(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.
The Ballad Of No-Face
Final Fantasy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have lots of swishy friends around, I do, I do-dah-do
But a bunch of those together
Can only do the Devil's work, and it's the Devil's work they do
Finding beauty in ugly things is alright...to a point!
And have you seen that cross-breed of the high-brow and the low?
It's a note tied to a brick that reads:
Why can't these people see? Theirs is a life of mimicry
They are fathers without sons or daughters
They are bathers at the mouth of a literary delta
It isn't poetry
It's an orchestration, orchestration of their own demise
And you'll call me a bigot, or a dog in the manger
But I've seen them in the commons with their kerchiefs and tattoos
And a bunch of those together
Can only do the Devil's work, and it's the Devil's work they do
The lyrics of Final Fantasy's "The Ballad of No-Face" speak to the idea of apparent acceptance vs. true inclusivity. The singer claims that they have "swishy friends" and thus cannot be a bigot, but then goes on to criticize and condemn those friends for their actions. They argue that finding beauty in ugly things is only okay to a point, and that people who are "bathers at the mouth of a literary delta" are really just orchestrating their own demise. The repeated line "a bunch of those together can only do the Devil's work" suggests that the singer sees any sort of countercultural or unconventional behavior as inherently dangerous and negative.
However, despite their judgmental tone, the singer seems to be aware of the potential for pushback against their views. They predict that they will be called a bigot or a "dog in the manger" (a reference to a fable about a selfish farmer who prevents his animals from eating simply because he cannot eat himself), but seem to be more concerned with the behavior of their supposedly alternative friends. The final lines suggest that the singer sees their view as the only correct one, and that anyone who disagrees is working against the forces of good.
Overall, the song seems to explore the idea of performative progressivism, and the way in which people can use the language of acceptance and inclusivity to mask their true prejudices. It also speaks to the dangerous consequences of groupthink and the negative impact that a mob mentality can have on individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
You say that I'm a bigot. No sir! No sir!
I deny your accusation that I am intolerant towards those with differing views.
I have lots of swishy friends around, I do, I do-dah-do
I have many friends who are flamboyantly gay and I accept them.
But a bunch of those together
Can only do the Devil's work, and it's the Devil's work they do
However, when they come together in large groups, they engage in sinful and immoral behavior.
Finding beauty in ugly things is alright...to a point!
It is acceptable to appreciate unconventional beauty, but there is a limit to what can be considered beautiful.
And have you seen that cross-breed of the high-brow and the low?
Have you witnessed the merging of high and low culture?
It's a note tied to a brick that reads:
Freedom, foul freedom, we are free to foul whatever, and we will
This hybridization often leads to vulgar displays of freedom, where individuals take advantage of their liberties to engage in lewd and irresponsible behavior.
Why can't these people see? Theirs is a life of mimicry
Why can't these individuals recognize that they are living a life imitating others, without original thought or action?
They are fathers without sons or daughters
Their lack of originality and creativity makes them like parents without offspring.
They are bathers at the mouth of a literary delta
It isn't poetry
Their tendency to consume and regurgitate popular culture is like dipping one's toes in a river delta; it may be refreshing, but it is not true poetry or art.
It's an orchestration, orchestration of their own demise
Their lack of creativity and reliance on imitation is leading to their own downfall.
And you'll call me a bigot, or a dog in the manger
But I've seen them in the commons with their kerchiefs and tattoos
You may accuse me of prejudice, but I have observed these individuals gathering in public spaces, adorned in their peculiar fashion.
And a bunch of those together
Can only do the Devil's work, and it's the Devil's work they do
However, when these individuals congregate in groups, they tend to engage in immoral and sinful activities.
Contributed by Hudson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hagush
Wow!