Dallas String Quartet Take on The Classic Pokémon Theme Song
Pokémon is a bit of a national phenomenon. There are plenty of versions and variations of the show, movies, and video games, but there's one particular cartoon version of Pokémon that aired in the '90s that people really connected with.
This particular show helped bring Pokémon to a worldwide audience, and it was later released on VHS and DVD, which sold millions.
Now, Pokémon is known by pretty much everyone, as it is a huge part of culture, even here in the United States.
The '90s Pokémon TV show had a theme song for its intro. It was a full-on track that was pop rock, with hints of electronic elements in there.
The theme song became extremely well-known amongst the fans.
If you look up the Pokémon theme song on YouTube, some of the main videos have over 78 million views. This should give you a little bit of an example of how popular that version of Pokémon has become.
It basically spoke to a whole generation and became a novelty.
It's a catchy song and dove headfirst into the Pokémon lore while giving it a bit of an action-packed vibe, with high energy, just like the show itself.
Well, leave it up to Dallas String Quartet to take it upon themselves to cover the Pokémon theme song for the 30th anniversary of the show.
Now, this is a string quartet, so it comes through differently, but they really stayed extremely true to the original themes, melodies, energy, and approach.
If you know the theme song by heart, which many of us do, you probably would be singing the words while you're listening to their version of the track.
Because of the texture and tone of the instruments performed, this version of the theme song is really rich, and you're able to soak in a bit more of the melodic approach and forwardness of it all.
They even added some extra flair during their version, giving it a bit of a shimmer while, again, still really staying true to the original cinematic rock version.
It's really fun to soak this track in because it has that vivacious energy to it and really does portray the same level of intensity as the original theme and show itself do, sort of showcasing that some or all of the members of Dallas String Quartet might actually be fans of Pokémon.
I'm sure they are, seeing that they're covering this theme song in general.
Once more, the textures and tones of these instruments really bring a different soundscape to the plate, and it really opens up the palette of the song to give you more color, and it works beautifully.
There's such a natural elegance to hearing violins, viola, cello, and upright or double bass being performed. It's just that bowed instruments themselves have a beauty to their sound.
Bringing that natural elegance to this Pokémon theme and high-octane, action-oriented, colorful, and vibrant track really works wonders.
Once more, if you are a fan of Pokémon, you absolutely must not miss this. It is so cool to hear the theme song done in this fashion.
Just the attention to detail alone, not just in the melodies and changes, arrangement, and composition, but also the performances themselves, and how the whole thing is like a love letter to Pokémon and the theme song, is absolutely amazing.
Dallas String Quartet is known for branching out and performing all different kinds of material, showcasing how they're not typecast or tied down to specific kinds of genres.
If they are inspired by something, they're going to cover that piece of work, and they're going to do it in their own way.
One of the coolest things, in my opinion, about this group is the simple fact that they can perform all acoustically or electrically.
That, to me, is really interesting and intriguing: the way that they have really intense visuals when they're performing electric instruments.
Personally, I think I connect more with the acoustic performances because I feel like that has a bit more of a classical touch to it, and the acoustic versions of the instruments portray a different kind of gracefulness in certain facets.
Of course, that's just my own opinion. Other people would probably love the electric performances, too. I do as well; I just dig the acoustic ones a little more.
Call me old school if you will.
At any rate, this was an absolutely breathtaking piece of work, and whether or not you know Pokémon or are a fan, this is definitely something you should be listening to.
This is an example of how contemporary instruments can be utilized in ways that you might not have thought.
Again, this is absolutely for the Pokémon fans out there, without a doubt, but even if you're not, soak this track in because it's just such a cool and exciting, slightly intense, and beautiful piece of work.
So, dive into this one now and remember where you heard it first.
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