(2) German Trance project of Ralph Fritsch & Detlef Hastik, active throughout the 90s which ended with the double A-side release: "You're My Angel / The Moon Is Shining" in 2003. "You're My Angel" was later covered by the UK duo Styles & Breeze.
(For Final Fantasy videogames, please use 植松伸夫 and other respective composers. More information available on Wikipedia or just use Musicbrainz Picard).
Further information on (1) entry below:
The Canadian musician decided to stop using this moniker in December 18th, 2009 and start using his own name, Owen Pallett, as he planned to release his third album in the Japanese market, where the name 'Final Fantasy' may have conflicted with the famous video game franchise. He also announced that previous albums will be re-released under his name
Owen Pallett is a violinist and singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the principal member of the band Final Fantasy, which is essentially a solo group, although Leon Taheny is also credited as drummer and engineer. (This band should not be mistaken with Square Enix's famous game series "Final Fantasy" - its music is mostly composed by 植松伸夫. The name "Final Fantasy" is in fact a tribute to the well-known video game series.) On September 18th 2006, Final Fantasy won the inaugural Polaris Music Prize for the best Canadian album (based solely on artistic merit).
Pallett has been noted for his live performances, wherein he plays the violin into a sampler controlled by foot pedals, which then loops back one or more of the previously played musical phrases as he plays additional parts simultaneously. He has also performed with more traditional string quartets as backing musicians.
He believes his work is somewhat influenced by his sexuality, saying "As far as whether the music I make is gay or queer, yeah, it comes from the fact that I'm gay, but that doesn't mean I'm making music about it." in a recent interview.
"I'm taking a cue from Joel Gibb," he begins. "He and I are very different people, and we're very different in terms of the way we've assessed our sexual identities, but one thing I really respect about him is that his music has less to do with his identity and more to do with the more interesting aspects of himself." He states in an earlier interview in Toronto's NOW Magazine concerning his sexual identity and its use in his music.
On 12 February 2005, his debut album, Final Fantasy Has A Good Home, was released by the recording club Blocks (sometimes referred to as 'BlocksBlocksBlocks'), a cooperative, Toronto-based record label of which he is a member. A second album is entitled "He Poos Clouds", and inspiration for the songs are based on the eight schools of magic used for Dungeons & Dragons and how they relate to modern times. It is released under Tomlab.
His previous projects included a 3-piece Toronto-based band, Les Mouches, now defunct. He is still a member of another Toronto band called Picastro. Owen has also recorded and toured with The Hidden Cameras and The Arcade Fire. One of his songs, "This Is the Dream of Win & Regine", was inspired by the principal members of the latter group, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, and a Dntel song of a similar name (This is the Dream of Evan & Chan). Owen also co-wrote the orchestral arrangements for both of The Arcade Fire's albums, along with Régine Chassagne.
That's When The Audience Died
Final Fantasy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the underclass
She broke down, she broke down, she broke down
and decided to act
For every new baby
Investment, investment
for every whore, relief
No matter a drunkard,
a swineherd, a spaniard
we're all treated equally
Canada, Cana-daddy-doody-da
Let her keep a memento
She has not been able to sleep
Since the days of Trudeau
On music, on painting, distract us with drying
and don't let the audience die
Watch Alice get better, and Peggy get stronger
they'll still publish once in a while
The lyrics of "That's When The Audience Died" by Final Fantasy are dense and metaphorical, as is typical of Owen Pallett's songwriting. The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the disconnection between the ruling elites and the underclass, and the ultimate futility of trying to bridge that divide. The repetition of the word "fascinate" implies a fascination with the underclass, which is followed by the statement "she broke down and decided to act." This could be interpreted as a wealthy individual or corporation deciding to give back to the underclass, but ultimately being unable to truly connect with them.
The second verse touches on the idea of investment and relief for babies and sex workers respectively, implying that these groups are viewed as commodities to be exploited rather than individuals to be understood and helped. The line "we're all treated equally" can be seen as a sarcastic statement highlighting the reality of inequality and injustice that is present in society. The use of the phrase "Cana-daddy-doody-da" is playful and rhythmic, but its meaning is unclear.
The final lines of the song are perhaps the most ambiguous: "On music, on painting, distract us with drying and don't let the audience die. Watch Alice get better, and Peggy get stronger, they'll still publish once in a while." These lines could be interpreted as a call to distract ourselves from the problems of society with art and entertainment, or they could be seen as a hopeful statement about the resilience of marginalized individuals who will continue to create and contribute despite their struggles. Overall, the song conveys a sense of disillusionment and frustration with society's failures to truly connect with and support those who are most in need.
Line by Line Meaning
Fascinate, fascinate, fascinated
Captivated, captivated, captivated
With the underclass
By the lower class
She broke down, she broke down, she broke down
She collapsed, she collapsed, she collapsed
and decided to act
And chose to take action
For every new baby
For every newborn
Investment, investment
Spending, spending
for every whore, relief
For every prostitute, comfort
No matter a drunkard, a swineherd, a spaniard
Regardless of a drunkard, a pig farmer, or a Spaniard
we're all treated equally
We are all treated the same
Canada, Cana-daddy-doody-da
Canada, dear Canada
Let her keep a memento
Let her have a keepsake
She has not been able to sleep
She cannot sleep
Since the days of Trudeau
Since the time of Trudeau
On music, on painting, distract us with drying
With music, with art, divert our attention with the drying
and don't let the audience die
And prevent the audience from dying
Watch Alice get better, and Peggy get stronger
Observe Alice improving and Peggy becoming stronger
they'll still publish once in a while
They will still occasionally publish
Contributed by Maria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.