7EhYtraJKhi68&ab_channel=SaveData The reason why THOMAS blurs the "sample source" website in his video is because he didn't actually find them, he just copied the content from these videos above. There are entire forums dedicated to researching this, and these samples have been archived on archive.org - but THOMAS wouldn't know this because he didn't do the research and he lied about the overall narrative for Koji Kondo. THOMAS is a total KZbinr fraud.

[@tileguy918]

Tom you’re the best KZbinr for these videos, and yet you hardly pull more views than the channels with 60k subs

[@Lord_Nagafen]

When i first played Majora's Mask waaaay back when circa '00, that midnight theme of the final day, i splurted out "i have heard that sound before!" But i never could point out where or what... thanks to you, i now remembered where.. i had heard that Distorted Reality sampler somewhere before

[@_laryssa]

Man i always forget that this channel is name "Thomas Game Docs" instead of "Nintendo Game Docs"

[@drake2quared]

I always thought the chanting/flute sample from the forest temple was Link yelling. The chanter's voice and Link do sound similar, when you think about it.

[@nicolasgaticamarcotti6070]

i wonder now if bongo bongo was designed because of the drums background, or the other way around

[@hazimarif9042]

7:36 : that's not the call prayer that's more of a surah or a zikir. (It's really beautiful if you know the meaning).

[@MrDoodleBrian]

I hate, they were put the song in place with lava.

[@hazimarif9042]

@@MrDoodleBrian reminds you of allah before you go to hell 😌😌

[@DavidStarrUSA]

Kondo finding the shop is like Myamoto taking that exploration as a child. They were there to witness the lighting strike, twice. And we are all so so thankful for that!!

[@midnightkitty8172]

I call this inspiration, not 'sneaky tricks'.

[@StephanS]

I got the original DR sample CD and almost every sample is linked to a game, TV show or movie somehow. Those sounds are iconic, even thought that there is a lot of rubbish and unusable sounds on it. I'm currently working on my own sample CD, inspired by that particular Distorted Reality sample cd. Wish me luck, maybe one day there will be a video with a Zelda game, using my sounds

[@Helsionium]

8:21 Motoi Sakuraba used the same sample (and probably others from the same set) in his Baten Kaitos track "Rumbling of the Earth". And the "ICELAND" sample was re-used in Wind Waker as the sound effect for the warp portals at the end of the dungeons.

[@NikolajLepka]

"ethnic sounding" is such a weird phrase; literally everyone on Earth is ethnic something, it's the least descriptive descriptor of anything ever.

[@ThomasGameDocs]

That's a good point! I think the word "ethnic" was in my head when I was writing the script, since about half the album names have the word ethnic in them. But in retrospect, I should've used a better description!

[@user-kb1su7mg1g]

its because you're an sjw. now take your medication.

[@NikolajLepka]

@@user-kb1su7mg1g you're just mad Ukrainians don't consider themselves Russian

[@user-kb1su7mg1g]

@@NikolajLepka medication now

[@sep_timius]

@UCFMx7CXNTBVhI1RY8CR1-iQ "ethnic" used to describe traditional language, music or people has been considered offensive for years, please shut up

[@midierror]

This is so cool. Before the days of Splice and Loopmasters, a company called Time & Space used to sell sample CDs in the UK and abroad. They used to be really expensive and in a similar way to your story - were available to listen to in some stores. Amazing to find huge computers use samples as inspiration!

[@Korbsio]

Always love the music related videos! keep up the good work!

[@JC20XX]

You're right

[@al201103]

Fascinating! Also, completely free of filler. Just the story laid out with the samples and the music. Awesome, thank you!!

[@mesastreatexit]

are those the real sample compilation album coverS?! someone could make a whole video on the aesthetic of those cover art designs lmao

[@blitzsnap]

10:02 I think this sample was used in the Zant battle theme as well

[@marcovoltage]

This was an excellent video, and I’m sure quite a feat in tracking those origins down. Kudos 🎊

[@Fuzy2K]

The Jabu-Jabu percussion is also in the song A Thousand Years by Sting off his album Brand New Day :D

[@DL-rq2vr]

It’s interesting that zero-g made parts used for zelda, I only knew zero-g for its vocaloids

[@maggiethegamer1271]

zero-g's samples were also used for HL2

[@ghoulchan7525]

funny because Vocaloids are also basically a bunch of samples XD.

[@milesrotaru]

Aw you missed the sick drum loop from Gerudo desert in Twilight Princess. I've dumped all the samples from the game ISO and the percussion for that song is a single long audio clip, not composed of MIDI notes. The Ook boss fight also has some pretty cool ones. And by dumping them you can hear what they sound like without any pitch/speed changes since those operations are done in real-time. The files themselves are usually unmodified from the original source.

[@TheOfficalAndI]

aren't they usually downsampled and bit-reduced?

[@counterinfluencer5684]

THOMAS "missed" it because he didn't actually do any research at all, he merely ripped off content from existing youtubers without crediting them: GAME TRAILERS Ocarina Of Time Episode (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2SXfnmZf8l6edE PYTHON BLUE archive of Distorted Reality samples (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/omnIaXeYjbSUbac&ab_channel=PythonBlue WANNATRADEPLANTS Ocarina of Time Library Samples (2017) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaHTaIhjm5p9epo&ab_channel=WannaTradePants SAVE DATA Music of Ocarina Of Time (May 2, 2020) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ7EhYtraJKhi68&ab_channel=SaveData This video is literally a copy of those except for the story about Kondo, BUT... that story is a lie. Kondo had in fact already been using these exact CDs to make the music for Starfox 64 and Mario 64 before Zelda. He didn't magically wander into a random CD store and "discover" them for the first time. THOMAS is a fraud.

[@senritsujumpsuit6021]

When your feeling down about your music skills remember even big projects from companies are simply samples put in a blender just mess around until it clicks

[@relu419]

For SM64 it's almost the same. LLL use tabla from Big Fish Audio Megaton in specific timestamp and 2 tabla loops, creating different and unique atmosphere. My research for SM64 is intense, but for any interesent, you can find a list about samples used. In general for SM64... found 80% of all samples until now.

[@danjohnson3203]

This guy's just slappin' music together. Meanwhile my professors get all riled up when I don't put quotation marks, page number and citation around any two-word combination.

[@SusanIvanova2257]

I mean, of they are specifically sample CDs then I'd assume they were released under a license where this use is legal and intended. Kind of like buying a stock photo.

[@kevinkite3418]

Amazing discoveries!! I totally want to check these discs now. I love these atmospheric sounds.

[@Gonereducedtoatoms]

Everyone reading this comment is gonna be jealous as a couple of us managed to watch this awesome video before anyone else did.

[@kamil118]

somebody even managed to downvote it before it went live. I'm here 3s after the release

[@DeniseKazooie]

hello mario

[@unknowngamedev7310]

how can this comment be i day old

[@DeniseKazooie]

@@unknowngamedev7310 patreon go brrrr

[@CasualSunGod42]

I read this about twenty minutes after the video was released to the general public. I thought, "Haha, yeah, we were relatively early and everyone else is pathetic, haha, funny haha classism metaphor guys, like my comment, oh wow I'm so popular," and then I realized you wrote this comment two days before the video's release. Therefore, I suggest you do your best to brush your teeth regularly before you go zoom zoom in your vroom vroom. Health is very important and there's no shame in valuing it.

[@MrVarga64]

Mad to think, whenever a musically talented fan does a cover of one of these zelda tunes, they're actually doing super snazzed up versions of these samples that Kondo used in the original piece :) Don't know why, but that puts a smile on my face

[@Zizaco]

I instantly recognized some of these samples from silent hill. I googled and found out that they used these same CDs

[@commiekiller3000]

I will say, this is a good informative video, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that resampling a “hidden secret” nor is it something that people wouldn’t consider. It’s quite obvious that things were sampled throughout the OST, given the amount of organic sounds and vocals. It‘s no secret that people who mix and compose music turn to loops, samples, and presets to help stir up some needed inspiration, myself included.

[@Blueeyedmerle]

This is an amazing video, thomas. Great job! Top notch research. As soemone who samples a lot of music this is very fascinating

[@_SSGB_]

Man, this kind of thing is so fascinating to me! So many video games used to employ samples and production sound effects, I love getting to know their origin and being able to hear them in their original quality.

[@hollywang227]

Honestly the most terrifying TGD video ever.

[@TheSecretProvider]

10:02 sounds like some Gamelan music in particular. Super cool to find out video games are part of the reason I like sampling based music so much.

[@frankthediesel102p6]

This sounds like from Thai

[@HyruleGamer]

LOVED this video, super interesting secrets. I never knew any of these! :D

[@anttheman2332]

Ayyyy I know you you make cool content

[@HyruleGamer]

@@anttheman2332 Why thank you 🙏

[@christopherr8441]

Yo, Hyrule Gamer is here?!?!

[@HyruleGamer]

@@christopherr8441 Yessssir

[@DrawtoonzStudio]

This has been a fascinating topic for me for years. Stock samples and tracks are and always have been used everywhere, and I love it when a sound or a song I've recognized before ends up being found. Heck, even when something hasn't yet been uncovered, it's fun to pick up on a sound you've heard from one piece of media playing somewhere completely different. For example, there's a drum beat at the beginning of the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure song "I'm in Control" that I've heard in the scores of a couple other shows (and a movie). It doesn't really matter what library it's actually from, I just like noticing these sorts of things.

[@parsuli.]

Hey, so great video with a lot of research but I have a question out of pure curiosity: why did you put a timestamp to skip to at 6:46? What is a reason one may not want to hear the call to prayer?

[@oversleep3608]

Some people live under a rock and hate everyone that is different in any ideology, faith, skin color, ect. I'm kind of curious as "why" as well except; conjecture could be reached that it was to cater towards those blinded by prejudice and small views.

[@thegrim418]

@@oversleep3608 Could be for Muslims themselves. I know they consider it heresy for someone to just say Mohammad without his titles. Perhaps he considered some may take similar issue with a distorted version of their call to prayer.

[@The_Metroid]

This is so much like how Retro Studios used Korg synths from various synth stations to create primes soundtrack.

[@counterinfluencer5684]

Very true!

[@UnsightlyThinker]

The two dislikes are Ganon and Ganondorf.

[@musteycraft]

Linkdorf

[@g2.a6]

I swear that "ahhh" wailing sound i the shadow temple theme is the exact same sound in MGS2 when the colonel goes all crazy.

[@Mote.]

Zelda music is king

[@vibe-oz2qu]

I thought this as well. Then I played chrono trigger.

[@BeanBanditSV]

A different part of the exact same Islamic call to prayer sample was used in the intro music for a really bizarre game from 1994 called Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong Nau. I haven't heard that music in ages but as soon as you played that sample, the song instantly popped into my head!

[@mikemaster43]

This is a very impressive research. So fuckin Good. All music producers and sound designers are very grateful for this

[@trenton9]

Usually when I see a video purporting to reveal new information about Ocarina of Time, it's a letdown - mostly stuff I already know. You truly delivered here. I knew samples were used in the music, but never too this scope. It's endearing to know where those samples came from. I have to wonder if any of those sample creators realize what a contribution they made to history.

[@SireOblivion]

How were you even able to track these CDs down? Amazing.

[@ChrisLeeW00]

Following those links from zeldauniverse, looks like you can still purchase some of these libraries in mp3 format, so that's cool.

[@counterinfluencer5684]

Thanks for crediting zeldauniverse. THOMAS didn't actually do any research for this at all, and also ripped off content from existing youtubers without crediting them: GAME TRAILERS Ocarina Of Time Episode (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2SXfnmZf8l6edE PYTHON BLUE archive of Distorted Reality samples (2013) kzbin.info/www/bejne/omnIaXeYjbSUbac&ab_channel=PythonBlue WANNATRADEPLANTS Ocarina of Time Library Samples (2017) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaHTaIhjm5p9epo&ab_channel=WannaTradePants SAVE DATA Music of Ocarina Of Time (May 2, 2020) kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJ7EhYtraJKhi68&ab_channel=SaveData THOMAS is a fraud and we're not cool with him ripping off our hard work and not giving credit.

[@Randinator]

10:11 Giygas

[@KiraSlith]

Sega also made good use of that Ethic Flavors CD, specifically the clip at 8:25 is sampled repeatedly in Phantasy Star Online, most obvious is it's use for Dark Falz' second battle theme "Nearest Place To The Heaven Part 2" where's it's played as notation, other clips on that CD were taken for PSU's Dagora City and Kugu Desert themes much later.

[@theohuotaridellgren5258]

Why does every british guy say "Ocariner of Time"?

[@axiezimmah]

Lindybeige has a video on that

[@poppy6635]

How do you say it? Ocarinawww?

[@theohuotaridellgren5258]

@@poppy6635 no I don’t. STFU I didn’t ask you. Bottha of wattah

[@theohuotaridellgren5258]

@@poppy6635 anyway, let’s talk about your videos. BORING

[@poppy6635]

@@theohuotaridellgren5258 okay haha

[@Bangulo]

Fantastic work dude! As a musician and composer! this is some awesome detective work! that last sample in the distorted reality also sounds like the sound used in silent hill 1, In one of the cutscenes,

[@illustrious-jaco]

yup i thought the same thing!

[@FerHivore]

Who’da thunk listening to new music could be helpful when composing new music.

[@typho6279]

This was of course only effective in the past

[@myamacke4159]

@@typho6279 not really, it’s pretty common to listen to other music for ideas or inspiration and sampling is still incredibly common place, it’s just made much easier via the internet’s massive catalogs of music

[@typho6279]

@@myamacke4159 It has been scientifically proven that you can't find inspiration in music made after 2003

[@user-kb1su7mg1g]

@@typho6279 what did you mean by this

[@2thBrush]

@@typho6279 I’d love a source on this wild claim

[@SogeKingWes]

nice ive always loved koji kondo'smusic for the zelda games

[@Ryaify]

I've Never Played Zelda But This Is A Good Video

[@anttheman2332]

Do it now

[@MidnyteSketch]

Up until now I always thought that the voice in the forest temple theme was one of link's voice sounds edited around to the music, it never even occurred to me that it was actually a part of the flute sound!

[@spitefulcrow5026]

Right? Mind blown. Sounds just like link

[@xplaygamer]

I'm impressed you were able to track all of this down.

[@gllmusic]

It really explains how just one person was responsible for the entire game soundtrack. Actual sound design is a long and difficult process, and this game came out before the mass proliferation of digital synthesis and giant, high quality sample libraries (not saying impossible, but Koji Kondo would probably require a team of sound designers and musicians from around the world, and much more time to complete everything). It's so much easier to slap a bunch of stuff together with minimal processing than create those soundscapes and record old-world ethnic instruments and vocals. I don't believe licensing rights for a "sample" CD are actually much different than any other commercial CD. I certainly don't understand copyright laws in Japan (especially in 1995). It could have actually been a huge mess acquiring the rights to all those sound samples.