Jillian Aversa and Doug Perry´s NieR music video

Jillian Aversa and Doug Perry did a great job with their Nier music video imo.

Press release:

Baltimore, Maryland – July 15, 2015 – Vocalist Jillian Aversa is pleased to present her latest music video tribute to the cult classic RPG, NieR, in collaboration with renowned percussionist Doug Perry. Following Square Enix’s unexpected announcement at E3 that a follow-up was in the works, Aversa wanted to celebrate the original game’s acclaimed soundtrack. As one of the most iconic pieces of music from NieR, “Song of the Ancients” is frequently performed in Japan, and by Aversa and Perry themselves as a part of the Video Games Live international symphonic tour.

The music video can be enjoyed on YouTube while the song is available for download via OverClocked Records, marking the popular game music remix destination’s first foray into the official licensing of videogame music singles as a part of their record label offerings:

“I’m very excited to see OverClocked Records taking a big step towards focusing on licensed VGM arrangements,” comments OverClocked ReMix founder David Lloyd. “Jill and Doug have done a fantastic job capturing the magic of NieR with this transporting and beautiful arrangement and video. As the first arranged VGM single on the OverClocked Records label, the bar has certainly been set high!”

http://overclockedrecords.com/release/song-of-the-ancients-nier/

“Square Enix has a long history of incredible games with equally incredible soundtracks,” notes Aversa, “But NieR was something I had never seen or heard before. Set among the ruins of an ancient civilization, the decaying world is at once terrifyingly dark and hauntingly beautiful. MoNACA’s score perfectly incapsulates this dichotomy with heart-pounding tribal percussion and an impressive array of vocal music, from ethereal boys’ choir to deep, guttural chanting.”

Doug Perry (percussionist for Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris) co-arranged the musical backing for the tribute, which began with only marimba and voice, but was expanded to include exotic instruments such as the vibraphone, African djembe and udu, Brazilian caxixi, and a Renaissance-period frame drum.

The music video, directed by Landon Donoho, was filmed during Maryland’s annual game music convention, MAGFest. Emphasizing the contrast between dark and light, it features striking imagery intended to draw the viewer into the world of NieR:

“We decided to shoot the music video in front of an enormous statue of a man ‘drowning’ in the sand nearby,” reflects Aversa. “Doug wore all black (including a mask painted on his face) and I created my own ghostly white ensemble.”

“We thought the statue was very reminiscent of NieR,” adds Doug Perry. “Like a relic of this once-great civilization that had fallen victim to the passage of time. Wheeling my vibraphone down the streets of National Harbor in the freezing cold made for quite an amusing scene, though!”

Aversa and Perry’s NieR – “Song of the Ancients” tribute has been posted to Jillian’s YouTube channel, where music videos paying homage to The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy VI, Destiny, Metal Gear Solid and Game of Thrones can also be found:

https://www.youtube.com/user/JillianAversa

Jillian Aversa is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, and performer whose shimmering voice has appeared in a medley of projects – from videogames, film, and hit dance singles to her original solo albums. Her ethereal vocals can be heard in blockbuster videogame franchises HALO (Microsoft), GOD OF WAR (Sony), CIVILIZATION (Firaxis), KILLER INSTINCT (Microsoft), CRIMSON DRAGON (Microsoft), and SOULCALIBUR V (Bandai Namco) for which she co-composed the ending theme.

Jillian’s original new age/world music has garnered no less attention, with her albums Atlantis Awakening,
Origins, and Through Sand and Snow landing international radio airplay and awards such as the OurStage Music Grand Prize and JPF Best New Age Album. She commands the stage as well as the studio, graduating from Peabody Conservatory of Music with an extensive background in theater and vocal performance. Now touring as the vocal soloist with VIDEO GAMES LIVE, an immersive orchestral concert series, she is an international sensation in her own right.

About OverClocked Records
OverClocked Records was created in 2014 with the goal of promoting and distributing exceptional, licensed game music arrangements and original soundtracks from the game music community. Founded as a sister site to OverClocked ReMix by David “djpretzel” Lloyd, Andrew “zircon” Aversa, and Larry “Liontamer” Oji, OC Records provides a platform to achieve the same goals as OC ReMix – honoring & promoting video game music – in a commercial context.