(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 Butcher
Final Fantasy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In accord with prophecy
Are all your fears and fires and family
Written within the Book of Butchery?
My appetite is endless
The people defenseless
This land is big, this land is bigger
Every morning I listen to confessional
Couldn't give a shit 'bout the bulk of it
Still I keep it professional
Then, as penance, I tell 'em to proselytize
Say: the sun is red, say that I am red
Say: all your bases belong to us
And of doomsday, the end of the century
In accord with prophecy
Put all your fears, your fires, your family
Into the mouth of Final Fantasy
All the bishops will kneel at their alters and sing
And remove their coils, their rings, their jewels
And lay them all down in sacrifice
What of things? What thing? What is this thing?
I've a temper as shiny as any bling!
And all this attention will gain you no favour in paradise
The crack
Where is the crack?
When did I
Crack?
Then I'll stand alone on a planet with
Nothing left to remember it
I'll try, I'll try, I'll try to prevent it
I'll try, I'll try, but I'll never stop it, no
Muzzle me, muzzle muzzle me
Bind my will and break of me
You try, you try, you try to prevent it
You'll try, you'll try, but you'll never stop it, no
The song "The Butcher" by Final Fantasy is a haunting and eerie song that discusses a doomsday prophecy and the imagery of a butcher. The lyrics suggest that there is a book of butchery that contains all of humanity's fears, fires, and family, and questions whether or not the end of the century and doomsday are predicted within its pages. The singer (presumably the "Butcher") speaks of his endless appetite and the people's defenselessness, suggesting that his power is unmatched. He alludes to listening to confessions and not caring about them for the most part, but keeping it professional. The Butcher then commands the listeners to proselytize and say that the sun is red and that all their bases belong to them.
The lyrics take a religious turn when the Butcher speaks of bishops kneeling at their altars and giving up their possessions in sacrifice. The Butcher speaks of having a temper as shiny as any bling and warns that gaining attention will not give any favor in paradise. The lyrics end with the Butcher lamenting about standing alone on a planet with nothing left to remember, and then speaks of someone trying to muzzle them and break them, but despite these attempts, doomsday and the end of the century cannot be prevented.
Overall, the song speaks of power, religion, sacrifice, and the inevitable end of the world. Its ominous tone and imagery leave the listener with an eerie feeling and suggests that perhaps doomsday is closer than we think.
Line by Line Meaning
Doomsday, the end of the century
The anticipated day of destruction at the end of a century
In accord with prophecy
As predicted, as per prophetic message
Are all your fears and fires and family
Are all of your greatest concerns, disasters, and loved ones
Written within the Book of Butchery?
Recorded in the tome of cruelty and violence
My appetite is endless
I have an insatiable hunger for destruction
The people defenseless
The populace is vulnerable and powerless
This land is big, this land is bigger
This territory is vast, even larger than one may imagine
But never as big as the mouth of a singer-oh.
Yet the size of one's words and voice can be far-reaching and powerful
Every morning I listen to confessional
Every day I hear confessions of others' sins
Couldn't give a shit 'bout the bulk of it
I'm indifferent to most of it
Still I keep it professional
I maintain a level of detachment and impartiality
Then, as penance, I tell 'em to proselytize
As a way of making amends, I instruct them to spread a message
Say: the sun is red, say that I am red
Repeat this statement: the sun is red, I am red
Say: all your bases belong to us
Utter this phrase: everything is under our control
And of doomsday, the end of the century
Regarding the day of reckoning, the apocalypse
In accord with prophecy
As foretold by seers and prophets
Put all your fears, your fires, your family
Place all of your anxieties, disasters, and loved ones
Into the mouth of Final Fantasy
Into the hands of the ultimate destroyer, Final Fantasy
All the bishops will kneel at their alters and sing
Religious leaders will bow in prayer and chant
And remove their coils, their rings, their jewels
Take off their decorative accessories
And lay them all down in sacrifice
Offer all these items as a sacred offering
What of things? What thing? What is this thing?
What is the significance of this action, this item, this concept?
I've a temper as shiny as any bling!
My mood is just as ostentatious as any gaudy accessory
And all this attention will gain you no favour in paradise
Performing these rituals will not grant you any special favors or rewards in the afterlife
The crack
The point of fracture
Where is the crack?
What is the location of the split or division?
When did I
At what point in time did I
Crack?
Break apart or collapse?
Then I'll stand alone on a planet with
I will be left solitary on a deserted world
Nothing left to remember it
With no memories or remnants of the previous existence
I'll try, I'll try, I'll try to prevent it
I will endeavor, strive, and struggle to stop the destruction from happening
You try, you try, you try to prevent it
You attempt, endeavor, and fight to halt the calamity
You'll try, you'll try, but you'll never stop it, no
You will put forth effort and energy, but ultimately nothing can avert the catastrophe
Contributed by Alexis L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexander Rosauer
This made my night even better. Can’t get enough of this dude. He just brings everything I’m missing even if I don’t think I’m missing it
The Hidden Church of The Holy Grail
I listened to this record for about 4 hours on repeat one night on graveyard shift. It was great!
Robert
Thanks for uploading this.
Matthew Jury
Pitchfork #99